Untitled - Prabhupada

SR-MADBHAGAVATAMSnmad-Bhagavatam, an epic philosophical andliterary classic, holds a prominent position inIndia's voluminous written wisdom. The timelesswisdom of India is expressed in the Vedas, ancientSanskrit texts that touch upon all fields of humanknowledge. Originally preserved through oral trdition,the Vedas were first put into writing by SrilaVyasadeva, the "literary incarnation of God." Aftercompiling the Vedas, Srila Vyasadeva was inspiredby his spiritual master, to present their profoundessence in the form of Snmad-Bhagavatam. Knowna,s "the ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic literature,"Srimad-Bhagavatam is the most complete and authoritativeexposition of Vedic knowledge.After wyiting the Bhagavatam, Vyasa taught it tohis son, Sukadeva Gosviimi, who later spoke theBhagavatam to Maharaja Parikit in an assembly ofsages on the bank of the sacred Ganges River. AlthoughMaharaja Parikit was a great rajar$i (saintlyking) and the emperor of the world, when hereceived notice of his death seven days in advance, herenounced his entire kindgom and retired to thebank of the Ganges to seek spiritual enligh!enment.The questions of King Parikit and SukadevaGosviimi's illuminating answers, concerning everythingfrom the nature of th,e self to the origin of theuniverse, are the basis of Snmad-Bhagavatam.This edition of Bhagavatam is the only completeEnglish translation with an elaborate and scholarlycommentary, and it is the first edition widely availableto the English-reading public. This work is theproduct of the scholarly and devotional effort of HisDivine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,the world's most distinguished teacher ofIndian religious and philosophical thought. HisSanskrit scholarship and intimate familiarity withVedic culture combine to reveal to the West a magnificentexposition of this important classic.With its coprehensive system of providing theoriginal Sanskrit text, Roman transliteration, preciseword-for-word equivalents, a lucid English translationand a comprehensive commentary, it will appealto scholars students and laymen alike. The entiremultivolume text, presented by the BhaktivedantaBook Trust, promises to occupy a significant place inthe intellectual, cultural and spiritual life of modernman for a long time to come.

ALL GLORY TO SRT GURU AND GAURANGASRIMADBHAGAVATAMofKSf':-JA-DVAIPAYANA VYASAs;ltsN;:a:1 fkltffi'UMwt'A1¥41iG:Fcl@r$l4:J:3lml m qi mr:IIye 'nye 'ravindaa vimukta-mtlninastvayy asta-bhavad aviSuddha-buddhayaaruhya krcchrer;w. pararh padam tatapatanty adho 'nadrta-ymad-arighraya(p. 172)

BOOKS byHis Divine GraceA. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupadahagavad-gita As It Is*imad-Bhagavatam, Cantos 1-10 (50 Vols.)Sri Caitanya-caritam:rta (17 Vols.)Teachings of Lord CaitanyaThe Nectar of DevotionThe Nectar of InstructionSri lsopani![!adEasy Journey to Other PlanetsJ(:r![!Qa Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga SystemJ(:r![!Qa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (3 Vols.)Perfect Questions, Perfect AnswersDialectical Spiritualism-A Vedic View of Western PhilosophyTeachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahu.tiTranscendental Teachings of Prahlad MaharajaJ(:r![!Qa, the Reservoir of PleasureLife Comes from LifeThe Perfection of YogaBeyond Birth and DeathOn the Way to J(:r![!QaGeetar-gan (Bengali)Raja-vidya: The King of KnowledgeElevation to J(:r![!Qa ConsciousnessKrsna Consciousness: The Matchless GiftBk to Godhead Magazine (Founder)A complete catalog is available upon requestBhaktivedanta Book Trust3764 Watseka AvenueLos Angeles, California 90034

SRIMADBHAGAVATAMTenth Canto"The Summum Bonum"(Part One-Chapters 1-5)With the Original Sanskrit Text,Its Roman Transliteration, Synonyms,Translation and Elaborate PurportsbyHis Divine GraceA.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaFounder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness•THE BHAKTIVEDANT A BOOK TRUSTNew York· Los Angeles· London ·Bombay

Readers interested in the s'"bject matter of this bookare invited by the International Society for Krishna Consciousnessto correspond with its Secretary.International Society for Krishna Consciousness3764 Watseka AvenueLos Angeles, California 90034First Printing, 1977: 20,000 copies© 1977 Bhaktivedanta Book TrustAll Rights ReservedPrinted in the United States of AmericaLibrary of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data (ReWed)Puranas. BhAgavatapurina.Srnnad-BhAgavatam.Includes bibliographical references and indexes.CONTENTS: Canto 1. Creation. 3 v.-Canto 2.The cosmic manifestation. 2 v.-Canto 3. Thestatus quo. 4 v.-Canto 4. The creation of theFourth Order. 4 v.-Canto 5. The creativeimpetus. 2 v.1. Chaitanya, 1486-1534. I. BhaktivedantaSwami, A. C., 1896- II. Title.BL1135.P7A22 1972 73-169353ISBN 0-912776-97-8

Table of ContentsreIntroductionuxmSummary of the Tenth Canto 1CHAPTER ONEThe Advent of Lord Krsna: Introduction 13. . .Chapter Summary 13The Supreme Abode of the Personality of Godhead 17Curing the Disease of Repeated Birth and Death 21Shelter at the Lotus Feet of Lord KrQa 27God Is Never Formless 32Kr"{Ul-kathci Compulsory for Government Leaders 38KrQa Is Not an Ordinary, Historical Person 45How the Supreme Lord's Energies Function 51Age-old Vedic Marriage Customs 57The Living Entity Constantly Changes Bodies 64The Next Body Develops According to One's State of Mind 67Why the Living Entity Identifies With His Body 7 4The Vedic Culture Aims at Avoiding Death 80Vasudeva Promises Kamsa His Newborn Sons 85Devotees Summoned to Participate in the Lord's Pastimes 93Kamsa Kills Vasudeva's Children 97CHAPTER TWOPrayers by the Demigods for Lord 1}8in the Womb 117v

viSrimad-BhigavatamChapter Summary 117Why the Lord Descends 120"All Beings Are in Me, But I Am Not in Them" 127Atma-tattva: Knowledge of the Spirit Soul 131Night for the Materialist Is Day for the Self-Realized 137The Worldwide Distribution of Vedic Knowledge 144Suffering in the Bodily Concept of Life 149The Demigods Invisibly Enter Devaki's Room to OfferPrayers 154Erroneous Conclusions of the Material Scientists 162Crossing the Ocean of Repeated Birth and Death 168The "Many Paths, Same Result" Philosophy Rejected 173The Importance of the Hare J}.a Mantra 180Material Minds and Senses Cannot Understand Q.a 185The Supreme Lord Is Not Forced to Take Birth 194The Demigods Return to the Heavenly Planets 199CHAPTER THREEThe Birth of Lord Krsna 201. . .Chapter Summary 201The Universe Surcharged With Auspicious Symptoms 204Description of the Supreme Lord as a Newborn Child 211Vasudeva Offers Prayers to His Son, Lord Sri J}.a 215Why Life Cannot Be Created in a Laboratory 223Q.a Descends to Protect the Innocent Public 229Devaki Offers Prayers to Her Transcendental Child 233The Supreme Lord Has No Fear of Time 239Q.a Requested to Assume the Form of an OrdinaryChild243

Table of ContentsvuThe Previous Births of Lord 1,1a's Parents 249Love of Godhead, the Highest Achievement 256Misconstruing 1,1a to be an Ordinary Human Being 264Vasudeva Carries 1,1a to V:rndavana 269Kevala-bhakti: Intense Love of the Supreme Personality ofGodhead 273CHAPTER FOURThe Atrocities of King Kamsa 275Chapter Summary 275Pseudo Guardians of the Material World 277Devaki Tries Diplomacy to Save Her Child 281Worshipers of Durga Must Accept Body After Body 287The Soul Is Always Aloof From Bodily Changes 292Karilsa Repents His Abominable Acts 298The Materialist Is Only Superficially Expert 305Description of Eternal Religious Principles 311Kamsa's Demons Begin the Persecution of SaintlyPersons317CHAPTER FIVEThe Meeting of Nanda Maharajaand VasudevaChapter SummaryLord Sri K:r1,1a's Vedic Birth CeremonyKilling the Opportunity of Human CivilizationNo Food Shortages in Vedic SocietyNanda Goes to Mathura to Pay TaxesThe Disastrous Results of Cow Slaughter319319320326332337342

viiiSrimadBhigavatamAppendixes 349The Author 351References 353Glossary 355Sanskrit Pronunciation Guide ·Index of Sanskrit VersesGeneral Index361365373

PrefaceWe must know the present need of human society. And what is thatneed? Human society is no longer bounded by geographical limits to particularcountries or communities. Human society is broader than in theMiddle Ages, and the world tendency is toward one state or one humansociety. The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Snmad­Bhiigavatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire humansociety, nay, of the entire energy of living beings. The need is felt bygreat thinkers to make this a successful ideology. Srimad-Bhiigavatamwill fill this need in human society. It begins, therefore, with the aphorismof Vedanta philosophy janmiidy asya yata}J, to establish the ideal ofa common cause.Human society, at the present moment, is not in the darkness ofoblivion. It has made rapid progress in the field of material comforts,education and economic development throughout the entire world. Butthere is a pinprick somewhere in the social body at large, and thereforethere are large-scale quarrels, even over less important issues. There isneed of a clue as to how humanity can _become one in peace, friendshipand prosperity with a common cause. Snmad-Biuigavatam will fill thisneed, for it is a cultural presentation for the re-spiritualization of theentire human society.Srimad-Bhagavatam should be introduced also in the schools and colleges,for it is recommended by the great student-devotee PrahladaMaharaja in order to change the demoniac face of society.kaumara acaret prajfiodharmdn bhcigavatcin ihadurlabham mdn!L$arh janmatad apy adhruvam arthadam(Bhag. 7.6.1)Disparity in human society is due to lack of principles in a godlesscivilization. There is God, or the Almighty One, from whom everythingemanates, by whom everything is maintained and in whom everythingzx

XSrimad-Bhagavatamis merged to rest. Material science has tried to find the ultimate sourceof creation very insufficiently, but it is a fact that there is one ultimatesource of everything that be. This ultimate source is explainedrationally and authoritatively in the beautiful Bhagavatam or Srimad­Bhagavatam.Srimad-Bhagavatam is the transcendental science not only for knowingthe ultimate source of everything but also for knowing our relationwith Him and our duty towards perfection of the human society on thebasis of this perfect knowledge. It is powerful reading matter in theSanskrit language, and it is now rendered into English elaborately so thatsimply by a careful reading one will know God perfectly well, so much sothat the reader will be sufficiently educated to defend himself from theonslaught of atheists. Over and above this, the reader will be able to convertothers to accepting God as a concrete principle.Srimad-Bhiigavatam begins with the definition of the ultimate source.It is a bona fide commentary on the Vedanta-sutra by the same author,Srila Vyasadeva, and gradually it develops into nine cantos up to thehighest state of God realization. The only qualification one needs to studythis great book of transcendental knowledge is to proceed step by stepcautiously and not jump forward haphazardly like with an ordinarybook. It should be gone through chapter by chapter, one after another.The reading matter is so arranged with its original Sanskrit text, itsEnglish transliteration, synonyms, translation and purports so that one issure to become a God-realized soul at the end of finishing the first ninecantos.The Tenth Canto is distinct from the first nine cantos because it dealsdirectly with the transcendental activities of the Personality of GodheadSri Knn,ta. One will be unable to capture the effects of the Tenth Cantowithout going through the first nine cantos. The book is complete intwelve cantos, each independent, but it is good for all to read them insmall installments one after another.I must admit my frailties in presenting Srimad-Bhagavatam, but stillI am hopeful of its good reception by the thinkers and leaders of societyon the strength of the following statement of Srimad-Bhagavatam(1.5.11):tad-oog-visargo janatagha-viplavoyasmin prati-slokam abaddhavaty api

Introduction"This Bhagavata Purd'l)a is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisenjust after the departure of Lord r;ta to His own abode, accompanied byreligion: knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to thedense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from thisPura'l)a." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.43)The timeless wisdom of India is expressed in the Vedas, ancientSanskrit texts that touch upon all fields of human knowledge. Originallypreserved through oral traition, the Vedas were first put into writingfive thousand years ago by Srila Vyasadeva, the "literary incarnation ofGod." After compiling the Vedas, Vyasadeva set forth their essence inthe aphorisms known as Vedanta-siitras. Srimad-Bhagavatam isVyasadeva's commentary on his own Vedanta-siitras. It was written inthe maturity of his spiritual life under the direction of Narada Muni, hisspiritual master. Referred to as "the ri p ened fruit of the tree of Vedicliterature," Srimad-Bhagavatam is the most complete and authoritativeex p osition of Vedic knowledge.Mter copiling the Bhagavatam, Vyasa impressed the syno p sis of itu p on his son, the sage Sukadeva Gosvami. Sukadeva Gosvami subsequentlyrecited the entire Bhagavatam to Maharaja Pariit in an assemblyof learned saints on the bank of the Ganges at Hastinapura (nowDelhi). Maharaja Parikit was the emperor of the world and was a greatrajari (saintly king). Having received a warning that he would diewithin a week, he renounced his entire kingdom and retired to the bankof the Ganges to fast until death and receive spiritual enlightenment.The Bhagavatam begins with Emperor Parikit's sober inquiry toSukadeva Gosvami:"You are the spiritual master of great saints anddevotees. I am therefore begging you to show the way of perfection forall persons, and especially for one who is about to die. Please let me knowwhat a man should hear, chant, remember and worship, and also what heshould not do. Please explain all this to me."Sukadeva Gosvami's answer to this question, and numerous otherquestions posed by Maharaja Parikit, concerning everything from thenature of the self to the origin of the universe, held the assembled sagesxiii

xwSrimad-Bhagavatamin rapt attention continuously for the seven days leading to the King'sdeath. The sage Suta Gosvami, who was prsent on the bank of theGanges when Sukadeva Gosvami first recited Snmad-Bhagavatam, laterrepeated the Bhagavatam before a gathering of sages in the forest ofNaimiaraQya. Those sages, concerned about the spiritual welfare of thepeople in general, had gathered to perform a lon_g, continuous chain ofsacrifices to counteract the degrading influence of the incipient age ofKali. In response to the sages' request that he speak the essence of Vedicwisdom, Suta Gosvami repeated from memory the entire eighteen thousandverses of Srimad-Bhagavatam, as spoken by Sukadeva Gosvami toMaharaja Parikit.The reader of Srimad-Bhagavatam hears SUta Gosvami relate thequestions of Maharaja Parikit and the answers of Sukadeva Gosvami.Also, Suta Gosvami sometimes responds directly to questions put bySaunaka J:ti, the spokesman for the sages gathered at NaimiaraQya. Onetherefore simultaneously hears two dialogues: one between MaharajaParikit and Sukadeva Gosvami on the bank of the Ganges, and anotherat NaimiaraQya between Suta Gosvami and the sages at NaimiaraQyaForest, headed by Saunaka J:ti. Furthermore, while instructing KingParikit, Sukadeva Gosvami often relates historical episodes and givesaccounts of lengthy philosophical discussions between such great souls asthe saint Maitreya and his disciple Vidura. With this understanding ofthe history of the Bhagavatam, the reader will easily be able to follow itsintermingling of dialogues and events from various sources. Since philosophicalwisdom, not chronological order, is most important in the text,one need only be attentive to the subject matter of Srimad-Bhagavatamto appreciate fully its profound message.The translator of this edition compares the Bhagavatam to sugarcandy-wherever you taste it, you will find it equally sweet andrelishable. Therefore, to taste the sweetness of the Bhagavatam, one maybegin by reading any of its volumes. Mter such an introductory taste,however, the serious reader is best advised to go back to Volume One ofthe First Canto and then proceed through the Bhagavatam, volume aftervolume, in its natural order.This edition of the Bhagavatam is the first complete English translationof this important text with an elaborate commentary, and it is thefirst widely available to the English-speaking public. It is the product of

IntroductionXVthe scholarly and devotional effort of His Divine Grace A. C. BhaktivedantaSwami Prabhupada, the world's most distinguished teacher ofIndian religious and philosophical thought. His consummate Sanskritscholarship and intimate familiarity with Vedic culture and thought aswell as the modern way of life combine to reveal to the West a magnificentexposition of this important classic.Readers will find this work of value for many reasons. For those interestedin the classical roots of Indian civilization, it serves as a vastreservoir of detailed information on virtually every one of its aspects.For students of comparative philosophy and religion, the Bhiigavatam.offers a penetrating view into the meaning of India's profound spiritualheritage. To sociologists and anthropologists, the Bhiigavatam reveals thepractical workings of a peaceful and scientifically organized Vedicculture, whose institutions were integrated on the basis of a highlydeveloped spiritual world view. Students of literature will discover theBhiigavatam to be a masterpiece of majestic poetry. For students of psychology,the text provides important perspectives on the nature of consciousness,human behavior and the philosophical study of identity.Finally, to those seeking spiritual insight, the Bhiigavatam offers simpleand practical guidance for attainment of the highest self-knowledge andrealization of the Absolute Truth. The entire multivolume text, presentedby the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, promises to occupy a significantplace in the intellectual, cultural and spiritual life of modern man for along time to come.-The Publishers

His Divine GraceA. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupiidaFounder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

PLATE ONELord Brahmii, Lord Siva and all the other demigods, having heard ofthe distress of mother earth, went to the shore of the ocean ofmilk.There they worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godheadirodakasiiyi ViQu, who lies on the ocean of milk, by reciting the Vedicmantrasknown as the Puffi$a-silkta. While sitting in trance, LordBrahmii heard the words of Lord ViQU vibrating in the sky. Thus he toldthe demigods: "0 demigods, hear from me the order of the SupremePerson, and execute it attentively without delay. The Supreme Personalityof Godhead, Sri K{Qa, who has full potency, will personally appearas the son of Vasudeva. For as long as the Lord moves on earth todiminish its burden by His own potency in the form of time, all of youdemigods should appear through plenary portions as sons and grandsonsin the family of the Yadus, and your wives should also appear in thatdynasty. The foremost manifestation of K{Qa is Sankara.Q.a, the originof all incarnations within this material world. Before Lord K{Qa appears,this original SankaraQa will appear as Baladeva, just to pleaseK{Qa in His transcendental pastimes." (pp. 42-50)

PLATE TWOA£, the newly married Vasudeva and Devaki were ready to start forhome, conchshells, bugles, drums and kettledrums all vibrated in concertfor their auspicious departure. But while Karhsa, controlling the reins ofthe horses, was driving the chariot along the way, an unembodied voiceaddressed him, "You foolish rascal, the eighth child of the woman youare carrying will kill you!" Immediately the envious and sinful Karhsacaught hold of Devaki's hair with his left hand and took up his swordwith his right hand to sever her head from her body. Fortunately,however, the great soul Vasudeva, who was to be the father of K:r!?I).a,was able to pacify him. (pp. 58-61)

PLATE THREEDevaki kept within herself the Supreme Personality of Godhead, thecause of all causes, the foundation of the entire cosmos, but because shewas under arrest in the house of Kamsa, she appeared like the flames of afire covered by the walls of a pot, or like a person who has knowledge butcannot distribute it to the world for the benefit of human society. BecauseLord Qa was within her womb, Devaki illuminated the entireatmosphere in the place where she was confined. At this time LordBrahma and Lord Siva, accompanied by great sages like Narada, Devalaand Vyasa, and by other demigods like lndra, Candra and VaruQa, invisiblyapproached the room of Devaki. There they all joined in offeringtheir respectful obeisances and prayers to please the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, who can bestow blessings upon everyone. (pp. 143-154)

PLATE FOURThe Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vi1,1u, who is situated in thecore of everyone's heart, appeared from the heart of Devaki in the densedarkness of night, like the full moon rising on the eastern horizon. Thenewborn child had very wonderful lotuslike eyes and bore in His fourhands the four weapons conchshell, disc, club and lotus. On His chestwas the mark of Srivatsa and on His neck the brilliant Kaustubha gem.Vasudeva could understand that this child was the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, Naraya1,1a. Having concluded this without a doubt, he becamefearless. Bowing down with folded hands, he offered prayers to thechild, who illuminated His birthplace by His natural influence. Next,Vasudeva's wife Devaki offered her prayers. The Lord, being verypleased by the prayers of His parents, responded, "0 My dear motherand father, I appeared twice before as your son because I found no oneelse as highly elevated as you in simplicity and other good qualities. Bothof you constantly think of Me as your son, but you always know that I amthe Supreme Personality of Godhead. By thus thinking of Me constantlywith love and affection, you will achieve the highest perfection: returninghome, back to Godhead." Mter thus instructing His father andmother, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, 1,1a, transformed Himselfinto His original form as a small human child. (pp. 208-265)

PLATE FIVEBy the influence of Lord :Kr?Qa's internal potency, Yogamaya, all thedoorkeepers of Kamsa's prison house fell fast asleep, their senses unableto work, and the other inhabitants of the house also fell deeply asleep.When the sun rises, the darkness automatically disappears; similarly,when Vasudeva, carrying the child :Kr?Qa, appeared before the closeddoors, they opened automatically, although they had been stronglypinned with iron and locked with iron chains. Since the clouds in the skywere mildly thundering and showering, Ananta-naga, an expansion ofthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, followed Vasudeva, beginningfrom the door, with hoods expanded to protect Vasudeva and the transcendentalchild. Because of constant rain sent by the demigod lndra, theRiver Yamuna was filled with deep water, foaming about with fiercelywhirling waves. But as the great Indian Ocean had formerly given way toLord Ramacandra by allowing Him to construct a bridge, the RiverYamuna gave way to Vasudeva and allowed him to cross. (pp. 269-270)

PLATE SEVENNanda Maharaja was naturally very magnanimous, and when Lord Sril).a appeared as his son, he was overwhelmed by jubilation. Therefore,after properly bathing and purifying himself and dressing himself properly,he invited brahmar:tas who knew how to recite Vedic mantras. Afterhaving these qualified brahmar:tas recite auspicious Vedic hymns, he arrangedto have the Vedic birth ceremony celebrated for his newbornchild according to the rules and regulations, and he also arranged for theworship of the demigods and forefathers. The experts in reciting oldhistories like the Purar:tas, the experts in reciting histories of royalfamilies, and general reciters all chanted, while singers sang and manykinds of musical instruments, like bheris and dundubhis, played in accompaniment.All the cowherd men, dressed very opulently with valuableornaments, coats and turbans, approached the newborn l).a withvarious presentations in their hands. The beautiful gopi wives of thecowherd men were very pleased to hear that mother Yasoda had givenbirth to a son, and after decorating themselves very nicely with properdresses, ornaments, black ointment for the eyes, and so on, they hurriedto Nanda Maharaja's house. Offering blessings to the newborn child, thewives and daughters of the cowherd men said, "May You become theKing of Vraja and long maintain all its inhabitants." They then sprinkleda mixture of tumeric powder, oil and water upon the birthless SupremeLord l).a and offered their prayers. (pp. 320-330)

In Mathura, India, this temple marks Kr$1Ja-janmasthana, the site of Lord Krl).a's appearance in this world.

SUMMARY OF THE TENTH CANTOA short description of each chapter of this Tenth Canto is as follows. TheFirst Chapter, which has sixty-nine verses, describes Maharaja Parik?it'seagerness to learn about the incarnation of Lord l

2 Srimad-Bhagavatamleft Kr!i!Qa to see to the stove, where the milk was boiling, and did notallow Him to suck her breast, Kr!i!Qa was very angry and broke a pot ofyogurt. To chastise her naughty child, mother Yasoda wanted to bindHim with rope, but every time she tried she failed because of a shortageof rope when the time came to knot it. In the Tenth Chapter there areforty-three verses. This chapter describes how Kr!i!Qa, as Damodara,caused the twin Yamalarjuna trees to fall and how the two demigodswithin the trees were delivered by the mercy of Kr!i!Qa. In the EleventhChapter there are fifty-nine verses. This chapter describes hpw NandaMaharaja released Kr!i!Qa from the ropes, how Kr!i!Qa showed His mercy toa fruit seller while exchanging grains for fruit, and how Nanda Maharajaand others decided to leave Gokula for Vndavana, where Kr!i!Qa killedV atsasura and Bakasura.Chapter Twelve contains forty-four verses, describing Kr!i!Qa'spastimes with the cowherd boys in the forest and the killing of thedemon named Aghasura. Chapter Thirteen contains sixty-four verses,describing how Brah!lla stole Kr!i!Qa's calves and His friends, the cowherdboys. Kr!i!Qa expanded His pastimes for one year, representing Himself asthe calves and boys in forms exactly like their own. In this way Hebewildered Brahma, who at last surrendered when his illusion was over.The Fourteenth Chapter contains sixty-one verses. In this chapter,Brahma offers prayers to Kr!i!Qa after fully understanding Him to be theSupreme Personality of Godhead. The Fifteenth Chapter contains fiftytwoverses. This chapter describes how Kr!i!Qa entered Talavana Forestwith Balarama, how Balarama killed Dhenukasura, and how Kr!i!Qa protectedthe cowherd boys and cows from the poisonous effects of Kaliya.The Sixteenth Chapter contains sixty-seven verses. This chapter describesthe chastisement of Kaliya by Kr!i!Qa, and it also describes theprayers offered by Kaliya's wives. In the Seventeenth Chapter there aretwenty-five verses. This chapter describes why Kaliya entered the RiverYamuna after leaving his home, Nagalaya, one of the dvipas, which accordingto some corresponds to the Fiji Islands. This chapter also describeshow GaruQa was cursed by Saubhari !ii, how the cowherd boys,Kr!i!Qa's friends, were enlivened when Kr!i!Qa emerged from the Yamuna,and how Kr!i!Qa stopped the forest fire and saved the sleeping inhabitantsof Vraja.The Eighteenth Chapter contains thirty-two verses, giving a descrip-

Summary of the Tenth Canto 3tion of 1,1a and Balarama, Their picnics within the forest, the climateof Vrndavana in the summer and the spring, and Lord Balarama's killipgof Pralambasura. Chapter Nineteen contains sixteen verses, describing1,1a's entering the forest known as Munjara1,1ya, saving the cowherdboys and cows from the forest fire, and bringing them to Bha1,1«}iravana.Chapter Twenty contains forty-nine verses. This chapter describes theenjoyment of Balarama and 1,1a in the forest with the cowherd boysduring the rainy season, and it gives various instructions throughanalogies concerning the rainy season and autumn.Chapter Twenty-one contains twenty verses, describing how I,la enteredthe forest of Vrndavana in the autumn, playing His :flute, and howHe attracted the gopis, who were singing His glories. The Twenty-secondChapter contains thirty-eight verses, describing how the gopis prayed tothe goddess Katyayani to obtain 1,1a as their husband and how K:r1,1alater stole the garments of the gopis while the gopis were bathing in theYamuna. The Twenty-third Chapter contains fifty-two verses, describinghow the cowherd boys, being very hung,ry, followed 1,1a's directionsby begging some food for Him and themselves from brahmar:ws engagedin performing yajfias. The brahmar:ws refused to give food to 1,1a andBalarama, although the boys begged for it, but the wives of thebrahma7J-as agreed, and therefore 1,1a bestowed His mercy upon them.The Twenty-fourth Chapter contains thirty-eight verses, describinghow 1,1a defied King lndra, despite lndra's position of prestige, bystopping the indra-yajfia and instead worshiping Govardhana. TheTwenty-fifth Chapter contains thirty-three verses. As described in thischapter, because the indra-yajfia was stopped, King lndra was veryangry, and to kill the inhabitants of Vrndavana, Vraja, he flooded the entirearea with rain. 1,1a, however, accepted King lndra's challenge bylifting Govardhana Hill as an umbrella to protect Vrndavana and all thecows. The Twenty-sixth Chapter contains twenty-five verses, describinghow Nanda Maharaja, seeing the extraordinary activities of 1,1a, wasstruck with wonder and how he thus narrated for all the cowherd menthe whole story of 1,1a's opulence, as foretold by Gargamuni. ChapterTwenty-seven, which contains twenty-eight verses, describes how Kinglndra, upon seeing 1,1a's unlimited power, worshiped Lord 1,1a, whowas fully washed with milk supplied by the surabhi and who thus becameknown as Govinda. The Twenty-eighth Chapter contains seventeen

4 Srimad-Bhagavatamverses. In this chapter KrI).a saves His father, Nanda Maharaja, from thecustody of Varul).a and shows the cowherd men how VaikuQthaloka issituated.The Twenty-ninth Chapter contains forty-eight verses, describinghow KrI).a talked to the gopis before performing the rasa-lila and how,after the beginning of the rasa-lila, KrI).a disappeared from the scene.Chapter Thirty contains forty-four verses, describing how the gopis,being separated from KrI).a, went mad and began to wander in the forestin search of Him. The gop is met Srimati Radharal).i, the daughter of KingVabhanu, and they all wandered on the bank of the Yamuna searchingfor KrI).a. Chapter Thirty-one contains nineteen verses, describing howthe bereaved gopis waited in great anxiety to meet KrI).a. ChapterThirty-two contains twenty-two verses. In this chapter, KrI).a appearsamong the gopis, who are fully satisfied in ecstatic love for Him. ChapterThirty-three contains thirty-nine verses. In this chapter KrI).a appearsin multiforms in the midst of the gopis, with whom He dances in the rasadance. Then they all bathe in the River Yamuna. Also in this chapter,Sukadeva mitigates the doubts of Parikit concerning the performance ofthe riisa-lilii.Chapter Thirty-four contains thirty-two verses. This chapter describeshow Nanda Maharaja, KrI).a's father, was swallowed by a big python,who had been a demigod named Vidyadhara but was cursed by Ailgirai. KrI).a rescued His father and saved this demigod simultaneously.Chapter Thirty-five contains twenty-six verses. This chapter describeshow KrI).a went to the pasturing grounds with the cows and how thegopis sang in separation from Him.Chapter Thirty-six contains forty verses. This chapter describesK:fI).a's killing of Aritasura. It also describes Narada's disclosure toKamsa that both Rama and KrI).a were sons of Vasudeva. Because of thisdisclosure, Kamsa arranged to kill both Rama and KrI).a. He sent hisassistant Kesi to Vndavana, and later he sent Akrftra to bring Rama andto Mathura. Chapter Thirty-seven contains thirty-three verses. Inthis chapter KrI).a kills the Kesi demon, Narada worships KrI).a by narratingHis future activities, and KrI).a kills the demon namedom.isura. Chapter Thirty-eight contains forty-three verses. Thischapter describes how Akrura went to Vndavana and how he wasreceived by Rama-KrI).a and Nanda Maharaja. Chapter Thirty-nine con-

Summary of the Tenth Canto 5tains fifty-seven verses. Thi chapter describes how Rama and l(rQa,having been invited by Kamsa, started for Mathura. While They wereready 'on the chariot, the gopis began to cry, and l(r1,1a sent Hismessenger to pacify them. Thus He was able to travel toward Mathura.On the way, Almira was shown the entire Vi1,1uloka within the water ofthe Yamuna.Chapter Forty contains thirty verses, in which the prayers of Akriiraare described. Chapter Forty-one, which contains fifty-two verses, describesthe entrance of Rama and l(r1,1a into the city of Mathura, wherethe ladies were very jubilant to see these two brothers. l(r1,1a killed awasherman, glorified Sudama and gave Sudama His benediction. ChapterForty-two, which contains thirty-eight verses, describes how l(r1,1adelivered Kubja and how He broke Kamsa's gigantic bow and killed itscaretakers. Thus Kamsa and l(r1,1a met. Chapter Forty-three containsforty verses. Outside the sporting arena of Kamsa, l(r1,1a killed anelephant named KuvalayapiQa. Then He entered the arena and spokewith Ca1,1iira. Chapter Forty-four, which contains fifty-one verses, describeshow l(r1,1a and Balarama killed the wrestlers named Ca1,1iira andMutika and thereafter killed Kamsa and his eight brothers. K:r1,1a,however, pacified Kamsa's wives and His own father and mother,Vasudeva and Devaki.Chapter Forty-five contains fifty verses. This chapter describes howl(r1,1a pacified His father and mother and celebrated the enthronementof His grandfather Ugrasena. After promising the inhabitants ofV:rndavana that He would return very soon, l(r1,1a underwent ritualisticceremonies as a lcyatriya. He took the vow of brahmacarya and lived inthe guru-kula, where He studied regularly. By killing the demon namedPaftcajana, He received a conchshell named Paftcajanya. l(r1,1a rescuedthe son of His guru from the custody of Yamaraja and returned them.After thus offering guru-da/cyir,rii to repay His teacher, Lord K:r1,1areturned to Mathura-puri. Chapter Forty-six contains forty-nine verses.As described in this chapter, K:r1,1a sent Uddhava to V:rndavana to pacifyHis father and mother, Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda. Chapter Fortysevencontains sixty-nine verses, describing how Uddhava, followingl(r1,1a's order, went to pacify the gopis and then returned to Mathura.Thus Uddhava appreciated the ecstatic love felt for l(r1,1a by the inhabitantsof V:rndavana.

6 Srimad-BhagavatamChapter Forty-eight contains thirty-six verses. This chapter describeshow .Kt1,1a fulfilled the desire of Kubja by going to her house and enjoyingher . .Kt1,1a then went to the home of Akrura. Satisfied by Akrura'sprayers, .Kt1,1a praised him very much and sent him to Hastinapura togather information about the Pa1,1t}avas. Chapter Forty-nine containsthirty-one verses. As described in this chapter, Akrura, following.Kt1,1a's orders, went to Hastinapura, where he met Vidura and Kuntiand heard from them about Dh:rtaratra's mistreatment of the Pa1,1t}avas.Informed of the PA1,1t}avas' faith in .Kt1,1a, Akr\ira advised Dh:rtaratra,and after understanding Dh:rtaratra's mind, he returned to Mathura,where he described everything about the situation in Hastinapura.Chapter Fifty contains fifty-seven verses. In this chapter, Jarasandha,having heard that his son-in-law Kamsa was killed, attacked Mathura tokill Rama and .Kt1,1a but was defeated seventeen times. WhenJarasandha was about to attack for the eighteenth time, Kalayavana, havingbeen advised by Narada, also attacked Mathura. Thus the Yadavadynasty entered a fort in the midst of the water and lived there by mysticpower. After giving full protection to the Yadava dynasty and conferring .with Lord Baladeva, Lord .Kt1,1a emerged from Dvaraka. Chapter Fiftyone,which contains sixty-three verses, describes how Mucukunda killedKalayavana simply by glancing upon him.Chapter Fifty-two contains forty-four verses. In this chapter,Mucukunda offers prayers to .Kt1,1a, and then .Kt1,1a kills all the soldiersof Kalayavana and returns to Dvaraka with their booty. WhenJarasandha attacked Mathura again, Rama and .Kt1,1a, as if afraid of him,fled to the top of a mountain, to which Jarasandha then set fire. Unseenby Jarasandha, .Kt1,1a and Balarama jumped from the mountain and enteredDvaraka, which was surrounded by the sea. Jarasandha, thinkingthat .Kt1,1a and Balarama had been killed, returned with his soldiers tohis own country, and .Kt1,1a continued to live in Dvaraka. Rukmi1,1i, thedaughter of Vidarbha, was very much attracted to .Kt1,1a, and she sent.Kt1,1a a letter through a brahma:r:w. Chapter Fifty-three contains fiftysevenverses. Following Rukmi1,1i's request, .Kt1,1a went to the city ofVidarbha and kidnapped her in the presence of such enemies asJarasandha. Chapter Fifty-four contains sixty verses. As described in thischapter, .Kt1,1a defeated all the opposing princes and disfigured Rukmil,li'sbrother Rukmi. Then .Kt1,1a returned with Rukmi1,1i to Dvaraka,

Summary of the Tenth Canto 7where they were united in a regular marriage. Rukmi, however, remainedin a place known as Bhojaka, being angry at his brother-in-law,.l

8 Srimad-Bhagavatamverses. This chapter contains a description of the sons and grandsons of:Q.a. At the time of Aniruddha's marriage, Balarama kills Rukmi andbreaks the teeth of the King of Kaliilga.Chapter Sixty-two contains thirty-three verses. This chapter beginsthe discourse concerning the abduction of Oa, the daughter of Ba:Q.asura,and the amorous pastimes between Oa and Aniruddha. It also describesa fight between Aniruddha and Ba:Q.asura and how Ba:Q.asura seizedAniruddha with a snake-noose. Chapter Sixty-three, which containsfifty-three verses, describes how the strength of Lord Siva was defeatedin a battle between BaQasura and the Yadavas. The Raudra-jvara, havingbeen defeated by the Vai:Q.ava-jvara, offered prayers to Qa. :Q.asevered all but four of BaQa's one thousand arms and thus showed himmercy. Qa then returned to Dvaraka with Oa and Aniruddha.Chapter Sixty-four contains forty-four verses. In this chapter, Qaliberates King N:rga, the son of Ikvaku, from a curse and instructs allkings by explaining the fault in misappropriating the property of abrahmar;ta. In connection with the deliverance of King N:rga, there areinstructions for the Yadavas, who were puffed up with pride due towealth, opulence, enjoyment and so on.Chapter Sixty-five contains thirty-four verses. As described in thischapter, Lord Baladeva, desiring to see His friends and relatives, went toGokula. In the months of Caitra and Vaisakha, in the groves by theYamuna, Lord Balarama performed the rasa-rasotsava and yamunakarar:wlilas in the association of His gopis.As described in Chapter Sixty-six, which contains forty-three verses,Qa went to Kasi and then killed PauQQraka, as well as his friend theKing of Kasi, SudakiQa and others. Chapter Sixty-seven, which containstwenty-eight verses, describes how Lord Baladeva, while enjoying withmany young girls on Raivataka Mountain, vanquished the extremelymischievous ape Dvivida, who was the brother of Mainda and a friend ofNarakasura's.Chapter Sixty-eight has fifty-four verses. As described in this chapter,when Samba, the son of Jambavati, kidnapped LakmaQa, the daughterof Duryodhana, he was captured in a fight with the Kauravas. In order tofree him and establish peace, Lord Baladeva went to Hastinapura as awell-wisher. The Kauravas, however, were uncooperative, and uponseeing their arrQgace, Lord Baladeva began pulling their city of

Summary of the Tenth Canto 9Hastinapura with His plow. The Kauravas, headed by Duryodhana,offered prayers to Lord Baladeva, who then returned to Dvaraka withSamba and Lakmal).a.Chapter Sixty-nine contains forty-five verses. As described in thischapter, KtI.J.a exhibited His householder life with His sixteen thousandwives. Even the great sage Narada was astonished at how KtI.J.a, havingexpanded Himself into sixteen thousand forms, was conducting Hishouseholder life. Thus Narada offered prayers to Lord KtI.J.a, and K:rI.J.awas very much pleased with him.Chapter Seventy, which contains forty-seven verses, describes howKtI.J.a exhibited His daily ritualistic ceremonies and how He released thekings arrested by Jarasandha. While Lord Kt1.1a was receiving amessenger sent by these kings, Narada came to see KtI.J.a and told Himnews of the Pai).Qavas. Narada informed Kt1.1a that the Pai).Qavas desiredto perform a rajasuya sacrifice, and Kt1.1a agreed to attend it, but Hefirst asked for Uddhava's decision about whether to give preference tokilling King Jarasandha or performing the rajasuya-yajfia. ChapterSeventy-one contains forty-five verses, describing the happiness of thePai).Qavas when K:rI.J.a went to lndraprastha. By the inconceivable desireof KtI.J.a, Jarasandha would be killed, and the rajasuya-yajfia would beperformed by Maharaja Yudhithira.Chapter Seventy-two contains forty-six verses. By agreeing to performthe rajasuya-yajna, Kt1.1a gave Maharaja Yudhithira great pleasure.This chapter also describes the killing of Jarasandha, the enthroning ofhis son, and the release of the kings whom Jarasandha had arrested.Chapter Seventy-three contains thirty-five verses. After Lord Kt1.1areleased the kings and restored their royal power, He was worshiped bySahadeva, the son of Jarasandha, and then He returned to Indraprasthawith Bhima and Arjuna. Chapter Seventy-four- contains fifty-four verses.Maharaja Yudhithira offered prayers to KtI.J.a and offered Him the firstworship in the rajasuya-yajfia. To honor the Lord in this way is theforemost duty of every man, but this was intolerable to Sisupala, theKing of Cedi. Sisupala began to blaspheme KtI.J.a, who thus severed theKing's head from his body and awarded him the salvation calledsarllpya-mukti. After the conclusion of the rajasuya sacrifice, K:rI.J.areturned to Dvaraka with His queens. Chapter Seventy-five containsforty verses. As described in this chapter, Maharaja Yudhithira, after

10 Srimad-Bhagavatamthe rajasuya-yajna, performed the final ritualistic bathing ceremonies.Duryodhana was bewildered in the palace constructed by Maya Danava,and thus he felt insulted.Chapter Seventy-six contains thirty-three verses, describing howSalva, one of the kings J(r![H).a defeated when He kidnapped Rukmi1,1i,decided to rid the entire world of the Yadavas. To defeat the Yadavas,Salva worshiped Lord Siva, who rewarded him with an aerial car namedSaubha. When Salva fought with the V:r1,1is, Pradyumna smashed the cardesigned by Maya Danava, but he was attacked by Salva's brother, whosename was Dyuman. Beaten unconscious by Dyuman's club, Pradyumnawas carried some distance away from the warfield by his charioteer, butlater he lamented having been removed from tlie battlefield. ChapterSeventy-seven contains thirty-seven verses. In this chapter, Pradyumnarecovers from his injuries and begins fighting with Salva. When J(rI).areturned to Dvaraka from lndraprastha, He immediately went to the battlefieldwhere Salva and Pradyumna were fighting. There He killedSalva, although Salva was powerfully equipped with illusory weapons.Chapter Seventy-eight contains forty verses. As described in thischapter, a friend of Salva's named Dantavakra and Dantavakra'sbrother Vidiiratha were killed by Sri J(rI).a. Instead of taking part in thefighting between the Kauravas and the Pai).Qavas, Baladeva, who hadbeen staying at Dvaraka-puri, went touring holy places. Because of themisbehavior of Romahara1,1a, Baladeva killed him at Naimiara1,1ya andappointed his son Ugrasrava, Suta Gosvami, the speaker of Srimad­Bhagavatam, to continue the discourses on the Purar:ws. ChapterSeventy-nine contains thirty-four verses. This chapter describes how thebrahmar:ws of Naimiara1,1ya advised Baladeva to atone for the death ofRomaharal).a. After killing a demon named Balvala, Baladeva traveledand bathed in holy places until He at last came to the Battlefield of Kuruketra,where Bhima and Duryodhana were fighting. Then He returnedto Dvaraka and went again to Naimiara1,1ya, where He instructed theris. Then He left with His wife Revati.Chapter Eighty, which contains forty-five verses, describes howSudama Vipra, a friend of J(r1,1a's, approached J(rI).a for money and wasworshiped by J(r1,1a, who reminisced with him about their boyhood atthe guru-kula. Chapter Eighty-one contains forty-one verses. Thischapter describes the friendly talks between J(rI).a and His friend

Summary of the Tenth Canto 11Sudama. K:rI].a very gladly accepted a gift of flat rice from SudamaVipra. When Sudama Vipra returned home, he saw that everything therewas wonderfully opulent, and he praised the friendship of the SupremePersonality of Godhead. With the gifts of the Lord, he enjoyed materialopulence, and later he was promoted back home, back to Godhead.Chapter Eighty-two contains forty-eight verses. This chapter describeshow the Yadavas went to Kuruketra because of a solar eclipse and howother kings spoke to them of K:rJ.].a. At this meeting, K:rI].a satisfiedNanda Maharaja and the residents of V:rndavana, who had also comethere. Chapter Eighty-three contains forty-three verses, describing howthe women assembed at Kuruketra engaged in topics of Sri K:rI].a andhow Draupadi asked all K:rI].a's queens about how they had marriedHim. Chapter Eighty-four contains seventy-one verses. As described inthis chapter, when great sages went to see K:rI].a at Kuruketra, K:rI].atook this opportunity to praise them. Because Vasudeva desired to performa great sacrifice on this occasion, the sages advised him regardingworship of K:rI].a, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. After the yajiiawas performed, all who were present dispersed to their respectiveabodes. Chapter Eighty-five contains fifty-nine verses. At the request ofHis father and mother, K:rI].a, by His mercy, returned their dead sons,all of whom were liberated. Chapter Eighty-six contains fifty-nineverses. This chapter describes how Arjuna kidnapped Subhadra with agreat fight. It also describes how K:rI].a went to Mithila to favor His devoteeBahulasva and stay at the house of Srutadeva and advise them aboutspiritual advancement.Chapter Eighty-seven contains fifty verses, describing the prayersoffered to Narayal].a by the Vedas. Chapter Eighty-eight contains fortyverses. This chapter describes how VaiI].avas become transcendental byworshiping Lord ViI].U and then return home, back to Godhead. By worshipof demigods, one may get material power, but this chapter describeshow an ordinary living being in the material world can be favored byLord Sri K:rI].a, and it establishes Lord ViI].u's supremacy above LordBrahma and Lord Siva. Chapter Eighty-nine contains sixty-five verses,disclosing who is the best among the material deities. Although ViJ.].u isamong the three deities-Brahma, ViJ.].u and Mahesvara-He is transcendentaland supreme. In this chapter we also find a description of howK:rI].a and Arjuna went to Mahakala-pur to deliver the son of a Dvaraka

12 Srimad-BhigavatamJbrahmar;w. and how Arjuna was astonished. Chapter Ninety contains fiftyverses. This chapter summarizes KtJ.Ui's lrlas and presents the logic ofmadhurer;w. samapayet, establishing that everything ends well intranscendental bliss.

CHAPTER ONEThe Advent of Lord Krsna:. . .IntroductionThe summary of the First Chapter is as follows. This chapter describeshow Karhsa, frightened by hearing an omen about his being killed by theeighth son of Devaki, killed Devaki's sons one after another.When Sukadeva Gosvami finished describing the dynasty of Yadu, aswell as the dynasties of the moon-god and sun-god, Maharaja Parik?it requestedhim to describe Lord Krf?I,la, who appeared with Baladeva in theYadu dynasty, and how K:rf?I,la performed His activities within this world."Krl?I,la is transcendental, the King said, and therefore to understand Hisactivities is the occupation of liberated persons. Hearing of kmta-lilii isthe boat by which to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Except for ananimal killer or one who is following a policy of suicide, every intelligentperson must strive to understand "Krl?I,la and His activities.Krf?I,la was the only worshipable Deity for the Pa1,1

14 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1Once when the entire world was overburdened by the increasing militarypower of demons in the form of kings, mother earth assumed theshape of a cow and approached Lord Brahma for relief. Sympathetic tomother earth's lamentation, Brahma, accompanied by Lord Siva andother demigods, took the cow-shaped mother earth to the shore of themilk ocean, where he offered prayers to please Lord ViI).u, who lay thereon an island in transcendental ecstasy. Brahma thereafter understood theadvice of Maha-ViI).u, who informed him that He would appear on thesurface of the earth to mitigate the burden created by the demons. Thedemigods, along with their wives, should appear there as associates ofLord I).a in the family of Yadu to increase the sons and grandsons inthat dynasty. By the will of Lord I).a, Anantadeva would appear first,as Balarama, and I).a's potency, yogamaya, would also appear.Brahrna informed mother earth about all this, and then he returned tohis own abode.After marrying Devaki, Vasudeva was returning home with her on achariot driven by Karilsa, her brother, when an ominous voice addressedKamsa, warning him that Devaki's eighth son would kill him. Uponhearing this omen, Karilsa was immediately ready to kill Devaki, butVasudeva diplomatically began to instruct him. Vasudeva stressed that itwould not be good for Karilsa to kill his younger sister, especially at thetime of her marriage. Anyone who possesses a material body must die,Vasudeva advised him. Every living entity lives in a body for some timeand then transmigrates to another body, but one is unfortunately misledinto accepting the body as the soul. If a person under this mistaken conceptionwants to kill another body, he is condemned as hellish.Because Karilsa was not satisfied by Vasudeva's instructions, Vasudevadevised a plan. He offered to bring Karilsa all of Devaki's children so thatKarilsa could kill them. Why then should Karilsa kill Devaki now? Karilsawas satisfied by this proposal. In due course of time, when Devaki gavebirth to a child, Vasudeva brought the newborn baby to Karilsa, who,upon seeing Vasudeva's magnanimity, was struck with wonder. WhenVasudeva gave Karilsa the child, Kamsa, showing some intelligence, saidthat since he was to be killed by the eighth child, why should he kill thefirst? Although Vasudeva did not trust him, Karilsa requested Vasudevato take the child back. Later, however, after Narada approached Karilsaand disclosed to him that the demigods were appearing in the Yadu and

Text 1] The Advent of Lord Kr1.1a: Introduction 15V:rI.li dynasties and conspiring to kill him, Karhsa decided to kill all thechildren born in these families, and he also decided that any child bornfrom the womb of Devaki must be killed. Thus he arrested and imprisonedboth Devaki and Vasudeva and killed six of their sons, one afteranother. Narada had also informed Karhsa that in his previous birthKamsa was Kalanemi, a demon killed by ViJ.lU. Consequently, Karhsabecame a great enemy to all the descendants of the yadu-vamsa, theYadu dynasty. He even arrested and imprisoned his own father,Ugrasena, for Karhsa wanted to enjoy the kingdom alone.K:rJ.la has threefold pastimes-the Vraja-lilii, Mathura-lilii andDvaraka-lila. As already mentioned, in the Tenth Canto of Srimad­Bhagavatam there are ninety chapters, which describe all these lilas.The first four chapters describe Brahma's prayers for the relief of theearth's burden, and they also describe the appearance of the SupremePersonality of Godhead. Chapters Five through Thirty-nine recountK:r1.1a's pastimes in V:rndiivana. The Fortieth Chapter describes howK:r1,1a enjoyed' in the water of the Yamuna and how Akn1ra offeredprayers. Chapters Forty-one through Fifty-one, eleven chapters, tell ofK:r1,1a's pastimes in Mathura, and Chapters Fifty-two through Ninety,thirty-nine chapters, relate K:r1.1a's pastimes in Dvarakii.Chapters Twenty-nine through Thirty-three describe K:r1,1a's dancingwith the gopis, known as the rasa-lila. Therefore these five chapters areknown as riisa-pancadhyaya. The Forty-seventh Chapter of the TenthCanto is a description known as the bhramara-gita.TEXT 1TfelR fctlil e 1¥4((4:q t: I. " . .00 :qr;:ri:l¥111 1111'"'"'sri-rajovdcakathito vamsa-vistarobhavata soma-suryayoltrajnam cobhaya-vamsyanamcaritam paramadbhutam

16 Srimad-Bhigavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 1sri-raja uvaca-K.ing Parikit said; kathitab,-has already been described;vamsa-vistarab,-a broad description of the dynasties;bhavata-by Your Lordship; soma-suryayob,-of the moon-god and thesun-god; rajnam-of the kings; ca-and; ubhaya-both; vamsyanam-ofthe members of the dynasties; caritam-the character;parama -exalted; adbhutam -and wonderful.TRANSLATIONKing Parikit said: My dear lord, you have elaborately describedthe dynasties of both the moon-god and the sun-god, with the exaltedand wonderful character of their kings.PURPORTAt the end of the Ninth Canto, Twenty-fourth Chapter, SukadevaGosvami summarized the activities of _KrQa. He spoke of how _KrQa hadpersonally appeared to reduce the burden on the earth, how He hadmanifested His pastimes as a householder, and how, soon after His birth,He had transferred Himself to His Vrajabhumi-lila. Parikf(lit Maharaja,being naturally a devotee of _KrQa, wanted to hear more about Lord_KrQa. Therefore, to encourage Sukadeva Gosvami to continue speakingabout _Krf[!Qa and give further details, he thanked Sukadeva Gosvami forhaving described the activities of _Krf[!Qa in brief. Sukadeva Gosvami hadsaid:jato gatab, pitr-grhad vrajam edhitarthohatva ripan suta-satani krtorudarab,utpadya teu puab. kratubhi(l. samijeatmcinam atma-nigamarh prathayan janeu"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri _Krf[!Qa, known as lila-. purottama, appeared as the son of Vasudeva but immediately left Hisfather's home and went to V:rndavana to expand His loving relationshipswith His confidential devotees. In V:rndavana the Lord killed manydemons, and afterward He returned to Dvaraka, where according toVedic principles He married many wives who were the best of women,begot through them hundreds of sons, and performed sacrifices for

Text I] The Advent of Lord !ia: Introduction 17His own worship to establish the principles of householder life."(Bhiig. 9.24.66)The Yadu dynasty belonged to the family descending from Soma, themoon-god. Although the planetary systems are so arranged that the suncomes first, before the moon, Parikit Maharaja gave more respect to thedynasty of the moon-god, the soma-vamsa, because in the Yadavadynasty, descending from the moon, .i(rI}.a had appeared. There are twodifferent atriya families of the royal order, one descending from theking of the moon planet and the other descending from the king of thesun. Whenever the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears, Hegenerally appears in a atriya family because He comes to establishreligious principles and the life of righteousness. According to the Vedicsystem, the atriya family is the protector of the human race. When theSupreme Personality of Godhead appeared as Lord Ramacandra, He appearedin the silrya-vamsa, the family descending from the sun-god, andwhen He appeared as Lord .i(rI}.a, He did so in the Yadu dynasty, oryadu-vamsa, whose descent was from the moon-god. In the Ninth Canto,Twenty-fourth Chapter, of Srimad-Bhiigavatam, there is a long list ofthe kings of the yadu-vamsa. All the kings in both the soma-vamsa andsilrya-vamsa were great and powerful, and Maharaja Parikit praisedthem very highly (rajfiam cobhaya-vamsyanam caritam paramddbhutam).Nonetheless, he wanted to hear more about the soma-vamsabecause that was the dynasty in which .i(rI}.a had appeared.The supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead, .i(rI}.a, is describedin Brahma-samhita as the abode of cintdma7J;i: cintdma7J;i-prakara-sadmasukalpavra-laavrteu surabhir abhipalayantam. TheV:rndayana-dhama on this earth is a replica of that same abode. As statedin Bhagavad-gita (8.20), in the spiritual sky there is another, eternalnature, transcendental to manifested and unmanifested matter. Themanifested world can be seen in the form of many stars and planets suchas the sun and moon, but beyond this is the unmanifested, which is imperceptibleto those who are embodied. And beyond this unmanifestedmatter is the spiritual kingdom, which is described in Bhagavad-gita assupreme and eternal. That kingdom is never annihilated. Althoughmaterial nature is subject to repeated creation and annihilation, thatspiritual nature remains as it is eternally. In the Tenth Canto of Srimad­Bhiigavatam, that spiritual nature, the spiritual world, is described as

18 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1Vrndavana, Goloka Vrndavana or Vraja-dhama. The elaborate descriptionof the above-mentioned sloka from the Ninth Canto-jato gata/:tpitr-grhad-will be found here, in the Tenth Canto.TEXT 2- 'lif4ftw af¥te"Et+t 1s_,:;. '"-"fflut f4qiltfltttfUI wt: II IIyados ca dharma-silasyanitararil muni-sattamatatrarnsendvatir{WSyavr:wr viryai sarilsa na/:tyadol:t-of Yadu or the Yadu dynasty; ca-also; dharma-silasyawhowere strictly attached to religious principles; nitardm-highlyqualified; muni-sattama-0 best of all munis, king of the munis(Sukadeva Gosvami); tatra-in that dynasty; arilsena-with His plenaryexpansion Baladeva; avatir{WSya-who appeared as an incarnation;vr:wl:t-of Lord ViJ.lU; viryai-the glorious activities; sarilsa-kindlydescribe; nal:t-unto us.TRANSLATION0 best of munis, you have also described the descendants ofYadu, who were very pious and strictly adherent to religious principles.Now, if you will, kindly describe the wonderful, gloriousactivities of Lord Vir:tu, or Knr:ta, who appeared in that Yadudynasty with Baladeva, His plenary expansion.PURPORTThe Brahrna-samhita (5.1) explains that KtJ.la is the origin of thevu-tattva.iSvaral:t pararnal:t krl:tsac-cid-ananda-vigraha/:tanddir ddir govindal:tsarva-kdra-kdram

Text 3] The Advent of Lord '1,1a: Introduction 19"J(rl.)a, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has aneternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin ·of all. He has no otherorigin, for He is the prime cause of all causes."yasyaika-niSvasita-kiilam athavalambyajivanti loma-vilaja jagad-ar:uJa,-natha/:tvi§'{tur mahan sa iha yasya kala-viSe$0govindam adi-puTU$arh tam aham bhajami"The Brahmas, the heads of the innumerable universes, live only for theduration of one breath of Maha-ViJ.)U. I worship Govinda, the originalLord, of whom Maha-Vil.)u is but a portion of a plenary portion."(Bs. 5.48)Govinda, J(rl.)a, is the original Personality of Godhead. Kr$'{1-as tubhagavdn svayam. Even Lord Maha-Vil.)u, who by His breathing createsmany millions upon millions of universes, is Lord J(rl.)a's kala-viSe$a, orplenary portion of a plenary portion. Maha-ViQu is a plenary expansionof Sailkaral.)a, who is a plenary expansion of Narayal.)a. Narayal.)a is aplenary expansion of the catur-vyaha, and the catur-vyaha are plenaryexpansions of Baladeva, the first manifestation of J(rJ.)a. Thereforewhen J(rl.)a appeared with Baladeva, all the vi§'{tu-tattvas appeared withHim.Maharaja Parikit requested Sukadeva Gosvami to describe J(rQa andHis glorious activities. Another meaning may be derived from this verseas follows. Although Sukadeva Gosvami was the greatest muni, he coulddescribe J(rl.)a only partially (amsena), for no one can describe J(rl.)afully. It is said that Anantadeva has thousands of heads, but although Hetries to describe K:rQa with thousands of tongues, His descriptions arestill incomplete.TEXT315s.S :l'l N'imtt m ;r{ m II IIavatirya yador vamsebhagavdn bhata-bhavana/:tI

20 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 1krtavan yani vi.Svatmatani no vada vistaratavatirya-after descendin g ; yadol}, varitse-in the dynasty of Yadu;bhagavan-the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhuta-bhavanal},whois the cause of the cosmic manifestation;krtavan-executed;yani-whatever (activities); vi.Sva-atma-the Supersoul of the entireuniverse; tani-all of those (activities); nab--unto us; vada-kindlysay; vistanit-elaborately.TRANSLATIONThe Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri '.Ia,the cause of the cosmic manifestation, appeared in the dynasty ofYadu. Please tell me elaborately about His glorious activities andcharacter, from the beginning to the end of His life.PURPORTIn this verse the words krtavan yani indicate that all the different activitiesI?Qa performed while present on earth are beneficial to humansociety. If reli g ionists, philosophers and people in g eneral simply hearthe activities of I?Qa, they will be liberated. We have described severaltimes that there are two kinds of kmta-katha, represented by Bhagavadgitd,spoken personally by I?Qa about Himself, and Srimad­Bhagavatam, spoken by Sukadeva Gosvami about the g lories of I?Qa.Anyone who becomes even sli g htly interested in kr$1)a-katha is liberated.Kirtanad eva kr$r:wsya mukta-saftgal}, pararit vrajet (Bhag. 12.3.51).Simply by chantin g or repeatin g km,a-katha, one is liberated from thecontamination of Kali-yu g a. Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore advised,yare dekha, tare kaha 'kr$1)a'-upadesa (Cc. Madhya 7.128). This is themission of I?Qa consciousness: to hear about Kt?Qa and thus be liberatedfrom material bonda g e.TEXT4At*l6%q•fi4+11;{ If! "' "' "llq;(Tspm

Text 4]The Advent of Lord .Krr;Ia: Introduction21"'gans'lf f46 f4;n quna It \1 Itnivrtta-tar$air upagiyamiinadbhavaU$adhac chrotra-mano- 'bhiramatka uttama§loka-gur;uinuvadatpumiin virajyeta vina pa5ughnatnivrtta-released from; tar$ai-lust or material activities; upagiyamiinat-whichis described or sung; bhava-aU$adhat-which is theright medicine for the material disease; srotra-the process of auralreception; mana-the subject matter of thought for the mind;abhiramat-from the pleasing vibrations from such glorification;ka-who; uttama5loka-of the Supreme Personality of Godhead;gury,a-anuvadat-from describing such activities; puman-a person;virajyeta-can keep himself aloof; vina-except; pa5u-ghnat-either abutcher or one who is killing his own personal existence.TRANSLATIONGlorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is performedin the paramparii system; that is, it is conveyed from spiritualmaster to disciple. Such glorification is relished by those nolonger interested in the false, temporary glorification of this cosmicmanifestation. Descriptions of the Lord are the right medicinefor the conditioned soul undergoing repeated birth and death.Therefore, who will cease hearing such glorification of the Lordexcept butcher or one who is killing his own self?PURPORTIn India it is the practice among the general populace to hear aboutKrJ.la, either from Bhagavad-gita or from Srimad-Bhagavatam, inorder to gain relief from the disease of repeated birth and death. AlthoughIndia is now fallen, when there is a message that someone willspeak about Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhiigavatam, thousands of peoplestill gather to hear. This verse indicates, however, that such recitation ofBhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhiigavatam must be done by persons

22 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1completely freed from material desires (nivrtta-tar$aiM. Everyonewithin this material world, beginning from Brahma down to the insignificantant, is full of material desires for sense enjoyment, and everyoneis busy in sense gratification, but when thus engaged one cannot fullyunderstand the value of kr$r:ta-katha, either in the form of Bhagavadgitaor in Srimad-Bhagavatam.If we hear the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead fromliberated persons, this hearing will certainly free us from the bondage ofmaterial activities, but hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam spoken by a professionalreciter cannot actually help us achieve liberation. Kr$r;ta-katha isvery simple. In Bhagavad-gita it is said that l(r:Q.a is the Supreme Personalityof Godhead. As He Himself explains, mattab, parataram nanyatkiticid asti dhanaiijaya: "0 Arjuna, there is no truth superior to Me."(Bg. 7.7) Simply by understanding this fact-that l(r:Q.a is the SupremePersonality of Godhead-one can become a liberated person. But, especiallyin this age, because people are interested in hearing Bhagavadgitafrom unscrupulous persons who depart from the simple presentationof Bhagavad-gita and distort it for their personal satisfaction, they fail toderive the real benefit. There are big scholars, politicians, philosophersand scientists who speak on Bhagavad-gitd in their own polluted way,and people in general hear from them, being uninterested in hearing theglories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from a devotee. A devoteeis one who has no other motive for reciting Bhagavad-gitd and Srimad­Bhagavatam than to serve the Lord. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu hastherefore advised us to hear the glories of the Lord from a realized person(bhagavata paro diya bhagavata sthane). Unless one is personally arealized soul in the science of l(r:Q.a consciousness, a neophyte should notapproach him to hear about the Lord, for this is strictly forbidden bySrila Sanatana Gosvami, who quotes from the Padma Purdr;ta:avai$r;tava-mukhodgirr;tampatam hari-kathdmrtamsravar;tam naiva kartavyamsarpocchtam yatha payab,One should avoid hearing from a person not situated in V ai:Q.avabehavior. A V ai:Q.ava is nivrtta-tr$r;ta; that is, he has no material pur-

Text 4] The Advent of Lord !ia: Introduction 23pose, for his only purpose is to preach 1,1a consciousness. So-calledscholars, philosophers and politicians exploit the importance ofBhagavad-gita by distorting its meaning for their own purposes.Therefore this verse warns that kr$r;ta-katha should be recited by a personwho is nivrtta-tr$1Ja. Sukadeva Gosvami epitomizes the proper reciterfor Srimad-Bhagavatam, and Parikit Maharaja, who purposefully lefthis kingdom and family prior to meeting death, epitomizes the person fitto hear it. A qualified reciter of Srimad-Bhagavatam gives the rightmedicine (bhavaU$adhi) for the conditioned souls. The 1,1a consciousnessmovement is therefore trying to train qualified preachers to reciteSrimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita throughout the entire world, sothat people in general in all parts of the world may take advantage of thismovement and thus be relieved of the threefold miseries of materialexistence.The instructions of Bhagavad-gita and the descriptions of Srimad­Bhagavatam are so pleasing that almost anyone suffering from thethreefold miseries of material existence will desire to hear the glories ofthe Lord from these books and thus benefit on the path of liberation. Twoclasses of men, however, will never be interested in hearing the messageof Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam -those who are determinedto commit suicide and those determined to kill cows and other animals, for the satisfaction of their own tongues. Although such persons maymake a show of hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam at a Bhagavata-saptaha,this is but another creation of the karmis, who cannot derive any benefitfrom such a performance. The word pa5u-ghnat is important in this connection.Pa5u-ghna means "butcher." Persons fond of performingritualistic ceremonies for elevation to the higher planetary systems mustoffer sacrifices (yajiias) by killing animals. Lord Buddhadeva thereforerejected the authority of the Vedas because his mission was to stopanimal sacrifices, which are recommended in Vedic ritualisticceremomes.nindasi yajiia-vidher ahaha sruti-jatarilsa-daya-hrdaya darsita-pa5u-ghatarilkesava dhrta-buddha-sarira jaya jagadiSa hare( Gita-govinda)

24 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto I 0, Ch. IEven though animal sacrifices are sanctioned in Vedic ceremonies, menwho kill animals for such ceremonies are considered butchers. Butcherscannot be interested in .Kr!?a consciousness, for they are already materiallyallured. Their only interest lies in developing comforts for thetemporary body.bhogaiSvarya-prasaktiiniimtayiipahrtfJ--cetasiimvyavasiiyiitmikii buddhi/:tsamiidhau na vidhiyate"In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and materialopulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolutedetermination of devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not takeplace." (Bg. 2.44) Srila Narottama dasa Thakura says:manya-janama paiyii,janiyii suniyii va khiiinuriidha-kmJ-a nii bhajiyii,Anyone who is not .Kr!?a conscious and who therefore does not engage inthe service of the Lord is also pa5u-ghna, for he is willingly drinkingpoison. Such a person cannot be interested in kmm-kathii because hestill has a desire for material sense gratification; he is not nivrtta-tmm.As it is said, traivargikiis te purii vimukhii hari-medhasa/:t. Those interestedin trivarga-that is, in dharma, artha and kama-are religiousfor the sake of achieving a material position with which to gain betterfacilities for sense gratification. Such persons are killing themselves bywillingly keeping themselves in the cycle of birth and death. They cannotbe interested in .Kr!?a consciousness.For kmm-kathii, topics about .Kr!?a consciousness, there must be aspeaker and a hearer, both of whom can be interested in .Kr!?a consciousnessif they are no longer interested in material topics. One can actuallysee how this attitude automatically develops in persons who are.Kr!?a conscious. Although the devotees of the .Kr!?a consciousnessmovement are quite young men, they no longer read materialisticnewspapers, magazines and so on, for they are no longer interested insuch topics (nivrtta-tarai/:t). They completely give up the bodily under-

Text 4] The Advent of Lord KrJ].a: Introduction 25standing of life. For topics concerning Uttamasloka, the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, the spiritual master speaks, and the disciple hearswith attention. Unless both of them are free from material desires, theycannot be interested in topics of Kr!?IJ.a consciousness. The spiritualmaster and disciple do not need to understand anything more than K:r!?IJ.abecause simply by understanding Kr!?IJ.a and talking about Kr!?IJ.a, one becomesa perfectly learned person (yasmin vijiidte sarvam evam vijiidtambhava,ti}. The Lord sits within everyone's heart, and by the grace of theLord the devotee receives instructions directly from the Lord Himself,who says in Bhagavad-gitii (15.15):sarvasya ciiham hrdi sannivtomatta/:1, smrtir jiidnam apohanam cavedaiS ca sarvair aham eva vedyovediinta-krd veda-vid eva caham"I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance,knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known; indeed,I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas."Kr!?IJ.a consciousness is so exalted that one who is perfectly situated inKr!?IJ.a consciousness, under the direction of the spiritual master, is fullysatisfied by reading kr"{Ul-katha as found in Srimad-Bhagavatam,Bhagavad-gita and similar Vedic literatures. Since merely talking aboutl(rsiJ.a is so pleasing, we can simply imagine how pleasing it is to renderservice to K:r!?IJ.a.When discourses on kr"{Ul-katha take place between a liberated spiritualmaster and his disciple, others also sometimes take advantage ofhearing these topics and also benefit. These topics are the medicine tostop the repetition of birth and death. The cycle of repeated birth anddeath, by which one takes on different bodies again and again, is calledbhava or bhava-roga. If anyone, willingly or unwillingly, hears krTJllkathii,his bhava-roga, the disease of birth and death, will certainly stop.Therefore kr"{Ul-katha is called bhavaadha, the remedy to stop therepetition of birth and death. Karmis, or persons attached to materialsense enjoyment, generally cannot give up their material desires, butkr"{Ul-kathii is such a potent medicine that if one is induced to hear,krTJll-kirtana, he will certainly be freed from this disease. A practical

..26 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1example is Dhruva Maharaja, who at the end of his tapasya was fullysatisfied. When the Lord wanted to give Dhruva a benediction, Dhruvarefused it. Svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace. "My dear Lord," hesaid, "I am fully satisfied. I do not ask for any benediction for materialsense gratification." We actually see that even young boys and girls inthe J(rI)a consciousness movement have given up their long practice ofbad habits like illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. BecauseJ(rI)a consciousness is so potent that it gives them full satisfaction,they are no longer interested in material sense gratification.TEXTS 5-7.-dlwt'iiif4httffllitiqlo;gi:flwtl'( I""3fl"qtfiT q : mw.n: II IIrqnt• q (1s(a-i4f461ttlfellllfl4:. . r:J:u:::nn•••i" t: It '-\ ItIUiij"i! 61Ri4-

Text 7]The Advent of Lord i!fa: Introduction27viryai tasyakhila-deha-bhdjamantar bahi pur1J.$a-kdla-rapaiprayacchato mrtyum utamrtam camdyd-man1J.$yasya vadasva vidvanpitamaha-my grandfathers, the five Pa1;1qavas (Yudhihira,Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva); me-my; samare-on the Battlefieldof Kuruketra; amaram-jayai-with fighters who could gainvictory over the demigods on the battlefield; devavrata-adya­Bhimadeva and others; atirathai-great commanders in chief;timi1igilai-resembling great timiligila fish, which can easily eat largesharks; duratyayam-very difficult to cross; kaurava-sainya-sagaram-theocean of the assembled soldiers of the Kauravas; krtvd-consideringsuch an ocean; ataran-crossed it; vatsa-padam-exactly asone steps over a small hoofprint of a calf; sma-in the past; yatplava-theshelter of the boat of Qa's lotus feet; draui-ofASvatthama; astra-by the brahmdstra; viplU$tam-being attacked andburned; idam-this; mat-angam-my body; santdna-bijam-the onlyseed left, the last descendant of the family; kuru-pa1J4a,vandm-of theKurus and the Pa1;1qavas (because no one but me lived after the Battle ofKuruketra); jugopa-gave protection; kuim-within the womb;gata-being placed; dtta-cakra-taking in hand the disc; mdtu-ofmy mother; ca-also; me-my; ya-the Lord who; saram-theshelter; gatdyd-who had taken; viryai-the glorification of the transcendentalcharacteristics; tasya-of Him (the Supreme Personality ofGodhead); akhila-deha-bhajdm-of all the materially embodied livingentities; anta bahi-inside and outside; pur1J.$a-of the SupremePerson; kdla-rupai-in the forms of eternal time; prayacchata-whois the giver; mrtyum-of death; uta-it is so said; amrtam ca-andeternal life; mdya-man1J.$yasya-of the Lord, who appeared as an ordinaryhuman being by His own potency; vadasva-kindly describe;vidvan-0 learned speaker (Sukadeva Gosvami).TRANSLATIONTaking the boat of i!fa's lotus feet, my grandfather Arjunaand others crossed the ocean of the Battlefield of Kuruki!fetra, inwhich such commanders as Bhii!fmadeva resembed great fish that

28 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1could very easily have swallowed them. By the mercy of Lord11a, my grandfathers crossed this ocean, which was very difficultto cross, as easily as one steps over the hoofprint of a calf.Because my mother surrendered unto Lord f1a's lotus feet, theLord, Sudarsana-cakra in hand, entered her womb and saved mybody, the body of the last remaining descendant of the Kurus andthe PBI].«;lavas, which was almost destroyed by the fiery weapon ofAsvatthiima. Lord Sri 11a, appearing within and outside of allmaterially embodied living beings by His own potency in theforms of eternal time-that is, as Paramatma and as virat-rupagaveliberation to everyone, either as cruel death or as life. Kindlyenlighten me by describing His transcendental characteristics.PURPORTAs stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.58):samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavammahat-padam pur:tya-ya§o murarel;,bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padampadam padam yad vipadam na team"For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who isthe shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murari, or theenemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like thewater contained in a calf's hoofprint. His goal is param padam, orV aikuQtha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the placewhere there is danger at every step."One who seeks shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Qa is immediatelyprotected by the Lord. As the Lord promises in Bhagavad-gita (18.66),aham tvam sarva-papebhyo mok$ayyami ma sucal;,: "I shall deliveryou from all sinful reactions. Do not fear." By taking shelter of LordQa, one comes under the safest protection. Thus when the PaQavastook shelter at the lotus feet of Qa, all of them were on the safe side ofthe Battlefield of Kuruketra. Parikit Maharaja, therefore, felt obligedto think of :Kr1.1a in the last days of his life. This is the ideal result ofQa consciousness: ante narayar:ta-smrtil;,. If at the time of death one

Text 8] The Advent of Lord .KrJ].a: Introduction 29can remember 1,1a, one's life is successful. Parikit Maharaja,therefore, because of his many obligations to 1,1a, intelligently decidedto think of 1,1a constantly during the last days of his life. 1,1a hadsaved the Pa1,1

30 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1garbha-sambandha/:l-connected with the womb; kuta/:l-how; dehaantaram-transferringbodies; vind-without.TRANSLATIONMy dear Sukadeva Gosvimi, you have already ex p lained thatSailkar,a, who belongs to the second quadru p le, a pp eared as theson of Rohi11i named Balarima. If Balarima was not transferredfrom one body to another, how is it p ossible that He was first in thewomb of Devaki and then in the womb of Rohi11i? Kindly ex p lainthis to me.PURPORTHere is a question particularly directed at understanding Balarama,who is Sankarar,a Himself. Balarama is well known as the son of Rohir,i,yet it is also known that He was the son of Devaki. Parikit Maharajawanted to understand the mystery of Balarama's being the son of bothDevaki and Rohir,i.TEXT9a:na_ ..... fq«'fli! : I'f)crnr:'J56i!41-:tmrn: II

Text 10] The Advent of Lord Kt11a: Introduction 31of Nanda in V:rndiivana? Where did the Lord, the master of theYadu dynasty, live with His relatives in V:rndiivana?PURPORTThese are inquiries about the itinerary of l

32 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1PURPORTOne's maternal uncle, the brother of one's mother, is on the lvel ofone's father. When a maternal uncle has no son, his nephew legally inheritshis property. Therefore, why did r;ta directly kill Kamsa, thebrother of His mother? Maharaja Parikit was very much inquisitiveabout the facts in this regard.TEXT 11 441441 . : I.Q(I41«iht.: :lllldeham mtin!J,§am asrityakati variiTJ.i vrTJ.ibhiyadu-puryiim sahiiviitsitpatnya katy abhavan prabhodeham-body; miinuam-exactly like a man; asritya-accepting;kati variiTJ.i-how many years; vrTJ.ibhi-in the company of theV:rr;tis, those who were born in the V:rr;ti family; yadu-puryiim-inDvaraka, in the residential quarters of the Yadus; saha-with; aviitsittheLord lived; patnya-wives; kati-how many; abhavan-werethere; prabho-of the Lord.TRANSLATIONKr,J}.a, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has no materialbody, yet He appears as a human being. For how many years didHe live with the descendants of V:r,J}.i? How many wives did Hemarry, and for how many years did He live in Dviraki?PURPORTIn many places the Supreme Personality of Godhead is described assac-cid-iinanda-vigraha, possessing a spiritual, blissful body. His bodilyfeature is nariikrti, that is, exactly like that of a human being. Here thesame idea is repeated in the words miin"U§am asritya, which indicate thatHe accepts a body exactly like that of a man. Everywhere it is confirmed

Text 13] The Advent of Lord Kr'}a: Introduction 33that K{t;.a is never nirakara, or formless. He has His form, exactly likethat of a human being. There is no doubt about this.6((ritiij:aat,r#9.etad anyac ca sarvam memune kmw-vice$#tamvaktum arhasi sarvajfiasraddadhanaya vistrtametat-all these details; anyat ca-and others also; sarvam-everything;me-unto me; mune-0 great sage; km:w-vice$#tam-the activitiesof Lord K{t;.a; vaktum-to describe; arhasi-you are able;sarva-jfia-because you know everything; sraddadhanaya-because Iam not envious but have all faith in Him; vistrtam-in full detail.TRANSLATION0 great sage, who know everything about Kr'}a, please describein detail all the activities of which I have inquired and also those ofwhich I have not, for I have full faith and am very eager to hear ofthem.TEXT 13:m €4ihlt:+«rq 1 W'fRt4144i'liiiYA 1111nai$atidu}:lsaha k$un mamtyaktodam api badhatepibantam tvan-mukhambhojacyutamhari-kathamrtamna-not; e$d-all this; ati-du}:lsaha --extremely difficult to bear;k$ut-hunger; mam....,..unto me; tyakta-udam-even after giving up

34 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, eli. 1drinking water; api-also; biidhate-does not hinder; pibantam-whiledrinking; tvat-mukha-ambhoja-cyutam-emanating from your lotusmouth; hari-katha-amrtam-the nectar of topics concerning I

Text 14]The Advent of Lord 1,1a: Introduction35addnta-gobhir viSatiiril tamisrampuna/:1. puna.§ carvita-carvar;tiiniim"Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialisticlife make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedlychew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations towardIJ.a are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by theirown efforts, or by a combination of both." (Bhiig. 7.5.30) At the presentmoment, all of human society is engaged in the business of chewing thechewed (puna/:1. puna.§ carvita-carvaniim). People are prepared toundergo mrtyu-sarhsiira-vartmani, taking birth in one form, dying, acceptinganother form and dying again. To stop this repetition of birthand death, krr;w.-kathii, or IJ.a consciousness, is absolutely necessary.But unless one hears krr;w.-kathii from a realized soul like SukadevaGosvami, one cannot relish the nectar of krr;w.-kathii, which puts an endto all material fatigue, and enjoy the blissful life of transcendental existence.In relation to the Qa consciousness movement, we actually seethat those who have tasted the nectar of krr;w.-kathii lose all materialdesires, whereas those who cannot understand IJ.a or krr;w.-kathiiregard the K:rQa conscious life as "brainwashing" and "mind control."While the devotees enjoy spiritual bliss, the nondevotees are surprisedthat the devotees have forgotten material hankerings ..• f;tTEXT 14rr IR4 IG\•ttl: l;p.J lij¥.{·1 t)WI'it :z O.:z_ .• mc:lbtfi6J4il(f«

36 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1sutal;, uvaca-Siita Gosvami said; evam-thus; niSamya-hearing;bhrgu-nandana-0 son of the Bh:rgu dynasty, Saunaka; sadhuvadam-piousquestions; vaiyasakii;,-Sukadeva Gosvami, the son ofVyasadeva; sal;,-he; bhagavan-the most powerful; atha-thus;v{tu-rdtam-unto Parikit Maharaja, who was always protected byVi1,1u; pratyarcya-offering him respectful obeisances; kr{tacaritam-topicsof Lord l(:r1,1a; kali-kalma-ghnam-which diminishthe troubles of this age of Kali; vyahartum-to describe; arabhatabegan;bhagavata-pradhanai;,-Sukadeva Gosvami, the chief among thepure devotees.·TRANSLATIONSiita Gosvami said: 0 son of Bhgu [Saunaka J.l!lli], afterSukadeva Gosvami, the most respectable devotee, the son ofVyisadeva, heard the pious questions of Maharaja Parik!llit, hethanked the King with great respect. Then he began to discourseon topics concerning !ila, which are the remedy for all sufferingsin this age of Kali.PURPORTIn this verse the words kr{ta-caritam kali-kala-ghnam indicatethat the activities of Lord K:r1,1a are certainly the greatest panacea for allmiseries, especially in this age of Kali. It is said that in Kali-yuga peoplehave only short lives, and they have no culture of spiritual consciousness.If anyone is at all interested in spiritual culture, he is misled by manybogus svamis and yogis who do not refer to kr{ta-katha. Therefore mostpeople are unfortunate and disturbed by many calamities.SrilaVyasadeva prepared Srimad-Bhagavatam at the request of Narada Muniin order to give relief to the suffering people of this age (kali-kalaghnam).The l(:r1,1a consciousness movement is seriously engaged in enlighteningpeople through the pleasing topics of Srimad-Bhagavatam.All over the world, the message of Sriniad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavadgitdis being accepted in all spheres of life, especially in advanced, educatedcircles. .Srila Sukadeva Gosvami is described in this verse as bhagavatapradhanal;,,whereas Maharaja Parikit is described as V{tu-ratam. Both

Text 15] The Advent of Lord a: Introduction 37words bear the same meaning; that is, Maharaja Parik.it was a greatdevotee of K:ra, and Sukadeva Gosvami was also a great saintly personand a great devotee of K:ra. Combined together to present krr;ta-kathii,they give great relief to suffering humanity.anarthopa5amarh saadbhakti-yogam adhoajelokasyajanato vidvarilScakre satvata-samhitam"The material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous tohim, can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service.But the mass of people do not know this, and therefore the learnedVyasadeva compiled this Vedic literature, Srimad-Bhiigavatam, which isin relation to the Supreme Truth." (Bhag. 1.7.6) People in general areunaware that the message of Srimad-Bhiigavatam can give all of humansociety relief from the pangs of Kali-yuga (kali-kala-ghnam).Q+=qn;qqfHnTEXT 15f.{€4 (I'SIMQ I€4 ij ' : sri-suka uvacasamyag vyavasita buddhistava rajari-sattamavasudeva-kathiiyam teyaj jata na!hiki ratisri-suka uvaca-Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; samyak-completely;vyavasita-fixed; buddhi-intelligence; tava-of Your Majesty; rajari-sattama-0best of rajaris, saintly kings; vasudeva-kathayam-inhearing about the topics of Vasudeva, K:ra; te-your; yat-because;jata-developed; na!hiki-without cessation; rati-attraction orecstatic devotional service.

38 Srimad-Bhigavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 1TRANSLATIONSrila Sukadeva Gosvimi said: 0 Your Majesty, best of all saintlykings, because you are greatly ttracted to topics of Vasudeva, it iscertain that your intelligence is firmly fixed in spiritual understanding,which is the only true goal for humanity. Because thatattraction is unceasing, it is certainly sublime.PURPORTKmta-katha is compulsory for the rajar$i, or executive head ofgovernment. This is also mentioned in Bhagavad-gita (imam rajar$ayoviduM. Unfortunately, however, in this age the governmental power is,gradually being captured by third-class and fourth-class men who haveno spiritual understanding, and society is therefore very quickly becomingdegraded. Km:w-katha must be understood by the executive heads ofgovernment, for otherwise how will people be happy and gain relief fromthe pangs of materialistic life? One who has fixed his mind in I,la onsciousnessshould be understood to have very sharp intelligence inregard to the value of life. Maharaja Parikit was rajar$i-sattama, thebest of all saintly kings, and Sukadeva Gosvami was muni-sattama, thebest of munis. Both of them were elevated because of their common interestin km:ta-katha. The exalted position of the speaker and theaudience will be explained very nicely in the next verse. Kmw-katha isso enlivening that Maharaja Parikit forgot everything material, even hispersonal comfort in relation to food and drink. This is an example of howthe 1,1a consciousness movement should spread all over the world tobring both the speaker and the audience to the transcendental platformand back home, hack to Godhead.TEXT 16Iff: 'fi( I ·140ft IIvasudeva-katha-pra.SnallpuTU$drhs trin pundti hivaktaram pracchakam srotfrhstat-pada-salilam yatha

Text 17] The Advent of Lord .Kr't11.1a: Introduction 39vasudeva-katha-pra§na-questions about the pastimes and characteristicsof Vasudeva, Kt?J:.la; puan-persons; trin-three; punatipurify;hi-indeed; vaktaram-the speaker, such as Sukadeva Gosvami;pracchakam-and an inquisitive hearer like Maharaja Parik?it; srotrnand,between them, the listeners hearing about the topics; tat-padasalilamyatha-exactly as the entire world is purified by the Gangeswater emanating from the toe of Lord Vi?J:.lU.TRANSLATIONThe Ganges, emanating from the toe of Lord Vi!lll_lU, purifies thethree worlds, the upper, middle and lower planetary systems.Similarly, when one asks questions about the pastimes and characteristicsof Lord Vasudeva, .Kr'lll.la, three varieties of men arepurified: the speaker or preacher, he who inquires, and the peoplein general who listen.PURPORTIt is said, tasmiid gurum prapadyeta jijnasu sreya uttamam(Bhiig. 11.3.21). Those interested in understanding transcendental subjectmatters as the goal of life must approach the bona fide' spiritualmaster. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta. One must surrender to such a guru,who can give right information about Kt?J:.la. Herein, Maharaja Parik?ithas surrendered to the right personality, Sukadeva Gosvami, for enlightenmentin vasudeva-katha. Vasudeva is the original Personality ofGodhead, who has unlimited spiritual activities. Srimad-Bhiigavatam is arecord of such activities, and Bhagavad-gita is the record of Vasudevaspeaking personally. Therefore, since the Kt?J:.la consciousness movementis full of vasudeva-katha, anyone who hears, anyone who joins themovement and anyone who preaches will be purified.TEXT 17l8i40lll€ill41€616: Ima:za::::sT ;mTlJi 11\911bhumir drpta-nrpa-vyajadaityanika-satayutai

40 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto I 0, Ch. Iakranta bhuri-bharer:wbrahmar:wm sarar;tam yayaubhum*-mother erth; drpta -puHed up; nrpa-vyaja-posing askings, or the supreme power personified in the state; daitya-ofdemons; anika-of military phalanxes of soldiers; sata-ayutaib,-unlimitedly,by many hundreds of thousands; akranta-being overburdened;bhuri-bharer:w-by a burden of unnecessary fighting power;brahmar:wm-unto Lord Brahma; sarar:wm-to take shelter; yayauwent.TRANSLATIONOnce when mother earth was overburdened by hundreds ofthousands of military phalanxes of various conceited demonsdressed like kings, she approached Lord Brahmi for relief.PURPORTWhen the world is overburdened by unnecessary military arrangementsand when various demoniac kings are the executive heads of state,this burden causes the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (4. 7):yada yada hi dharmasyaglanir bhavati bharataabhyutthanam adharmasyatadatmanam s_rjamy aham"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, 0 descendantof Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time Iappear Myself." When the residents of this earth become atheistic andgodless, they descend to the status of animals like dogs and hogs, andthus their only business is to hark among themselves. This is dharmasyaglan deviation from the goal of life. Human life is meant for attainingthe highest perfection of :KrI).a consciousness, hut when people are .godlessand the presidents or kings are unnecessarily puffed up with militarypower, their business is to fight and increase the military strength of

Text 18] The Advent of Lord :Kr'l11.1a: Introduction 41their different states. Nowadays, therefore, it appears that every state isbusy manufacturing atomic weapons to prepare for a third world war.Such preparations are certainly unnecessary; they reflect the false prideof the heads of state. The real business of a chief executive is to see to thehappiness of the mass of people by training them in 1,1a consciousnessin different divisions of life. Catur-van:tyam maya srtam gu1J-a-karmavibhaga5a/:t(Bg. 4.13). A leader should train the people as brahmaTJ-llS,atriyas, vaiSyas and sadras and engage them in various occupationalduties, thus helping them progress toward I,la consciousness. Instead,however, rogues and thieves in the guise of protectors arrange for a votingsystem, and in the name of democracy they come to power by hook orcrook and exploit the citizens. Even long, long ago, asuras, persons devoidof God consciousness, became the heads of state, and now this ishappening again. The various states of the world are preoccupied witharranging for military strength. Sometimes they spend sixty-five percentof the government's revenue for this purpose. But why should people'shard-earned money be spent in this way? Because of the present worldsituation, K:r1,1a has descended in the form of the 1,1a consciousnessmovement. This is quite natural, for without the 1,1a consciousnessmovement the world cannot be peaceful and happy.TEXT 18ftcRu..fflufit: Iaq(11 Q¥il+t(J II IIgaur bhatvasru-mukhi khinnakrandanti karu1J-am vibho/:tupasthitantike tasmaivyasanam samavocatagau/:t-the shape of a cow; bhUtva-assuming; a.Sru-mukhi-withtears in the eyes; khinna-very much distressed; krandanti-weeping;karuTJ-llm-piteously; vibho/:t-of Lord Brahma; upasthita-appeared;antike-in front; tasmai-unto him (Lord Brahma); vyasanam-herdistress; samavocata-submitted.

42 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch.1TRANSLATIONMother earth assumed the form of a cow. Very much distressed,with tears in her eyes, she appeared before Lord Brahmii and toldhim about her misfortune.i1liTTEXT 19%1 III n. III .. _!)t ajl(qtt(fit: II IIbrahmii tad-upadhiiryiithasaha devais tayii sahajagiima sa-tri-nayanastirarh ira-payo-nidheb,brahmii-Lord Brahmii; tat-upadhiirya-understanding everythingrightly; atka-thereafter; saha-with; devaib,-the demigods; tayiisaha-with mother earth; jagama-approached; sa-tri-nayanab,-withLord Siva, who has three eyes; tiram-the shore; ira-payab,-nidheb,ofthe ocean of milk.TRANSLATIONThereafter, having heard of the distress of mother earth, LordBrahmii, with mother earth, Lord Siva and all the other demigods,approached the shore of the ocean of milk.PURPORTMter Lord Brahmii understood the precarious condition of the earth,he first visited the demigods headed by Lord lndra, who are in charge ofthe various affairs of this universe, and Lord Siva, who is responsible forannihilation. Both maintenance and annihilation go on perpetually,under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated inBhagavad-gitii. (4.8), paritrii1Jiiya siidhuniirh viniiSiiya ca dkrtiim.Those who are obedient to the laws of God are protected by different servantsand demigods, whereas those who are undesirable are vanquishedby Lord Siva. Lord Brahma first met all the demigods, including Lord

Text 20] The Advent of Lord Kna: Introduction 43Siva. Then, along with mother earth, they went to the shore of the oceanof milk, where Lord Vi1,1u lies on a white island, Svetadvipa.TEXT 20fi T41Efifq( I "'-.ffi"' Q+nmw: ttolltatra gatvd jaganndthamdeva-devam vrakapimpuram pura-saktenaupatasthe samahitab,tatra-there (on the shore of the ocean of milk); gatvd-after going;jaganndtham-unto the master of the entire universe, the SupremeBeing; deva-devam-the Supreme God of all gods; vrakapim-theSupreme Person, Vi1,1u, who provides for everyone and diminisheseveryone's suffering; puram-the Supreme Person; purasaktena-withthe Vedic mantra known as Pura-sakta; upatastheworshiped;samahitab,-with full attention.TRANSLATIONAfter reaching the shore of the ocean of milk, the demigodsworshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viu, themaster of the whole universe, the supreme God of all gods, whoprovides for everyone and diminishes everyone's suffering. Withgreat attention, they worshiped Lord Viu, who lies on the oceanof milk, by reciting the Vedic mantras known as the Purua-sukta.PURPORTThe demigods, such as Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, King Indra, Candraand Sfirya, are all subordinate to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.Aside from the demigods, even in human society there are many influentialpersonalities supervising various businesses or establishments.Lord Vi1,1u, however, is the God of gods (paramesvara). He isparama-pua, the Supreme Being, Paramatma. As confirmed in the

44 Srimad-Bhiigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1Brahma-samhita (5.1), iSvaratt paramatt krr:wtt sac-cld-animdavigrahatt:"J(rQa, known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He hasan eternal, blissful, spiritual body." No one is equal to or greater thanthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore He is described hereby many words: jagannatha, deva-deva, vrakapi and purU$a. Thesupremacy of Lord ViQu is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (10.12) inthis statement by Arjuna:param brahma param dhamapavitram paramam bhavanpurU$arir. sasvatam divyamadi-devam ajam vibhum"You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode andpurifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are theprimal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and allpervadingbeauty." J(rQa is adi-purU$a, the original Personality of Godhead(govindam adi-purU$aril tam aham bhajami). ViQU is a plenaryexpansion of Lord J(rQa, and all the V1Ju-tattvas are paramesvara,deva-deva.TEXT 21fiR - .t+,.,: ·ujij 1m & it Pl?!61¥((1: -FN161+41( +4T II IIgiram samadhau gagane samiritamniSamya vedhas tridaSan uvaca hagam paurU$iril me sr1Jutamaratt punarvidhiyatam asu tathaiva ma ciramgiram-a· vibration of words; samadhau-in trance; gagane-in thesky; samiritam-vibrated; niSamya-hearing; vedhatt-Lord Brahmii;tridaSan-unto the demigods; uvdca-said; ha-oh; gam-the order;

Text 21] The Advent of Lord Qa: Introduction 45paurim-received from the Supreme Person; me-from me; sroutajusthear; amara-0 demigods; puna-again; vidhiyatam-execute;asu-immediately; tatha eva-just so; ma-do not; ciram-delay.TRANSLATIONWhile in trance, Lord Brahmii heard the words of Lord ViQUvibrating in the sky. Thus he told the demigods: 0 demigods, hearfrom me the order of irodaka8iiyi ViQU, the Supreme Person,and execute it attentively without delay.PURPORTIt appears that the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead canbe heard in trance by competent persons. Modern science gives ustelephones, by which one can hear sound vibrations from a distant place.Similarly, although other persons cannot hear the words of Lord Vi1,1u,Lord Brahmii is able to hear the Lord's words within himself. This is confirmedin the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.1): tene brahmahrda ya adi-kavaye. Adi-kavi is Lord Brahma. In the beginning of thecreation, Lord Brahmii received the instructions of Vedic knowledgefrom Lord Vi1,1u through the medium of the heart (hrda). The sameprinciple is confirmed herewith. While Brahmii was in trance, he wasable to hear the words of Kirodakasiiyi Vi1,1u, and he carried the Lord'smessage to the demigods. Similarly, in the beginning, Brahmii firstreceived the Vedic knowledge from the Supreme Personality of Godheadthrough the core of the heart. In both instances the same process wasused in transmitting the message to Lord Brahma. In other words, althoughLord Vi1,1u was invisible even to Lord Brahmii, Lord Brahmiicould hear Lord Vi1,1u's words through the heart. The Supreme Personalityof Godhead is invisible even to Lord Brahmii, yet He descends onthis earth and becomes visible to people in general. This is certainly anact of His causeless mercy, but fools and nondevotees think that .i(r1,1a isan ordinary historical person. Because they think that the Lord is anordinary person like them, they are described as mfu)ha (avajanantimam mfu)haM. The causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godheadis neglected by such demoniac persons, who cannot understand theinstructions of Bhagavad-gita and who therefore misinterpret them.

46 Srimad-Bhigavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 1TEXT 22'i 'lffl 'i4(1\ii!Uq ff:(tirtq':trit11i(Q' tllct§jWti ri'Jq(:m:a::;:uamn IIpuraiva purhsavadhrto dhara-jvarobhavadbhir amsair yadU§upajanyatamsa yavad urvya bharam iSvaresvara/:tsva-kala-saktya /cyapayams cared bhuvipura-even before this; eva-indeed; purhsa-by the Supreme Personalityof Godhead; avadhrta/:t-was certainly known; dhara-jvara/:t­the distress on the earth; bhavadbhi/:t-by your good selves; amsai/:t­expanding as plenary portions; yadU§u-in the family of King Yadu;upajanyatam-take your birth and appear there; sal)-He (the SupremePersonality of Godhead); yavat-as long as; urvyal)-of the earth;bharam-the burden; iSvara-iSvara/:t-the Lord of lords; sva-kalasaktya-byHis own potency the time factor; /cyapayan-diminishing;caret-should move; bhuvi-on the surface of the earth.TRANSLATIONLord Brahma informed the demigods: Before we submitted ourpetition to the Lord, He was already aware of the distress on earth.Consequently, for as long as the Lord moves on earth to diminishits burden by His own potency. in the form of time, all of youdemigods should appear through plenary portions as sons andgrandsons in the family of the Yadus.PURPORTAs stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.39):ramadi-martu kala-niyamena tthannanavataram akarod bhuvane$U kintu

Text 23]The Advent of Lord I].a: Introduction47krTJatt svayam samabhavat paramatt pumiin yogovindam iidi-puram tam aham bhajami"I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, who is alwayssituated in various incarnations such as Rama, N:rsimha and many subincarnationsas well, but who is the original Personality of Godhead,known as K:ra, and who incarnates personally also."In this verse from Srimad-Bhiigavatam we find the words puraivapumsiivadhrto dharii-jvaratt. The word pumsii refers to K:ra, who wasalready aware of how the whole world was suffering because of the increaseof demons. Without reference to the supreme power of the Personalityof Godhead, demons assert themselves to be independent kingsand presidents, and thus they create a disturbance by increasing theirmilitary power. When such disturbances are very prominent, K:ra appears.At present also, various demoniac states all over the world are increasingtheir military power in many ways, and the whole situation hasbecome distressful. Therefore K:ra has appeared by His name, in theHare K:ra movement, which will certainly diminish the burden of theworld. Philosophers, religionists, and people in general must take to thismovement very seriously, for man-made plans and devices will not helpbring peace on earth. The transcendental sound Hare K:ra is not differentfrom the person K:ra.nama cintiimar:titt krr:taScaitan ya-rasa-vigrahattpilrTJatt suddho nitya-mukto'bhinnatviin niima-niiminott(Padma PuriiTJa)There is no difference between the sound Hare K:ra and K:ra theperson.TEXT 23_m'OLn fol. '{: t«: 1::ot\u,;. ijRSfl ffi:

48 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 1vasudeva-grhe saiidbhagaviin purU§a}J, parab,jan4yate tat-priyarthamsambhavantu sura-striya}J,vasudeva-grhe-in the house of Vasudeva (who would be the father ofKtI).a when the Lord appeared); siiiit-personally; bhagaviin-theSupreme Personality of Godhead, who has full potency; purU§a}J,-theoriginal person; parab,-who is transcendental; jan4yate-will appear;tat-priya-artham-and for His satisfaction; sambhavantu-should takebirth; sura-striyab,-all the wives of the demigods.TRANSLATIONThe Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri !llr;ta, who has fullpotency, will personally appear as the son of Vasudeva. Thereforeall the wives of the demigods should also appear in order to satisfyHim.PURPORTIn Bhagavad-gitii (4.9) the Lord says, tyaktvii deham punar janmanaiti miim eti: after giving up the material body, the devotee of the Lordreturns home, back to Godhead. This means that the devotee is firsttransferred to the particular universe where the Lord is at that time stayingto exhibit His pastimes. There are innumerable universes, and theLord is appearing in one of these universes at every moment. ThereforeHis pastimes are called nitya-lild, eternal pastimes. The Lord's appearanceas a child in the house of Devaki takes place continuously inone universe after another. Therefore, the devotee is first transferred tothat particular universe where the pastimes of the Lord are current. Asstated in Bhagavad-gitii, even if a devotee does not complete the courseof devotional service, he enjoys the happiness of the heavenly planets,where the most pious people dwell, and then takes birth in the house of asuci or srimiin, a pious brahma7J.a or a wealthy vaiSya (suciniim srimatiimgehe yoga-bhrto 'bhijayate). Thus a pure devotee, even if unable toexecute devotional service completely, is transferred to the upper planetarysystem, where pious people reside. From there, if his devotional

Text 24] The Advent of Lord !1I}.a: Introduction 49service is complete, such a devotee is transferred to the place where theLord's pastimes are going on. Herein it is said, sambhavantu surastriyab,.Sura-stri, the women of the heavenly planets, were thus orderedto appear in the Yadu dynasty in Vrndavana to enrich the pastimes ofLord :l

50 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1material world. Previous to the appearance of Lord fJ].a, thisoriginal SailkartaJ].a will appear as Baladeva, just to please theSupreme Lord J].a in His transcendental pastimes.PURPORTSri Baladeva is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. He isequal in supremacy to the Supreme Godhead, yet wherever Kt,Qa appears,Sri Baladeva appears as His brother, sometimes elder and sometimesyounger. When Kt,Qa appears, all His plenary expansions andother incarnations appear with Him. This is elaborately explained inCaitanya-caritamrta. This time, Baladeva would appear before Kt,Qa asKt,Qa's elder brother.TEXT 25fci&Jil+il ;;p;n +Iii · ij Ia11nm !JW'Iiwt mt v4r:wr maya bhagavatiyaya sammohitam jagatad4ta prabhur_uimsenakiiryarthe sambhav4yativ4r:wb- maya-the potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,Vi,Qu; bhagavati-as good as Bhagaviin and therefore known asBhagavati; yaya-by whom; sammohitam-captivated; jagat-all theworlds, both material and spiritual; ad4ta-being ordered; prabhurJ-abythe master; amsena-with her different potential factors; karyaarthe-forexecuting business; sambhav4yati-would also appear.TRANSLATIONThe potency of the Lord, known as vi,J].u-maya, who is as goodas the Supreme Personality of Godhead, will also appear with Lord,J].a. This potency, acting in different capacities, captivates allthe worlds, both material and spiritual. At the request of hermaster, she will appear with her different potencies in order toexecute the work of the Lord.

Text 25] The Advent of Lord .Kra: Introduction 51PURPORTParasya saktir vividhaiva srayate (Svetasvatara Upani$ad 6.8). In theVedas it is said that the potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godheadare called by different names, such as yogamiiyii and mahiimiiyii.Ultimately, however, the Lord's potency is one, exactly as electricpotency is one although it can act both to cool and to heat. The Lord'spotency acts in both the spiritual and material worlds. In the spiritualworld the Lord's potency works as yogamiiyii, and in the material worldthe same potency works as mahiimiiyii, exactly as electricity works inboth a heater and a cooler. In the material world, this potency, workingas mahiimayii, acts upon the conditioned souls to deprive them more andmore of devotional service. It is said, yayii sammohito jiva iitmiinam trigu'{liitmakam.In the material world the conditioned soul thinks of himselfas a product of tri-gur;r,a, the three modes of material nature. This isthe bodily conception of life. Because of associating with the three gur;r,asof the material potency, everyone identifies himself with his body. Someoneis thinking he is a briihmar;r,a, someone a k$atriya, and someone avaiSya or sadra. Actually, however, one is neither a brahma1Ja, ak$atriya, a vaiSya nor a sadra; one is part and parcel of the SupremeLord (mamaivamsaM, but because of being covered by the material energy,mahiimiiyii, one identifies himself in these different ways. Whenthe conditioned soul becomes liberated, however, he thinks himself aneternal servant of KtI)a. ]ivera 'svarapa' haya-krTJ-era 'nitya-dasa.'When he comes to that position, the same potency, acting as yogamiiyii,increasingly helps him become purified and devote his energy to theservice of the Lord.In either case, whether the soul is conditioned or liberated, the Lord issupreme. As stated in Bhagavad-gitii (9.10), mayiidhyak$er;r,a prakrti/:tsayate sa-cariicaram: it is by the order of the Supreme Personality ofGodhead that the material energy, mahiimiiyii, works upon the conditionedsoul.prakrte/:t kriyamii1Jiinigur;r,ai/:t karmiiTJi sarva§a/:taharikara-vimW;lhiitmiikartiiham iti manyate

52 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1"The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes ofmaterial nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities which are inactuality carried out by nature." (Bg. 3.27) Within conditioned life, noone has freedom, but because one is bewildered, being subject to the ruleof mahamaya, one foolishly thinks himself independent (aharikiiravimii4hatmakartaham iti manyate). But when the conditioned soul becomesliberated by executing devotional service, he is given a greater andgreater chance to relish a relationship with the Supreme Personality ofGodhead in different transcendental statuses, such as diisya-rasa,sakhya-rasa, vatsalya-rasa and madhurya-rasa.Thus the Lord's potency, vi$r;tu-maya, has two features-avarar;tikiiand unmukha. When the Lord appeared, His potency came with Him andacted in different ways. She acted as yogamaya with Yasoda, Devaki andother intimate relations of the Lord, and she acted in a different way withKamsa, Salva and other asuras. By the order of Lord K{Qa, His potencyyogamaya came with Him and exhibited different activities according tothe time and circumstances. Karyarthe sambhavi$yati. Yogamaya acteddifferently to execute different purposes desired by the Lord. As confirmedin Bhagavad-gita (9.13), mahatmanas tu maril partha daivirilprakrtim asrita(l. The mahatmas, who fully surrender to the lotus feet ofthe Lord, are directed by yogamaya, whereas the duratmas, those whoare devoid of devotional service, are directed by mahamaya.TEXT 26fi JlfRs-.ncr?lx.nall:llna:s i: 1311 : '«" qt II IIsri-suka uvacaity adiSyamara-gar;tanprajapati-patir vibhu(lasvasya ca mahiril girbhi(lsva-dhama paramaril yayausri-suka(l uvaca-Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; iti-thus; adiSyaafterinforming; amara-gar;tan-all the demigods; prajapati-pati(l-

Text 28] The Advent of Lord 11r;1a: Introduction 53Lord Brahma, the master of the Prajapatis; vibhub,-all-powerful;asvasya-after pacifying; ca-also; mahim-mother earth; girbhib-bysweet words; sva-dhama-his own planet, known as Brahmaloka;paramam-the best (within the universe); yayau-returned.TRANSLATIONSukadeva Gosvimi continued: After thus advising the demigodsand pacifying mother earth, the very powerful Lord Brahmii, whois the master of all other Prajiipatis and is therefore known asPrajiipati-pati, returned to his own abode, Brahmaloka.TEXT 27;i) qf6491(1'41'4(1'1_ I'ft'IYI5ia_znA:sZ ftlq( \911silrasenab,-King Surasena;silraseno yadupatirmathuram avasan purimmathurafi chilrasenams cavayan bubhuje purayadu-patib,-the chief of the Yadudynasty; mathuram-at the place known as Mathura; avasan-went tolive; purim-in that city; mathuran-at the place known as the Mathuradistrict; silrasenan ca-and the place known as Surasena; vayansuchkingdoms; bubhuje-enjoyed; pura-formerly.TRANSLATIONFormerly, Surasena, the chief of the Yadu dynasty, had gone tolive in the cit y of Mathurii. There he enjoyed the places known asMathura and Surasena.TEXT 28 ffiJ: (14ta: I df.teil : II

54 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 1rajadhani tata/:J, sabhatsarva-yadava-bhabhujammathura bhagavan yatranityam sannihito hari/:J,rajadhani-the capital; tata/:J,-from that time; sa-the countryand the city known as Mathura; abhat-became; sarva-yadavabhabhujam-ofall the kings who appeared in the Yadu dynasty;mathura-the place known as Mathura; bhagavan-the Supreme Personalityof Godhead; yatra-wherein ; nityam-eternally; sannihita/:J,­intimately connected, living eternally; hari/:J,-the Lord, the SupremePersonality of Godhead.TRANSLATIONSince that time, the city of Mathuri had been the capital of allthe kings of the Yadu dynasty. The city and district of Mathuri arevery intimately connected with :Kf'J}.a, for Lord :Kf'J}.a lives thereeternally.PURPORTIt is understood that Mathura City is the transcendental abode of Lordl(r1,1a; it is not an ordinary material city, for it is eternally connectedwith the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vtndavana is within thejurisdiction of Mathura, and it still continues to exist. Because Mathuriiand Vtndavana are intimately connected with l(r1,1a eternally, it is saidthat Lord l(r1,1a never leaves VJ;ndavana (vrndavanam parityajyapadam ekam na gacchati). At present, the place known as Vtndavana, inthe district of Mathura, continues its position as a transcendental place,and certainly anyone who goes there becomes transcendentally purified.Navadvipa-dhama is also intimately connected with Vrajabhfimi. SrilaNarottama dasa Thakura therefore says:sri gaw:)a-maTJ4ala-bhami, yeba jane cintamarJi,ta 'ra haya vrajabhame vasa"Vrajabhumi" refers to Mathura-VJ;ndavana, and Gau

Text 29] The Advent of Lord .Krtn:..,a: Introduction 55fore, anyone living in Navadvipa-dhama, knowing 1

56 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1TRANSLATIONSome time ago, Vasudeva, who belonged to the demigod family[or to the Sura dynasty], married Devaki. After the marriage, hemounted his chariot to return home with his newly married wife.TEXT 30·nlortwr: : : f!ltt€fitttl 1 Jm: ij'6t?t: II oilugrasena-suta kamsasvasu priya-cikir$ayara5min hayanam jagraharaukmai ratha-satair vrtaugrasena-suta-the son of Ugrasena; kamsa-by the name Karhsa;svasu-of his own sister Devaki; priya-cikir$aya-to please her on theoccasion of her marriage; ra§min-the reins; hayanam-of the horses;jagraha -took; raukmai -made of gold; ratha-satai-by hundreds ofchariots; vrta-surrounded.TRANSLATIONKamsa, the son of King Ugrasena, in order to please his sisterDevaki on the occasion of her marriage, took charge of the reins ofthe horses and became the chariot driver. He was surrounded byhundreds of golden chariots.TEXTS 31-32: ''f+tl"tl'( I3llfll"tl+twf m oo;ri 'f!d'( II IIi(l41ortf ijf+tl(lulf i. ('t'f{'S,tt I : : catu-satam paribarhamgajanam hema-malinam

Text 32]The Advent of Lord Kta: Introduction57a.Svanam ayutam sardhamrathanam ca tri-at-satamdasinam sukumarirJarildve sate samalankrteduhitre devakalt priidadyane duhitr-vatsalaltcatult-satam-four hundred; paribarham-dowry; gajanam-ofelephants; hema-malinam-decorated with gJ.rlands of gold; a.Svanam-ofhorses; ayutam-ten thousand; sardham-along with;rathanam-of chariots; ca-and; tri-at-satam-three times six hundred(eighteen hundred); dasinam-of maidservants; su-kumarifJiimveryyoung and beautiful unmarried girls; dve-two; sate-hundred;samalankrte-fully decorated with ornaments; duhitre-unto hisdaughter; devakalt-King Devaka; pradat-gave as a gift; yane-whilegoing away; duhitr-vatsalalt-who was very fond of his daughterDevaki.TRANSLATIONDevaki's father, King Devaka, was very much affectionate to hisdaughter. Therefore, while she and her husband were leavinghome, he gave her a dowry of four hundred elephants nicely decoratedwith golden garlands. He also gave ten thousand horses,eighteen hundred chariots, and two hundred very beautiful youngmaidservants, fully decorated with ornaments.PURPORTThe system of giving a dowry to one's daughter has existed in Vediccivilization for a very long time. Even today, following the same system,a father who has money will give his daughter an opulent dowry. Adaughter would never inherit the property of her father, and thereforean affectionate father, during the marriage of his daughter, would giveher as much as possible. A dowry, therefore, is never illegal according tothe Vedic system. Here, of course, the gift offered as a dowry by Devakato Devaki was not ordinary. Because Devaka was a king, he gave a dowry

58 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1quite suitable to his royal position. Even an ordinary man, especially ahigh-class brahmalJ-a, lcyatriya or vaiSya, is supposed to give hisdaughter a liberal dowry. Immediately after the marriage, the daughtergoes to her husband's house, and it is also a custom for the brother of thebride to accompany his sister and brother-in-law to exhibit affection forher. This system was followed by Karilsa. These are all old customs in thesociety of van;tii§rama-dharma, which is now wrongly designated asHindu. These long-standing customs are nicely described here.TEXT 33-([·· ..asJ;unlla:Li 616'sarikha-turya-mrdarigas caa: " Iil: IInedur dundubhaya/:1, samamprayaTJ-a-prakrame tatavara-vadhvo/:1, sumarigalamsarikha-conchshells; tllrya-bugles; mrdariga/:1,-drums; ca-also;nedu/:1,-vibrated; dundubhaya/:1,-kettledrums; samam-in concert;prayaTJ-a-prakrame-at the time of departure; tata-0 beloved son;vara-vadhvo/:1,-of the bridegroom and the bride; su-marigalam-forthe purpos of their auspicious departure.TRANSLATION0 beloved son, Maharaja Parik11it, when the bride and bridegroomwere ready to start, conchshells, bugles, drums and kettledrumsall vibrated in concert for their auspicious departure.TEXT 34 SBifi:uj mll11QII6:11U(etl Inn a::; PWR tiT ij',s;$:'( Jl 'd IIpathi pragrahi1J,am kamsamabyahasarira-vak

Text 35]The Advent of Lord fl1,1a: Introduction59asyas tvam O-$!amo garbhohanta yam vahase 'budhapathi-on the way; pragrahir;wm-who was managing the reins of thehorses; kamsam-unto Kamsa; abhd$ya-addressing; aha-said; a­sartra-vak-a voice coming from someone whose body was invisible;asya-of this girl (Devaki); tvam-you; Q.$tama-the eighth; garbha-pregnancy;hanta-killer; yam-her whom; vahase-you arecarrying; abudha-you foolish rascal.TRANSLATIONWhile Kamsa, controlling the reins of the horses, was drivingthe chariot along the way, an unembodied voice addressedhim, "You foolish rascal, the eighth child of the woman you arecarrying will kill you!"PURPORTThe omen spoke of Q.$/amo garbha, referring to the eighth pregnancy,but did not clearly say whether the child was to be a son or adaughter. Even if Kamsa were to see that the eighth child of Devaki wasa daughter, he should have no doubt that the eighth child was to kill him.According to the ViSva-kosa dictionary, the word garbha means"embryo" and also arbhaka, or "child." Kamsa was affectionate towardhis sister, and therefore he had become the chariot driver to carry herand his brother-in-law to their home. The demigods, however, did notwant Kamsa to be affectionate toward Devaki, and therefore, from anunseen position, they encouraged Kamsa to offend her. Moreover, the sixsons of Marici had been cursed to take birth from the womb of Devaki,and upon being killed by Kamsa they would be dlivered. When Devakiunderstood that Kamsa would he killed by the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, who would appear from her womb, she felt great joy. The wordvahase is also significant because it indicates that the ominous vibrationcondemned Kamsa for acting just like a beast of burden by carrying hisenemy's mother.TEXT 35... ...._ . .: : qm fql('l.-.: I m\.qdQ(:s 11'-\11

60 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 1ity ukta/.1- sa khala/.1- papobhojanam kula-pamsana/.1bhaginimhantum arabdhamkhal)ga-paTJ-i/.1- kace 'grahititi ukta/.1--thus being addressed; sa/.1--he (Karilsa); khala/.1--envious;papa/.1--sinful; bhojanam-of the Bhoja dynasty; kulapamsanal)-onewho can degrade the reputation of his family;bhaginim-unto his sister; hantum arabdham-being inclined to kill;khal)ga-parJ-i/.1--taking a sword in his hand; kace-hair; agrahittookup.TRANSLATIONKamsa was a condemned personality in the Bhoja dynasty hecausehe was envious and sinful. Therefore, upon hearing thisomen from the sky, he caught hold of his sister's hair with his lefthand and took up his sword with his right hand to sever her headfrom her body.PURPORTKamsa was driving the chariot and controlling the reins with his lefthand, but as soon as he heard the omen that his sister's eighth childwould kill him, he gave up the rins, caught hold of his sister's hair, andwith his right hand took up a sword to kill her. Before, he had been soaffectionate that he was acting as his sister's chariot driver, but as soon ashe heard that his self-interest or his life was at risk, he forgot all affectionfor her and immediately became a great enemy. This is the nature ofdemons. No one should trust a demon, despite any amount of affection.Aside from this, a king, a politician or a woman cannot be trusted, sincethey can do anything abominable for their personal interest. CiiQakyaPaQQita therefore says, vi.Svaso naiva kartavya/.1- stru raja-kule$U ca.TEXT 36 "'' NFI qf(('{l'*41.t'i II

Text 37]The Advent of Lord !iia: Introduction61tam jugupsita-karmar:tamnrsamsam nirapatrapamvasudevo maha-bhagauvaca parisantvayantam-unto him (Kasa); jugupsita-karmar:tam-who was ready tocommit such an offensive act; nrsamsam-very cruel; nirapatrapamshameless;vasudeva-Vasudeva; maha-bhaga-the greatly fortunatefather of Vasudeva; uvaca-said; parisantvayan-pacifying.TRANSLATIONWanting to pacify Kamsa, who was so cruel and envious that hewas shamelessly ready to kill his sister, the great soul Vasudeva,who was to be the father of !iia, spoke to him in the followingwords.PURPORTVasudeva, who was to be the father of !?I.J.a, is described here asmaha-bhaga, a very upright and s9ber personality, because althoughKamsa was ready to kill Vasudeva's wife, Vasudeva remained sober andunagitated. In a peaceful attitude, Vasudeva began to address Kamsa byputting forward reasonable arguments. Vasudeva was a great personalitybecause he knew how to pacify a cruel person and how to forgive eventhe bitterest enemy. One who is fortunate is never caught, even by tigersor snakes.TEXT 37wT

62 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 1sri-vasudeva uvaca-the great personality Vasudeva said; slaghaniya-gu-aperson who possesses praiseworthy qualities; surai-bygreat heroes; bhaviin-your good self; bhoja-ya§a-kara-a brilliantstar in the Bhoja dynasty; sa-one such as your good self; kathamhow;bhaginim-your sister; hanyiit-can kill; striyam-especially awoman; udviiha-parva"Q-i-at the time of the marriage ceremony.TRANSLATIONVasudeva said: My dear brother-in-law Karilsa, you are the prideof your family, the Bhoja dynasty, and great heroes praise yourqualities. How could such a qualified person as you kill a woman,your own sister, especially on the occasion of her marriage?PURPORTAccording to Vedic principles, a briihma, an old man, a woman, achild or a cow cannot be killed under any circumstances. Vasudevastressed that Devaki was not only a woman but a member of Kaxhsa'sfamily. Because she was now married to Vasudeva, she was para-stri,another man's wife, and if such a woman were killed, not only wouldKaxhsa be implicated in sinful activities, but his reputation as king of theBhoja dynasty would be damaged. Thus Vasudeva tried in many ways toconvince Kaxhsa in order to stop him from killing Devaki.TEXT 3811 nd am:sZ J31'-1 tfR 511fUiwtf: mrtyur janmavatiim viradehena saha jiiyateadya viibda-satiinte viimrtyur vai prii"Q-iniim dhruvamrtyu-death; janma-vatiim-of the living entities who have takenbirth; vira-0 great hero; dehena saha-along with the body; jiiyateisborn (one who has taken birth is sure to die); adya-today; vii-

Text 39] The Advent of Lord a: Introduction 63either; abda-sata-of hundreds of years; ante-at the end; va-or;mrtyu-death; vai-indeed; praJJ-indm-for every living entity;dhruva-is assured.TRANSLATION0 great hero, one who takes birth is sure to die, for death isborn with the body. One may die today or after hundreds of years,but death is sure for every living entity.PURPORTVasudeva wanted to impress upon Kamsa that although Kamsa feareddying and therefore wanted to kill even a woman, he could not avoiddeath. Death is sure. Why then should Kamsa do something that wouldbe detrimental to his reputation and that of his family? As confirmed inBhagavad-gita (2.27):jatasya hi dhruvo mrtyurdhruvam janma mrtasya catasmad apariharye 'rthena tvam socitum arhasi"For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who isdead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of yourduty, you should not lament." One should not fear death. Rather, oneshould prepare oneself for the next birth. One should utilize one's timein this human form to end the process of birth and death. It is not that tosave oneself from death one should entangle oneself in sinful activities.This is not good.TEXT 39 q'9i)¥(·q t;¥(t•nStt: 1a:tiW{I('4Sflq : IIdehe paficatvam apannedehi karmanugo 'va§a

64 Srimad-Bhigavatam(Canto 10, Ch. 1dehantaram anuprapyapraktanam tyajate vapu/.tdehe-when the body; paficatvam iipanne-turns into five elements;dehi-the proprietor of the body, the living being; karma-anuga/.t­following the reactions of his own fruitive activities; avasa/.t-spontaneously,automatically; deha-antaram-another body (made of materialelements); anupriipya-receiving as a result; priiktanam-theformer; tyajate-gives up; vapu/.t-body.TRANSLATIONWhen the present body turns to dust and is again reduced to fiveelements-earth, water, fire, air and ether-the proprietor of thebody, the living being, automatically receives another body of materialelements according to his fruitive activities. Whtm the nextbody is obtained, he gives up the present body.PURPORTThis is confirmed in Bhagavad-gitii, which presents the beginning ofspiritual understanding.dehino 'smin yathii dehekaumiiram yauvanam jariitatha dehantara-priiptirdhiras tatra na muhyati"As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood toyouth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. Theself-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change." (Bg. 2.13) A personor an animal is not the material body; rather, the material body is thecovering of the living being. Bhagavad-gitii compares the body to a dressand elaborately explains how one changes dresses one after another. Thesame Vedic knowledge is confirmed here. The living being, the soul, isconstantly changing bodies one after another. Even in the present life,the body changes from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youth,and from youth to old age; similarly, when the body is too old to continue,the living being gives up this body and, by the laws of nature,

Text 40) The Advent of Lord Kra: Introduction 65automatically gets another body according to his fruitive activities,desires and ambitions. The laws of nature control this sequence, andtherefore as long as the living entity is under the control of the external,material energy, the process of bodily change takes place automatically,according to one's fruitive activities. Vasudeva therefore wanted to impressupon Karhsa that if he committed this sinful act of killing a woman,in his next life he would certainly get a material body still more conditionedto the sufferings of material existence. Thus Vasudeva advisedKarhsa not to commit sinful activities.One who commits sinful activities because of ignorance, tamo-gur:w,obtains a lower body. Karar:tarit gur:w-sango 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu(Bg. 13.22). There are hundreds and thousands of different species oflife. Why are there higher and lower bodies? One receives these bodiesaccording to the contaminations of material nature. If in this life one iscontaminated by the mode of ignorance and sinful activities (dkrti), inthe next life, by the laws of nature, one will certainly get a body full ofsuffering. The laws of nature are not subservient to the whimsicaldesires of the conditioned soul. Our endeavor, therefore, should be toassociate always with sattva-gur:w and not indulge in rajo-gur:w or tamogur:w(rajas-tamo-bhava/:t). Lusty desires and greed keep the living entityperpetually in ignorance and prevent him from being elevated to theplatform of sattva-gur:ta or suddha-sattva-gur:w. One is advised to besituated in suddha-sattva-gur:w, devotional service, for thus one is immuneto the reactions of the three modes of material nature.TEXT 40 • •t+4Rt I «

66 Srimad-Bhiigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1another foot; gacchati-goes; yatha-as; trry,a-jalaukii-a worm on avegetable; evam-in this way; dehi-the living entity; karma-gatimthereactions of fruitive activities; gata-undergoes.TRANSLATIONJust as a person traveling on the road rests one foot on theground and then lifts the other, or as a worm on a vegetabletransfers itself to one leaf and then gives up the previous one, theconditioned soul takes shelter of another body and then gives upthe one he had before.PURPORTThis is the process of the soul's transmigration from one body toanother. At the time of death, according to his mental condition, the livingbeing is carried by the subtle body, consisting of mind, intelligenceand ego, to another gross body. When higher authorities have decidedwhat kind of gross body the living entity will have, he is forced to entersuch a body, and thus he automatically gives up his previous body. Dullmindedpersons who do not have the intelligence to understand this processof transmigration take for granted that when the gross body isfinished, one's life is finished forever. Such persons have no brains withwhich to understand the process of transmigration. At the presentmoment there is great opposition to the Hare K:ra movement, which isbeing called a "brainwashing" movement. But actually the so-calledscientists, philosophers and other leaders in the Western countries haveno brains at all. The Hare Kta movement is trying to elevate suchfoolish persons by enlightening their intelligence so that they will takeadvantage of the human body. Unfortunately, because of gross ignorance,they regard the Hare Kta movement as a brainwashing movement.They do not know that without God consciousness one is forced tocontinue transmigrating from one body to another. Because of theirdevilish brains, they will next be forced to accept an abominable life andpractically never be able to liberate themselves from the conditional lifeof material existence. How this transmigration of the soul takes place isvery clearly explained in this verse.

Text 41]The Advent of Lord 1\.t.,a: Introduction67TEXT 41 tNT ...-.-..:'IWfl(•u Ill Pwt : '1Wf(11 ffil_ wtqw;RI: 11\l IIsvapne yatha pa.Syati deham idrsarilmanorathenabhinivi§ta-cetanadma-srutabhyaril manasanucintayanprapadyate tat kim api hy apasmrtisvapne-in a dream; yatha -as; pa.Syati-one sees; deham-the kindof body; idrsam-similarly; manorathena-by mental speculation;abhinivi§ta-is fully absorbed; cetana-he whose consciousness;dma-by whatever has been experienced by seeing with the eyes;srutabhyam-and by hearing a description of something else; manasabythe mind; anucintayan-thinking, feeling and willing; prapadyate-surrenders;tat-to that situation; kim api-what to speak of;hi-indeed; apasmrti-experiencing forgetfulness of the present body.TRANSLATIONHaving experienced a situation by seeing or hearing about it,one contemplates and speculates about that situation, and thus onesurrenders to it, not considering his present body. Similarly, bymental adjustments one dreams at night of living under differentcircumstances, in different bodies, and forgets his actual position.Under this same process, one gives up his present body and acceptsanother [tathii dehiintara-priiptil;l].PURPORTTransmigration of the soul is very clearly explained in this verse. Onesometimes forgets his present body and thinks of his childhood body, abody of the past, and of how one was playing, jumping, talking and so on.When the material body is no long workable, it becomes dust: "For dust

68 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. lthou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." But when the body againmixes with the five material elements-earth, water, fire, air andether-the mind continues to work. The mind is the subtle substance inwhich the body is created, as we actually experience in our dreams andalso when we are awake in contemplation. One must understand that theprocess of mental speculation develops a new type of body that does notactually exist. If one can understand the nature of the mind(manorathena) and its thinking, feeling and willing, one can very easilyunderstand how from the mind different types of bodies develop.The KrQa consciousness movement, therefore, offers a process oftranscendental activities wherein the mind is fully absorbed in affairspertaining to KrQa. The presence of the soul is perceived by consciousness,and one must purify his consciousness from material to spiritual,or, in other words, to KrQa consciousness. That which is spiritual iseternal, and that which is material is temporary. Without KrQa consciousness,one's consciousness is always absorbed in temporary things.For everyone, therefore, KrQa recommends in Bhagavad-gitii (9.34),man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mdm namaskuru. One shouldalways be absorbed in thought of KrQa, one should become His devotee,one should always engage in His service and worship Him as the supremegreat, and one should always offer Him obeisances. In the material worldone is always a servant of a greater person, and in the spiritual world ourconstitutional position is to serve the Supreme, the greatest, parambrahma. This is the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. ]ivera'svarapa' haya-km:wra 'nitya-ddsa' (Cc. Madhya 20.108).To act in Kr1.1a consciousness is the perfection of life and the highestperfection of yoga. As Lord KrQa says in Bhagavad-gita (6.47):yoginam api sarve$drhmad-gatendntardtmandsraddhavdn bhajate yo mdmsa me yuktatamo mata"Of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshipingMe in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me inyoga and is the highest of all."The condition of the mind, which flickers between sankalpa and

Text 41] The Advent of Lord Ktfl!I.la: Introduction 69vikalpa, accepting something and rejecting it, is very important mtransferring the soul to another material body at the time of death.yam yam vapi smaran bhavamtyajaty ante kalevaramtam tam evaiti kaunteyasada tad-bhiiva-bhiivita/:t"Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, thatstate he will attain without fail." (Bg. 8.6) Therefore one must train themind in the system of bhakti-yoga, as did Maharaja Ambaria, whokept himself always in JJ.a consciousness. Sa vai mana/:t kmtapadaravindayo/:t.One must fix the mind at the lotus feet of KJJ.atwenty-four hours a day. If the mind is fixed upon JJ.a's lotus feet, theactivities of the other senses will be engaged in KJJ.a's service. Hriker,tahrikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate: to serve Hikesa, the master of thesenses, with purified senses is called bhakti. Those who constantly engagein devotional service are situated in a transcendental state, above the materialmodes of nature. As KJJ.a says in Bhagavad-gita (14.26):miim ca yo 'vyabhiciirer,tabhakti-yogena sevatesa gur:r,iin samatityaitanbrahma-bhuyaya kalpate"One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down inany circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature andthus comes to the level of Brahman." One must learn the secret of successfrom the Vedic literatures, especially when the cream of Vedicknowledge is presented by Bhagavad-gitii as it is.Because the mind is ultimately controlled by the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, JJ.a, the word apasmrti/:t is significant. Forgetfulness ofone's own identity is called apasmrti/:t. This apasmrti/:t can be controlledby the Supreme Lord, for the Lord says, matta/:t smrtir jfiiinamapohanam ca: "From Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness."Instead of allowing one to forget one's real position, JJ.a canrevive one's original identity at the time of one's death, even though the

70 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 1mind may be flickering. Although the mind may work imperfectly at thetime of death, l?l}.a gives a devotee shelter at His lotus feet. Thereforewhen a devotee gives up his body, the mind does not take him to anothermaterial body (tyaktva de ham punar janma naiti mam eti); rather,f?l}.a takes the devotee to that place where He is engaged in Hispastimes (mdm eti), as we have already discussed in previous verses.One's consciousness, therefore, must always be absorbed in f?l}.a, andthen one's life will be successful. Otherwise the mind will carry the soulto another material body. The soul will be placed in the semen of a fatherand discharged into the womb of a mother. The semen and ovum create aparticular type of body according to the form of the father and mother,and when the body is mature, the soul emerges in that body and begins anew life. This is the process of transmigration of the soul from one bodyto another (tatha dehantara-praptib,). Unfortunately, those who are lessintelligent think that when the body disappears, everything is finished.The entire world is being misled by such fools and rascals. But as statedin Bhagavad-gita (2.20), na hanyate hanyamane sarire. The soul doesnot die when the body is destroyed. Rather, the soul takes on anotherbody.TEXT 42ctl q11 qii:JI 6 "' • ..-Q. "'. RI¥t¥{1q qq Igit1 ¥tiIMij,; IIIISIIII o: «{ 11\/11yato yato dhavati daiva-coditammano vikaratmakam apa pancasugu{te§u maya-racite§u dehy asauprapadyamana saha tena jayateyata yata-from one place to another or from one position toanother; dhavati -speculates; daiva-coditam-impelled by accident ordeliberation; mana-the mind; vikara-atmakam-changing from onetype of thinking, feeling and willing to another; apa-at the end, he obtains(a mentality); pancasu-at the time of death (when the material

Text 42] The Advent of Lord lja: Introduction 71body turns totally into matter); gu§u-(the mind, not being liberated,becomes attached) to the material qualities; maya-racite§u-where thematerial energy creates a similar body; dehi-the spirit soul who acceptssuch a body; asau-he; prapadyamana-being surrendered (to such acondition); saha-with; tena-a similar body; jayate-takes birth.TRANSLATIONAt the time of death, according to the thinking, feeling and willingof the mind, which is involved in fruitive activities, onereceives a particular body. In other words, the body develops accordingto the activities of the mind. Changes of body are due tothe flickering of the mind, for otherwise the soul could remain inits original, spiritual body.PURPORTOne can very easily understand that the mind is constantly flickering,changing in the quality of its thinking, feeling and willing. This isexplained by Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita (6.34):caficalam hi mana kr§r:tapramathi balavad drl)hamtasyaham nigraham manyevayor iva sudU§karamThe mind is caficala, flickering, and it changes very strongly. ThereforeArjuna admitted that controlling the mind is not at all possible; thiswould be as difficult as controlling the wind. For example, if one were ina boat moving according to the wind on a river or the sea, and the windwere uncontrollable, the tilting boat would be very much disturbed andextremely difficult to control. It might even capsize. Therefore, in thebhava-samudra, the ocean of mental speculation and transmigration todifferent types of bodies, one must first control the mind.By regulative practice one can control the mind, and this is the purposeof the yoga system (abhyasa-yoga-yuktena). But there is a chanceof failure with the yoga system, especially in this age of Kali, because theyoga system uses artificial means. If the mind is engaged in bhakti-yoga,

72 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 1however, by the grace of Krf?I.J.a one can very easily control it. ThereforeSri Caitanya Mahaprahhu has recommended, harer nama harer namaharer namaiva kevalam. One should chant the holy name of the Lordconstantly, for the holy name of the Lord is nondifferent from Hari, theSupreme Person.By chanting the Hare Krf?I.J.a mantra constantly, one can fix the mindon the lotus feet of Krr?I.J.a (sa vai mana/:1, kr$r:ta-padaravindayo/:l,) and inthis way achieve the perfection of yoga. Otherwise, the flickering mindwill hover on the platform of mental speculation for sense enjoyment,and one will have to transmigrate from one type of body to another hecausethe mind is trained only in relation to the material elements, or, inother words, to sense gratification, which is false. Maya-sukhayabharam udvahato vimill;lhan (Bhag. 7.9.43). Rascals (vimul)han), beingcontrolled by mental speculation, make huge arrangements by which toenjoy life temporarily, hut they must give up the body at the time ofdeath, when everything is taken away by K:rr?I.J.a's external energy(mrtyu/:1, sarva-hara.S caham). At that time, whatever one has created inthis life is lost, and one must automatically accept a new body by theforce of material nature. In this life one may have constructed a very tallskyscraper, hut in the next life, because of one's mentality, one may haveto accept a body like that of a cat, a dog, a tree or perhaps a demigod.Thus the body is offered by the laws of material nature. Karar:tam gur:tasango'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu (Bg. 13.22). The spirit soul takesbirth in higher and lower species of life only because of his associationwith the three qualities of material nature.ilrdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthamadhye ti$!hanti rajasa/:1,jag han ya-gur:ta-vrtti-sthaadho gacchanti tamasa/:1,"Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to thehigher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets;and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds."(Bg. 14.18)In conclusion, the Krf?I.J.a consciousness movement offers the topmostwelfare activity for human society. The saner section of human society

Text 43] The Advent of Lord _KrJ].a: Introduction 73must therefore take this movement very seriously for the benefit of allhumanity. To save oneself from the repetition of birth and death, onemust purify his consciousness. Sarvopi.idhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvenanirmalam. One must be freed from all designations-"! am American,""I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that" -and come to the platform ofunderstanding that l(rQ.a is the original master and we are His eternalservants. When the senses are purified and engaged in l(rQ.a's service,one achieves the highest perfection. HrikeTJ-U hrikesa-sevenam bhaktirucyate. The l(rI).a consciousness movement is a movement of bhaktiyoga.Vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga. By following the principles ofthis movement, one becomes disassociated from material mental concoctionsand is established on the original platform of the eternal relationshipbetween the living entity and the Supreme Personality of Godheadas servant and master. This, in summary, is the purpose of the l(rQ.aconsciousness movement.TEXT 43\itiiRI4:... . .. m 1 ((4+Utti(G4 g (t•n•t61 f.lamRI 1111jyotir yathaivodaka-parthivev ada],samira-veganugatam vibhavyateevam sva-maya-racitev asau pumangu1JeU raganugato vimuhyatijyotib,-the luminaries in the sky, such as the sun, the moon and thestars; yatha-as; eva-indeed; udaka-in water; parthiveu-or inother liquids, like oil; adab,-directly; samira-vega-anugatam-beingforced by the movements of the wind; vibhavyate-appear in differentshapes; evam-in this way; sva-maya-raciteu-in the situation createdby one's mental concoctions; asau-the living entity; puman-person;gu1Jeu-in the material world, manifested by the modes of nature;raga-anugatab,-according to his attachment; vimuhyati-becomesbewildered by identification.

74 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. lTRANSLATIONWhen the luminaries in the sky, such as the moon, the sun andthe stars, are reflected in liquids like oil or water, they appear to beof different shapes-sometimes round, sometimes long, and soon-because of the movements of the wind. Similarly, when theliving entity, the soul, is absorbed in materialistic thoughts, he acceptsvarious manifestations as his own identity because of ignorance.In other words, one is bewildered by mental concoctionsbecause of agitation from the material modes of nature.PURPORTThis verse gives a very good example by which to understand the differentpositions of the eternal spiritual soul in the mterial world andhow the soul takes on different bodies (dehantara-prapti/:1,}. The moon isstationary and is one, but when it is reflected in water or oil, it appears totake different shapes because of the movements of the wind. Similarly,the soul is the eternal servant of a, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,but when put into the material modes of nature, it takes differentbodies, sometimes as a demigod, sometimes a man, a dog, a tree and soon. By the influence of maya, the illusory potency of the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, the living entity thinks that he is this person, thatperson, American, Indian, cat, dog, tree or whatever. This is calledmaya. When one is freed from this bewilderment and understands thatthe soul does not belong to any shape of this material world, one is situatedon the spiritual platform (brahma-bhuta).This realization is sometimes explained as nirakara, or formlessness.This formlessness, however, does not mean that the soul has no form.The soul has form, but the external, agitating form he has acquired becauseof material contamination is false. Similarly, God is also describedas nirakiira, which means that God has no material form but is sac-cidananda-vigraha.The living entity is part and parcel of the supreme saccid-ananda-vigraha,but his material forms are temporary, or illusory.Both the living entity and the Supreme Lord have original, spiritualforms (sac-cid-ananda-vigraha), but the Lord, the Supreme, does notchange His form. The Lord appears as He is, whereas the living entityappears because material nature forces him to accept different forms.

Text 43] The Advent of Lord Kftl}a: Introduction 75When the living entity receives these different forms, he identifies withthem, and not with his original, spiritual form. As soon as the living entityreturns to his original, spiritual form and understanding, he immediatelysurrenders to the supreme form, the Personality of Godhead.This is explained in Bhagavad-gita (7.19). Bahuniim janmaniim antejiianavan mam prapadyate. When the living entity, after many, manybirths in different forms, returns to his original form of Kra consciousness,he immediately surrenders unto the lotus feet of the supremeform, Kra. This is liberation. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita(18.54):brahma-bhuta prasanniitmana socati na kariatisama sarve$u bhute$Umad-bhaktim labhate param"One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the SupremeBrahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments nor desires to haveanything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attainspure devotional service unto Me." Surrender unto the suprmeform is the result of bhakti. This bhakti, or understanding of one's ownposition, is the complete liberation. As long as one is under an impersonalunderstanding of the Absolute Truth, he is not in pure knowledge,but must still struggle for pure knowledge. Kleso 'dhikataras te$dmavyaktasakta-cetasam (Bg. 12.5). Although one may be spiritually advanced,if one is attached to the impersonal feature of the AbsoluteTruth one must still work very hard, as indicated by the words kleso'dhikatara, which mean "greater suffering." A devotee, however,easily attains his original position as a spiritual form and understands theSupreme Personality of Godhead in His original form.Kra Himself explains the forms of the living entities in the SecondChapter of Bhagavad-gitd, where He clearly says to Arjuna that He,Arjuna and all other living entities, who were previously in their originalforms, are separate individual identities. They were individuals in thepast, they are now situated in individuality, and in the future they willall continue to maintain their individual forms. The only difference isthat the conditioned living entity appears in various material forms,

76 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1whereas K{a appears in His original, spiritual form. Unfortunately,those who are not advanced in spiritual knowledge think that K{!?a islike one of them and that His form is like their material forms.Avajananti mam mii4ha manU§im tanum asritam (Bg. 9.11). Kr!?a isnever puffed up by material knowledge and is therefore called acyuta,whereas the living entities fall down and are agitated by material nature.This is the difference between the Supreme Lord and the living entities.In this connection it is to be noted that Vasudeva, who was situated ina transcendental position, advised Karhsa not to commit further sinfulactivities. Karhsa, a representative of the demons, was always ready tokill K{!?a, or God, whereas Vasudeva represents a transcendentally situatedperson to whom K{!?a is born (Vasudeva is the son of Vasudeva).Vasudeva wanted his brother-in-law Karhsa to refrain from the sinful actof killing his sister, since the result of being agitated by material naturewould be that Karilsa would have to accept a body in which to sufferagain and again. Elsewhere in Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.5.4), l.l.!?abhadeva-also says:na sadhu manye yata atmano yamasann a pi klesada as a de ha}:tAs long as the living entity is entangled in the fruitive activities of socalledhappiness and distress, he will receive a particular type of body inwhich to endure the three kinds of suffering due to material nature (tritapa-yantra7J.d).An intelligent person, therefore, must free himselffrom the influence of the three modes of material nature and revive hisoriginal, spiritual body by engaging in the service of the Supreme Person,K{!?a. As long as one is materially attached, one must accept theprocess of birth, death, old age and disease. One is therefore advised thatan intelligent person, instead of being entangled in so-called good andbad fruitive activities, should engage his life in advancing in K:r;-!?a consciousnessso that instead of accepting another material body (tyaktvade ham punar janma naiti), he will return home, back to Godhead.TEXT 44 WPlt il¥41+.1€( ij'fiN: I: 'Rffl II

Text 44]The Advent of Lord KrI].a: Introduction77tasman na kasyacid drohamacaret sa tatha-vidhab,atmanab, lcyemam anvicchandrogdhur vai parato bhayamtasmat-therefore; na-not; kasyacit-of anyone; droham-envy;acaret-one should act; sab,-a person (Karhsa); tatha-vidhab,-who hasbeen advised in such a way (by Vasudeva);atmanab,-his own;/cyemam-welfare; anvicchan-if he desires; drogdhub,-of one who isenvious of others; vai-indeed; paratab,-from others; bhayam-thereis a cause of fear.TRANSLATIONTherefore, since envious, impious activities cause a body inwhich one suffers in the next life, why should one act impiously?Considering one's welfare, one should not envy anyone, for an enviousperson must always fear harm from his enemies, either inthis life or in the next.PURPORTInstead of being inimical toward other living entities, one should actpiously by engaging in the service of the Supreme Lord, thus avoiding afearful situation both in this life and in the next. In this regard, thefollowing moral instruction by the great politician Ca1,1akya Pal,l9ita isvery meaningful:tyaja durjana-sarhsargarhbhaja sadhu-samagamamkuru puJJyam aho ratrarhsmara nityam anityatamOne should give up the company of devils, demons and nondevotees andshould always associate with devotees and saintly persons. One should alwaysact piously, thinking that this life is temporary, and not be attachedto temporary happiness and distress. The 1,1a consciousness movementis teaching all of human society this principle of becoming 1,1a consciousand thus solving the problems of life forever (tyaktva deharhpunar janma naiti mam eti so 'rjuna).

78 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 1TEXT 45 ilm1 f,ti!hlq•u 1(;ij.'fi@.noftf14¥4i

Text 47] The Advent of Lord 1\rI}.a: Introduction 79else; bodhyamana& api-even being pacified; daru&-he who wasthe most fiercely cruel; na nyavartata-could not be stopped (from thegrievous act); kauravya-0 Maharaja Parikit; pura-adan-theRakasas, man-eaters; anuvrata&-following in their footsteps.TRANSLATIONSukadeva Gosviimi continued: 0 best of the Kuru dynasty,Kamsa was fiercely cruel and was actually a follower of theRiikasas. Therefore he could be neither pacified' nor terrified bythe good instructions given by Vasudeva. He did not care about theresults of sinful activities, either in this life or in the next.TEXT 47lij€61: I• • Rt " 3Im $f ot.ll'' '311...-44'lRI ll'd\911nirbandharh tasya tam jfiatvavicintyanakadundubhi&praptarh kdlarh prativyO(J,humidarh tatranvapadyatanirbandham-determination to do something; tasya-of him(Kamsa); tam-that (determination); jfiatva-understanding; vicintya-thinkingdeeply; anakadundubhi&-Vasudeva; praptam-had arrived;kdlam-imminent danger of death; prativyoc)hum-to stop himfrom such activities; idam-this; tatra-thereupon; anvapadyatathoughtof other ways.TRANSLATIONWhen Vasudeva saw that Kamsa was determined to kill his sisterDevaki, he thought to himself very deeply. Considering the imminentdanger of death, he thought of another plan to stop Kamsa.PURPORTAlthough Vasudeva saw the imminent danger that his wife Devakiwould be killed, he was convinced of his welfare because at his birth the

80 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1demigods had played drums and kettledrums. He therefore attemptedanother way to save Devaki.TEXT 48-ftm 41ftf4:ili4¥( I- ;r : lltgllmrtyur buddhimatiipohyoyavad buddhi-balodayamyady asau na nivartetaniiparadho 'sti dehinal],mrtyul],-death; buddhi-mata-by an intelligent person; apohyal],shouldbe avoided; yavat-as long as; buddhi-bala-udayam-intelligenceand bodily strength are present; yadi-if; asau-that (death); nanivarteta-cannot be checked; na-not; apariidhal],-ofiense; astithereis; dehinal],-of the person in danger of death.TRANSLATIONAs long as he has intelligence and bodily strength, an intelligentperson must try to avoid death. This is the duty of every embodiedperson. But if death cannot be avoided in spite of one's endeavors,a person facing death commits no offense.PURPORTIt is natural for a person facing untimely death to try his best to savehimself. This is one's duty. Although death is sure, everyone should tryto avoid it and not meet death without opposition because every livingsoul is by nature eternal. Because death is a punishment imposed in thecondemned life of material existence, the Vedic culture is based" onavoiding death (tyaktvii de ham punar janma naiti). Everyone should tryto_avoid death and rebirth by cultivating spiritual life and should notsubmit to death without struggling to survive. One who is not trying tostop death is not an intelligent human being. Because Devaki was face toface with imminent death, it was Vasudeva's duty to save her, as he was

Text 50] The Advent of Lord 1\r!li].a: Introduction 81trying his best to do. He therefore considered another way to approachKamsa so that Devaki would be saved.TEXTS 49-50 F!_ UIIflt¥41'( Iwn it • t;, ftllr Nq Ft ;r qf((· In&u 't .. : q;HJqijd II o IIpradaya mrtyave putrdnmocaye krpaT}iim imamsuta me yadi jayeranmrtyur va na mriyeta cetviparyayo va kim na syadgatir dhatur duratyayaupasthito nivartetanivrttab, punar apatetpraddya-promising to deliver; mrtyave-unto Kamsa, who is deathpersonified for Devaki; putran-my sons; mocaye-1 am releasing herfrom imminent danger; krpaT}iim-innocent; imdm-Devaki; sutdb,sons;me-my; yadi-whether; jayeran-should take birth; mrtyub,­Kamsa; va-or; na-not; mriyeta-should die; cet-if; viparyayab,- tjust the opposite; vd-or; kim-whether; na-not; syat-it may happen;gatib,-the movement; dhatub,-of providence; duratyaya-verydifficult to understand; upasthitab,-that which is presently obtained;nivarteta-may stop; nivrttab,-Devaki's death being stopped; punab,apatet-in the future it may happen again (but what can I do).TRANSLATIONVasudeva considered: By delivering all my sons to Karilsa, whois death personified, I shall save the life of Devaki. Perhaps Karilsawill die before my sons take birth, or, since he is already destined

82 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1to die at the hands of my son, one of my sons may kill him. For thetime being, let me promise to hand over my sons so that Kamsa willgive up this immediate threat, and if in due course of time Karitsadies, I shall have nothing to fear.PURPORTVasudeva wanted to save the life of Devaki by promising to deliver hissons to Karhsa. "In the future," he thought, "Karhsa may die, or I maynot beget any sons. Even if a son is born and I deliver him to Karhsa,Kamsa may die at his hands, for by providence anything could happen. Itis very difficult to understand how things are managed by providence."Thus Vasudeva decided that he would promise to deliver his sons to thehands of Karhsa in order to save Devaki from the imminent danger ofdeath.TEXT 51"" fcl••til•t4011- fwtf't=ij¥tfi6 I ft: M4tt0i4:»:i:A:s:J .. rinP.biin'k:::a :II'-\ 11agner yathii daru-viyoga-yogayoradmato 'nyan na nimittam astievam hi jantor api durvibhavya/:tsarira-samyoga-viyoga-hetu/:tagne/:t-of a fire in the forest; yathii-as; daru-of wood; viyogayogayo/:t-ofboth the escaping and the capturing; admata/:t-thanunseen providence; anyat-some other reason or accident; na-not;nimittam-:-a cause; asti-there is; evam.,-in this way; hi-certainly;janto/:t-of the living being; api-indeed; durvibhavya/:t-cannot befound out; sarira-of the body; samyoga-of the accepting; viyoga-orof the giving up; hetu/:t-the cause.TRANSLATIONWhen a fire, for some unseen reason, leaps over one piece ofwood and sets fire to the next, the reason is destiny. Similarly,

Text 52] The Advent of Lord 1\..rllt;la: Introduction 83when a living being accepts one kind of body and leaves asideanother, there is no other reason than unseen destiny.PURPORTWhen there is a fire in a village, the fire sometimes jumps over onehouse and burns another. Similarly, when there is a forest fire, the firesometimes jumps over one tree and catches another. Why this happens,no one can say. One may set forth some imaginary reason why thenearest tree or house did not catch fire whereas a tree or house in a distantplace did, but actually the reason is destiny. This reason also appliesto the transmigration of the soul, by which a prime minister in one lifemay become a dog in the next. The work of unseen destiny cannot beascertained by practical experimental knowledge, and therefore one mustbe satisfied by reasoning that everything is done by supreme providence.TEXT 52f;t t'· · • qyq 'i4G\k'l G\lwt( Itm ·" ... , .. 9;: evam vimrsya tam papamyavad-atmani-darsanampajayam lisa vai saurirbahu-mana-pura/:tsaramevam-in this way; vimrsya-after contemplating; tam-untoKarhsa; papam-the most sinful; yavat-as far as possible; atmanillarsanam-withall the intelligence possible within himself; pajayamlisa-praised; vai-indeed; saurib,-Vasudeva; baku -mana -offeringall respect; pura/:tsaram-before him.TRANSLATIONMter thus considering the matter as far as his knowledge wouldallow, Vasudeva submitted his proposal to the sinful Kamsa withgreat respect.

84 Srimad-Bhigavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 1'"'TEXT 53'"'t :1!11 ... ::.!]prasanna-vadandmbhojonrsamsam nirapatrapammanasa dayamanenavihasann idam abravitprasanna-vadana-ambhoja-Vasudeva, who externally presentedhimself as if very happy; nrsamsam-unto the most cruel; nirapatrapam-shamelessKamsa; manasd-with the mind; dayamanenawhichwas full of anxiety and sorrow; vihasan-smiling externally;idam abravit-and spoke as follows.TRANSLATIONVasudeva's mind was full of anxiety because his wife was facingdanger, but in order to please the cruel, shameless and sinfulKamsa, he externally smiled and spoke to him as follows.PURPORTSometimes one must act duplicitously in a dangerous positwn, asVasudeva did to save his wife. The material world is complicated, and toexecute one's duties, one cannot avoid adopting such diplomacy.Vasudeva did everything possible to save his wife for the sake of begettingKtJ:.la. This indicates that one may act duplicitously for the purposeof saving KtJ:.la and His interests. According to the arrangement already'foretold, KtJ:.la was to appear through Vasudeva and Devaki to killKamsa. Vasudeva, therefore, had to do everything to save the situation.Although all the events were prearranged by KtJ:.la, a devotee must tryhis best to serve the purpose of KtJ:.la. Kt1.1a Himself is all-powerful, butit is not that a devotee should therefore sit idly and leave everything toHim. This instruction is also found in Bhagavad-gita. Although Kt1.1awas doing everything for Arjuna, Arjuna never sat down idly as a non-

Text 54] The Advent of Lord a: Introduction 85violent gentleman. Rather, he tried his best to fight the battle and bevictorious.TEXT 54;rwau4:ij w.ht"P: (116:lttl( 1(1¥4fi4q, 11\111sri-vasudeva uvdcana hy asyas te bhayam saumyayad vai sahasarira-vakputran samarpay4ye 'syayatas te bhayam utthitamsri-vasudeva uvdca-Sri Vasudeva said; na-not; hi-indeed;asya-from Devaki; te-o£ you; bhayam-fear; saumya-0 mostsober; yat-which; vai-indeed; sa-that omen; aha-dictated; a­sarira-vak-a vibration without a body; putran-all my sons; samarpay4ye-Ishall deliver to you; asya-of her (Devaki); yata-fromwhom; te-your; bhayam-fear; utthitam-has arisen.TRANSLATIONVasudeva said: 0 best of the sober, you have nothing to fearfrom your sister Devaki because of what you have heard from theunseen omen. The cause of death will be her sons. Therefore Ipromise that when she gives birth to the sons from whom yourfear has arisen, I shall deliver them all unto your hands.PURPORTKamsa feared Devaki's existence because after her eighth pregnancyshe would give birth to a son who would kill him. Vasudeva, therefore, toassure his brother-in-law the utmost safety, promised to bring him allthe sons. He would not wait for the eighth son, but from the very beginningwould deliver to the hands of Kamsa all the sons to which Devakiwould give birth. This was the most liberal proposition offered byVasudeva to Kamsa.

86 Srimad-Bbigavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 1TEXT 55.iRR\flflliittij (6lliA('fld Isfq iRJ: stlfit« 11'-\'-\11sri-suka uvacasvasur vadhan nivavrtekamsas tad-vakya-sara-vitvasudevo 'pi tam prita/:tpra§as_ya praviSad grhamsri-suka/:t uvaca-Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; svasu/:t-of his sister(Devaki); vadhdt-from the act of killing; nivavrte-stopped for thetime being; karil.sa/:t-Kamsa; tat-vakya-the words of Vasudeva; sdravit-knowingto be perfectly correct; vasudeva/:t-Vasudeva; api-also;tam-to him (Kamsa); prita/:t-being satisfied; pra5asya-pacifyingmore; praviSat grham-entered his own house.TRANSLATIONSrila Sukadeva Gosvimi continued: Kamsa agreed to the logicalarguments of Vasudeva, and, having full faith in Vasudeva'swords, he refrained from killing his sister. Vasudeva, beingpleased with Karltsa, pacified him further and entered his ownhouse.PURPORTAlthough Kamsa was a sinful demon, he believed that Vasudeva wouldnever deviate from his word. The character of a pure devotee likeVasudeva is such that even so great a demon as Kamsa firmly believed inhis words and was satisfied. Yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akiiicana sarvairgur;rais tatra samasate sura/:t (Bhag. 5.18.12). All good _attributes arepresent in a devotee, so much so that even Kamsa believed in Vasudeva'swords without a doubt.r/TEXT 563N (1€461 I'!_ • m -+.·q€(1'(4 11'-\ u

Text 56]The Advent of Lord 11a: Introduction87atha kala upavrttedevaki sarva-devataputran prasU$UVe ctaukanyaril caivanuvatsaramatha-thereafter;,kale-in due course of time; upavrtte-when it wasripe; devaki-Devaki, the wife of Vasudeva, Kt!?Qa's father; sarvadevata-Devaki,to whom all the demigods and God Himself appeared;putran-sons; prasU$uve-gave birth to; ca-and; ll$!au-eight;kanyaril ca-and one daughter named Subhadra; eva-indeed; anuvatsaram-yearafter year.TRANSLATIONEach year thereafter, in due course of time, Devaki, the motherof God and all the ·demigods, gave birth to a child. Thus she boreeight sons, one after another, and a daughter named Subhadri.PURPORTThe spiritual master is sometimes glorified as sarva-devamayo guru/;l(Bhag. 11.7 .27). By the grace of the guru, the spiritual master, one canunderstand the different kinds of devas. The word deva refers to God,the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the original source of all thedemigods, who are also called devas. In Bhagavad-gita (10.2) the Lordsays, aham adir hi devanam: "I am the source of all the devas." TheSupreme Lord, Vi!?QU, the Original Person, expands in different forms.Tad aiata bahu syam (Chandogya Upanad 6.2.3). He alone has expandedinto many. Advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam (Brahmasamhita5.33). There are different grades of forms, known as svarilsaand vibhinnarilsa. The svarilsa expansions, or vr;tu-tattva, are theSupreme Personality of Godhead, whereas the vibhinnamsa are jivatattva,who are part and parcel of the Lord (mamaivamso jiva-loke jivabhuta/;lsanatana/:l}. If we accept Kt!?l).a as the Supreme Personality ofGodhead and worship Him, all the parts and expansions of the Lordare automatically worshiped. Sarvarhar;tam acyutejya (Bhiig. 4.31.14).Kt!?Qa is known as Acyuta (senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapayame 'cyuta). By worshiping Acyuta, Kt!?Qa, one automatically worships allthe demigods. There is no need of separately worshiping either the

88 Srimad-Bhiigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1vi$r;t-tattva or jiva-tattva. If one concentrates upon K:rQ.a, one worshipseveryone. Therefore, because mother Devaki gave birth to K:rQ.a, she isdescribed here as sarva-devata.TEXT 57litiTM+t.-d (111;{'$.-fin I3141+1Ri m mst((RINf§: 11'-\11kirtimantam prathamajamkamsayanakadundubhi/:Larpayam asa krcchrer;taso 'nrtad ativihvala/:Lkirtimantam-by the name Krrtiman; prathama-jam-the first-bornbaby; kamsaya-unto Kamsa; anakadundubhi/:L-Vasudeva; arpayamasa-delivered; krcchrer;ta-with great pain; sai,L-he (Vasudeva);anrtat-from the breaking of the promise, or from fear of being a liar;ati-vihvala/:L-was very much disturbed, being afraid.TRANSLATIONVasudeva was very much disturbed by fear of becoming a liar bybreaking his promise. Thus with great pain he delivered his firstbornson, named Kirtiman, into the hands of Kamsa.PURPORTIn the Vedic system, as soon as a child is born, especially a male child,the father calls for learned brahmar;tas, and according to the descriptionof the child's horoscope, the child is immediately given a name. Thisceremony is called nama-karar;ta. There are ten different samskaras, orreformatory methods, adopted in the system of van:uiSrama-dharma,and the name-giving ceremony is one of them. Although Vasudeva's firstson was to be delivered into the hands of Kamsa, the nama-karar;ta.ceremony was performed, and thus the child was named Kirtiman. Suchnames are given immediately after birth.

Text 58]The Advent of Lord 11a: Introduction89TEXT 58ft:·lft¥t4il4iG\tifUif'l61wtli( kim du/:tsaham nu sadhanamvidam kim apek$itamkim akaryam kadaryaTJ,amdustyajam kim dhrtatmanamkim-what is; du/:tsaham-painful; nu-indeed; sadhanam-forsaintly - persons; vidam-of learned persons; kim apek$itam-what isdependence; kim akaryam-what is forbidden work; kadaryaTJ,am-ofpersons in the lowest grade; dustyajam-very difficult to give up; kimwhatis; dhrta-atmanam-of persons who are self-realized.TRANSLATIONWhat is painful for saintly persons who strictly adhere to thetruth? How could there not be independence for pure devoteeswho know the Supreme Lord as the substance? What deeds areforbidden for persons of the lowest character? And what cannotbe given up for the sake of Lord 11a by those who have fullysurrendered at His lotus feet?PURPORTSince the eighth son of Devaki was to kill Karhsa, one might ask whatthe need was for Vasudeva to deliver the first-horn child. The answer isthat Vasudeva had promised Karhsa that he would deliver all thechildren horn of Devaki. Karhsa, being an asura, did not believe that theeighth child would kill him; he took it for granted that he might hekilled by any of the children of Devaki. Vasudeva, therefore, to saveDevaki, promised to give Karhsa every child, whether male or female.From another point of view, Vasudeva and Devaki were very pleasedwhen they understood that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, .i(r:Q.a,would come as their eighth son. Vasudeva, a pure devotee of the Lord,was eager to see K:r:Q.a appear as his child from the eighth pregnancy of

90 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 1Devaki. Therefore he wanted to deliver all the children quickly so thatthe eighth turn would come and Knr.1a would appear. He begot one childevery year so that Kra's turn to appear would come as soon as possible.TEXT 59qt: ott'4f(l¥( Iiif!ij!¥4'11 st(ijf't((¥ii14\(( Hdr!vii samatvam tac chauresatye caiva vyavasthitimkarilsas t!a-manii rajanprahasann idam abrav'itdr!vii-by seeing; samatvam-being equipoised, undisturbed in distressor happiness; tat-that; saure-of Vasudeva; satye-in truthfulness;ca-indeed; eva-certainly; vyavasthitim-the firm situation;karilsa-Ka:rhsa; t!a-manii-being very satisfied (with Vasudeva'sbehavior in delivering the first child to keep his promise); rajan-0 Maharaja Parikit; prahasan-with a smiling face; idam-this;abravit -said.TRANSLATIONMy dear King Parikit, when Kamsa saw that Vasudeva, beingsituated in truthfulness, was completely equipoised in giving himthe child, he was very happy. Therefore, with a smiling face, hespoke as follows.PURPORTThe word samatvam is very significant in this verse. Samatvam refersto one who is always equipoised, unaffected by either happiness or distress.Vasudeva was so steadily equipoised that he did not seem in theleast agitated when delivering his first-born child into the hands ofKa:rhsa to be killed. In Bhagavad-gitii (2.56) it is said, dukhevanudvigna-manii sukheu vigata-sprha. In the material world, oneshould not be very eager to be happy, nor should one be very much disturbedby material distress. Lord K:ra advised Arjuna:

Text 60]The Advent of Lord .Kf11a: Introduction91matra-sparsds tu kaunteyasitor:w-sukha-dub,kha-dab,agamapayino 'nityastams titi/cyasva bharata"0 son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress,and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance anddisappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception,0 scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them withoutbeing disturbed." (Bg. 2.14) The self-realized soul is never disturbed byso-called distress or happiness, and this is especially true of an exalteddevotee like Vasudeva, who showed this by his practical example.Vasudeva was not at all disturbed when delivering his :first child toKarhsa to be killed.TEXT 60stRttrld f¥tlitsti ;y 411G>f

92 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1TEXT 61 ®+1114 441€41'1$: I;'ffAI'1;:((ij ij&\l'lftt+R'tJisfii fltij k+l'1: ll lltatheti sutam adayayayav anakadundubhi/:tnabhyanandata tad-vakyamasato 'vijitatmana/:ttatha-very well; iti-thus; sutam adaya-taking back his child;yayau-left that place; anakadundubhiJ:r,-Vasudeva; na abhyanandata-didnot very much value; tat-vakyam-the words (ofKamsa); asata/:t-who was without character; avijita-atmanaJ:r,-andwithout self -control.TRANSLATIONVasudeva agreed and took his child hack home, but becauseKamsa had no character and no self-control, Vasudeva knew thathe could not rely n Kamsa's word.TEXTS 62-63'1;:((1tlllr: I '4ij'41tlt '4'lfttltlt : 1£ ijlstlttl 6' I lr i«+l34iji: IInandadya ye vraje gopayas cdmi$arh ca yoita/:tvmz.ayo vasudevadyadevaky-adya yadu-striya/:tsarve vai devata-prayaubhayor api bharatajfidtayo bandhu-suhrdoye ca kamsam anuvrata/:t

Text 63] The Advent of Lord Kfa: Introduction ,93nanda-adya-beginning from Nanda Maharaja; ye-all of whichpersons; vraje-in V:rndavana; gopa-the cowherd men; ya-which;ca-and; ami$am-of all those (inhabitants of V:rndavana); ca-as wellas; yoita-the women; vmwya-members of the V:ri family;vasudeva-adya-headed by Vasudeva; devaki-adya-headed byDevaki; yadu-striya-all the women of the Yadu dynasty; sarve-all ofthem; vai-indeed; devata-praya-were inhabitants of heaven;ubhayo-of both Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva; api-indeed;bharata-0 Maharaja Parikit; jnataya-the relatives; bandhufriends;suhrda-well-wishers; ye-all of whom; ca-and; kamsamanuvrata-even though apparently followers of Kamsa.TRANSLATIONThe inhabitants of Vrndavana, headed by Nanda Maharaja andincluding his associate cowherd men and their wives, were nonebut denizens of the heavenly planets, 0 Maharaja Parikit, best ofthe descendants of Bharata, and so too were the descendants of theV"i dynasty, headed by Vasudeva, and Devaki and the otherwomen of the dynasty of Yadu: The friends, relatives and wellwishersof both Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva and even those whoexternally appeared to be followers of Kamsa were all demigods.PURPORTAs previously discussed, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viu,informed Lord Brahma that Lord K:ra would personally descend tomitigate the suffering on the earth. The Lord ordered all the denizens ofthe heavenly planets to take birth in different families of the Yadu andV:ri dynasties and in V:rndavana. Now this verse informs us that all thefamily and friends of the Yadu dynasty, the V:ri dynasty, NandaMaharaja and the gopas descended from the heavenly planets to see thepastimes of the Lord. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (4.8), the Lord'spastimes consist of paritra1,1-aya sadhunam vinasaya ca dukrtam-savingthe devotees and killing the demons. To demonstrate these activities,the Lord called for devotees from different parts of the universe.There are many devotees who are elevated to the higher planetarysystems.

94 Srimad-Bhagavatam(Canto 10, Ch. 1prapya pur;tya-krtam lokanitva sasvati samd§ucinam srimatam geheyoga-bhrto 'bhijayate"The unsuccessful yogi, after many, many years of enjoyment on theplanets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteouspeople, or into a family of rich aristocracy." (Bg. 6.41) Some devotees,having failed to complete the process of devotional service, are promotedto the heavenly planets, to which the pious are elevated, and after enjoyingthere they may be directly promoted to the place where the Lord'spastimes are going on. When Lord Kr:Q.a was to appear, the denizens ofthe heavenly planets were invited to see the pastimes of the Lord, andthus it is stated here that the members of the Yadu and V:r:Q.i dynastiesand the inhabitants of V:rndavana were demigods or almost as good asdemigods. Even those who externally helped the activities of Kamsabelonged to the higher planetary systems. The imprisonment and releaseof Vasudeva and the killing of various demons were all manifestations ofthe pastimes of the Lord, and because the devotees would be pleased tosee these activities personally, they were all invited to take birth asfriends and relatives of these families. As confirmed in the prayers ofKunti (Bhag. 1.8.19), nato natya-dharo yatha. The Lord was to play thepart of a demon-killer, and a friend, son and brother to His devotees, andthus these devotees were all summoned.TEXT 64:1l{it+iltt¥410ilwti :q tl¥44( II IIetat kamsaya .bhagavaiichaSamsabhyetya naradabhamer bharayamar;tanamdaityanam ca vadhodyamametat-all these words about the Yadu family and V:r:Q.i family;kamsaya-unto King Karilsa; bhagavan-the most powerful representa-

-Text 64] The ,Advent of Lord J]a: Introduction 95tive of he Supreme Personality of Godhead; sa.Samsa-informed(Kamsa, who was in doubt); abhyetya-after approaching him; naradalt-thegreat sage Narada; bhamelt-on the surface of the earth;bhdrayama¢nam-of those who were a burden; daityanam ca-and ofthe demons; vadha-udyamam-the endeavor to kill.TRANSLATIONOnce . the great saint Niirada approached Karilsa and informedhim of how the demoniac persons who were a great burden on theearth were going to be killed. Thus Kamsa was placed into greatfear and doubt.PURPORTIt has already been discussed that mother earth implored Lord Brahmato give her relief from the distress created by the burdensome demonsand that Lord Brahma informed her that Lord :r;ta Himself was goingto appear. K:r:r;ta says in Bhagavad-gita (4.8):paritrar;taya sadhunamvinasaya ca dkrtamdharma-sarilsthapanarthayasambhavami yuge yugeWhenever there is a burden created by the demons and whenever the innocentdevotees are distressed by demoniac rulers, the Lord appears indue course of time to kill the demons with the assistance of His realrepresentatives, who are technically called demigods. In the Upanads itis stated that the demigods are different parts of the Supreme Personalityof Godhead. As it is the duty of the parts of the body to serve the whole,it is the duty of :r;ta's devotees to serve :r;ta as He wants. :r;ta'sbusiness is to kill the demons, and therefore this should be a devotee'sbusiness also. Because the people of Kali-yuga are fallen, however, SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu, out of kindness for them, did not bring anyweapon to kill them. Rather, by spreading :r;ta consciousness, love of:r;ta, He wanted to kill their nefarious, demoniac activities. This is the

96 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. lpurpose of the K1,1a consciousness movement. Unless the demoniac activitieson the surface of the world are diminished or vanquished, no onecan be happy. The program for the conditioned soul is fully described inBhagavad-gita, and one simply has to follow these instructions to becomehappy. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has therefore prescribed:harer nama harer namaharer namaiva kevalamkalau nasty eva nasty evanasty eva gatir anyathaLet people chant the Hare 1,1a mantra constantly. Then their demoniactendencies will be killed, and they will become first-class devotees, happyin this life and in the next.TEXTS 65-66SIAfiff;t•l m Ifitn · :q \1111 =if f;r4t4lt IRi {tql(wtllill r$er vinirgame kamsoyadan matva suran itidevakya garbha-sambhatamvi$7Juril ca sva-vadham pratidevakim vasudevam canigrhya nigat;lair grhejatam jatam ahan putramtayor ajana-sarikayar$e-of the great sage Narada; vinirgame-on the departure (aftergiving information); kamsa-Karhsa; yadan-all the members ·of theYadu dynasty; matva-thinking of; suran-as demigods; iti-thus;devakya-of Devaki; garbha-sambhiltam-the children born from the

Text 66] The Advent of Lord Kra: Introduction 97womb; vry,um-(accepting) as Vif?x;tu; ca-and; sva-vadham pratifearinghis own death from Vi?x;tu; devakim-Devaki; vasudevam caandher husband, Vasudeva; nigrhya-arresting; niga{laib,-by ironshackles; grhe-confined at home; jatam jatam-each one who washorn, one after another; ahan-killed; putram-the sons; tayob,-ofVasudeva and Devaki; ajana-sankaya-with the doubt that they wouldhe Vif?x;tu.TRANSLATIONAfter the departure of the great saint Niirada, Kamsa thoughtthat all the members of the Yadu dynasty were demigods and thatany of the children born from the womb of Devaki might beViu. Fearing his death, Karitsa arrested Vasudeva and Devaki andchained them with iron shackles. Suspecting each of the childrento be Viu, Kamsa killed them one after another because of theprophecy that Viu would kill him.PURPORTSrila ]iva Gosviimi, in his notes on this verse, has mentioned howNarada Muni gave Kamsa this information. This incident is described inthe Hari-vamsa. Narada Muni went to see Kamsa by providence, andKamsa received him very well. Narada, therefore, informed him that anyone of the sons of Devaki might he Vi?x;tU. Because Vi?x;tU was to kill him,Karhsa should not spare any of Devaki's children, Narada Muni advised.Narada's intention was that Kamsa, by killing the children, would increasehis sinful activities so that Kr!?x;ta would soon appear to kill him.Upon receiving the instructions of Narada Muni, Kamsa killed all thechildren of Devaki one after another.The word ajana-sankaya indicates that Lord Vif?x;tu never takes birth(ajana) and that He therefore appeared as Kr!?x;ta, taking birth just like ahuman being (miinU$irh tanum asritam). Kamsa attempted to kill all thebabies horn of Devaki and Vasudeva, although he knew that if Vi?x;tuwere horn, He would not he killed. Actually it came to pass that whenVif?I,lU appeared as Kr!?x;ta, Kamsa could not kill Him; rather, as foretold,it was He who killed Kamsa. One should know in truth how Kr?x;ta, whotakes His birth transcendentally, acts to kill the demons hut is never

98 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto I 0, Ch. Ikilled. When one perfectly understands Kr!?Q.a in this way, through themedium of §astra, one becomes immortal. As the Lord says in Bhagavadgitii(4.9):janma karma ca me divyamevam yo vetti tattvata/:ttyaktvii deham punar janmanaiti miim eti so 'rjuna"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activitiesdoes not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in thismaterial world, but attains My eternal abode, 0 Arjuna."TEXT 67 tim tK I tUtwil u: ll\911miitaram pitaram bhriitfnsarviims ca suhrdas tathiighnanti hy asutrpo lubdhiiriijiina/:t priiya§o bhuvimiitaram-unto the mother; pitaram-unto the father; bhriitfnuntobrothers; sarviin ca-and anyone else; suhrda/:1,-friends; tathiiaswell as; ghnanti-they kill (as it is practically seen); hi-indeed; asutrpa/:1,-thosewho envy the lives of others for their personal sense gratification;lubdhii/:1,-greedy; riijiina/:1,-such kings; priiya§a/:1,-almostalways; bhuvi-on the earth.TRANSLATIONKings greedy for sense gratification on this earth almost alwayskill their enemies indiscriminately. To satisfy their own whims,they may kill anyone, even their mothers, fathers, brothers orfriends.PURPORTWe have seen in the history of India that Aurangzeb killed his brotherand nephews and imprisoned his father to fulfill political ambitions.

Text 68] The Advent of Lord 17:r:ta: Introduction 99There have been many similar instances, and Karhsa was the same typeof king. Karhsa did not hesitate to kill his nephews and imprison hissister and his father. For demons to do such things is not astonishing.Nonetheless, although Karhsa was a demon, he was aware that LordViJ.lU cannot be killed, and thus he attained salvation. Even partialunderstanding of the activities of Lord ViJ.lU makes one eligible forsalvation. Karhsa knew a little about J.la-that He could not bekilled-and therefore he attained salvation although he thought ofViJ.lu, J.la, as an enemy. What then is to be said of one who knows1.1a perfectly from the descriptions of sastras like Bhagavad-gita? It istherefore the duty of everyone to read Bhagavad-gita and understandJ.la perfectly. This will make one's life successful.TEXT 683TR'4lwtflll .:rmh1 mttJ .. , 1Q : « \ilfij IIatmanam iha sanjatarhjanan priig VJJuna hatammahasurarh kalanemirhyadubhi sa vyarudhyatatitmtinam-personally; iha-in this world; sanjatam-born again;janan-understanding well; prtik-previously, before this birth; v­IJUna-by Lord ViJ.lu; hatam-was killed; maha-asuram-a greatdemon; kalanemim-by the name Kalanemi; yadubhi-with the membersof the Yadu dynasty; sa-he (Karhsa); vyarudhyata-actedinimically.TRANSLATIONIn his previous birth, Karilsa had been a great demon namedKalanemi and been killed by Vi17J].U. Upon learning this informationfrom Niirada, Karilsa became envious of everyone connectedwith the Yadu dynasty.PURPORTPersons who are demons, enemies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,are called asuras. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, the asuras, because

100 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1of their enmity toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead, take birthafter birth in asura families and therefore glide down to the darkesthellish regions.TEXT 69mRI A ((1'111. liDir: ugrasenam ca pitaramyadu-bhojiindhakadhipamsvayam nigrhya bubhujesilraseniin mahii-balattugrasenam-unto Ugrasena; ca-and; pitaram-who was his ownfather; yadu-of the Yadu dynasty; bhoja-of the Bhoja dynasty;andhaka-of the Andhaka dynasty; adhipam-the king; svayam-personally;nigrhya-subduing; bubhuje-enjoyed; silraseniin-all thestates known as Siirasena; maha-balatt-the extremely powerful Kamsa.TRANSLATIONKaritsa, the most powerful son of Ugrasena, even imprisoned hisown father, the King of the Yadu, Bhoja and Andhaka dynasties,and personally ruled the states known as Stirasena.PURPORTThe state known as Mathurii was also included within the states knownas Siirasena.ADDITIONAL NOTES FOR THIS CHAPTERRegarding transmigration of the soul, Srila Madhviiciirya gives thefollowing notes. When one is awake, whatever one sees or hears is impressedupon the mind, which later works in dreams to show one differentexperiences, although in dreams one appears to accept a different

Notes] The Advent of Lord Kra: Introduction 101body. For example, when one is awake one does business and talks withcustomers, and similarly in dreams one meets various customers, talksabout business and gives quotations. Madhvacarya says, therefore, thatdreams take place according to what one sees, hears and remembers.When one reawakens, of course, one forgets the body of the dream. Thisforgetfulness is called apasmrti. Thus we are changing bodies because weare sometimes dreaming, sometimes awake and sometimes forgetful.Forgetfulness of our previously created body is called death, and ourwork in the present body is called life. After death, one cannot rememberthe activities of one's previous body, whether imaginary or factual.The agitated mind is compared to agitated water reflecting the sun andthe moon. Actually the sun and moon reflected on the water do not existthere; nonetheless, they are reflected according to the movements of thewater. Similarly, when our minds are agitated, we wander in differentmaterial atmospheres and receive different types of bodies. This is describedin Bhagavad-gitii as gur:ta-sariga. Kiirar:tam gur:ta-sarigo 'sya.Madhvacarya says, gu1Jiinubaddha}:t san. And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhusays, brahma1J4a bhramite kona bhiigyaviin jiva (Cc. Madhya 19.151).The living entity rotates up and down throughout the universe, sometimesin the upper planetary system, sometimes in the middle and lowerplanetary systems, sometimes as a man, sometimes a god, a dog, a treeand so on. This is all due to the agitation of the mind. The mindmust therefore be steadily fixed. As it is said, sa vai mana/:t krr:tapadiiravindayo/:t.One should fix one's mind at the lotus feet of KE?J.la,and then one will become free from agitation. This is the instruction ofthe Garwla Puriir:ta, and in the Naradiya Puriir:ta the same process is described.As stated in Bhagavad-gitii, yanti deva-vratii deviin. The agitatedmind goes to different planetary systems because it is attached todifferent kinds of demigods, but one does not go to the abode of theupreme Personality of Godhead by worshiping the demigods, for this isnot supported by any Vedic literature. Man is the architect of his ownfortune. In this human life one has the facility with which to understandone's real situation, and one can decide whether to wander around thenniverse forever or return home, back to Godhead. This is also confumedin Bhagavad-gitii (aprapya miim nivartante mrtyu-samsiiraro.rtmani).

102 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto l 0, Ch. lThere is no such thing as chance. When a tree is burning in a forestfire and although the nearest tree is spared a distant tree catches fire, thismay appear to be chance. Similarly, one may seem to get different typesof bodies by chance, bu actually one receives these bodies because of themind. The mind flickers between accepting and· rejecting, and accordingto the acceptance and rejection of the mind, we receive different types ofbodies, although we superficially seem to obtain these bodies by chance.Even if we accept the theory of chance, the immediate cause for thechange of body is the agitation of the mind.Notes on amsa. This chapter describes that K:rQa appeared amsena,with His parts and parcels or His partial manifestation. In this connection,Sridhara Svami says that K:rQa is one hundred percent Bhagavan(kr$r:taS tu bhagaviin svayam). Because of our imperfections, however,we cannot appreciate K:rQa in fullness, and therefore whatever K:rQaexhibited when present on earth was but a partial manifestation of Hisopulence. Again, K:rQa appeared with His plenary expansion Baladeva.K:rQa, however, is full; there is no question of His appearing partially.In the Vai$r:mva-to$ar,ti, Srila Sanatana Gosvami says that to accept thatK:rQa was partially manifested would contradict the statement kr$1JaS tubhagaviin svayam. Srila }iva Gosvami says that the word amsena meansthat K:rQa appeared with all His plenary expansions. The words amsenavi$r,ta do not mean that K:rQa is a partial representative of ViQU.Rather, K:rQa appeared in fullness, and He manifests Himself partiallyin the VaikuQthalokas. In other words, Lord ViQU is a partial representationof K:rQa; K:rQa is not a partial representation of ViQU. In theCaitanya-caritiimrta, Adi-lilii, Chapter Four, this subject matter is explainedvery clearly. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur a also notes thatno one can describe K:rQa in fullness. Whatever descriptions we find inSrimad-Bhagavatam are partial explanations of K:rQa. In conclusion,therefore, the word amsena indicates that Lord ViQU is a partial representationof K:rQa, not that K:rQa is a partial representation of ViQU.Srila Sanatana Gosvami's Vai$r:mva-to$ar,ti has explained the worddharma-silasya. The exact meaning of dharma-sila is "an unadulterateddevotee." Real dharma consists of full surrender to K:rQa (sarvadharmiinparityajya miim ekam sarar:mm vraja). One who has fully surrenderedto K:rQa is actually religious. One such religious person wasMaharaja Parikit. Anyone who accepts the principle of surrender to the

Notes] The Advent of Lord l\.r11a: Introduction. 103lotus feet of the Lord, giving up all other systems of religion, is actuallydharma-fila, perfectly religious.The word nivrtta-tar$ai refers to one who no longer has any materialdesires (sarvopiidhi-vinirmuktam). One may have many material desiresbecause of contamination in this material world, but when one is completelyfree from all material desires, he is called nivrtta-tr$1Jn, which indicatesthat he no longer has any thirst for material enjoyment. Svaminkrtartho 'smi varam na yace (Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya) . Materialistic personswant some material profit from executing devotional service, butthis is not the purpose of service. The perfection of devotional servicelies in complete surrender unto the lotus feet of l(rQ.a, with no materialdesires. One who surrenders in this way is already liberated. ]ivanmuktasa ucyate. One who is always busy serving l(rQ.a, in whatevercondition he may live, is understood to be liberated even in this life. Sucha person, who is a pure devotee, does not need to change his body; indeed,he does not possess a material body, for his body has already beenspiritualized. An iron rod kept constantly within a fire will ultimately becomefire, and whatever it touches will burn. Similarly, the pure devoteeis in the fire of spiritual existence, and therefore his body is cin-maya;that is, it is spiritual, not material, because the pure devotee has nodesire but the transcendental desire to serve the Lord. In text four theword upagiyamanat is used: nivrtta-tar$air upagiyamanat. Who willchant the glories of the Lord unless he is a devotee? Therefore the wordnivrtta-tar$ai indicates the devotee, and no one else. These are theremarks of ticaryas like Viraraghava Acarya and Vijayadhvaja. To desireanything other than devotional service will diminish one's freedom frommaterial desires, but when one is free from all such desires one is callednivrtta-tar$ai.Vina pa5u-ghnat. The word pa§u means "animal." An animal killer,pa5u-ghna, cannot enter into Q.a consciousness. In our .KrIJ.a consciousnessmovement, therefore, animal killing is completely prohibited.Uttamasloka-guT}iinuviidat. The word uttamasloka means "one who isfamous as the best of those who are good." The Lord is good in allcircumstances. That is His natural reputation. His goodness is unlimited,and He uses it unlimitedly. A devotee is also sometimes described asuttamasloka, meaning that he is eager to glorify the Supreme Personalityof Godhead or the Lord's devotees. Glorifying the Lord and glorifying

104 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 1the Lord's devotees are the same. Or, rather, glorifying the devotee ismore important than glorifying the Lord directly. Narottama dasa'fhakura explains this fact: ch&;liya var:w-va-seva, nistara payechekeba. One cannot be .liberated from material contamination withoutsincerely serving a devotee of Kr:Q.a.Bhavauadhat means "from the universal remedy." Chanting theholy name and glorifying the Supreme Lord are the universal remedy forall the miseries of materialistic life. Persons who desire to be freed fromthis material world are called mumuu. Such persons can understandthe miseries of materialistic life, and by glorifying the activities of theLord they can be released from all these miseries. The transcendentalsound vibrations concerning the Lord's name, fame, form, qualities andparaphernalia are all nondiflerent from the Lord. Therefore the verysound vibration of the Lord's glorification and name are pleasing to theears, and by understanding the absolute nature of the Lord's name, formand qualities the devotee becomes joyful. Even those who are not devotees,however, enjoy the pleasing narrations of the Lord's transcendentalactivities. Even ordinary persons not very much advanced in K.r:Q.a consciousnesstake pleasure in describing the narrations depicted in Srimad­Bhagavatam. When a materialistic person is purified in this way, heengages in hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord. Becauseglorification of the Lord's pastimes is very pleasing to the ear and heartof the devotee, it is simultaneously his subject and object.In this world there are three kinds of men: those who are liberated,those trying to be liberated, and those entangled in sense enjoyment. Ofthese three, those who are already liberated chant and hear the holyname of the Lord, knowing perfectly that to glorify the Lord is the onlyway to keep oneself in a transcendental position. Those who are trying tobe liberated, the second class, may regard the chanting and hearing ofthe Lord's holy name as a process of liberation, and they too will feel thetranscendental pleasure of this chanting. As for karmis and personsengaged in sense gratification, they also may take pleasure in hearing thepastimes of the Lord, like His fighting on the Battlefield of Kuruketraand His dancing in V.rndavana with the gopis.The word uttama.Sloka-guJJ-anuvada refers to the transcendentalqualities of the Supreme Lord, such as His affection for mother Yasodaand His friends the cowherd boys and His loving attitude toward the

Notes] The Advent of Lord K:ra: Introduction 105gopis. The Lord's devotees like Maharaja Yudhi!?thira are also describedby the qualification uttamasloka-gurpinuviida. The word anuvada refersto describing the qualities of the Supreme Lord or His devotees. Whenthese qualities are described, other devotees are interested in hearingthem. The more one is interested in hearing about these transcendentalqualities, the more one transcendentally enjoys. Everyone, therefore, includingthe mumu/cyus, the vimuktas and the karmis, should chant andhear the glories of the Lord, and in this way everyone will benefit.Although the sound vibration of the transcendental qualities of theLord is equally beneficial to all, for those who are muktas, liberated, it isespecially pleasing. As described in Srtmad-Bhagavatam, Eighth Canto,Third Chapter, verse twenty, because pure devotees, who no longer haveany material desires, surrender fully to the lotus feet of the Lord, theyalways merge in the ocean of bliss by chanting and hearing the Lord'sholy name. According to this verse, devotees like Niirada and other residentsof Svetadvipa are seen always engaged in chanting the holy nameof the Lord because by such chanting they are always externally and internallyblissful. The mumu/cyus, persons desiring to be liberated, do notdepend on the pleasures of the senses; instead, they concentrate fully onbecoming liberated by chanting the holy name of the Lord. Karmis liketo create something pleasing to their ears and hearts, and although theysometimes like to chant or hear the glories of the Lord, they do not do itopenly. Devotees, however, always spontaneously hear, chant about andremember the activities of the Lord, and by this process they are fullysatisfied, even though these may seem like topics of sense gratification.Simply by hearing the transcendental narrations of the Lord's activities,Parik!?it Maharaja was liberated. He was therefore srotramano- 'bhirama;that is, he glorified the process of hearing. This process should beaccepted by all living entities.To distinguish persons who are bereft of these transcendentalpleasures, Parik!?it Maharaja has used the words virajyeta pumiin. Theword pumiin refers to any person, whether man, woman or in-between.Because of the bodily conception of life, we are subject to lamentation,but one who has no such bodily conceptions can take pleasure in transcendentalhearing and chanting. Therefore a person fully absorbed inthe bodily concept of life is surely killing himself by not making spiritualprogress. Such a person is called pa8u-ghna. Especially excluded from

I06 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto I 0, Ch. Ispiritual life are the animal hunters, who are not interested in hearingand chanting the holy name of the Lord. Such hunters are alwaysunhappy, both in this life and in the next. It is therefore said that ahunter should neither die nor live because for such persons both livingand dying are troublesome. Animal hunters are completely differentfrom ordinary karmis, and thus they have been excluded from the processof hearing and chanting. Vina pa§u-ghniit. They cannot enter intothe transcendental pleasure of chanting and hearing the holy name of theLord.The word maha-ratha refers to a great hero who can fight aloneagainst eleven thousand other heroes, and the word atiratha, as found intext five, refers to one who can fight against an unlimited number. Thisis mentioned in the Mahabharata as follows:ekiidasa-sahasraTJ,iyodhayed yas tu dhanvinamastra-sastra-praviTJ,a§ camaha-ratha iti smrta/:lamitan yodhayed yas tusamprokto 'tirathas tu sa/:lThis is the description given in the Brhad-vaTJ,ava-to$aTJ,i by Sri:laSanatana Gosvami.,Maya-manu$yasya (10.1.17). Because of being covered by yogamaya(naham prakaSa/:l sarvasya yogamaya-samavrta/:l}, K:r;!?J.la is sometimescalled maya-manu$ya, indicating that although He is the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, He appears like an ordinary person. A misunderstandingarises because yogamaya covers the vision of the generalpublic. The Lord's position is actually different from that of an ordinaryperson, for although He appears to act like an ordinary man, He is alwaystranscendental. The word maya also indicates "mercy," and sometimes italso means "knowledge." The Lord is always full of all transcendentalknowledge, and therefore although He acts like a human being, He is theSupreme Personality of Godhead, full of knowledge. In His originalidentity, the Lord is the controller of maya (mayadhyak$eTJ,a prakrti/:lsilyate sa-caracaram).Therefore the Lord may be called mayamanU$ya,or the Supreme Personality of Godhead playing like an ordi-

Notes] The Advent of Lord :Kf'J].a: Introduction 107nary human being, although He is the controller of both the material andspiritual energies. The Lord is the Supreme Person, Puruottama, butbecause we are deluded by yogamdya, He appears to be an ordinary person.Ultimately, however, yogamaya induces even a nondevotee tounderstand the Lord as the Supreme Person, Puruottama. In Bhagavadgitawe find two statements given by the Supreme Personality ofGodhead. For the devotees, the Lord says:team satata-yuktanambhajatam priti-purvakamdadami buddhi-yogam tamyena mam upayanti te"To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I givethe understanding by which they can come to Me." (Bg. 10.10) Thus forthe willing devotee the Lord gives intelligence by which to understandHim and return home, back to Godhead. For others, for nondevotees, theLord says, mrtyub, sarva-hara§ caham: "I am all-plundering, inevitabledeath." A devotee like Prahlada enjoys the activities of Lord N:.;sirilhadeva,whereas nondevotees like Prahlada's father, Hiral).yakasipu,meet death before Lord N:.;simhadeva. The Lord therefore acts in twoways, by sending some onto the path of repeated birth and death andsending others back home, back to Godhead.The word kala, meaning "black," indicates the color of the SupremePersonality of Godhead, KtJ.la. Lord I(:.;I).a and Lord Ramacandra, whoboth look blackish, give liberation and transcendental bliss to Theirdevotees. Among persons possessing material bodies, sometimes someoneis able to subject death to his own will. For such a person, death is almostimpossible because no one wants to die. But although Bhif?madevapossessed this power, Bhima, by the supreme will of the Lord, died veryeasily in the Lord's presence. There have also been many demons whohad no hope of salvation, yet Kamsa attained salvation by the supremewill of the Lord. Not to speak of Kamsa, even Putana attained salvationand reached the level of the Lord's mother. Parikit Maharaja, therefore,was very eager to hear about the Lord, who has inconceivable qualities bywhich to give liberation to anyone. Parikit Maharaja, at the point of hisdeath, was certainly interested in his liberation. When such a great and

108 Sri mad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 1exalted personality as the Lord behaves like an ordinary human being althoughpossessing inconceivable qualities, His behavior is called maya.'!'herefore the Lord is described as maya-manU$ya. This is the opinion ofSrila ]iva Gosvami. Mu refers to mukti, or salvation, and ku refers to thatwhich is bad or very obnoxious. Thus muku refers to the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, who saves one from the bad condition of materialexistence. The Lord is called mukunda because He not only saves thedevotee from material existence but offers him transcendental bliss inlove and service.As for Kesava, ka means Brahma, and iSa means Lord Siva. The Personalityof Godhead captivates both Lord Brahma and Lord Mahadeva, orSiva, by His transcendental qualities. Therefore He is called Kesava.This opinion is given by Sanatana Gosvami in his Vava-to$ar,ticommentary.It is said that all the demigods, accompanied by Tri-nayana, Lord Siva,went to the shore of the ocean of milk and offered their prayers throughthe mantra known as Puru$a-sukta. From this statement it is understoodthat the demigods cannot directly approach Lord ViQu, who lies on theocean of milk, or enter His abode. This is also clearly stated in theMahabharata, Mok$a-dharma, and the next chapter of Srimad­Bhagavatam. l(rQa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has Hisabode in Goloka (goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya). From Lordl(rQa come the catur-vyuha, the quadruple expansions SailkaraQa,Aniruddha, Pradyumna and Vasudeva. There are innumerable brahmaTJ4as,all of which emanate from the pores of KaraQodakasayi Vif;!QU,and in every brahmar,t(la there is a Garbhodakasayi Vif;!QU, who is a partialexpansion of Anirudttha. This Aniruddha is a partial expansion ofPradyumna, who is partially represented as Kr;!irodakasayi Vir;!QU, theSupersoul of all living entities. These Vif;!QU expansions are differentfrom }(rf;!Qa, who resides in Goloka V :rndavana. When it is said that thedemigods offered prayers to the Lord by chanting the Puru$a-sukta, thisindicates that they pleased the Lord by enunciating prayers of bhakti.The word vr$akapi refers to one who satisfies His devotee in every wayand frees His devotee from all material anxieties. Vr$a refers to religiousperformances like sacrifices. Even without the execution of sacrifices, theLord can still enjoy the supermost comforts of the heavenly planets. Thestatement that Puruottama, Jagannatha, would appear in the house of

Notes] The Advent of Lord K:ra: Introduction 109Vasudeva distinguishes the Supreme Personality of Godhead from ordinarypersons. The statement that He personally appeared indicates thatHe did not send His plenary expansion. The word priyartham indicatesthat the Lord appeared to please RukmiQi and RadhiiriiQi. Priya means"the most beloved."In the commentary of Sri Virariighava Acarya, the following extraverse is accepted after text twenty-three:r$ayo 'pi tad-iidesatkalpyantarh pa5u-rupi1Japayo-dana-mukhenapivi$1Jurh tarpayiturh sura"0 demigods, even great sages, following the order of ViQu, appeared inthe forms of cows and calves to please the Supreme Personality ofGodhead by delivering milk."Riimiinujiiciirya sometimes accepts Baladeva as a saktyavesa-avatara,but Srila ]iva Gosviimi has explained that Baladeva is an expansion of:l

110 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1As stated previously, yogamayam samadiSat. To give service to the Lord,yogamaya appeared along with mahamaya. Mahamaya refers to yayasammohitam jagat, "one who bewilders the entire material world." Fromthis statement it is to be understood that yogamaya, in her partial expansion,becomes mahamaya and bewilders the conditioned souls. In otherwords, the entire creation has two divisions-transcendental, or spiritual,and material. Yogamaya manages the spiritual world, and by herpartial expansion as mahamaya she manages the material world. Asstated in the Narada-paficaratra, mahamaya is a partial expansion ofyogamaya. The Narada-paficaratra clearly states that the Supreme Personalityhas one potency, which is sometimes described as Durgii. TheBrahma-samhita says, chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga. Durgais not different from yogamaya. When one understands Durga properly,he is immediately liberated, for Durga is originally the spiritual potency,hladini-sakti, by whose mercy one can understand the Supreme Personalityof Godhead very easily. Radha kr7Ja-pra1J-(lya-vikrtir hladinisaktirasmad. The mahamaya-sakti, however, is a covering ofyogamaya, and she is therefore called the covering potency. By thiscovering potency, the entire material world is bewildered (yaya sammohitamjagat). In conclusion, bewildering the conditioned souls andliberating the devotees are both functions belonging to yogamaya.Transferring the pregnancy of Devaki and keeping mother Yasoda indeep sleep were both done by yogamaya; mahamaya cannot act uponsuch devotees, for they are always liberated. But although it is not possiblefor mahamaya to control liberated souls or the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, she did bewilder Karhsa. The action of yogamaya in presentingherself before Karhsa was the action of mahamaya, notyogamaya. Yogamaya cannot even see or touch such polluted persons asKarhsa. In Car:u)i, in the Markar:r,cJ,eya Purar:r-a, Eleventh Chapter,Mahamaya says, "During the twenty-eighth yuga in the period ofVaivasvata Manu, I shall take birth as the daughter of Yasoda and beknown as Vindhyacala-vasini."The distinction between the two mayas-yogamaya and mahamaya-isdescribed as follows. 1,1a's rasa-lila with the gopis andthe gopis' bewilderment in respect to their husbands, fathers-in-law andother such relatives were arrangements of yogamaya in whichmahamaya had no influence. The Bhagavatam gives sufficient evidence

Notes] The Advent of Lord .Kr!iir:ta: Introduction Illof this when it clearly says, yo_gamayam upasrita/:1,. On the other hand,there were asuras headed by Salva and katriyas like Duryodhana whowere bereft of devotional service in spite of seeing KrQa's carrierGaru

112 Srimad-Bhiigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1and simultaneously descend upon Mathura, V:rndavana, Ayodhya andother places. He does not need to descend, since He is already presentthere; He simply manifests Himself.Srila Sukadeva Gosvami has addressed Maharaja Parik?it as tiita, or"beloved son." This is due to parental love in the heart of SukadevaGosvaml. Because K:r?J).a was soon coming as the son of Vasudeva andDevaki, out of parental affection Sukadeva Gosvami addressed MaharajaParik?it as tiita, "my dear son."In the ViSva-kosa dictionary, the word garbha is explained: garbhobhrury,e arbhake kuk$av ity adi. When Karhsa was about to kill Devaki,Vasudeva wanted to dissuade him by the diplomacy of siima and bheda.Sama means "pacifying." Vasudeva wanted to pacify Karhsa by indicatingrelations, gain, welfare, identity and glorification. Reference to thesefive concerns constitutes siima, and Vasudeva's presentation of fear intwo situations-in this life and the next-is called bheda. ThusVasudeva used both siima and bheda to pacify Karhsa. Praising Karhsa'squalifications was glorification, and praising him as a descendant of thebhoja-varilsa appealed to sambandha, relationship. Speaking of "yoursister" was an appeal to identity. Speaking about killing a woman raisesquestions about fame and welfare, and arousing fear of the sinful act ofkilling one's sister during her marriage ceremony is an aspect of bheda.The Bhoja dynasty refers to those who were simply interested in sensegratification and were therefore not very aristocratic. Another meaningof bhoja is "fighting." These were indications of defamation for Karhsa.When Vasudeva addressed Karhsa as dina-vatsala, this was excessivepraise. Karhsa would accept calves as a form of revenue from his poorconstituents, and therefore he was called dina-vatsala. Vasudeva knewvery well that he could not by force rescue Devaki from the imminentdanger. Devaki was actually the daughter of Karhsa's uncle, andtherefore she is described as suhrt, meaning "relative." It is stated thatKarhsa refrained from killing his close relation Devaki because if he hadkilled her, a great fight would have ensued among the other members ofthe family. Kamsa refrained from provoking this great danger of afamily fight, for it would have caused many persons to lose their lives.Formerly an asura named Kalanemi had six sons, named Harhsa,Suvikrama, Kratha, Damana, Ripurmardana and Krodhahanta. They

Notes] The Advent of Lord K:rJ].a: Introduction 113were known as the a{l-garbhas, or six garbhas, and they were all equallypowerful and expert in military affairs. These a{l-garbhas gave up theassociation of HiraQyakasipu, their grandfather, and underwent greatausterities to satisfy Lord Brahma, who, upon being satisfied, agreed togive them whatever benediction they might desire. When asked by LordBrahma to state what they wanted, the gul-garbhas replied, "Dear LordBrahma, if you want to give us a benediction, give us the blessing that wewill not be killed by any demigod, maha-roga, Yak?a, Gandharva-pati,Siddha, CaraQa or human being, nor by great sages who are perfect intheir penances and austerities." Brahma understood their purpose andfulfilled their desire. But when HiraQyakasipu came to know of theseevents, he was very angry at his grandsons. "You have given up myassociation and have gone to worship Lord Brahma," he said, "andtherefore I no longer have any affection for you. You have tried to saveyourselves from the hands of the demigods, but I curse you in this way:Your father will take birth as Karhsa and kill all of you because you willtake birth as sons of Devaki." Because of this curse, the grandsons ofHirai_lyakasipu had to take birth from the womb of Devaki and be killedby Karhsa, although he was previously their father. This description ismentioned in the Hari-vamsa, Vi:tu-parva, Second Chapter. Accordingto the comments of the Va1JaVa-toa1Ji, the son of Devaki known asKirtiman was the third incarnation. In his first incarnation he was knownas Smara and was the son of Marici, and later he became the son ofKalanemi. This is mentioned in the histories.An additional verse in this chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam is acceptedby the Madhvacarya-sampradaya, represented by Vijayadhvaja Tirtha.The verse is as follows:atha karhsam upagamyanarado brahma-nandanabekantam upasarigamyavakyam etad uvaca haatha-in this way; kamsam-unto Karhsa; upagamya-after going;naradab-the great sage Narada; brahma-nandanab-who is the son ofBrahma; ekantam upasangamya-after going to a very solitary place;

114 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 1vakyam-the following instruction; etat-this; uvaca-said; ha-in thepast.Translation: "Thereafter, Narada, the mental son of Lord Brahmii, approachedKarhsa and, in a very solitary place, informed him of thefollowing news."The great saint Narada descended from the heavenly planets to theforest of Mathurii and sent his messenger to Karhsa. When the messengerapproached Karhsa and informed him of Narada's arrival, Karhsa, theleader of the asuras, was very happy and immediately came out of hispalace to receive Narada, who was as bright as the sun, as powerful asfire, and free from all tinges of sinful activities. Karhsa accepted Naradaas his guest, offered him respectful obeisances and gave him a goldenseat, brilliant like the sun. Narada was a friend of the King of heaven,and thus he told Karhsa, the son of Ugrasena, "My dear hero, you havesatisfied me with a proper reception, and therefore I shall tell you somethingsecret and confidential. While I was coming here from Nandakiinanathrough the Caitraratha forest, I saw a great meeting of thedemigods, who followed me to Sumeru Parvata. We traveled throughmany holy places, and finally we saw the holy Ganges. While LordBrahmii was consulting the other demigods at the top of Sumeru Hill, Iwas also present with my stringed instrument, the Vi7Ja. I shall tell youconfidentially that the meeting was held just to plan to kill theasuras, headed by you. You have a younger sister named Devaki, and itis a fact that her eighth son will kill you." (reference: Hari-vamsa,Vr:tu-parva 1.2-16)No one can blame Niiradaji for encouraging Karhsa to kill the sons ofDevaki. The saint Narada is always a well-wisher for human society, andhe wanted the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kr?Qa, to descend to thisworld as soon as possible so that the society of demigods would be pleasedand would see Karhsa and his friends killed by K:r?Qa. Karhsa would alsoattain salvation from his nefarious activities, and this too would verymuch please the demigods and their followers.Srila VisvanathaCakravarti Thakura remarks in this connection that Narada Muni sometimesdid things that were beneficial to the demigods and the demonssimultaneously. Sri Viraraghava Acarya, in his commentary, has includedthe following half-verse in this regard: asura}:t sarva evaita

Notes] The Advnt of Lord Knq.a: Introduction 115lokopadrava-k4ri'f.Ul. Asuras are always disturbing elements for humansociety.Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Tenth Canto, FirstChapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled "The Advent of LordKr1Jll: Introduction."

CHAPTER TWOPrayers by the Demigodsfor Lord Krsna in the Womb. . .As described in this chapter, when the Supreme Personality of Godheadentered the womb of Devaki to kill Karhsa, all the demigods understoodthat the Lord was living within Devaki's womb, and therefore in venerationthey offered Him the Garbha-stuti prayers.Karhsa, under the protection of his father-in-law, Jarasandha, andwith the help of his demoniac friends like Pralamba, Baka, Cii1,1t1ra,T:r1,1avarta, Aghasura, Mutika, Ba1,1a and Bhaumiisura, began oppressingthe members of the Yadu dynasty. Therefore, the members of the Yadudynasty left their homes and sought shelter in such states as Kuru,Paiicala, Kekaya, Salva and Vidarbha. Only some of them stayed withKarhsa, as nominal friends.Mter Karhsa killed the ac/,-garbhas, the six sons of Devaki, one afteranother, Anantadeva entered Devaki's womb and was transferred to thewomb of Rohi1,1i by the manipulation of Yogamaya, who was followingthe order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord Himself,who was soon to appear as the eighth son of Devaki, ordered Yogamayii totake birth from the womb of Yasodadevi. Because K:rJ:.la and His potency,Yogamaya, appeared simultaneously as brother and sister, theworld is full of Vai1,1avas and saktas, and there is certainly some rivalrybetween them. Vai1,1avas worship the Supreme Lord, whereas saktas, accordingto their desires, worship Yogamiiyii in forms like Durga,Bhadrakali and Ca1,1

118 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2heart of Vasudeva and transferred Himself into the heart of Devaki. Becausethe Lord was present in her heart, Devaki, as her pregnancy continued,appeared effulgent. Upon seeing this effulgence, Ka:rhsa was fullof anxiety, but he could not harm Devaki because of their family relationship.Thus he began indirectly thinking of KrJ.la and became fullyKrJ:.la conscious.Meanwhile, because of the Lord's presence within the womb ofDevaki, all the demigods came to offer the Lord their prayers. TheSupreme Personality of Godhead, they said, is eternally the AbsoluteTruth. The spiritual soul is more important than the gross body, and theSupersoul, Paramatma, is still more important than the soul. TheSupreme Godhead is absolutely independent, and His incarnations aretranscendental. The prayers of the demigods glorify and exalt devoteesand explain the fate of persons who superficially consider themselvesliberated from the conditions of material nature. A devotee is alwayssafe. When a devotee fully surrenders at the lotus feet of the Lord, he iscompletely liberated from the fear of material existence. By explainingwhy the Supreme Personality of Godhead descends, the prayers of thedemigods clearly confirm the Lord's statement in Bhagavad-gita (4.7):yada yada hi dharmasyagliinir bhavati bharataabhyutthdnam adharmasyataddtmanam srjamy aham"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, 0 descendantof Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time Idescend Myself."

Text 2)Prayers by the Demigods119sri-suka uviicapralamba-baka-cii7Jilratr¢varta-maha.Sanaib,mu$#kata-dvividapiltana-kesi-dhenukaib,anyaiS ciisura-bhilpalairba7Ja-bhaumadibhir yutab,yadilnam kadanam cakrebali miigadha-samsrayab,sri-sukab, uviica-Sri Sukadeva Gosviimi said; pralamba-by theasura named Pralamba; baka-by the asura named Baka; cd7Jilra-bythe asura named CiiQiira; tr1Javarta-by the asura named TtQiivarta;mahasanaib,-by Aghiisura; fflU$!ika-by the asura named Mutika;ari$ta-by the asura Arita; dvivida-by the asura named Dvivida;piltana-by Putanii; kesi-by Kesi; dhenukaib,-by Dhenuka; anyaib,ca -and by many others; asura-bhilpalaib,-by demoniac kings on thesurface of the globe; ba7Ja-by King BiiQa; bhauma -by Bhaumiisura;adibhib,-and by others as well; yutab,-being assisted; yadilnam-ofthe kings of the Yadu dynasty; kadanam-persecution; cakreregularlyperformed; bali-very powerful; miigadha-samsrayab,underthe protection of Jariisandha, the King of Magadha.TRANSLATIONSukadeva Gosvimi said: Under the protection of Magadharija,Jarisandha, the powerful Kamsa began persecuting the kings ofthe Yadu dynasty. In this he had the cooperation of demons likePralamba, Baka, Cura, T:p.tivarta, Aghisura, Mulika, Arila,Dvivida, Putani, Kesi, Dhenuka, BiJ.lisura, Narakisura and manyother demoniac kings on the surface of the earth.PURPORTThis verse supports the following statement given by the Lord inBhagavad-gita (4. 7 -8):

120 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 2yada yada hi dharmasyaglanir bhavati bharataabhyutthanam adharmasyatadatmanam srjamy ahamparitrar:taya sadhunamvinasaya ca dkrtamdharma-samsthapandrthayasambhavami yuge yuge"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, 0 descendantof Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time Idescend Myself. To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, aswell as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millenniumafter millennium."The Lord's purpose in maintaining this material world is to giveeveryone a chance to go back home, back to Godhead, but kings andpolitical leaders unfortunately try to hinder the purpose of the Lord, andtherefore the Lord appears, either personally or with His plenary portions,to set things right. It is therefore said:garbham saiicarya rohir:tyamdevakya yogamayayatasya/:t ku/cyim gata/:t krr:tadvitiyo vibudhai/:t stuta/:t"K.r1,1a appeared in the womb of Devaki after transferring Baladeva tothe womb of Rohi1,1i by the power of Yogamaya." Yadubhi/:t savyarudhyata. The kings of the Yadu dynasty were all devotees, but therewere many powerful demons, such as Salva, who began to persecutethem. At that time, Jarasandha, who was Karhsa's father-in-law, was extremelypowerful, and therefore Karhsa took advantage of his protectionand the help of the demons in persecuting the kings of the Yadu dynasty.The demons naturally appeared more powerful than the demigods, butultimately, because of help received from the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, the demons were defeated and the demigods triumphant.

Text 5]Prayers by the Demigods121TEXT3ij 1fiftm f;rr: qiJl('S#fwt'{T'lf?tli_ II IIte pU)ita niviviSu/:1.kuru-pancala-kekayansalvan vidarbhan ni$adhanvidehan kosalan apiIte-they (the kings of the Yadu dynasty); pU)ita/:1.-being persecuted;niviviSu/:1.-took shelter or entered (the kingdoms); kuru-paficala-thecountries occupied by the Kurus and Paiicalas; kekayan-the countriesof the Kekayas; salvan-the countries occupied by the Salvas;vidarbhan-the countries occupied by the Vidarbhas; ni$adhan-thecountries occupied by the Niadhas; videhan-the country of Videha;kosalan api-as well as the countries occupied by the Kosalas.TRANSLATIONPersecuted by the demoniac kings, the Yadavas left their ownkingdom and entered various others, like those of the Kurus,Paiicilas, Kekayas, Silvas, Vidarbhas, Ni,adhas, Videhas andKosalas.TEXTS 4-5tJ: : qql('(ij I anMI II II"' +r.t affl ItNT mft: II IIeke tam anurundhanajnataya/:1. paryupdsatehate$U $atsu biile$Udevakya augrasenina

122 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto I 0, Ch. 2saptamo va7J.avaril dhamayam anantaril pracaategarbho babhava devakyahara-soka-vivardhanaeke-some of them; tam-unto Karhsa; anurundhana-exact1yfollowing his policy; jriataya-relatives; paryupasate-began to agreewith him; hateu-having been killed; atsu-six; baleuchildren;devakya-born of Devaki; augrasenina-by the son ofUgrasena (Karhsa); saptama-the seventh; va7J.avam-of LordVi!?J).U; dhama-a plenary expansion; yam-unto whom; anantam-bythe name Ananta; pracaate-is celebrated; garbha-embryo;babhava-there was; devakya-of Devaki; hara-soka-vivardhanasimultaneouslyarousing pleasure and lamentation.TRANSLATIONSome of their relatives, however, began to follow Karilsa's principlesand act in his service. After Karilsa, the son of Ugrasena,killed the six sons of Devaki, a plenary portion of :Kra enteredher womb as her seventh child, arousing her pleasure and her lamentation.That plenary portion is celebrated by great sages asAnanta, who belongs to Kra's second quadruple expansion.PURPORTSome of the chief devotees, such as Akriira, stayed with Karhsa tosatisfy him. This they did for various purposes. They all expected theSupreme Personality of Godhead to appear as the eighth child as soon asDevaki's other children were killed by Karhsa, and they were eagerlyawaiting His appearance. By remaining in Karhsa's association, theywould be able to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead take birth anddisplay His childhood pastimes, and Akriira would later go to V:rndavanato bring K:ri?Qa and Balarama to Mathura. The word paryupasate is significantbecause it indicates that some devotees wanted to stay nearKarhsa in order to see all these pas,times of the Lord. The six childrenkilled by Karhsa had formerly been sons of Marici, but because of havingbeen cursed by a brahma7J.a, they were obliged to take birth as grandsons

Text 6] Prayers by the Demigods 123of Hirar.tyakasipu. Kamsa had taken birth as Kalanemi, and now he wasobliged to kill his own sons. This was a mystery. As soon as the sons ofDevaki were killed, they would return to their original place. The devoteeswanted to see this also. Generally speaking, no one kills his ownnephews, hut Kamsa was so cruel that he did so without hesitation.Ananta, Saiikarar.ta, belongs to the second catur-vyaha, or quadrupleexpansion. This is the opinion of experienced commentators.TEXT6··· fet w· 1 f;r tO•Iflli II II·bhagavan api viSvatmaviditva karhsajarh bhayamyadanarh nija-nathanarhyogamayarh samadiSatbhagavan-Sri J.la, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; apialso;viSvatma-who is the Supersoul of everyone; viditvd-understandingthe position of the Yadus and His other devotees; karhsa-jamhecauseof Kamsa; bhayam-fear; yadanam-of the Yadus; nijanathanam-whohad accepted Him, the Supreme Lord, as their supremeshelter; yogamayam-unto Yogamaya, the spiritual potency of K.rr.ta;samadiSat-ordered as follows.TRANSLATIONTo protect the Yadus, His personal devotees, from Kamsa's attack,the Personality of Godhead, Visvitmi, the Supreme Soul ofeveryone, ordered Yogamiyi as follows.PURPORTThe words bhagavan api viSvatmd viditva karhsajarh bhayam are commentedupon by Srila Sanatana Gosvami. Bhagavan svayam is K.rr.ta(kmws tu bhagavan svayam). He is Visvatma, the original Supersoul ofeveryone, because his plenary portion expands as the Supersoul. This is

124 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (13_.3): k§etra-jfiam capi mam viddhi sarvak§etre$Ubharata. Lord K:rr,a is the k§etra-jfia, or Supersoul, of all livingentities. He is the original source of all expansions of the Personality ofGodhead. There are hundreds and thousands of plenary expansions ofVir,u, such as Sankarar,a, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Vasudeva, buthere in this material world, the Visvatma, the Supersoul for all living entities,is Kirodakasayi Vir,u. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.61),iSvarab, sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna ti$thati: "The Supreme Lord issituated in the heart of all living entities, 0 Arjuna1." K:rr,a is actuallyVisvatma by His plenary expansion as vi$7J-u-tattva, yet because of Hisaffection for His devotees, He acts as Supersoul to give them directions(sarvasya caham hrdi sannivi$to mattab- smrtir jnanam apohanam ca).The affairs of the Supersoul pertain to Kirodakasayi Vir,u, but K:rr,atook compassion on Devaki, His devotee, because He understood her fearof Kamsa's persecution. A pure devotee is always fearful of material existence.No one knows what will happen next, for one may have tochange his body at any moment (tatha dehantara-praptib-}. Knowing thisfact, a pure devotee acts in such a way that he will not have his life_spoiled by being obliged to accept another body and undergo thetribulations of material existence. This is bhayam, or fear. Bhayamdvitiyabhinivesatab- syat (Bhdg. 11.2.37). This fear is due to material existence.Properly speaking, everyone should always be alert and fearfulof material existence, but although everyone is prone to be affected bythe ignorance of material existence, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,K:rr,a, is always alert to the protection of His devotees. K:rr,a is sokind and affectionate toward His devotees that He helps them by givingthem the intelligence by which to exist in this material world withoutforgetting Him even for a moment. The Lord says:te$dm evanukamparthamaham ajnanajam tamabnasayamy atma-bhdvasthojnana-dipena bhdsvata"Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy withthe shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance."(Bg. 10.11)

Text 7] Prayers by the Demigods 125The word yoga means "link." Any system of yoga is an attempt toreconnect our broken relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.There are different types of yoga, of which bhakti-yoga is the best.In other yoga systems, one must undergo various processes before attainingperfection, but bhakti-yoga is direct. The Lord says in Bhagavadgita(6.47):yoginam api sarve$drilmad-gatenantaratmanasraddhavan bhajate yo mamsa me yuktatamo matal)"Of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshipingMe in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me inyoga and is the highest of all." For the bhakti-yogi, a human body isguaranteed in his next existence, as stated by Lord Kr!1a (sucinamsrimatam gehe yoga-bhr!O 'bhijayate). Yogamaya is the spiritual potencyof the Lord. Out of affection for His devotees, the Lord always staysin spiritual touch with them, although otherwise His maya potency is sostrong that she bewilders even exalted demigods like Brahma. Thereforethe Lord's potency is called yogamaya. Since the Lord is Visvatma, Heimmediately ordered Yogamaya to give protection to Devaki.gaccha devi vrajam bhadregopa-gobhir alarikrtamrohir:ti vasudevasyabharyaste nanda-gokuleanyas ca kamsa-samvignavivare$U vasanti higaccha-now go; devi-0 you who are worshipable for the wholeworld; vrajam-to the land of Vraja; bhadre-0 you who are auspicious

126 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto I 0, Ch. 2for all living entities; gopa-gobhib,-with cowherds and cows;alankrtam-decorated; rohii-by the name Rohi1,1i; vasudevasya-ofVasudeva, .Kr1,1a's father; bharya-one of the wives; iiste-is living;nanda-gokule-in the estate of Nanda Maharaja known as Gokula,where hundreds and thousands of cows are maintained; anyab. ca-andother wives; kamsa-samvigniib,-being afraid of Kamsa; vivareu-insecluded places; vasanti-are living; hi-indeed.TRANSLATIONThe Lord ordered Yogamiyi: 0 My potency, who are worshipablefor the entire world and whose nature is to bestow good fortueupon all living entities, go to Vraja, where there live manycowherd men and their wives. In that very beautiful land, wheremany cows reside, Rohii, the wife of Vasudeva, is living at thehome of Nanda Mahirija. Other wives of Vasudeva are also livingthere incognito because of fear of Kamsa. Please go there.PURPORTNanda-gokula, the residence of King Nanda, was itself very beautiful,and when Yogamaya was ordered to go there and encourage the devoteeswith fearlessness, it became even more beautiful and safe. BecauseYogamaya had the ability to create such an atmosphere, the Lord orderedher to go to Nanda-gokula.TEXTS tTlT NROif Im( df;r itRIR011 a- 4PI II IIdevakya jalhare garbhamseakhyam dhiima miimakamtat sannikrya rohiyaudare sannivesayadevakyab,-of Devaki; jalhare-within the womb; garbham-theembryo; sea-akhyam-known as Sea, the plenary expansion of .Kr1,1a;

Text 8] Prayers by the Demigods 127dhama-the plenary expansion; mdmakam-of Me; tat-Him; sannikrya-attracting;rohiyab,-of Rohil)i; udare-within the womb;sannivesaya-transfer without difficulty.TRANSLATIONWithin the womb of Devak.i is My partial plenary expansionknown as Sailkar!ilaf}& or Selila. Without difficulty, transfer Him intothe womb of Rohh,li.PURPORTThe first plenary expansion of KrI)a is Baladeva, also known as Sea.The Sea incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead supportsthe entire universe, and the eternal mother of this incarnation is motherRohil)i. "Because I am going into the womb of Devaki," the Lord toldYogamaya, "the Sea incarnation has already gone there and made suitablearrangements so that I may live there. Now He should enter thewomb of Rohil)i, His eternal mother."In this connection, one may ask how the Supreme Personality of Godhead,who is always situated transcendentally, could enter the womb ofDevaki, which had previously been entered by the six asuras, the ac;lgarbhas.Does this mean that the ac;l.;.garbhasuras were equal to thetranscendental body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Thefollowing answer is given by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura.The entire creation, as well as its individual parts, is an expansion ofthe energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, eventhough the Lord enters the material world, He does not do so. This is explainedby the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (9.4-5):maya tatam idam sarvamjagad avyakta-milrtindmat-sthani sarva-bhiltanina caham tev avasthitab,na ca mat-sthani bhiltanipa5ya me yogam aiSvaram

128 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 2bhata-bhrn na ca bhata-sthomamatma bhata-bhavana"By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. Allbeings are in Me, but I am not in them. And yet everything that is createddoes not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Although I am themaintainer of all living entities, and although I am everywhere, My Selfis the very source of creation." Sarvaril khalv idam brahma. Everythingis an expansion of Brahman, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yeteverything is not the Supreme Godhead, and He is not everywhere.Everything rests upon Him and yet does not rest upon Him. This can beexplained only through the acintya-bhedabheda philosophy. Such truthscannot be understood, however, unless one is a pure devotee, for theLord says in Bhagavad-gita (18.55), bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan ya.Sciismi tattvata: "One can understand the Supreme Personality as He isonly by devotional service." Even though the Lord cannot be understoodby ordinary persons, this principle should be understood from thestatement of the sdstras.A pure devotee is always transcendentally situated because of executingnine different processes of bhakti-yoga (sravaril kirtanaril v1J.Osmararil pdda-sevenaml arcanaril vandanaril diisyaril sakhyam atmanivedanam).Thus situated in devotional service, a devotee, although inthe material world, is not in the material world. Yet a devotee alwaysfears, "Because I am associated with the material world, so many contaminationsaffect me." Therefore he is always alert in fear, whichgradually diminishes his material association.Symbolically, mother Devaki's constant fear of Kamsa was purifyingher. A pure devotee should always fear material association, and in thisway all the asuras of material association will be killed, as the ac;lgarbhiisuraswere killed by Kamsa. It is said that from the mind, Mariciappears. In other words, Marici is an incarnation of the mind. Marici hassix sons: Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha: Mada and Matsarya (lust, anger,greed, illusion, madness and envy). The Supreme Personality of Godheadappears in pure devotional service. This is confirmed in the Vedas:bhaktir evainaril darsayati. Only bhakti can bring one in contact with theSupreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godheadappeared from the womb of Devaki, and therefore Devaki symbolically

Text 9] Prayers by the Demigods 129represents bhakti, and Kamsa symbolically represents material fear.When a pure devotee always fears material association, his real positionof bhakti is manifested, and he naturally becomes uninterested in materialenjoyment. When the six sons of Marici are killed by such fear andone is freed from material contamination, within the womb of bhakti theSupreme Personality of Godhead appears. Thus the seventh pregnancy ofDevaki signifies the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.After the six sons Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Matsarya arekilled, the Sea incarnation creates a suitable situation for the appearanceof the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, when oneawakens his natural a consciousness, Lord a appears. This isthe explanation given by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti 'fhakura.TEXT9:·'.. " · "' . · mmhffl ttllql N'tlitill'llathdham amsa-bhdgenadevakya putratiim subheprapsyami tvam ya5odiiyamnanda-patnyam bhavyasiatha-therefore; aham-1; amsa-bhdgena-by My plenary expansion;devakya-of Devaki; putratam-the son; subhe-0 allauspiciousYogamaya; priipsyami-1 shall become; tvam-you; ya5odiiyam-inthe womb of mother Yasoda; nanda-patnyam-in the wifeof Maharaja Nanda; bhavyasi-shall also appear.TRANSLATION0 all-auspicious Yogamiyi, I shall then appear with My full sixopulences as the son of Devaki, and you will appear as thedaughter of mother Ya8odi, the queen of Mahirija Nanda.PURPORTThe word amsa-bhdgena is important in this verse. In Bhagavad-gitd(10.42) the Lord says:

130 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 2athava bahunaitenakim jiidtena tavarjunavi§tabhyaham idam krtsnamekamsena sthito jagat"But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With asingle fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe."Everything is situated as a part of the Supreme Lord's potency. In regardto Lord !?I;ta's appearance in the womb of Devaki, Brahmii played apart also because on the bank of the milk ocean he requested theSupreme Personality of Godhead to appear. A part was also played byBaladeva, the first expansion of Godhead. Similarly, Yogamiiyii, who appearedas the daughter of mother Yasodii, also played a part. Thus fivatattva,vi§r:tu-tattva and sakti-tattva are all integrated with the SupremePersonality of Godhead, and when !?I;ta appears, He appears with allHis integrated parts. As explained in previous verses, Yogamayii was requestedto attract Sankar?ai;ta, Baladeva, from the womb of Devaki to thewomb of Rohii;ti, and this was a very heavy task for her. Yogamiiyiinaturally could not see how it was possible for her to attract Sankar?aJ;ta.Therefore !?Qa addressed her as subhe, auspicious, and said, "Beblessed. Take power from Me, and you will be able to do it." By the graceof the Supreme Personality of Godhead, anyone can do anything, for theLord is present in everything, all things being His parts and parcels(amsa-bhagena) and increasing or decreasing by His supreme will.Balariima was only fifteen days older than Qa. By the blessings ofI;ta, Yogamiiyii became the daughter of mother Yasodii, but by thesupreme will she was not able to enjoy the parental love of her father andmother. !?I;ta, however, although not actually born from the womb ofmother Yasoda, enjoyed the parental love of mother Yasodii and Nanda.By the blessings of ?I;ta, Yogamayii was able to achieve the reputationof being the daughter of mother Yasod,ii, who also became famous by theblessings of !?J;ta. Yasodii means "one who gives fame."TEXT 103lQ4fW'ij ijl'iq I'{'flq6:1(iirefii: ijfii'NOiaJq II o II

Text 10]Prayers by the Demigods131arcyanti manyas tvamsarva-kama-varesvarimdhapopahdra-balibhi/:lsarva-kama-vara-pradamarcyanti-will worship; manyal;-human society; tvdm-untoyou; sarva-kama-vara-iSvarim-because you are the best of thedemigods who can fulfill all material desires; dhapa-by incense;upahara-by presentations; balibhil)-by different types of worshipthrough sacrifice; sarva-kama-of all material desires; vara-theblessings; pradam-one who can bestow.TRANSLATIONBy sacrifices of animals, ordinary human beings will worshipyou gorgeously, with various paraphernalia, because you aresupreme in fulfilling the material desires of everyone.PURPORTAs stated in Bhagavad-gita (7.20), kamais tais tair hrta-jnana/:l prapadyante'nya-devata/:l: "Those whose minds are distorted by materialdesires surrender unto demigods." Therefore the word manya, meaning"human being," here refers to one who does not know the actual goalof life. Such a person wants to enjoy the material world by taking birth ina highly elevated family with the benefits of education, beauty and immensewealth, which in this material world are desirable. One who hasforgotten the real aim of life may worship goddess Durga, maya-sakti,under various names, for different purposes, and in different places. Asthere are many holy places for the worship of :Q.a, there are also manyholy places in India for the worship of Durgadevi, or Mayadevi, who took, birth as the daughter of Yasoda. After cheating Kamsa, Mayadevi dispersedherself to various places, especially in Vindhyacala, to acceptregular worship from ordinary men. A human being should actually beinterested in understanding atma-tattva, the truth of atma, the spiritsoul, and Paramiltma, the supreme soul. Those who are interested inatma-tattva worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead (yasminvijriiite sarvam evam vijnatarh bhavati). However, as explained in the

132 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2next verse of this chapter, those who cannot understand iitma-tattva(apa.Syatiim atma-tattvam) worship Yogamaya in her different features.Therefore Srimad-Bhiigavatam (2.1.2) says:srotavyiidini rajendranrr;tiim santi sahasra5a/:tapa§yatiim iitma-tattvamgrhe§u grha-medhinam"Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledgeof ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in humansociety, 0 Emperor." Those who are interested in remaining in this materialworld and are not interested in spiritual salvation have manyduties, but for one who is interested in spiritual salvation, the only dutyis to surrender fully unto Kra (sarva-dharmdn parityajya miim ekamsara"{lam vraja). Such a person is not interested in material enjoyment.TEXTS 11-12;J tt ;nR :q ;m IRr Rft'Rr "0141 Rr :q II IIfi +.tf%t i'tlRr :q Im;.rt ifi(14UOII41 tal«.qf. :q II IIniimadheyani kurvantisthiiniini ca narii bhuvidurgeti bhadrakiilitivijaya vai§"{laviti cakumudii ca'J4ikii km:wmiidhavi kanyaketi camaya narayaiSanisiiradety ambiketi caniimadheyiini-different names; kurvanti-will give; sthiiniini-indifferent places; ca-also; nard/:t-persons interested in material enjoy-

Text 12] Prayers by the Demigods 133ment; bhuvi-on the surface of the globe; durgd iti-the name Durga;bhadrakdli iti-the name Bhadrakali; vijayd-the name Vijaya;va4tuzvi iti-the name Vaiavi; ca-also; kumudd-the nameKumuda; caikd-the name Ca«Jika; kr-the name K:r?a;mddhavi-the name Madhavi; kanyakd iti-the name Kanyaka orKanya-kumari; ca-also; maya-the name Maya; ndrdya{ti-the nameNarayai; iSdni-the name Isani; sdradd-the name Sarada; iti-thus;ambikd-the name Ambika; iti-also; ca-and.TRANSLATIONLord !ji;ta blessed Miyadevi by saying: In different places onthe surface of the earth, people will give you different names, suchas Durgi, Bhadrakili, Vijayi, V ai!ji;l&Vi, Kumudi, C&I;14iki, !jJ;li,Madhavi, Kanyaki, Miyi, NiriyaJ;li, lsini, Siradi and Ambiki.PURPORTBecause K:r!?a and His energy appeared simultaneously, people havegenerally formed two groups-the saktas and the Vai?avas-and sometimesthere is rivalry between them. Essentially, those who are interestedin material enjoyment are saktas, and those interested in spiritual salvationand attaining the spiritual kingdom are Vai?avas. Because peopleare generally interested in material enjoyment, they are interested inworshiping Mayadevi, the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.Vai?avas, however, are suddha-saktas, or pure bhaktas, becausethe Hare K:r?a maha-mantra indicates worship of the Supreme Lord'senergy, Hara. A Vai?ava prays to the energy of the Lord for the opportunityto serve the Lord along with His spiritual energy. Thus Vai?avasall worship such Deities as Radha-K:r?a, Sita-Rama, Lak?mi-Narayaaand Rukmii-Dvarakadhisa, whereas durgd-saktas worship the materialenergy under different names.The names by which Mayadevi is known in different places have beenlisted by V allabhacarya as follows. In Varaasi she is known as Durga, inAvanti she is known as Bhadrakali, in Orissa she is known as Vijaya, andin Kulahapura she is known as Vai?avi or Mahalak?mi. (The representativesof Mahalak?mi and Ambika are present in Bombay.) In the countryknown as Kamariipa she is known as Ca«Jika, in Northern India as

134 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2Sarada, and in Cape Comorin as Kanyaka. Thus she is distributed accordingto various names in various places.Srila Vijayadhvaja Tirthapada, in his Pada-ratnavali-tika, has explainedthe meanings of the different representations. Maya is known asDurga because she is approached with great difficulty, as Bhadra becauseshe is auspicious, and as Kali because she is deep blue. Because she is themost powerful energy, she is known as Vijaya; because she is one of thedifferent energies of Vi1,1u, she is known as Vai1,1avi; and because sheenjoys in this material world and gives facilities for material enjoyment,she is known as Kumuda. Because she is very severe to her ene:n,.ies, theasuras, she is known as Ca1,1Qika, and because she gives all sorts of materialfacilities, she is called I,lii. In this way the material energy is differentlynamed and situated in different places on the surface of theglobe.

Text 14] Prayers by the Demigods 135will be called Rima because of His ability to please all the inhabitantsof Gokula, and He will be known as Balabhadra because ofHis extensive physical strength.PURPORTThese are some of the reasons why Balarama is known as Saiikarl?aQa,Balarama or sometimes Rama. In the maha-mantra-Hare Kti?Qa, HareKti?Qa, Kti?Qa Kti?Qa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama,Hare Hare-people sometimes object when Rama is accepted asBalarama. But although devotees of Lord Rama may object, they shouldknow that there is no difference between Balarama and Lord Rama. HereSrimad-Bhagavatam clearly states that Balarama is also known as Rama(rameti). Therefore, it is not artificial for us to speak of Lord Balarama asLord Rama. Jayadeva Gosvami also speaks of three Ramas: Parasurama,Raghupati Rama and Balarama. All of them are Ramas.TEXT 14m ijilfltRr : 1 qf{ifiwt tti ;m 1111sand!aivam bhagavatatathety om iti tad-vaca(Lpratigrhya parikramyagam gata tat tathakarotsand!a-having been ordered; evam-thus; bhagavata-by theSupreme Personality of Godhead; tatha iti-so be it; om-affirmation bythe mantra om; iti-thus; tat-vaca(L-His words; pratigrhya-acceptingthe order; parikramya-after circumambulating Him; gam-to the surfaceof the globe; gata-she immediately went; tat-the order, as givenby the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tatha-just so; akarotexecuted.TRANSLATIONThus instrucied by the Supreme Personality of Godhead,Yogamayi immediately agreed. With the Vedic mantra om, she

136 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2confirmed that she would do what He asked. Thus having acceptedthe order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, she circumambulatedHim and started for the place on earth known as Nandagokula.There she did everything just as she had been told.PURPORTAfter receiving the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,Yogamaya twice confirmed her acceptance by saying, "Yes, sir, I shall doas You order," and then saying om. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti 'fhakuracomments that om signifies Vedic confirmation. Thus Yogamaya veryfaithfully received the Lord's order as a Vedic injunction. It is a fact thatwhatever is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a Vedic injunctionthat no one should neglect. In Vedic injunctions there are nomistakes, illusions, cheating or imperfection. Unless one understands theauthority of the Vedic version, there is no purpose in quoting sdstra. Noone should violate the Vedic injunctions. Rather, one should strictly executethe orders given in the Vedas. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (16.24):tasmdc chdstram pramdiJ-ilm tekdryakdrya-vyavasthitaujfiatva sdstra-vidhanoktamkarma kartum iharhasi"One should understand what is duty and what is not duty by the regulationsof the scriptures. Knowing such rules and regulations, one shouldact so that one may gradually he elevated."TEXT 15tN "i t•rf.\S(I Iam t«6t Wr & F-g: " garbhe pra7J.ite devakyarohiTJ-im yoga-nidrayaaho visrarhsito garbhaiti paura vicukru5ub-

Text 15] Prayers by the Demigods 137garbhe-when the embryo; praite-was carried from the womb;devakyii/J,-of Devaki; rohiim-to the womb of Rohil)i; yoganidraya-bythe spiritual energy called Yogamaya; aho-alas; visrarhsita/J,-islost; garbha/J,-the embryo; iti-thus; paurii/J,-all theinhabitants of the house; vicukru§u/J,-lamented.TRANSLATIONWhen the child of Devak.i was attracted and transferred into thewomb of Rohil].i by Yogamiyi, Devak.i seemed to have a miscarriage.Thus all the inhabitants of the palace loudly lamented,"Alas, Devak.i has lost her child!"PURPORT"All the inhabitants of the palace" includes Kamsa. When everyonelamented, Kamsa joined in compassion, thinking that perhaps because ofdrugs or some other external means, Devaki had undergone this abortion.The real story of what happened after Yogamaya attracted the childof Devaki into the womb of RohiQ.i in the seventh month of RohiQ.i'spregnancy is described as follows in the Hari-vamsa. At midnight, whileRohiQ.i was deeply sleeping, she experienced, as if in a dream, that shehad undergone a miscarriage. After some time, when she awoke, she sawthat this had indeed happened, and she was in great anxiety. ButYogamaya then informed her, "0 auspicious lady, your child is nowbeing replaced. I am attracting a child from the womb of Devaki, andtherefore your child will be known as SankaraQ.a."The word yoga-nidrii is significant. When one is spiritually reconnectedthrough self-realization, one regards his material life as havingbeen like a dream. As stated in Bhagavad-gitii (2.69):ya ni.Sii sarva-bhutiiniimtasyiim jagarti samyamiyasyam jagrati bhatanisii ni.Sii pa.Syato mune/J,"What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the selfcontrolled;and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the

138 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2introspective sage." The stage of self-realization is called yoga-nidra. Allmaterial activities appear to be a dream when one is spirituallyawakened. Thus yoga-nidra may be explained to be Yogamaya.llletlfqTEXT 16fer : Iom Dis-Xi 1r.t 3TACii: II IIbhagavan api viSvatmabhaktanam abhayarikarab,avivesamsa-bhagenamana anakadundubhe b-bhagavan-the Supreme Personality of Godhead; api-also; viSvatma-theSupersoul of all living entities; bhaktandm-of Hisdevotees; abhayam-karab,-always killing the causes of fear; dvivdaentered;amsa-bhagena-with all of His potential opulences($ll{i-aiSvarya-pan;a); manab,-in the mind; anakadundubheb,-ofVasudeva.TRANSLATIONThus the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoulof all living entities and who vanquishes all the fear of His devotees,entered the mind of Vasudeva in full opulence.PURPORTThe word viSvdtma refers to one who is situated in everyone's heart(iSvarab, sarva-bhatanam hrd-dese 'rjuna ti$thati). Another meaning ofviSvatma is "the only lovable object for everyone." Because of forgetfulnessof this object, people are suffering in this material world, but if onefortunately revives his old consciousness of loving I,J.a and connectswith Visvatma, one becomes perfect. The Lord is described in the ThirdCanto (3.2.15) as follows: paravare§o mahad-amsa-yukto hy ajo 'pi jatobhagavan. Although unborn, the Lord, the master of everything, appearslike a born child by entering the mind of a devotee. The Lord is

Text 17] Prayers by the Demigods 139already there within the mind, and consequently it is not astonishing forHim to appear as if born from a devotee's body. The word avivesa signifiesthat the Lord appeared within the mind of Vasudeva. There was noneed for a discharge of semen. That is the opinion of Sripada SridharaSvami and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti 'fhakura. In the Vavato$a{ti,Srila Saniitana Gosviimi says that consciousness was awakenedwithin the mind of Vasudeva. Srila Viraraghava Acarya also says thatVasudeva was one of the demigods and that within his mind the SupremePersonality of Godhead appeared as an awakening of consciousness.TEXT 17« i11'51¥itifl i I-('"" l('tori { 11\911sa bibhrat paurU{>aril. dhamabhrajamdno yatha ravittdurdsado 'tidurdhar$0bhatandm sambabhava hasaft-he (Vasudeva); bibhrat-carried; paurU{>am-pertaining to theSupreme Person; dhama-the spiritual effulgence; bhrajamanaft-illuminating;yatha-as; ravift-the sunshine; durdsadaft-very difficulteven to look at, difficult to understand by sensory perception; atidurdhar$aft-approachablewith great difficulty; bhatandm-of all livingentities; sambabhava-so he became; ha-positively.TRANSLATIONWhile carrying the form of the Supreme Personality of Godheadwithin the core of his heart, Vasudeva bore the Lord's transcendentallyilluminating effulgence, and thus he became as bright asthe sun. He was therefore very difficult to see or approach throughsensory perception. Indeed, he was unapproachable and unperceivableeven for such formidable men as Kaub.sa, and not only forKaub.sa but for all living entities.

140 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2PURPORTThe word dhama is significant. Dhama refers to the place where theSupreme Personality of Godhead resides. In the beginning of Srimad­Bhagavatam (1.1.1) it is said, dhamnii svena sadii nirasta-kuhakamsatyam param dhimahi. In the abode of the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, there is no influence of material energy (dhamnii svenasada nirasta-kuhakam). Any place where the Supreme Personality ofGodhead is present by His name, form, qualities or paraphernalia immediatelybecomes a dhama. For example, we speak of V:rndavanadhama,Dvaraka-dhama and Mathura-dhama because in these places thename, fame, qualities and paraphernalia of the Supreme Godhead are alwayspresent. Similarly, if one is empowered by the Supreme Personalityof Godhead to do something, the core of his heart becomes a dhama, andthus he becomes so extraordinarily powerful that not only his enemiesbut also people in general are astonished to observe his activities. Becausehe is unapproachable, his enemies are simply struck with wonder,as explained P,ere by the words duriisado 'tidurdhara.The words pauam dhama have been explained by various iiciiryas.Sri Viraraghava Acarya says that these words refer to the effulgence ofthe Supreme Per onality of Godhead. Vijayadhvaja says that they signifyvtr-u-tejas, and Sukadeva says bhagavat-svarupa. The V ava-toar:r.isays that these words indicate the influence of the Supreme Lord'seffulgence, and Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that they signifythe appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.mTEXT 18• •Gt•lfli'ftoe+t"'n mJ ij'1 I«ti+ti!fi+tlc::+(!film :u'1i!fi( :II IItato jagan-mangalam acyutiirh.Samsamahitam sura-sutena devidadhara sarvq,tmakam atma-bhatamtha yathananda-karam manasta

Text 18] Prayers by the Demigods 141tata-thereafter; jagat-marigalam-auspiciousness for all living entitiesin all the universes of the creation; acyuta-amsam-the SupremePersonality of Godhead, who is never bereft of the six opulences, all ofwhich are present in all His plenary expansions; samahitam-fullytransferred; sura-sutena-by Vasudeva, the son of Surasena; devi­Devaki-devi; dadhara-carried; sarva-atmakam-the Supreme Soul ofeveryone; atma-bhatam-the cause of all causes; ktha-the east;yatha-just as; ananda-karam-the blissful (moon); manasta-beingplaced within the mind.TRANSLATIONThereafter, accompanied by plenary expansions, the fully opulentSupreme Personality of Godhead, who is all-auspicious for theentire universe, was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to themind of Devaki. Devaki, having thus been initiated by Vasudeva,became beautiful by carrying Lord .Kr:Q.a, the original consciousnessfor everyone, the cause of all causes, within the core of herheart, just as the east becomes beautiful by carrying the risingmoon.PURPORTAs indicated here by the word manasta, the Supreme Personality ofGodhead was transferred from the core of Vasudeva's mind or heart tothe core of the heart of Devaki. We should note carefully that the Lordwas transferred to Devaki not by the ordinary way for a human being,but by dilcya, initiation. Thus the importance of initiation is mentionedhere. Unless one is initiated by the right person, who always carrieswithin his heart the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot acquirethe power to carry the Supreme Godhead within the core of one's ownheart.The word acyutamsam is used because the Supreme Personality ofGodhead is at;l-aiSvarya-pun:w, full in the opulences of wealth,strength, fame, knowledge, beauty and renunciation. The Supreme Godheadis never separated from His personal opulences. As stated in theBrahma-samhita (5.39), ramadi-murtu kald-niyamena tthan: theLord is always situated with all His plenary expansions, such as Rama,N:rsimha and Varaha. Therefore the word acyutamsam is specificallyused here, signifying that the Lord is always present with His plenary

142 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2expansions and opulences. There is no need to think of the Lord artificiallyas yogis do. Dhyandvasthita-tad-gatena manasa pa.Syanti yamyogina (Bhag. 12.13.1). Yogis meditate upon the Supreme Personwithin the mind. For a devotee, however, the Lord is present, and Hispresence need only be awakened through initiation by a bona fide spiritualmaster. The Lord did not need to live within the womb of Devaki,for His presence within the core of her heart was sufficient to carry Him.One is here forbidden to think that KT1,1a was begotten by Vasudevawithin the womb of Devaki and that she carried the child within herwomb.When Vasudeva was sustaining the form of the Supreme Personalityof Godhead within his heart, he appeared just like the glowing sun,whose shining rays are always unbearable and scorching to the commonman. The form of the Lord situated in the pure, unalloyed heart ofVasudeva is not different from the original form of KT1,1a. The appearanceof the form of KTQa anywhere, and specifically within theheart, is called dhama. Dhama refers not only to KT1,1a's form, but toHis name, His form, His quality and His paraphernalia. Everything becomesmanifest simultaneously.Thus the eternal form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead withfull potencies was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind ofDevaki, exactly as the setting sun's rays are transferred to the full moonrising in the east.KTQa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, entered the body ofDevaki from the body of Vasudeva. He was beyond the conditions of theordinary living entity. When KT1,1a is there, it is to be understood that allHis plenary expansions, such as Naraya1,1a, and incarnations like LordN:rsirhha and Varaha, are with Him, and they are not subject to th conditionsof material existence. In this way, Devaki became the residence ofthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is one without a second andthe cause of all creation. Devaki became the residence of the AbsoluteTruth, but because she was within the house of Karilsa, she looked justlike a suppressed fire, or like misused education. When fire is covered bythe walls of a pot or is kept in a jug, the illuminating rays of the fire cannotbe very much appreciated. Similarly, misused knowledge, which doesnot benefit the people in general, is not very much appreciated. SoDevaki was kept within the prison walls of Karilsa's palace, and no one

Text 19] Prayers by the Demigods 143could see her transcendental beauty, which resulted from her conceivingthe Supreme Personality of Godhead.Commenting upon this verse, Sri Viraraghava Acarya writes,vasudeva-devaki-jatharayor hrdayayor bhagavata sambandha. TheSupreme Lord's entrance into the womb of Devaki from the heart ofVasudeva was a heart-to-heart relationship.TEXT 19m e&•lf\l€4m f;mt wtsrlt"'NIe«Etffi l;a(CI m II IIsa devaki sarva-jagan-nivasanivasa-bhatanitaram na rejebhojendra-gehe 'gni-sikheva ruddhasarasvati jnana-khale yatha satisa devaki-that Devakidevi; sarva-jagat-nivasa-of the SupremePersonality of Godhead, the sustainer of all the universes (mat-sthanisarva-bhutani); nivasa-bhuta-the womb of Devaki has now become theresidence; nitaram-extensively; na-not; reje-became illuminated;bhojendra-gehe-within the limits of the house of Kamsa; agni-sikhaiva-like the flames of a fire; ruddha-covered; sarasvati-knowledge;jnana-khale-in a person known as jfiana-khala, one who possessesknowledge but cannot distribute it; yatha-or just as; sati-so being.TRANSLATIONDevaki then kept within herself the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, the cause of all causes, the foundation of the entire cosmos,but because she was under arrest in the house of Kamsa, shewas like the flames of a fire covered by the walls of a pot, or like aperson who has knowledge but cannot distribute it to the worldfor the benefit of human society.

144 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2PURPORTIn this verse the word jfiiina-khala is most significant. Knowledge ismeant for distribution. Although there is already much scientific knowledge,whenever scientists or philosophers awaken to a particular type ofknowledge, they try to distribute it throughout the world, for otherwisethe knowledge gradually dries up and no one benefits from it. India hasthe knowledge of Bhagavad-gitii, but unfortunately, for some reason orother, this sublime knowledge of the science of God was not distributedthroughout the world, although it is meant for all of human society.Therefore Knn.ta Himself appeared as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and orderedall Indians to take up the cause of distributing the knowledge ofBhagavad-gita throughout the entire world.yare dekha, tare kaha 'krJJa '-upadesaamara ajfiiiya guru ha ii tara' ei desa"lstruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri 1.1a as they aregiven in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. In this way becomea spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land."(Cc. Madhya 7.128) Although India has the sublime knowledge ofBhagavad-gitii, Indians have not done their proper duty of distributingit. Now, therefore, the 1.1a consciousness movement has been set up todistribute this knowledge as it is, without distortion. Although previouslythere were attempts to distribute the knowledge of Bhagavadgitii,these attempts involved distortion and compromise with mundaneknowledge. But now the J.la consciousness movement, without mundanecompromises, is distributing Bhagavad-gita as it is, and people arederiving the benefits of awakening to 1.1a consciousness and becomingdevotees of Lord J.la. Therefore the proper distribution of knowledgehas begun by which not only will the whole world benefit, but India'sglory will be magnified in human society. Karhsa tried to arrest 1.1aconsciousness within his house (bhojendra-gehe), with the result thatKarhsa, with all his opulences, was later vanquished. Similarly, the realknowledge of Bhagavad-gita was being choked by unscrupulous Indianleaders, with the result that India's culture, and knowledge of theSupreme were being lost. Now, however, because 1.1a consciousness isspreading, the proper use of Bhagavad-gita is being attempted.

Text 20]Prayers by the Demigods145TEXT 20• ,A.. ... • •

146 Srimad-Bhigavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 2abhyutthanam adharmasyatadatmanam srjamy aham"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, 0 descendantof Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time Idescend Myself." In this age, at the present moment, there are inordinatediscrepancies in the discharge of human duties. Human life is meant forGod realization, but unfortunately the materialistic civilization is stressingonly the senses of the body, not understanding the living force withinthe body. As clearly stated in Bhagavad-gita (dehino 'smin yatha dehe),within the body is the body's proprietor, the living force, which is moreimportant. But human society has become so fallen that instead of understandingthe living force within the body, people have become busy withexternal things. This is a discrepancy in human duties. Therefore .l(r![!Qahas taken birth or taken shelter within the womb of the .l(r![!Qa consciousnessmovement. Men of Karhsa's class, therefore, are very much afraidand are busy trying to stop this movement, especially in the Westerncountries. One politician has remarked that the .l(r![!Qa consciousnessmovement is spreading like an epidemic and that if not checked immediately,within ten years it may capture governmental power. Thereis, of course, such potency in the .l(r![!Qa consciousness movement. Asstated by authorities (Cc. Adi 17.22), kali-kale nama-rupe kmwavatara:in this age, K![!Qa has appeared in the Hare .l(r![!Qa mahamantra.The .l(r![!Qa consciousness movement is spreading like wildfire allover the world, and it will go on doing so. Men who are like Karhsa arevery much afraid of the movement's progress and acceptance by theyounger generation, but as K![!Qa could not be killed by Karhsa, thismovement cannot be checked by men of Karhsa's class. The movementwill go on increasing more and more, provided the leaders of the movementremain firmly .l(r![!Qa conscious by following the regulative principlesand the primary activities of chanting the Hare .l(r![!Qa mantraregularly.TEXT 21 • (Oftif'il ;:sft WI mfiij ¥'i I

Text 21]Prayers by the Demigods147: (qwJ eN)sq: p;p.f (·: '' ''kim adya tasmin karar;tiyam asu meyad artha-tantro na vihanti vikramamstriya svasur gurumatya vadho yamya5a sriyam hanty anukalam ayukim-what; adya-now, immediately; tasmin-in this situation;karar;tiyam-is to he done; asu-without delay; me-my duty; yat-hecause;artha-tantra-the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is alwaysdetermined to protect the sadhus and kill the asadhus; na-doesnot; vihanti-give up; vikramam-His prowess; striya-of a woman;svasu-of my sister; guru-matyd-especially when she is pregnant;vadha ayam-the killing; ya5a-fame; sriyam-opulence; hantiwillvanquish; anukdlam-forever; ayu-and the duration of life.TRANSLATIONKamsa thought: What is my duty now? The Supreme Lord, whoknows His purpose [paritril;liya sidhunilh viniSiya ca dufkrtAm],will not give up His prowess. Devaki is a woman, she is my sister,and moreover she is now pregnant. If I kill her, my reputation,opulence and duration of life will certainly be vanquished.PURPORTAccording to Vedic principles, a woman, a brahmar;ta, an old man, achild and a cow should never he killed. It appears that Kamsa, although agreat enemy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was aware of theVedic culture and conscious of the fact that the soul transmigrates fromone body to another and that one suffers in the next life according to thekarmas of this life. Therefore he was afraid of killing Devaki, since shewas a woman, she was his sister, and she was pregnant. A k$atriya hecomesfamous by performing heroic acts. But what would he heroic aboutkilling a woman who, while confined in his custody, was under hisshelter? Therefore, he did not want to act drastically by killing Devaki.Karilsa's enemy was within Devaki's womb, hut killing an enemy in such

148 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2a nescient state would not be an exhibition of prowess. According tok$atriya rules, an enemy should be fought face to face and with properweapons. Then if the enemy is killed, the victor becomes famous. Karilsavery conscientiously deliberated upon these facts and therefore refrainedfrom killing Devaki, although he was completely confident that hisenemy had already appeared within her womb.'J TEXT 22 (1+q(tlsw:a"tim

Text 22]Prayers by the Demigods149region of hellish life because of his cruelty. It is said that a cruel personlike a butcher is advised not to live and not to die. While living, a cruelperson creates a hellish condition for his next birth, and therefore heshould not live; but he is also advised not to die, because after death hemust go to the darkest region of hell. Thus in either circumstance he iscondemned. Kamsa, therefore, having good sense about the science ofthe soul's transmigration, deliberately refrained from killing Devaki.In this verse the words ganta tamo 'ndham tanu-miinino dhruvam arevery important and require extensive understanding. Srila }iva Gosvami,in his Vary,ava-toa1Ji-!ika, says: tatra tanu-maninab, pdpina itidehatma-buddhyaiva papabhiniveso bhavati. One who lives in thebodily concept, thinking, "I am this body," involves himself, by the verynature of this conception, in a life of sinful activities. Anyone living insuch a conception is to be considered a candidate for hell.adanta-gobhir viSataril tamisrarilpunab, puna§ carvita-carva¢nam(Bhag. 7.5.30)One who is in a bodily concept of life has no control over sense gratification.Such a person can do anything sinful to eat, drink, be merry andenjoy a life of sense gratification, not knowing of the soul's transmigrationfrom one body to another. Such a person does whatever he likes,whatever he imagines, and therefore, being subject to the laws of nature,he suffers miserably again and again in different material bodies.yavat kriyas tavad idam mano vaikarmiitmakam yena sarira-bandhab(Bhag. 5.5.5)In the bodily concept of life, a person is karmiinubandha, or conditionedby karma, and as long as the mind is absorbed in karma, one must accepta material body. Sarira-bandha, bondage to the material body, is a sourceof misery (klesa-da).na sadhu manye yata atmano yamasann api klesada dsa dehab-

150 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2Although the body is temporary, it always gives one trouble in manyways, but human civilization is now unfortunately based on tanu-mdni,the bodily concept of life, by which one thinks, "I belong to this nation,""I belong to this group," "I belong to that group," and so on. Each of ushas his own ideas, and we are becoming increasingly involved, individually,socially, communally and nationally, in the complexities ofkarmdnubandha, sinful activities. For the maintenance of the body, menare killing so many other bodies and becoming implicated in karmdnubandha.Therefore Srila }iva Gosvami says that tanu-mdni,those in the bodily concept of life, are pdpi, sinful persons. For such sinfulpersons, the ultimate destination is the darkest region of hellish life(gantii tamo 'ndham). In particular, a person who wants to maintain hisbody by killing animals is most sinful and cannot understand the valueof spiritual life. In Bhagavad-gitii (16.19-20) the Lord says:tan aham dvata/:t kraransarhsiireu naradhamdnipdmy ajasram a5ubhiiniisurv eva yonuiisuriril yonim iipanniimat;lhii janmani janmanimam aprapyaiva kaunteyatato yanty adhamam gatim"Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest amongmen, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into variousdemoniac species of life. Attaining repeated birth among the species ofdemoniac life, such persons can never approach Me. Gradually they sinkdown to the most abominable type of existence." A human being ismeant to understand the value of human life, which is a boon obtainedafter many, many births. Therefore one must free oneself from tanumdni,the bodily concept of life, and realize the Supreme Personality ofGodhead.TEXT 23 t:it(('l¥(1{ fiilt: m q: 1 std\4 .. q l(lw-id 1111

Text 24]Prayers by the Demigods151iti ghoratamad bhavatsannivrtta(t svayam prabhu(tiiste pratiarils taj-janmaharer vairanubandha-krtiti-thus (thinking in the above-mentioned way); ghora-tamiitbhiivat-from the most ghastly contemplation of how to kill his sister;sannivrtta(t-refrained; svayam-personally deliberating; prabhu(t­one who was in full knowledge (Karhsa); iiste-remained; pratianawaitingthe moment; tat-janma-until the birth of Him; hare(t-ofthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari; vaira-anubandha-krtdeterminedto continue such enmity.TRANSLATIONSukadeva Gosvimi said: Deliberating in this way, Kamsa, althoughdetermined to continue in enmity toward the SupremePersonality of Godhead, refrained from the vicious killing of hissister. He decided to wait until the Lord was born and then do whatwas needed.TEXT 243TRft;r: ('{jgW{ : IP-:.::::mui iJijqqd\ 110{11iisina(t samviSarils tthanbhufijana(t paryatan mahimcintayano hr$ikesamapa.Syat tanmayam jagatiisina(l-while sitting comfortably in his sitting room or on thethrone; samviSan-or lying on his bed; tthan-or staying anywhere;bhufijana(t-while eating; paryatan-while walking or moving;mahim-on the ground, going hither and thither; cintayana(t-alwaysinimically thinking of; hr$ikesam-the Supreme Personality of Godhead,the controller of everything; apa.Syat-observed; tat-mayamconsistingof Him (.K_rQa), and nothing more; jagat-the entire world.

152 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2TRANSLATIONWhile sitting on his throne or in his sitting room, while lying onhis bed, or, indeed, while situated anywhere, and while eating,sleeping or walking, Kamsa saw only his enemy, the SupremeLord, Hrfilikesa. In other words, by thinking of his all-pervadingenemy, Kamsa became unfavorably fila conscious.PURPORTSrila Rupa Gosvami has described the finest pattern of devotional serviceas anukulyena km;-anu§ilanam, or cultivating Knn;ta cosciousnessfavorably. Kamsa, of course, was also Kra conscious, but because heregarded Kra as his enemy, even though he was fully absorbed inKra consciousness, his Kra consciousness was not favorable for hisexistence. Kra consciousness, favorably cultivated, makes one completelyhappy, so much so that a Kra conscious person does not considerkaivalya-sukham, or merging into the existence of Kra, to be agreat gain. Kaivalyam narakiiyate. For a Kra conscious person, evenmerging into the existence of Kra, or Brahman, as impersonalistsaspire to do, is uncomfortable. Kaivalyam narakiiyate tridaSa-pilrakiiSa-pU§payate. Karmis hanker to be promoted to the heavenly planets,but a Kra conscious person considers such promotion a will-o' -thewisp,good for nothing. Durddntendriya-kiila-sarpa-pa!ali protkhatadari'J.§!riiyate.Yogis try to control their senses and thus become happy,but a Kra conscious person neglects the methods of yga. He is unconcernedwith the greatest of enemies, the senses, which are compared tosnakes. For a .Kra conscious person who is cultivating Kra consciousnessfavorably, the happiness conceived by the karmis, jfidnis and yogisis treated as less than a fig. Kamsa, however, because of cultivating.Kra consciousness in a different way-that is, inimically-wasuncomfortable in all the affairs of his life; whether sitting, sleeping,walking or eating, he was always in danger. This is the difference betweena devotee and a nondevotee. A nondevotee or atheist also cultivatesGod consciousness-by trying to avoid God in everything. For example,so-called scientists who want to create life by a combination of chemicalsregard the external, material elements as supreme. Such scientists do notlike the idea that life is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. As clearly

Text 25] Prayers by the Demigods 153stated in Bhagavad-gitd (mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhuta/:l}, the livingentities do not arise from a combination of material elements, such asearth, water, air and fire, but are separated portions of the Supreme Personalityof Godhead. If one can understand the position of the living entityas a separated portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bystudying the nature of the living entity one can understand the nature ofthe Supreme Godhead, since the living entity is a fragmental sample ofthe Godhead. But because atheists are not interested in God consciousness,they try to be happy by cultivating I}.a consciousness in variousunfavorable ways.Although Karhsa was always absorbed in thoughts of Hari, theSupreme Personality of Godhead, he was not happy. A devotee, however,whether sitting on a throne or beneath a tree, is always happy. Srila RupaGosvami resigned from office as a government minister to sit beneath atree, yet he was happy. Tyaktvd turr:wm a§ea-mar:u},alapati-sreJ-iril sadatucchavat ($at;l-gosvamy-!aka 4). He did not care for his comfortableposition as minister; he was happy even beneath a tree in Vrndavana,favorably serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the differencebetween a devotee and a nondevotee. For a nondevotee, iheworld is full of problems, whereas for a devotee the entire world is full ofhappiness.viSvam purr:w-sukhayate vidhi-mahendradiS ca ki!dyateyat-karuJ-ya-ka!da-vaibhavavatdril tam gauram eva stuma(Caitanya-candramrta 95)This comfortable position of a devotee can be established by the mercy ofLord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Yasmin sthito na dukhena guru1J,dpivicalyate (Bg. 6.22). Even when a devotee is superficially put into greatdifficulty, he is never disturbed.TEXT 25;mT :1: : ftffliEIIJla:StWJ: II

154 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 2brahma bhava§ ca tatraityamunibhir naradadibhi/:ldevai/:l sanucarai/:l sakamgirbhir vram ait;layanbrahma-the supreme four-headed demigod; bhava/:l ca-and LordSiva; tatra-there; etya-arriving; munibhi/:l-accompanied by greatsages; narada-adibhi/:t-by Narada and others; devai/:t-and bydemigods like lndra, Candra and Varu1,1a; sa-anucarai/:t-with theirfollowers; sakam-all together; girbhi/:l-by their transcendentalprayers; vram-the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who canbestow blessings upon everyone; ait;layan-pleased.TRANSLATIONLord Brahmi and Lord Siva, accompanied by great sages likeNirada, Devala and Vyasa and by other demigods like lndra,Candra and V arul_la, invisibly approached the room of Devaki,where they all joined in offering their respectful obeisances andprayers to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who canbestow blessings upon everyone.PURPORTDvau bhuta-sargau loke 'smin daiva asura eva ca (Padma Pura).There are two classes of men-the daivas and the asuras- and there is agreat difference between them. Karhsa, being an asura, was always planning-how to kill the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His mother,Devaki. Thus he was also 1

Text 26] Prayers by the Demigods 155means that Narada and the demigods were accompanied by other saintlypersons, like Sanaka and Sanatana, all of whom came to congratulate orwelcome the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even though Kamsa wasplanning to kill Devaki, he too awaited the arrival of the Supreme Personalityof Godhead (pratiams taj-janma).ijft"!!€if'ft"llTEXT 26. . t4r.:i-6 ,.,. ij€i( ij\44fl6ij€ifsi·s•= "'. ... :s: : IIsatya-vratam satya-param tri-satyamsatyasya yonim nihitam ca satyesatyasya satyam rta-satya-netramsatyatmakam tvam sarar;wm prapanna/:1,satya-vratam-the Personality of Godhead, who never deviates fromHis vow;* satya-param-who is the Absolute Truth (as stated in thebeginning of Sri,.,;oo-Bhagavatam, satyam param dhimahi); trisatyam-Heis always present as the Absolute Truth, before the creationof this cosmic manifestation, during its maintenance, and even after itsannihilation; satyasya-of all relative truths, which are emanationsfrom the Absolute Truth, .l(rJ}.a; yonim-the cause; nihitam-entered;tca-and; satye-in the factors that create this material world(namely, the :five elements-earth, water, :fire, air and ether);satyasya-of all that is accepted as the truth; satyam-the Lord is theoriginal truth; rta-satya-netram-He is the origin of whatever truth ispleasing (sunetram); satya-dtmakam -everything pertaining to theLord is truth (sac-cid-ananda: His body is truth, His knowledge is truth,*The Lord vows: yada yada hi dharmasya l! ldnir bhavati bharata/ abhyutthanamadharmasya tadatmanarh srjdmy a ham (Bg. 4. 7). To honor this vow, the Lord appeared.tThe Lord enters everythin , even the atom: al;l

156 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2and His pleasure is truth); tvam-unto You, 0 Lord; saram-offeringour full surrender; prapannab,-we are completely under Yourprotection.TRANSLATIONThe demigods prayed: 0 Lord, You never deviate from Yourvow, which is always perfect because whatever You decide is perfectlycorrect and cannot be stopped by anyone. Being present inthe three phases of cosmic manifestation-creation, maintenanceand annihilation-You are the Supreme Truth. Indeed, unless oneis completely truthful, one cannot achieve Your favor, whichtherefore cannot be achieved by hypocrites. You are the activeprinciple, the real truth, in all the ingredients of creation, andtherefore you are known as antaryiimi, the inner force. You areequal to everyone, and Your instructions apply for everyone, forall time. You are the beginning of all truth. Therefore, offeringour obeisances, we surrender unto You. Kindly give us protection.PURPORTThe demigods or devotees know perfectly well that the Supreme Personalityof Godhead is the true substance, whether within this materialworld or in the spiritual world. Srimad-Bhagavatam begins, therefore,with the words om namo bhagavate viisudevaya ... satyam paramdhimahi. Vasudeva, l(rQa, is the param satyam, the Supreme Truth.The Supreme Truth can be approached or understood by the suprememethod, as declared by the Supreme Truth: bhaktya mam abhijanatiyavan ya§ ciismi tattvata/:t (Bg. 18.55). Bhakti, devotional service, is theonly way to understand the Absolute Truth. For protection, therefore,the demigods surrender to the Supreme Truth, not to the relative truth.There are persons who worship various demigods, but the SupremeTruth, Kr1.1a, declares in Bhagavad-gita (7.23), antavat tu phalamte$dm tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam: "Men of small intelligence worshipthe demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary:" Worship ofdemigods may be useful for a limited time, but the result is antavat,perishable. This material world is impermanent, the demigods are impermanent,and the benedictions derived from the demigods are also impermanent,whereas the living entity is eternal (nityo nityanam cetana§

Text 26] Prayers by the Demigods 157cetandnam). Every living entity, therefore, must search for eternal happiness,not temporary happiness. The words satyam param dhimahi indicatethat one should search for the Absolute Truth, not the relativetruth.While offering prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead,N:rsirilhadeva, Prahlada Maharaja said:balasya neha sarar:uzm pitarau nrsimhandrtasya cagadam udanvati majjato nauGenerally it is understood that the protectors for a child are his parents,but this is not actually the fact. The real protector is the SupremePersonality of Godhead.taptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihdfijase'astavad vibho tanu-bhrtam tvad-upe/cyitanam(Bhag. 7.9.19)If neglected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a child, despite thepresence of his parents, will suffer, and a diseased person, despite allmedical help, will die. In this material world, where there is a strugglefor existence, men have invented many means for protection, but theseare useless if the Supreme Personality of Godhead rejects them.Therefore the demigods purposefully say, satyatmakam tvam sarar:uzmprapannd: "Real protection can be obtained from You, 0 Lord, andtherefore we surrender unto You."The Lord demands that one surrender unto Him (sarva-dharmanparityajya mam ekam sarar:wm vraja), and He further says:sakrd eva prapanno yastavasmiti ca yacateabhayam sarvada tasmaidadamy etad vratam mama"If one surrenders unto Me sincerely, saying, 'My Lord, from this day Iam fully surrendered unto You,' I always give him protection. That is Myvow." (Ramayar:uz, Yuddha-kar;u;la 18.33) The demigods offered their

158 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead because He had now appearedin the womb of His devotee Devaki to protect all the devoteesharassed by Karilsa and his lieutenants. Thus the Lord acts as satyavrata.The protection given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannotbe compared to the protection given by the demigods. It is said thatRava1,1a was a great devotee of Lord Siva, but when Lord Ramacandrawent to kill him, Lord Siva could not give him protection.Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, accompanied by great sages like Naradaand followed by many other demigods, had now invisibly appeared in thehouse of Karilsa. They began to pray for the Supreme Personality of Godheadin select prayers which are very pleasing to the devotees and whichaward fulfillment of devotional desires. The first words they spoke acclaimedthat the Lord is true to His vow. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita,Kr1,1a descends upon this material world just to protect the pious anddestroy the impious. That is His vow. The demigods could understandthat the Lord had taken His residence within the womb of Devaki tofulfill this vow. They were very glad that the Lord was appearing tofulfill His mission, and they addressed Him as satyam param, or theSupreme Absolute Truth.Everyone is searching after the truth. That is the philosophical way oflife. The demigods give information that the Supreme Absolute Truth isKr1,1a. One who becomes fully Kr1,1a conscious can attain the AbsoluteTruth. Kr1,1a is the Absolute Truth. Relative truth is not truth in all thethree phases of eternal time. Time is divided into past, present andfuture. Kr1,1a is Truth always, past, present and future. In the materialworld, everything is being controlled by supreme time, in the course ofpast, present and future. But before the creation, Kr1,1a was existing,and when there is creation, everything is resting in Kr1,1a, and when thiscreation is finished, Kr1,1a will remain. Therefore, He is Absolute Truthin all circumstances. If there is any truth within this material world, itemanates from the Supreme Truth, Kr1,1a. If there is any opulencewithin this material world, the cause of the opulence is Kr1,1a. If there isany reputation within this material world, the cause of the reputation isKr1,1a. If there is any strength within this material world, the cause ofsuch strength is KrJ,la. If there is any wisdom and education within thismaterial world, the cause of such wisdom and education is Kr1,1a.Therefore Kr1,1a is the source of all relative truths.

Text 26] Prayers by the Demigods 159Devotees, therefore, following in the footsteps of Lord Brahma, pray,govindam adi-puraril tam aharil bhajami, worshiping the adi-pura,the supreme truth, Govinda. Everything, everywhere, is performed interms of three principles, jnana-bala-kriya -knowledge, strength andactivity. In every field, if there is not full knowledge, full strength andfull activity, an endeavor is never successful. Therefore, if one wantssuccess in everything, one must he hacked by these three principles. Inthe Vedas (Svetasvatara Upanad 6.8) there is this statement about theSupreme Personality of Godhead:na tasya kdryaril karar;r.aril ca vidyatena tat sama.S cabhyadhikaS ca drsyateparasya saktir vividhaiva sruyatesvabhdviki jnana-bala-kriya caThe Supreme Personality of Godhead does not need to do anything personally,for He has su'ch potencies that anything He wants done will hedone perfectly well through the control of material nature (svabhdvikijnana-bala-kriya ca). Similarly, those who are engaged in the service ofthe Lord are not meant to struggle for existence. The devotees who arefully engaged in spreading the .KrJ.la consciousness movement, morethan ten thousand men and women all over the world, have no steady orpermanent occupation, yet we actually see that they are .maintained veryopulently. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gitd (9.22):ananyas cintayanto mdrilye jand}:r. paryupasatetedril nityabhiyuktanarilyoga-k$emaril vahamy aham"For those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My transcendentalform, I carry to them what they lack and preserve what theyhave." The devotees have no anxiety over what will happen next, wherethey will stay or what they will eat, for everything is maintained andsupplied by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has promised,kaunteya pratijdnihi na me bhakta}:r. prar;r.a§yati: "0 son of Kunti,

160 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes." (Bg. 9.31) From allangles of vision, therefore, in all circumstances, if one fully surrendersunto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no question of one'sstruggling for existence. In this connection, the commentary by SripiidaMadhviiciirya, who quotes from the Tantra-bhagavata, is verymeaningful:sac-chadba uttamam bruyiidiinandantiti vai vadetyetijnanam samuddtampun:uinanda-drsis tataattrtviic ca tadii diiniitsatyiittya cocyate vibhuExplaining the words satyasya yonim, Srila Visvanatha CakravartiThakura says that K{;ta is the avatiiri, the origin of all incarnations. Allincarnations are the Absolute Truth, yet the Supreme Personality ofGodhead K{;ta is the origin of all incarnations. Diparcir eva hi daSantaramabhyupetya dipiiyate (Brahma-samhitii 5.46). There may bemany lamps, all equal in power, yet there is a first lamp, a second lamp, athird lamp and so on. Similarly, there are many incarnations, who arecompared to lamps, but the first lamp, the original Personality of Godhead,is K{;ta. Govindam iidi-puram tam aham bhajami.The demigods must offer worship in obedience to the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, but one might argue that since the Supreme Godheadwas within the womb of Devaki, He was also coming in a materialbody. Why then should He be worshiped? Why should one make a distinctionbetween an ordinary living entity and the Supreme Personalityof Godhead? These questions are answered in the following verses.•• :LUI 2JsmTEXT 27i§:t6e¥t-: qifft:

Text 27]Prayers by the Demigods161a• I! Fclatil:sxa_ .. Aekayano 'sau dvi-phalas tri-mulaScatu-rasal) pafica-vidhal) a(l-atmasapta-tvag a-vita,po navaodaSa-cchadi dvi-khago hy adi-vra/:teka-ayanal)-the body of an ordinary living being is fully dependenton the material elements; asau-that; dvi-phalal)-in this body we aresubject to material happiness and distress, which result from karma; trimulal)-havingthree roots, the three modes of nature (goodness, passionand ignorance), upon which the body is created; catu/:t-rasal)-fourrasas, or tastes;* pafica-vidhal)-consisting of five senses for acquiringknowledge (the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and touch); a1-atma-sixcircumstances (lamentation, illusion, old age, death, hunger and thirst);sapta-tvak-having seven coverings (skin, blood, muscle, fat, bone,marrow and semen); a-vi!apal)-eight branches (the five gross elements-earth,water, fire, air and ether-and also the mind, intelligenceand ego); nava-aa1)-nine holes; daSa-chQ,di-ten kinds of life air,resembling the leaves of a tree; dvi-khaga/:t-two birds (the individualsoul and the Supersoul); hi-indeed; adi-vra/:t-this is the originaltree or construction of the material body, whether individual oruniversal.TRANSLATIONThe body [the total body and the individual body are of the samecomposition] may figuratively be called "the original tree." Fromthis tree, which fully depends on the ground of material nature,come two kinds of fruit-the enjoyment of happiness and thesuffering of distress. The cause of the tree, forming its three roots,is association with the three modes of material nature-goodness,• As the root of a tree extracts water (rasa) from the earth, the body tastes dharma,artha, kama and moa-religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation.These are four kinds of rasa, or taste.

162 Srimad-Bhiigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2passion and ignorance. The fruits of bodily happiness have fourtastes-religiosity, economic development, sense gratification andliberation-which are experienced through five senses for acquiringknowledge in the midst of six circumstances: lamentation, illusion,old age, death, hunger and thirst. The seven layers of barkcovering the tree are skin, blood, muscle, fat, bone, marrow and· semen, and the eight branches of the tree are the five gross andthree subtle elements-earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligenceand false ego. The tree of the body has nine hollows-theeyes, the ears, the nostrils, the mouth, the rectum and thegenitals-and ten leaves, the ten airs passing through the body. Inthis tree of the body there are two birds: one is the individual soul,and the other is the Supersoul.PURPORTThis material world is composed of five principal elements-earth,water, fire, air and ether-all of which are emanations from a. Althoughmaterialistic scientists may accept these five primary elements asthe cause of the material manifestation, these elements in their gross andsubtle states are produced by a, whose marginal potency also producesthe living entities working within this material world. The SeventhChapter of Bhagavad-gitt'i clearly states that the entire cosmic manifestationis a combination of two of K:ra's energies-the superior energyand the inferior energy. The living entities are the superior energy, andthe inanimate material elements are His inferior energy. In the dormantstage, everything rests in a.Material scientists cannot give such a thorough analysis of the materialstructure of the body. The analysis of the material scientists concerns itselfonly with inanimate matter, but this is inadequate because the livingentity is completely separate from the material bodily structure. InBhagavad-gitt'i (7.5) the Lord says:apareyam itas tv anyt'irilprakrtiril viddhi me part'imjiva-bhataril maht'i-bt'ihoyayedaril dharyate jagat

Text 27] Pra y ers b y the Demigods 163"Besides this inferior nature, 0 mighty-armed Arjuna, there is asuperior energy of Mine, which consists of all the living entities who arestruggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe." Althoughthe material elements emanate from the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, :Kr?I;ta, they are separated elements and are sustained by theliving elements.As indicated by the word dvi-khagab,, the living elements within thebody resemble two birds in a tree. Kha means "sky," and ga means "onewho Hies." Thus the word dvi-khagab, refers to birds. In the tree of thebody there are two birds, or two living elements, and they are always different.In Bhagavad-gitii (13.3), the Lord says, etra-jnam ciipi miimviddhi sarva-etreu bhiirata: "0 scion of Bharata, you should understandthat I am also the knower in all bodies." The etra-jna, the ownerof the body, is also called the khaga, the living entity. Within the bodythere are two such etra-jrias -the individual soul and the Supersoul.The individual soul is the owner of his individual body, but the Supersoulis present within the bodies of all living entities. Such a thoroughanalysis and understanding of the bodily structure cannot be obtainedanywhere but in the Vedic literature.When two birds enter a tree, one may foolishly think that the birds becomeone or merge with the tree, but actually they do not. Rather, eachbird keeps its individual identity. Similarly, the individual soul and theSupersoul do not become one, nor do they merge with matter. The livingentity lives close to matter, but this does not mean that he merges ormixes with it (asarigo hy ayam purab-}, although material scientistsmistakenly see the organic and inorganic, or animate and inanimate, tobe mixed.Vedic knowledge has been kept imprisoned or concealed, but everyhuman being needs to understand it in truth. The modern civilization ofignorance is simply engaged in analyzing the body, and thus people cometo the erroneous conclusion that the living force within the body isgenerated under certain material conditions. People have no informationof the soul, but this verse gives the perfect explanation that there are twoliving forces (dvi-khaga): the individual soul and the Supersoul. TheSupersoul is present in every body (iSvarab, sarva-bhataniim hrd-dese'rjuna t!hati), whereas the individual soul is situated only in· his ownbody (dehi) and is transmigrating from one body to another.

164 Srimad-Bhigavatam(Canto 10, Ch. 2TEXT 28 q : -• '4( I. .. qp:p.uijtft tt('tT. ;n;t'T WI mf lJ IItvam eka evasya satal; prasatistvarh sannidhanarh tvam anugrahaS catvan-mdyayd samvrta-cetasas tvdrhpilSyanti nand na vipl1Scito yetvam-You (0 Lord); eka/;-being one without a second, You areeverything; eva-indeed; asya satal;-of this cosmic manifestation nowvisible; prasutil;-the original source; tvam-Your Lordship; sannidhanam-theconservation of all such energy when everything is annihilated;tvam-Your Lordship; anugrahal; ca-and the maintainer;tvat-mayayd-by Your illusory, external energy; samvrta-cetasal;thosewhose intelligence is covered by such illusory energy; tvdm-untoYou; pl1Syanti-observe; nand-many varieties; na-not; vipl1Scital;-1earned scholars or devotees; ye-who are.TRANSLATIONThe efficient cause of this material world, manifested with itsmany varieties as the original tree, is You, 0 Lord. You are also themaintainer of this material world, and after annihilation You arethe one in whom everything is conserved. Those who are coveredby Your external energy cannot see You behind this manifestation,but theirs is not the vision of learned devotees.PURPORTVarious demigods, beginning from Lord Brahmii, Lord Siva and evenViQu, are supposed to be the creator, maintainer and annihilator of thismaterial world, but actually they are not. The fact is that everything isthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, manifested in varieties of energy.Ekam evadvitiyam brahma. There is no second existence. Those who are

Text 28] Prayers by the Demigods 165truly vipa.Scit, learned, are those who have reached the platform ofunderstanding and observing the Supreme Personality of Godhead inany condition of life. Premafijana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santa/:f,sadaiva hrdayeu vilokayanti (Brahma-samhitd 5.38). Learned devoteesaccept even conditions of distress as representing the presence of theSupreme Lord. When a devotee is in distress, he sees that the Lord hasappeared as distress just to relieve or purify the devotee from the contaminationof the material world. While one is within this materialworld, one is in various conditions, and therefore a devotee sees a conditionof distress as but another feature of the Lord. Tat te 'nukampdmsusamiamar;w/:l (Bhdg. 10.14.8). A devotee, therefore, regards distressas a great favor of the Lord because he understands that he is beingcleansed of contamination. Tedm aham samuddhartd mrtyu-samsdrasagardt(Bg. 12.7). The appearance of distress is a negative process intendedto give the devotee relief from this material world, which is calledmrtyu-sarhsdra, or the constant repetition of birth and death. To save asurrendered soul from repeated birth and death, the Lord purifies him ofcontamination by offering him a little distress. This cannot be understoodby a nondevotee, but a devotee can see this because he is vipa§cit, orlearned. A nondevotee, therefore, is perturbed in distress, but a devoteewelcomes distress as another feature of the Lord. Sarvam khalv idambrahma. A devotee can actually see that there is only the Supreme Personalityof Godhead and no second entity. Ekam evddvitiyam. There isonly the Lord, who presents Himself in different energies.Persons who are not in real knowledge think that Brahma is the creator,Vi1,1u the maintainer and Siva the annihilator and that the differentdemigods are intended to fulfill diverse purposes. Thus they creatediverse purposes and worship various demigods to have these purposesfulfilled (kdmais tais tair hrta-jfiana/:f, prapadyante 'nya-devata/:f,). Adevotee, however, knows that these various demigods are but differentparts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that these parts neednot be worshiped. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gitd (9.23):ye 'py anya-devatd bhaktayajante sraddhayanvitd/:f,te 'pi mdm eva kaunteyayajanty avidhi-purvakam

166 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2"Whatever a man may sacrifice to other gods, 0 son of Kunti, is reallymeant for Me alone, but it is offered without true understanding." Thereis no need to worship the demigods, for this is avidhi, not in order.Simply by surrendering oneself at the lotus feet of 1,1a, one can completelydischarge one's duties; there is no need to worship various deitiesor demigods. These various divinities are observed by the mal},has, fools,who are bewildered by the three modes of material nature (tribhirgur.wmayair bhavair ebhib, sarvam idam jagat). Such fools cannotunderstand that the real source of everything is the Supreme Personalityof Godhead (mohitam nabhijanati mdm ebhyab, param avyayam). Notbeing disturbed by the Lord's various features, one should concentrateupon and worship the Supreme Lord (mam ekam sarar:wm vraja). Thisshould be the guiding principle of one's life.TEXT 29finlfif q lf:4ij(i 3lmT W "i'Hl'q(We*tlqqasnPl Wi1lf4(lfi{('(mot 8!: r.:nt{_ 11';(11bibhari rupd1J.y avabodha dtmdemdya lokasya cardcarasyasattvopapannani sukhavahanisatdm abhadra7J.i muhub, khaldnambibhari-You accept; rapd7J.i-varieties of forms, such as Matsya,Klirma, Varaha, Rama and Nrsimha; avabodhab, dtmd-in spite of havingdifferent incarnations, You remain the Supreme, full of knowledge;emdya-for the benefit of everyone, and especially the devotees;lokasya-of all living entities; cara-acarasya-moving and nonmoving;sattva-upapannani-all such incarnations are transcendental (suddhasattva);sukha-avahani-full of transcendental bliss; satdm-of thedevotees; abhadrd7J.i-a11 inauspiciousness or annihilation; muhub,againand again; khalanam-of the nondevotees.

Text 30] Prayers by the Demigods 167TRANSLATION0 Lord, You are always in full knowledge, and to bring all goodfortune to all living entities, You appear in different incarnations,all of them transcendental to the material creation. When You appearin these incarnations, You are pleasing to the pious andreligious devotees, but for nondevotees You are the annihilator.PURPORTThis verse explains why the Supreme Personality of Godhead appearsas an incarnation again and again. The incarnations of the Supreme Personalityof Godhead all function differently, but their main purpose isparitrlltpiya sadhanam vinasaya ca dkrtam-to protect the devoteesand annihilate the miscreants. Yet even though the dkrtis, ormiscreants, are annihilated, this is ultimately good for them.TEXT 30ul"i'llaJI RccH+?.ITfl;:rro11ij%;11:0 I d I qJq iftq llolltvayy ambujaakhila-sattva-dhamnisamadhinavesita-cetasaiketvat-pada-potena mahat-krtenakurvanti govatsa-padam bhavabdhimtvayl-m You; ambhuja-aa-0 lotus-eyed Lord; akhila-sattvadhamni-whoare the original cause of all existence, from whom everythingemanates and in whom all potencies reside; samadhina-byconstant meditation and complete absorption (in thoughts of You, theSupreme Personality of Godhead); ave5ita-fully absorbed, fullyengaged; cetasa-but by such a mentality; eke-the one process of alwaysthinking of Your lotus feet; tvat-pada-potena-by boarding such aboat as Your lotus feet; mahat-krtena-by that action which is

168 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto I 0, Ch. 2considered the most powerful original existence or which is executed bymahdjanas; kurvanti -they make; govatsa-padam -like the hoofprintof a calf; bhava-abdhim-the great ocean of nescience.TRANSLATION0 lotus-eyed Lord, by concentrating one's meditation on Yourlotus feet, which are the reservoir of all existence, and by acceptingthose lotus feet as the boat by which to cross the ocean of nescience,one follows in the footsteps of mahijanas [great saints,sages and devotees]. By this simple process, one can cross theocean of nescience as easily as one steps over the hoof print of acaH.PURPORTThe true mission in life is to cross the ocean of nescience, of repeatedbirth and death. Those in the darkness of ignorance, however, do notknow this mission. Instead, being carried away by the waves of materialnature (prakrte/:l kriyamar;uini guTJ-ai/:l karmar:ti sarva$a/:l), they areundergoing the tribulations of mrtyu-sarhsara-vartmani, repeated birthand death. But persons who have achieved knowledge by the associationof devotees follow the mahdjanas (mahat-krtena). Such a person alwaysconcentrates his mind upon the lotus feet of the Lord and executes one ormore of the nine varieties of devotional service (sravanam kirtanamv/:l smara7J.aril pada-sevanam). Simply by this process, one can crossthe insurmountable ocean of nescience.Devotional service is powerful in any form. Sri-v/:l sravar:tepariid abhavad vaiyasaki/:l kirtane (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.265).According to this verse, Maharaja Parikit became liberated by fully concentratinghis mind on hearing the Lord's holy name, attributes andpastimes. Similarly, Sukadeva Gosvami simply glorified the Lord, and byspeaking on the subject matters of :Krt;ta that constitute the entireSrimad-Bhagavatam, he too was liberated. One may also be liberatedsimply by sakhya, friendly behavior with the Lord. Such is the power ofdevotional service, as we learn from the examples set by the Lord's manypure devotees.

Text 30]Prayers by the Demigods169svayambhar ntlradab, sambhub,kumarab, kapilo manub,prahlado janako bhmobalir vaiyasakir vayam(Bhag. 6.3.20)We have to follow in the footsteps of such devotees, for by this one easyprocess one can cross the great ocean of nescience just as one might crossa small hole created by the hoof of a calf.Here the Lord is described as ambujalcya, or lotus-eyed. By seeing theeyes of the Lord, which are compared to lotus flowers, one becomes sosatisfied that one does not want to turn his eyes to anything else. Simplyby seeing the transcendental form of the Lord, a devotee is at oncefully absorbed in the Lord in his heart. This absorption is calledsamadhi. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pa5yanti yam yoginab,(Bhag. 12.13.1). A yogi is fully absorbed in thoughts of the SupremePersonality of Godhead, for he has no other business than to think of theLord always within the heart. It is also said:samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavammahat-padam pu1Jya-ya5o murareb,bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padampadam padam yad vipadam na team"For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who isthe shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murari, theenemy of the demon Mura, the ocean of the material world is like thewater contained in a calf's hoofprint. His goal is param padam, orVaikui.J.tha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the placewhere there is danger at every step." (Bhag. 10.14.58) This process isrecommended here by authorities like Lord Brahma and Lord Siva(svayambhar naradab, sambhub,), and therefore we must take to thisprocess in order to transcend nescience. This is very easy, but we mustfollow in the footsteps of great personalities, and then success will bepossible.In regard to the word mahat-krtena, it is also significant that the

170 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2process shown by great devotees is not only for them but also for others.If things are made easy, this affords facility for the person who has madethem easy and also for others who follow the same principles. The processrecommended in this verse for crossing the ocean of nescience iseasy not only for the devotee but also for common persons who follow thedevotee (mahajano yena gata sa panthaM.TEXT 31 Ft .."''4'""' qa;l .. +fiqqmoo: ' : w.::!J:ifit II IIsvayaril samuttirya sudustararil dyumanbhavarry,avaril bhimam adabhra-sauhrdabhavat-padambhoruha-navam atra tenidhaya yata sad-anugraho bhavansvayam-personally; samuttirya-perfectly crossing; su-dustaramwhichis very difficult to cross; dyuman-0 Lord, who appear exactlylike the sun, illuminating the darkness of this world of ignorance;bhava-arry,avam-the ocean of nescience; bhimam-which is extremelyfierce; adabhra-sauhrda-devotees who are incessantly friendly to thefallen souls; bhavat-pada-ambhoruha-Your lotus feet; navam-theboat for crossing; atra-in this world; te-they (the VaiI).avas);nidhaya-leaving behind; yata-on to the ultimate destination,VaikuQtha; sat-anugraha-who are always kind and merciful to thedevotees; bhavan-You.TRANSLATION0 Lord, who resemble the shining sun, You are always ready tofulfill the desire of You'r devotee, and therefore You are known asa desire tree [viiichi-kalpataru]. When iciryas completely takeshelter under Your lotus feet in order to cross the fierce ocean ofnescience, they leave behind on earth the method by which they

Text 31] Prayers by the Demigods 171cross, and because You are very merciful to Your other devotees,You accept this method to help them.PURPORTThis statement reveals how the merciful acdryas and the mercifulSupreme Personality of Godhead together help the serious devotee whowants to return home, back to Godhead. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in Histeachings to Rupa Gosvami, said:brahmd1J4a, bhramite kona bhagyavdn jivaguru-kmw-prasade pa:ya bhakti-latd-bija(Cc. Madhya 19.151)One can achieve the seed of bhakti-latd, devotional service, by the mercyof guru and K:rIJa. The duty of the guru is to find the means, accordingto the time, the circumstances and the candidate, by which one can be inducedto render devotional service, which KniJa accepts from a candidatewho wants to be successful in going back home, back to Godhead.Mter wandering throughout the universe, a fortunate person within thismaterial world seeks shelter of such a guru, or acarya, who trains thedevotee in the suitable ways to render service according to the circumstancesso that the Supreme Personality of Godhead will accept theservice. This makes it easier for the candidate to reach the ultimatedestination. The dcdrya 's duty, therefore, is to find the means by whichdevotees may render service according to references from sastra. RiipaGosvami, for example, in order to help subsequent devotees, publishedsuch devotional books as Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. Thus it is the duty ofthe acarya to publish books that will help future candidates take up themethod of service and become eligible to return home, back to Godhead,by the mercy of the Lord. In our K:rIJa consciousness movement, thissame path is being prescribed and followed. Thus the devotees have beenadvised to refrain from four sinful activities-illicit sex, intoxication,meat-eating and gambling-and to chant sixteen rounds a day. These arebona fide instructions. Because in the Western countries constant chantingis not possible, one should not artificially imitate Haridasa Thakura,but should follow this method. K:rIJa will accept a devotee who strictly

172 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2follows the regulative principles and the method prescribed in thevarious books and literatures published by the authorities. The acaryagives the suitable method for crossing the ocean of nescience by acceptingthe boat of the Lord's lotus feet, and if this method is strictlyfollowed, the followers will ultimately reach the destination, by the graceof the Lord. This method is called acarya-sampradaya. It is thereforesaid, sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nphala mata/:l (PadmaPura1J-(l). The acarya-sampradaya is strictly bona :fide. Therefore onemust accept the acarya-sampradaya; otherwise one's endeavor will befutile. Srila Narottama diisa Thakura therefore sings:taridera cara1J-ll sevi bhakta sane vasajaname janame haya, ei abhiaOne must worship the lotus feet of the acarya and live within the societyof devotees. Then one's endeavor to cross over nescience will surely besuccessful.TEXT 32ifs;iJsd;=a:tij F.?in :z: m D !l-,tIG\f?l:t!:'"' . . lJf q qa: mr:1111ye 'nye 'ravindaa vimukta-maninastvayy asta-bhavad avi.Suddha-buddhaya/:1.aruhya krcchre1J-ll param padam tata/:lpatanty adho 'nadrta-ymad-arighraya/:1.ye anye-anyone, or all others; aravinda-aa-0 lotus-eyed one;vimukta-manina/:1.-falsely considering themselves free from the bondageof material contamination; tvayi-unto You; asta-bhdvdt-speculatingin various ways but not knowing or desiring more information ofYour lotus feet; avi.Suddha-buddhaya/:1.-whose intelligence is still notpurified and who do not know the goal of life; aruhya -even though

Text 32] Prayers by the Demigods 173achieving; krcchrer;ta-by undergoing severe austerities, penances andhard labor; param padam-the highest position (according to theirimagination and speculation); tata-from that position; patanti-theyfall; adha-down into material existence again; anadrta-neglectingdevotion to; ymat-Your; anghraya-lotus feet.TRANSLATION(Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seekshelter at the Lord's lotus feet, there are those who are not devoteesbut who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation.What happens to them? In answer to this question, LordBrahmii and the other demigods said:] 0 lotus-eyed Lord, althoughnondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances toachieve the highest position may. think themselves liberated, theirintelligence is impure. They fall down from their position ofimagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotusfeet.PURPORTAside from devotees, there are many others, nondevotees, known askarmis, jnanis or yogis, philanthropists, altruists, politicians, impersonalistsand voidists. There are many varieties of nondevotees who havetheir respective ways of liberation, but simply because they do not knowthe shelter of the Lord's lotus feet, although they falsely think that theyhave been liberated and elevated to the highest position, they fall down.As clearly stated by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (9.3):a§raddadhiinii puiidharmasyiisya parantapaaprapya miim nivartantemrtyu-samsiira-vartmani"Those who are not faithful on the path of devotional service cannot attainMe, 0 conqueror of foes, but return to birth and death in this materialworld." It doesn't matter whether one is a karmi, jnani, yogi,philanthropist, politician or whatever; if one has no love for the lotus

174 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2feet of the Lord, one falls down. That is the verdict given by LordBrahma in this verse.There are persons who advocate accepting any process and who saythat whatever process one accepts will lead to the same goal, but that isrefuted in this verse, where such persons are referred to as vimuktamaninab,,signifying that although they think they have attained thehighest perfection, in fact they have not. In the present day, big, bigpoliticians all over the world think that by scheming they can occupy thehighest political post, that of president or prime minister, but we actuallysee that even in this life such big prime ministers, presidents and otherpoliticians, because of being nondevotees, fall down (patanty adhab,). Tobecome president or prime minister is not easy; one must work very hard(aruhya krcchrer:w) to achieve the post. And even though one may reachhis goal, at any moment one may be kicked down by material nature. Inhuman society there have been many instances in which great, exaltedpoliticians have fallen from government and become lost in historicaloblivion. The cause of this is aviSuddha-buddhayah: their intelligenceis impure. The sastra says, na te vidub- svartha-gatim hi vQ.um(Bhag. 7.5.31). One achieves the perfection of life by becoming 11 devoteeof Vir;tu, but people do not know this. Therefore, as stated inBhagavad-gita (12.5), kleso 'dhikataras team avyaktasakta-cetasam.Persons who do not ultimately accept the Supreme Personality of Godheadand take to devotional service, but who instead are attached to impersonalismand voidism, must undergo great labor to achieve theirgoals.sreyab--srtim bhaktim udasya te vibhokliSyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye(Bhag. 10.14.4)To achieve understanding, such persons work very hard and undergosevere austerities, but their hard labor and austerities themselves aretheir only achievement, for they do not actually achieve the real goal oflife.Dhruva Maharaja at first wanted to achieve the greatest materialkingdom and greater material possessions than his father, but when hewas actually favored by the Lord, who appeared before him to give him

Text 32] Prayers by the Demigods 175the benediction he desired, Dhruva Maharaja refused it, saying, svdminkrtartho 'smi varam na yace: "Now I am fully satisfied. I do not wantany material benediction." (Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya 7 .28) This is theperfection of life. Yam labdhva cdparam labham manyate nddhikamtatab, (Bg. 6.22). If one achieves the shelter of the Lord's lotus feet, oneis fully satisfied and does not need to ask for any material benediction.At night, no one can see a lotus, for lotuses blossom only during thedaytime. Therefore the word aravindda is significant. One who is notcaptivated by the lotus eyes or transcendental form of the Supreme Lordis in darkness, exactly like one who cannot see a lotus. One who has notcome to the point of seeing the lotus eyes and transcendental form ofSyamasundara is a failure. Premdfijana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santab,sadaiva hrdaye$U vilokayanti. Those who are attached to theSupreme Personality of Godhead in love always see the Lord's lotus eyesand lotus feet, whereas others cannot see the Lord's beauty and aretherefore classified as anddrta-yU$mad-anghrayab,, or neglectful of theLord's personal form. Those who neglect the Lord's form are surelyfailures on every path in life, but if one develops even a little love for theSupreme Personality of Godhead, one is liberated without difficulty(svalpam apy asya dharmasya trdyate mahato bhayat). Therefore theSupreme Personality of Godhead recommends in Bhagavad-gitd (9.34),man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mdm namaskuru: "Simplythink of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer some slighthomage to Me." Simply by this process, one is guaranteed to returnhome, back to Godhead, and thus attain the highest perfection. The Lordfurther affirms in Bhagavad-gita (18.54-55):brahma-bhatab, prasanndtmdna socati na kdnatisamab, sarve$U bhate$Umad-bhaktim labhate pardmbhaktya mdm abhijandtiydvdn ya§ cdsmi tattvatab,tato mdm tattvato jfidtvdviSate tad-anantaram

176 Srimad-Bhigavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 2"One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the SupremeBrahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments nor desires to haveanything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attainspure devotional service unto Me. One can understand the SupremePersonality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in fullconsciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter intothe kingdom of God."TEXT 33lW:l;r nm: ;cHI ¥tl•lt'Eiffi4 iltm«r: 1M,... t41 gT 1-q R;;rT,...nFR'It41 tatha na te madhava tiivakab, kvacid('"'3l+rt II IIbhra5yanti margat tvayi baddha-sauhrdiibtvayabhiguptii vicaranti nirbhayavinayakanikapa-milrdhasu prabhotatha-like them (the nondevotees); na-not; te-they (the devotees);madhava-0 Lord, husband of the goddess of fortune; tiivakab,thefollowers of the devotional path, the devotees; kvacit-in anycircumstances; bhra5yanti-fall down; margat-from the path of devotionalservice; tvayi-unto You; baddha-sauhrdiib,-because of beingfully attached to Your lotus feet; tvaya-by You; abhiguptab,-alwaysprotected from all dangers; vicaranti-they move; nirbhayab,-withoutfear; vinayaka-anikapa-the enemies who maintain paraphernalia tooppose the bhakti cult; milrdhasu-on their heads; prabho-0 Lord.TRANSLATION0 Madhava, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord of the goddessof fortune, if devotees completely in love with You sometimesfall from the path of devotion, they do not fall like nondevotees,for You still protect them. Thus they fearlessly traverse the headsof their opponents and continue to progress in devotional service.

Text 33] Prayers by the Demigods 177PURPORTDevotees generally do not fall down, but if circumstantially they do,the Lord, because of their strong attachment to Him, gives them protectionin all circumstances. Thus even if devotees fall down, they are stillstrong enough to traverse the heads of their enemies. We have actuallyseen that our l(rQ.a consciousness movement has many opponents, suchas the "deprogrammers," who instituted a strong legal case against thedevotees. We thought that this case would take a long time to settle, butbecause the devotees were protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead,we unexpectedly won the case in one day. Thus a case that was expectedto continue for years was settled in a day because of the protectionof the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has promised in Bhagavadgita(9.31), kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhakta/:t praT)ll§yati: "0 son ofKunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes." In history thereare many instances of devotees like Citraketu, lndradyumna andMaharaja Bharata who circumstantially fell down but were still protected.Maharaja Bharata, for example, because of his attachment to adeer, thought of the deer at the time of death, and therefore in his nextlife he became a deer (yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty antekalevaram). Because of protection by the Supreme Personality of Godhead,however, the deer remembered his relationship with the Lord andnext took birth in a good brahminical family and performed devotionalservice (sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrto 'bhijayate). Similarly,Citraketu fell down and became a demon, V:rtrasura, but he too was protected.Thus even if one falls down from the path of bhakti-yoga, one isultimately saved. If a devotee is strongly situated in devotional service,the Supreme Personality of Godhead has promised to protect him (kaunteyapratijanihi na me bhakta/:t praT)ll§yati). But even if a devoteecircumstantially falls down, he is protected by Madhava.The word Madhava is significant. Ma, mother Lakmi, the mother ofall opulences, is always with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and ifa devotee is in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all theopulences of the Lord are ready to help him.yatra yogesvara/:t krr:wyatra partho dhanur-dhara/:t

178 Srimad-Bhigavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 2tatra srir vijayo bhatirdhruva nitir matir mama(Bg. 18.78)Wherever there is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, K.r?a, and Hisdevotee Arjuna, Partha, there is victory, opulence, extraordinary powerand morality. The opulences of a devotee are not a result of karmakiir:u;la-vicara.A devotee is always protected by all of the Supreme Lord'sopulences, of which no one can deprive him (tedm nityabhiyuktandmyoga-emam vahamy aham). Thus a devotee cannot be defeated by anyopponents. A devotee, therefore, should not deviate knowingly from thepath of devotion. The adherent devotee is assured all protection from theSupreme Personality of Godhead.TEXT 34 i fflftutt W-mJq;f q: I:::-.. " "' ..iii!\iifiPltmfq:ij"+tlll:iiWLJ_,.m.. S ..: iR : r ll'dllsattvam viSuddham srayate bhavan sthitausaririr:tdm sreya-upayanam vapuftveda-kriya-yoga-tapaft-samadhibhistavarhar:tam yena janaft samihatesattvam-existence; viSuddham-transcendental, beyond the threemodes of material nature; srayate-accepts; bhavan-Your Lordship;sthitau-during the maintenance of this material world; saririTJ-dm-ofall living entities; sreyaft-of supreme auspiciousness; upayanam-forthe benefit; vapuft-a transcendental form or body; veda-kriya-byritualistic ceremonies according to the directions of the Vedas; yoga-bypractice of devotion; tapaft-by austerities; samadhibhift-by becomingabsorbed in transcendental existence; tava-Your; arhar:tam-worship;yena-by such activities; janaft-human society; samihate-o:ffers (itsobligation unto You).

Text 34]Prayers by the Demigods179TRANSLATION0 Lord, during the time of maintenance You manifest several incarnations,all with transcendental bodies, beyond the materialmodes of nature. When You appear in this way, You bestow allgood fortune upon the living entities by teaching them to performVedic activities such as ritualistic ceremonies, mystic yoga,austerities, penances, and ultimately samidhi, ecstatic absorptionin thoughts of You. Thus You are worshiped by the Vedicprinciples.PURPORTAs stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.3), yajiia-dana-tapab,-karma na tyajyam:the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, charity, austerity and all suchprescribed duties are never to be given up. Yajiio danam tapa§ caivapavandni manim (18.5): even one who is very much advanced inspiritual realization must still execute the Vedic principles. Even in thelowest stage, the karmis are advised to work for the sake of the Lord.yajfidrthat karmar;w 'nyatraloko yam karma-bandhanab,"Work done as a sacrifice for ViJ}.u has to be performed, otherwise workbinds one to this material world." (Bg. 3.9) The words yajfidrthat karma'{Ulb,indicate that while performing all kinds of duties, one shouldremember that these duties should be performed to satisfy the SupremeLord (sva-karma tam abhyarcya). According to Vedic principles,there must be divisions of human society (catur-van:r-yam maya smam).There should be brahma'{UIS, atriyas, vaiSyas and sadras, and everyoneshould learn to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead (tamabhyarcya). This is real human society, and without this system we areleft with animal society.The modern activities of human society are described in Srimad­Bhagavatam as the activities of go-khara, cows and asses (sa eva gokharab,).Everyone is acting in a bodily concept of life involving society,friendship and love for the improvement of economic and political conditions,and thus all activites are enacted in ignorance. The Supreme

180 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2Personality therefore comes to teach us how to act according to the Vedicprinciples. In this age of Kali, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appearedas Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and preached that in this age theVedic activities cannot be systematically performed because people are sofallen. He gave this recommendation from the siistras:harer nama harer namaharer ndmaiva kevalamkalau nasty eva nasty evanasty eva gatir anyatha"In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance ischanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is noother way. There is no other way." The KtQ.a consciousness movementis therefore teaching people all over the world how to chant the HareKtQ.a mantra, and this has proved very much effective in all places at alltimes. The Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in order to teach usVedic principles intended for understanding Him (vedaiS ca sarvairaham eva vedyab,}. We should always know that when KtQ.a and LordCaitanya appeared, They appeared in suddha-sattva bodies. One shouldnot mistake the body of KtQ.a or Caitanya Mahaprabhu to be a materialbody like ours, for KtQ.a and Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared as neededfor the benefit of the entire human society. Out of causeless mercy, theLord appears in different ages in His original suddha-sattva transcendentalbody to elevate human society to the spiritual platform uponwhich they can truly benefit. Unfortunately, modern politicians andother leaders stress the bodily comforts of life (yasyatma-buddhi/:1.kur:wpe tri-dhatuke) and concentrate on the activities of this ism and thatism, which they describe in different kinds of flowery language. Essentiallysuch activities are the activities of animals (sa eva go-kharab,}. Weshould learn how to act from Bhagavad-gita, which explains everythingfor human understanding. Thus we can become happy even in this age ofKali.TEXT 35;f WI .ldR Fr +{" " C'lql'ilMWf

Text 35]Prayers by the DemigodsI iiiU . .. l'f.rT'l.I u III:, tiT !I'll! II '-\II181·sattvam na ced dhdtar idam nijam bhavedvijfidnam ajfiiina-bhidapamdrjanamgulJ.ll-praka.Sair anumiyate bhaviinpraka.Sate yasya ca yena vii gulJ.llsattvam-suddha-sattva, transcendental; na-not; cet-if; dhdta-0 reservoir of all energies, cause of all causes; idam-this; nijam-personal,spiritual; bhavet-could have been; vijfidnam-transcendentalknowledge; ajfidna-bhida-which drives away the ignoranceof the material modes; apamiirjanam-completely vanquished; gulJ.llpraka.Sai-bythe awakening of such transcendental knowledge;anumiyate-becomes manifested; bhaviin-Your Lordship; praka.Sateexhibit;yasya-whose; ca-and; yena-by which; vii-either; gulJ.ll-qualityor intelligence.TRANSLATION0 Lord, cause of all causes, if Your transcendental body were notbeyond the modes of material nature, one could not understandthe difference between matter and transcendence. Only by Yourpresence can one understand the transcendental nature of YourLordship, who are the controller of material nature. Your transcendentalnature is very difficult to understand unless one is influencedby the presence of Your transcendental form.PURPORTIt is said, traigur;tya-vayii veda nistraigur;tyo bhaviirjuna. Unless oneis situated in transcendence, one cannot understand the transcendentalnature of the Lord. As stated in Srimad-Bhiigavatam (10.14.29):athiipi te deva padiimbuja-dvayaprasiida-lesiinugrhitaeva hijiiniiti tattvam bhagavan-mahimnona ciinya eko 'pi ciram vicinvan

182 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2Only by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can oneunderstand Him. Those who are in the modes of material nature, althoughspeculating for thousands of years, cannot understand Him. TheLord has innumerable forms (ramadi-maru kala-niyamena t!han),and unless these forms, such as Lord Rimacandra, N:rsimhadeva, K:rr,aand Balarama, were transcendental, how could they be worshiped bydevotees since time immemorial? Bhaktyd mdm abhijdndti ydvdn ya.Scdsmi tattvatafl (Bg. 18.55). Devotees who awaken their transcendentalnature in the presence of the Lord and who follow the rules and regulationsof devotional service can understand Lord K:rr,a, Lord Ramacandraand other incarnations, who are not of this material world but who comefrom the spiritual world for the benefit of people in general. If one doesnot take to this process, one imagines or manufactures some form of Godaccording to material qualities and can never awaken a real understandingof the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The words bhaktya mdmabhijandti yavdn ya.S cdsmi tattvatafl signify that unless one worshipsthe Lord according to the regulative devotional principles, one cannotawaken the transcendental nature. Deity worship, even in the absence ofthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, awakens the transcendental natureof the devotee, who thus becomes increasingly attached to the Lord'slotus feet.The appearance of K:rr,a is the answer to all imaginative iconographyof the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everyone imagines the form ofthe Supreme Personality of Godhead according to his mode of materialnature. In the Brahma-samhita it is said that the Lord is the oldest person.Therefore a section of religionists imagine that God must be veryold, and therefore they depict a form of the Lord like a very old man. Butin the same Brahma-samhita, that is contradicted; although He is theoldest of all living entities, He has His eternal form as a fresh youth.The exact words used in this connection in the Srimad-Bhagavatamare vijnanam ajnana-bhidlipamarjanam. Vijnana means transcendentalknowledge of the Supreme Personality; vijfidna is also experiencedknowledge. Transcendental knowledge has to be accepted by the descendingprocess of disciplic succession as Brahma presents the knowledgeof K:rr,a in the Brahma-samhitd. Brahma-samhita is vijfiana asrealized by Brahma's transcendental experience, and in that way he presentedthe form and the pastimes of K:rI}.a in the transcendental abode.

Text 35] Pra y ers b y the Demigods 183Ajfiiina-bhida means "that which can match all kinds of speculation." Inignorance, people are imagining the form of the Lord; sometimes He hasno form and sometimes He has form, according to their different imaginations.But the presentation of _Kr1,1a in the Brahma-samhitd isvijfiiina-scientific, experienced knowledge given by Lord Brahma andaccepted by Lord Caitanya. There is no doubt about it. Sri _Kr1,1a's form,Sri _Kr1,1a's flute, K:r1,1a's color-everything is reality. Here it is said thatthis vijiianam is always defeating all kinds of speculative knowledge."Therefore," the demigods prayed, "without Your appearing as _Kr1,1a,as You are, neither ajiiana-bhida (the nescience of speculative knowledge)nor vijfiiinam would be realized. Aj iina-bhiddpamdrjanam-byYour appearance the speculative knowledge of ignorance will be vanquished,and the real, experienced knowledge of authorities like LordBrahma will be established. Men influenced by the three modes of materialnature imagine their own God according to the modes of materialnature. In this way God is presented in various ways, but Your appearancewill establish what the real form of God is."The highest blunder committed by the impersonalist is to think thatwhen the incarnation of God comes, He accepts a form of matter in themode of goodness. Actually the form of _Kr1,1a or Naraya1,1a is transcendentalto any material idea. Even the greatest impersonalist,Sankaracarya, has admitted, ndrayalJa paro 'vyaktat: the material creationis caused by the avyakta, the impersonal manifestation of matter orthe non phenomenal total reservoir of matter, and _Kr1,1a is transcendentalto that material conception. This is expressed in the Srimad­Bhagavatam as suddha-sattva, or transcendental. The Lord does notbelong to the material mode of goodness, for He is above the position ofmaterial goodness. He belongs to the transcendental, eternal status ofbliss and knowledge."Dear Lord," the demigods prayed, "when You appear in Your differentincarnations, You take different names and forms accordingto different situations. Lord Krsna is Your name because You are allattractive;You are called Syamndara because of Your transcendentalbeauty. Syama means blackish, yet they say that You are more beautifulthan thousands of cupids. Kandarpa-koti-kamaniya. Although You appearin a color which is compared to that of a blackish cloud, You are thetranscendental Absolute, and therefore Your beauty is many, many times

184 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2more attractive than the delicate body of Cupid. Sometimes You arecalled Giridhari because You lifted the hill known as Govardhana. Youare sometimes called Nanda-nandana or Vasudeva or Devaki-nandanabecause You appear as the son of Maharaja Nanda or Devaki orVasudeva. Impersonalists think that Your many names or forms are accordingto a particular type of work and quality because they accept Youfrom the position of a material observer."Our dear Lord, the way of understanding is not to study Your absolutenature, form and activities by mental speculation. One mustengage himself in devotional service; then one can understand Your absolutenature and Your transcendental form, name and quality. Actually,only a person who has a little taste for the service of Your lotus feet canunderstand Your transcendental nature or form and quality. Others maygo on speculating for millions of years, but it is not possible for them tounderstand even a single part of Your actual position." In other words,the Supreme Personality of Godhead, K{1,1a, cannot be understood by thenondevotees because there is a curtain of yogamaya which coversK{1,1a's actual features. As confirmed in the Bhagavad-gitii (7.25),niiham prakiiSa/:t saroasya. The Lord says, "I am not exposed to anyoneand everyone." When K{1,1a came, He was actually present on the battlefieldof Kuruketra, and everyone saw Him. But not everyone couldunderstand that He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Still,everyone who died in His presence attained complete liberation from materialbondage and was transferred to the spiritual world.Because foolish miUJ,has do not awaken their spiritual nature, they donot understand K{1,1a or Rama (avajananti miim miUJ,ha miinimtanum asritam). Even big academic scholars, not considering the endeavorsof the iicaryas who have recommended devotional service inmany elaborate commentaries and notes, think that K{1,1a is fictitious.This is due to a lack of transcendental knowledge and a failure to awakenK{1,1a consciousness. One should have the common sense to ask why, ifK{1,1a or Rama were fictitious, stalwart scholars like Sridhara Svami,Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, Viraraghava, Vijayadhvaja, Vallabhacaryaand many other recognized iicaryas would have spent so muchtime to write about K{1,1a in notes and commentaries on Srimad­BhagavataJ!l.

Text 36]Prayers by the Demigods185TEXT 36;r ;rtl{ lf.li-"(;1 14d;(J " "' W-1 ijff: I"' "''il+.tll4i1 *+il "' 3iffl'tt II IIna nama-rape gur;ta-janma-karmabhirnirapitavye tava tasya sak$ir;tamano-vacobhyam anumeya-vartmanodeva kriyayam pratiyanty athapi hina-not; nama-rape-the name and form; gur;ta-with attributes;janma-appearance; karmabh*-activities or pastimes; nirapitavyearenot able to be ascertained; tava-Your; tasya-of Him; sak$ir;tawhois the direct observer; mana-of the mind; vacobhyam-words;anumeya-hypothesis; vartmana-the path; deva-0 Lord; kriyayam-indevotional activities; pratiyanti-they realize; atha api-still;hi-indeed (You can be realized by the devotees).TRANSLATION0 Lord, Your transcendental name and form are not ascertainedby those who merely speculate on the path of imagination. Yourname, form and attributes can be ascertained only throughdevotional service.PURPORTAs stated in the Padma PurdJ:ta:ata sri-krr;ta-niirniidina bhaved grahyam indriyaisevonmukhe hi jihvadausvayam eva sphuraty ada"One cannot understand the transcendental nature of the name, form,quality and pastimes of Sri KrQa through one's materially contaminated

186 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto l 0, Ch. 2senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendentalservice to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality andpastimes of the Lord revealed to him." Since K{Qa and His transcendentalname, form and activities are all of a transcendental nature, ordinarypersons or those who are only slightly advanced cannot understand them.Even big scholars who are nondevotees think that K{Qa is fictitious. Yetalthough so-called scholars and commentators do not believe that K{Qawas factually a historical person whose presence on the Battlefield ofKuruketra is recorded in the history of Mahabharata, they feel compelledto write commentaries on Bhagavad-gitd and other historicalrecords. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty ada}.: K{Qa'stranscendental name, form, attributes and activities can be revealed onlywhen one engages in His service in full consciousness. This confirmsK{Qa's own words in Bhagavad-gita (18.55):bhaktya mam abhijanatiyavan ya5 casmi tattvatal;.tato mam tattvato jnatvaviSate tad-anantaram"One can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He is onlyby devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of theSupreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God."Only by sevonmukha, by engaging oneself in the Lord's service, can onerealize the name, form and qualities of the Supreme Personality ofGodhead."0 Lord," the demigods say, "the impersonalists, who are nondevotees,cannot understand that Your name is identical with Your form."Since the Lord is absolute, there is no difference between His name andHis actual form. In the material world there is a difference between formand name. The mango fruit is different from the name of the mango.One cannot taste the mango fruit simply by chanting, "Mango, mango,mango." But the devotee who knows that there is no difference betweenthe name and the form of the Lord chants Hare K{Qa, Hare K{Qa,K{Qa K{Qa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, HareHare, and realizes that he is always in K{Qa's company.For persons who are not very advanced in absolute knowledge of the

Text 36] Prayers by the Demigods 187Supreme, Lord .Krl}.a exhibits His transcendental pastimes. They cansimply think of the pastimes of the Lord and get the full benefit. Sincethere is no difference between the transcendental name and form of theLord, there is no difference between the transcendental pastimes and theform of the Lord. For those who are less intelligent (like women, laborersor the mercantile class), the great sage Vyasadeva wrote Mahabharata.In the Mahabharata, .KrI].a is present in His different activities.Mahabharata is history, and simply by studying, hearing, and memorizingthe transcendental activities of .KrI].a, the less intelligent can alsogradually rise to the standard of pure devotees.The pure devotees, who are always absorbed in the thought of thetranscendental lotus feet of .Krl}.a and who are always engaged in devotionalservice in full .Krl}.a consciousness, are never to be considered tobe in the material world. Srila Riipa Gosviimi has explained that thosewho are always engaged in .Krl}.a consciousness by body, mind and activitiesare to be considered liberated even within this body. This is alsoconfirmed in the Bhagavad-gita: those who are engaged in the devotionalservice of the Lord have already transcended the material position ..Krf?l}.a appears in order to give a chance to both the devotees and thenondevotees for realization of the ultimate goal of life. The devotees getthe direct chance to see Him and worship Him. Those who are not on thatplatform get the chance to become acquainted with His activities andthus become elevated to the same position.The Brahma-samhita (5.38) says:premdiijana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanenasanta sadaiva hrdaye$u vilokayantiyam syamasundaram acintya-gur;w-svarapamgovindam adi-purU$arh tam aham bhajamiAlthough .KrI].a's transcendental form is presented as black, devoteeswho are in love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead appreciate theLord as Syamasundara, having a very beautiful blackish form. TheLord's form is so beautiful that the Brahma-samhita (5.30) also states:ve'{tum kvar;wntam aravinda-dalayatak$ambarhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam

188 Srimad-Bhigavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 2kandarpa-kofi-kamaniya-viSea-sobhamgovindam tidi-puram tam aham bhajami"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who plays on His transcendentalflute. His eyes are like lotus flowers, He is decorated with peacockplumes, and His bodily color resembles the color of a fresh black cloud,although His bodily features are more beautiful than millions ofCupids." This beauty of the Supreme Lord can be seen by devotees whoare in love with Him, devotees whose eyes are anointed with love of Godhead(premaiijana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena).The Lord is also known as Giridhiiri or Girivara-dhari. Because l(rl,la,for the sake of His devotees, lifted Govardhana Hill, the devotees appreciatethe Lord's inconceivable strength; but nondevotees, in spite ofdirectly perceiving the Lord's inconceivable strength and power, regardthe Lord's activities as fictitious. This is the difference between a devoteeand a nondevotee. Nondevotees cannot give any nomenclature for theSupreme Personality of Godhead, yet the Lord is known as Syamasundaraand Giridhari. Similarly, the Lord is known as Devaki-nandana andYasoda-nandana because He accepted the role of son for mother Devakiand mother Yasoda, and He is known as Gopala because He enjoyed thesport of maintaining the cows and calves. Therefore, although He has nomundane name, He is addressed by devotees as Devaki-nandana, Yasodanandana,Gopala and Syamasundara. These are all transcendental namesthat only devotees can appreciate and nondevotees cannot.The history of l(r1,1a the person has been openly seen by everyone, yetonly those who are in love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead canappreciate this history, whereas nondevotees, who have not developedtheir loving qualities, think that the activities, form and attributes of theSupreme Personality of Godhead are fictitious. Therefore this verse explains,na nama-rupe gur;w.-janma-karmabhir nirupitavye tava tasyasair;w./:1,. In this connection, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti 'fhakura hasgiven the example that persons suffering from jaundice cannot taste thesweetness of sugar candy, although everyone knows that sugar candy issweet. Similarly, because of the material disease, nondevotees cannotunderstand the transcendental name, form, attributes and activities ofthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, although they actually see the

Text 37] Prayers by the Demigods 189Lord's activities, either through authority or through history. ThePurar,ws are old, authentic histories, hut nondevotees cannot understandthem, especially Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is the essence of Vedicknowledge. Nondevotees cannot understand even the preliminary studyof transcendental knowledge, Bhagavad-gita. They simply speculate andpresent commentaries with absurd distortions. In conclusion, unless oneelevates himself to the transcendental platform by practicing bhaktiyoga,one cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead or Hisname, form, attributes or activities. But if by chance, by the associationof devotees, one can actually understand the Lord and His features, oneimmediately becomes a liberated person. As the Lord says in Bhagavadgita(4.9):janma karma ca me divyamevam yo vetti tattvatatyaktva deham punar janmanaiti mdm eti so 'rjuna"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activitiesdoes not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this materialworld, hut attains My eternal abode, 0 Arjuna."Srila Rupa Gosvami has therefore said that by affection and love forthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, devotees can express their mind toHim with their words. Others, however, cannot do this, as confirmed inBhagavad-gita (bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan ya.S casmi tattvataM.TEXT 37Rift .._..fll...:.,... ,... ":::.lif :q omR-" .._2111-iKI-lSt if +f.lp.:( '1 \911snwan groan sarilsmarayams ca cintayannamani rapar:ti ca mangalani teI

190 Srimad-Bhigavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 2kriydsu yas tvac-cara¢ravindayoriivta-cetii na bhaviiya kalpatesnwan-constantly hearing about the Lord (sravam kirtanamv); groan-chanting or reciting (the holy name of the Lord and Hisactivities); samsmarayan-remembering (constantly thinking of theLord's lotus feet and His form); ca-and; cintayan-contemplating (thetranscendental activities of the Lord); niimiini-His transcendentalnames; rupii7Ji-His transcendental forms; ca-also; marigaliiniwhichare all transcendental and therefore auspicious; te-of Your Lordship;kriydsu-in being engaged in the devotional service; ya-hewho; tvat-cara-aravindayo-at Your lotus feet; iivta-cetii-thedevotee who is completely absorbed (in such activities);bhaviiya-for the material platform; kalpate-is fit.na-not;TRANSLATIONEven while engaged in various activities, devotees whose mindsare completely absorbed at Your lotus feet, and who constantlyhear, chant, contemplate and cause others to remember Your transcendentalnames and forms, are always on the transcendental platform,and thus they can understand the Supreme Personality ofGodhead.PURPORTHow bhakti-yoga can be practiced is explained in this verse. SrilaRupa Gosvami has said that anyone who has dedicated his life to the serviceof the Lord (ihii yasya harer diisye) by his activities, his mind andhis words (karma¢ manasii gira) may stay in any condition of life(nikhiliisv apy avasthtisu) and yet is no longer actually conditioned but isliberated (jivan-mukta sa ucyate). Even though such a devotee is in amaterial body, he has nothing to do with this body, for he is transcendentallysituated. Naraya-parii sarve na kuta§cana bibhyati: because adevotee is engaged in transcendental activities, he is not afraid of beingmaterially embodied. (Bhiig. 6.17.28) Illustrating this liberated position,Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu prayed, mama janmani janmaniSvare bhava-

Text 37] Pra y ers b y the Demigods 191tad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi: "All I want is Your causeless devotionalservice in My life, birth after birth." (Sitaka 4) Even if a devotee, bythe supreme will of the Lord, takes birth in this material world, he continueshis devotional service. When King Bharata made a mistake and inhis next life became a deer, his devotional service did not stop, althoughsome slight chastisement was given to him because of his negligence.Narada Muni says that even if one falls from the platform of devotionalservice, he is not lost, whereas nondevotees are lost entirely because theyare not engaged in service. Bhagavad-gitd (9.14) therefore recommendsthat one always engage at least in chanting the Hare K.r:Q.amahd-mantra:satatam kirtayanto mdmyatanta§ ca drcJ,ha-vrata/:tnamasyanta§ ca mdm bhaktyanitya-yukta updsate"Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination,bowing down before Me, the great souls perpetually worship Me withdevotion."One should not give up the process of devotional service, which is performedin nine different ways (sravam kirtanaril V"Q-0/:t smarampada-sevanam, etc.). The most important process is hearing (sravam)from the guru, sadhu and sdstra-the spiritual master, the saintlydcaryas and the Vedic literature. Sadhu-sdstra-guru-vakya, cittetekariya aikya. We should not hear the commentaries and explanations ofnondevotees, for this is strictly forbidden by Srila Sanatana Gosvami,who quotes from the Padma Pur:d:avava-mukhodgimpataril hari-kathdmrtamsravam naiva kartavyamsarpocch!aril yathd paya/:tWe should strictly follow this injunction and never try to hear fromMayavadis, impersonalists, voidists, politicians or so-called scholars.

192 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2Strictly avoiding such inauspicious association, we should simply hearfrom pure devotees. Srila Riipa Gosvami therefore recommends, sriguru-padiiSrayal;t:one must seek shelter at the lotus feet of a pure devoteewho can be one's guru. Caitanya Mahaprabhu advises that a guru isone who strictly follows the instructions of Bhagavad-gitd: yare dekha,tare kaha, 'kmw'-upadesa (Cc. Madhya 7.128). A juggler, a magicianor one who speaks nonsense as an academic career is not a guru. Rather,a guru is one who presents Bhagavad-gitd, l(rQa's instructions, as it is.Srava1J.(l is very important; one must hear from the VaiQava sadhu,guru and sdstra.The word kriyasu, meaning "by manual labor" or "by work," is importantin this verse. One should engage in practical service to the Lord.In our l(rQa consciousness movement, all our activities are concentratedupon distributing l(rQa literature. This is very important. One may approachany person and induce him to read l(rQa literature so that in thefuture he also may become a devotee. Such activities are recommended inthis verse. Kriyasu yas tvac-carar;uiravindayol;t. Such activities will alwaysremind the devotees of the Lord's lotus feet. By fully concentratingon distributing books for l(rQa, one is fully absorbed in KrQa. This issamadhi.TEXT 38 s : ttG:T i;itmifsq1d IJfritRla:t"-uft6i qf:\*: P­;rim6'4tfif'l:q61iJ "di§!yd hare 'sya bhavatal;t pado bhuvobharo 'panitas tava janmanesitul;tdi§!yarikitaril tvat-padakail;t su5obhanairdrayama gam dyaril ca tavanukampitamdi§!ya-by fortune; hare-0 Lord; asyal;t-of this (world);bhavatal;t-of Your Lordship; padal;t-of the place; bhuval;t-on thisearth; bharal;t-the burden created by the demons; apanital;t-now

Text 38] Prayers by the Demigods 193removed; tava-of Your Lordship; janmana-by appearance as an incarnation;iSitu-You, the controller of everything; dtya-and byfortune; ankitam-marked; tvat-padakai-by Your lotus feet;su-sobhanai-which are transcendentally decorated with the marks ofconchshell, disc, lotus and club; drayama-we shall surely observe;gam-upon this earth; dyam ca-in heaven also; tava anukampitamdueto Your causeless mercy upon us.TRANSLATION0 Lord, we are fortunate because the heavy burden of thedemons upon this earth is immediately removed by Your appearance.Indeed, we are certainly fortunate, for we shall be ableto see upon this earth and in the heavenly planets the marks oflotus, conchshell, club and disc that adorn Your lotus feet.PURPORTThe soles of the Lord's lotus feet are marked with sankha-cakragada-padma-conchshell,disc, club and lotus-and also by a flag and athunderbolt. When K:r1,1a walks on this earth or in the heavenly planets,these marks are visible wherever He goes. V:rndavana-dhama is a transcendentalplace because of K:r1,1a's walking on this land frequently. Theinhabitants of V:rndavana were fortunate to see these marks here andthere. When Akn1ra went to V:rndavana to take K:r1,1a and Balaramaaway to the festival arranged by Kamsa, upon seeing the marks of theLord's lotus feet on the ground of V:rndavana, he fell down and began togroan. These marks are visible to devotees who receive the causelessmercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (tavdnukampitam). Thedemigods were jubilant not only because the appearance of the SupremeLord would do away with the burdensome demons, but also because theywould be able to see upon the ground the transcendental marks from thesoles of the Lord's lotus feet. The gopis always thought of the Lord's lotusfeet when He was walking in the pasturing grounds, and, as described inthe previous verse, simply by thinking of the Lord's lotus feet, the gopiswere fully absorbed in transcendence (avta-cetd na bhavaya kalpate).Like the gopis, one who is always absorbed in thought of the Lord is

194 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2beyond the material platform and will not remain in this material world.It is our duty, therefore, always to hear, chant and think about the Lord'slotus feet, as actually done by Vai1,1avas who have decided to live inV:rndavana always and think of the Lord's lotus feet twenty-four hours aday.TEXT 39 Sl4'4] iRI ijl'l' I WN: W:tRttttfcl'4tl 11'

Text 39] Prayers by the Demigods 195and old age, except when these living entities are conducted byYour external energy.PURPORTAs stated in Bhagavad-gita (15.7), mamaivarilSo jiva-loke jiva-bhata/:tsanatana/:t: the living entities are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord,and thus they are qualitatively one with the Lord. We can unde:r:standthat when the Supreme Lord appears or disappears as an incarnation,there is no other cause than His pleasure potency. We cannot force theSupreme Personality of Godhead to appear. As He says in Bhagavad-gita(4.7):yada yada hi dharmasyaglanir bhavati bharataabhyutthanam adharmasyatadatmanam srjamy aham"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, 0 descendantof Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time Idescend Myself." When there is a need to diminish a burden created bythe demons, the Supreme Godhead can do it in many ways because Hehas multifarious energies. There is no need for Him to come as an incarnation,since He is not forced to do anything like ordinary living entities.The living entities come to this material world in the spirit of enjoyment,but because they want to enjoy without a (kmw-bahirmukha haiyabhoja-vaftcha kare), they suffer birth, death, old age and disease underthe control of the illusory energy. When the Supreme Personality ofGodhead appears, however, no such causes are involved; His descent isan act of His pleasure potency. We should always remember this distinctionbetween the Lord and the ordinary living entity and not uselesslyargue that the Lord cannot come. There are philosophers who do notbelieve in the Lord's incarnation and who ask, "Why should theSupreme Lord come?" But the answer is, "Why should He not come?Why should He be controlled by the desire of the living entity?" TheLord is free to do whatever He likes. Therefore this verse says, vindvinodam bata tarkayamahe. It is only for His pleasure that He comesalthough He does not need to come.

196 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto l 0, Ch. 2When the living entities come to this world for material enjoyment,they are entangled in karma and karma-phala by the Lord's illusory energy.But if one seeks shelter at the Lord's lotus feet, one is again situatedin his original, liberated state. As stated here, krta yatas tvayyabhayasrayatmani: one who seeks shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord isalways fearless. Because we are dependent on the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, we should give up the idea that without Kr1;1a we can enjoyfreedom in this material world. This idea is the reason we have becomeentangled. Now it is our duty to seek shelter again at the Lord's lotusfeet. This shelter is described as abhaya, or fearless. Since Kr1;1a is notsubject to birth, death, old age or disease, and since we are part andparcel of K:r1;1a, we also are not subject to birth, death, old age and disease,but we have become subject to these illusory problems because ofour forgetfulness of Kr1;1a and our position as His eternal servants(jivera 'svarupa' haya-krr:tera 'nitya-dasa'). Therefore, if we practicedevotional service by always thinking of the Lord, always glorifying Himand always chanting about Him, as described in text 37 (sr{l-van gr{l-ansarilsmarayarii.S ca cintayan), we will be reinstated in our original,constitutional position and thus be saved. The demigods, therefore, encouragedDevaki not to fear Karhsa, but to think of the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, who was already within her womb.TEXT 40'd4N§qifij(CI(I(­(I'llt44f4$1HM : Iqtf«:qR wiT (( 11\Jollmatsyasva-kacchapa-nrsirhha-varaha-hamsarajanya-vipra-vibudheukrtavatarab,tvarh piisi nas tri-bhuvanarh ca yathadhunesabhararh bhuvo hara yadattama vandanarh tematsya-the fish incarnation;a§va-the horse incarnation; kacchapa-thetortoise incarnation; nrsirhha-the Narasirhha incarnation;

Text 41] Prayers by the Demigods 197varaha-the Varaha incarnation; hamsa-the swan incarnation; rdjanya-incarnationsas Lord Ramacandra and other atriyas; vipraincarnationsas brahmaT)aS like Vamanadeva; vibudheu-among thedemigods; krta-avatdra-appeared as incarnations; tvam-Your Lordship;pasi-please save; na-us; tri-bhuvanam ca-and the threeworlds; yathd-as well as; adhuna-now; iSa-0 Supreme Lord;bhdram-burden; bhuva-of the earth; hara-please diminish; yaduuttama-0Lord Kra, best of the Yadus; vandanam te-we offer ourprayers unto You.TRANSLATION0 supreme controller, Your Lordship previously accepted incarnationsas a fish, a horse, a tortoise, Narasb:hhadeva, a boar, aswan, Lord Riimacandra, Para8uriima and, among the demigods,Viimanadeva, to protect the entire world by Your mercy. Nowplease protect us again by Your mercy by diminishing the disturbancesin this world. 0 .Kf!fla, best of the Yadus, we respectfullyoffer our obeisances unto You.PURPORTIn every incarnation, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has a particularmission to execute, and this was true in His appearance as the sonof Devaki in the family of the Yadus. Thus all the demigods offered theirprayers to the Lord, bowing down before Him, and requested the Lord todo the needful. We cannot order the Supreme Personality of Godhead todo anything for us. We can simply offer Him our obeisances, as advisedin Bhagavad-gita (man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mamnamaskuru), and pray to Him for annihilation of dangers.TEXT 41ft:t'tlt"'' ij : '«: ­wt:l l(lq(Uj4{ff- • 6tlil: mH II

198 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 2dtyamba te kui-gata/:t para/:t pumanarir.Sena saad bhagavan bhavaya na/:tmabhad bhayam bhoja-pater mumarorgopta yadanam bhavita tavatmaja/:tdtya-by fortune; amba-0 mother; te-your; kui-gata/:t-in thewomb; para/:t-the Supreme; pumdn-Personality of Godhead; amsena-withall His energies, His parts and parcels; sddt-directly;bhagavan-the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhavaya-for theauspiciousness; na/:t-of all of us; md abhat-never be; bhayam-fearful;bhoja-pate/:t-from Karhsa, King of the Bhoja dynasty; mumar­o/:t-who has decided to be killed by the Lord; goptd-the protector;yadunam-of the Yadu dynasty; bhavita-will become; tava atmaja/:t­your son.TRANSLATION0 mother Devak.i, by your good fortune and ours, the SupremePersonality of Godhead Himself, with all His plenary portions,such as Baladeva, is now within your womb. Therefore you neednot fear Kamsa, who has decided to be killed by the Lord. Youreternal son, 1\.fr;ta, will be the protector of the entire Yadudynasty.PURPORTThe words para/:t pumdn arir.Sena signify that l(rQa is the originalSupreme Personality of Godhead. This is the verdict of the §astra (kmtastu bhagavan svayam). Thus the demigods assured Devaki, "Your son isthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is appearing with Baladeva,His plenary portion. He will give you all protection and kill Karhsa, whohas decided to continue his enmity toward the Lord and thus be killed byH. lm. ,TEXT 42{'tt tJ(q¥4Pl I:r.;J,. .. : stRI:qgfc{aJ

Text 42]Prayers by the Demigods199sri-suka uvdcaity abhtuya puamyad-rupam anidam yathabrahmesiinau purodhayadevii/:l pratiyayur divamsri-suka/:l uvaca-Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; iti-in this way;abhtuya-offering prayers; puram-unto the Supreme Personality;yat-rupam-whose form; anidam-transcendental; yathii-as;brahma-Lord Brahma; iinau-and Lord Siva; purodhaya-keepingthem in front; devii/:l-all the demigods; pratiyayu/:£-returned;divam-to their heavenly homes.TRANSLATIONAfter thus offering prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead,Lord Viu, the Transcendence, all the demigods, with LordBrahmii and Lord Siva before them, returned to their homes in theheavenly planets.It is said:PURPORTadyiipiha caitanya e saba lilii kareyiiri 'ra bhiigye thake, se dekhaye nirantare(Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 23.513)The incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead appear continuously,like the waves of a river or an ocean. There is no limit to theLord's incarnations, but they can be perceived only by devotees who arefortunate. The devatiis, the demigods, fortunately understood the incarnationof the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus they offeredtheir prayers. Then Lord Siva and Lord Brahma led the demigods inreturning to their homes.The word kuk$i-atal:£, meaning "within the womb of Devaki," hasbeen discussed by Sri Jiva Gosvami in his Krama-sandarbha commentary.Since it was said at first that 1,1a was present within the heart ofVasudeva and was transfered to the heart of Devaki, Sri Jiva Gosvamiwrites, how is it that )a was now in the womb? He replies that there

200 Srimad-Bhigavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 2is no contradiction. From the heart the Lord can go to the womb, or fromthe womb He can go to the heart. Indeed, He can go or stay anywhere. Asconfirmed in the Brahma-sarilhita (5.35), ar:u;lantara-stha-paramdr:wcayantara-stharilgovindam adi-puraril tam aharil bhajami. The Lordcan stay wherever He likes. Devaki, therefore, in accordance with thedesire of her former life, now had the opportunity to seek the benedictionof having the Supreme Personality of Godhead as her son, Devakinandana.Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Tenth Canto, SecondChapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled "Prayers by the Demigodsfor Lord Kmw in the Womb."

CHAPTER THREEThe Birth of Lord Krsna. . .As described in this chapter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,l(rJ;Ia, Hari in His original form, appeared as ViJ;Iu so that His fatherand mother could understand that their son was the Supreme Personalityof Godhead. Because they were afraid of Karilsa, when the Lord appearedas an ordinary child they took Him to Gokula, the home of NandaMaharaja.Mother Devaki, being fully transcendental, sac-cid-ananda, does notbelong to this material world. Thus the Supreme Personality of Godheadappeared with four hands, as if born from her womb. Upon seeing theLord in that ViJ;IU form, Vasudeva was struck with wonder, and in transcendentalhappiness he and Devaki mentally gave ten thousand cows incharity to the brahmar;w.s. Vasudeva then offered prayers to the Lord,addressing Him as the Supreme Person, Parabrahman, the Supersoul,who is beyond duality and who is internally and externally all-pervading.The Lord, the cause of all causes, is beyond material existence, althoughHe is the creator of this material world. When He enters this world asParamatma, He is all-pervading (ar:u;ldntara-stha-paramar:r-u-cayantarastham),yet He is transcendentally situated. For the creation, maintenanceand annihilation of this material world, the Lord appears as thegur:r-a-avatdras- Brahma, ViQU and Mahesvara. Thus Vasudeva offeredprayers full of meaning to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Devakifollowed her husband by offering prayers describing the transcendentalnature of the Lord. Fearing Karilsa and desiring that the Lord not beunderstood by atheistic and materialistic nondevotees, she prayed thatthe Lord withdraw His transcendental four-armed form and appear likean ordinary child with two hands.The Lord reminded Vasudeva and Devaki of two other incarnations inwhich He had appeared as their son. He had appeared as P:rsnigarbha andVamanadeva, and now this was the third time He was appearing as theson of Devaki to fulfill their desire. The Lord then decided to leave theresidence of Vasudeva and Devaki, in the prison house of Karilsa, and at201

202 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3this very time, Yogamaya took birth as the daughter of Yasoda. By the arrangementof Yogamaya, Vasudeva was able to leave the prison houseand save the child from the hands of Karhsa. When Vasudeva broughtK.r!?a to the house of Nanda Maharaja, he saw that by Yogamaya's arrangement,Yasoda, as well as everyone else, was deeply asleep. Thus heexchanged the babies, taking Yogamaya from Yasoda's lap and placingK.r?a there instead. Then Vasudeva returned to his own place, havingtaken Yogamaya as his daughter. He placed Yogamaya on Devaki's bedand prepared to be a prisoner as before. In Gokula, Yasoda could notunderstand whether she had given birth to a male or a female child.TEXTS 1-531 ijgoii

Text 5]The Birth of Lord J}.a203mahi marigala-bhaythapura-grama-vrajakaranadyab, prasanna-saliliihrada jalaruha-sriyab,dvijali-kula-sannadastavakavana-rajayab,vavau vayub, sukha-sparsab,pur;tya-gandhavahab, sucib,agnaya§ ca dvijatindrhsantds tatra samindhatamanarhsy dsan prasannanisadhanam asura-druhamjayamane 'jane tasminnedur dundubhayab, samamsri-sukab, uvaca-Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; atha-on the occasionof the Lord's appearance; sarva-all around; gur;ta-upetab,-endowedwith material attributes or facilities; kdlab,-a favorable time; paramasobhanab,-all-auspiciousand very favorable from all points of view;yarhi-when; eva-certainly; ajana-janma-ram-the constellation ofstars known as Rohii; santa-ra-none of the constellations werefierce (all of them were peaceful); graha-tarakam-and the planets andstars like Asvini; diSab,-all directions; prasedub,-appeared veryauspicious and peaceful; gaganam-all of outer space or the sky;nirmala-u4u-gar;ta-udayam-in which all the auspicious stars were visible(in the upper strata of the universe); mahi-the earth; mangalabhaytha-pura-grama-vraja-akarab,-whosemany cities, towns, pasturinggrounds and mines became auspicious and very neat and clean;nadyab,-the rivers; prasanna-saliliib,-the waters became clear;hraddb,-the lakes or large reservoirs of water; jalaruha-sriyab,-appearedvery beautiful because of blooming lotuses all around; dvija-alikula-sannada-stavakab,-thebirds, especially the cuckoos, and swarmsof bees began to chant in sweet voices, as if praying to the Supreme

204 Srimad-Bhigavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 3Personality of Godhead; vana-rajaya-the green trees and plants werealso very pleasing to see; vavau-blew; vayu-the breeze; sukha-sparsa-verypleasing to the touch; puya-gandha-vaha-which was fullof fragrance; suci-without pollution by dust; agnaya ca-and thefires (at the places of sacrifice); dvijatinam-of the brahma; sdnta-undisturbed,steady, calm and quiet; tatra-there; samindhatablazed;manamsi-the minds of the brahma (who because of Kamsahad always been afraid); dsan-became; prasannani-fully satisfiedand free from disturbances; sadhanam-of the brahma, who wereall Vaiava devotees; asura-druham-who had been oppressed byKamsa and other demons disturbing the discharge of religious rituals;jayamane-because of the appearance or birth; ajane-of Lord Viu,who is always unborn; tasmin-in that situation; nedu-resounded;dundubhaya-kettledrums; samam-simultaneously (from the upperplanets).TRANSLATIONThereafter, at the auspicious time for the appearance of theLord, the entire universe was surcharged with all the qualities ofgoodness, beauty and peace. The constellation Rohi].i appeared, asdid stars like Asvini. The sun, the moon and the other stars andplanets were very peaceful. All directions appeared extremelypleasing, and the beautiful stars twinkled in the cloudless sky.Decorated with towns, villages, mines and pasturing grounds, theearth seemed all-auspicious. The rivers flowed with clear water,and the lakes and vast reservoirs, full of lilies and lotuses, were extraordinarilybeautiful. In the trees and green plants, full offlowers and leaves, pleasing to the eyes, birds like cuckoos andswarms of bees began chanting with sweet voices for the sake ofthe demigods. A pure breeze began to blow, pleasing the sense oftouch and bearing the aroma of flowers, and when the brihmasengaging in ritualistic ceremonies ignited their fires according toVedic principles, the fires burned steadily, undisturbed by thebreeze. Thus when the birthless Lord Vi!1J].U, the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, was about to appear, the saints andbrihmas, who had always been disturbed by demons like Kamsa

Text 5] The Birth of Lord 'l'I}.a 205and his men, felt peace within the core of their hearts, and kettledrumssimultaneously vibrated from the upper planetarysystem.PURPORTAs stated in the Bhagavad-gitii, the Lord says that His appearance,birth, and activities are all transcendental and that one who factuallyunderstands them is immediately eligible to be transferred to the spiritualworld. The Lord's appearance or birth is not like that of an ordinaryman, who is forced to accept a material body according to his past deeds.The Lord's appearance is explained in the previous chapter: He appearsout of His own sweet pleasure.When the time was mature for the appearance of the Lord, theconstellations became very auspicious. The astrological influence of theconstellation known as Rohii was also predominant because this constellationis considered very auspicious. Rohii is under the direct supervisionof Brahma, who is born of Viu, and it appears at the birth ofLord Viu, who in fact is birthless. According to the astrological conclusion,besides the proper situation of the stars, there are auspicious andinauspicious moments due to the different situations of the differentplanetary systems. At the time of a's birth, the planetary systemswere automatically adjusted so that everything became auspicious.At that time, in all directions, east, west, south, north, everywhere,there was an atmosphere of peace and prosperity. Auspicious stars werevisible in the sky, and on the surface in all towns and villages or pasturinggrounds and within the mind of everyone there were signs of goodfortune. The rivers were flowing full of water, and the lakes werebeautifully decorated with lotus flowers. The forests were full withbeautiful birds and peacocks. All the birds within the forests began tosing with sweet voices, and the peacocks began to dance with their consorts.The wind blew very pleasantly, carrying the aroma of differentflowers, and the sensation of bodily touch was very pleasing. At home,the brahmar:ws, who were accustomed to offer sacrifices in the fire,found their homes very pleasant for offerings. Because of disturbancescreated by the demoniac kings, the sactificial fire had been almoststopped in the houses of brahmar:ws, but now they could find the opportunityto start the fire peacefully. Being forbidden to o!fer sacrifices, the

206 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3briihmaTJas were very distressed in mind, intelligence and activities. Butjust on the point of KrQa's appearance, automatically their minds becamefull of joy because they could hear loud vibrations in the sky oftranscendental sounds proclaiming the appearance of the SupremePersonality of Godhead.On the occasion of Lord K:rQa's birth, seasonal changes took placethroughout the entire universe. KrQa was born during the month ofSeptember, yet it appeared like springtime. The atmosphere, however,was very cool, although not chilly, and the rivers and reservoirs appearedjust as they would in sarat, the fall. Lotuses and lilies blossom during theday, but although KrQa appeared at twelve o'clock midnight, the liliesand lotuses were in bloom, and thus the wind blowing at that time wasfull of fragrance. Because of Kamsa's disturbances, the Vedic ritualisticceremonies had almost stopped. The briihmaTJas and saintly personscould not execute the Vedic rituals with peaceful minds. But now thebriihma7Jas were very pleased to perform their daily ritualisticceremonies undisturbed. The business of the asuras is to disturb thesuras, the devotees and briihmaTJas, but at the time of KrQa's appearancethese devotees and briihmaTJas were undisturbed.TEXT6"\':.nt•""'·· ·.. \'. , ,,.,. ..,,, ':s·Jq;rtl

Text 8] The Birth of Lord "r.ta 207robhib--the Apsariis, beautiful dancers in the heavenly kingdom;samam-along with; mudd-in great jubilation.TRANSLATIONThe Kinnaras and Gandharvas began to sing auspicious songs,the Siddhas and Carar.tas offered auspicious prayers, and theVidyiidharis, along with the Apsariis, began to dance in jubilation.TEXTS 7-8(' .., ... . ,...._ ,....gii'1t41 n: ?Jrrn «:m: 1 ll\911 •01.11

208 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3of Godhead, ViJ}.u; devakyam-in the womb of Devaki; deva-nlpi­yam-who was in the same category as the Supreme Personalityof Godhead (ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhiM; vub.-LordViJ}.u, the Supreme Lord; sarva-guha-saya(l.-who is situated in thecore of everyone's heart; avirasit-appeared; yatha-as; pracyamdiSi-in the east; indu(l. iva-like the full moon; pkala(l. -complete inevery respect.TRANSLATIONThe demigods and great saintly persons showered flowers in ajoyous mood, and clouds gathered in the sky and very mildly thundered,making sounds like those of the ocean's waves. Then theSupreme Personality of Godhead, Viu, who is situated in thecore of everyone's heart, appeared from the heart of Devaki in thedense darkness of night, like the full moon rising on the easternhorizon, because Devaki was of the same category as Sri a.PURPORTAs stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.37):ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhistabhir ya eva nija-nlpataya kalabhi(l.goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutogovindam adi-puraril tam aham bhajamiThis verse indicates that J}.a and His entourage are of the same spiritualpotency (ananda-cinmaya-rasa). I].a's father, His mother, Hisfriends the cowherd boys, and the cows are all expansions of Qa, aswill be explained in the brahma-vimohana-lilii. When Brahma tookaway }U.J}.a's associates to test the supremacy of Lord J}.a, the Lordexpanded Himself again in the forms of the many cowherd boys andcalves, all of whom, as Brahma saw, were vu-murtis. Devaki is also anexpansion of J}.a, and therefore this verse says, devakyaril devanlpiyarilvub. sarva-guha-saya(l..At the time for the Lord's appearance, the great sages and thedemigods, being pleased, began to shower flowers. At the seashore, there

Text 8] The Birth of Lord 1,18 209was the sound of mild waves, and above the sea there were clouds in thesky which began to thunder very pleasingly.When things were adjusted like this, Lord ViQu, who is residingwithin the heart of every living entity, appeared in the darkness of nightas the Supreme Personality of Godhead before Devaki, who appeared asone of the demigoddesses. The appearance of Lord ViQU at that timecould be compared to the rising of the full moon in the sky on the easternhorizon. The objection may be raised that since Lord K.r1.1a appeared onthe eighth day of the waning moon, there could be no rising of the fullmoon. In answer to this it may be said that Lord K.r1.1a appeared in thedynasty which is in the hierarchy of the moon; therefore, although themoon was incomplete on that night, because of the Lord's appearance inthe dynasty wherein the moon is himself the original person, the moonwas in an overjoyous condition, so by the grace of K.r1.1a he could appearas a full moon. To welcome the Supreme Personality of Godhead, thewaning moon became a full moon in jubilation.Instead of deva-rilpir:tyiim, some texts of Srimad-Bhagavatam clearlysay vr:tu-rilpir:tyiim. In either case, the meaning is that Devaki has thesame spiritual form as the Lord. The Lord is sac-cid-iinanda-vigraha,and Devaki is also sac-cid-iinanda-vigraha. Therefore no one can findany fault in the way the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sac-cidiinanda-vigraha,appeared from the womb of Devaki.Those who are not in full knowledge that the appearance and disappearanceof the Lord are transcendental (janma karma ca me divyam)are sometimes surprised that the Supreme Personality of Godhead cantake birth like an ordinary child. Actually, however, the Lord's birth isnever ordinary. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is already situatedwithin the core of everyone's heart as antaryiimi, the Supersoul. Thusbecause He was present in full potency in Devaki's heart, He was alsoable to appear outside her body.One of the twelve great personalities is Bhimadeva (svayambharniiradat£ sambhut£ kumiirat£ kapilo manut£ prahliido janako bhi§maM.In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.9.42), Bhima, a great authority to befollowed by devotees, says that the Supreme Personality of Godhead issituated in the core of everyone's heart, just as the sun may be on everyone'shead. Yet although the sun may be on the heads of millions andmillions of people, this does not mean that the sun is variously situated.

210 Srimad-Bhigavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 3Similarly, because the Supreme Personality of Godhead has inconceivablepotencies, He can be within everyone's heart and yet not be situatedvariously. Ekatvam anupa§yata (lsopani$ad 7). The Lord is one, but Hecan appear in everyone's heart by His inconceivable potency. Thus althoughthe Lord was within the heart of Devaki, He appeared as herchild. According to the Vi$Q-u PurdQ-a, therefore, as quoted in theVai${1-ava-toaQ-i, the Lord appeared like the sun (anugrahiisaya). TheBrahma-samhitd (5.35) confirms that the Lord is situated even withinthe atom (m:u;liintara-stha-paramiiQ-u-cayantara-stham). He is situatedin Mathurii, in Vaikutha and in the core of the heart. Therefore oneshould clearly understand that He did not live like an ordinary child inthe heart or the womb of Devaki. Nor did He appear like an ordinaryhuman child, although He seemed to do so in order to bewilder asuraslike Karilsa. The asuras wrongly think that a took birth like an ordinarychild and passed away from this world like an ordinary man. Suchasuric conceptions are rejected by persons in knowledge of the SupremePersonality of Godhead. Ajo 'pi sann avyaydtmii bhutdndm iSvaro 'pi san(Bg. 4.6). As stated in Bhagavad-gitd, the Lord is aja, unborn, and He is. the supreme controller of everything. Nonetheless, He appeared as thechild of Devaki. This verse describes the inconceivable potency of theLord, who appeared like the full moon. Understanding the special significanceof the appearance of the Supreme Godhead, one should neverregard Him as having taken birth like an ordinary child.TEXTS 9-10.({ ;n'ii':' .f.rttlrfut\' \' r-- l(lf!'f}O,g-•t

Text 10]The Birth of Lord Qa211tam adbhutaril balakam ambujear;tarilcatur-bhujam sarikha-gadady-uddyudhamsrivatsa-lamaril gala-sob hi-kaustubhampitambararil sandra-payoda-saubhagammaharha-vaidurya-kirita-kur;r4nlatvaparvakta-sahasra-kuntalamuddama-kaiicy-aitgada-karikar;tadibhirvirbcamanaril vasudeva aiatatam-that; adbhutam-wonderful;balakam-child; ambuja-iar;wm-witheyes resembling lotuses; catub,-bhujam-with four hands;sarikha-gada-adi-bearing a conchshell, club, disc and lotus (in thosefour hands); udayudham-different weapons; srivatsa-lamam-decoratedwith a particular type of hair called Srivatsa, which is visible onlyon the chest of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; gala-sobhikaustubham-onHis neck was the Kaustubha gem, which is particularlyavailable in Vaiku1,1thaloka; pita-ambaram-His garments were yellow;sandra-payoda-saubhagam-vry beautiful, being present with the hueof blackish clouds; maha-arha-vaidurya-kirita-kur;r4nla-of His helmetand earrings, which were studded with very valuable Vaidiirya gems;tva-by the beauty; pavakta-sahasra-kuntalam-brilliantly illuminatedby scattered, fully grown hair; uddama-kaiici-aitgada-karikar;taadibhib,-witha brilliant belt on His waist, armbands on His arms,bracelets on His wrists, etc.; virocamanam-very beautifully decorated;vasudevab,-Vasudeva, the father of 1,1a; aiata-saw.TRANSLATIONVasudeva then saw the newborn child, who had very wonderfullotuslike eyes and who bore in His four hands the four weaponssailkha, cakra, gada and padma. On His chest was the mark ofSrivatsa and on His neck the brilliant Kaustubha gem. Dressed inyellow, His body blackish like a dense cloud, His scattered hairfully grown, and His helmet and earrings sparkling uncommonlywith the valuable gem V aidurya, the child, decorated with abrilliant belt, armlets, bangles and other ornaments, appeared verywonderful.

212 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3PURPORTTo support the word adbhutam, meaning "wonderful," the decorationsand opulences of the newborn child are fully described. Asconfirmed in the Brahma-samhita (5.30), barhavatarhsam asitambudasundarangam:the hue of the Lord's beautiful form resembles theblackish color of dense clouds (a.sita means "blackish," and ambudameans "cloud"). It is clear from the word catur-bhujam that 1,1a firstappeared with four hands, as Lord Vi1,1u. No ordinary child in humansociety has ever been born with four hands. And when is a child bornwith fully grown hair? The descent of the Lord, therefore, is completelydistinct from the birth of an ordinary child. The Vaidurya gem, whichsometimes appears bluish, sometimes yellow and sometimes red, isavailable in Vaiku1,1thaloka. The Lord's helmet and earrings weredecorated with this particular gem.TEXT 11ij' $@R m... .WI,... ,.....,ltlltttl€fi1 I ;;... "' "'ttOII*IIkS'{ts'ilm tttfl1{_11 znsa vismayotphulla-vilocano harimsutam vilokyanakadundubhis tadakmuivatarotsava-sambhramo 'sprsanmuda dvijebhyo yutam apluto gavamsalJ-he (Vasudeva, also known as Anakadundubhi); vismayautphulla-vilocanalJ-hiseyes being struck with wonder at the beautifulappearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; harim-Lord Hari,the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sutam-as his son; vilokyaobserving;anakadundubhilJ-Vasudeva; tada-at that time; kr$r;wavatara-utsava-fora festival to be observed because of 1,1a's appearance;sambhramalJ-wishing to welcome the Lord with greatrespect; asprsat-took advantage by distributing; mudd-with greatjubilation; dvijebhyalJ-to the brahmar;ws; ayutam-ten thousand;aplutalJ-overwhelmed, surcharged; gavam-cows.

Text 12] The Birth of Lord ,l}.a 213TRANSLATIONWhen Vasudeva saw his extraordinary son, his eyes were struckwith wonder. In transcendental jubilation, he mentally collectedten thousand cows and distributed them among the brihmal}.as as atranscendental festival.PURPORTSrila Visvanatha Cakravarti 'fhakura has analyzed the wonder ofV asudva upon seeing his extraordinary child. Vasudeva was shiveringwith wonder to see a newborn child decorated so nicely with valuablegarments and gems. He could immediately understand that the SupremePersonality of Godhead had appeared, not as an ordinary child but in Hisoriginal, fully decorated, four-handed form. The first wonder was thatthe Lord was not afraid to appear within the prison house of Kamsa,where Vasudeva and Devaki were interned. Second, although the Lord,the Supreme Transcendence, is all-pervading, He had appeared from thewomb of Devaki. The third point of wonder, therefore, was that a childcould take birth from the womb so nicely decorated. Fourth, theSupreme Personality of Godhead was Vasudeva's worshipable Deity yethad taken birth as his son. For all these reasons, Vasudeva was transcendentallyjubilant, and he wanted to perform a festival, as atriyas do tocelebrate the birth of a child, but because of his imprisonment he wasunable to do it externally, and therefore he performed the festival withinhis mind. This was just as good. If one cannot externally serve theSupreme Personality of Godhead, one can serve the Lord within one'smind, since the activities of the mind are as good as those of the othersenses. This is called the nondual or absolute situation (advaya-jnana).People generally perform ritualistic ceremonies for the birth of a child.Why then should Vasudeva not have performed such a ceremony whenthe Supreme Lord appeared as his son?TEXT 12 C' •"lli!\6Jp:f q- t:rn{W: : : I,.... ....:."· +Jmr 1'$14!""'• -A "".. _ .. , "' ·•+i•: ..,•1•'1'J._ II

214 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3athainam astaud avadharya paramparam natanga krta-dhi krtanjalisva-roc4a bharata satika-grhamvirocayantam gata-bhi prabhava-vitatha-thereafter; enam-to the child; astaut-o:ffered prayers;avadharya-understanding surely that the child was the SupremePersonality of Godhead; paam-the Supreme Person; param-transcendental;nata-anga-falling down; krta-dh*-with concentratedattention; krta-anjali-with folded hands; sva-roc4a-by thebrilliance of His personal beauty; bharata-0 Maharaja Parik"it, descendantof Maharaja Bharata; satika-grham-the place where the Lordwas horn; virocayantam-illuminating all around; gata-bh*-all hisfear disappeared; prabhava-vit-he could now understand the influence(of the Supreme Personality of Godhead).TRANSLATION0 Maharaja Parikfit, descendant of King Bharata, Vasudevacould understand that this child was the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, Nirayat;Ut. Having concluded this without a doubt, he becamefearless. Bowing down with folded hands and concentratinghis attention, he began to offer prayers to the child, who illuminatedHis birthplace by His natural influence.PURPORTStruck with such great wonder, Vasudeva now concentrated his attentionon the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Understanding the influenceof the Supreme Lord, he was surely fearless, since he understoodthat the Lord had appeared to give him protection (gata-bhi prabhavavit).Understanding that the Supreme Personality of Godhead was present,he appropriately offered prayers as follows.TEXT 13fft-1 tsffl.::1R:I: m

Text 14]The Birth of Lord Krta215sri-vasudeva uvacavidito 'si bhaviin siiiitpun.L§att prakrtett parattkevaliinubhaviinandasvarapattsarva-buddhi-drksri-vasudevatt uvaca-Sri Vasudeva prayed; viditatt asi-now I amfully conscious of You; bhaviin-Your Lordship; siiiit-directly;purl.L§att-the Supreme Person; prakrtett-to material nature; paratttranscendental,beyond everything material; kevala-anubhava-iinandasvarupatt-Yourform is sac-cid-iinanda-vigraha, and whoever perceivesYou becomes transcendentally blissful; sarva-buddhi-drk-thesupreme observer, the Supersoul, the intelligence of everyone.TRANSLATIONVasudeva said: My Lord, You are the Supreme Person, beyondmaterial existence, and You are the Supersoul. Your form can beperceived by transcendental knowledge, by which You can beunderstood as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I now understandYour position perfectly.PURPORTWithin Vasudeva's heart, affection for his son and knowledge of theSupreme Lord's transcendental nature both awakened. In the beginningVasudeva thought, "Such a beautiful child has been born, but nowKamsa will come and kill Him." But when he understood that this wasnot an ordinary child but the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he becamefearless. Regarding his son as the Supreme Lord, wonderful ineverything, he began offering prayers appropriate for the Supreme Lord.Completely free from fear of Kamsa's atrocities, he accepted the childsimultaneously as an object of affection and as an object of worship byprayers.TEXT 14.... ... ,....., +:.l=;t""gmul17'4 I Bi f?r!: II

216 Srimad-Bhagavatam(Canto 10, Ch. 3sa eva svaprakrtyedamsrtvagre tri-gur:uitmakamtad anu tvam hy apravtattpravta iva bhdvyasesatt-He (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); eva-indeed; svaprakrtya-byYour personal energy (mayiidhyaer:w prakrtitt suyatesa-cariicaram); idam-this material world; smva-after creating;agre-in the beginning; tri-gur:w-atmakam-made of three modes ofenergy (sattva-rajas-tamo-gur:w); tat anu-thereafter; tvam-YourLordship; hi-indeed; apravtatt-although You did not enter;pravtatt iva-You appear to have entered; bhavyase-are so understood.TRANSLATIONMy Lord, You are the same person who in the beginning createdthis material world by His personal external energy. After the creationof this world of three gui;UlS [sattva, rajas and tamas], You appearto have entered it, although in fact You have not.PURPORTIn Bhagavad-gitii (7.4) the Supreme Personality of Godhead clearlyexplains:bhumir iipo 'nalo viiyuttkham mano buddhir eva caahankiira itiyam mebhinna prakrtir tadhaThis material world of three modes of nature-sattva-gur:w,rajo-gur:wand tamo-gur:w-is a composition of earth, water, :fire, air, mind, intelligenceand false ego, all of which are energies coming from KrI).a, yetKrI).a, being always transcendental, is aloof from this material world.Those who are not in pure knowledge think that KrI).a is a product ofmatter and that His body is material like ours (avajiinanti miimmW;lhatt}. In fact, however, KtI).a is always aloof from this materialworld.

Text 14] The Birth of Lord .Kr1,1a 217In the Vedic literature, we find the creation described in relationshipto Mahii-ViI,m. As stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.35):eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-ar:u;ia-ko#myac-chaktir asti jagad-ar:u;ia-caya yad-antattar:ujdntara-stha-paramdu-cayantara-sthamgovindam adi-puram tam aham bhajami"I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, the original Personality of Godhead.By His partial plenary expansion as Mahii-Viu, He enters intomaterial nature. Then He enters every universe as GarbhodakasiiyiViu, and He enters all the elements, including every atom of matter, asKirodakasiiyi Viu. Such manifestations of cosmic creation are innumerable,both in the universes and in the individual atoms." Govinda ispartially exhibited as antaryami, the Supersoul, who enters this materialworld (ar:u)antara-stha) and who is also within the atom. The Brahmasamhitd(5.48) further says:yasyaika-ni.Svasita-kdlam athavalambyajivanti loma-vilaja jagad-ar:u;ia-nathattvur mahan sa iha yasya kalii-vi.Seogovindam ddi-puram tam aham bhajamiThis verse describes Mahii-Viu as a plenary expansion of a. Mahii­Viu lies on the Causal Ocean, and when He exhales, millions ofbrahmar:u;ias, or universes, come from the pores of His body. Then, whenMahii-Viu inhales, all these brahmat;las disappear. Thus the millionsof brahmar:u;ias controlled by the Brahmiis and other demigods come andgo in this material world through the breathing of Mahii-Viu.Foolish persons think that when a appears as the son ofVasudeva, He is limited like an ordinary child. But Vasudeva was awarethat although the Lord had appeared as his son, the Lord had not enteredDevaki's womb and then come out. Rather, the Lord was always there.The Supreme Lord is all-pervading, present within and without. Prav1aiva bhavyase: He only seemed to have entered the womb of Devaki andto have now appeared as Vasudeva's child. The expression of this knowledgeby Vasudeva indicates that Vasudeva knew how these events took

218 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3place. Vasudeva was certainly a devotee of the Lord in full knowledge,and we must learn from devotees like him. Bhagavad-gitd (4.34)therefore recommends:tad viddhi prar:tipatenaparipra.Snena sevayaupadeyanti te jnanamjnaninas tattva-darsina"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquirefrom him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realizedsoul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth."Vasudeva begot the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yet he was in fullknowledge of how the Supreme Lord appears and disappears. He wastherefore tattva-darsi, a seer of the truth, because he personally saw howthe Supreme Absolute Truth appeared as his son. Vasudeva was not inignorance, thinking that because the Supreme Godhead had appeared ashis son, the Lord had become limited. The Lord is unlimitedly existingand all-pervading, inside and outside. Thus there is no question of Hisappearance or disappearance.TEXTS 15-17msf?ltn lltclffil N: 1" • " "_..._....:.., 1'\ ('II ''-'1"1: tp.F Fro ttiRI 1l 1111ft'"' if m s•ld1 1 Rtt¥ilf:ll"54 ijqjf'c : II II W-Jf.l ('i41+(tf(.'SIII-. : d{gOII:l'!dli! R(RI WI C' ('W-1' W-m'A 3TR¥i"i:yatheme 'vikrta bhavastatha te vikrtai sahanana-virya prthag-bhatavirajam janayanti hiII \911

Text 17]The Birth of Lord K.rfl}.a219sannipatya samutpddyadrsyante 'nugata ivapriig eva vidyamanatvanna team iha sambhava}:r.evam bhavan buddhy-anumeya-laar:wirgrahyair gur:wi/:1. sann api tad-guT;Uigraha}:r.anavrtatvdd bahir antaram na tesarvasya sarvdtmana atma-vastuna}:r.yatha-as; ime-these material creations, made of material energy;avikrta/:1.-actually not disintegrated; bhava}:r.-with such a conception;tathii-similarly; te-they; vikrtai/:1. saha-association with these. differentelements coming from the total material energy; ndnd -virya/:1.­every element is full of different energies; prthak-separated; bhata/:1.­becoming; virajam-the whole cosmic manifestation; janayanti-create;hi-indeed; sannipatya-because of association with the spiritualenergy; samutpddya-after being created; drsyante-they appear;anugata/:1.-entered withi'h it; iva-as if; prak-from the very beginning,before the creation of this cosmic manifestation; eva-indeed;vidyamdnatvat-due to the existence of the Supreme Personality ofGodhead; na-not; team-of these material elements; iha-in thismatter of creation; sambhava}:r.-entering would have been possible;evam-in this way; bhavan-0 my Lord; buddhi-anumeya-laar:wi/:1.-byreal intelligence and by such symptoms; grahyai}:r.-with theobjects of the senses; gur:wi/:1.-with the modes of material nature; sanapi-although in touch; tat-gur:w-agraha/:1.-are not touched by the materialqualities; anavrtatvat-because of being situated everywhere;bahi}:r. antaram-within the external and internal; na te-there is nosuch thing for You; sarvasya-of everything; sarva-dtmana/:1.-You arethe root of everything; dtma-vastuna/:1.-everything belongs to You, butYou are outside and inside of everything.TRANSLATIONThe mahat-tattva, the total material energy, is undivided, butbecause of the material modes of nature, it appears to separate intoearth, water, fire, air and ether. Because of the living energy

220 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3Uiva-bhuta], these separated energies combine to make the cosmicmanifestation visible, but in fact, before the creation of the cosmos,the total energy is already present. Therefore, the totalmaterial energy never actually enters the creation. Similarly, althoughYou are perceived by our senses because of Your presence,You cannot be perceived by the senses, nor experienced by themind or words [aviil-minasa-gocara]. With our senses we can perceivesome things, but not everything; for example, we can useour eyes to see, but not to taste. Consequently, You are beyondperception by the senses. Although in touch with the modes of materialnature, You are unaffected by them. You are the prime factorin everything, the all-pervading, undivided Supersoul. For You,therefore, there is no external or internal. You never entered thewomb of Devak.i; rather, You existed there already.PURPORTThis same understanding is explained by the Lord Himself mBhagavad-gitii (9.4):maya tatam idam sarvamjagad-avyakta-murtiniimat-sthani sarva-bhutiinina ciiham tev avasthital;t"By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. Allbeings are in Me, but I am not in them."The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not perceivable through thegross material senses. It is said that Lord Sri :Kr?l,la's name, fame,pastimes, etc., cannot be understood by material senses. Only to one whois engaged in pure devotional service under proper guidance is Herevealed. As stated in Brahma-samhitii (5.38):premiifijana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanenasantal;t sadaiva hrdayeu vilokayantiOne can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, always, withinoneself and outside oneself, if one has developed the transcenden-

Text 17] The Birth of Lord I].a 221tal loving attitude toward Him. Thus for people in general, He is not visible.In the above-mentioned verse from Bhagavad-gita, therefore, it issaid that although He is all-pervading, everywhere present, He is notconceivable by the material senses. But actually, although we cannot seeHim, everything is resting in Him. As discussed in the Seventh Chapterof Bhagavad-gitd, the entire material cosmic manifestation is only acombination of His two different energies, the superior, spiritual energyand the inferior, material energy. Just as the sunshine is spread all overthe universe, the energy of the Lord is spread all over the creation, andeverything is resting in that energy.Yet one should not conclude that because He is spread all over He haslost His personal existence. To refute such arguments, the Lord says, "Iam everywhere, and everything is in Me, hut still I am aloof." For example,a king heads a government which is hut the manifestation of theking's energy; the different governmental departments are nothing hutthe energies of the king, and each department is resting on the king'spower. But still one cannot expect the king to he present in every departmentpersonally. That is a crude example. Similarly, all the manifestationsthat we see, and everything that exists, both in this material worldand in the spiritual world, are resting on the energy of the Supreme Personalityof Godhead. The creation takes place by the diffusion of His differentenergies, and, as stated in the Bhagavad-gita, He is everywherepresent by His personal representation, the diffusion of His differentenerg1es.One may argue that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who createsthe whole cosmic manifestation simply by His glance, cannot come withinthe womb of Devaki, the wife of Vasudeva. To eradicate this argument,Vasudeva said, "My dear Lord, it is not very wonderful that You appearedwithin the womb of Devaki, for the creation was also made in thatway. You were lying in the Causal Ocean as Maha-ViQu, and by Yourbreathing, innumerable universes came into existence. Then You enteredinto each of the universes as Garhhodakasayi ViQu. Then again You expandedYourself as Kirodakasayi ViQu and entered into the heart of allliving entities and entered even within the atoms. Therefore Your entranceinto the womb of Devaki is understandable in the same way. Youappear to have entered, hut You are simultaneously all-pervading. Wecan understand Your entrance and nonentrance from material examples.

222 Srimad-Bhiigavatam (Canto I 0, Ch. 3The total material energy remains intact even after being divided intosixteen elements. The material body is nothing but a combination of thefive gross elements-namely earth, water, fire, air and ether. Wheneverthere is a material body, it appears that such elements are newly created,but actually the elements are always existing outside of the body.Similarly, although You appear as a child in the womb of Devaki, You arealso existing outside. You are always in Your abode, but still You cansimultaneously expand Yourself into millions of forms."One has to understand Your appearance with great intelligence becausethe material energy is also emanating from You. You are theoriginal source of the material energy, just as the sun is the source of thesunshine. The sunshine cannot cover the sun globe, nor can the materialenergy-being an emanation from You-cover You. You appear to be inthe three modes of material energy, but actually the three modes of materialenergy cannot cover You. This is understood by the highly intellectualphilosophers. In other words, although You appear to be within thematerial energy, You are never covered by it."We hear from the Vedic version that the Supreme Brahman exhibitsHis effulgence and therefore everything is illuminated. We can understandfrom Brahma-samhita that the brahmajyoti, or the Brahmaneffulgence, emanates from the body of the Supreme Lord. And from theBrahman effulgence, all creation takes place. It is further stated in theBhagavad-gita that the Lord is the support of the Brahman effulgence.Originally He is the root cause of everything. But persons who are lessintelligent think that when the Supreme Personality of Godhead comeswithin this material world, He accepts material qualities. Such conclusionsare not mature, but are made by the less intelligent.TEXT 18;.r 3TmRl tgiil!! "-'""3 (€1ottM€1ii1:n IGs i!!l:n) ;:r :;]( .-'("'l Mdtt6'ffifl\41G\G\d\ I I

Text 18]The Birth of Lord .Kr1,1a223vinanuvadam na ca tan mani{iitamsamyag yatas tyaktam upadadat pumiinyalz,-anyone who; atmanalz,-of his own real identity, the soul;drsya-guu-among the visible objects, beginning with the body;san-being situated in that position; iti-thus; vyavasyate-continuesto act; sva-vyatirekatalz,-as if the body were independent of the soul;abudhalz,-a rascal; vina anuvadam-without proper analytical study;na-not; ca-also; tat-the body and other visible objects; mani{iitamsuchconsiderations having been discussed; samyak -fully; yatalz,-becausehe is a fool; tyaktam-are rejected; upadadat-accepts this bodyas reality; pumiin-a person.TRANSLATIONOne who considers his visible body, which is a product of thethree modes of natue, to be independent of the soul is unaware ofthe basis of existence, and therefore he is a rascal. Those who arelearned have rejected his conclusion because one can understandthrough full discussion that with no basis in soul, the visible bodyand senses would be insubstantial. Nonetheless, although his conclusionhas been rejected, a foolish person considers it a reality.PURPORTWithout the basic principle of soul, the body cannot be produced. Socalledscientists have tried in many ways to produce a living body in theirchemical laboratories, but no one has been able to do it because unlessthe spirit soul is present, a body cannot be prepared from material elements.Since scientists are now enamored of theories about the chemicalcomposition of the body, we have challenged many scientists to makeeven a small egg. The chemicals in eggs can be found very easily. Thereis a white substance and a yellow substance, covered by a shell, andmodern scientists should very easily be able to duplicate all this. Buteven if they were to prepare such an egg and put it in an incubator, thisman-made chemical egg would not produce a chicken. The soul must beadded because there is no question of a chemical combination for life.Those who think that life can exist wihout the soul have therefore beendescribed here as abudhatz,, foolish rascals.

224 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 3Again, there are those who reject the body, regarding it as insubstantial.They are of the same category of fools. One can neither reject thebody nor accept it as substantial. The substance is the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, and both the body and the soul are energies of theSupreme Godhead, as described by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita(7.4-5):bhamir apo 'nalo vayub,kham mano buddhir eva caahaitkara itiyam mebhinna prakrtir atadhaapareyam itas tv anyamprakrtim viddhi me paramjiva-bhatam maha-bahoyayedam dharyate jagat"Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego-alltogether these eight comprise My separated material energies. Butbesides this inferior nature, 0 mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superiorenergy of Mine, which consists of all living entities who are strugglingwith material nature and are sustaining the universe."The body, therefore, has a relationship with the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, just as the soul does. Since both of them are energies of theLord, neither of them is false, because they come from the reality. Onewho does not know this secret of life is described as abudhab,. Accordingto the Vedic injunctions, aitadatmyam idam sarvam, sarvam khalv idambrahma: everything is the Supreme Brahman. Therefore, both the bodyand the soul are Brahman, since matter and spirit emanate fromBrahman.Not knowing the conclusions of the Vedas, some people accept the materialnature as substance, and others accept the spirit soul as substance,but actually Brahman is the substance. Brahman is the cause of allcauses. The ingredients and the immediate cause of this manifested materialworld are Brahman, and we cannot make the ingredients of thisworld independent of Brahman. Furthermore, since the ingredients andthe immediate cause of this material manifestation are Brahman, both of

Text 19] The Birth of Lord i{r',l:r;ta 225them are truth, satya; there is no validity to the expression brahmasatyam jagan mithya. The world is not false.]nanis reject this world, and foolish persons accept this world asreality, and in this way they are both misguided. Although the body isnot as important as the soul, we cannot say that it is false. Yet the body istemporary, and only foolish, materialistic persons, who do not have fullknowledge of the soul, regard the temporary body as reality and engagein decorating this body. Both of these pitfalls-rejection of the body asfalse and acceptance of the body as all in all-can be avoided when one isfully situated in KtI).a consciousness. If we regard this world as false, wefall into the category of asuras, who say that this world is unreal, with nofoundation and no God in control (asatyam aprat1harh te jagad ahuraniSvaram). As described in the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita,this is the conclusion of demons.TEXT 19)sntfliW:f Rt44il'{ Nitta;W0€4;{1(11:\gulll:\ N Qi 16\ ;mfUr ;it mQ gUT: IIZQ..Iltvatto 'sya janma-sthiti-samyaman vibhovadanty anihad agu'{Uid avikriyattvayiSvare brahmaTJi no virudhyatetvad-asrayatvad upacaryate gu7Jaibtvattab,-arefrom Your Lordship; asya-of the entire cosmicmanifestation; janma-the creation; sthiti-maintenance; samyamanandannihilation; vibho-0 my Lord; vadanti-the learned Vedic scholarsconclude; anihat-who are free from endeavor; aguTJdt-who areunaffected by the modes of material nature; avikriyat-who areunchanging in Your spiritual situation; tvayi-in You; iSvare-theSupreme Personality of Godhead; brahma1J,i-who are Parabrahman,the Supreme Brahman; no-not; virudhyate-there is a contradiction;tvat-asrayatvat-because of being controlled by You; upacaryate-

226 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3things are going on automatically; guib,-by the operation of thematerial modes.TRANSLATION0 my Lord, learned Vedic scholars conclude that the creation,maintenance and annihilation of the entire cosmic manifestationare p erformed by You, who are free from endeavor, unaffected bythe modes of material nature, and changeless in Your s p iritualsituation. There are no contradictions in You, who are theSu p reme Personality of Godhead, Parabrahman. Because the threemodes of material nature-sattva, rajas and lamas-are under Yourcontrol, everything takes p lace automatically.As stated in the Vedas:PURPORTna tasya kdryam karam ca vidyatena tat-sama.S cabhyadhikaS ca drsyateparasya saktir vividhaiva sruyatesvabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca"The Supreme Lord has nothing to do, and no one is found to be equal toor greater than Him, for everythin is done naturally and systematicallyby His multifarious energies." (Svetasvatara Upanad 6.8) Creation,maintenance and annihilation are all conducted personally by theSupreme Personality of Godhead, and this is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita(mayadhyae prakrtib- suyate sa-caracaram). Yet ultimately the Lorddoes not need to do anything, and therefore He is nirvikdra, changeless.Because everything is done under His direction, He is called smi-karta,the master of creation. Similarly, He is the master of annihilation. Whena master sits in one place while his servants work in different duties,whatever the servants are doing is ultimately an activity of the master,although he is doing nothing ( na tasya kdryam karam ca vidyate).The Lord's potencies are so numerous that everything is nicely done.Therefore, He is naturally still and is not directly the doer of anything inthis material world.

Text 20]The Birth of Lord Kf•a227TEXT 20 Ne1ij 'ilttttl:1- ooitqimt• t "'PIT or \SiWiiEtltl II o IIsa tvam tri-loka-sthitaye sva-mdyayabibhar$i suklam khalu Va71Wm atmanatJ,sargaya raktam rajasopabrmhitamkmwm ca va71Wril tamasa janatyayesab- tvam-Your Lordship, who are the same person, the Transcendence;tri-loka-sthitaye-to maintain the three worlds, the upper, middleand lower planetary systems; sva-mdyaya-by Your personal energy(atma-mdyaya); bibhar$i-assume; suklam-the white form of ViQUin goodness; khalu-as well as; va71Wm-color; atmanab--of the samecategory as You (vu-tattva); sargaya-for the creation of the entireworld; raktam-the reddish color of rajo-gu; rajasa-with the qualityof passion; upabrmhitam-being charged; kr$m ca-and the qualityof darkness; varm-the color; tamasa-which is surrounded by ignorance;jana-atyaye-for the ultimate destruction of the entirecreation.TRANSLATIONMy Lord, Your form is transcendental to the three materialmodes, yet for the maintenance of the three worlds, You assumethe white color of Vi,u in goodness; for creation, which is sur­. rounded by the quality of passion, You appear reddish; and at theend, when there is a need for annihilation, which is surrounded byignorance, You appear blackish.PURPORT·Vasudeva prayed to the Lord, "You are called suklam. Suklam, or'whiteness,' is the symbolic representation of the Absolute Truth becauseit is unaffected by the material qualities. Lord Brahmi is called rakta, orI

228 Srimad-Bhigavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 3red, because Brahma represents the qualities of passion for creation.Darkness is entrusted to Lord Siva because he annihilates the cosmos.The creation, annihilation and maintenance of this cosmic manifestationare conducted by Your potencies, yet You are always unaffected by thosequalities." As confirmed in the Vedas, harir hi nirgur;r.ab- saat: theSupreme Personality of Godhead is always free from all materialqualities. It is also said that the qualities of passion and ignorance arenonexistent in the person of the Supreme Lord.In this verse, the three colors mentioned - sukla, rakta and krr:warenot to be understood literally, in terms of what we experience withour senses, but rather as representatives of sattva-gur;r.a, rajo-gur;r.a andtamo-gur;r.a. After all, sometimes we see that a duck is white, although itis in tamo-gur;r.a, the mode of ignorance. Illustrating the logic calledbakandha-nyaya, the duck is such a fool that it runs after the testicles ofa bull, thinking them to be a hanging fish that can be taken when itdrops. Thus the duck is always in darkness. Vyasadeva, however, thecompiler of the Vedic literature, is blackish, but this does not mean thathe is in tamo-gur;r.a; rather, he is in the highest position of sattva-gur;r.a,beyond the material modes of nature. Sometimes these colors (suklaraktastatha pitab-) are used to designate the brahmar;r.as, atriyas,vaiSyas and sadras. Lord Kirodakasayi ViJ.lu is celebrated as possessinga blackish color, Lord Siva is whitish, and Lord Brahma is reddish, butaccording to Srila Sanatana Gosvami in the Var;r.ava-toai-!ika, this exhibitionof colors is not what is referred to here.The real understanding of sukla, rakta and krr:ta is as follows. TheLord is always transcendental, but for the sake of creation He assumesthe color rakta as Lord Brahma. Again, sometimes the Lord becomesangry. As He says in Bhagavad-gita (16.19):tan aham dvq,tab- kraransamsareu naradhamdnipamy ajasram a§ubhandsuv eva yonu"Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest amongmen, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into variousdemoniac species of life." To destroy the demons, the Lord becomes

Text 21] The Birth of Lord .K.rf:r;ta 229angry, and therefore He assumes the form of Lord Siva. In summary, theSupreme Personality of Godhead is always beyond the material qualities,and we should not be misled into thinking otherwise simply because ofsense perception. One must understand the position of the Lordthrough the authorities, or mahajanas. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam(1.3.28), ete carilsa-kalal) purilsal) km:tas tu bhagavan svayam.TEXT 21 f«t ­s=:tffioiism •RC4e 1. "'·t44(111€hh'4'!"'1'1-ffl " " OI{Q+UwtT lwtlwtQ( : II IItvam asya lokasya vibho riraurgrhe 'vatin:w 'si mamakhilesvararajanya-sariljiiilsura-ko#-yuthapairnirvyahyamana nihanyase carnal)tvam-Your Lordship; asya-of this world; lokasya-especially ofthis martya-loka, the planet earth; vibho-0 Supreme; rirau/:l­desiring protection (from the disturbance of the asuras); grhe -in thishouse; avatin:w/:l asi-have now appeared; mama-my; akhilaiSvara-althoughYou are the proprietor of the entire creation; rajanyasariljfia-asura-ko!i-yatha-pail)-withmillions of demons and theirfollowers in the roles of politicians and kings; nirvyahyamanal)-whichare moving here and there all over the world; nihanyase-will kill;camal)-the armies, paraphernalia, soldiers and retinues.TRANSLATION0 my Lord, proprietor of all creation, You have now appeared inmy house, desiring to protect this world. I am sure that You willkill all the armies that are moving all over the world under theleadership of politicians who are dressed as ktatriya rulers but whoare factually demons. They must be killed by You for the protectionof the innocent public.

230 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3PURPORTKn1,1a appears in this world for two purposes, paritrar;ulya sadhanamvinasaya ca dkrtam: to protect the innocent, religious devotees of theLord and to annihilate all the uneducated, uncultured asuras, who unnecessarilybark like dogs and fight among themselves for politicalpower. It is said, kali-kale nama-rape km:w avatara. The Hare 1,1amovement is also an incarnation of J}.a in the form of the holy name(nama-rape). Every one of us who is actually afraid of the asuric rulersand politicians must welcome this incarnation of J}.a: Hare J}.a,Hare J}.a, J}.a J}.a, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, RiimaRama, Hare Hare. Then we will surely be protected from the harassmentof asuric rulers. At the present moment these rulers are so powerful thatby hook or by crook they capture the highest posts in government andharass countless numbers of people on the plea of national security orsome emergency. Then again, one asura defeats another asura, but thepublic continues to suffer. Therefore the entire world is in a precariouscondition, and the only hope is this Hare J}.a movement. LordN:rsimhadeva appeared when Prahliida was excessively harassed by hisasuric father. Because of such asuric fathers-that is, the ruling politicians-itis very difficult to press forward the Hare J}.a movement,but because 1,1a has now appeared in His holy name through thismovement, we can hope that these asuric fathers will be annihilated andthe kingdom of God established all over the world. The entire world isnow full of many asuras in the guise of politicians, gurus, sadhus, yogisand incarnations, and they are misleading the general public away fromJ}.a consciousness, which can offer true benefit to human society.TEXT 22 " ;ft;ql -: : 1111ayam tv asabhyas tava janma nau grhesrutvc'Jgraj4ms te nyavadhft suresvara

Text 22]The Birth of Lord .KrJr:ta231sa te 'vataram puai samarpitamsrutvoohunaivabhisaraty udayudhaayam-this (rascal); tu-but; asabhya-who is not civilized at all(asura means "uncivilized," and sura means "civilized"); tava-of YourLordship; janma-the birth; nau-our; grhe-into the home; srutvdafterhearing; agrajan te-all the brothers born before You;nyavadhit-killed; sura-iSvara-0 Lord of the suras, the civilized persons;sa-he (that uncivilized Kamsa); te-Your; avatdram-appearance;puai-by his lieutenants; samarpitam-being informedof; srutvd-after hearing; adhund-now; eva-indeed; abhisaratiwillcome immediately; uddyudha-with raised weapons.TRANSLATION0 my Lord, Lord of the demigods, after hearing the prophecythat You would take birth in our home and kill him, this uncivilizedKamsa killed so many of Your elder brothers. As soon ashe hears from his lieutenants that You have appeared, he will immediatelycome with weapons to kill You.PURPORTKarilsa has here been decribed as asabhya, meaning "uncivilized" or"most heinous," because he killed the many children of his sister. Whenhe heard the prophecy that he would be killed by her eighth son, this uncivilizedman, Kamsa, was immediately ready to kill his innocent sisteron the occasion of her marriage. An uncivilized man can do anything forthe satisfaction of his senses. He can kill children, he can kill cows, hecan kill brahmar:ws, he can kill old men; he has no mercy for anyone.According to the Vedic civilization, cows, women, children, old men andbrahmar:ws should be excused if they are at fault. But asuras, uncivilizedmen, do not care about that. At the present moment, the killing of cowsand the killing of children is going on unrestrictedly, and therefore thiscivilization is not at all human, and those who are conducting this condemnedcivilization are uncivilized asuras.Such uncivilized men are not in favor of the .KrQa consciousnessmovement. As public officers, they declare without hesitation that the

232 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 3chanting of the Hare 1,1a movement is a nuisance, althoughBhagavad-gita clearly says, satatam kirtayanto mam yatanta5 ca dnlhavratd/:t.According to this verse, it is the duty of the mahatmas to chantthe Hare 1,1a mantra and try to spread it all over the world to the bestof their ability. Unfortunately, society is in such an uncivilized state thatthere are so-called mahatmas who are prepared to kill cows and childrenand stop the Hare 1,1a movement. Such uncivilized activities were actuallydemonstrated in opposition to the Hare 1,1a movement's Bombaycenter, Hare 1,1a Land. As Kamsa was not expected to kill the beautifulchild of Devaki and Vasudeva, the uncivilized society, although unhappyabout the advancement of the 1,1a consciousness movement, cannot heexpected to stop it. Yet we must face many difficulties in many differentways. Although 1,1a cannot he killed, Vasudeva, .as the father of1,1a, was trembling because in affection he thought that Ka:rilsa wouldimmediately come and kill his son. Similarly, although the 1,1a consciousnessmovement and f?Qa are not different and no asuras cancheck it, we are afraid that at any moment the asuras can stop this movementin any part of the world.TEXT 23 igqfffaNwt¥11¥4J Imm{T mm ,,':(''sri-suka uvdcaathainam dtmajam viyamaha-purU§a-laar;tamdevaki tam upadhavatkamsad bhita suvismitasri-suka/:t uvdca-Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; atha-after this offeringof prayers by Vasudeva; enam-this 1,1a; dtmajam-their son;viya-ohserving; maha-pur!L§a-laar;tam-with all the symptoms ofthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vi1,1u; devaki-f?Qa's mother;tam-unto Him (?Qa); upadhavat-offered prayers; kamsat-of

Text 24] The Birth of Lord Kna 233Karhsa; bhita-being afraid; su-vismita-and also being astonished byseeing such a wonderful child.TRANSLATIONSukadeva Gosvimi continued: Thereafter, having seen that herchild had all the symptoms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,Devaki, who was very much afraid of Kamsa and unusuallyastonished, began to offer prayers to the Lord.PURPORTThe word suvismita, meaning "astonished," is significant in thisverse. Devaki and her husband, Vasudeva, were assured that their childwas the Supreme Personality of Godhead and could not be killed byKarhsa, but because of affection, as they thought of Kamsa's previousatrocities, they were simultaneously afraid that KrJ:.la would be killed.This is why the word suvismita has been used. Similarly, we are alsoastounded upon thinking of whether this movement will be killed by theasuras or will continue to advance without fear.TEXT 24ct

234 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 3called; avyaktam-not perceivable by the material senses (atatt sr'i­kmw-ndmcidi na bhaved grahyam indriyaitt); cidyam-You are theoriginal cause; brahma-You are known as Brahman; jyotitt-light;nirgum-without material qualities; nirvikaram-without change,the same form of Vi?QU perpetually; sattd-mdtram-the original substance,the cause of everything; nirvi§eam-You are present everywhereas the Supersoul (within the heart of a human being and withinthe heart of an animal, the same substance is present); nir'iham-withoutmaterial desires; satt-that Supreme Person; tvam-Your Lordship;sddt-directly; vttutt-Lord Vi?QU; adhyatma-d'ipatt-the light forall transcendental knowledge (knowing You, one knows everything:yasmin vijndte sarvam evaril vijnataril bhavati).TRANSLATIONSri Devaki said: My dear Lord, there are different Vedas, someof which describe You as unperceivable through words and themind. Yet You are the origin of the entire cosmic manifestation.You are Brahman, the greatest of everything, full of effulgencelike the sun. You have no material cause, You are free from changeand deviation, and You have no material desires. Thus the Vedassay that You are the substance. Therefore, my Lord, You aredirectly the origin of all Vedic statements, and by understandingYou, one gradually understands everything. You are differentfrom the light of Brahman and Paramatma, yet You are not differentfrom them. Everything emanates from You. Indeed, You arethe cause of all causes, Lord Vi!ilu, the light of all transcendentalknowledge.PURPORTVi?QU is the origin of everything, and there is no difference betweenLord Vi?QU and Lord I?Qa because both of Them are vttu-tattva. Fromthe /J.g Veda we understand, om tad vttatt paramaril padam: theoriginal substance is the all-pervading Lord Vi?QU,who is alsoParamii.tmii. and the effulgent Brahman. The living entities are also partand parcel of Vi?QU, who has various energies (parasya saktir vividhaivasrayate svabhavik'i jnana-bala-kriya ca). Vi?QU, or K:r?Qa, is therefore

Text 24] The Birth of Lord ,Kna 235everything. Lord Knt;ta says in the Bhagavad-gitli (10.8), ahamsaroasya prabhavo mattab. saroam pravartate: "I am the source of allspiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me." Qa,therefore, is the original cause of everything (saroa-kara-karam).When Vit;tu expands in His all-pervading aspect, we should understandHim to be the nirakara-niroiSea-brahmajyoti.Although everything emanates from t;ta, He is ultimately a person.Aham adir hi devanlim: He is the origin of Brahma, Vit;tu andMahesvara, and from them many other demigods are manifested. t;tatherefore says in Bhagavad-gitli (14.27), brahmaryo hi pralhiiham:"Brahman rests upon Me." The Lord also says:ye 'py anya-devata-bhaktayajante sraddhayanvitab,te 'pi mam eva kaunteyayajanty avidhi-paroakam"Whatever a man may sacrifice to other gods, 0 son of Kunti, is reallymeant for Me alone, but it is offered without true understanding."(Bg. 9.23) There are many persons who worship different demigods,considering all of them to be separate gods, which in fact they are not.The fact is that every demigod, and every living entity, is part and parcelof Qa (mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhatab.}. The demigods are also inthe category of living entities; they are not separate gods. But men whoseknowledge is immature and contaminated by the modes of materialnature worship various demigods, according to their intelligence.Therefore they are rebuked in Bhagavad-gita (kamais tais tair hrtajnaniib,prapadyante 'nya-devatiib,). Because they are unintelligent andnot very advanced and have not properly considered the truth, they taketo the worship of various demigods or speculate according to various philosophies,such as the Mayavada philosophy.t;ta, Vit;tu, is the actual origin of everything. As stated in theVedas, yasya ba saroam idam vibhtlti. The Absolute Truth is describedlater in the Srimad-Bhclgavatam (10.28.15) as satyam jnanamanantam yad brahma-jyotib, slinatanam. The brahmajyoti is sanlitana,eternal, yet it is dependent on Ktt;ta (brahmar:w hi prathtlham). The

236 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 1 O, Ch. 3Brahma-samhita states that the Lord is all-pervading. A1J4,antara-sthaparamiir;tu-cayiintara-stham:He is within this universe, and He iswithin the atom as Paramatma. Yasya prabhii prabhavato jagad-aTJ4,akofi-ko!4va.Sea-vasudhiidi-vibhati-bhinnam: Brahman is also not independentof Him. Therefore whatever a philosopher may describe isultimately !}a, or Lord Vil}u (sarvam khalv idam brahma, parambrahma param dhiima pavitram paramam bhaviin). According to differentphases of understanding, Lord Vil}u is differently described, butin fact He is the origin of everything.Because Devaki was an unalloyed devotee, she could understand thatthe same Lord Vil}u had appeared as her son. Therefore, after theprayers of Vasudeva, Devaki offered her prayers. She was veryfrightened because of her brother's atrocities. Devaki said, "My dearLord, Your eternal forms, like Narayal}a, Lord Rama, Sea, Varaha,N:rsimha, Vamana, Baladeva, and millions of similar incarnationsemanating from Vil}u, are described in the Vedic literature as original.You are original because all Your forms as incarnations are outside of thismaterial creation. Your form was existing before this cosmic manifestationwas created. Your forms are eternal and all-pervading. They areself-effulgent, changeless and uncontaminated by the material qualities.Such eternal forms are evercognizant and full of bliss; they are situatedin transcendental goodness and are always engaged in different pastimes.You are not limited to a particular form only; all such transcendental,eternal forms are self-sufficient. I can understand that You are theSupreme Lord ViJ}u." We may conclude, therefore, that Lord ViI}U iseverything, although He is also different from everything. This is theacintya-bhediibheda-tattva philosophy.TEXT 25 ftqI ·4-ilwt : s: II ·e loke dvi-pariirdhiivasiinemaha-bhutev iidi-bhutam gateu

Text 25]The Birth of Lord 1\.f!II].a237vyakte 'vyaktam kala-vegena yatebhavan eka si$yate 'sea-samjfiate-after the annihilation; loke-of the cosmic manifestation; dviparardha-avasane-aftermillions and millions of years (the life ofBrahma);maha-bhateu-when the five primary elements (earth,water, fire, air and ether); adi-bhatam gateu-enter within the subtleelements of sense perception; vyakte-wheri everything manifested;avyaktam-into the unmanifested; kala-vegena-by the force of time;yate-enters; bhavan-Your Lordship; eka-only one; si$yateremains;a5ea-samjfia-the same one with different names.TRANSLATIONMter millions of years, at the time of cosmic annihilation, wheneverything, manifested and unmanifested, is annihilated by theforce of time, the five gross elements enter into the subtle conception,and the manifested categories enter into the unmanifestedsubstance. At that time, You alone remain, and You are known asAnanta Seja-niga.PURPORTAt the time of annihilation, the five gross elements-earth, water,fire, air and ether-enter into the mind, intelligence and false ego(ahankara), and the entire cosmic manifestation enters into the spiritualenergy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who alone remains as theorigin of everything. The Lord is therefore known as Sea-naga, as Adipuruaand by many other names.Devaki therefore prayed, "After many millions of years, when LordBrahma comes to the end of his life, the annihilation of the cosmicmanifestation takes place. At that time the five elements-namely earth,water, fire, air and ether-enter into the mahat-tattva. The mahat-tattvaagain enters, by the force of time, into the nonmanifested total materialenergy; the total material energy enters into the energetic pradhdna, andthe pradhana enters into You. Therefore after the annihilation of thewhole cosmic manifestation, You alone remain with Your transcendentalname, form, quality and paraphernalia.

238 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3"My Lord, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You because You arethe director of the unmanifested total energy, and the ultimate reservoirof the material nature. My Lord, the whole cosmic manifestation is underthe influence of time, beginning from the moment up to the duration ofthe year. All act under Your direction. You are the original director ofeverything and the reservoir of all potent energies."TEXT 26st{ (ij Sott'ffiil"(' "'!1'1f ir.f I'1'41 ..ffl 41&.•·- m IIyo 'yarh kalas tasya te 'vyakta-bandhocetam ahu§ cetate yena viSvamnimeadir vatsaranto mahiyarhstarh tvesanarh ema-dhama prapadyeya-that which; ayam-this; kdla-time (minutes, hours, seconds);tasya-of Him; te-o£ You; avyakta-bandho-0 my Lord, Youare the inaugurator of the unmanifested (the original mahat-tattva orprakrti); cetam-attempt or pastimes; ahu-it is said; cetateworks;yena-by which; vi.Svam-the entire creation; nimea-adibeginningwith minute parts of time; vatsara.anta-up to the limit of ayear; mahiyan-powerful; tam-unto Your Lordship; tva iSanamuntoYou, the supreme controller; ema-dhama-the reservoir of allauspiciousness; prapadye-l offer full surrender.TRANSLATION0 inaugurator of the material energy, this wonderful creationworks under the control of powerful time, which is divided intoseconds, minutes, hours and years. This element of time, whichextends for many millions of years, is but another form of LordVifl}u. For Your pastimes, You act as the controller of time, but

Text 26] The Birth of Lord 1\.fl}r;ta 239You are the reservoir of all good fortune. Let me offer my fullsurrender unto Your Lordship.PURPORTAs stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.52):yac-cak$ur e$a savita sakala-grahar,uirilraja samasta-sura-murtir a.Se$a-tejayasyajiiaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakrogovindam adi-purU$aril tam aham bhajami"The sun is the king of all planetary systems and has unlimited potencyin heat and light. I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the SupremePersonality of Godhead, under whose control even the sun, which is consideredto be the eye of the Lord, rotates within the fixed orbit of eternaltime." Although we see the cosmic manifestation as gigantic and wonderful,it is within the limitations of kala, the time factor. This time factor isalso controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as confirmed inBhagavad-gita (mayadhyak$er:w prakrti suyate sa-cardcaram). Prakrti,the cosmic manifestation, is under the control of time. Indeed,everything is under the control of time, and time is controlled by theSupreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Supreme Lord has nofear of ihe onslaughts of time. Time is estimated according to the movementsof the sun (savita). Every minute, every second, every day, everynight, every month and every year of time can be calculated according tothe sun's movements. But the sun is not independent, for it is undertime's control. Bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakra: the sun moves withinthe kala-cakra, the orbit of time. The sun is under the control of time,and time is controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thereforethe Lord has no fear of time.The Lord is addressed here as avyakta-bandhu, or the inaugurator ofthe movements of the entire cosmic manifestation. Sometimes the cosmicmanifestation is compared to a potter's wheel. When a potter's wheel isspinning, who has set it in motion? It is the potter, of course, althoughsometimes we can see only the motion of the wheel and cannot see the

240 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3potter himself. Therefore the Lord, who is behind the motion of the cosmos,is called avyakta-bandhu. Everything is within the limits of time,but time moves under the direction of the Lord, who is therefore notwithin time's limit.TEXT 27 .mr: qettt'l.._.£..:*qli +i ;n"""-•s•ma;r: ttt'4§f41Q 11\911martyo mrtyu-vyala-bhnatt palayanlokan sarvan nirbhayarh. nddhyagacchattvat-paddbjarh. prapya yadrcchayadyasusthatt sete mrtyur asmad apaitimartyatt-the living entities who are sure to die; mrtyu-vyalabhitatt-afraidof the serpent of death; palayan-running (as soon as aserpent is seen, everyone runs away, fearing immediate death); lokantothe different planets; sarvan-all; nirbhayam-fearlessness; naadhyagacchat-do not obtain; tvat-pada-abjam-of Your lotus feet;prapya-obtaining the shelter; yadrcchaya-by chance, by the mercy ofYour Lordship and Your representative, the spiritual master {guru-krpa,kmw-krpa); adya-presently; su-sthatt-being undisturbed and mentallycomposed; sete-are sleeping; mrtyutt-death; asmat-from thosepersons; apaiti-Hees.TRANSLATIONNo one in this material world has become free from the fourprinciples birth, death, old age and disease, even by fleeing tovarious planets. But now that You have appeared, My Lord, death isfleeing in fear of You, and the living entities, having obtainedshelter at Your lotus feet by Your mercy, are sleeping in fullmental peace.

Text 27) The Birth of Lord 'a 241PURPORTThere are different categories of living entities, but everyone is afraidof death. The highest aim of the karmis is to be promoted to the higher,heavenly planets, where the duration of life is very long. As stated inBhagavad-gita (8.17), sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmar;wvidu/:1,: one day of Brahma equals 1,000 yugas, and each yuga consists of4,300,000 years. Similarly, Brahma has a night of 1,000 times 4,300,000years. In this way, we may calculate Brahma's month and year, but evenBrahma, who lives for millions and millions of years (dvi-parardhakdla),also must die. According to Vedic sastra, the inhabitants of thehigher planetary systems live for 10,000 years, and just as Brahma's dayis calculated to equal 4,300,000,000 of our years, one day in the higherplanetary systems equals six of our months. Karmis, therefore, try forpromotion to the higher planetary systems, but this cannot free themfrom death. In this material world, everyone from Brahma to the insignificantant must die. Therefore this world is called martya-loka. AsKr!?J;la says in Bhagavad-gita (8.16), abrahma-bhuvanal lokd/:1, punaravartino 'rjuna: as long as one is within this material world, either onBrahmaloka or on any other loka within this universe, one must undergothe kdla-cakra of one life after another (bhatva bhatva praliyate). But ifone returns to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (yad gatva nanivartante), one need not reenter the limits of time. Therefore, devoteeswho have taken shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord can sleepvery peacefully with this assurance from the Supreme Personality ofGodhead. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (4.9), tyaktva deham punarjanma naiti: after giving up the present body, a devotee who has understoodKr!?I;la as He is need not return to this material world.The constitutional position for the living entity is eternity (na hanyatehanyamane sarire, nitya/:1, sasvato yam). Every living entity is eternal.But because of having fallen into this material world, one wanderswithin the universe, continually changing from one body to another.Caitanya Mahaprabhu says:brahmar:u;la bhramite kona bhagyavan jivaguru-kmta prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija(Cc. Madhya 19.151)

242 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3Everyone is wandering up and down within this universe, but one who issufficiently fortunate comes in contact with l

Text 28] The Birth of Lord :Kf'il}.a 243meditation; md-not; pratyaam-directly visible; mdmsa-drsam-tothose who see with their material eyes; kr$1M-please be.TRANSLATIONMy Lord, because You dispell all the fear of Your devotees, I requestYou to save us and give us protection from the terrible fearof Kalhsa. Your form as Vilji}.U, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,is appreciated by yogis in meditation. Please make this forminvisible to those who see with material eyes.PURPORTThe word dhyana-dhr;tyam is significant in this verse because theform of Lord Vi1,1u is meditated upon by yogis (dhyanavasthita-tadgatenamanasa pa§yanti yam yogina). Devaki requested the Lord, whohad appeared as Vi1,1u, to conceal that form, for she wanted to see theLord as an ordinary child, like a child appreciated by persons who havematerial eyes. Devaki wanted to see whether the Supreme Personality ofGodhead had factually appeared or she was dreaming the ViI,lU form. IfKamsa were to come, she thought, upon seeing the Vi1,1u form he wouldimmediately kill the child, but if he saw a human child, he might reconsider.Devaki was afraid of Ugrasena-atmaja; that is, she was afraid notof Ugrasena and his men, but of the son of Ugrasena. Thus she requestedthe Lord to dissipate that fear, since He is always ready to give protection(abhayam) to His devotees. "My Lord," she prayed, "I request You tosave me from the cruel hands of the son of Ugrasena, Kamsa. I am prayingto Your Lordship to please rescue me from this fearful condition becauseYou are always ready to give protection to Your servitors." TheLord has confirmed this statement in the Bhagavad-gita by assuringArjuna, "You may declare to the world, My devotee shall never bevanquished."While thus praying to the Lord for rescue, mother Devaki expressedher motherly affection: "I understand that this transcendental form isgenerally perceived in meditation by the great sages, but I am still afraidbecause as soon as Kamsa understands that You have appeared, he mightharm You. So I request that for the time being You become invisible to

244 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3our material eyes." In other words, she requested the Lord to assume theform of an ordinary child. "My only cause of fear from my brotherKamsa is due to Your appearance. My Lord Madhusiidana, Kamsa mayknow that You are already horn. Therefore I request You to conceal thisfour-armed form of Your Lordship, which holds the four symbols ofVir;m-namely the conchshell, the disc, the club and the lotus flower.My dear Lord, at the end of the annihilation of the cosmic manifestation,You put the whole universe within Your abdomen; still, by Yourunalloyed mercy, You have appeared in my womb. I am surprised thatYou imitate the activities of ordinary human beings just to please Yourdevotee."Devaki was so afraid of Kamsa that she could not believe that Karilsawould he unable to kill Lord ViJ}.u, who was personally present. Out ofmotherly affection, therefore, she requested the Supreme Personality ofGodhead to disappear. Although because of the Lord's disappearanceKamsa would harass her more and more, thinking that the child horn ofher was hidden somewhere, she did not want the transcendental child tohe harassed and killed. Therefore she requested Lord ViJ}.u to disappear.Later, when harassed, she would think of Him within her mind.TEXT 29ijqm,·,smD'da: : janma te mayy asau papoma vidyan madhusadanasamudvije bhavad-dhetob,kamsad aham adhira-dhib,janma-the birth; te-o£ Your Lordship; mayi-in my (womb);asau-that Kamsa; pdpab,-extremely sinful; md vidyat-may he unableto understand; madhusildana-0 Madhusiidana; samudvije-1 amfull of anxiety; bhavat-hetob,-because of Your appearance; kamsdthecauseof Kamsa, with whom I have had such had experience; aham-1; adhira-dhib,-have become more and more anxious.

Text 30] The Birth of Lord l}a 245TRANSLATION0 Madhusudana, because of Your appearance, I am becomingmore and more anxious in fear of Karllsa. Therefore, please arrangefor that sinful K.amsa to be unable to understand that Youhave taken birth from my womb.PURPORTDevaki addressed the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Madhusudana.She was aware that the Lord had killed many demons likeMadhu who were hundreds and thousands of times more powerful thanKarhsa, yet because of affection for the transcendental child, she believedthat Kamsa could kill Him. Instead of thinking of the unlimited power ofthe Lord, she thought of the Lord with affection, and therefore she requestedthe transcendental child to disappear.'""' '3q""'Q ..TEXT 30•(("'t:::.1q:Qkfl'itl qf(t I• ...,....,...._...,,...a:Qoqtf141N«

246 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3withdraw this form [and become just like a natural human child sothat I may try to hide You somewhere].PURPORTDevaki was thinking of hiding the Supreme Personality of Godheadand not handing Him over to Kamsa as she had all her previous children.Although Vasudeva had promised to hand over every child to Kamsa,this time he wanted to break his promise and hide the child somewhere.But because of the Lord's appearance in this surprising four-armedform, He would be impossible to hide.TEXT 31ft Pt11 .. : 1RT I. '"'rr.:l'lfilm :tlm- ffi f{ ffil_ II IIviSvarh yad etat sva-tanau niSanteyathavakaSam puab- paro bhavanbibharti so 'yam mama garbhago 'bhadaho nr-lokasya vU;lambanam hi tatviSvam-the entire cosmic manifestation; yat etat-containing allmoving and nonmoving creations; sva-tanau-within Your body;niSa-ante-at the time of devastation; yatha-avakasam-shelter inYour body without difficulty; purzab,-the Supreme Personality ofGodhead; parab,-transcendental; bhavan-Your Lordship; bibhartikeep;sab,-that (Supreme Personality of Godhead); ayam-this form;mama-my; garbha-gab,-came within my womb; abhat-it so happened;aho-alas; nr-lokasya-within this material world of living entities;vU;lambanam-it is impossible to think of; hi-indeed; tat-that(kind of conception).TRANSLATIONAt the time of devastation, the entire cosmos, containing all createdmoving and nonmoving entities, enters Your transcendental

Text 31] The Birth of Lord lfJ;l& . 247body and is held there without difficulty. But now this transcendentalform has taken birth from my womb. People will not beable to believe this, and I shall become an object of ridicule.PURPORTAs explained in Caitanya-caritamrta, loving service to the Personalityof Godhead is of two different kinds: aiSvarya-purr,w, full of opulence,and aiSvarya-sithila, without opulence. Real love of Godhead begins withaiSvarya-sithila, simply on the basis of pure love.premafijana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanenasantab- sadaiva hrdaye$u vilokayantiyam syamasundaram acintya-gur,w-svaruparilgovindam adi-puaril tam aham bhajami(Brahma-samhita 5.38)Pure devotees, whose eyes are anointed with the ointment of premd,love, want to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Syamasundara,Muralidhara, with a flute swaying in His two hands. This is the formavailable to the inhabitants of V:rndavana, who are all in love with theSupreme Personality of Godhead as Syamasundara, not as Lord ViI)u,Narayal).a, who is worshiped in Vaikul).tha, where the devotees admireHis opulence. Although Devaki is not on the V:rndavana platform, she isnear the V:rndavana platform. On the V:rndavana platform the mother ofl(:rI).a is mother Yasoda, and on the Mathurii ad Dvaraka platform themother of K:rI).a is Devaki. In Mathura and Dvaraka the love for theLord is mixed with appreciation of His opulence, but in V:rndavana theopulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not exhibited.There are five stages of loving service to the Supreme Personality ofGodhead -santa, da.sya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya. Devaki is onthe platform of vatsalya. She wanted to deal with her eternal son, l(:rI).a,in that stage of love, and therefore she wanted the Supreme Personalityof Godhead to withdraw His opulent form of ViI).u. Srila VisvanathaCakravarti 'fhakura illuminates this fact very clearly in his explanationof this verse.Bhakti, bhagavan and bhakta do not belong to the material world.This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (14.26):

248 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 3mam ca yo 'vyabhicarer;tabhakti-yogena sevatesa gur;tan samatityaitanbrahma-bhayaya kalpate"One who engages in the spiritual activities of unalloyed devotional serviceimmediately transcends the modes of material nature and is elevatedto the spiritual platform." From the very beginning of one's transactionsin bhakti, one is situated on the transcendental platform. Vasudeva andDevaki, therefore, being situated in a completely pure devotional state,are beyond this material world and are not subject to material fear. In thetranscendental world, however, because of pure devotion, there is a similarconception of fear, which is due to intense love.As stated in Bhagavad-gita (bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan ya.S casmitattvataM and as confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (bhaktyaham ekayagrahya/:1,), without bhakti one cannot understand the spiritual situationof the Lord. Bhakti may be considered in three stages, called gur;ti-bhata,pradhani-bhata and kevala, and according to these stages there are threedivisions, which are called jiidna, jiidnamay'i and rati, or premd-that is,simple knowledge, love mixed with knowledge, and pure love. By simpleknowledge, one can perceive transcendental bliss without variety. Thisperception is called mana-bhati. When one comes to the stage ofjiidnamay'i, one realizes the transcendental opulences of the Personalityof Godhead. But when one reaches pure love, one realizes the transcendentalform of the Lord as Lord Kr!?f;ia or Lord Rama. This is what iswanted. Especially in the madhurya-rasa, one becomes attached to thePersonality of Godhead (sr'i-vigraha-ntha-rapcldi). Then loving transactionsbetween the Lord and the devotee begin.The special significance of Kr!?;ia's bearing a flute in His hands in Vrajabhiimi,V:rndavana, is described as madhuri ... virajate. The form ofthe Lord with a flute in His hands is most attractive, and the one who ismost sublimely attracted is Srimati Radhara1;1i, Radhika. She enjoyssupremely blissful association with Kr!?f;la. Sometimes people cannotunderstand why Radhika's name is not mentioned in Srimad­Bhagavatam. Actually, however, Radhika can be understood from theword arcldhana, which indicates that She enjoys the highest lovingaffairs with Kr!?f;ia.

Text 32] The Birth of Lord Kr•a 249Not wanting to be ridiculed for having given birth to Vi,J,lu, Devakiwanted '1,1a, with two hands, and therefore she requested the Lord tochange His form.TEXT 32R-

250 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3.KrQa as their son. This pastime takes place eternally and is thereforecalled nitya-lila. Thus there was no cause for surprise or ridicule. Asconfirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gitd (4.9):janma karma ca me divyamevam yo vetti tattvatatyaktva deham punar janmanaiti miim eti so 'rjuna"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activitiesdoes not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this materialworld, but attains My eternal abode, 0 Arjuna." One should try tounderstand the appearance and disappearance of the Supreme Personalityof Godhead from Vedic authorities, not from imagination. Onewho follows his imaginations about the Supreme Personality of Godheadis condemned.avajananti mam mW)hamiinU$irh tanum asritamparam bhavam ajanantomama bhata-mahesvaram(Bg. 9.11)The Lord appears as the son of His devotee by His param bhavam. Theword bhava refers to the stage of pure love, which has nothing to do withmaterial transactions.TEXT 33.'""{'Pnr.!i.l!' st:::iil«•• : ISiiiii;.ns.IISiii: m(fq: II IIyuvam vai brahma1Jiid1aupraja-sarge yada tatasanniyamyendriya-gramamtepathe paramam tapayuvam-both of you (P:rsni and Sutapa); vai -indeed; brahmar;uldd1au-ordered by Lord Brahma (who is known as Pitamaha, the

Text 33] The Birth of Lord Kf11a 251father of the Prajilpatis); praja-sarge-in the creation of progeny;yadtl-when; tatab.-thereafter; sanniyamya-keeping under full control;indriya-gramam-the senses; tepathe-underwent; paramamverygreat; tapab.-austerity.TRANSLATIONWhen both of you were ordered by Lord Brahmi to create progeny,you first underwent severe austerities by controlling yoursenses.PURPORTHere is an instruction about how to use one's senses to create progeny.According to Vedic principles, before creating progeny one must fullycontrol the senses. This control takes place through the garbhadhanasarilskara.In India there is great agitation for birth control in variousmechanical ways, but birth cannot be mechanically controlled. As statedin Bhagavad-gita (13.9), janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-dub.kha-do$iinudarsanam:birth, death, old age and disease are certainly the primarydistresses of the material world. People are trying to control birth, butthey are not able to control death; and if one cannot control death, onecannot control birth either. In other words, artificially controlling birth isnot any more feasible than artificially controlling death.According to Vedic civilization, procreation should not be contrary toreligious principles, and then the birthrate will be controlled. As statedin Bhagavad-gita (7 .11), dharmaviruddho bhate$U kamo 'smi: sex notcontrary to religious principles is a representation of the Supreme Lord.People should be educated in how to give birth to good children throughsarilskaras, beginning with the garbhadhana-sarilskara; birth should notbe controlled by artificial means, for this will lead to a civilization ofanimals. If one follows religious principles, he automatically practicesbirth control because if one is spiritually educated he knows that theaftereffects of sex are various types of misery (bahu-dub.kha-bh4ja).One who is spiritually advanced does not indulge in uncontrolled sex.Therefore, instead of being forced to refrain from sex or refrain fromgiving birth to many children, people should be spiritually educated, andthen birth control will automatically follow.

252 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Cb. 3If one is determined to make spiritual advancement, he will not begeta child unless able to make that child a devotee. As stated in Srimad­Bhagavatam (5.5.18), pita na sa sydt: one should not become a fatherunless one is able to protect his child from mrtyu, the path of birth anddeath. But where is there education about this? A responsible fathernever begets children like cats and dogs. Instead of being encouraged toadopt artificial means of birth control, people should be educated in"Kr:Q.a consciousness because only then will they understand their responsibilityto their children. If one can beget children who will bedevotees and be taught to turn aside from the path of birth and death(mrtyu-samsdra-vartmani), there is no need of birth control. Rather, oneshould be encouraged to beget children. Artificial means of birth controlhave no value. Whether one begets children or does not, a population ofmen who are like cats and dogs will never make human society happy. Itis therefore necessary for people to be educated spiritually so that insteadof begetting children like cats and dogs, they will undergo austerities toproduce devotees. This will make their lives successful.TEXTS 34-35(' ('Cf'fl

Text 35] The Birth of Lord lill,la 253changes; sahamanau-by enduring; svasa-rodha-by practicing yoga,controlling the breath; vinirdhata-the dirty things accumulated in themind were completely washed away; mana-malau-the mind becameclean, free from material contamination; si71W-rejected, dry; pa71W­leaves from the trees; anila-and air; aharau-eating; upa5antenapeaceful;cetasa-with a fully controlled mind; matta-from Me;kaman abhipsantau-desiring to beg some benediction; mat-My;aradhanam-worship; ihatu-you both executed.TRANSLATIONMy dear father and mother, you endured rain, wind, strong sun,scorching heat and severe cold, suffering all sorts of inconvenienceaccording to different seasons. By practicing pril,liyima tocontrol the air within the body through yoga, and by eating onlyair and dry leaves fallen from the trees, you cleansed from yourminds all dirty things. In this way, desiring a benediction from Me,you worshiped Me with peaceful minds.PURPORTVasudeva and Devaki did not obtain the Supreme Personality of Godheadas their son very easily, nor does the Supreme Godhead acceptmerely anyone as His father and mother. Here we can see how Vasudevaand Devaki obtained K:rQa as their eternal son. In our own lives, we aremeant to follow the principles indicated herewith for getting goodchildren. Of course, it is not possible for everyone to get K:rQa as his son,hut at least one can get very good sons and daughters for the benefit ofhuman society. In Bhagavad-gita it is said that if human beings do notfollow the spiritual way of life, there will he an increase of va11Ul­sarikara population, population begotten like cats and dogs, and the entireworld will become like hell. Not practicing K:rQa consciousness hutsimply encouraging artificial means to check the population will hefutile; the population will increase, and it will consist of va71W-sarikara,unwanted progeny. It is better to teach people how to beget children notlike hogs and dogs, hut in controlled life.Human life is meant not for becoming a hog or dog, hut for tapodivyam, transcendental austerity. Everyone should he taught to undergo

254 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3austerity, tapasya. Although it may not he possible to undergo tapasyalike that of Pfsni and Sutapa, the §astra has given an opportunity for amethod of tapasya very easy to perform-the sarikirtana movement.One cannot expect to undergo tapasya to get KtQ.a as one's child, yetsimply by chanting the Hare KtQ.a mahd-mantra (kirtanad evakmwsya), one can become so pure that one becomes free from all thecontamination of this material world (mukta-sangaM and goes hackhome, hack to Godhead (param vrajet). The KtQ.a consciousness movement,therefore, is teaching people not to adopt artificial means of happiness,hut to take the real path of happiness as prescribed in the §astrathechanting of the Hare KtQ.a mantra-and become perfect in everyaspect of material existence.•TEXT 36evam vam tapyatos tivramtapa/:t parama-dkaramdivya-var$a-sahasrar;tidviidaSeyur mad-atmano/:tevam-in this way; vam-for both of you; tapyato/:t-executingausterities; tivram-very severe; tapa/:t-austerity; parama-dkaram-extremelydifficult to execute; divya-var$a-celestial years, oryears counted according to the higher planetary system; sahasrdr;tithousand;dvdda5a-twelve; iyu/:t-passed; mat -dtmano/:t-simplyengaged in consciousness of Me.TRANSLATIONThus you spent twelve thousand celestial year• performingdifficult activities of tapuya in consciousness of Me [K:rtl}aconsciousness].TEXTS 37-38 S(+UJwtT crir I=ill: 11\911

..Text 38]The Birth of Lord 11t:ta255snR1 tm : qm,a:ffi'"' 1ft1'7Y nT. "" " ) qt : wr: tada vam paritto 'hamamunii vapanaghetapasii sraddhaya nityambhaktya ca hrdi bhiivita/:lpraduriisam varada-rtuJ,yuvayo/:l kiima-ditsayavriyatiim vara ity uktemiidrso vam vrta/:l suta/:ltadd-then (after the expiry of twelve thousand celestial years);viim-with both of you; paritta/:l aham-I was very much satisfied;amuna-by this; vapa-in this form as .K.tl).a; anaghe-0 My dearsinless mother; tapasa-by austerity; sraddhaya-by faith; nityamconstantly(engaged); bhaktya-by devotional service; ca-as well as;hrdi-within the core of the heart; bhiivita/:l-fixed (in determination);priiduriisam-appeared before you (in the same way); vara-da-rat-thebest of all who can bestow benedictions; yuvayo/:l-of both of you;kiima-ditsayii-wishing to fulfill the desire; vriyatiim-asked you toopen your minds; vara/:l-for a benediction; iti ukte-when you were requestedin this way; miidrsa/:l-exactly like Me; viim-of both of you;vrta/J-was asked; suta/:l-as Your son (you wanted a son exactly likeMe).TRANSLATION0 sinless mother Devaki, after the expiry of twelve thousandcelestial years, in which you constantly contemplated Me withinthe core of your heart with great faith, devotion and austerity, Iwas very much satisfied with you. Since I am the best of allbestowers of benediction, I appeared in this same form as ft:'B toask you to take from Me the benediction you desired. You then expressedyour desire to have a son exactly like Me.PURPORTTwelve thousand years on the celestial planets is not a very long timefor those who live in the upper planetary system, although it may be very

256 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Cb. 3long for those who live on this planet. Sutapa was the son of Brahma, andas we have already understood from Bhagavad-gita (8.17), one day ofBrahma equals many millions of years according to our calculation(sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmar:w vidub,). We should becareful to understand that to get .Kr:Q.a as one's son, one must undergosuch great austerities. If we want to get the Supreme Personality of Godheadto become one of us in this material world, this requires greatpenance, but if we want to go back to .Kr:Q.a (tyaktvii deham punarjanma naiti miim eti so 'rjuna), we need only understand Him and loveHim. Through love only, we can very easily go back home, back to Godhead.Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore ,declared, premii pum-arthomahan: love of Godhead is the highest achievement for anyone.As we have explained, in worship of the Lord there are three stagesjfiiina,jnanamayi and rati, or love. Sutapa and his wife, Prsni, inauguratedtheir devotional activities on the basis of full knowledge.Gradually they developed love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead,and when this love was mature, the Lord appeared as Vi:Q.u, althoughDevaki then requested Him to assume the form of .Kr:Q.a. To love theSupreme Personality of Godhead more, we want a form of the Lord likeK{:Q.a or Rama. We can engage in loving transactions with .KrQaespecially.In this age, we are all fallen, but the Supreme Personality of Godheadhas appeared as Caitanya Mahaprabhu to bestow upon us love of Godheaddirectly. This was appreciated by the associates of Sri CaitanyaMahaprabhu. Riipa Gosvami said:namo maha-vadanyayakmuz-prema-pradaya tekr$1Jiiya kmw-caitanyanamnegaura-tvi$e nafflfl/:tIn this verse, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is described as maha-vadanya,the most munificent of charitable persons, because He gives .KrQa soeasily that one can attain .KrQa simply by chanting the Hare .Kr:Q.amaha-mantra. We should therefore take advantage of the benedictiongiven by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and when by chanting the Hare.Kr:Q.a mantra we are cleansed of all dirty things (ceto-darpar,wmiirjanam),we shall be able to understand very easily that .Kr:Q.a is the

..Text 39] The Birth of Lord Knl}.a 257only object of love (kirtanad eva krr:msya mukta-sanga pararhvrajet).Therefore, one need not undergo severe penances for many thousandsof years; one need only learn how to love Kr!?I;la and be always engaged inHis service (sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adaM. Thenone can very easily go back home, back to Godhead. Instead of bringingthe Lord here for some material purpose, to have a son or whatever else,if we go back home, back to Godhead, our real relationship with the Lordis revealed, and we eternally engage in our eternal relationship. Bychanting the Hare Kr!?I;la mantra, we gradually develop our eternal relationshipwith the Supreme Person and thus attain the perfection calledsvarupa-siddhi. We should take advantage of this benediction and goback home, back to Godhead. Srila Narottama dasa 'fhakura hastherefore sung, patita-pavana-hetu tava avatara: Caitanya Mahaprabhuappeared as an incarnation to deliver all fallen souls like us and directlybestow upon us love of Godhead. We must take advantage of this greatbenediction of the great Personality of Godhead.TEXT 393lR4" :q I;r 1f mrt "'*"" G>!f4 ¥t'r"'"'' l44.. 1 II IIajta-gramya-vayavanapatyau ca dam-patina vavrathe 'pavargarh memohitau deva-mayayaajta-gramya-vayau-for sex life and to beget a child like Me;anapatyau-because of possessing no son; ca-also; dam-pan-bothhusband and wife; na-never; vavrathe-asked for (any other benediction);apavargam-liberation from this world; me-from Me;mohitau-being so much attracted; deva-mayaya-by transcendentallove for Me (desiring Me as your beloved son).TRANSLATIONBeing husband and wife but always sonless, you were attractedby sexual desires, for by the influence of devamiyi, transcendental

258 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3love, you wanted to have Me asdesired to be liberated from this material world.your son. Therefore you neverPURPORTVasudeva and Devaki had been dam-pat'i, husband and wife, since thetime of Sutapa and P:rsni, and they wanted to remain husband and wifein order to have the Supreme Personality of Godhead as their son. Thisattachment came about by the influence of devamayii. Loving l(rI).a asone's son is a Vedic principle. Vasudeva and Devaki never desired anythingbut to have the Lord as their son, yet for this purpose they apparentlywanted to live like ordinary grhasthas for sexual indulgence.Although this was a transaction of spiritual potency, their desire appearslike attachment for sex in conjugal life. If one wants to return home,back to Godhead, one must give up such desires. This is possible onlywhen one develops intense love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said:n4kiiicanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasyapiiram param jigam4or bhava-siigarasya(Cc. Madhya 11.8)If one wants to go back home, back to Godhead, one must be n4kiiicana,free from all material desires. Therefore, instead of desiring to have theLord come here and become one's son, one should desire to become freefrom all material desires (anyabhilii§itii-sunyam) and go back home,back to Godhead. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us in His Sik:;d{;taka:na dhanam na janam na sundarimkavitiim vii jagad-iSa kiimayemama janmani janmaniSvarebhavatiid bhaktir ahaituki tvayi"0 almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desirebeautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only wantYour causeless devotional service, birth after birth." One should not askthe Lord to fulfill any materially tainted desires.

Text 41]The Birth of Lord ,l}a259TEXT 40 tiT +ifflt!ii I • • Sftt'sii'P'I'Iana SfiH¥4'11 llollgate mayi yuvam labdhvavaram mat-sadrsam sutamgramyan bhogan abhunjathamyuvam prapta-manorathaugate mayi-after My departure; yuvam-both of you (husband andwife); labdhva-after receiving; varam-the benediction of (having ason); mat-sadrsam-exactly like Me; sutam-a son; gramyan bhoganengagementin sex; abhunjatham-enjoyed; yuvam-both of you;prdpta-having been achieved; manorathau-the desired result of youraspirations.TRANSLATIONAfter you received that benediction and I disappeared, youengaged yourselves in sex to have a son like Me, and I fulfilledyour desire.PURPORTAccording to the Sanskrit dictionary Amara-kosa, sex life is also calledgramya-dharma, material desire, but in spiritual life this gramyadharma,the material desire for sex, is not very much appreciated. If onehas a tinge of attachment for the material enjoyments of eating, sleeping,mating and defending, one is not nkiricana. But one really should benkincana. Therefore, one should be free from the desire to beget achild like ,:r;ta by sexual enjoyment. This is indirectly hinted at in thisverse.TEXT 41-31t-;--,;:qa....;¥i : 13Tt m 'lf 16 :

260 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 3admvan yatamarh lokesilaudarya-guT;Uli samamaharh suto vam abhavarhprsnigarbha iti srutaadmva-not finding; anyatamam-anyone else; loke-in this world;sila-audarya-guT;Uli-with the transcendental 'qualities of good characterand magnanimity; samam-equal to you; aham-1; suta-theson; vam-of both of you; abhavam-became; prsni-garbha-celebratedas horn of Prsni; iti-thus; sruta-1 am known.TRANSLATIONSince I found no one else as highly elevated as you in simplicityand other qualities of good character, I appeared in this world asPt8nigarbha, or one who is celebrated as having taken birth fromPtsni.PURPORTIn the Tretii-yuga the Lord appeared as Prsnigarhha. Srila VisvanathaCakravarti 'fhakura says, prsnigarbha iti so 'yam treta-yugavatarolayate.TEXT 42 o:u¥tRuue eti 1 W(atmi) cWi;f : ll'cilltayor varh punar evahamadityam dsa kaSyapatupendra iti vikhyatovamanatvdc ca vamanatayo-of you two, husband and wife; vam-in both of you; punaeva-even again; aham-1 Myself; adityam-in the womb of Aditi;dsa-appeared; kaSyapat-by the semen of Kasyapa Muni; upendrabythe name Upendra; iti-thus; vikhyata-celebrated; vamanatvatca-and because of being a dwarf; vamana-1 was known as Vamana.

Text 43] The Birth of Lord Krfl!J.la 261TRANSLATIONIn the next millennium, I again appeared from the two of you,who appeared as My mother, Aditi, and My father, KaSyapa. I wasknown as Upendra, and because of being a dwarf, I was also knownasVimana.TEXT 435{1 t4q it m ll'd ntrtiye 'smin bhave 'ham vaitenaiva vapU$dtha vamjato bhuyas tayor evasatyam me vyahrtam satitrtiye-for the third time; asmin bhave-in this appearance (asKr!?:t:ta); aham-I Myself; vai-indeed; tena-with the same personality;eva-in this way; vapa-by the form; atha-as; vam-ofboth of you; jata-born; bhuya-again; tayo-of both of you;eva-indeed; satyam-take as truth; me-My; vyahrtam-words;sati-0 supremely chaste.TRANSLATION0 supremely chaste mother, I, the same personality, have nowappeared of you both as your son for the third time. Take Mywords as the truth.PURPORTThe Supreme Personality of Godhead chooses a mother and fatherfrom whom to take birth again and again. The Lord took birth originallyfrom Sutapa and P:rsni, then from Kasyapa and Aditi, and again from thesame father and mother, Vasudeva and Devaki. "In other appearancesalso," the Lord said, "I took the form of an ordinary child just to becomeyour son so that we could reciprocate eternal love." Jiva Gosvami has explainedthis verse in his Km,ta-sandarbha, Ninety-sixth Chapter, wherehe notes that in text 37 the Lord says, amuna vapa, meaning "by thissame form." In other words, the Lord told Devaki, "This time I have

262 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3appeared in My original form as Sri ?Qa." Srila }iva Gosvami says thatthe other forms were partial expansions of the Lord's original form, butbecause of the intense love developed by P:rsni and Sutapa, the Lord appearedfrom Devaki and Vasudeva in His full opulence as Sri ?Qa. Inthis verse the Lord confirms, "I am the same Supreme Personality ofGodhead, but I appear in full opulence as Sri Qa." This is the purportof the words tenaiva vapa. When the Lord mentioned the birth ofP:rsnigarbha, He did not say tenaiva vapa, but He assured Devaki thatin the third birth the Supreme Personality of Godhead ?Qa had appeared,not His partial expansion. P:rsnigarbha and Vamana were partialexpansions of Tf1Qa,' but in this third birth Qa Himself appeared.This is the explanation given in Sri Kmw.-sandarbha by Srila }ivaGosviimi.TEXT 44 err sr ,;\jfw-+((U,,tt 1 ri;r etad vam darsitam rupampriig-janma-smarar:uiya menanyatha mad-bhavam jfianammartya-lirigena jayateetat-this form of ViQu; vdm-unto both of you; darsitam-hasbeen shown; rupam-My form as the Supreme Personality of Godheadwith four hands; prak-janma-of My previous appearances;smarar:ulya-just to remind you; me-My; na-not; anyatha-otherwise;mat-bhavam-Vi?Qu's appearance; jfidnam-this transcendentalknowledge; martya-lirigena-by taking birth like a human child;jayate-does arise.TRANSLATIONI have shown you this form of Vitl,lU just to remind you of Myprevious births. Otherwise, if I appeared like an ordinary humanchild, you would not believe that the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, Vitl,lU, has indeed appeared.

Text 45] The Birth of Lord !ji].a 263PURPORTDevaki did not need to be reminded that the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, Lord Vi?I,lU, had appeared as her son; she already acceptedthis. Nonetheless, she was anxious, thinking that if her neighbors heardthat Vi?I,lU had appeared as her son, none of them would believe it.Therefore she wanted Lord Vi!?I,lU to transform Himself into a humanchild. On the other hand, the Supreme Lord was also anxious, thinkingthat if He appeared as an ordinary child, she would not believe that LordVi!?I,lU had appeared. Such are the dealings between devotees and theLord. The Lord deals with His devotees exactly like a human being, butthis does not mean that the Lord is one of the human beings, for this isthe conclusion of nondevotees (avajananti mam mu{lha manim tanumasritam). Devotees know the Supreme Personality of Godhead under anycircumstances. This is the difference between a devotee and a nondevotee.The Lord says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mamnamaskuru: "Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become Mydevotee, offer obeisances and worship Me." A nondevotee cannot believethat simply by thinking of one person, one can achieve liberation fromthis material world and go back home, back to Godhead. But this is a fact.The Lord comes as a human being, and if one becomes attached to theLord on the platform of loving service, one's promotion to the transcendentalworld is assured.TEXT 45 lU IW§€1_ IP--.::::m ,; ffl" IIIJIIyuvam mam putra-bhavenabrahma-bhavena casakrtcintayantau krta-snehauyasyethe mad-gatim paramyuvam-both of you (husband and wife); mam-unto Me; putrabhavena-asyour son; brahma-bhavena-knowing that I am theSupreme Personality of Godhead; ca-and; asakrt-constantly;cintayantau-thinking like that; krta-snehau-dealing with love and

264 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3affection; yasyethe-shall both obtain; mat-gatim-My supreme abode;panim-which is transcendental, beyond this material world.TRANSLATIONBoth of you, husband and wife, constantly think of Me as yourson, but always know that I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead.By thus thinking of Me constantly with love and affection,you will achieve the highest perfection: returning home, back toGodhead.PURPORTThis instruction by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to His fatherand mother, who are eternally connected with Him, is especially intendedfor persons eager to return home, back to Godhead. One shouldnever think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as an ordinaryhuman being, as nondevotees do. K:r!?a, the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, personally appeared and left His instructions for the benefit ofall human society, but fools and rascals unfortunately think of Him as anordinary human being and twist the instructions of Bhagavad-gita forthe satisfaction of their senses. Practically everyone commenting onBhagavad-gita interprets it for sense gratification. It has become especiallyfashionable for modern scholars and politicians to interpretBhagavad-gita as if it were something fictitious, and by their wrong interpretationsthey are spoiling their own careers and the careers ofothers. The K:r!?a consciousness movement, however, is fighting againstthis principle of regarding K:r!?a as a fictitious person and of acceptingthat there was no Battle of Kuruk?etra, that everything is symbolic, andthat nothing in Bhagavad-gita is true. In any case, if one truly wants tobe successful, one can do so by reading the text of Bhagavad-gita as it is.Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu especially stressed the instructions ofBhagavad-gita: yare dekha, tare kaha 'kmuz '-upadesa. If one wants toachieve the highest success in life, one must accept Bhagavad-gita asspoken by the Supreme Lord. By accepting Bhagavad-gita in this way,all of human society can become perfect and happy.It is to be noted that because Vasudeva and Devaki would be separatedfrom K:r!?a when He was carried to Gokula, the residence of Nanda

Text 46] The Birth of Lord K:ra 265Maharaja, the Lord personally instructed them that they should alwaysthink of Him as their son and as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.That would keep them in touch with Him. After eleven years, the Lordwould return to Mathura to be their son, and therefore there was noquestion of separation.TEXT 46

266 Srimad-Bhiigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3the difference between the Lord and an ordinary living being. The Vedassay:parasya saktir vividhaiva srayatesvabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca(Svetasvatara Upanad 6.8)It is natural for the Lord to be untinged by material qualities, and becauseeverything is perfectly present in His spiritual energy, as soon asHe desires something, it is immediately done. The Lord is not a prakrta­§i§u, a child of this world, but by His personal energy He appeared likeone. Ordinary people may have difficulty accepting the supreme con.troller, God, as a human being because they forget that He can do everythingby spiritual energy (atma-mayaya). Nonbelievers say, "How canthe supreme controller descend as an ordinary being?" This sort ofthinking is materialistic. Srila ]iva Gosvami says that unless we acceptthe energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as inconceivable,beyond the conception of our words and mind, we cannot understand theSupreme Lord. Those who doubt that the Supreme Personality of Godheadcan come as a human being and turn Himself into a human childare fools who think that a's body is material, that He is born andthat He therefore also dies.In Srimad-Bhagavatam, Third Canto, Fourth Chapter, verses 28 and29, there is a description of a's leaving His body. Maharaja Parikitinquired from Sukadeva Gosvami, "When all the members of the Yadudynasty met their end, a also put an end to Himself, and the onlymember of the family who remained alive was Uddhava. How was thispossible?" Sukadeva Gosvami answered that a, by His·own energy,destroyed the entire family and then thought of making His own bodydisappear. In this connection, Sukadeva Gosvami described how the Lordgave up His body. But this was not the destruction of a's body;rather, it was the disappearance of the Supreme Lord by His personalenergy.Actually, the Lord does not give up His body, which is eternal, but asHe can change His body from the form of Viu to that of an ordinaryhuman child, He can change His body to any form He likes. This does notmean that He gives up His body. By spiritual energy, the Lord can appear

Text 47] The Birth of Lord K.ftJ}.a 267in a body made of wood or stone. He can change His body into anythingbecause everything is His energy (parasya saktir vividhaiva snlyate). Asclearly said in Bhagavad-gita (7.4), bhinnd prakrtir tadha: the materialelements are separated energies of the Supreme Lord. If Hetransforms Himself into the arca-murti, the worshipable Deity, which wesee as stone or wood, He is still KtJ.ia. Therefore the §astra warns, arcyevu sila-dhir guru nara-matib,. One who thinks that the worshipableDeity in the temple is made of wood or stone, one who sees aVaiJ.lava guru as an ordinary human being, or one who materially conceivesof a Vai1.1ava as belonging to a particular caste is niiraki, a residentof hell. The Supreme Personality of Godhead can appear before usin many forms, as he likes, but we must know the true facts: janmakarma ca me divyam evaril yo vetti tattvatab, (Bg. 4.9). By following theinstructions of stidhu, guru and §astra-the saintly persons, the spiritualmaster and the authoritative scriptures-one can understand .KtJ.ia, andthen one makes his life successful by returning home, back to Godhead.TEXT 47 IH'(+t•ltf)f-qiiG_ q:wf (ilU((Itl « Qjijl$1€( Iw if"Qilttt • ttt•llilttlfit mt 11\l\SIItata§ ca saurir bhagavat-pracoditab,sutaril samiidaya sa sutika-grhiityadd bahir gantum iyea tarhy ajaya yogamayajani nanda-jayayatatab,-thereafter; ca-indeed; saurib.-Vasudeva; bhagavat-pracoditab,-beinginstructed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead;sutam-his son; samtidaya-carrying very carefully; sab,-he; sutikagrhat-fromthe maternity room; yada-when; bahib. gantum-to gooutside; iyea-desired; tarhi-exactly at that time; aja-the transcendentalenergy, who also never takes birth; ya-who; yogamaya -isknown as Yogamaya; ajani-took birth; nanda-jayaya-from the wifeof Nanda Maharaja.

268 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 3TRANSLATIONThereafter, exactly when Vasudeva, being inspired by theSupreme Personality of Godhead, was about to take the newbornchild from the delivery room, Yogamaya, the Lord's spiritual energy,took birth as the daughter of the wife of Maharaja Nanda.PURPORTSrila Visvanatha Cakravarti 'fhakura discusses that l(r1,1a appearedsimultaneously as the son of Devaki and as the son of Yasoda, along withthe spiritual energy Yogamaya. As the son of Devaki, He first appeared asVi1,1u, and because Vasudeva was not in the position of pure affectionfor l(rI,la, Vasudeva worshiped his son as Lord ViJ,lu. Yasoda, however,pleased her son l(r1,1a without understanding His Godhood. This is thedifference between l(r1,1a as the son of Yasoda and as the son of Devaki.This is explained by Visvanatha Cakravarti on the authority of Harivamsa.TEXTS 48-49 st4(1: t(l fq nlllir.4tr eert: fqfun (41'ttqll!lteeSLUt3:an t;&Jiii41 Olfef alit :ffl i34i·:II"" " "" qfR r.ren WJJ:IIIItaya hrta-pratyaya-sarva-vrttudvab,-stheu paurev api sayitev athadvara5 ca sarvab, pihita duratyayabrhat-kapd!ayasa-kila-srrikhalaib,tab, kmw-vahe vasudeva agatesvayam vyavaryanta yatha tamo raveb,

Text 49] The Birth of Lord J,la 269vavara parjanya upamsu-garjital,tseo 'nvagad vari nivarayan phar;tai/.ttaya-by the influence of Yogamaya; hrta-pratyaya-deprived of allsensation; sarva-vrttu-having all their senses; dval,t-sthe$u-al1 thedoormen; paure$U api-as well as other members of the house;sayiteu-sleeping very deeply; atha-when Vasudeva tried to take histranscendental son out of the confinement; dvara/.t ca-as well as thedoors; sarval,t-all; pihital,t-constructed; duratyaya-very hard andfirm; brhat-kapata-and on great doors; ayasa-kila-spikhalail,tstronglyconstructed with iron pins and closed with iron chains; td}J,-allof them; kr$r;ta-vahe-bearing Knn:.1a; vasudeve-when Vasudeva;agate-appeared; svayam-automatically; vyavaryanta-opened wide;yatha-as; tama}J,-darkness; ravel,t-on the appearance of the sun;vavar$a-showered rain; parjanyal,t-the clouds in the sky; upamsugarjital,t-verymildly resounding and raining very slightly; sea/.t­Ananta-naga; anvagdt-followed; vdri-showers of rain; nivarayanstopping;phar;tai/.t-by spreading His hoods.TRANSLATIONBy the influence of Yogamaya, all the doorkeepers fell fastasleep, their senses unable to work, and the other inhabitants ofthe house also fell deeply asleep. When the sun rises, the darknessautomatically disappears; similarly, when Vasudeva appeared, theclosed doors, which were strongly pinned with iron and lockedwith iron chains, opened automatically. Since the clouds in the skywere mildly thundering and showering, Ananta-naga, an expansionof the Supreme Personality of Godhead, followed Vasudeva,beginning from the door, with hoods expanded to protectVasudeva and the transcendental child.PURPORTSea-naga is an expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godheadwhose business is to serve the Lord with all necessary paraphernalia.When Vasudeva was carrying the child, Sea-naga came to serve theLord and protect Him from the mild showers of rain.

270 Srimad-Bhiigavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 3 ·q--6'TEXT 50""" .. .. \liT--'lo "' "'" •++ti((f 1q1et i4'1'ilitetNdl(fliet lWf T f«;: : tffl': 11'-\ 0 IImaghoni varaty asakrd yamanujagambhira-toyaugha-javormi-phenila'b!tayanakavarta-satakula nadimargam dadau sindhur iva §riyal) pate/:tmaghoni varati-because of Lord lndra's showering rain; asakrtconstantly;yama-anuja-the River Yamuna, who is considered theyounger sister of Yamaraja; gambhira-toya-ogha-of the very deepwater; java-by the force; armi-by the waves; phenila-full of foam;bhayanaka-fierce; avarta-sata-by the whirling waves; akula -agitated;nadi-the river; margam-way; dadau-gave; sindhu/:t ivalikethe ocean; §riyal) pate/:J,-unto Lord Ramacandra, the husband of thegoddess Si:ta.TRANSLATIONBecause of constant rain sent by the demigod lndra, the RiverYamuna was filled with deep water, foaming about with fiercelywhirling waves. Bt as the great Indian Ocean had formerly givenway to Lord Ramacandra by allowing Him to construct a bridge,the River Yamuna gave way to Vasudeva and allowed him to cross.TEXT 51;r (fl'I_ SltJfllqe 1• "' "' J::o.. ... if IG\IIilit 1'11:11 (1-c-nanda-vrajam saurir upetya tatra tangopan prasuptan upalabhya nidraya

Text 52]The Birth of Lord .Kf•1.1a271sutam ya.Sodd-sayane nidhaya tatsutamupadaya punar grhan agatnanda-vrajam-the village or the house of Nanda Maharaja; sauri­Vasudeva; upetya-reaching; tatra-there; tan-all the members;gopiin-the cowherd men; prasuptan-were fast asleep; upalabhya-understandingthat; nidraya-in deep sleep; sutam-the son(Vasudeva's son); ya.Sodd-sayane -on the bed where mother Yasoda wassleeping; nidhiiya-placing; tat-sutam-her daughter; upiidiiya-pickingup; puna-again; grhdn-to his own house; agiit-returned.TRANSLATIONWhen Vasudeva reached the house of Nanda Maharaja, he sawthat all the cowherd men were fast asleep. Thus he placed his ownson on the bed of Ya8oda, picked up her daughter, an expansion ofYogamaya, and then returned to his residence, the prison house ofKarns a.PURPORTVasudeva knew very well that as soon as the daughter was in theprison house of Karilsa, Karilsa would immediately kill her; but to protecthis own child, he had to kill the child of his friend. Nanda Maharaja washis friend, but out of deep affection and attachment for his own son, heknowingly did this. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti 'fhakura says that onecannot be blamed for protecting one's own child at the sacrifice ofanother's. Furthermore, Vasudeva cannot be accused of callousness,since his actions were impelled by the force of Yogamaya.TEXT 52: m tit a;IRt·l'{ I""-II .... i_X .. m:r:t .. _t ...•-·n II IIdevakya sayane nyasyavasudevo 'tha darikampratimucya pador lohamiiste parvavad avrta

272 Srimad-Bhigavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 3devakyatt-of Devaki; sayane-on the bed; nyasya-placing;vasudevatt-Vasudeva; atha-thus; darikam-the female child;pratimucya-binding himself again; padott loham-iron shackles on thetwo legs; dste-remained; parva-vat-like before; avrtatt-bound.TRANSLATIONVasudeva placed the female child on the bed of Devaki, boundhis legs with the iron shackles, and thus remained there as before.TEXT 53• ;:a:q{it"t Iif i t q•1aRt: 11'-\11ya§oda nanda-patni cajatam param abudhyatana tal-lirigam pariSrantanidrayapagata-smrtittya§odii-Yasoda, Krf(II;ta's mother in Gokula; nanda-patni-the wifeof Nanda Maharaja; ca-also; jatam-a child was born; param-theSupreme Person; abudhyata-could understand; na-not; tat-lingam-whetherthe child was male or female; pariSrdnta-because of toomuch labor; nidraya-when overwhelmed with sleep; apagata-smrtitthavinglost consciousness.·TRANSLATIONExhausted by the labor of childbirth, Ya8odi was overwhelmedwith sleep and unable to understand what kind of child had beenborn to her.PURPORTNanda Maharaja and Vasudeva were intimate friends, and so weretheir wives, Yasoda and Devaki. Although their names were different,they were practically nondifferent personalities. The only difference isthat Devaki was able to understand that the Supreme Personality of God-

Text 53]The Birth of Lord Krlill].&273head had been born to her and had now changed into Kra, whereasYasoda was not able to understand what kind of child had been born toher. Yasoda was such an advanced devotee that she never regarded K:raas the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but simply loved Him as herown child. Devaki, however, knew from the very beginning that althoughKra was her son, He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead.In V:rndavana, no one regarded Kra as the Supreme Personality ofGodhead. When something very wonderful happened because of Krsa'sactivities, the inhabitants of V:rndavana-the cowherd men, the cowherdboys, Nanda Maharaja, Yasoda and the others-were surprised, but theynever considered their son Kra the Supreme Personality of Godhead.Sometimes they suggested that some great demigod had appeared thereas Kra. In such an exalted status of devotional service, a devoteeforgets the position of Kra and intensely loves the Supreme Personalityof Godhead without understanding His position. This is called kevalabhaktiand is distinct from the stages of jfidna and jnanamayi bhakti.Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Tenth Canto, ThirdChapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled "The Birth of Lord Krr,w."

CHAPTER FOURThe Atrocities of King KathsaThis chapter describes how Ka:rhsa, following the advice of his demoniacfriends, considered the persecution of small children to be verydiplomatic.Mter Vasudeva bound himself with iron shackles as before, all thedoors of the prison house closed by the influence of Yogamaya, who thenbegan crying as a newborn child. This crying awakened the doorkeepers,who immediately informed Ka:rhsa that a child had been born to Devaki.Upon hearing this news, Kamsa appeared with great force in the maternityroom, and in spite of Devaki's pleas that the child be saved, thedemon forcibly snatched the child from Devaki's hands and dashed thechild against a rock. Unfortunately for Kamsa, however, the newbornchild slipped away from his hands, rose above his head and appeared asthe eight-armed form of Durga. Durga then told Kamsa, "The enemyyou contemplate has taken birth somewhere else. Therefore your plan topersecute all the children will prove futile."According to the prophecy, the eighth child of Devaki would killKamsa, and therefore when Kamsa saw that the eighth child was afemale and heard that his so-called enemy had taken birth elsewhere, hewas struck with wonder. He decided to release Devaki and Vasudeva, andhe admitted before them the wrongness of his atrocities. Falling at thefeet of Devaki and ·Vasudeva, he begged their pardon and tried to convincethem that because the events that had taken place were destined tohappen, they should not be unhappy for his having killed so many oftheir children. Devaki and Vasudeva, being naturally very pious, immediatelyexcused Kamsa for his atrocities, and Kamsa, after seeing thathis sister and brother-in-law were happy, returned to his home.Mter the night passed, however, Kamsa called for his ministers andinformed them of all that had happened. The ministers, who were alldemons, advised Kamsa that because his enemy had already taken birthsomewhere else, all the children born within the past ten days in the275

276 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 4villages within Karhsa's kingdom should be killed. Although thedemigods always feared Karhsa, they should not be treated leniently;since they were enemies, Karhsa should try his best to uproot their existence.The demoniac ministers further advised that Karhsa and thedemons continue their enmity toward Vif?QU because Vif?QU is the originalperson among all the demigods. The briihmar:tas, the cows, the Vedas,austerity, truthfulness, control of the senses and mind, faithfulness andmercy are among the different parts of the body of Vif?QU, who is theorigin of all the demigods, including Lord Brahma and Lord Siva.Therefore, the ministers advised, the demigods, the saintly persons, thecows and the briihmar:tas should be systematically persecuted. Stronglyadvised in this way by his friends, the demoniac ministers, Karhsa approvedof their instructions and considered it beneficial to be envious ofthe briihmar:tas. Following Karhsa's orders, therefore, the demons begancommitting their atrocities all over Vrajabhumi.TEXT 1cr

Text 2] The Atrocities of King Kalhsa 277habitants of the house, especially the watchmen, heard the cryingof the newborn child and thus awakened from their beds.PURPORTThe activities of Yogamiiyii are distinctly visible in this chapter, inwhich Devaki and Vasudeva excuse Kamsa for his many devious,atrocious activities and Kamsa becomes repentant and falls at their feet.Before the awakening of the watchmen and the others in the prisonhouse, many other things happened. :Kr1,1a was born and transferred tothe home of Yasodii in Gokula, the strong doors opened and again closed,and Vasudeva resumed his former condition of being shackled. Thewatchmen, however, could not understand all this. They awakened onlywhen they heard the crying of the newborn child, Yogamiiyii.Srila Visvanatha·Cakravarti Thakura has remarked that the watchmenwere just like dogs. At night the dogs in the street act like watchmen. Ifone dog barks, many other dogs immediately follow it by barking. Althoughthe street dogs are not appointed by anyone to act as watchmen,they think they are responsible for protecting the neighborhood, and assoon as someone unknown enters it, they all begin to bark. BothYogamiiyii and Mahiimiiyii act in all material activities (prakrtettkriyamli1J.lini guTJ.aitt karmliTJ.i sarva§att}, but although the energy of theSupreme Personality of Godhead acts under the Supreme Lord's direction(mayadhyak{;e7J.a prakrtitt silyate sa-caracaram), doglike watchmensuch as politicians and diplomats think that they are protecting theirneighborhoods from the dangers of the outside world. These are the actionsof maya. But one who surrenders to :Kr1,1a is relieved of the protectionafforded by the dogs and doglike guardians of this material world.(.'TEXT2 ij 1_uiijqe4 illt Im:qtfGHii:tite : !RftaJij II IIte tu tilr7J.am upavrajyadevakya garbha-janma tatacakhyur bhoja-rajayayad udvignatt pratik{;ate(.'

278 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 4te-all the watchmen; tu-indeed; tur{Ulm-very quickly; upavrajya-goingbefore (the King); devakya-of Devaki; garbhajanma-thedeliverance from the womb; tat-that (child); acakhyusubmitted;bhoja-rajaya-unto the King of the Bhojas, Kamsa; yat-ofwhom; udvigna-with great anxiety; pratiate-was waiting (for thechild's birth).TRANSLATIONThereafter, all the watchmen very quickly approached KingKaritsa, the ruler of the Bhoja dynasty, and submitted the news ofthe birth of Devaki's child. Kamsa, who had awaited this news veryanxiously, immediately took action.PURPORTKarilsa was very anxiously waiting because of the prophecy that theeighth child of Devaki would kill him. This time, naturally, he wasawake and waiting, and when the watchmen approached him, heimmediately took action to kill the child.TEXT3itfid-:1Q\ffl4JO(ftf(1' st«ct : II IIsa talpat tur'{tam utthayakalo yam iti vihvalasuti-grham agat tur7Jampraskhalan mukta-mardhajasa-he (King Karilsa); talpat-from the bed; tur'{Wm-veryquickly; utthaya-getting up; kala ayam-here is my death, thesupreme time; iti-in this way; vihvala-overwhelmed; suti-grhamtothe maternity home; agat-went; tur{Ulm-without delay;praskhalan-scattering; mukta-had become opened; mardha-ja-thehair on the head.TRANSLATIONKamsa immediately got up from bed, thinking, "Here is Kila,the supreme time factor, which has taken birth to kill me!" Thus

Text 4] The Atrocities of King Karllsa 279overwhelmed, Karilsa, his hair scattered on his head, at once approachedthe place where the child had been born.PURPORTThe word kala/:t is significant. Although the child was born to killKamsa, Karhsa thought that this was the proper time to kill the child sothat he himself would be saved. Kala is actually another name of theSupreme Personality of Godhead when He appears only for the purposeof killing. When Arjuna inquired from KtI)a in His universal form,"Who are You?" the Lord presented Himself as kala, death personifiedto kill. By nature's law, when there is an unwanted increase in population,kala appears, and by some arrangement of the Supreme Personalityof Godhead, people are killed wholesale in different ways, by war,pestilence, famine and so o. At that time, even atheistic political leadersgo to a church, mosque or temple for protection by God or gods and submissivelysay, "God willing." Before that, they pay no attention to God,not caring to know God or His will, but when kala appears, they say,"God willing." Death is but another feature of the supreme kala, theSupreme Personality of Godhead. At the time of death, the atheist mustsubmit to this supreme kala, and then the Supreme Personality of Godheadtakes away all his possessions (mrtyu/:t sarva-hara§ caham) andforces him to accept another body (tatha dehantara-prapti/:t). This theatheists do not know, and if they do know, they neglect it so that theymay go on with their normal life. The KtQa consciousness movement istrying to teach them that although for a few years one may act as a greatprotector or great watchman, with the appearance of kala, death, onemust take another body by the laws of nature. Not knowing this, theyunnecessarily waste their time in their occupation as watchdogs and donot try to get the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it isclearly said, aprapya mam nivartante mrtyu-sarilsara-vartmani: withoutKtI)a consciousness, one is condemned to continue wandering in birthand death, not knowing what will happen in one's next birth.TEXT4mm: 'Tufl ij'ef Etl@IIOI fW.i ;a¥t(ru II II

280 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 4. tam aha bhrataram devikrpa'Jd karuJnm satisnu$eyam tava kalyaJnstriyam rna hantum arhasitam-unto Kamsa; aha-said; bhrataram-her brother; devimotherDevaki:; krpaa-helplessly; karuJnm-piteously; sati-thechaste lady; snu$a iyam tava-this child will be your daughter-in-law,the wife of your future son; kalyaa-0 all-auspicious one; striyam-awoman; ma-not; hantum-to kill; arhasi-you deserve.TRANSLATIONDevaki helplessly, piteously appealed to Kamsa: My dearbrother, all good fortune unto you. Don't kill this girl. She will beyour daughter-in-law. Indeed, it is unworthy of you to kill awoman.PURPORTKarilsa had previously excused Devaki: because he thought that awoman should not be killed, especially when pregnant. But now, by theinfluence of maya, he was prepared to kill a woman-not only a woman,but a small, helpless newborn child. Devaki: wanted to save her brotherfrom this terrible, sinful act. Therefore she told him, "Don't be soatrocious as to kill a female child. Let there be all good fortune for you."Demons can do anything for their personal benefit, not considering whatis pious or vicious. But Devaki:, on the contrary, although safe becauseshe had already given birth to her own son, l).a, was anxious to savethe daughter of someone else. This was natural for her.TEXTS iffif! : qqlft! I (;('1 II IIbahavo himsita bhrata/:tsi.Sava/:t pavakopama/:ttvaya daiva-nismenaputrikaika pradiyatam

Text 5] The Atrocities of King Karilsa 281bahavaft-many; himsitaft-killed out of envy; bhrataft-my dearbrother; siSavaft-small children; pdvaka-upamdft-all of them equalto fire in brightness and beauty; tvaya-by you; daiva-nismena-asspoken by destiny; putrikd-daughter; ekd-one; pradiyatdm-give meas your gift.TRANSLATIONMy dear brother, by the influence of destiny you have alreadykilled many babies, each of them as bright and beautiful as fire.But kindly spare this daughter. Give her to me as your gift.PURPORTHere we see that Devaki first focused Karilsa's attention on hisatrocious activities, his killing of her many sons. Then she wanted tocompromise with him by saying that whatever he had done was not hisfault, but was ordained by destiny. Then she appealed to him to give herthe daughter as a gift. Devaki was the daughter of a k§atriya and knewhow to play the political game. In politics there are different methods ofachieving success: first repression (dama), then compromise (sdma), andthen asking for a gift (dana). Devaki first adopted the policy of repressionby directly attacking Karhsa for having cruelly, atrociously killedher babies. Then she compromised by saying that this was not his fault,and then she begged for a gift. As we _learn from the history of theMahabharata, or "Greater India," the wives and daughters of the rulingclass, the k§atriyas, knew the political game, but we never find that awoman was given the post of chief executive. This is in accordance withthe injunctions of Manu-samhitd, but unfortunately Manu-samhitd is ·now being insulted, and the Aryans, the members of Vedic society, cannotdo anything. Such is the nature of Kali-yuga.Nothing happens unless ordained by destiny.tasyaiva hetoft prayateta kovidona labhyate yad bhramatdm upary adhafttal labhyate duftkhavad anyataft sukhamkalena sarvatra gabhira-ramhasa(Bhag. 1.5.18)

282 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 4Devaki knew very well that because the killing of her many children hadbeen ordained by destiny, Karhsa was not to be blamed. There was noneed to give good instructions to Karhsa. Upadeso hi murkharpimprakopaya na santaye (Ca:.:takya Pa:.:tQita). If a foolish person is givengood instructions, he becomes more and more angry. Moreover, a cruelperson is more dangerous than a snake. A snake and a cruel person areboth cruel, but a cruel person is more dangerous because although asnake can be charmed by mantras or subdued by herbs, a cruel personcannot be subdued by any means. Such was the nature of Karhsa.TEXT6 ij J;n T !J+iT Id+t(m +t;:a:lt41 II IInanv aham te hy avarajadina hata-suta prabhodatum arhasi mandayaarigemam caramam prajamnanu-however; aham-1 am; te-your; hi-indeed; avarajayoungersister; dina-very poor; hata-suta-deprived of all children;prabho-0 my lord; datum arhasi-you deserve to give (some gift);rnandayab,-to me, who am so poor; ariga-my dear brother; imamthis;caramam-last; prajam-child.TRANSLATIONMy lord, my brother, I am very poor, being bereft of all mychildren, but still I am your younger sister, and therefore it wouldbe worthy of you to give me this last child as a gift.TEXT7P;{f aq@'tl+tl (0'1{}'1 1mi IG\IM0:1l\91l

Text 8)The Atrocities of King Kaubsa283sri-suka uvacaupaguhyatmajam evamrudatya dina-dinavatyacitas tam vinirbhartsyahastad acicchide khala/.lsri-suka/.l uvaca-Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; upaguhya-embracing;atmajam-her daughter; evam-in this way; rudatya-by Devaki,who was crying; dina-dina-vat-very piteously, like a poor woman;yacital;-being begged; tam-her (Devaki); vinirbhartsya-chastising;hastat-from her hands; acicchide-separated the child by force;khala/.l-Karhsa, the most cruel.TRANSLATIONSukadeva Gosvimi continued: Piteously embracing her daughterand crying, Devaki begged Kamsa for the child, but he was socruel that he chastised her and forcibly snatched the child fromher hands.PURPORTAlthough Devaki was crying like a very poor woman, actually she wasnot poor, and therefore the word used here is dinavat. She had alreadygiven birth to KrJ;ta. Therefore, who could have been richer than she?Even the demigods had come to offer prayers to Devaki, but she playedthe part of a poor, piteously affi.icted woman because she wanted to savethe daughter of Yasoda.TEXTS ., =t.(Uiql'3ft

284 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 4tam-the child; grhitva-taking by force; carayob--by the twolegs; jata-matram-the newborn child; svasub--of his sister; sutamthedaughter; apothayat-smashed; sila-prthe-on the surface of astone; sva-artha-unmulita-uprooted because of intense selfishness;sauhrdab--all friendship or family relationships.TRANSLATIONHaving uprooted all relationships with his sister because of intenseselfishness, Karitsa, who was sitting on his knees, grasped thenewborn child by the legs and tried to dash her against the surfaceof a stone.TEXT9m (iflq (1tf) t 1i5n : II Q_, IIsa tad-dhastat samutpatyasadyo devy ambaram gataadrsyatanuja vwbsayudhta-mahabhujasa-that female child; tat-hastat-from the hand of Kamsa; samutpatya-slippedupward; sadyab--immediately; devi-the form of ademigoddess; ambaram-into the sky; gata-went; adrsyata-wasseen; anuja-the younger sister; vb--of the Supreme Personality ofGodhead; sa-ayudha-with weapons; a-eight; maha-bhuja-withmighty arms.TRANSLATIONThe child, Yogamiyi-devi, the younger sister of Lord Vi"I].U,slipped upward from Kamsa's hands and appeared in the sky asDevi, the goddess Durgi, with eight arms, completely equippedwith weapons.PURPORTKamsa tried to dash the child downward against a piece of stone, butsince she was Yogamaya, the younger sister of Lord Vi1,1u, she slippedupward and assumed the form of the goddess Durgii. The word anuja,

Text 11] The Atrocities of King Kamsa 285meaning "the younger sister," is significant. When ViI;m, or I}.a,took birth from Devaki, He must have simultaneously taken birth fromYasoda also. Otherwise how could Yogamaya have been anuja, the Lord'syounger sister?TEXTS 10-11:m+.t¥4lf

286 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 4trident, arrows, a shield, a sword, a conchshell, a disc and a club,and being praised by celestial beings like Apsaris, Kinnaras,Uragas, Siddhas, Ciral}as and Gandharvas, who worshiped her withall kinds of presentations, she spoke as follows.TEXT 12ft w:tttn :jffif: 6l;:ijf)€( I'fi : if)qUili{ 1111kim maya hataya mandajata/:t khalu tavanta-krtyatra kva va purva-satrurrna hirilsi/:t krpar:tan vrthakim-what is the use; maya-me; hataya-in killing; manda-0you fool; jata}:t-has already been born; khalu-indeed; tava anta-krtwhowill kill you; yatra kva va-somewhere else; purva-satru}:t-yourformer enemy; rna-do not; hirilsi}:t-kill; krpar:tan-other poorchildren; vrtha-unnecessarily.TRANSLATION0 Karilsa, you fool, what will be the use of killing me? TheSupreme Personality of Godhead, who has been your enemy fromthe very beginning and who will certainly kill you, has alreadytaken His birth somewhere else. Therefore, do not unnecessarilykill other children.TEXT 13 ({ill"I+4Piifi q;mll ( II IIiti prabya tam devimaya bhagavatf bhuvibahu-ndma-niketeubahu-ndmd babhava ha

Text 14] The Atrocities of King Karilsa 287iti-in this way; prabhd$ya-addressing; tam-Karhsa; devi-thegoddess Durga; maya-Yogamaya; bhagavati-possessing immensepower, like that of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhuvi-on thesurface of the earth; bahu-nama-of different names; niketeu-in differentplaces; baku-nama-different names; babhuva-became; haindeed.TRANSLATIONMter speaking to Kamsa in this way, the goddess Durgii,Yogamiiyii, appeared in different places, such as Viirasi, and becamecelebrated by different names, such as Annapftri].ii, Durgii,Kiili and Bhadrii.PURPORTThe goddess Durga is celebrated in Calcutta as Kali:, in Bombay asMumbadevi, in Vara:Q.asi as Annaplir:Q.a, in Cuttack as Bhadrakali and inAhmedabad as Bhadra. Thus in different places she is known by differentnames. Her devotees are known as saktas, or worshipers of the energyof the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas worshipers ofthe Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself are called Vai:Q.avas.V ai:Q.avas are destined to return home, back to Godhead, in the spiritualworld, whereas the saktas are destined to live within this material worldto enjoy different types of material happiness. In the material world, theliving entity must accept different types of bodies. Bhramayan sarvabhutaniyantrarii4hani mayaya (Bg. 18.61). According to the livingentity's desire, Yogamaya, or Maya, the goddess Durga, gives him a particulartype of body, which is mentioned as yantra, a machine. But theliving entities who are promoted to the spiritual world do not return tothe prison house of a material body (tyaktva deham punar janma naitimam eti so 'rjuna). The words janma na eti indicate that these living entitiesremain in their original, spiritual bodies to enjoy the company ofthe Supreme Personality of Godhead in the transcendental abodesV aiku:Q.lha and V :rndavana.TEXT 14 :¥if(q: I ms;{,,\l''

288 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 4tayabhihitam akan;tyakamsa/:t parama-vismita/:tdevakim vasudevam cavimucya pra§rito 'bravittaya-by the goddess Durga; abhihitam-the words spoken;akarya-by hearing; kamsa/:t-Kamsa; parama-vismita/:t-was struckwith wonder; devakim-unto Devaki; vasudevam ca-and Vasudeva;vimucya-releasing immediately; pra§rita/:t-with great humility;abravit-spoke as follows.TRANSLATIONAfter hearing the words of the goddess Durga, Kamsa wasstruck with wonder. Thus he approached his sister Devaki andbrother-in-law Vasudeva, released them immediately from theirshackles, and very humbly spoke as follows.PURPORTKamsa was astonished because the goddess Durga had become thedaughter of Devaki. Since Devaki was a human being, how could thegoddess Durga become her daughter? This was one cause of his astonishment.Also, how is it that the eighth child of Devaki was a female? Thisalso astonished him. Asuras are generally devotees of mother Durga,Sakti, or of demigods, especially Lord Siva. The appearance of Durga inher original eight-armed feature, holding various weapons, immediatelychanged Kamsa's mind about Devaki's being an ordinary human. Devakimust have had some transcendental qualities; otherwise why would thegoddess Durga have taken birth from her womb? Under the circumstances,Kamsa, struck with wonder, wanted to compensate for hisatrocities against his sister Devaki.TEXT 15 fttflli T'f T qr: Im: jq @(It: ijffl: 1111

Text 16]The Atrocities of King Kamsa289aho bhaginy aho bhamamaya vam bata papmaniipurU$iida ivapatyambahavo hirhsita/:t suta/:taho-alas; bhagini-my dear sister; aho-alas; bhama-my dearbrother-in-law; maya-by me; vam-of you; bata-indeed; papmana-becauseof sinful activities; purU$a-adal;t-a Rak?asa, maneater;iva-like; apatyam-child; bahava/:t-many; himsita/:t-havebeen killed; suta/:t-sons.TRANSLATIONAlas, my sister! Alas, my brother-in-law! I am indeed so sinfulthat exactly like a man-eater [Rak!jasa] who eats his own child, Ihave killed so many sons born of you.PURPORTRiik?asas are understood to be accustomed to eating their own sons, assnakes and many other animals sometimes do. At the present moment inKali-yuga, Riik?asa fathers and mothers are killing their own children inthe womb, and some are even eating the fetus with great relish. Thus theso-called civilization is gradually advancing by producing Rak?asas.TEXT 16 · ll'ffiIRtij : Iqifit •liltW:4iilt :II IIsa tv aham tyakta-karuTJyastyakta-jfiiiti-suhrt khala/:tkiin lokan vai gamyamibrahma-heva mrta/:t svasansa/:t-that person (Kamsa); tu-indeed; aham-1; tyakta-kiiruTJya/:t-devoidof all mercy; tyakta-jfiiiti-suhrt-my relatives and friendshave been rejected by me; khalal;t-cruel; kiin lokiin-which planets;

290 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 4vai-indeed; gami§yami-shall go; brahma-hd iva-like the killer of abrahmar:m; mrta/:t svasan-either after death or while breathing .. TRANSLATIONBeing merciless and cruel, I have forsaken all my relatives andfriends. Therefore, like a person who has killed a brihmaJ,la, I donot know to which planet I shall go, either after death or whilebreathing.TEXT 17ct+\tqi Cf ;r tf - I -nq: €46f.tCfll1. II \911daivam apy anrtam vaktina martya eva kevalamyad-viSrambhdd aham papa/:tsvasur nihatavan chiSundaivam-providence; api-also; anrtam-lies; vakti-say; nanot;martya/:t-human beings; eva-certainly; kevalam-only; yatviSrambhdt-becauseof believing that prophecy; aham-1; papa/:t-themost sinful; svasu/:t-of my sister; nihatavan-killed; siSun-so manychildren.TRANSLATIONAlas, not only human beings but sometimes even providencelies. And I am so sinful that I believed the omen of providence andkilled so many of my sister's children.TEXT 18ma socatam mahd-bhdgavatmajan sva-krtam bhuja/:t

Text 19]The Atrocities of King Karilsa291jantavo na sadaikatradaivadhinas tadasatemd socatam-kindly do riot be aggrieved (for what happened in thepast); maha-bhagau-0 you who are learned and fortunate in spiritualknowledge; atmajan-for your sons; sva-krtam-only because of theirown acts; bhuja-who are suffering; jantava-all living entities;na-not; sada-always; ekatra-in one place; daiva-adhina-who areunder the control of providence; tada-hence; asate-live.TRANSLATION0 great souls, your children have suffered their own misfortune.Therefore, please do not lament for them. All living entitiesare under the control of the Supreme, and they cannot always livetogether.PURPORTKamsa addressed his sister and brother-in-law as maha-bhagau becausealthough he killed their ordinary children, the goddess Durgii. tookbirth from them. Because Devaki bore Durgii.devi in her womb, Kamsapraised both Devaki and her husband. Asuras are very devoted to thegoddess Durgii., Kii.li and so forth. Kamsa, therefore, truly astonished, appreciatedthe exalted position of his sister and brother-in-law. Durgii. iscertainly not under the laws of nature, because she herself is the con-. troller of the laws of nature. Ordinary living beings, however, are controlledby these laws (prakrte kriyamdr:tani gur:tai karmdr:ti sarva5aM.Consequently, none of us are allowed to live together for any longperiod. By speaking in this way, Karilsa tried to pacify his sister andbrother-in-law.TEXT 19iftftf;{ttlttqtu 1miT qiff6 \{:IIbhuvi bhaumani bhataniyatha yanty apayanti ca

292 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 4niiyam iitmii tathaiteuviparyeti yathaiva bhul;,bhuvi-on the surface of the world; bhaumiini-all material productsfrom earth, such as pots; bhlltiini-which are produced; yathii-as;yiinti-appear (in form); apayiinti-disappear (broken or mixed withthe earth); ca-and; na-not; ayam iitmii-the soul or spiritual identity;tathii-similarly; eteu-among all these (products of material elements);viparyeti-is changed or broken; yathii-as; eva-certainly;bhul;,-the earth.TRANSLATIONIn this world, we can see that pots, dolls and other products ofthe earth appear, break and then disappear, mixing with the earth.Similarly, the bodies of all conditioned living entities are annihilated,but the living entities, like the earth itself, are unchangingand never annihilated [na hanyate hanyamane sarire].PURPORTAlthough Kamsa is described as a demon, he had good knowledge ofthe affairs of iitma-tattva, the truth of the self. Five thousand years ago,there were kings like Kamsa, wno is described as an asura, but he wasbetter than modern politicians and diplomats, who have no knowledgeabout iitma-tattva. As stated in the Vedas, asarigo hy ayam pural;,: thespirit soul has no connection with the changes of the material body. Thebody undergoes six changes-birth, growth, sustenance, by-products,dwindling and then annihilation-but the soul undergoes no suchchanges. Even after the annihilation of a particular bodily form, theoriginal source of the bodily elements does not change. The living entityenjoys the material body, which appears and disappears, but the five elementsearth, water, fire, air and ether remain the same. The examplegiven here is that pots and dolls are produced from the earth, and whenbroken or destroyed they mingle with their original ingredients. In anycase, the source of supply remains the same.As already discussed, the body is made according to the desires of thesoul. The soul desires, and thus the body is formed. "Kr!?I).a therefore saysin Bhagavad-gitii (18.61):

Text 20]The Atrocities of King Kamsa293iSvarab, sarva-bhiltdndmhrd-dese 'rjuna ti§thatibhramayan sarva-bhiltaniyantrarwJ,hani mayaya"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, 0 Arjuna, and isdirecting the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on amachine, made of the material energy." Neither the Supersoul,Paramatma, nor the individual soul changes its original, spiritual identity.The dtmd does not undergo birth, death or changes like the body.Therefore a Vedic aphorism says, asarigo hy ayam purU$ab,: although thesoul is conditioned within this material world, he has no connections withthe changes of the material body.yatha-as;TEXT 20ll¥.1 31l

294 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 4from his family, society and nation. As long as this continues, onecontinues his material life. [Otherwise, one is liberated.]PURPORTAs confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.6):sa vai purhsam paro dharmayato bhaktir adhoajeahaituky apratihatayayatma suprasidatiThe word dharma means "engagement." One who is engaged in the serviceof the Lord (yato bhaktir adhoaje), without impediment and withoutcessation, is understood to be situated in his original, spiritual status.When one is promoted to this status, one is always happy in transcendentalbliss. Otherwise, as long as one is in the bodily concept of life, onemust suffer material conditions. ]anma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-du/:tkhado$tinudarsanam.The body is subject to its own principles of birth,death, old age and disease, but one who is situated in spiritual life (yatobhaktir adhoaje) has no birth, no death, no old age and no disease. Onemay argue that we may see a person who is spiritually engaged twentyfourhours a day but is still suffering from disease. In fact, however, heis neither suffering nor diseased; otherwise he could not be engagedtwenty-four hours a day in spiritual activities. The example may begiven in this connection that sometimes dirty foam or garbage is seenfloating on the water of the Ganges. This is called nira-dharma, a functionof the water. But one who goes to the Ganges does not mind the foamand dirty things floating in the water. With his hand, he pushes awaysuch nasty things, bathes in the Ganges and gains the beneficial results.Therefore, one who is situated in the spiritual status of life is unaffectedby foam and garbage-or any superficial dirty things. This is confirmedby Srila Rupa Gosvami:iha yasya harer dasyekarma"{Ui manasa giranikhilasv apy avasthasujivan-mukta/:t sa ucyate

Text 21] The Atrocities of King Kamsa 295"A person acting in the service of I?I,la with his body, mind and wordsis a liberated person, even within the material world." (Bhaktirasamrta-sindhu1.2.187) Therefore, one is forbidden to regard the guruas an ordinary human being (gur!L$U nara-matir ... naraki saM. Thespiritual master, or acarya, is always situated in the spiritual status oflife. Birth, death, old age and disease do not affect him. According to theHari-bhakti-vilasa, therefore, after the disappearance of an acarya, hisbody is never burnt to ashes, for it is a spiritual body. The spiritual bodyis always unaffected by material conditions.TEXT 21ijfwl •nqrfa:ijt'1fq 1'""+41,..,..,.,...,il-:=r'if tRJ: : mr: II IItasmiid bhadre sva-tanayanmaya vyapaditan apimanu.Soca yata/:t sarva/:tsva-krtarh vindate 'va5a/:ttasmat-therefore; bhadre-my dear sister (all auspiciousness untoyou); sva-tanayan-for your own sons; maya-by me; vyapaditanunfortunatelykilled; api-although; rna anu.Soca-do not be aggrieved;yata/:t-because; sarva/:t-everyone; sva-krtam-the fruitive results ofone's own deeds; vindate-suffers or enjoys; ava.Sa/:t-under the controlof providence.TRANSLATIONMy dear sister Devaki, all good fortune unto you. Everyonesuffers and enjoys the results of his own work under the control ofprovidence. Therefore, although your sons have unfortunatelybeen killed by me, please do not lament for them.PURPORTAs stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.54):yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karmabandhanurupa-phala-bhajanamatanoti

296 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto I 0, Ch. 4karmdJJi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajamgovindam adi-puram tam aham bhajamiEveryone, beginning from the small insect known as indra-gopa up tolndra, the King of the heavenly planets, is obliged to undergo the resultsof his fruitive activities. We may superficially see that one is suffering orenjoying because of some external causes, but the real cause is one's ownfruitive activities. Even when someone kills someone else, it is to beunderstood that the person who was killed met the fruitive results of hisown work and that the man who killed him acted as the agent of materialnature. Thus Karilsa begged Devaki's pardon by analyzing the matterdeeply. He was not the cause of the death of Devaki' s sons. Rather, thiswas their own destiny. Under the circumstances, Devaki should excuseKarilsa and forget his past deeds without lamentation. Karilsa admittedhis own fault, but whatever he had done was under the control of providence.Karilsa might have been the immediate cause for the death ofDevaki's sons, but the remote cause was their past deeds. This was anactual fact.TEXT 22ttl:{ffl t{tl@l+tlwf St IijiG\+tlrilijl IIyavad dhato 'smi hantasmityatmanam manyate 'sva-drktavat tad-abhimany ajfiobadhya-badhakatam iyatyavat-as long as; hata asmi-1 am now being killed (by others);hanta asmi-1 am the killer (of others); iti-thus; atmanam-own self;manyate-he considers; a-sva-drk-one who has not seen himself(because of the darkness of the bodily conception of life); tavat-for thatlong; tat-abhimani-regarding himself as the killed or the killer;ajfia-a foolish person; badhya-badhakatam-the worldly transactionof being obliged to execute some responsibility; iyat-continues.

Text 23] The Atrocities of King Kamsa 297TRANSLATIONIn the bodily conception of life, one remains in darkness, withoutself-realization, thinking, "I ambeing killed" or "I havekilled my enemies." As long as a foolish person thus considers theself to he the killer or the killed, he continues to be responsiblefor material obligations, and consequently he suffers the reactionsof happiness and distress.PURPORTBy the grace of the Lord, Karhsa felt sincere regret for having unnecessarilypersecuted such Vai?avas as Devaki and Vasudeva, and thus hecame to the transcendental stage of knowledge. "Because I am situatedon the platform of knowledge," Karhsa said, "understanding that I amnot at all the killer of your sons, I have no responsibility for their death.As long as I thought that I would be killed by your son, I was in ignorance,but now I am free from this ignorance, which was due to abodily conception of life." As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.17):yasya nahankrto bhavobuddhir yas.r.,a na lipyatehatvapi sa imal lokanna hanti na nibadhyate"One who is not motivated by false ego, whose intelligence is not entangled,though he kills men in this world, is not the slayer. Nor is hebound by his actions." According to this axiomatic truth, Karhsa pleadedthat he was not responsible for having killed the sons of Devaki andVasudeva. "Please try to excuse me for such false, external activities,"he said, "and be pacified with this same knowledge."TEXT 23 {I; ::rn:fH IWI: m:iww;: IIamadhvam mama dauratmyamsadhavo dina-vatsala/:t

298 Srimad-Bhagavatam(Canto 10, Ch. 4ity uktvasru-mukha padausyala svasror athagrahitamadhvam-kindly excuse; mama-my; daurdtmyam-atrociousactivities; sddhava-both of you are great saintly persons; dinavatsald-andare very kind to poor, cripple-minded persons; itiuktvd-saying this; a§ru-mukha-his face full of tears; padau-thefeet; syala-his brother-in-law Kamsa; svasro-of his sister andbrother-in-law; atha-:-thus; agrahit-captured.TRANSLATIONKamsa begged, "My dear sister and brother-in-law, please bemerciful to such a poor-hearted person as me, since both of youare saintly persons. Please excuse my atrocities." Having said this,Kamsa fell at the feet of Vasudeva and Devaki, his eyes full of tearsof regret.PURPORTAlthough Kamsa had spoken very nicely on the subject of real knowledge,his past deeds were abominable and atrocious, and therefore hefurther begged forgiveness from his sister and brother-in-law by fallingat their feet and admitting that he was a most sinful person.TEXT 24 f;t•t:Siif : Wm I.. :q a:4lhue ll';('dllmocayam dsa nigac;ladviSrabdha kanyakd-giradevakiril vasudevaril cadarsayann dtma-sauhrdammocayam dsa-Kamsa released them; niga(lat-from their ironshackles; viSrabdha-with full confidence; kanyakd-gira-in thewords of the goddess Durga; devakim-toward his sister Devaki;

Text 25] The Atrocities of King Kamsa 299vasudevam ca-and his brother-in-law Vasudeva; darsayan-fully exhibiting;dtma-sauhrdam-his family relationship.TRANSLATIONFully believing in the words of the goddess Durgi, K.amsa exhibitedhis familial affection for Devakl and Vasudeva by immediatelyreleasing them from their iron shackles.TEXT 25: 'lsEtfl@ mt m 1lii:JY:U.UW 'f'l ( II '-\IIbhrdtu samanutaptasya4nta-ra,4 ca devakfvyasrjad vasudeva§ caprahasya tam uv4ca habhr4tu-toward her brother Kamsa; samanutaptasya-because ofhis being regretful; 4nta-ro,4-was relieved of anger; ca-also;devakr-Knt:la's mother, Devaki; vyasrjat-gave up; vasudeva ca­Vasudeva also; prahasya-smiling; tam-unto Kamsa; uv4ca-said;ha-in the past.TRANSLATIONWhen Devakl saw her brother actually repentant while explainingordained events, she was relieved of all anger. Similarly,Vasudeva was also free from anger. Smiling, he spoke to K.amsa asfollows.PURPORTDevaki and Vasudeva, both highly elevated personalities, accepted thetruth presented by Karhsa that everything is ordained by providence. Accordingto the prophecy, Karhsa would be killed by the eighth child ofDevaki. Therefore, Vasudeva and Devaki saw that behind all these incidentswas a great plan devised by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

300 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 4Because the Lord had already taken birth, just like a human child, andwas in the safe custody of Yasodii, everything was happening according toplan, and there was no need to continue their ill feeling toward Karhsa.Thus they accepted Karhsa's words.TEXT 26 ;:p.f( a, .. n 13lm: ((lqRt r: evam etan maha-bhagayatha vadasi dehinamajiidna-prabhavaham-dhib,sva-pareti bhida yatab,evam-yes, this is right; etat-what you have said; maha-bhaga-0great personality; yatha-as; vadasi-you are speaking; dehinamaboutliving entities (accepting material bodies); ajfiana-prabhava-bythe influence of ignorance; aham-dhib,-this is my interest (false ego);sva-para iti-this is another's interest; bhidd-di:fferentiation; yatab,becauseof such a conception of life.TRANSLATION0 great personality Karilsa, only by the influence of ignorancedoes one accept the material body and bodily ego. What you havesaid about this philosophy is correct. Persons in the bodily conceptof life, lacking self-realization, differentiate in terms of "This ismine" and "This belongs to another."PURPORTEverything is done automatically by the laws of nature, which workunder the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is noquestion of doing anything independently, for one who has put himselfin this material atmosphere is fully under the control of nature's laws.Our main business, therefore, should be to get out of this conditioned lifeand again become situated in spiritual existence. Only due to ignorancedoes a person think, "I am a demigod," "I am a human being," "I am a

Text 27] The Atrocities of King Katbsa 301dog," "I am a cat," or, when the ignorance is still further advanced, "Iam God." Unless one is fully self-realized, one's life of ignorance willcontinue.TEXT 27l€fi6:'t+t4 "' (' 't01¥416:4id\P'*U:"' "' Iif";Jttl : 11\911soka-hara-bhaya-dvealobha-moha-madanvita/:tmitho ghnantam na pa5yantibhavair bhavam prthag-drsa/:tsoka-lamentation; hara-jubilation; bhaya-fear; dvea-envy;lobha-gteed; moha-illusion; mada-madness; anvita/:t-endowedwith; mitha/:t-one another; ghnantam -engaged in killing; napa5yanti-do not see; bhavai/:t-because of such differentiation;bhavam-the situation in relation to the Supreme Lord; prthak-drsa/:t­persons who see everything as separate from the control of the Lord.TRANSLATIONPersons with the vision of differentiation are imbued with thematerial qualities lamentation, jubilation, fear, envy, greed, illusionand madness. They are influenced by the immediate cause,which they are busy counteracting, because they have no knowledgeof the remote, supreme cause, the Personality of Godhead.PURPORTK{1,1a is the cause of all causes (sarva-karar:ta-karar:tam), but one whohas no connection with K{1,1a is disturbed by immediate causes and cannotrestrain his vision of separation or differences. When an expertphysician treats a patient, he tries to find the original cause of the diseaseand is not diverted by the symptoms of that original cause. Similarly, adevotee is never disturbed by reverses in life. Tat te 'nukampamsusamiamar;w/:t (Bhag. 10.14.8). A devotee understands that when heis in distress, this is due to his own past misdeeds, which are now

302 Srlmad-Bhigavatam [Canto IQ, Cb. 4accruing reactions, alhough by the grace of the Supreme Personality ofGodhead these are only very slight. Kanndr;.i nirdahati kintu ca bhaktibh4jtlm(Brahma-samhittl5.54). When a devotee under the protection ofthe Supreme Personality of Godhead is to suffer because of faults in hispast deeds, he passes through only a little misery by the grace of theLord. Although the disease of a devotee is due to mistakes committedsometime in the past, he agrees to suffer and tolerate such miseries, andhe depends fully on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus he isnever affected by material conditions of lamentation, jubilation, fear andso on. A devotee never sees anY.thing to be unconnected with theSupreme Personality of Godhead. Srlla MadhvAcArya, quoting from theBhavi4ya Purtlr;.a, says:bhagavad-darsantld yasyavirodhtld darsanarh prthakprthag-drti sa vijneyona tu sad-bheda-darsanaTEXT 28·:1ctcih4ijIRilqMlffl 1111srf-suka uvtlcakarhsa evarh prasanntlbhytlmviSuddham pratibitadevakf-vasudevtlbhytlmanujMto 'viSad grhamsn-suka uvtlca-Sri Sukadeva GosvAmi said; karhsa-King Karhsa;evam-thus; prasanntlbhytlm-who were very much appeased; viSuddham-inpurity; pratibhita-being answered; devakf-vasudevabhyam-byDevaki and Vasudeva; anujMta-taking permission;aviSat-entered; grham-his own palace.

Text 29] The Atrocities of King Kamsa 303TRANSLATIONSukadeva Gosvimi continued: Thus having been addressed inpurity by Devaki and Vasudeva, who were very much appeased,Kalilsa felt pleased, and with their permission he entered hishome.TEXT 29· ....:. n . . u7-1• otrn:n!lt mr:r ;n: 1:..,.._ ffil_ • !11•1 "' f;t !11 1111tasyam ratryam vyatitayamkamsa ahaya mantrir;tatebhya acta tat sarvamyad uktam yoga-nidrayatasyam-that; ratryam-night; vyatitayam-having passed; kamsa-KingKarhsa; ahaya-calling for; mantrir;ta-all the ministers;tebhya-them; dcta-informed; tat-that ; sarvam-all; yatuktam-which was spoken (that Kamsa's murderer was already somewhereelse); yoga-nidraya-by Yogamaya, the goddess Durga.TRANSLATIONAfter that night passed, Kamsa summoned his ministers and informedthem of all that had been spoken by Yogamaya [who hadrevealed that He who was to slay Kamsa had already been bornsomewhere else].PURPORTThe Vedic scripture Car:uJ,i describes maya, the energy of the SupremeLord, as nidra: durga devi sarva-bhateu nidra-ruper;ta samasthita. Theenergy of Yogamaya and Mahamaya keeps the living entities sleeping inthis material world in the great darkness of ignorance. Yogamaya, thegoddess Durga, kept Karhsa in darkness about :Q.a's birth and misledhim to believe that his enemy :Q.a had been born elsewhere. :Q.a wasborn the son of Devaki, but according to the Lord's original plan, as

304 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 4prophesied to Brahma, He went to V:rndavana to give pleasure to motherYasoda and Nanda Maharaja and other intimate friends and devotees foreleven years. Then He would return to kill Kamsa. Because Kamsa didnot know this, he believed Yogamaya's statement that K:r!?I.J.a was bornelsewhere, not of Devaki.akarrJya bhartur gaditamtam acur deva-satravattdevan prati krtamar$ddaiteya nati-kovidattakarya-after hearing; bhartutt-of their master; gaditam-thewords or statement; tam acutt-replied to him; deva-satravatt-all theasuras, who were enemies of the demigods; devan-the demigods;prati-toward; krta-amar$att-who were envious; daiteyatt-theasuras; na-not; ati-kovidatt-who were very expert in executingtransactions.TRANSLATIONAfter hearing their master's statement, the envious asuras, whowere enemies of the demigods and were not very expert in theirdealings, advised Karilsa as follows.PURPORTThere are two different types of men-the asuras and the suras.dvau bhata-sargau loke 'smindaiva asura eva cavi$u-bhakta smrto daivaasuras tad-viparyayatt(Padma Puraa)

Text 32] The Atrocities of King Kamsa 305Those who are devotees of Lord Vit;tu, t;ta, are suras, or devas,whereas those who are opposed to the devotees are called asuras. Devoteesare expert in all transactions (yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akiiicanasarvair gur:wis tatra samasate sura). Therefore they are called kovida,which means "expert." Asuras, however, although superficially showingexpertise in passionate activities, are actually all fools. They are neithersober nor expert. Whatever they do is imperfect. Moghasa moghakarmar:w.According to this description of the asuras given inBhagavad-gita (9.12), whatever they do will ultimately be baffied. It wassuch persons who advised Kamsa because they were his chief friends andministers.TEXT 31 OU'ltN11R!! I '"' o:.T .nil'{ 1 'til ( Qj 1'415'-1 tf 1'{1'(1 1 IIevam cet tarhi bhojendrapura-grama-vrajadi.§uanirdaSan nirdaSams cahani.§yamo 'dya vai siSanevam-thus; cet-if it is so; tarhi-then; bhoja-indra-0 King ofBhoja; pura-grama-vraja-adi.§u-in all the towns, villages and pasturinggrounds; anirdaSan-those who are less than ten days old; nirdaSanca-and those who are just over ten days old; hani.§yama-we shallkill; adya-beginning from today; vai-indeed; siSun-all suchchildren.TRANSLATIONIf this is so, 0 King of the Bhoja dynasty, beginning today weshall kill all the children born in all the villages, towns and pasturinggrounds within the past ten days or slightly more.TEXT 32n. lift: ftqf';ij ::1anr.iLs1 IISJ:i'"'sl!f-!JEI--4 It II

306 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 4kim udyamaift kayantidevaft samara-bhiravaf!,nityam udvigna-manasojya-gho$air dhanfL$as tavakim-what; udyamaif!,-by their endeavors; kayanti-will do;devaf!,-all the demigods; samara-bhiravaf!,-who are afraid of fighting;nityam-always; udvigna-manasaf!,-with agitated minds; jyagho$aif!,-bythe sound of the string; dhanfL$afl,-of the bow; tavayour.TRANSLATIONThe demigods always fear the sou:rid of your bowstring. Theyare constantly in anxiety, afraid of fighting. Therefore, what canthey do by their endeavors to harm you?asyatas te sara-vratairhanyamanaf!, samantataf!,jijivi$ava utsrjyapalayana-pard yayuf!,asyatafl,-pierced by your discharged arrows; te-your; sara-vrataif!,-bythe multitude of arrows; hanyamanaf!,-being killed; samantataf!,-hereand there; jijivi$avaf!,-aspiring to live; utsrjya-giving upthe battlefield; palayana-paraf!,-intent on escaping; yayuf!,-they fled(the fighting).TRANSLATIONWhile being pierced by your arrows, which you discharged onall sides, some of them, who were injured by the multitude of arrowsbut who desired to live, fied the battlefield, intent onescaping.

Text 35]The Atrocities of King Kamsa307TEXT 34'":Iu=:r-.x•t: ii'H :II IIkecit prdfijalayo dfndnyasta-sastrd divaukasamukta-kaccha-sikhd kecidbhftd sma iti vddinakecit-some of them; prdfijaul.ya-folded their hands just to pleaseyou; drnc1-very poor; nyasta-sastrc1-being bereft of all weapons;divaukasa-the demigods; mukta-kaccha-sikhc1-their garments andhair loosened and scattered; kecit-some of them; bhftd-we are verymuch afraid; sma-so became; iti vddina-they spoke thus.'TRANSLATIONDefeated and bereft of all weapons, some of the demigods gaveup fighting and praised you with folded hands, and some of them,appearing before you with loosened garments and hair, said, "0lord, we are very much afraid of you."TEXT 35f.l¥f{6f'i.lan•=mlij'ffif4*RC41'i llttmf!J'olt(!: II IIna tvam vismrta-sastrastrdnvirathdn bhaya-samvrtdnhamsy anyasakta-vimukhdnbhagna-cdpdn ayudhyatana-not; tvam-Your Majesty; vismrta-sastra-astrdn-those whohave forgotten how to use weapons; virathan-without chariots; bhayasamvrtan-bewilderedby fear; hamsi-does kill; anya-asakta-vimukhan-personsattached not to fighting but to some other subject matter;

308 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 4bhagna-capan-their bows broken; ayudhyatab,-and thus not fightmg.TRANSLATIONWhen the demigods are bereft of their chariots, when theyforget how to use weapons, when they are fearful or attached tosomething other than fighting, or when their bows are broken andthey have thus lost the ability to fight, Your Majesty does not killthem.PURPORTThere are principles that govern even fighting. If an enemy has nochariot, is unmindful of the fighting art because of fear, or is unwillingto fight, he is not to be killed. Kamsa's ministers reminded Kamsa thatdespite his power, he was cognizant of the principles of fighting, andtherefore he had excused the demigods because of their incapability."But the present emergency," the mini§_ters said, "is not intended forsuch mercy or military etiquette. Now you should prepare to fight underany circumstances." Thus they advised Kamsa to give up the traditionaletiquette in fighting and chastise the enemy at any cost.kim ema-surair vibudhairasamyuga-vikatthanaib,raho-j!L$d kim hari1Jii,sambhuna va vanaukasakim indre1Jii,lpa-viryery,abrahma1Ja va tapasyatakim-what is there to fear; ema-in a place where there is a scarcityof the ability to fight; saraib,-by the demigods; vibudhaib,-by suchpowerful persons; asamyuga-vikatthanaib,-by boasting and talking

Text 37] The Atrocities of King Kamsa 309uselessly, away from the fighting; rahal;t-jli-who is living in a solitaryplace within the core of the heart; kim haritu1-what is the fear fromLord ViJ).u; sambhunli-(and what is the fear) from Lord Siva; viieither;vana-okasli-who is living in the forest; kim indre-what isthe fear from lndra; alpa-virye-he is not at all powerful (having nopower to fight with you); brahmatu1-and what is the fear fromBrahmii; vii-either; tapasyatli-who is always engaged in meditation.TRANSLATIONThe demigods boast uselessly while away from the battlefield.Only where there is no fighting can they show their prowess.Therefore, from such demigods we have nothing to fear. As forLord ViJ}.u, He is in seclusion in the core of the hearts of theyogis. As for Lord Siva, he has gone to the forest. And as for LordBrahmi, he is always engaged in austerities and meditation.The other demigods, headed by Indra, are devoid of prowess.Therefore you have nothing to fear.PURPORTKarhsa's ministers told Karhsa t.!J.at all the exalted demigods had fled infear of him. One had gone to the forest, one to the core of the heart, andone to engage in tapasya. "Thus you can be free from all fear of thedemigods," they said. "Just prepare to fight."TEXT 37 n :nqq.-lTT ;r.: 1ijij8fl{'ti5_,*..,-

310 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 4niyunksva-engage; asman-us; anuvratan-who are ready to followyou.TRANSLATIONNonetheless, because of their enmity, our opinion is that thedemigods should not be neglected. Therefore, to uproot themcompletely, engage us in fighting with them, for we are ready tofollow you.PURPORTAccording to moral instructions, one should not neglect to extinguishfire completely, treat diseases completely, and clear debts completely.Otherwise they will increase and later be difficult to stop. Therefore theminsters advi ed Kamsa to uproot his enemies completely.TEXT 387.t11TlPits:f ) - ;:qa:f?tim1tN'qr..-un ft'l it " II

..Text 39] The Atrocities of King Kamsa 311control later, anbecomes insurmountable.enemy, if neglected in the beginning, laterTEXT 39• " " "'l' • C' 1l rca:::u .., : Jq;:J: 1 mfill....,_ ,....Sllq1 H aJOTT: 11

312 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 4human society to chaos. The asuric adherents of Kamsa wanted to disruptthe traditional condition of human happiness and thus defeat thedevatiis, the devotees and demigods. Unless the devotees and demigodspredominate, the asuras will increase, and human society will be in achaotic condition.TEXT 40 «€1t'4W11 UiSf il'l&JUlT'{ il'tR IR\Wi: I,.... '"'... ,....('qiWll 4 fl IT'f. rrt flfl &T: ll'd o IItasmdt sarvatmand rajanbrahma¢n brahma-viidina/:1,tapasvino yajfia-silangas ca hanmo havir-dugha/:1,tasmat-therefore; sarva-atmana-in every respect; rajan-0 King;brahmary,an-the brahmary,as; brahma-viidina/:1,-who maintain thebrahminical culture, centered around ViJ).u; tapasvina/:1,-persons whoare engaged in austerities; yajfia-silan-persons engaged in offeringsacrifices; ga/:1, ca-cows and persons engaged in protecting cows;hanma/:1,-we shall kill; havi/:1,-dugha/:1,-because they supply milk, fromwhich clarified butter is obtained for the offering of sacrifice.TRANSLATION0 King, we, who are your adherents in all respects, shalltherefore kill the Vedic brihmaas, the persons engaged in offeringsacrifices and austerities, and the cows that supply milk, fromwhich clarified butter is obtained for the ingredients of sacrifice.TEXT 41Am rrtilf l ijq: : 14: I;aT l :q ll'dZIIvipra gava§ ca veda§ catapa/:1, satyam dama/:1, sama/:1,

Text 41]The Atrocities of King Kamsa313sraddha daya titia cakratava§ ca hares tanal;vipral;-the brahmar:ws; gaval; ca-and the cows; veda/; ca-and theVedic knowledge; tapai;-austerity; satyam-truthfulness; damai;controlof the senses; samai;-control of the mind; sraddha-faith;daya-mercy; titia-tolerance; ca-also; krataval; ca-as well assacrifices; hare/; tanal;-are the different parts of the body of LordViQU.TRANSLATIONThe briihmat:J.as, the cows, Vedic knowledge, austerity, truthfulness,control of the mind and senses, faith, mercy, tolerance andsacrifice are the different parts of the body of Lord Vit;J.u, and theyare the paraphernalia for a godly civilization.PURPORTWhen we offer our obeisances to the Personality of Godhead, we say:namo brahmaJya-devayago-brahmaJa-hitaya cajagad-dhitaya krlJdyagovindaya namo nama/;/When Qa comes to establish real perfection in the social order, Hepersonally gives protection to the cows and the brahmar:ws (gobrahmaJa-hitayaca). This is His first interest because without protectionof the brahmar:ws and the cows, there can be no human civilizationand no question of happy, peaceful life. Asuras, therefore, are always interestedin killing the brahmar:ws and cows. Especially in this age, Kaliyuga,cows are being killed all over the world, and as soon as there is amovement to establish brahminical civilization, people in general rebel.Thus they regard the Qa consciousness movement as a form of"brainwashing." How can such envious persons be happy in their godlesscivilization? The Supreme Personality of Godhead punishes them bykeeping them in darkness, birth after birth, and pushing them lower and

314 Srimad-Bhiigavatam [Canto I 0, Ch. 4lower into wretched conditions of hellish life. The J(r1,1a consciousnessmovement has started a hrahminical civilization, hut especially when it isintroduced in the Western countries, the asuras try to impede it in manyways. Nonetheless, we must push forward this movement tolerantly forthe benefit of human society.sa hi sarva-suradhyaohy asura-dvU;l guha-saya/:ttan-mala devata/:t sarva/:tsesvara/:t sa-catur-mukha/:tayam vai tad-vadhopayoyad rim vihimsanamsa/:t-He (Lord ViQu); hi-indeed; sarva-sura-adhyaa/:t-theleader of all the demigods; hi-indeed; asura-dvit-the enemy of theasuras; guha-saya/:t-He is the Supersoul within the core of everyone'sheart; tat-mala/:t-taking shelter at His lotus feet; devata/:t-thedemigods exist; sarva/:t-all of them; sa-iSvara/:t-including Lord Siva;sa-catu/:t-mukha/:t-as well as Lord Brahmii, who has four faces;ayam-this is; vai-indeed; tat-vadha-upaya/:t-the only means of killingHim (ViQu); yat-which; rim-of great sages, saintly persons,or Vai1,1avas; vihimsanam-suppression with all kinds of persecution.TRANSLATIONLord Vi!il:.:tu, the Supersoul within the core of everyone's heart,is the ultimate enemy of the asuras and is therefore known asasura-dvi. He is the leader of all the demigods because all thedemigods, including Lord Siva and Lord Brahmi, exist under Hisprotection. The great saintly persons, sages and Vai!il:.:tavas alsodepend upon Him. To persecute the Vai!il:.:tavas, therefore, is theonly way to kill Vi!il:.:tU·

Text 43] The Atrocities of King Kamsa 315PURPORTThe demigods and the Vai"J.lavas especially are part and parcel of theSupreme Lord, ViJ.lu, because they are always obedient to His orders(om tad vr:w paramam padam sada pa.Syanti surayaM. The demoniacfollowers of Kamsa thought that if the VaiJ.lavas, saintly persons andsages were persecuted, the original body of Vi"J.lu would naturally bedestroyed. Thus they decided to suppress V ai"J.lavism. The asuras perpetuallystruggle to persecute the Vai"J.lavas because thy do not wantVai"J.lavism to spread. Vai"J.lavas preach only devotional service, not encouragingkarmis, jiianis and yogis, because if one must liberate oneselffrom material, conditional life, one must ultimately become a Vai"J.lava.Our Kr"1.1a consciousness movement is directed with this understanding,and therefore the asuras always try to suppress it.TEXT 431;1 8

316 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 4of Yamarija and devoid of good intelligence because he was ademon, decided to persecute the saintly persons, the brahmaas,as the only way to achieve his own good fortune.PURPORTSrila Locana dasa 'fhakura has sung, iipana karama, bhufijiiye§amana, kahaye locana diisa. Instead of taking good instructions fromthe sages and the siistras, godless nondevotees act whimsically, accordingto their own plans. Actually, however, no one has his own plans becauseeveryone is bound by the laws of nature and must act according to histendency in material, conditional life. Therefore one must change one'sown decision and follow the decision of a and a's devotees.Then one is rescued from punishment by Yamaraja. Kamsa was notuneducated. It appears from his talks with Vasudeva and Devaki that heknew all about the laws of nature. But because of his association with badministers, he could not make a clear decision about his welfare.Therefore the Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 22.54) says:'siidhu-sariga, ' 'siidhu-sariga '-sarva-siistre kayalava-miitra siidhu-sarige sarva-siddhi hayaIf one desires his real welfare, he must associate with devotees andsaintly persons and in this way rectify the material condition of his life.TEXT 44ijf.-a: m 1'NU'l 1'\ ll'd'dllsandiSya siidhu-lokasyakadane kadana-priyiinkiima-rapa-dhariin diudiinaviin grham iiviSatsandiSya-after giving permission; siidhu-lokasya-of the saintlypersons; kadane-in persecution; kadana-priyiin-to the demons, who

Text 45] The Atrocities of King Karil.sa 317were very expert at persecuting others; kama-rupa-dharan-who couldassume any form, according to their own desire; dik$u-in all directions;danavan-to the demons; grham aviSat-Kamsa entered his own palace.TRANSLATIONThese demons, the followers of Kamsa, were expert at persecutingothers, especially the V ai11I;lavas, and could assume any formthey desired. After giving these demons permission to go everywhereand persecute the saintly persons, Karil.sa entered his palace.TEXT 45ij :S4t

318 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 4tatha dehantara-praptirdhiras tatra na muhyati"As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood toyouth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. Theself-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change." Irresponsible persons,surcharged with passion and ignorance, foolishly do things that arenot to be done (nanam pramattatt kurute vikarma). But one should knowthe results of irresponsible actions, as explained in the next verse.TEXT 46: ftf W

CHAPTER FIVEThe Meeting ofNanda Maharaja and VasudevaAs described in this chapter, Nanda Maharaja very gorgeously performedthe birth ceremony for his newborn child. Then he went to Kamsa to paytaxes due and met his intimate friend Vasudeva.There was great jubilation all over V:rndavana due to K:ra's birth.Everyone was overwhelmed with joy. Therefore the King of Vraja,Maharaja Nanda, wanted to perform the birth ceremony for his child,and this he did. During this great festival, Nanda Maharaja gave incharity to all present whatever they desired. After the festival, NandaMaharaja put the cowherd men in charge of protecting Gokula, and thenhe went to Mathura to pay official taxes to Kamsa. In Mathura, NandaMaharaja met Vasudeva. Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva were brothers,and Vasudeva praised Nanda Maharaja's good fortune because he knewthat K:ra had accepted Nanda Maharaja as His father. When Vasudevainquired from Nanda Maharaja about the welfare of the child, NandaMaharaja informed him all about V:rndavana, and Vasudeva was verymuch satisfied by this, although he expressed his grief because Devaki'smany children had been killed by Kamsa. Nanda Maharaja consoledVasudeva by saying that everything happens according to destiny andthat one who knows this is not aggrieved. Expecting many disturbancesin Gokula, Vasudeva then advised Nanda Maharaja not to wait inMathura, but to return to V:rndavana as soon as possible. Thus NandaMaharaja took leave of Vasudeva and returned to V:rndavana with theother cowherd men on their bullock carts.TEXTS 1-2 +4(1+4wtl: I3Tif{ a:li Rn M@,t: II II319

320 Srimad-Bhigavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 5sri-suka uvacanandas tv atmaja utpannejatahlado maha-mana/;lahilya vipran veda-jnansnatal;l sucir alarikrta/;lvacayitva svastyayanamjata-karmatmajasya vaikarayam asa vidhivatpitf-devarcanam tathasri-suka/;l uvaca-Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; nanda/;l-MaharajaNanda; tu-indeed; dtmaje-his son; utpanne-having been born;jata-overwhelmed; ahlada/;l-in great jubilation; maha-manal;l-whowas great minded; ahilya-invited; vipran-the brahmar:ws; vedajnan-whowere fully conversant in Vedic knowledge; snata/;l-taking afull bath; suci/;l-purifying himself; alarikrta/;l-being dressed verynicely with ornaments and fresh garments; vacayitva-after causing tobe recited; svasti-ayanam-Vedic mantras (by the brahmar:ws); jatakarma-thefestival for the birth of the child; atmajasya-of his ownson; vai-indeed; karayam lisa-caused to be performed; vidhi-vataccordingto the Vedic regulations; pitr-deva-arcanam-the worship ofthe forefathers and the demigods; tatha-as well as.TRANSLATIONSukadeva Gosvimi said: Nanda Maharaja was naturally very magnanimous,and when Lord Sri 111,1a appeared as his son, he wasoverwhelmed by jubilation. Therefore, after bathing and purifyinghinlself and dressing himself properly, he invited brihm81,laswho knew how to recite Vedic mantras. After having thesequalified brihma1,1as recite auspicious Vedic hymns, he arranged tohave the Vedic birth ceremony celebrated for his newborn childaccording to the rules and regulations, and he also arranged forworship of the demigods and forefathers.

Text 3] The Meeting of Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva 321PURPORTSrila Visvanatha Cakravarti 'fhakura has discussed the significance ofthe words nandas tu. The word tu, he says, is not used \O fulfill the sentence,because without tu the sentence is complete. Therefore the word tuis used for a different purpose. Although Qa appeared as the son ofDevaki, Devaki and Vasudeva did not enjoy the jata-karma, the festivalof the birth ceremony. Instead, this ceremony was enjoyed by NandaMaharja, as stated here (nandas tv atmaja utpanne jatahlado mahamana).When Nanda Maharaja met Vasudeva, Vasudeva could not disclose,"Your son Qa is actually my son. You are His father in adifferent way, spiritually." Because of fear of Kamsa, Vasudeva couldnot observe the festival for K:rQa's birth. Nanda Maharaja, however,took full advantage of this opportunity.The jata-karma ceremony can take place when the umbilical cord,connecting the child and the placenta, is cut. However, since Qa wasbrought by Vasudeva to the house of Nanda Maharaja, where was thechance for this to happen? In this regard, Visvanatha Cakravarti'fhakura desires to prove with evidence from many siistras that Qa actuallytook birth as the son of Yasoda before the birth of Yogamaya, whois therefore described as the Lord's younger sister. Even though theremay be doubts about the cutting of the umbilical cord, and even thoughit is possible that this was not done, when the Supreme Personality ofGodhead appears, such events are regarded as factual. K:rQa appeared asVarahadeva from the nostril of Brahma, and therefore Brahma is describedas the father· of Varahadeva. Also significant are the wordskarayam iisa vidhivat. Being overwhelmed with jubilation over the birthof his son, Nanda Maharaja did not see whether the cord was cut or not.Thus he performed the ceremony very gorgeously. According to theopinion of some authorities, Qa was actually born as the son ofYasoda. In any case, without regard for material understandings, we canaccept that Nanda Maharaja's celebration for the ceremony of K:rQa'sbirth was proper. This ceremony is therefore well known everywhere asNandotsava.TEXT3m+1t:1$ m(l'tdl111 II

322 Srimad-Bhagavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 5dhenunaril niyute pradadviprebhya samalarikrtetiladrin sapta ratnaughasatakaumbhambaravrtandhenunam-of milk-giving cows; niyute-two million; pradat-gavein charity; viprebhya-unto the brahmar:ws; samalarikrte-completelydecorated; tila-adrin-hills of grain; sapta-seven; ratna-ogha-satakaumbha-ambara-avrtan-coveredwith jewels and cloth embroideredwith gold.TRANSLATIONNanda Maharaja gave two million cows, completely decoratedwith cloth and jewels, in charity to the briihmaJ}.as. He also gavethem seven hills of grain, covered with jewels and with cloth decoratedwith golden'embroidery.kalena snana-saucabhyamsamskarais tapasejyayasudhyanti danai santtyadravyar:ty atmatma-vidyayakalena-by due course of time (the land and other material things becomepurified); snana-saucabhyam-by bathing (the body becomespurified) and by cleansing (unclean things become purified);sarilskarai-by purificatory processes (birth becomes purified);tapasa-by austerity (the senses become purified); ijyaya-by worship(the brahmar:ws become purified); sudhyanti-become purified;danaib.-by charity (wealth becomes purified); sant!ya-by satisfaction(the mind becomes purified); dravyar:ti-all material possessions,such as cows, land and gold; iitmii-the soul (becomes purified); atmavidyaya-byself-realization.

Text 5] The Meeting of Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva 323 ·TRANSLATION0 King, by the passing of time, land and other material possessionsare purified; by bathing, the body is purified; and by beingcleansed, unclean things are purified. By purificatory ceremonies,birth is purified; by austerity, the senses are purified; and byworship and charity offered to the briihmaas, material possessionsare purified. By satisfaction, the mind is purified; and byself-realization, or .Krfa consciousness, the soul is purified.PURPORTThese are sastric injunctions concerning how one can purify everythingaccording to Vedic civilization. Unless purified, anything we usewill infect us with contamination. In India five thousand years ago, evenin the villages such as that of Nanda Maharaja, people knew how topurify things, and thus they enjoyed even material life withoutcontamination.TEXTSijl'tft@tfiti\ Rim: fi'tt•Nf.o: I if ii: II'-\ IIsaummigalya-giro vipra/:tsiiJa-magadha-vandina/:tgayakaS ca jagur nedurbheryo dundubhayo muhu/:tsaumarigalya-gira/:t-whose chanting of mantras and hymns purifiedthe environment by their vibration; vipra/:t-the brahma7Jas; sata -expertsin reciting all the histories; magadha-experts in reciting thehistories of special royal families; vandina/:t-general professionalreciters; gayaka/:t-singers; ca-as well as; jagu/:t-chanted; nedu/:t­vibrated; bherya/:t-a kind of musical instrument; dundubhaya/:t-akind of musical instrument; muhu/:t-constantly.TRANSLATIONThe briihmaas recited auspicious Vedic hymns, which purifiedthe environment by their vibration. The experts in reciting old

324 Srimad-Bhiigavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 5histories like the Puras, the experts in reciting the histories ofroyal families, and general reciters all chanted, while singerssang and many kinds of musical instruments, like bheris anddundubhis, played in accompaniment.TEXT6''"'vraja sammma-samsiktadvarajira-grhantaracitra-dhvaja-pataka-srakcaila-pallava-torary,aivraja-the land occupied by Nanda Maharaja; sammrta-verynicely cleaned; samsikta-very nicely washed; dvdra-all the doors orentrances; ajira-courtyards; grha-antara-everything within thehouse; citra-variegated; dhvaja-of festoons; pataka-of flags; srakofflower garlands; caila-of pieces of cloth; pallava-of the leaves ofmango trees; torary,ai- (decorated) by gates in different places.TRANSLATIONVrajapura, the residence of Nanda Mahiiriija, was fully decoratedwith varieties of festoons and flags, and in different places, gateswere made with varieties of flower garlands, pieces of cloth, andmango leaves. The courtyards, the gates near the roads, and everythingwithin the rooms of the houses were perfectly swept andwashed with water.TEXT7.. '"' '"'f(lerl T tf rn:del1ijt: IAA&t()(J'il;r: II \9 IIgavo vra vatsataraharidra-taila-ril$ita

...Text 8] The Meeting of Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva 325vicitra-dhatu-barhasrag­vastra-kaiicana-malinab-gavab--the cows; vr$ab--the bulls; vatsataab--the calves; haridra-witha mixture of turmeric; taila-and oil; TU$itab--their entirebodies smeared; vicitra-decorated varieties of; dhatu-colored minerals;barha-srak-peacock-feather garlands; vastra-cloths; kaiicana-goldenornaments; malinab--being decorated with garlands.TRANSLATIONThe cows, the bulls and the calves were thoroughly smearedwith a mixture of turmeric and oil, mixed with varieties ofminerals. Their heads were bedecked with peacock feathers,and they were garlanded and covered with cloth and goldenornaments.PURPORTThe Supreme Personality of Godhead has instructed in Bhagavadgita(18.44), kr$i-go-rak$ya-vaJJ,ijyam vaiSya-karma-svabhavajam:"Farming, cow protection and trade are the qualities of work for thevaiSyas." Nanda Maharaja belonged to the vaiSya community, theagriculturalist community. How to protect the cows and how rich thiscommunity was are explained in these verses. We can hardly imaginethat cows, bulls and calves could be cared for so nicely and decorated sowell with cloths and valuable golden ornaments. How happy they were.As described elsewhere in the Bhagavatam, during MaharajaYudhithira's time the cows were so happy that they used to muddy thepasturing ground with milk. This is Indian civilization. Yet in the sameplace, India, Bharatavara, how much people are suffering by giving upthe Vedic way of life and not understanding the teachings of Bhagavadgitii.TEXTS'"' c. ";mNI(UI=>iltUli'1

326 Srimad-Bhigavatam[Canto 10, Ch. 5maharha-vastrabharakaiicukor;r,a-bhi4ita/:tgopa/:t samayaya rajannanopayana-paya/:tmahd-arha-extremely valuable; vastra-abhara-with garmentsand ornaments; kaiicuka-by a particular type of garment used inV:rndavana; r;ta-with turbans; bhi4ita/;t-being nicely dressed;gopa/:t-all the cowherd men; samayayu/:t-came there; rajan-0King (Maharaja Parikit); nand-various; upayana-presentations;pdya/:t-holding in their hands.TRANSLATION0 King Parikit, the cowherd men dressed very opulently withvaluable ornaments and garments such as coats and turbans. Decoratedin this way and carrying various presentations in their hands,they approached the house of Nanda Mahiriija.PURPORTWhen we consider the past condition of the agriculturalist in thevillage, we can see how opulent he was, simply because of agriculturalproduce and protection of cows. At the present, however, agriculturehaving been neglected and cow protection given up, the agriculturalist issuffering pitiably and is dressed in a niggardly torn cloth. This is the distinctionbetween the India of history and the India of the present day. Bythe atrocious activities of ugra-karma, how we are killing the opportunityof human civilization!gopya§ cakarr;r,ya muditaya§odaya/:t sutodbhavamatmanam bhi4ayam cakrurvastrakalpafijanadibhi/:t

Text 10] The Meeting of Nanda Mahiiriija and Vasudeva 327gopya-the feminine community, the wives of the cowherd men;ca-also; akaya-after hearing; mudita-became very glad;ya5odiiya-of mother Yasoda; suta-udbhavam-the birth of a malechild; atmanam-personally; bhil{;ayam cakru -;-dressed very nicely toattend the festival; vastra-akalpa-anjana-adibhi-with proper dress,ornaments, black ointment, and so on.TRANSLATIONThe gopi wives of the cowherd men were very pleased to hearthat mother Ya8odii had given birth to a son, and they began todecorate themselves very nicely with proper dresses, ornaments,black ointment for the eyes, and so on.TEXT 10i".tti¥\Ni%Q(cNtn'"''tiI+1'J : R1)4'.41: II o IInava-kurikuma-kinjalkamukha-parikaja-bhatayabalibhis tvaritam jagmuprthu-sror:tya5 calat-kucaInava-kurikuma-kinjalka-with saffron and newly grown kurikumaflower; mukha-parikaja-bhataya-exhibiting an extraordinary beautyin their lotuslike faces; balibh*-with presentations in their hands;tvaritam-very quickly; jagmu-went (to the house of motherYasoda); prthu-sror:tya-bearing full hips, fulfilling womanly beauty;calat-kuca-their developed breasts were moving.TRANSLATIONTheir lotuslike faces extraordinarily beautiful, being decoratedwith saffron and newly grown kuilkuma, the wives of the cowherdmen hurried to the house of mother Ya8odii with presentations intheir hands. Because of natural beauty, the wives had full hips andfull breasts, which moved as they hurried along.

328 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 5PURPORTThe cowherd men and women in the villages lived a very natural life,and the women developed a natural feminine beauty, with full hips andbreasts. Because women in modern civilization do not live naturally,their hips and breasts do not develop this natural fullness. Because of artificialliving, women have lost their natural beauty, although they claimto be independent and advanced in material civilization. This descriptionof the village women gives a clear example of the contrast betweennatural life and the artificial life of a condemned society, such as that ofthe Western countries, where topless, bottomless beauty may be easilypurchased in clubs and shops and for public advertisements. The wordbalibhi indicates that the women were carrying gold coins, jewelednecklaces, nice cloths, newly grown grass, sandalwood pulp, flower garlandsand similar offerings on plates made of gold. Such offerings arecalled bali. The words tvaritam jagmu indicate how happy the villagewomen were to understand that mother Yasodii had given birth to a wonderfulchild known as K:rJ:.la.TEXT 11tTlQ.J: Wl!'if'ltWt&ifil!fifSflkHI:qN (CCI¥41@t'Ji: I ffir.totttittU:gopya sumrta-mar;ti-kur;tc},ala-n4ka-kar:tthya5II IIcitrambarii pathi sikha-cyuta-malya-variinandiilayam sa-valaya vrajatir virejurvyalola-kur;tc},ala-payodhara-hara-sobhiigopya-the gopis; su-mma-very dazzling; mar;ti-made of jewels;kur;tc},ala-wearing earrings; n4ka-kar:tthya-and having little keysand lockets hanging from their necks; citra-ambarii-dressed withvarieties of colored embroidery; pathi-on their way to Yasodiimayi'shouse; sikha-cyuta-fell from their hair; miilya-varii-a shower of

Text 11] The Meeting of Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva 329flower garlands; nanda-alayam-to the house of Maharaja Nanda; savalayii-withbangles on their hands; vrajati-while going (in thatcostume); vireju-they looked very, very beautiful; vyalola-moving;kula-with earrings; payodhara-with breasts; hiira-with flowergarlands; sobhii-who appeared so beautiful.TRANSLATIONIn the ears of the gopis were brilliantly polished jeweled earrings,and from their necks hung metal lockets. Their hands weredecorated with bangles, their dresses were of varied colors, andfrom their hair, flowers fell onto the street like showers. Thuswhile going to the house of Maharaja Nanda, the gopis, their earrings,breasts and garlands moving, were brilliantly beautiful.PURPORTThe description of the gopis, who were going to the house of MaharajaNanda to welcome !?I).a, is especially significant. The gopis were notordinary women, but expansions of !?I).a's pleasure potency, as describedin the Brahma-samhitii:iinanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhistiibhir ya eva nija-rupatayii kaliibhigoloka eva nivasaty akhiliitma-bhutogovindam iidi-purU!}aril tam aham bhajami(5.37)cintiimar:ti-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vralaavrte§usurabhir abhipalayantamlami-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamiinarilgovindam iidi-purU!}aril tam aham bhajiimi(5.29)!?I).a is always worshiped by the gopis wherever He goes. Therefore!?I).a is so vividly described in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhuhas also described K:r!?Q.a in this way: ramyii kiicid upiisand

330 Srimad-Bhiigavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 5vrajavadha-varge7]a ya kalpita. All these gopis were going to offer K:rQatheir presentations because the gopis are eternal associates of the Lord.Now the gopis were more jubilant because of the news of K:rQa's appearancein V:rndiivana.TEXT 12m : 311'11 • 1d(ltai: f«s: 1111ta asa prayuiijanasciraril pahiti balakeharidra-curtta-tailadbhisiiicantyo 'janam ujjaguta-all the women, the wives and daughters of the cowherd men;asa-blessings; prayuiijana-offering; ciram-for a long time;pahi-may You become the King of Vraja and maintain all its inhabitants;iti-thus; balake-unto the newborn child; haridra-curr:wpowderof turmeric; taila-adbhi-mixed with oil; siiicantya-sprinkling;ajanam-the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is unborn;ujjagu-offered prayers.TRANSLATIONOffering blessings to the newborn child, l}a, the wives anddaughters of the cowherd men said, "May You become the King ofVraja and long maintain all its inhabitants." They sprinkled a mixtureof turmeric powder, oil and water upon the birthless SupremeLord and offered their prayers.TEXT 1331 NR1:sufU1 uR:"'IfUI 'litffl% 1 Ft t4i1f¥U•Itt 1111avadyanta vicitrar;tivaditrar;ti mahotsave

Text 14] The Meeting of Nanda Mahirija and Vasudeva 331kmte viSvesvare 'nantenandasya vrajam agateavadyanta-vibrated in celebration of Vasudeva's son; vicitrar:tivarious;vaditrar:ti-musical instruments; maha-utsave-in the greatfestival; krr:te-when Lord :Krt;ta; viSva-iSvare-the master of the entirecosmic manifestation; anante-unlimitedly; nandasya-of MaharajaNanda; vrajam-at the pasturing place; agate-had so arrived.TRANSLATIONNow that the all-pervading, unlimited Lord :Kf¥I].a, the master ofthe cosmic manifestation, had arrived within the estate of MahirijaNanda, various types of musical instruments resounded to celebratethe great festival.PURPORTThe Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (4. 7):yada yada hi dharmasyaglanir bhavati bharataabhyutthanam adharmasyatadatmanam srjamy aham"Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, 0 descendantof Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion-at that time Idescend Myself." Whenever :Krr:ta comes, once in a day of Brahma, Hecomes to the house of Nanda Maharaja in V:rndavana. :Krr:ta is the masterof all creation (sarva-loka-mahesvaram). Therefore, not only in theneighborhood of Nanda Maharaja's estate, hut all over the universeandin all the other universes-musical sounds celebrated the auspiciousarrival of the Lord.TEXT 14::13llf«.- f.\JOq;ffl00 : II \lll

332 Srimad-Bhigavatam(Canto 10. Ch. 5gopa}:t parasparam hmadadhi-ira-ghrtambubhi}:tasiiicanto vilimpantonavanitaiS ca ciipu}:tgopa/:t-the cowherd men; parasparam-on one another; hr§tii/:t­being so pleased; dadhi-with curd; ira-with condensed milk; ghrtaambubhi}:t-withwater mixed with butter; dsiiicanta/:t-sprinkling;vilimpanta}:t-smearing; navanitai/:t ca-and with butter; ciipu}:t­they threw on one another.TRANSLATIONIn gladness, the cowherd men enjoyed the great festival bysplashing one another's bodies with a mixture of curd, condensedmilk, butter and water. They threw butter on one another andsmeared it on one another's bodies.PURPORTFrom this statement we can understand that five thousand years agonot only was there enough milk, butter and curd to eat, drink and cookwith, but when there was a festival it would be thrown about withoutrestriction. There was no limit to how extensively milk, butter, curd andother such products were used in human society. Everyone had an amplestock of milk, and by using it in many varied milk preparations, peoplewould keep good health in natural ways and thus enjoy life in K:r!?Q.aconsciOusness.TEXTS 15-16 ¥4(1¥{1 tmJTS'(I(4ll I'tTrr P4o:.fN'JftRif: II: lq({lc:u

Text 16] The Meeting of Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva 333siiJa-magadha-vandibh yoye 'nye vidyopajivina/:ltais tai/:l kamair adinatmayathocitam apujayatvi$1Jor aradhanarthayasva-putrasyodayaya cananda/:r.-Maharaja Nanda; maha-mana/:l-who among the cowherdmen was the greatest of all upright persons; tebhya/:l-unto the cowherdmen; vdsa/:r.-clothing; almikdra-ornaments; go-dhanam-and cows;suta-magadha-vandibhya/:l-unto the sutas (the professional reciters ofthe old histories), the magadhas (the professional reciters of the historiesof royal dynasties) and the vandis (general singers of prayers); yeanye-as well as others; vidya-upajivina/:l-who were continuing theirlivelihood on the basis of educational qualifications; tai/:l tai/:r.-withwhatever; kdmai/:r.-improvements of desire; adina-dtmd-MaharajaNanda, who was so magnanimous; yatha-ucitam-as was suitable;apujayat-worshiped them or satisfied them; vi$1JO/:l aradhanaarthaya-forthe purpose of satisfying Lord Viu; sva-putrasya-ofhis own child; udayaya-for the improvement in all respects; ca-and.TRANSLATIONThe great-minded Maharaja Nanda gave clothing, ornaments andcows in charity to the cowherd men in order to please Lord Vi,u,and thus he improved the condition of his own son in all respects.He distributed charity to the sfttas, the magadhas, the vandis, andmen of all other professions, according to their educationalqualifications, and satisfied everyone's desires.PURPORTAlthough it has become fashionable to speak of daridra-narayaTJa, thewords vi$7Jor aradhanarthaya do not mean that all the people satisfied byNanda Maharaja in this great ceremony were Vius. They were notdaridra, nor were they Narayaa. Rather, they were devotees ofNarayaa, and by their educational qualifications they would satisfy

334 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 5NarayaJ,la. Therefore, satisfying them_was an indirect way of satisfyingLord ViJ,lu. Mad-bhakta-pujabhyadhika (Bhag. 11.19.21). The Lordsays, "Worshiping My devotees is better than worshiping Me directly."The van:ui$rama system is entirely meant for vu-aradhana, worshipof Lord ViJ,lu. Varr;ui§ramacaravata pure para/:t puman/ vuraradhyate (Vu Pura 3.8.9). The ultimate goal of life is to pleaseLord ViJ,lU, the Supreme Lord. The uncivilized man or materialistic person,however, does not know this aim of life. Na te vidu/:t svartha-gatimhi vum (Bhag. 7.5.31). One's real self-interest lies in satisfying LordViJ,lU. Not satisfying Lord ViJ,lU but instead attempting to becomehappy through material adjustments (bahir-artha-manina/:t) is thewrong way for happiness. Because ViJ,lu is the root of everything, ifViJ,lu is pleased, everyone is pleased; in particular, one's children andfamily members become happy in all respects. Nanda Maharaja wanted tosee his newborn child happy. That was his purpose. Therefore he wantedto satisfy Lord ViJ,lu, and to satisfy Lord ViJ,lu it was necessary tosatisfy His devotees, such as the learned brahma, magadhas andsatas. Thus, in a roundabout way, ultimately it was Lord ViJ,lu who wasto be satisfied.TEXT 17itf ttll ;r;:_.jlqiN;wf6t Ioq(i{ - 11\911rohii ca maha-bhagananda-gopabhinanditavyacarad divya-vasa-srakkathabhara-bh'l1$itarohii-RohiJ,li, the mother of Baladeva; ca-also; maha-bhaga-themost fortunate mother of Baladeva (greatly fortunate because of havingthe opportunity to raise K{J,la and Balarama together); nanda-gopaabhinandita-beinghonored by Maharaja Nanda and mother Yasoda;vyacarat-was busy wandering here and there; divya-beautiful;vasa-with a dress; srak-with a garland; katha-abharaa-and withan ornament covering the neck; bhi4ita-decorated.

Text 18] The Meeting of Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva 335TRANSLATIONThe most fortunate Rohii, the mother of Baladeva, washonored by Nanda Maharaja and Ya8oda, and thus she also dressedgorgeously and decorated herself with a necklace, a garland andother ornaments. She was busy wandering here and there toreceive the women who were guests at the festival.PURPORTRohii, another wife of Vasudeva's, was also kept under the care ofNanda Maharaja with her son Baladeva. Because her husband was imprisonedby Karhsa, she was not very happy, but on the occasion ofKra-janmatami, Nandotsava, when Nanda Maharaja gave dresses andornaments to others, he also gave gorgeous garments and ornaments toRohii so that she could take part in the festival. Thus she also was busyreceiving the women who were guests. Because of her good fortune inbeing able to raise Kra and Balarama together, she is described asmaha-bhaga, greatly fortunate.TEXT 18ml :19{1Rm lij!ll{q 1111tata arabhya nandasyavraja/:t sarva-samrddhimanharer nivasatma-gury,airamakru,lam abhan nrpatata}:t arabhya-beginning from that time; nandasya-of MaharajaNanda; vraja}:t-Vrajabhumi, the land for protecting and breeding cows;sarva-samrddhiman-became opulent with all kinds of riches; hare/:tnivasa-of the residence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; atmagury,ai}:t-bythe transcendental qualities; rama-akri(lam-the place ofpastimes for the goddess of fortune; abhat-became ; nrpa-0 King(Maharaja Parikit).

336 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 5TRANSLATION0 Maharaja Parik!jit, the home of Nanda Maharaja is eternallythe abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His transcendentalqualities and is therefore always naturally endowedwith the opulence of all wealth. Yet beginning from Lord !ja'sappearance there, it became the place for the pastimes of the goddessof fortune.PURPORTAs stated in the Brahma-sarhhitii (5.29), lami-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamiinarhgovindam iidi-puarh tam aharh bhajiimi.The abode of !?J.la is always served by hundreds and thousands of goddessesof fortune. Wherever K:r?J.la goes, the goddess of fortune naturallyresides with Him. The chief of the goddesses of fortune is SrimatiRadharaJ.li. Therefore, !?1.1a's appearance in the land of Vraja indicatedthat the chief goddess of fortune, RadharaJ.li, would also appear therevery soon. Nanda Maharaja's abode was already opulent, and since K:r!?J.lahad appeared, it would be opulent in all respects.TEXT 19F{ ill i(ij: I: ttl tr.t IIgopiin gokula-raiiyiirhnirupya mathuriirh gata/:tnanda/:t karhsasya viirikyarhkararh datum kurudvahagopiin-the cowherd men; gokula-raiiyiim-in gtvmg protectionto the state of Gokula; nirupya-after appointing; mathuriim-toMathura; gata/:t-went; nanda/:t-Nanda Maharaja; karhsasya-ofKamsa; viirikyam-yearly taxes; karam-the share of profit; datumtopay; kuru-udvaha-0 Maharaja Parik?it, best protector of the Kurudynasty.TRANSLATIONSukadeva Gosvami continued: Thereafter, my dear KingParik!jit, 0 best protector of the Kuru dynasty, Nanda Maharaja ap-

Text 20] The Meeting of Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva 337pointed the local cowherd men to protect Gokula and then went toMathura to pay the yearly taxes to King Kamsa.PURPORTBecause the killing of babies was going on and had already becomeknown, Nanda Maharaja was very much afraid for his newborn child.Thus he appointed the local cowherd men to protect his home and child.He wanted to go immediately to Mathura to pay the taxes due and also tooffer some presentation for the sake of his newborn son. For the protectionof the child, he had worshiped various demigods and forefathers andgiven charity to everyone's satisfaction. Similarly, Nanda Maharajawanted not only to pay Karilsa the yearly taxes but also to offer some presentationso that Karilsa too would be satisfied. His only concern was howto protect his transcendental child, l(r1,1a.TEXT 20 q u;r+tl•l"''EI+tl"i:4 II o IIvasudeva upa§rutyabhriitaram nandam agatamjfiatvii datta-karam riijfieyayau tad-avamocanamvasudevab,-Vasudeva; upa§rutya-when he heard; bhriitaram-thathis dear friend and brother; nandam-Nanda Maharaja; agatam-hadcome to Mathura; jfiatva-when he learned; datta-karam-and hadalready paid the taxes; riijfie-unto the King; yayau-he went; tatavamocanam-tothe residential quarters of Nanda Maharaja.TRANSLATIONWhen Vasudeva heard that Nanda Maharaja, his very dear friendand brother, had come to Mathura and already paid the taxes toKamsa, he went to Nanda Maharaja's residence.

338 Srimad-Bhagavatam (Canto 10, Ch. 5PURPORTVasudeva and Nanda Maharaja were so intimately connected that theylived like brothers. Furthermore, it is learned from the notes of SripadaMadhvacarya that Vasudeva and Nanda Maharaja were stepbrothers.Vasudeva's father, Siirasena, married a vaiSya girl, and from her NandaMaharaja was born. Later, Nanda Maharaja himself married a vaiSyagirl, Yasoda. Therefore his family is celebrated as a vaiSya family, andKr!?:Q.a, identifying Himself as their son, took charge of vaiSya activities(kr$i-go-raya-vd1,1-ijyam). Balarama represents plowing the land foragriculture and therefore always carries in His hand a plow, whereasKr!?:Q.a tends cows and therefore carries a flute in His hand. Thus the twobrothers represent kr$i-raya and go-raya.TEXT 21. ... ... ,...ij qt ij" : tfiOII¥41•1 I!fur: fSrtijJf +trY ¥4@: II IItam dr$/Vd sahasotthayadehal_r, pra1,1-am ivagatamprital_r, priyatamam dorbhyamsasvaje prema-vihvalal_r,tam-him (Vasudeva); dr$/Vd-seeing; sahasd-suddenly; utthaya-gettingup; dehal_r,-the same body; prdm-life; iva-as if;agatam-had returned; prital_r,-so pleased; priya-tamam-his dearfriend and brother; dorbhyam-by his two arms; sasvaje-embraced;prema-vihvalal_r,-overwhelmed with love and affection.TRANSLATIONWhen Nanda Maharaja heard that Vasudeva had come, he wasoverwhelmed with love and affection, being as pleased as if hisbody had regained its life. Seeing Vasudeva suddenly present, hegot up and embraced him with both arms.PURPORTNanda Maharaja was older than Vasudeva. Therefore Nanda Maharajaembraced him, and Vasudeva offered him namaskara.

Text 23] The Meeting of Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva 339TEXT 22tm: df;t: 'l'IWilil+tlt't: I3Rffli'=iT: R\1: A''''P'ajita sukham asinapmvanamayam adrtaprasakta-dhi svatmajayoridam aha viSampatepujita-Vasudeva having been so dearly welcomed; sukhamasina-having been given a place to sit comfortably; pr$tva-asking;andmayam-all-auspicious inquiries; ddrta-being honored and respectfullyreceived; prasakta-dh*-because of his being very much attached;sva-atmajayo-to his own two sons, Kra and Balarama;idam-the following; aha-inquired; viSam-pate-0 Maharaja Parikit.TRANSLATION0 Maharaja Parikit, having thus been received and welcomedby Nanda Maharaja with honor, Vasudeva at down very peacefullyand inquired about his own two sons because of intense love forthem.TEXT 23t ;mr: w;fhrsr ij 1m f;{f*' « 1111di$tya bhrata pravayasaidanim aprajasya teprajasaya nivrttasyapraja yat samapadyatadi$tya-it is by great fortune; bhrata-0 my dear brother;pravayasa-o£ you whose age is now quite advanced; idanim-at thepresent moment; aprajasya-o£ one who did not have a son before; teo£you; praja-asaya nivrttasya-o£ one who was almost hopeless of gettinga son at this age; praja-a son; yat-whatever; samapadyata-hasbeen gotten by chance.

340 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 5TRANSLATIONMy dear brother Nanda Maharaja, at an advanced age you had noson at all and were hopeless of having one. Therefore, that younow have a son is a sign of great fortune.PURPORTAt an advanced age one generally cannot beget a male child. If bychance one does beget a child at this age, the child is generally female.Thus Vasudeva indirectly asked Nanda Maharaja whether he had actuallybegotten a male child or a female child. Vasudeva knew thatYasoda had given birth to a female child, whom he had stolen andreplaced with a male child. This was a great mystery, and Vasudevawanted to determine whether this mystery was already known to NandaMaharaja. On inquiring, however, he was confident that the mystery of_Kr1,1a's birth and His being placed in the care of Yasoda was still hidden.There was no danger, since Kamsa at least could not learn what hadalready happened.d4tya samsara-cakre 'sminvartamana/:t punar-bhava/:tupalabdho bhavan adyadurlabham priya-darsanamd4tya-it is also by great fortune; samsara-cakre asmin -in thisworld of birth and death; vartamana/:t-although I was existing; puna/:t­bhava/:t-my meeting with you is just like another birth; upalabdha/:t­being obtained by me; bhavan-you; adya-today; durlabham-althoughit was never to happen; priya-darsanam-to see you again, myvery dear friend and brother.TRANSLATIONIt is also by good fortune that I am seeing you. Having obtainedthis opportunity, I feel as if I have taken birth again. Even though

Text 25] The Meeting of Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva 341one is present in this world, to meet with intimate friends and dearrelatives in this material world is extremely difficult.PURPORTVasudeva had been imprisoned by Karhsa, and therefore, althoughpresent in Mathura, he was unable to see Nanda Maharaja for manyyears. Therefore when they met again, Vasudeva considered this meetingto be another birth.TEXT 25m FSP:t«qR{: . o¥n;u;ti M naikatra priya-sariwiisa/:tsuhrdam citra-karma'fJdmoghena vyahyamananiimplavanam srotaso yathana-not; ekatra-in one place; priya-samviisa/:t-living togeth,er withdear friends and relatives; suhrdam-of friends; citra-karma'fJdm-ofall of us who have had varieties of reactions to our past karma; oghenabythe force; vyahyamananam-carried away; plavanam-of sticks andother objects floating in the water; srotasa/:t-of the waves; yatha-as.TRANSLATIONMany planks and sticks, unable to stay together, are carried awayby the force of a river's waves. Similarly, although we are intimatelyrelated with friends and family members, we are unable tostay together because of our varied past deeds and the waves oftime.PURPORTVasudeva was lamenting because he and Nanda Maharaja could notlive together. Yet how could they live together? Vasudeva warns that allof us, even if intimately related, are carried away by the waves of timeaccording to the results of past karma.

342 Srimad-Bhigavatam [Canto 10, 'Ch. 5TEXT 26 '(!0141 Im:;f : IIkaccit pa§avyam nirujambhary-ambu-troa-virudhambrhad vanam tad adhunayatrasse tvam suhrd-vrtaftkaccit-whether; pa§avyam-protection of the cows; nirujam-withoutdifficulties or disease; bhari-sufficient; ambu-water; tr-grass;virudham-plants; brhat vanam-the great forest; tat-all these arrangementsare there; adhuna-now; yatra-where; asse-are living;tvam-you; suhrt-vrtaft-surrounded by friends.TRANSLATIONMy dear friend Nanda Maharaja, in the place where you are livingwith your friends, is the forest favorable for the animals, thecows? I hope there is no disease or inconvenience. The place mustbe full of water, grass and other plants.PURPORTFor human happiness, one must care for the animals, especially thecows. Vasudeva therefore inquired whether there was a good arrangementfor the animals where Nanda Maharaja lived. For the proper pursuitof human happiness, there must be arrangements for the protectionof cows. This means that there must be forests and adequate pasturinggrounds full of grass and water. If the animals are happy, there will bean ample supply of milk, from which human beings will benefit byderiving many milk products with which to live happily. As enjoinedin Bhagavad-gita (18.44), kr#-go-raya-va"(tijyam vaiSya-kanna-svabhavajam.Without giving proper facilities to the animals, how canhuman society be happy? That people are raising cattle to send to theslaughterhouse is a great sin. By this demoniac enterprise, people areruining their chance for a truly human life. Because they are not giving

Text 28] The Meeting of Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva 343any importance to the instructions of Kr!?J}.a, the advancement of their socalledcivilization resembles the crazy efforts of men in a lunatic asylum.(' "TEXT 27 wr: 'Efil"41"''51' +fqlJ, 1• • .. f"'.... +rtf 111 +r{f: IIbhriitar mama suta/:t kaccinmiitra saha bhavad-vrajetatam bhavantam manvanobhavadbhyam upalalita/:tbhriita/:t-my dear brother; mama-my; suta/:t-son (Baladeva, bornof Rohil}.i); kaccit-whether; mdtra saha-with His mother, Rohil}.i;bhavat-vraje-in your house; tiitam-as father; bhavantam-unto you;manvdna/:t-thinking; bhavadbhyam-by you and your wife, Yasoda;upalalita/:t-properly being raised.TRANSLATIONMy son Baladeva, being raised by you and your wife, Ya8odidevi,considers you His father and mother. Is he living very peacefullyin your home with His real mother, Rohii].i?TEXT 28ft.n.G:r "" .. l'."'tt•ll : .. II"'Q: I;r J.t'tl!l r.r 1111pumsas tri-vargo vihita/:tsuhrdo hy anubhavita/:tna teu kliSyamdneutri-vargo 'rthaya kalpatepumsa/:t-of a person; tri-varga/:t-the three aims of life (religion,economic development and sense gratification); vihita/:t-enjoined accordingto Vedic ritualistic ceremonies; suhrda/:t-toward relatives and

344 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 5friends; hi-indeed; anubhavitab,-when they are properly in line;na-not; teu-in them; kliSyamaneu-if they are actually in any difficulty;tri-vargab,-these three aims of life; arthaya-for any purpose;kalpate-does become so.TRANSLATIONWhen one's friends and relatives are properly situated, one'sreligion, economic development and sense gratification, as describedin the Vedic literatures, are beneficial. Otherwise, if one'sfriends and relatives are in distress, these three cannot offer anyhappiness.PURPORTVasudeva regretfully informed Nanda Maharaja that although he hadhis wife and children, he could not properly discharge his duty of maintainingthem and was therefore unhappy.TEXT 29 "'"' :. "' tctW4RleP4- ;:;;n mrq mrT II II3f{l ('! : ::ff : Isri-nanda uvacaaho te devaki-putrab,kamsena bahavo hatabekava5tavarajakanya sapi divaril gatasri-nandab- uvaca-Nanda Maharaja said; aho-alas; te-your;devaki-putrab,-all the sons of your wife Devaki; kamsena-by KingKarhsa; bahavab,-many; hatdb,-have been killed; ekd-one;ava5td-remaining child; avaraja-the youngest of all; kanya-adaughter also; sa api-she also; divam gata-gone to the heavenlyplanets.

Text 30] The Meeting of Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva 345TRANSLATIONNanda Maharaja said: Alas, King Kamsa killed so many of yourchildren, born of Devaki. And your one daughter, the youngestchild of all, entered the heavenly planets.PURPORTWhen Vasudeva understood from Nanda Maharaja that the mystery ofK{I;la's birth and His having been exchanged with Yasoda's daughterwas yet undisclosed, he was happy that things were going on nicely. Bysaying that Vasudeva's daughter, his youngest child, had gone to theheavenly planets, Nanda Maharaja indicated that he did not know thatthis daughter was born of Yasoda and that Vasudeva had exchanged herwith K:rJ;la. Thus the doubts of Vasudeva were dispelled.TEXT 30;@ (qglm : 131'[! til ;r Jl llollnanam hy adr$ta-ni$tho 'yamadma-paramo janaltadmam atmanas tattvamyo veda na sa muhyatinanam-certainly; hi-indeed; adma-unseen; ni$thalt ayamsomethingends there; adma-the unseen destiny; paramalt-ultimate;janalt-every living entity within this material world; adr$tam-thatdestiny; atmanalt-of oneself; tattvam-ultimate truth; yalt-anyonewho; veda-knows; na-not; salt-he; muhyati-becomes bewildered.TRANSLATIONEvery man is certainly controlled by destiny, which determinesthe results of one's fruitive activities. In other words, one has a sonor daughter because of unseen destiny, and when the son or

346 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 10, Ch. 5daughter is no longer present, this also is due to unseen destiny.Destiny is the ultimate controller of everyone. One who knows thisis never bewildered.PURPORTNanda Maharaja consoled his younger brother Vasudeva by sayingthat destiny is ultimately responsible for everything. Vasudeva shouldnot be unhappy that his many children had been killed by Kamsa or thatthe last child, the daughter, had gone to the heavenly planets.TEXT 31w7 3CfT'i1"' fit"' "' er er1 m · m er:r :q er: 1$.It( RP.i ('tg;qlal II IIsri-vasudeva uviicakaro vai viir$iko dattorajiie dma vayam ca vabneha stheyam bahu-tithamsanty utpatas ca gokule.sri-vasudevab- uviica-Sri Vasudeva replied; karab,-the taxes; vaiindeed;viir$ikab,-yearly; dattab,-have already been paid by you;rajiie-to the King; dmab--have been seen; vayam ca-both of us;vab,-of you; na-not; iha-in this place; stheyam-should be staying;bahu-titham-for many days; santi-may be; utpatab- ca-many disturbances;gokule-in your home, Gokula.TRANSLATIONVasudeva said to Nanda Maharaja: Now, my dear brother, sinceyou have paid the annual taxes to Kamsa and have also seen me, donot stay in this place for many days. It is better to return toGokula, since I know that there may be some disturbances there.

Text 32] The Meeting of Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva 347TEXT 32rl i{ti(4:1( tfm: sn'ffit rn : 1"'3l'111'1'1md"'IQ{ iflt{_ 1111sri-suka uvacaiti nandiidayo gopaproktcls te saurir:ui yayuanobhir aruu,lud-yuktaistam anujtiiipya gokulamsri-suka uvaca-Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; iti-thus; nandaiidaya-NandaMaharaja and his companions; gopa-the cowherdmen; prokta-being advised; te-they; saurir:ui-by Vasudeva;yayu-started from that place; anobh*-by the bullock carts; aruu,lutyuktai-yokedwith oxen; tam anujtiiipya-taking permission fromVasudeva; gokulam-for Gokula.TRANSLATIONSukadeva Gosviimi said: After Vasudeva advised Nanda Maharajain this way, Nanda Maharaja and his associates, the cowherd men,took permission from Vasudeva, yoked their bulls to the bullockcarts, and started riding for Gokula.Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to the Tenth Canto, FifthChapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled "The Meeting of NandaMaharaja and Vasudeva. "

saxwuaddy

The AuthorHis Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada appeared inthis world in 1896 in Calcutta, India. He first met his spiritual master,Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, in Calcutta in 1922. BhaktisiddhantaSarasvati, a prominent devotional scholar and the founder ofsixty-four Gauiya Mathas (Vedic institutes), liked this educated youngman and convinced him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge.Srila Prabhupada became his student, and eleven years later (1933) atAllahabad he became his formally initiated disciple.At their first meeting, in 1922, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta SarasvatiThakura requested Srila Prabhupada to broadcast Vedi 9 knowledgethrough the English language. In the years that followed, Srila Prabhupadawrote a commentary on the Bhagavad-gitii, assisted the GauiyaMatha in its work and, in 1944, without assistance, started an Englishfortnightly magazine, edited it, typed the manuscripts and checked thegalley proofs. He even distributed the individual copies freely and struggledto maintain the publication. Once begun, the magazine neverstopped; it is now being continued by his disciples in the West.Recognizing Srila Prabhupada's philosophical learning and devotion,the Gauiya VaiI).ava Society honored him in 194 7 with the title"Bhaktivedanta." In 1950, at the age of fifty-four, Srila Prabhupadaretired from married life, and four years later he adopted theviiMprastha (retired) order to devote more time to his studies and writing.Srila Prabhupada traveled to the holy city of V:rndavana, where helived in very humble circumstances in the historic medieval temple ofRadha-Damodara. There he engaged for several years in deep study andwriting. He accepted the renounced order of life (sannyiisa) in 1959. AtRadha-Damodara, Srila Prabhupada began work on his life's masterpiece:a multivolume translation and commentary on the eighteen thousandverse Srimad-Bhiigavatam (Bhiigavata Purar:w). He also wroteEasy Journey to Other Planets.After publishing three volumes of Bhiigavatam, Srila Prabhupadacame to the United States, in 1965, to fulfill the mission of his spiritualmaster. Since that time, His Divine Grace has written over forty volumesof authoritative translations, commentaries and summary studies of thephilosophical and religious classics of India.351

352 Srimad-BhigavatamIn 1965, when he first arrived by freighter in New York City, SrilaPrabhuplida was practically penniless. It was after almost a year of greatdifficulty that he established the International Society for Krishna Consciousnessin July of 1966. Under his careful guidance, the Society hasgrown within a decade to a worldwide confederation of almost onehundred asramas, schools, temples, institutes and farm communities.In 1968, Srila Prabhupada created New V:rndavana, an experimentalVedic community in the hills of West Virginia. Inspired by the success ofNew V:rndlivana, now a thriving farm community of more than one thousandacres, his students have since founded several similar communitiesin the United States and abroad.In 1972, His Divine Grace introduced the Vedic system of primary andsecondary education in the West by founding the Gurukula school inDallas, Texas. The school began with 3 children in 1972, and by thebeginning of 1975 the enrollment had grown to 150.Srila Prabhupada has also inspired the construction of a large internationalcenter at Sridhama Maylipur in West Bengal, India, which is alsothe site for a planned Institute of Vedic Studies. A similar project is themagnificent l(rt;}a-Balarlima Temple and International Guest House inV:rndlivana, India. These are centers where Westerners can live to gainfirsthand experience of Vedic culture.Srila Prabhuplida's most significant contribution, however, is hisbooks. Highly respected by the academic community for their authoritativeness,depth and clarity, they are used as standard textbooks innumerous college courses. His writings have been translated into elevenlanguages. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, established in 1972 exclusivelyto publish the works of His Divine Grace, has thus become theworld's largest publisher of books in the field of Indian religion and philosophy.Its latest project is the publishing of Srila Prabhuplida's mostrecent work: a seventeen-volume translation and commentary-completedby Srila Prabhuplida in only eighteen months-on the Bengalireligious classic Sri Caitanya-caritamrta.,In the past ten years, in spite of his advanced age, Srila Prabhuplidahas circled the globe twelve times on lecture tours that ave taken him tosix continents. In spite of such a vigorous schedule, Srila Prabhupadacontinues to write prolifically. His writings constitute a veritable libraryof Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture.

ReferencesThe purports of Srimad-Bhagavatam are all confirmed by standardVedic authorities. The following authentic scriptures are specificallycited in this volume:Bhagavad-gitii, 17, 22, 24, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 42, 44, 48, 51-52, 63, 64,65,68,69,70,71,72,75,76,87,90,91,93,94,95,98,101, 107,118, 119-120, 124, 125, 127-128, 129-130, 131, 136, 137-138,145-146, 150, 153, 156, 159-160, 162-163, 165-166, 173, 174,175-176, 177-178, 179, 182, 184, 186, 189, 195, 197,210,216,218,220,224,225,226,228,232,235,239,241,247-248,250,251,256,265,267,287,292-293,297,305,317-318,325,331,342Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, 168, 294-295Brahma-sarilhitii, 17, 18-19, 44, 46-47, 87, llO, 141, 155n, 160, 165,187-188,200,208,210,212,217,220,239,295-296,302,329,.336Caitanya-bhagavata, 199Caitanya-candramrta, 153Caitanya-car:itamrta, 20, 68, 101, 144, 146, 171, 192, 241, 258, 316Cary#, llO, 303ChandOgya Upanad, 87Gita-Govinda, 23Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya, 103, 175353

354 Srimad-BhigavatamHari-vamsa, 97, 113, 114, 137Hitopadesa, 282Isopanad, 210Kr$1)a-sandarbha, 261-262Mahabluirata, 106Markar;u.leya Purli')a, 110Padma Purli')a, 22, 47, 154, 172, 185-186, 191,304Ramayal)a, 157$a4-gosvamy-1£1ka, 153Sik$li$1£1ka, 190-191, 258Srimad-Bhligavatam, 16-17, 20, 28, 34-35, 37, 39, 45, 72, 76, 86, 87,94, 105, 124, 132, 138, 140, 142, 149, 165, 169, 174, 181, 190,209, 229, 235, 248, 252, 266, 281, 294, 301, 334Svetasvatara Upanad, 51, 159, 226, 266Tantra-bhagavata, 160ViSva-koSa, 112

GlossaryAAcirya-a spiritual master who teaches by example.Arati-a ceremony for greeting the Lord with offerings of food, lamps,fans, flowers and incense.Arcana-the devotional process of Deity worship.Artha-economic development.Asrama-the four spiritual orders of life: celibate student, householder,retired life and renounced life.Asuras-atheistic demons.Avatira-a descent of the Supreme Lord.BBhagavad-giti-the basic directions for spiritual life spoken by theLord Himself.Bhagavin-one who unlimitedly possesses all opulences; a term of addressfor the Supreme Personality of Godhead.Bhigavata-saptiha-a seven-day discourse on Srimad-Bhagavatam.Bhagavat-svarupa-the personal form of the Lord.Bhak.ta-a devotee.Bhak.ti-yoga-linking with the Supreme Lord by devotional service.Brahmacarya-celibate student life; the first order of Vedic spirituallife.Brahman-the Absolute Truth; especially the impersonal aspect of theAbsolute.Brihnuu;ta-one wise in the Vedas who can guide society; the first Vedicsocial order.Brahmil}.4.as-the universes.Brahmistra-a nuclear weapon produced by chanting mantras.cCatur-vyuha-the Lord's plenary expansions Vasudeva, Sankaral}.a,Pradyumna and Aniruddha355

356 Srimad-BhagavatamDDaivas-the demigods or godly persons.Daridra-niriyaJ}a-"poor Narayaa," an offensive term used byMayavadis to equate poor men with the Supreme Personality ofGodhead.Disya-rasa-the servitorship relationship with the Lord.Dharma-eternal occupational duty; religious principles.EEkida8i-a special fast day for increased remembrance of Kr!?a, whichcomes on the eleventh day of both the waxing and waning moon.GGarbhiidhina-samskira-Vedic purificatory ritual for obtaining goodprogeny; performed by husband and wife before child's conception.Goloka (flt;taloka)-the highest spiritual planet, containing Kr!?a'spersonal abodes, Dvaraka, Mathura and V :rndavana.Gopis-Krf?a's cowherd girl friends, His most confidential servitors.G:rhastha-regulated householder life; the second order of Vedicspiritual life.Gut;ti-bhuta-the first stage of bhakti.Guru-a spiritual master.HHare !lt;ta mantra-See: Mahd-mantraHliidini-sakti-the Lord's pleasure potency.JJiva-tattva-the living entities, atomic parts of the Lord.Jiiini-one who cultivates knowledge by empirical speculation.KKila-cakra-the wheel of time.Kali-yuga (Age of Kali)-the present age, characterized by quarrel; itis last in the cycle of four and began five thousand years ago.

Glossary 357Kama-lust.Karatilas-hand cymbals used in kirtana.Karma-fruitive action, for which there is always reaction, good or bad.Karma-kii}.«Ja-vicira-the rituals for material p,rosperity prescribed inthe Vedas.Karmi-a person satisfied with working hard for flickering sensegratification.Kevala-the third and highest stage of bhakti.Kirtana-chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord.Knt;taloka-See: GolokaKtatriyas-a warrior or administrator; the second Vedic social order.Loka-a planet.LMMidhurya-rasa-conjugal love relationship with the Lord.Mahii-mantra-the great chanting for deliverance:Hare Kr!?Qa, Hare Kr!?Qa, Krf?Qa Kr!?Qa, Hare HareHare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.Mahii-roga-a severe illness.Mahat-tattva-the total material energy, from which the material worldis manifested.Mantra-a sound vibration that can deliver the mind from illusion.Mathurii-Lord Ktf?Qa's abode, surrounding Vrndavana, where He tookbirth and later returned to after performing His Vtndavanapastimes.Maya-illusion; forgetfulness of one's relationship with Kr!?Qa.Miiyiiviidis-impersonal philosophers who say that the Lord cannot havea transcendental by.Mrdanga-a clay drum used for congregational chanting.Mu«Jha-a fool.Muni-a sage.NNamaskira-a polite greeting or address.

358 Srimad-BhigavatampParam brahma-the Supreme Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead.Parampari-the chain of spiritual masters in disciplic succession.Pradhina-the total material energy in its unmanifest state.Pradhini-hhuta-the second and intermediate stage of bhakti.Prajipatis-the populators of the universe.PrU,iyima-control of the breathing process; performed in tc'lngayoga.Prasida-food spiritualized by being offered to the Lord.Riktasas-man-eating demons.RsSac-cid-inanda-vigraha-the Lord's transcendental form, which 1seternal, full of knowledge and bliss.Siidhu-a saintly person.Sakhya-rasa-friend relationship with the Lord.Saktyivesa-avatira-an empowered incarnation of the Supreme Lord.Sailkirtana-public chanting of the names of God, the approved yogaprocess for this age.Sannyiisa-renounced life; the fourth order of Vedic spiritual life.Santa-rasa-neutral relationship with the Supreme Lord.Sistras-revealed scriptures.Sravaqam klrtanam vitol}.-the devotional processes of hearing andchanting about Lord Vi,:r,u.Sudarsana-cakra-the disc weapon of the Supreme Lord.Suddha-sattva-the state of pure, transcendental goodness (not to beconfused with material goodness).Sudra-a laborer; the fourth of the Vedic social orders.Svimi-one who controls his mind and senses; title of one m therenounced order of life.Svardpa-siddhi-the perfection of attaining one's original, spiritualform.TTapasya-austerity; accepting some voluntary inconvenience for ahigher purpose.

Glossary 359Tilaka-auspicious clay marks that sanctify a devotee's body as a templeof the Lord.Ugra-karma-evil activities.Vaikutha-the spiritual world.Vaisnava-a devotee of Lord Visnu, Krsna.. . . . . . .Vaisyas-farmers and merchants; the third Vedic social order.uvViinaprastha-one who has retired from family life; the third order ofVedic spiritual life.Vara-the four occupational divisions of society: the intellectual class,the administrative class, the mercantile class, and the laborer class.VariSrama-the Vedic social system of four social and four spiritualorders.Vitsalya-rasa-parental relationship with the Lord.Vedas-the original revealed scriptures, first spoken by the LordHimself.Vimuktas-persons liberated from the material world.Vi,u, Lord-K:rQ.a's expansion for the creation and maintenance ofthe material universes.Vi,u-mftrtis-the various forms of the Lord.Vi,u-tattva-the original Personality of Godhead's pnmary expansions,each of whom is equally God.Vrndavana-K:rQ.a's personal abode, where He fully manifests Hisquality of sweetness.Vyisadeva-K:rQ.a's incarnation, at the end of Dvapara-yuga, for compilingthe Vedas.yYajiia-an activity performed to satisfy either Lord ViQ.U or thedemigods.Yogi-a transcendentalist who, in one way or another, is striving forunion with the Supreme.Yugas-ages in the life of a universe, occurring in a repeated cycle offour.

Sanskrit Pronunciation GuideVawelsala atfa: l: i ii uu r fl q: e ai alt o it au.!. Ih ( anusvara): I} (visarga)ConsonantsGutturals: Cfi ka kha lJ ga'q ghae ilaPalatals: .ca cha ja "jha 5JiiaCerebrals: eta tha :S Qa G Qha OJ QaDentals:atat1' tha dadha;:::r naLabials: q pa pha if ba ll bha;( rnaSemi vowels: ya ra laqvaSibilants:saq' f? asaAspirate: ha S ' (avagraha) -the apostropheThe numerals are: o-0 -1 -2 -3 \l-4 '-\-5 -6 \S-7 G-8 -9The vowels above should be pronounced as follows:a - like the a in organ or the u in but.a - like the a in far but held twice as long as short a.- like the i in pin.- like the i in pique but held twice as long as short i.361

362 Srimad-Bhagavatamu - like the u in push.u - like the u in rule but held twice as long as short u.:r - like the ri in rim.f - like ree in reed.- like Hollowed by r (lr).e - like the e in they.ai - like the ai in aisle.o - like the o in go.au - like the ow in how.:rh (anwvdra) - a resonant nasal like the n in the French word bon.1.t ( visarga) - a final h-sound: ab, is pronounced like aha; ib, like ih i.The vowels are written follows after a consonant:T a f i 'f i u u .._ :r E f ....,_ e ai ) o 1 auFor example: ka tfiT ka 'fiti ki tfi'f ki ku ku... k:r 'f\ kf. CJi ke kai tfi ' ko CJiT kauThe vowel "a" is implied after a consonant with no vowel symbol.The symbol viriima ("\) indicates that there is no final vowel: Cfi..._The consonants are pronounced as follows:k - as in kitejh - as in hedgehogkh- as in Eckhartii - as in canyong - as in give! - as in tubgh- as in dig-hard!h - as in light-hearti1 - as in sing

Sanskrit Pronunciation Guide363d - as in dove but with tongue against teeth.dh- as in red-lwt but with tongue against teeth.n -as in nut but with tongue between teeth.p -as in pine l -as in lightph-as in uphill (not f) v - as in vineb - as in birds (palatal) - as in the s in the Germanbh-as in rub-hardword sprechenm -as in mother (cerebral) - as the shin shiney - as inyess - asmsunr -as in runh -as in lwmeGenerally two or more consonants in conjunction are written'together in a special form, as for example: ka ;r" traThere is no strong accentuation of syllables in Sanskrit, or pausingbetween words in a line, only a flowing of short and long (twice aslong 88 the short) syllables. A long syllable is one whose vowel islong (i, I, u, e, ai, o, au), or whose short vowel is followed by morethan one consonant (including anusvira and visarga). Aspiratedconsonants (such 88 kha and gha) count 88 only single consonants.

Index of Sanskrit VersesThis index constitutes a complete listing 9f the first and third lines of each of theSanskrit poetry verses of this volume of Srimad-Bhagavatam, arranged in Englishalphabetical order. The first column gives the Sanskrit transliteration, and the second andthird columns, respectively, list the chapter-verse reference and page number for eachverse.A tamad yuvayor garbh4n 1.60 91dste praUarils taj-janma 2.23 151t'Jcakhyur bhaja-rtljtlya 4.2 277 a.Svdndm ayutaril stlrdharil 1.31 57dd!d prabhundmsena 1.25 50 tJSvdsya ca mahrril grrbhi 1.26 52adtam dtmanas tattvaril 5.30 345 asyds tvdm famo garbha 1.34 59adtvdnyatamarilloke 3.41 260adr§yatt1nujtl v1_10 - 4.9 284 asyatas te §ara-vratair 4.33 306ath4ham ari1Sa-bh4gena 2.9 129adya oobda-satdnte 114 1.38 62 athainam astaud avadh4rya paaril 3.12 214agnaya.S ca dvijaUndril 3.4 203 athainam tltmajaril vi"-1ya 3.23 232agner yath4 daru-viyoga-yogayor 1.51 82 atha kala upavrtte 1.56 87agrato bhavitd deoo 1.24 49aha me pral)a-haro harir guh4ril 2.20 145 atha sarva-gu1_10peta 3.1 202dtmana emam anvicchan 1.44aharil suto 114m abhavaril 3.41 260 4tmtlnaril bhyaril cakrur 5.9 326aha bhaginy aha bh4ma 4.15 289 4tmtlnam iha sanjtltaril 1.68 99aha te devakr-putrtl 5.29 344 avddyanta vicitra!U 5.13 330aha visrarilsito garbha 2.15 136ahaya vipran veda-jnan 5.1 320 avaUrya yador vamse 1.3 19tlvirdsrd yath4 prtlcytlril 3.8 207ajnana-prabhavaham-dhr 4.26 300 tlvivestlri1Sa-bh4gena 2.16 138ajta-gramya-vayav 3.39 257 ayaril tv asabhyas tava janma nau grhe 3.22 230tlkal"(lya bhartur gaditaril 4.30 304 ayaril mi tad-vadhapayo 4.42 314tlkrtlnttl bhari-bh4rer.w 1.17 40 ayu sriyaril ya.!o dharmaril 4.46 318andvrtatvdd bahir antararil na te 3.17 219anirdaS4n nirdaS4riiS ca 4.31 305 bahavo himsittl bhrdtaanobhir ancu;lud-yuktais 5.32 347 bahir-anta-pura-dvdra 4.1 276anyaiS cdsura-bhapalair 2.2 119 bahu-ndma-niketeu 4.13 286anytJ.S ca karilsa-sarilvigna 2.7 125 balibhis tmritaril jagmu 5.10 327apothayac chila-pthe 4.8 283 bhagavdn api viSvdtmtl 2.6 123B4.577280arcyanti manyds tvaril 2.10 131 bhagavan api viSvdtmtl 2.16 138arpayam dsa krcchrer.w 1.57 88 bhaginfril hantum tlrabdharil 1.35 60aruhya krcchrel)a pararil padaril tata 2.32 172 bhavat-padambharuha-ndvam atra te 2.31 170dsfna sarilvi.Sarils than 2.25 151 bhavo nirodha sthitir apy avidyaytl 2.39 194dsincanto vilimpanto 5.14 332 bhaytlnakamrta-satdkuld nadr 3.50 270365

366 Srimad-Bhigavatambhojendra-gehe 'gn.i-iikheva nuldh4 2.19 143 devaky4 sllryay4 s4rdham 1.29 55bhr4taram c4vadhu karilsam 1.10 31 devdn prati /q'tdmar¢ 4.30 304bhr4tar mama suta/1 kaccin 5.27 343 dha111.1/l-iale,u-carm4si- 4.10 285bhr4tu/l samanutaptasya 4.25 299 dhenan4mniyute pr4d4d 5.3 322bhamer bh4r4yam4114m 1.64 94 dhOpopah4ra-balibhi/l 2.10 131bhamir drpta-nrpa-vy4ja- 1.17diia/1 prasedur gaganam 3.2 202bhuvi bhaum4ni bhat4ni 4.19 291 difiJ4 bhr4ta/l pravayasa 5.23 339bibhar,i r0p4(1.y avabodha 4tm4 2.29 166 difl)'4 hare 'sy4 bhavata/1 pado bhuvo 2.38 192bibharti so 'yam mama garbhago 'bhad 3.31 246 difiJ4mba te kuk,i-gata/1 para/1 pum4n 2.41 198brahm4 bhavai ca tatraitya 2.25 154 dif1J4rlkit4m tvat-padakai/1 suiobhanair 2.38 19239brahma-hirils4m hitam mene 4.43 315 difl)'4 sarils4ra-cakre 'smin 5.24 340brahm4 tad-upadh4ry4tha 1.19 42 divya-srag-ambar4/epa- 4.10 285brahmei4nau purodh4ya 2.42 199 drau(J.y-astra-viplu,tam idam mad- 1.6 26brhad mnam tad adhu114 5.26 342 drfta-irut4bhy4m manas4nucintayan 1.41 67dr1tvc1 samatvam tac chaure/1 1.59 90ccatu/1-iatam p4ribarham 1.31 56cintay4no hrJJkeiam 2.24 151cintayantau krta-snehau 3.45 263citra-dhmja-pa14k4-srak- 5.6 324Dduhitre devaka/1 pr4d4d 1.32 57dur4sado 'tidurdhar,a 2.17 139duratyayam kaurava-sainya-s4garam 1.5 26durgeti bhadrak41Ui 2.11 132dv4rai ca sarv4/l pihit4 duratyay4 3.48 268dvij4li-kula-san114da- 3.3 203dadh4ra sarv4tmakam 4tma-bhtuam 2.18 140daimm apy anrtam mkti 4.17 290 ek4vaiifJ4varaj4 5.29 344d4sJ114m sukum4rJ!14m 1.32 57 ek4yano 'sau dvi-p_hala tri-malai 2.27 161d4tum arhasi mand4y4 4.6 282 eke tam anurundh4114 2.4 121deham m4nu,am 4iritya 1.11 32 e,4 tav4nuj4 b4l4 1.45 78etad anyac ca sarvam me 1.12 33deh4ntaram anupr4pya 1.39 64deha-yoga-viyogau ca 4.20 293 etad v4m dariitam rapam 3.44 262dehe mrte tam manuj4/l iapanti 2.22 148 etat karils4ya bhagav41i 1.64 94de he palicatvam 4panne 1.39 63 evam bhav4n buddhy-anumeya- 3.17 219devai/1 s4nucarai/l s4kam 2.25 154 evam eel tarhi bhojendra 4.31 305evam durmantribhi/1 karilsa/1 4.43 315devakJm vasudevam ca 1.66 96devakJm vasudemm ca 4.14 288 evam elan mah4-bh4ga 4.26 300devakJm vasudevam ca 4.24 298 evam hi jantor api durvibh4vya/l 1.51 82devakJ tam up4dh4vat 3.23 232 emmniiamya bhrgu-nandana s4dhu- 1.14 35devakl-vasudev4bhy4m 4.28 302 evam sa s4mabhir bhedair 1.46 78evam sm-m4y4-racite,v asau pum4n 1.43 73demky4 garbha-sambandha/1 1.8 29 evam vimliya tam p4pam 1.52 83devaky4 garbha-sambhtuam 1.65 96devaky4/l iayane nyasya 3.52 271Gdevaky4 jalhare garbham 2.8 126 gaccha devi vrajam bhadre 2.7 125devaky4m deva-rapi(l.y4m 3.8 207 g4m pauru,lril me ir(l.ut4mar4/l punar 1.21 44E

Index of Sanskrit Verses 367garbha-sallkaa!ldt tam vai 2.13 134 j4to bhayas tayor eva 3.43 261garbhe pral;!Ue devakycl 2.15 136 jclyamdne 'jane tasmin 3.5 203garbho babhava devakycl 2.5 122 jijfva utsrjya 4.33 306jMtayo bandhu-suhrdo 1.63 92gate mayi yuv4mlabdhv4 3.40 259gaur bhatv4Sru-mukhf khinncl 1.18 41 jMtvcl datta-karam rcljfle 5.20 337gcloo v!14 vatsatarcl 5.7 324 jugopa kuk#m gata cltta-cakro 1.6 26gclyakcJS ca jagur nedur 5.5 323 jyotir yathaivodaka-pclrthivev adal,t 1.43ghnanti hy asutrpo lubdhcl 1.67 98Kgiramsamcldhau gagane samirit4m 1.21 44kaccit pa!avyam nirujam 5.26 342gop4/.t parasparam hrlcl 5.14 332kcllena sn4na-sauc4bhycJm 5.4 322gop4/.t samayaya rcljan 5.8 326kcln lokcln vai gamyclmi 4.16 289gopcln gokula-raclyclm 5.19 336kclma-rilpa-dharcln diu316gopya/.t sumrna-ma(li-ku1.14ala- 5.11 328kamsa evam prasann4bhyclm 4.28 302gopya5 cclkan,Jya mudit4326kamsas ta-man4 rcljan1.59 90grclmycln bhogcln abhuiijclthclm 3.40kclrayclm elsa vidhivat 5.2 320gu(lll-prakclSair anumiyate bhavcln 2.35 181karo vai vclriko datto 5.31 346gu(leU mdycl-raciteu dehy asau 1.42 70kasmdn mukundo bhagavcln 1.9 30Hkathito vamsa-vistclro 1.1 155.9259hamsy anyclsakta-vimukhcln 4.35 307 ka uttama51oka-gu1Jijnuv4dclt 1.4 21hanti sreyclmsi sarvcl(li 4.46 318 kecit prclnjalayo din4 4.34 307hantum nclrhasi kalycl(lim 1.45 78 keval4nubhav4nando- 3.13 215harer niv4scltma-gu(lai 5.18 335 kim adya tasmin kara(lfyam 4Su me 2.21 147haridrcJ-car(la-tailcJdbhi/.t 5.12 330 kim akclryam kadarycl!ldm 1.58 89hau f.su bclleu 2.4 121I4.44kim dul,tsaham nu scldhaoom 1.58 89kim indre!ldlpa-virye(la 4.36 308iti ghoratamcld bh4v4t 2.23 151 kim ema-sarair vibudhair 4.36 308iti nandcldayo gopcl/.t 5.32 347 kim maycl hataycJ mando 4.12 286iti prabya tam devi 4.13 286 kim udyamail,t karyanti 4.32 306ity abhplya puam 2.42 199ity cldiSyclmara-ga!ldn 1.26 52 kirtimantam prathamajam 1.57 88kriyclsu yas tvac-cara!14ravindoyor 2.37 190ity ukta/.t sa khalal,t pclpo 1.35 60 kr1Jiivat4rotsava-sambhramo 'spr5an 3.11 212ity uktv4sid dharis (lim 3.46 265 k(le viSvesvare 'nante 5.13 331ity uktv4Sru-mukhal,t pt1dau 4.23 298 krtav4n yclni viSvcltmd 1.3 20J amadhvam mama daurcltmyam 4.23 297kumudcl ca(l

368 Srimad-Bhigavatammah4rha-vaidarya-kirita-ku!l4ala- 3.10 211 n4nyath4 mad-bhavam jii4nam 3.44 262mah4rha-vastr4bhara(la- 5.8 326 na nyavartata kauravya 1.46 78mah4suram kalanemim 1.68 99 fe loke dvi-par4rdh4vas4ne 3.25 236na tal-lingam pariSr4nt4 3.53 272mahf mangala-bhaylha- 3.2 203 nate 'bhavasyesa bhavasya kara(lam 2.39 194man4rilsy asan prasann4ni 3.5 203manas4 dayamdnena 1.53 84 na teu kliSyamaneu 5.28 343mandam mandam jaladhara 3.7 207 na tvam vismrta-5astrastran 4.35 307mano-vacobhyam anumeya-vartmano 2.36 185 nava-kunkuma-kinjalka- 5.10 327na vavrathe 'pavargam me 3.39 257manu§oca yata/1 sarva/1 4.21 295 n4yam atmd tathaiteu 4.19 292martyo mrtyu-vyala-bhita/1 palayan 3.27 240md socatam mah4-bh4gav 4.18 290 neha stheyam bahu-titham 5.31 346mdtaram pitaram bhratfn 1.67 98 niadir vatsaranto mahryarils 3.26 238mathunJ bhagav4n yatra 1.28 54 nirbandham tasya tam jii4tva 1.47niSithe tama-udbhate 3.8 207mathunJn charasen4ms ca 1.27 53 nityam udvigna-manaso 4.32 306matsy4Sva-kacchapa-nrsimha-varaha- 2.40 196 nivrtta-tarair upagiyamdnad 1.4 21matta/1 kaman abhipsantau 3.35 252 nanam hy adrta-nlho 'yam 5.30 345maya n4r4ya!liS4ni 2.12 132mitho ghnantam na pa§yanti 4.27 3010oghena vyahyamdn4n4m 5.25 341mocayam asa niga(iad 4.24 298mrtyur buddhimatapohyo 1.48 80pmrtyur janmavatam vira 1.38 62 pathi pragrahi(lam karilsam 1.34 58mukta-kaccha-sikha/1 kecid 4.34 307 pibantam tvan-mukh4mbhoja- 1.13 33malam hi 11ur devan4m 4.39 311 pitamaha me samare 'maranjayair 1.5 26mumucur munayo deva/1 3.7 207 pitro/1 sampa§yato/1 sad yo 3.46 265m#kata-dvivida- 2.1 119 pradaya mrtyave putran 1.49 81Npradurasam varada-r&;l 3.38 255n4bhyanandata tad-vakyam 1.61 92 prtlg eva vidyamdnatvan 3.16 219nadya/1 prasanna-salila 3.3 203 prajt1Say4 nivrttasya 5.23 339na hy asyas te bhayam saumya 1.54 85 pralamba-baka-ca!'Ura- 2.1 119naikatra priya-samvasa/1 5.25 341 prapsyami tvam ya§odayam 2.9 129na4tidu/lsah4 un mdm 1.13 33praptam kalam prativyo4hum 1.47 79n4madheyani kurvanti 2.11 132 prasakta-dhi/1 svatmajayor 5.22 339na n4ma-rape gu-janma-karmabhir 2.36 185 prasanna-vadan4mbhojo 1.53 84n4n4-virya/l prthag-bhata 3.15 218 pratigrhya parikramya 2.14 135nandadya ye vraje gopa 1.62 92 pratimucya padar loham 3.52 271nanda/1 kamsasya varikyam 5.19 336pratiy4tu kumaro yam 1.60 91nandalayam sa-valaya vrajatir virejur 5.11 328 pratyarcya k-caritam kali-kala- 1.14 35nandas tv atmaja utpanne 5.1 320 prayacchato mrtyum utamrtam ca 1.7 27nanda-vrajam saurir upetya tatra tan 3.51 270 praya(la-prakrame tala 1.33 58nando maha-manas tebhyo 5.15 332 prita/1 priyatamam dorbhyam 5.21 338nanv aham te hy avaraja 4.6 282 pajayam asa vai saurir 1.52 8379

Index of Sanskrit Verses 369prljita sukham tisina 5.22 saroe vai devat4-pr4y4 1.63 92purilsas tri-vargo vihita 5.28 343 s4 tad-dhast4t samutpatya284puraiva purils4vadhrto dhar4-jvaro 1.22 46 sa talp4t tm uuh4ya 4.3 278pu iv4patyam 4.15 289 sat4m vidveam 4cerur 4.45 317sa te 'vat4ram puai samarpitam 3.22 231pum pura-saktena 1.20 saU4-m4tram nirviieam niriham 3.24 233putr4n prasuve cfau 1.56 87putr4n samarpayye 'sy4 1.54 85 sattvam na ced dh4tar idam nijam 2.35 181Rsattvam viSuddham srayate bhav4n 2.34 178sattvopapann4ni sukh4vah4ni 2.29 16633943raho-ju¢ kim hari{lii 4.36 308 sa tv aham tyakta-k4ru(lyas 4.16 289r4jadh4ni tata s4bhat 1.28 54 sa tvam ghor4d ugrasen4tmaj4n nas 3.28 242r4janya-samjMsura-ko#-yathapair 3.21 229r4jli4m cobha ya-vari1Sy4n4m 1.1 15 sa tvam tri-loka-sthitaye sva-m4yay4 3.20 227r4meti loka-rama(l4d 2.13 134 satyasya satyam rta-satya-netram 2.26 155satya-vratam satya-param tri-satyam 2.26 155raSmin hay4n4m jagr4ha 1.30 56 saumallgalya-giro vipr4 5.5 323rohi(li ca mah4-bh4g4 5.17 334 sa vismayotphulla-vilocano harim 3.11 212rohi(li vasudevasya 2.7 125rohi(lytis tanaya prokto 1.8 29 sa y4vad u4 bharam iSvaresvara 1.22 46siddha-c4ra!J-Q-gandharvair 4.11 285r vinirgame karilso 1.65 96 sir!!-Q-par{liinil4h4r4v 3.35 252nipam cedam pauam dhy4na- 3.28 242 sl4ghaniya-gu!J-Q sarair 1.37 61rapam yat tat pr4hur avyaktam 4dyam 3.24 233 snam tava kaly4!1-Q 4.4 2804.9s Soka-haa-bhaya-dvea- 4.27 301sa bibhrat paurm dh4ma 2.17 139 sraddh4 day4 titik¢ ca 4.41 313s4 devaki sarva-jagan-niv4sa- 2.19 143 srivatsa-lamam gala-wbhi-kaustubham 3. 9 211sa ea jivan khalu sampareto 2.22 148 srovan groan sarilsmarayams ca cintayan 2.37 190sa eva svaprakrtyedam 3.14 216 striy4 svasur gurumaty4 vadho yam 2.21 147saham4nau sv4sa-rodha- 3.34 252sudhyanti d4naib saly4 5.4 322sa hi sarva-sur4dhyao 4.42 314 saraseno yadupatir 1.27 53sa katham bhaginim hany4t 1.37 61 sata-m4gadha-vandibhyo 5.15s4lv4n vidarbh4n nadh4n 2.3 ·121 sut4 me yadi j4yeran 1.49 81samudvije bhavad-dheto 3.29 244 sutam yaSod4-Sayane nidh4ya tat- 3.51 271samyag ryavasit4 buddhis 1.15 37satr-grham ag4t tar(lam 4.3 278sandtaivam bhagavat4 2.14 135 svapne yath4 paSyati deham idrSam 1.41 67sandiSya s4dhu-lokasya 4.44 316 sva-roc bh4rata satik4-grham 3.12 214sarika-cakra-gad4-padma- 3.30 245 svasur vadh4n nivavrte 1.55 86sarikha-tarya-mrdallg4S ca 1.33 58 svayam nigrhya bubhuje 1.69 100sannipatya samutp4dya 3.16 219 svayam samuttirya sudustaram dyuman 2.31 170333sanniyamyendriya-gr4mam 3.33 250Tsaptamo va(lavam dh4ma 2.5 122sapta-tvag ta-vitapo nav4 2.27 161 t4 4S prayuiij4n4S 5.12 330sarg4ya raktam rajasopabrmhitam 3.20 227 tad anu tvam hy aprafa 3.14 216

370 Srimad-Bhagavatamtodd um parit.to 'ham 3.37 255 trtfye 'smin bhave 'ham vai 3.43 261taddyam sutapd nama 3.32 249 tvam asya lokasya vibho riraur 3.21 229t4 kmw-uihe vasudeva agate268 tvam eka euisya sata prasatis 2.28 1643.49tais tai kamair adinatmd 5.16 333 tvam eva purva-sarge 'bha 3.32 249tam adbhutam bdlakam ambujea(lllm 3.9 211 tvam pdsi nas tri-bhuvanam ca 2.40 196tam aha bhrtitaram devi 4.4 280 tvan-mtiyayti samvrta-cetasas trom 2.28 164tam dr,;tvli sahasotthtiya 5.21 388 tvat-ptidtibjam prtipya yadrcchaytidya 3.27 240t4m grhitro cara(lllyor 4.8 283 tvat-pada-potena mahat-krtena 2.30 167tam jugupsita-karmti(Illm 1.36 61 tvatto 'sya janma-sthiti-samyamtin vibho 3.19 225t4m vya kamsa prabhaytijit4ntartim 2.20 145 tvaytibhigupt4 vicaranti nirbhayci 2.33 176tan-mal4 devatci sarro 4.42 314 tvayti daiva-nistena280tapasti sraddhayti nityam 3.37 255 tvayiSvare brahmar:U no virudhyate 3.19 225tapasvino yajlia-si/an 4.40 312 tvayy ambujtitikhila-sattva-dhcimni 2.30 167tasmtid bhadre sva-tanaycin 4.21 295 utasmtin na kasyacid droham 1.44 77uddhtima-kaiicy-aligada-kankar;widibhir 3.10 211tasyam rcitryam vyatittiytim303ugrasenam ca pitaram 1.69 100tasytim tu karhicic chaurir 1.29 55ugrasena-suta kamsa 1.30 56tasmtit sarrotmand rcijan 4.40 312upaguhytitmajtim evam 4.7 283uptihrtoru-balibhi 4.11 285tasya ca brahma-go-viprds311tala tirabhya nandasya 5.18 3354.294.39tcitam bhavantam manvcino 5.27 343tataS ca §aurir bhagavat-pracodita 3.47 267tatas tan-mala-khanane 4.37 309tathti na te mtidhava tcivaka kvacid 2.33 176tathtipi devli stipatnytin 4.37 3094.5upalabdho bharon adya 5.24 340upasamhara viSrotmann 3.30 245upasthit4ntike tasmai 1.18 41upasthito nivarteta 1.50 81upendra iti vikhytito 3.42 260tato bdla-dhvanim sruttd 4.1 276tato jagan-maligalam acyut4msam 2.18 140 mcayitm svastyayanam 5.2 320tatra gatro jagannatham 1.20 43 vakt4ram pracchakam srotf'rils 1.16 38vvaktum arhasi sarvajlia 1.12 33tatrt1msent1vatrr(ll1Sya 1.2 18 va-vt1tcitapa-hima- 3.34 252tat sannikya rohi1,1yt1 2.8 126 vasudeva-grhe scitid 1.23 48tatheti sutam ada ya 1.61 92t4vat tad-abhimtiny ajno 4.22 296 v4sudeva-ka/ananta 1.24taytibhihitam t1kar1,1ya 4.14 288 v4sudeva-kathti-pra§na 1.16 38v&udeva-kathciyam te 1.15 37taya hrta-pratyaya-sarva-vrtu 3.48 268 vasudeva upa§rutya 5.20 337tayor vlim punar evliham 3.42 260 vasudeva mahti-bhtiga 1.36 61tebhya tic1a tat sarvam 4.29 303te pu;lit4 niviviSu 2.3 121 vasudeva 'pi tam prita 1.55 86te tu tar(lllm upavrajya 4.2 277 vavar parjanya upamsu-garjita269vavau myu sukha-sparsa 3.4 203te vai raja -prakrtyas 4.45 317 veda-kriya-yoga-tapa-samtidhibhis 2.34 178tiltidrin sapta ratnaugha- 5.3 322 vicitra-dhtitu-barhasrag- 5.7 3253.4949

Index of Sanskrit Verses 371vidito 'si bhav4n s4kf4t 3.13 215 yadoi ca dharma-srlasya 1.2 18vidy4dharya! ca nanrtur 3.6 206 yadlln4m kadanam cakre 2.2 119vin4nuv4dam na ca tan manr,itam 3.18 223viparyayo v4 kim na sy4d 1.50 81 yadlln4m nija-n4th4n4m 2.6 123vipr4 g4va.S ca ved4S ca 4.41 313 yadu-pury4m sah4v4t.srt 1.11 32yad-vi!rambh4d aham p4pa 4.17 290vrry4(1i tasy4khila-deha-bh4j4m 1.7 27 yady asau na nivarteta 1.48 80vif!IOr 4r4dhan4rth4ya 5.16 333 yarhy ev4jana-janmarkfam 3.1 202vif!IOr m4y4 bhagavatr 1.25 50vi!vam yad etat sva-tanau ni!dnte 3.31 246 ya!od4 nanda-patnr ca 3.53 272vraja samm11ta-samsikta- 5.6 324 yath4mayo 'rtge samupekfito nrbhir 4.38 310yath4nevam-vido bhedo 4.20 293vrajams lifthan padaikena 1.40 65 yath4 troa-jalaukaivam 1.40 65vraje vasan kim akaron 1.10 31 yatheme 'vikrt4 bh4v45 3.15 218vriyat4m vara ity ukte 3.38 255Vf1(1ayo vasudev4dy4 1.62 92 yathendriya-gr4ma upekfitas tath4 4.38 310vyacarad divya-v4sa-srak- 5.17 334 yato yato dh4vati daiva-coditam 1.42 70vyakte 'vyaktam k4/a-gena y4te 3.25 237 yatra kva v4 pilroa-satrur 4.12 286vyasrjad vasudeva.S ca 4.25 299 y4vad dhato 'smi hant45mr- 4.22 296ye 'nye 'ravind4kfa vimukta-m4ninas 2.32 172yya 4tmano driya-gu,e,u sann iti 3.18 222 yo yam k4las tasya te 'vyakta-bandho 3.26 238y4citas 14m vinirbhartsya 4.7 283 yuv4m m4m putra-bh4vena 3.45 263yad4 bahir gantum iye,a tarhy aj4 3.47 267 yuv4m vai brahma!lddi.,tau 3.33 250

General IndexNumerals in boldface type indicate references to translations of the verses of Srimad­Bhagavatam.AAbhaya defmed, 196Abhayam sarvadd tasmaiverse quoted, 157Abhyasa-yoga-yuktenaquoted, 71Abhyutthdnam adharmasyaverse quoted, 40, 118, 120, 145-146,155n,l95,331Abrahma-bhuvani!l lokdquoted, 241Absolute Truthdevotional service reveals, 156Lord KrQa as, 34, 156, 158, 160personal & impersonal realization of, 75See also: KrQ.a, Lord; Supreme LordAbudhadefined,223Acdryas (saintly authorities)duty of, 171Lord as reached via, 170-171, 172scholars ignore, 184See also: Spiritual master; names of specificdcdryasAcintya-bheddbheda (oneness-anddifference)philosophy, 128,236Activitiesof God. See: Q.a, Lord, pastimes of;Supreme Lord, activities ofof irresponsible persons, 318in KrQ.a consciousness movement, 192See also: Endeavor; Fruitive activities;Karma; Sinful activitiesAddnta-gobhir viSatdm tamisramquoted, 149verse quoted, 34-35Aditi, Devaki was, 261Administrators. See: Kings; Katriyas;Leaders, government; PoliticiansAdvaitam acyutam anddim ananta-rupamquoted, 87Adydpiha caitanya e saba lila kareverse quoted, 199Agamdpdyino 'nityasverse quoted, 91Age of Kali. See: Kali-yugaAghAsura, 119Agriculturalists. See: VaiSyasAhaituky apratihatdverse quoted, 294Aham ddir hi devdni!mquoted, 87, 235A ham sarvasya prabhavoquoted, 235A ham tvdm sarva-pdpebhyoquoted, 28Ahankdra (false ego). See: Bodily conceptAhankdra itiyam meverse quoted, 216, 224Ahankdra vimii4hdtmdquoted, 52verse quoted, 51-52Aitaddtmyam idam sarvamquoted, 224Ajo 'pi sann avyaydtmdquoted, 210Akr\ira, 122, 193Amdra djMya guru haM tdra' ei dewverse quoted, 144Amara-ko5a, cited on sex life, 259Ambari MahArAja, 69Ambuja defined, 34Amitdn yodhayed yas tuverse quoted, 106Amsena defined, 102373

374 Srimad-BhigavatamAnddir 4dir govindaverse quoted, 18-19Analogiesbirds in tree & soul-Supersoul in body,162, 163boat & Lord's lotus feet, 168, 169, 172boat & mind, 71dreaming & transmigration, 67, 100-101dress & body, 64earth element & living entity, 292electricity & Lord's potency, 51fiery rod & s {l iritualized body, 103fire (covered) & Devak.l (imprisoned), 142,143fire leaping & soul transmigrating, 82-83,102Ganges River & spiritual master, 294-295jaundice patients & nondevotees, 188king's government & Lord's creation, 221knowledge (misused) & Devak.i(imprisoned), 142, 143'!).a's advent & awakening ,I).a consciousness,128-129luminary's reflection & soul's covering, 74moonrise & Lord's advent, 141, 142, 208,210ocean & material world, 168, 169,170-171, 172original lamp & 'I).a, 160potter's wheel & cosmos, 239-240sun & Lord, 209-210sunshine & Lord's energy, 222tree & body, 161-162, 163watchdogs & politicians, 277, 279Ananda-cinmaya-ra&a-pratibh4vit4bhisverse guoted, 208, 329Ananta (Se,a-niga)as Baladeva, 127,I).a indescribable by, 19protected Vasudeva & child, 269as Rohil).l's son, 127Salikar,8I).a as, 49, 109in second quadruple expansion, 122, 123universe supported by, 127Anany& cintayanto m4rilverse quoted, 159AnarthopaSa,maril s4k¢dverse quoted, 37Antara-stha-param47J.u-cay4ntara-stharilquoted, 155n,200,201,210,236verse quoted, 217Angerof fool at good instructions, 282of Lord at demons, 228-229of Vasudeva & Devak.i at Kamsa relieved,299-300Animalsatheists compared to, 40care for, 342killing of. See: Animal slaughtermodern men compared to, 179, 180See al!o: Cows; names of other specificanimalsAnimal slaughterBuddha stopped, 23l(nl).a consciousness prohibits, 103as sinful, 150, 342in Vedic sacrifices, 23-24See also: Cows, killing of; Hunters, animalAniruddha, 108Antary4mfdefined, 155n, 156Antavat tu phalam te¢rilquoted, 156Ante n4r4ya-smrtiquoted, 28Anukalyena krlr:uJ.nuquoted,152Anuv4da defined, 105Anxiety. See: SufferingAnyc'1bhil4,it4-sanyamquoted, 258.Apana karama, bhunjaye samana,quoted, 316Apareyam itas tv any4rilverse quoted, 162-163, 224Apa&mrti defined, 69, 101Apa5yat4m 4tma-tattvarilverse quoted, 132Appearance of the Lord. See: ,I).a, Lord,"birth" of; Supreme Lord, advent ofAprtlpya m4ril nivartantequoted, 101, 279

General Index 375Aprapya mam nivartanteverse quoted, 173Ap§r,207,285-286Aradhanadefined,248Arca-mii.rti. See: Deity formArcanam vandanam dasyamverse quoted, 128Ari. 119Arjunafought for Krl).a, 27, 84-85Krl).a's universal form bewildered, 279quoted on flickering mind, 71quoted on Supreme Brahman, 44Aryans, Vedic, 281Asarigo hy ayam purquoted, 163, 292, 293Asraddadhdna puraverse quoted, 173Astra-sastra-pravir;w.S caverse quoted, 106Astrology of KnQa's advent, 204, 205Asura sarva evaitaquoted, 115Asuras. See: DemonsAsurim yonim apannaverse quoted, 150ASvatthama, 28, 29Ata sri-kmr.a-namiidiverse quoted, 185-186Atha kamsam upa.gamyaverse quoted, 113Athdpi te eleva padambuja-dvayaversequoted, 181Athava bahunaitenaverse quoted, 130Atheistscompared to animals, 40God avoided by, 152-153, 279See also: Demons; 1m personalistsAtiratha defined, 106Atma. See: SoulAtma-tattva defined, 131, 292Atom, Lord within, 155n, 236Attachmentto bodily concept, 293-294to material enjoyment, 259AttachmentSee also: Bodily concept; Desire; Desire,materialAttrtvdc ca tada danatverse quoted, 160Aurangzeb, King, 98Austeritieshuman life for, 253-254by Vasudeva (Sutapa) & Devaki (Psni),251,253-255,256Authorities. See: Acaryas; Mahdjanas; SpiritualmasterAva(lava-mukhodginJ.amverse quoted, 22, 191-192Avajdnanti mam mii.dhaquoted,45, 76,184,216,263verse quoted, 250Avan-manasa-gocaraquoted, 220Avatara. See: IncarnationAvatdridefined, 160Avyakta defined, 183Ayodhya, 112B&hii.nam janmandm antequoted, 75Baka, 119&kandha-nyaya logic, 228Balarama (Baladeva), Lordin Devaki's womb, 127, 129as independent, 109as KrI).a's brother, 50, 130, 338as Knl).a's expansion, 18, 19, 102, 127,198mother of, 30, 335, 343other names of, 134-135plow carried by, 338as Sailkaral).a, 127, 130, 134, 137sustains universe, 109Yogamaya transferred, from Devaki toRohil).i, 137Balasya neha sara(lam pitarau nrsimhaquoted, 157

376 Srimad-BhagavatamBAJ;tAsura, 119&rhavatarilsam asitambuda-sundararlgamquoted, 212Beings, living. See: Living entitiesBenedictionof Brahma on Kalanemi's sons, 113of Caitanya in Hare J(rl).a mantra, 256,257of J(rl).a on Vasudeva (Sutapa) & Devaki(P:rsni), 255, 257-259Bhagavad-dar§anad yasyaverse quoted, 302Bhagavad-gitaSee also: Bhagavad-gitii, cited; Bhagavadgita,quotations fromduty to read, 99guru follows, 192for humans, 180knowledge in, distribution of, 144Lord spoke, 264modernists misinterpret, 264nondevotees misunderstand, 189recitation of, bogus & bona fide, 21-23, 25as Vedas' essence, 69Bhagavad-gita, citedon demon's destiny, 99-100on devotional service & transcendence, 187on fighting for J(rl).a, 84-85on Lord's advent, 205on spiritual sky, 17on va71W-sankara population, 253Bhagavad-gita, quotations fromon bewildered soul, 51-52on birth-death cycle, 63, 101, 251on bodies by material association, 65, 72,101on body as desire machine, 287on Brahma's day, 241,256on chanting Hare J(rl).a, 191, 232on demigod worshipers, 101, 131, 156,165-166,235on devotee as best yogi, 125on devotee going back to Godhead, 48on devotee never perishing, 159-160on devotee undisturbed by difficulty, 153Bhagavad-gita, quotations fromon devotional service & transcendence, 69,175-176,247-248on devotional service as highest yoga, 68on duty, 136, 179on embodied soul, 64, 146,317-318on equanimity, 90on faithless persons falling to birth &death, 173on fool imagining about Lord's advent, 250on fool's bafBement, 305on God & demigods, 87on impersonalist's labor, 75, 174on killing in knowledge as not killing, 297on knowing Lord's advent & activities, 98,189,241,250on J(rl).a as Brahman's basis, 235on l).a consciousness, 68on J(rr,a's form as misunderstood, 76on J(rr,a's supremacy, 22on living entities as Lord's parts & parcels,153, 195on Lord as birthless, 210on Lord as death to nondevotees, 107on Lord as knower in all bodies, 163on Lord as source of all, 235on Lord as within & without, 127-128, 220on Lord directing cosmic manifestation,226,239on Lord directing living entity's wanderings,292-293on Lord directing material energy, 51on Lord enlightening devotees, 107, 124on Lord in heart, 25, 124on Lord known by devotional service, 128,182,186on Lord maintaining devotees, 159on Lord pervading universe, 129-130on Lord protecting devotees, 177, 243on Lord's advent & mission, 40, 95,119-120,145-146,195,267,331on Lord saving devotee from birth & death,165on Lord's inferior & superior energies,162-163,224

General Index 377Bhagavad-gitd, quotations fromon Lord's material energies, 216, 267on Lord's protection, 28on Lord's spiritual energy, 265on loving the Lord, 175on mahatmas, 52on materialists, 24on material world, 241on mind as flickering, 71on modes of nature determining destiny,72on obeisances to the Lord, 197on opulence of I).a & Arjuna, 177-178on perfection of life, 175on pious birth, 48, 94on remembrance, death & destiny, 69on sacrifice for ViI).u, 179on sex according to religious principles,251on sinful people cast into demoniac species,150,228on social orders, 41on soul surviving body, 70on spiritual awakening vs. materialdream, 137-138on spiritual master, 218on Supersoul, 124on Supreme Brahman, 44on surrender to the Supreme, 75on tolerance amid happiness & distress,91on vaiSyas (agriculturalists), 325Bhagavan. See: I).a, Lord; Supreme LordBhagavatam. See: Srimad-BhagavatamBhagavata paro diya bhagavata sthanequoted, 22Bhagavata Purd'f.'a. See: Srimad-BhagavatamBhaktas: See: DevoteesBhakti defined, 69See also: Devotional service; I).a consciousnessBhakti-rasamrta-sindhuquoted on liberated soul, 294-295quoted on Parikit & Sukadeva, 168by Riipa Gosvami, 171Bhaktir evainam darsayatiquoted, 128Bhakti-yoga. See: Devotional service; I).aconsciousnessBhaktyaham ekaytl grahyaquoted, 248Bhaktytl mdm abhijandtiquoted, 128,156,182,189,248verse quoted, 175-176, 186Bharata Maharaja, 177, 191Bharatavara. See: Earth planet; IndiaBhava defined, 250Bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padamverse quoted, 28, 169Bhava-roga defined, 25Bhava-samudra defined, 71Bhavaadha defined, 25, 104Bhavya Purtl'f.'a, quoted on devotee seeingLord's will everywhere, 302Bhayam dvitiyabhinivesata syti.tquoted, 124Bheda defined, 112Bhinnd prakrtir lfulh4quoted, 267Bhimadevacited on Lord in heart, 209died by Lord's will, 107in Kuruketra war, 27-28BhogaiSvarya-prasaktdndmverse quoted, 24Bhoja dynasty, 62, 112Bhramayan sarva-bhata.niquoted, 287verse quoted, 293Bhamir tlpo 'nalo vayuverse quoted, 216, 224Bhata-bhrn na ca bhata-sthoverse quoted, 127-128Bhatvtl bhatva praliyatequoted, 241Birds at I).a's advent, 204, 205Birds in tree & soul-Supersoul in body,analogy of, 162, 163Birthdeath followed by, 63

378 Srimad-BhagavatamBirth (continued)of devotee in pious family, 48, 94of l).a. See: 1,1a, "birth" ofof living entity vs. Lord's advent,194-195,196,205,210,212modes of nature determine, 72name-giving ceremony after, 88process of, 70Birth and death, repeatededucation for avoiding, 252faithless persons return to, 1731,1a consciousness stops, 76, 279krr:w-katha stops, 21, 25, 35Lord saves devotee from, 165purification stops, 73See also: Birth; Death; TransmigrationBirth control, artificial vs. spiritual, 251-253Bliss, transcendental, by chanting Lord'snames, 105.-See also: HappinessBoat & Lord's lotus feet, analogy of, 168, 169,172Boat and mind, analogy of, 71Bodily concept of lifeattachment to, 293-294as ignorance, 179,297,300-301via modes of nature, 51, 74sinful activities via, 149, 150suffering due to, 294, 297See also: Attachment; Desire, materialBody, materialchanges of, 292compared to dress, 64compared to tree, 161-162, 163desire determines, 287, 292elements in, 64, 162, 222, 292formation of, 70happiness from, 161-162living force in, 146, 162-163as materialist's reality, 223, 225mind develops, 68-70, 71, 72, 101, 102nature awards, 64-65, 72, 279soul as basis of, 223soul changes, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68-70, 71,72,74,75, 76,317-218Body, materialsoul contrasted to, 292, 293suffering due to, 65, 76, 77, 149-150Supersoul in, 163true but temporary, 224, 225See also: Birth; Bodily concept; Senses;Body, spiritualSubtle body; Transmigrationof pure devotee, 103of spiritual master, 295Body of the Lord. See: 1,1a, Lord, body of;BombaySupreme Lord, body ofDurga worship in, 287Hare 1,1a center in, 232Bondage. See: Life, material; Maya; Modes ofmaterial nature; SufferingBrahma, Lordas adi-kavi, 45as authority, 169Brahma-samhitii by, 182, 183as creator, 227-228day of, 241, 256, 331demigods advised by, about Lord's advent,45,46,48-50earth approached, for relief, 40, 42Kalanemi' s sons blessed by, 1131,1a tested by, 208lifetime of, 19,241Lord above, 154, 164, 165at Lord's advent, 154, 158quoted on nondevotees, 173in trance hearing the Lord, 45as Varahadeva's father, 321Brahma-bhataiJ. prasannatmdverse quoted, 75, 175-176Brahmajyoti (Brahman effulgence), 222,235Brahman (impersonal Absolute), 235, 236Brahman, Supremeas cause of all causes, 224Lord as, 44See also: Supreme LordBrahmar:ws (saintly intellectuals)Kamsa's ministers plotted against, 312

General Index 379BrahmaT;UJS (saintly intellectuals)at Q.a's "birth" ceremony, 320, 322,323Lord protects, 313Lord's advent gladdened, 204-205, 206Nanda's charity to, 322Brah1T141}

380 Srimad-BhigavatamCaitanya Mahiiprabhu, quotations from (cont.)on i(rI).a, 329-330on living entity wandering in universe, 101on love of God, 256on renouncing material desires, 258on serving the Supreme, 68Cdl).akya Pal).itaquoted on king, woman & politician, 60quoted on piety in association & action, 77Cancalarir. hi mana/,1 kmr.averse quoted, 7lCar.uji, quoted on maya, 303Candra, 43Cdl).ura, 119Ciiral).as, 207, 285-286Castes, social. See: Brahmar;r.as; Katriyas;Society, human, occupational divisionsof; VaiSyasCatur-van;r.yam maya smamquoted, 41, 179Catur-vyaha. See: Quadruple expansions ofGodheadCausal Ocean, Mahii-ViI).U lies on, 217, 221Cause, ultimateBrahman as, 224destiny as, 82-83i(rI).a as, 18-19, 235, 301Ceremonies. See: Ritualistic ceremonies;SacrificesCeto-darpar;a-marjanamquoted, 256Chiit;liya va4r;ava-seva, nistdra pa.yeche kebaquoted, 104Chaitanya. See: Caitanya MahiiprabhuChance, body not obtained by, 102Chandogya Upan4ad, quoted on Lord's expansions,87Chanting "mango, mango, mango," 186Chanting the Supreme Lord's holy namesblissful, 105Caitanya recommends, 72for Kali-yuga, 180misery cured by, 104by Siva, 154in Western countries, 171See also: Hare i(rI).a mantraCharity, Nanda distributed, at i(rI).a's "birth"festival, 322, 333Chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durgaquoted, 110Chemicals, life not from, 223Childrenof Devaki, 87, 97, 113female, begotten in old age, 340killing of, 231, 232name-giving ceremony for, 88parents not ultimate protectors of, 157procreation of, 251-253Cin-maya defined, 103Cintama"(l.i-prakara-sadmasu kalpavraquoted,17verse quoted, 329Citraketu, 177Civilization, modernin bodily concept, 150chaotic & demoniac, 311-312condemned,231,232,326crazy, 342-343in ignorance, 163materialistic, 146producing Riikasas (man-eaters),289See also: Society, humanColors, Lord assumes, for cosmic functions,227-228Comparisons. See: AnalogiesConditioned soul. See: Soul, conditionedConsciousness, material vs. spiritual, 68See also: KJ;I).a consciousnessCow(s)Cosmic manifestation. See: Creation, the; Materialworld; Nature, material; Universeearth in form of, 42happy in Vedic times, 325Kamsa's ministers plotted against, 312killing of, 231, 232, 313at KJ;'I).a's "birth" festival, 322, 325protection of, 313, 325, 326, 342Vasudeva mentally distributed, 213Cowherd men of VJ;ndiivanadescended from heavenly planets, 93at i(rI).a's "birth" festival, 326, 332

General Index 381Cowherd men of VndavanaNanda appointed, to protect home in hisabsence, 336-337Cowherd women. See: GopisCreation, the, material & spiritual divisions of,.110See also: Earth planet; Heavenly planets;Material world; Nature, material;Spiritual world; Universe(s)Cruelty condemned, 148, 149,282Cupid, Lord J4I).a excels, 183-184, 188Curse of Hiral).yaka8ipu on grandsons, 113Cycle of birth and death. See: Birth and death,repeated; TransmigrationDDadami buddhi-yogarh tamverse quoted, 107Dam-pati defined, 258Daridra-naraya{la, 333Deathcontrol over, 107,251devotee remembers I).a at, 28-29,69-70duty to avoid, 80fear of, Lord dispels, 240, 241, 242Lord as personification of, 107,279Parikit fasted before, 34as sure & certain, 63, 241takes everything away, 72See also: TransmigrationDecorations at J4I).a's "birth" festival,324-329Deer, Bharata became, 177,191Dehino 'smin yatha de hequoted, 146verse quoted, 64, 317-318Deity form of the Supreme Lordas Lord Himself, 267VaiI).avas (devotees) worship, 133, 182See also: WorshipDemigodsBrahma advised, about Lord's advent, 45,46,48-50Demigodsdemons advised Kamsa about, 306-311,314demons vs., 120Devaki encouraged by, 196, 198as devotees, 95Kamsa-Devaki clash incited by, 59Kamsa's associates as, 93, 94in I).a's pastimes, 93, 94Lord above, 43, 87, 164-166,235Lord's advent greeted by, 154, 155,207,208at milk ocean, 42, 43, 108prayers for 14I).a by. See: Prayers, bydemigods for 14I).aViI).u chief among, 311, 314, 315Vdavana's residents as, 93, 94vI).iS & Yadus as, 93,94worship toward, 87-88, 101, 156-157, 235See also: names of specific demigodsDemocracy, corruption in, 41Demons (asuras)demigods vs., 120devoted to Durga, 288, 291devotees contrasted to, 305earth burdened by, 40, 41,47as fools, 305government ruined by, 40-41hellish destiny of, 99-100Kamsa advised by, 304-316l(tI).a consciousness movement opposedby,313-315Lord kills, 95, 228, 229, 230, 245Lord's advent derided by, 45persecuted saintly persons, 317selfish nature of, 60, 231, 280VaiI).avas vs., 315world ruined by, 230Yadus persecuted by, 119, 120,121See also: Atheists; Kamsa; Materialists;Nondevotees; Raksas; names ofother specific demons"Deprogrammers" court case, 177Desireof Caitanya for devotional service, 191,258of devotee, Lord fulfills, 170-171

382 Srimad-BhigavatamDesire, materialbody according to, 287, 292conditioned soul bound by, 65freedom from, 103, 258Knl).a consciousness dispels, 25-26, 35love of God dispels, 258See also: Attachment; Bodily concept;DestinySense gratification; Sex lifeas controller, 345-346Kamsa's killings ordained by, 281, 282,295,296,299-300modes of nature determine, 72as unseen cause, 82-83See also: Karma; TransmigrationDeva(s), defined, 87See also: DemigodsDevaka, King, dowry to Devaki from, 57-58Devakias Aditi in past life, 261Baladeva (Sea) in womb of, 30, 127, 129children of, 87compared to covered fire & misused knowledge,142, 143demigods encouraged, 196, 198dowry from Devaka to, 57-58feared Kamsa would kill Krl).a, 233, 236,242,243-244,245-246Kamsa attacked, 60Kamsa deliberated on, pregnant withi(nl).a,147, 148,149,151Kamsa forgiven by, 299-300Kamsa frightened, 128-129Kamsa imprisoned, 97Kaiilsa killed sons of, 97, 113, 122, 123Kamsa repented atrocities to, 288-299asKamsa's sister,56,62, 147,148i(nl).a "born" of, 88-90, 128, 208, 209,210, 213, 283Krl).a instructed, at His advent, 264-265i(nl).a protected, 124, 125as Krl).a's mother, 184, 188, 200, 236,247,249,253,258,261-264,268,272-273i(nl).a's Vil).u form dismayed, in Kamsa'sprison, 243, 244,245-247DevakiKrl).a within, 130, 141, 142, 143, 145,158,198,220,221,222"miscarriage" of, Kamsa & co. lamented,137pleaded with Kamsa on baby daughter'sbehalf, 280-283as politician, 281prayers for i(nl).a by. See: Prayers, byDevaki for i(nl).aas Pp!ni in past life, 249, 251, 253-255,256,257-260,261,262symbolizes bhakti, 128-129as transcendental, 209, 248, 288Vasudeva dissuaded Kamsa from killing,78,79,80,81-86,88,89,112Vasudeva married, 56-58Yasodi contrasted to, 272-273Yogamiyi transferred Balarima from, toRohil).i, 137Devamdy4defined,257-258Devatas defined, 199Devotees of the Supreme Lord (Vail).avas)association with, 168, 189, 316born in pious family, 48, 94Caitanya's mercy on, 153chant Hare Krl).a, 186defeat enemies, 177, 178as demigods, 95demons contrasted to, 305demons vs., 315devotional service continued by, 191difficulty doesn't disturb, 153distress of, as Lord's mercy, 165, 301-302Durgi's devotees contrasted to, 287duty of, 84, 95, 194enjoy hearing about Lord, 105eternal life for, 241as expert, 305falldown of, 176-177following in footsteps of, 168, 169, 170as good, 86as happy, 153hearing about Krl).a from, 22-23impersonalist contrasted to, 75

General Index 383DevoteeswithKamsa awaiting Lord's advent, 122,123karmis contrasted to, 105in :Krl}.a consciousness movement, 24, 26,35,171as learned, 164-165as liberated souls, 110,190,191Lord as son of, 138-139, 249, 250Lord enlightens, 107, 124Lord fulfills desire of, 170-171Lord known to, 190, 263Lord maintains, 159-160Lord present with, 142Lord protects, 123,124,167,176-177,178,230,243,301-302Lord purifies, 165Lord's form enchants, 169, 175Lord's incarnations understood by, 199Lord's mercy on, 165, 170-171, 187, 193Lord's opulences available to, 177-178Lord's pastimes please, 104love the Lord, 187-189materialists contrasted to, 133Niirada Muni makes, 154nondevotee contrasted to, 152-153, 165,176,188,191,263promoted to Lord's pastimes, 48-49,70,94remember Lord at death, 69-70see Lord's will everywhere, 165, 302as transcendental, 190vow of, in Lord's abodes, 55worship the Lord, 159, 182worship toward, 103-104, 333-334yogis excelled by, 125, 142See also: Disciple; Pure devotees; names ofspecific devoteesDevotional service to the Supreme Lord( bhakti-yoga)Absolute Truth known by, 156acdryas recommend, 184benefit of, 196desire for, 191, 258devotee continues, 48-49, 191devotee's duty in, 84, 95, 194via guru & Krl}.a, 171, 172Devotional servicehearing process in, 191-192liberation by, 168,263,295, 315Lord known by, 128,176,182,184,185,186,189,220,248in Lord's abodes, 55by mind, 213modes of nature transcended by, 65, 69,187,248in opulence or love, 24 7power of, 168pure, 75, 273, 294stages of, 247,248, 256surrender as perfection of, 103as yoga's perfection, 125See also: Krl}.a consciousnessDhdmadefined, 140,142Dhdmnd svena sadd nirasta-kuhakam satyarhpararh dhimahiquoted, 140Dharma defined, 294See also: ReligionDharma-sarhsthapandrthdyaverse quoted, 95, 120Dharma-sila defined, 102-103Dharmasya gldni defined, 40Dharmdviruddho bhateuquoted, 251Dhenuka, 119Dhruva MahAraja, quoted on his spiritualsatisfaction, 26, 275Dhydndvasthita-tad-gatena manasd pa.Syantiyam yoginaquoted, 142,169,243Did defined, 141Dipdrcir eva hi daSdntaram abhyupetyaquoted, 160Diplomacy, 84See also: PoliticiansDisciple, kmw-kathd heard by, 25See also: DevoteesDisciplic succession, knowledge via, 182See also: Acdryas; Disciple; SpiritualmasterDistress. See: SufferingDownfall. See: Falldown

384 Srimad-BhigavatamDreammaterial life compared to, 137-138transmigration compared to, 67, 100-101Duck, foolish, 228Dukhev anudvigna-manaquoted, 90Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninaquoted, 311Durtitmtis defined, 52Durdantendriya-kala-sarpa-patali protkluuadatrayatequoted, 152Durgi (Miyidevi), goddessas.Lord's potency, 110nature's laws under, 291other names of, 133-134,287quoted on her advent, ll 0worshipers of, 131, 133, 287, 288, 291Yogamiyi advented as, 284, 285,287,288Durga devi sarva-bhateuquoted, 303Duryodhana, Illkrtis defined, 167Dutybefore death, 80Bhagavad-gita study as, 99of devotees, 95, 194of government leaders, 41humans neglecting, 146for Lord's satisfaction, 179of mahtitmtis, 232material vs. spiritual, 132surrender to Lord as, 166of vaiSyas (agriculturalists), 325Vedas prescribe, 136Dvirakias Lord's abode, 140love for Lord in, 247Dvau bhiUa-sargau loke 'sminquoted, 154verse quoted, 304Dvi-khaga defined, 163Dvivida, 119Dynasties. See: Sun, atriya family from;Y adu dynastyEEarth element & living entity, analogy of, 292Earth planetapproached Brahmi for relief, 40, 42demons disturbing, 40, 41, 47, 230Hare Knl}.a movement as hope of, 230at Lord's advent, 204, 205, 206Lord's footprints on, 193Ecstasy. See: Bliss, transcendental; HappinessEducation, birth-control, 251-253Egg, scientists can't make, 223Ego, false. See: Bodily conceptEkadaSa-sahasrar;tiverse quoted, 106Ekantam upasari.gamyaverse quoted, 113Ekatvam anupa§yataquoted, 210Eko 'py asau racayiturh jagad-ar:u,la-kotirhverse quoted, 217Electricity and Lord's potency, analogy of, 51Elements, materialat annihilation of cosmos, 237in body, 64, 162, 222,292life not from, 152-153:Knl}.a emanates, 162, 163in world, 162,216,219See also: Nature, material; names ofspecific elementsEmergencies, three listed, 310Endeavor, three principles of, 159Enemiesdevotee defeats, 177, 178etiquette in fighting, 308Energy, material. See: Durgi; Elements, material;Maya; Nature, materialEnergy of the Lord. See: Supreme Lord, energyofEnjoyment, materialattachment to, 259living entities seeking, 195, 196Miyidevi worship for, 133, 134transmigration for, 72See also: Bliss, transcendental; HappinessEntities, individual. See: Living entities

General Index 385Envy, fearful result of, 77See also: AngerEte ci!msa-kalii purilsaquoted, 229Eternalityby knowing Lord's advent & activities, 98,250by q.a consciousness, 242of Lord & His abode, IllExpansions of the Lord. See: Ktq.a, Lord, expansionsof; Quadruple expansions;Supreme Lord, expansions ofFFalldownof devotees, 17 6-177of nondevotees, 173, 17 4of politicians, 17 4False ego. See: Bodily conceptFarmers. See: VaiSyasFasting by Parikit before death, 34Father, responsibility of, 252See also: Marriage; ParentsFearin author for Ktq.a consciousness movement'slife, 232, 233of death, 63, 240, 241, 242in demigods, Kamsa's ministers quoted on,306-309in Devaki for q.a's life, 233, 236, 242,243-244, 245-246of q.a consciousness movement bymalicious men, 146of material existence, 124, 128, 129transcendental, 248in Vasudeva for q.a's life, 231, 232,233Vasudeva freed of, at Lord's advent, 214,215Festivals, Vedic. See: Ritualistic ceremoniesFiery rod & spiritualized body, analogy of, 103Fighting, principles for, 308Fire, disease & debt, 310Fire, sacrificial, Lord's advent restored, 204,205-206Fire leaping & soul transmigrating, analogy of,82-83,102Flowers at Lord's advent, 204, 205 206, 208Form of the Lord. See: Deity form; SupremeLord, form ofFreedom from material desires, 103, 258See also: LiberationFruitive activitiesbody according to, 64-65destiny controls, 345-346everyone controlled by, 296freedom from, 76See also: Karma; Sense gratification; SinfulactivitiesFruitive workers. See: Karmis; MaterialistsGGandharvas, 207, 285-286Ganges Riverpurifying power of, 39spiritual master compared to, 294-295Garbha defined, 59Garbham sanc4rya rohi-,y4mverse quoted, 120Garbhodakaslyi-Viq.u, 108,217,221GauQa.-maq.Qala-bhumi, 54Gitd. See: Bhagavad-git4Grtd-Govinda, quoted on Buddha's miBBion, 23Glorification of the Lord. See: Supreme Lord,glorification ofGo-br4hma-,a-hitdya caquoted, 313God. See: Ktq.a, Lord; Supreme Lord; Viq.u,LordGod consciousnessatheists avoid, 152-153life without, 66people neglect, 311-312See also: q.a consciousneBSGoddeBB(es) of fortuneLakmi as, 176, 177Ridhirlq.i chief among, 336

386 Srimad-BhigavatamGodhead, returning toby loving i(rQ.a, 256, 257by renouncing material desires, 258by thinking of the Lord, 263See also: KnQ.a, Lord; Spiritual world;Supreme Lord; Vflldivana"Gods." See: DemigodsGokula, KnQ.a's transfer to, 31, 264-265Goloka eva nivasaty akhil4tma-bhataquoted, 111verse quoted, 208, 329Goloka-nilmni nija-dhamni tale ca tasyaquoted, 108Goloka Vflldivana, 49, 108,111See also: Spiritual world; VflldivanaGoodness, mode of (sattva-gu!Ja)for cosmic maintenance, 227higher planets via, 72Copas. See: Cowherd men of VflldivanaGoprs (cowherd women)at i(rQ.a's "birth" festival, 327, 329, 330Lord's lotus feet enchanted, 193Gosvamis, the. See: Jiva Gosvami; RiipaGosvami; Sanitana GosvimiGovardhana Hill, i(rQ.a lifted, 188Government, demoniac leaders ruin, 40-41See also: Civilization, modern; Kings;Katriyas; Politicians; Society,humanGovindam adi-puam tam aham bhajamiquoted, 44, 159, 160Gramya-dharma defined, 259Gu!W5. See: Modes of material natureGuru. See: Acaryas; Spiritual MasterGuru-kr!Ja-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bljaverse quoted, 171, 241Happinessfrom body, 161-162Hby cow protection, 342of cows in Vedic times, 325demoniac leaders disrupt, 311-312of devotee, 153Happinessin Kali-yuga, 180by i(rQ.a consciousness, 152, 254material vs. spiritual, 334of Riipa Gosvimi, 153See also: Bliss, transcendental; Enjoyment,materialHari, 133Hare i(rQ.a mantraCaitanya recommends, 96chanting of, 72, 146, 186, 191,232,254,256-257Hari in, 133KnQ.a consciousness movement propagates,180KnQ.a in, 146quoted, 135,186,230Rama in, 135See also: Chanting the Supreme Lord'sholy namesHare i(rQ.a movement. See: i(rQ.a consciousnessmovementHarer nama harer namaquoted, 72verse quoted, 96, 180Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya, quoted on freedomfrom material desires, 103, 175Hari-bhakti-vilasa, cited on acarya 's body,295Haridasa 'fhikura, don't imitate, 171Harir hi nirgu!Ja sak¢tquoted, 228Hari-variJSa, as cited or quotedon Kamsa & Devaki's sons, 113on KrQ.a as son of Devaki & Yasodi, 268on Narada & Karilsa, 97, 114on RohiQ.i's miscarriage & Balarima's advent,137Hatvapi sa imal lok4nverse quoted, 297Hearing about the Lord. See: Supreme Lord,hearing aboutHeavenly planetsdevotees promoted to, 48, 93-94karmrs seek, 241KnQ.a's footprints mark, 193

General Index 387Heavenly planetsmoon among, 242residents of. See: Demigodstime on, 241,255-256women of, in Qa's pastimes, 49See also: Creation, the; Spiritual world;Universe(s)Hellvia bodily concept, 149materialist as resident of, 267via sinful activities, 150"Hindu" as false designation, 58HiraQyaka8ipuKllanemi's sons cursed by, 113Nrsirilhadeva killed, 107Hitopade§a, quoted on fool angered by goodinstructions, 282Holy men. See: Acdryas; Devotees; Mah4-janas; Pure devotees; Sages; Saintlypersons; Spiritual masterHoly names of God. See: Chanting theSupreme Lord'8 holy names; HareQa mantra; KnQa, Lord, name of;Supreme Lord, names ofHoly places. See: Dh4ma; DvirakA; MathurA;Navadvipa; V:rndAvanaHrrker;ra hrikesaquoted,69, 73Human being(s)Bhagavad-gitd for, 180cow protection for, 342duty neglected by, 146K:rQa in role of, 29,32-33, 106-108, 263,265,266types of, 104, 154Vedic knowledge for, 163See also: Life, human; Living entities;Society, human; Soul, conditionedHunters, animal, 105-106Ignorancebodily concept as, 179, 297, 300-301IIgnorancecivilization in, 163irresponsible persons in, 318Lord's form as imagined in, 183Western leaders in, 66Ignorance, mode of (tamo-gur;ra)bad body from, 65for cosmic annihilation, 227-228hell via, 72Ih4 yasya harer d4syequoted,190verse quoted, 294-295Illusion. See: Dream; Ignorance; M4ydImagination, Lord not known by,182, 183,185,250lmarh r4jarayo viduquoted, 38Immortality. See: EternalityImpersonal Brahman, 235,2361m personalistsdevotee contrasted to, 75hearing from, forbidden, 191labor of, 75,174Lord's form misunderstood by, 183, 184,186merging with Brahman desired by,152See also: ]Mnis; Philosopherslncarnation(s) of the Supreme Lorddevotees understand, 199Hare Qa movement as, 230Qa as origin of, 46-47,160Qa's name as, 230limitless, 199Lord's names according to, 183-184via Lord's pleasure potency,195philosophers disbelieve in, 195protect world, 197purpose of, 167Sea as,127,129as transcendental, 179, 182, 183See also: K:rQa, Lord, "birth" of; SupremeLord, advent of; names of specificincarnationsIndependence. See: Freedom; LiberationIndiaAurangzeb in, 98

388 Srimad-BhigavatamIndia (continued)birth -control agitation in, 251Durgi (Miyidevi) worship in, 131,133-134,287five thousand years ago, 323hearing about l).a in, 21knowledge of Bhagavad-git4 in, 144Vedic vs. modern, 325, 326Indian Ocean gave way to Lord Rima, 270Indra,ng,42,43,270,296Indra-gopa insect, 296Initiation, spiritual, invokes Lord's presence,141, 142International Society for Krishna Consciousness(ISKCON). See: l).a consciousnessmovementIrreligion, Lord's advent caused by, 40, 41,146,195,331See also: Atheists; Demons!8opan4ad, quoted on Lord's potency, 210IsvaraiJ, paramaiJ, km;-aiJ,quoted, 44verse quoted, 18-19IsvaraiJ, sarva-bhat4n4mquoted, 124, 138, 163verse quoted, 293Jagad-dhit4ya krr;u1yaverse quoted, 313J]aghanya-gur;w-vrtti-sth4verse quoted, 72]aname janame haya, ei abhiverse quoted, 172]4n4ti tattvarh bhagavan-mahimnoverse quoted, 181]anma karma ca me divyamquoted, 209,267verse quoted, 98, 189, 250]anma-mrtyu-jar4-vy4dhiquoted, 251, 294Jarisandha, 119, 120]4ta-karma defined, 321]4tasya hi dhruvo mrtyurverse quoted, 63]4to gataiJ, pitr-grh4d vrajam edhit4rthoverse quoted, 16-17Jaundice patients & nondevotees, analogy of,188Jayadeva Gosvimi, cited on three Ramas, 135]iva-bhata defined, 219-220]iva-bhatam mah4-b4hoverse quoted, 162-163, 224]iva Gosvimi, citedon Baladeva, 109on bodily concept, 149, 150on l).a adventing for Vasudeva &Devaki, 261-262on l).a adventing with His expansions,102on l).a within Devaki, 199-200on Lord as m4ya-manya, 107-108on Narada & Kamsa, 97]ivan-muktaiJ, sa ucyatequoted, 103, 190]iva-tattva. See: Living entities; Soul; Soul,conditioned]ivera 'svarapa' haya-krTJ.f!ra 'nitya-da.sa'quoted, 51, 68, 196]fidna-bala-kriy4 defined, 159]fidnamayi defined, 248]fidna defined, 248]nanis reject world, 225See also: 1m personalists; Philosophers]natva slistra-vidh4noktamverse quoted, 136KKaivalyam narakayate tridaSa-pur ak4Sapp4yatequoted, 152Kala defined, 107, 239, 278-279KilanemiKamsa was, 99, 112, 113, 123sons of, 112-113Kalau nasty eva nasty evaverse quoted, 96, 180

General Index 389Kala-viSe defined, 19Kali-kiile ndma-rupe kmaa-avatliraquoted, 146, 230Kali-yuga (age of Kali)Aryans powerless in, 281Caitanya's program for, 95, 96, 180kmaa-kathli counteracts, 20, 36, 37RAkasas (man-eaters) in, 289Kamais tais tair hrta-jnanaquoted, 131, 235KamsaAlmira with, 122associates of, as demigods, 93, 94as Bhoja king, 62as charioteer for Vasudeva & Devaki, 56,59,60cruel, 282, 283deliberated on Devaki pregnant witha,147,148, 149,151as demon (asura), 76, 79, 86, 89, 99, 154,231,292,315-316demoniac ministers advised, 304-316destiny ordained killings by, 281, 282,295,296,299-300Devaki as sister of, 56, 62, 147, 148Devaki attacked by, 60Devaki feared, on a's account,128-129,233,236,242,243-244,245-246Devaki imprisoned by, 97Devaki pleaded with, on baby daughter'sbehalf, 280-283Devaki's sons killed by, 97, 113, 122, 123forgiven by Vasudeva & Devaki, 299-300as Kalanemi in past birth, 99, 112, 113,123in knowledge of self, 292, 297as a conscious unfavorably, 152, 153,154a killed, 31, 32,97a saved,29,99, 107lamented Devaki's "miscarriage," 137nuiyliinfluenced, 110,280Nanda paid taxes to, 336-337Narada's death-warning to, 95, 97, 114Kamsaomen of doom for, 59, 60politicians as baser than, 292quoted on bodily concept of life, 293-294,297quoted on embodied living entities, 292quoted on living entities under Supremecontrol, 291, 295repented atrocities to Vasudeva & Devaki,288-299soul's transmigration known to, 147, 149symbolizes fear, 129as Ugrasena's son, 100, 243Vasudeva dissuaded, from killing Devaki,78,79,80,81-86,88,89,112Vasudeva feared, on a's account, 231,232,233Vasudeva imprisoned by, 97Vasudeva's advice to, about life & death,62-64,65,66,67,71,74,76,77Vasudeva's equanimity pleased, 90, 91watchmen of, slept due to Yogamiiyii, 269,277Y ad us persecuted by, 119, 120Yogamiiyii outwitted, 284-286, 303-304Kandarpa-ko#-kamaniya-viSe-sobhamverse quoted, 187-188Kiirar;aam gur;aa-sango 'syaquoted, 65, 72, 101Kiiraodakasiiyi Viu (Mahii-Viu), 19, 108,217,221Karma¢ manasli girliquoted, 190KarnuiT,J.i nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhlijlimquoted, 302verse quoted, 295-296Karnuinubandha defined,149,150Karma separates everyone in time, 341See also: Destiny; Fruitive activities; Sinfulactivities; TransmigrationKarmis (fruitive workers)higher planets sought by, 241a conscious devotees contrasted to,105, 152sacrifice essential for, 179

390Srimad-BhigavatamKarmrs (continued)See also: Materialists; Nondevotees; Soul,conditionedKartavirylrjuna, 111Ka8yapa, Vasudeva was, 261Kaunteya pratij4nrhiquoted, 159, 177Kaustubha gem, 211Kekayas, 121Ke§ava dhrta-buddha-sarfra jaya jagadriahareverse quoted, 23Kesi, ll9Kevala-bhakti defined, 273Killing. See: Animal slaughter; Children, killingof; Vedic injunction, on killingKingdom of God. See: Spiritual world;V:rndlvanaKings, greedy, 98-99See also: Ktriyas; Leaders, government;Politicians; names of specific kisKing's government & Lord's creation, analogyof, 221Kinnaras, 207, 285-286Krrtana. See: Chanting the Supreme Lord'sholy names; Hare l(nQ.a mantra;Preaching of l(nQ.a consciousness;Supreme Lord, glorification ofKrrtaniid eva kr'(laSyaquoted, 20,254,257Kirtimln, 88, 113Kleso 'dhikataras te¢mquoted, 75,174Knowledge, speculative, Lord's advent defeats,182-184See also: 1m personalists; ]Mnrs; Philosophers;Speculation, mentalKnowledge, transcendentalin Bhagavad-gUiJ. for distribution, 144in Brahma-sarhhi14, 182, 183via disciplic succession, 182Kamsa in,292,297Lord imparts, 25See also: Absolute TruthKo8alas, 121Krama-sandarbha, cited on J(nQ.a withinDevakl, 199-200Kri-go-raya-v4r}ijyarhquoted, 325, 338, 342J(nQ.a, LordSee also: J(nQ.a, Lord, quotations fromabode of. See: Dh4ma; Dvlrakl; Mathurl;Nanda MahArAja, residence of;Navadvlpa; V:rndlvanaas Absolute Truth, 34, 156, 158, 160academic scholars misunderstand, 184, 1864c4ryas accept, 184activities of. See: l(nQ.a, pastimes ofas Acyuta, 87as 4di-pu, 44Arjuna and, 27, 84-85, 279Balarlma as expansion of, 18, 19, 102,127,198as Balarima's brother, 50, 130, 338beyond description, 19beyond material world, 216"birth" ofauspicious sins at, 204-205, 206,208-209ceremony celebrating, 320-335demigods attending, 207, 208from Devaki, 88-90, 128,208, 209,210,213,283from Devaki & Yasodlsimultaneously,268,285from devotee, 138-139l(nQ.a's transfer after, 31mystery of, Nanda unaware of, 345in past milleniums, 260, 261as perpetual pastime, 48time of, 204, 205, 206transcendental, 97-98transformation at, 265, 266-267Vasudeva beheld, 2ll, 213, 214in Vi,Q.u form, 208, 209, 2ll, 212wonderful, 2ll, 212, 213See also: Incarnations; Supreme Lord,advent ofbody ofcolor of, 107

General Index 391Kna. Lordbody oftranscendental, 180See also: Supreme Lord, body ofas brahmajyoti's basis, 235Brahma tested, 208Caitanya as, 55, 144demigods' prayers for. See: Prayers, bydemigods for 1\nademigods under, 235in Devaki, 130, 141, 142, 143, 145, 158,198,220,221,222Devaki dismayed by Viu form of, inKarilsa's prison, 243, 244,245-247Devaki protected by, 124, 125Devaki's prayers for. See: Prayers, byDevaki for :1\raas Devaki's son, 184, 188,200,236,247,249,253,258,261-264,268,272-273devotees of. See: Devotees; Pure devotees;names of specific devoteesdisappearance of, 266as eternal, 249expansions ofaccompanied His advent, 102spiritual, 208Viu, 108, 217See also: Quadruple expansions;Supreme Lord, expansions of;names of specific expansionsflute carried by, 248, 338as Giridhari, 184, 188goddesses of fortune serve, 336as Gopala, 188gopis always thought of, 193gopis at "birth" festival of, 327, 329, 330as Govinda, 19in Hare :1\ra mantra, 146in human role, 29,32-33, 106-108incarnations of. See: Incarnationsinstructed Vasudeva & Devaki at His advent,264-265Kamsa killed by, 31, 32,97:1\ra,LordKamsa saved by, 29, 99, 107in 1\na consciousness movement, 41, 47,146on Kuruketra battlefield, 184, 186love for. See: Supreme Lord, love forname ofas 1\na Himself, 4 7as 1\na's incarnation, 230meaning of, 34, 183See also: Chanting the Supreme Lord'sholy names; Hare 1\na mantra;Supreme Lord, names ofNanda protected, 337Nanda's "birth" festival for, 320-335as origin of all, 19, 44, 47,235Pavas saved by, 27-28, 29Parik,it saved by, 28, 29pastimes ofBaladeva in, 50demigods in, 93, 94devotee promoted to, 48-49, 70, 94elevate the less intelligent, 186-187as eternal, 48Sukadeva summarized, 16women of heaven in, 49See also: Supreme Lord, activities ofRadharaiand,109,248,336relationship with. See: Rasaas sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, 29, 32as Supreme Lord, 22, 44, 87, 182-184,198,261-262,331in Vasudeva, 138, 139Vasudeva exchanged, for Y ogamaya,268-272,273Vasudeva's prayers for. See: Prayers, byVasudeva for 1\naas Vasudeva's son, 213, 215, 217, 218,249,253,258,261-262,264-265,268as Vi1,1u, 234-236as Vi,I,lu's origin, 44, 102in Vp1davana. See: VfndlvanaY ad us destroyed by, 266as Yasoda's son, 188,247,268,273,321

392 Srimad-BhagavatamKnq.a, Lord (continued)YogamAyA blessed by, 130as YogamAyA's brother, 284-285,321YogamAyA's orders from, 126, 127, 129,130,131,133,135-136See also: Supreme LordKnq.a, Lord, quotations fromon Brahman's basis, 235on devotional service, 69on Knq.a consciousness, 68on Lord directing living entity's wanderings,292-293on material world as place of death, 241on source of all, 235Krr:za-bahirmukha haiya bhoja-vdnch4 karequoted, 195Krr:za color, 228Kn11-a consciousnessacademic scholars lack, 184animal killers lack, 103awakening of, compared to Lord's advent,128-129benefits everyone,29birth-death cycle stopped by, 76, 279demoniac nature killed by, 95-96eternal life by, 241-242favorable & unfavorable, 152, 153happiness in, 152Kamsa in, unfavorably, 152, 153, 154life meant for, 40, 41materialists uninterested in, 24milk products used in, 332mind in, 68-72, 101mission of, 20nondevotees misunderstand, 35parent education in, 252perfection by, 138purification by, 68, 73as yoga's perfection, 68, 72See also: Devotional service; God consciousness;Krr:za-kath4Knq.a consciousness movementanimal killing forbidden in, 103atheist's lesson from, 279author afraid for life of, 232, 233Qa consciousness movementBhagavad-gittias distributed by, 144"brainwashing" charges against, 35, 66,313devotees in, 24, 26, 35fights for Knq.a & His Gua, 264happiness via, 254Hare Kn11-a mantra propagated by, 180q.a conscious process in,68krr:za-kath4 promoted by, 34, 36, 39as K{q.a's incarnation, 41, 47, 146,230leaders in, advice to, 146literature distribution by, 192Lord maintains devotees in, 159opponents of,35,66, 146,177,230-232,313-315preaching by, 23problems solved by, 77purpose of, 73, 95-96regulative principles of, 171-172spreading everywhere, 146as world's hope, 230Krr:za svayam samabhavat paramapumiin yoverse quoted, 46-4 7K{q.a-janmAtami (Knq.a's "birth" festival),320-335K rr:za-kathti (topics of q.a)government leaders need, 38liberation by hearing, 20, 22, 23, 25materialists uninterested in, 22-24as nectarous, 34, 35purifying power of, 39relieves suffering, 36, 37, 38two types of, 20See also: Knq.a, Lord; Supreme LordKrr:za-sandarbha, cited on Ktq.a adventingfor Vasudeva & Devaki, 261-262Krr:zas tu bhagavdn svayamquoted, 19, 102, 123, 198,265K r1).4ya krr:za-caitan yaversequoted, 256Kriyas (soldiers & statesmen)descend from sun & moon, 17fame for, 147, 148

General Index 393KriyasLord advents in family of, 17See also: Kings; Leaders, government;PoliticiansKetra-jiia defined, 163Ketra-jiiam c4pi m4m viddhiquoted, 124, 163Kipdmy ajasram a§ubhanverse quoted, 150, 228irodaka8Ayi Vi!fl).U, 217,221,228See also: Supersoul; Vi!fl).U, LordKunti, quoted on Lord's pastimes, 94Kuruk,etra, Battlefield of, 27-28,29, 184,186,264Kuru puyam aho ratramverse quoted, 77Kurus, 121LLak!fmi, mother, 177Lami-sahasra-sata-sambhramasevyam4namquoted, 336verse quoted, 329Lava-miJlra sddhu-sarlge saroa-siddhi hayaverse quoted, 316Leaders, governmentas blind, 311-312demoniac, endanger world, 40-41,47,230duty of, 41Hare l(nl).a movement opposed by,230-232kr-katha essential for, 38See also: Kings; Katriyas; PoliticiansLiberationof conditioned soul, 51, 52by devotional service, 168, 263, 295, 315by hearing l(nl).a's activities, 20-23, 25,105by knowing the Lord, 189l(nl).a gives, 29, 107-108, 184by loving the Lord, 175nondevotees fall short of, 173Liberationof Parik!fit & Sukadeva, 168surrender to l(nl).a as, 75, 103Lifeof BrahmA, 19, 241goal of. See: Perfection; Successon higher planets, 241humanfor austerity, 253-254value of, 150See also: Human beingsfor l(nl).a consciousness, 40, 41material vs. spiritual, 34, 35mission of, 168on moon, 242natural vs. artificial, 328perfection of, 29, 68, 174-175scientists misunderstand, 152-153, 223Life, materialbodily concept perpetuates, 293-294compared to dream, 137-138devotee as beyond, 302pure devotee fears, 124, 128, 129spiritual life vs., 34, 35See also: Material worldLife force in body, 146, 162-163See also: SoulLiving entitiescompared to earth element, 292as eternal, 156-157,241fear death, 241form of, 7 4-76Lord contrasted to, 74-76, 194-195, 196,205,210,212,265-266as Lord's parts & parcels, 152-153,194-195,196as Lord's servants, 73-75Lord supervises, 293in material world, 287in m4ytJ, 7 4, 303nature controls, 291, 300suffering of, 194-195, 196wander the universe, 101See also: Animals; Human beings; Soul;Soul, conditioned

394 Srimad-BhagavatamLocana disa Thakura, quoted on punishmentby providence, 316Lokasyajtlnato vidviirh.Sverse quoted, 37Lotus feet of the Lord. See: Supreme Lord,lotus feet ofLove of God. See: Rasa (relationship withQ.a); Supreme Lord, love forLust. See: Desire, material; Sense gratification;Sex lifeMMad-bhakta-pujabhyadhikdquoted, 334Madhu demon, 245Madhvacarya, Srila, as cited or quotedon devotee seeing Lord's will everywhere,302on transmigration of soul, 100-101on Vasudeva & Nanda Maharaja, 338Madhvacarya-sampradaya, extra Bhagavatamverse accepted by, 113-114Mahii-bhaga defined, 61Mahiibhiiratacited on demigods & ViQ.u, 108cited on atriya 's wives & daughters, 281K.rQ.a's history in, 186, 187quoted on mahii-ratha & atiratha soldiers,106Mahiijanas defined, 168, 229Mahiijarw yena gata sa panthiiquoted, 170Mahii-mantra. See: Hare K.rQ.a mantraMahiimaya. See: MayaMaharAja Nanda. See: Nanda MaharajaMaharAja Parikit. See: Parikit MaharajaMahii-ratha defined, 106Mahiitmiinas tu miirh piirthaquoted, 52Mahatmas (great souls)duty of, 232surrender to the Lord, 52Mahat-tattva defined, 219Mahii-vadiinya defined, 256Maha-ViQ.u (KaraQ.odakasayi ViQ.u), 19, 108,217,221Mamaiviirh.So jiva-lokequoted, 87, 153, 195,235Mama janmani janmaniSvarequoted, 190-191verse quoted, 258Mam aprapyaiva kaunteyaverse quoted, 150Marh ca yo 'vyabhiciire'(Ulverse quoted, 69,248Mam ekarh sara'(Ulrh vrajaquoted, 166Mana-bhuti defined, 248Man-eaters (Rakasas), present society producing,289"Mango, mango, mango" chanting, 186Mankind. See: Human beings; Society, humanMan-mana bhava mad-bhaktoquoted, 68, 175, 197, 263Mantra. See: Hare }(rQ.a mantra; Om; Sound,transcendentalManu-samhita, cited on woman in politics,281Manim tanum asritamquoted, 97Manya defined, 131Manya-janama paiya,bhajiyaquoted, 24radhii-kr'(Ul naMarici, sons of, 59, 122-123, 128, 129Marka1J.{leya Pura'(Ul, quoted on Yasoda'sMarriagedaughter, 110of Vasudeva & Devaki, 56-58in Vedic culture, 57, 58Material body. See: Body, materialMaterial enjoyment. See: Enjoyment, materialMaterialistsbody as reality to, 223, 225as hell's residents, 267kr'(Ul-kathii disinterests, 22-24life's goal unknown to, 334surrendered souls contrasted to, 132

General Index 395MaterialistsVaiJ;Ulvas contrasted to, 133worship MAyAdevl, 131, 133See also: Atheists; Demons; Kannrs; Nondevotees;Soul, conditionedMaterial nature. See: Nature, materialMaterial worldcompared to ocean, 168, 169, 170-171,172death sure in, 241diplomacy unavoidable in, 84elements in, 162, 216, 219living entity in 287Lord as beyond, 216Lord controls, 164Lord saves devotee from, 165Lord within & without, 127-128nuyd in, 51, 110politicians "protect," 277, 279pure devotees as beyond, 187,247-248purpose of, 120spiritual world vs., 17, 287suffering in, 34, 251time controls, 158,237, 238, 239,240true but temporary, 224-225See also: Creation, the; Earth planet;Heavenly planets; Life, material;Nature, material; Universe(s)Math urias Lord's abode, 54, 55, 111Lord to return to, 265love for Lord in, 247in S\lrasena states, 100Vasudeva-Nanda meeting in, 337-347Mathyate tu jagat sarvamverse quoted, 111Matir na krT}e parata/:1 svato vdverse quoted, 34-35Mdtrd sparS& tu kaunteyaverse quoted, 91Mat-sthdni sarva-bhaUJniverse quoted, 127-128,220Matta smrtir jMnam apohanam caquoted, 69Maya (nuhdmdyd)conditioned soul in, 7 4, 110Kamsa in, 110, 280living entities in, 303Lord controls, 106-107material function of, 51, 52, 110-111politicians in, 277yogamdyd vs., 110-111See also: Material world; Modes of materialnature; Nature, material;Yogamdyd potencyMAyAdevi, goddess. See: DurgAMayiJdhyaef}a prakrtiquoted, 51,106,226,239,277Mdyd-sukhdya bharam udvahato vimill,lhdnquoted, 72Maya tatam idam sarvamverse quoted, 127-128, 220MAylvAdis. See: 1m personalists, all entriesMeditation on the Lord, 168, 169, 243See also: Kna consciousness; SamiJdhi;YogaMental speculation, 182-184, 185See also: lmpersonalists; ]Mnrs; PhilosophersMercy of the Lord. See: Supreme Lord,mercy ofMerging with the Supreme, impersonalistsaspire to, 152Military power, world overburdened by,40-41,47Milk ocean, demigods prayed to Viu at, 43,108Milk productsMindfive thousand years ago, 332for happiness, 342body developed by, 68-70,71, 72, 101,102oompared to boat, 71as flickering, 68-70, 71, 72, 102in Kt.a consciousness, 68-72, 101serving the Lord by, 213See also: Meditation; Subtle body

396 Srimad-Bhagavatam"Mind control," nondevotees brand !}.aconsciousness as, 35Misery. See: SufferingModes of material naturebirth according to, 72bodily concept via, 51, 7 4colors according to, 227, 228devotional service transcends, 65, 69, 248fools bewildered by, 166Lord beyond, 181, 182-184,216, 220,222,226,227,228,229See also: Mdya; Nature, material; names ofspecific modes (goodness, passion,ignorance)MoghdSa magha-karmal)n/:1quoted, 305Mohitam nabhijanatiquoted, 166Mok§a. See: LiberationMoa-dharma, cited on demigods & ViI,m,108Monists. See: lmpersonalists; ]fidnisMoondynasty from, 17, 209at Qa's advent, 209scientists haven't gone to, 242Moonrise & Lord's advent, analogy of, 141,142,208, 210Moon's reflection & soul's covering, analogyof, 74Mrtyu defined, 252Mrtyu/:1 sarva-hara§ cdhamquoted, 72, 107,279Mrtyu-saril.sara defined, 165Mrtyu-saril.sdra-vartmaniquoted, 35, 168, 252MiU;lhas defined, 166Mukti. See: LiberationMumuu defi.ned, 104, 105Music at Qa's "birth" festival, 323-324,331Mutika, 119Mysticism. See: Qa consciousness;YogaMystics. See: Devotees; YogisNNa ca mat-sthdni bhutaniverse quoted, 127-128Na dhanam na janam na sundarimverse quoted, 258Naham prakaSa/:1 sarvasyaquoted, 106, 184Na hanyate hanyamane sarirequoted, 70,241,292Ndma cintamar;r.i/:1 krr;r.a§verse quoted, 4 7Nama-karal)n ceremony, 88Namasyanta§ ca mdril. bhaktydverse quoted, 191Names of the Lord. See: Chanting theSupreme Lord's holy names; HareQa mantra; Qa, Lord, name of;Supreme Lord, names ofNama brahmar;r,ya-devayaverse quoted, 313Nama maha-vadanyayaverse quoted, 256Nanda-grama, 31Nanda Maharajadescended from heavenly planets, 93Qa's "birth" festival performed by,320-335mystery of Qa's "birth" unknown to,345in parental love of Qa, 111protected Qa, 337residence of, 126, 264-265, 324, 336taxes to Kamsa paid by, 336-337as vaiSya, 338Vasudeva advised, to return to Gokula,346,347Vasudeva cheated, for !}.a's sake,271as Vasudeva's "brother," 337, 338as Vasudeva's friend, 271,272Vasudeva's Mathura meeting with,337-347Nandotsava (Nanda Maharaja's "birth"festival for Qa), 320-335

General Index 397Narada Muni, 36chants Lord's name, 105cited on devotees & nondevotees, 191devotees made by, 154Kamsa's death-warning from, 95, 97,114at Lord's advent, 154, 158Narada-muni, biijaya vi, riidhika-rama"(W­niimequoted, 154Narada-paiicariitra, cited on Lord's potency,110Narakilsura, 119Naraki defined, 267Nariikrti defined, 32Narayaa, Lord, 19, 333-334See also: Supreme Lord; Viu, LordNaraya"(W/:1 paro 'vyaktiitquoted, 183Nariiya"(W-para/:1 sarvequoted, 190Narottama dilsa Thilkura, quotations fromon Caitanya delivering fallen souls, 257on sense enjoyment as poison, 24on serving Lord's devotees, 104, 172on Vrajabhiimi & GauQ.a-maQ.ala-bhiimi,54Na siidhu manye yata atmano yamquoted, 76, 149Nasayamy atma-bhavasthoverse quoted, 124Na tasya karyaril kara"(Wril ca vidyatequoted, 226verse quoted, 159, 226Na te vidu/:1 svartha-gatiril hi "{lumquoted, 174, 311, 334Nafo natya-dharo yathaquoted, 94Nature, materialbody awarded by, 64-65, 72, 279Durgil controls, 291living entities under, 291, 300Lord controls, 181, 238-240nondevotees under, 316population curbed by, 279Nature, materialSee also: Body, material; Elements, material;Maya; Modes of materialnatureNavadvipa-dhilma, 54-55Nikhilasv apy avasthasuquoted, 190verse quoted, 294-295Nindasi yajiia-vidher ahaha sruti-jatamverse quoted, 23Nirakara defined, 33, 7 4Nirvl11;la. See: LiberationNiadhas, 121Nkiiicanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasyaquoted, 258Nitya-lila defined, 48Nityo nityaniiril cetana§ cetananamquoted, 156-157Nivrtta-tarai/:1 defined, 103Nivrtta-tr"(W defined, 22-23, 103Nondevoteesdevotee contrasted to, 152-153, 165, 176,188,191,263falldown of, 173, 174hearing from, forbidden, 191-192as jaundiced, 188:Kra consciousness misunderstood by, 35:Kra's advent benefits, 187liberation not achieved by, 173Lord as death to, 107Lord not known by, 184, 186, 188, 189,263,264nature's laws control, 316See also: Atheists; Demons; 1m personalists;Karmis; MaterialistsN:rsimhadeva, Lord, 107, 157,230Nanam pramatta/:1 kurute vikarmaOceanquoted, 3180of birth & death. See: Birth and death, repeated

398 Srimad-BhigavatamOcean (continued)Causal, Mahll-VitQ.U lies on, 217,221Indian, gave way to Lord Rllma, 270of milk, demigods prayed to VitQU at, 43,108Ocean and material world, analogy of,168,169,170-171, 172Old age, female children begotten in, 340Om as Vedic confirmation, 136Omen of Kamsa's doom, 59, 60Om namo bhagavate vdsudev4yaquoted,156Om tad vr,w paramam padamquoted, 234, 315Oneness & difference of Lord & creation (acintya-bhed4bhedaphilosophy), 128, 236Opulence(s)of agriculturalist in past, 326of devotee, 178ofLord,141,177-178love for Lord in, 24 7of Nanda's residence, 336Orders, social. See: Br4hmaT,UJS; Katriyas;Society, human, occupational divisionsin; VaiSyasOversoul. See: SupersoulpPada-ratn4valr.tfk4, cited on Mlyldevi'snames,134Padma Purl11}a, quotations fromon 4c4rya-samprad4ya, 172on hearing from nondevotees as forbidden,22,191on tQa and His name, 4 7on Lord known by devotional service,185-186on suras & asuras, 304Pain. See: SufferingPancilas, 121PAQQ&vas, tQ.a saved, 27-28, 29Parama-pua defined, 43Paramlltmll. See: SupersoulParam bh4vam aj4nantoverse quoted, 250Param brahma param dh4maquoted, 236verse quoted, 44Paramesvara defined, 43Param padam defined, 28Parampar4defined, 21Par4sya §aktir vividhaiva srayatequoted,51,234,266,267verse quoted, 159, 226Par4vare§o mahad-arii.Sa-yuktoquoted,138Parents, child not ultimately protected by,157See also: Father; MarriageParik,it MahArAjafasted before death, 34greatness of, 36-38Qa saved,28,29liberation of, 105, 107, 168quoted on disappearance of Qa & Yadudynasty, 266Paritr4r;ulya s4dhan4mquoted,42,93,147,167,230verse quoted, 95, 120Passion, mode of (rajo-guJ;UJ)for creation of cosmos, 227-228destiny in, 72irresponsible persons in, 318Pastimes of 'Qa. See: ,Qa, Lord, pastimesofPafu-ghna defined, 23, 24, 103, 105-106Patita-p4vana-hetu tava avat4raquoted, 257Paurum dhdma defined, 140Payo-d4na-mukhen4piverse quoted, 109Perfectionby chanting Hare Qa, 257by devotional service, 29, 174by Qa consciousness, 68, 138See also: SuccessPersons. See: Animals; Human beings; Livingentities; Soul, conditioned; SupremeLord

General Index 399Philosophers, Lord's incarnation denied by,195See also: 1m personalists; ]MnisPhilosophy, acintya-bhedabheda (onenessand-difference),128, 236See also: Absolute Truth; Knowledge,transcendentalPlanets. See: Astrology; Earth planet;Heavenly planets; Universe(s)Pleasure. See: Bliss, transcendental; Enjoyment,material; HappinessPolitician (s)animalistic, 180Bhagavad-gita misinterpreted by, 264cited on :Kr111),a consciousness movement,146compared to watchdogs, 277, 279as demoniac rulers, 230Devaki as, 281falldown of, 174hearing from, forbidden, 191Kamsa better than, 292in maya, 277methods of, three listed, 281"protect " world, 277, 279woman as, 281See also: Kings; Ktriyas; Leaders,governmentPopulation"cats-and-dogs," 252, 253nature curbs, 279Potency of the Lord. See: Supreme Lord,potency ofPotter:s wheel and cosmos, analogy of,239-240Powerof devotional service, 168from the Lord, 140Pradyumna, 108PrahlAda MahArAjaNsimhadeva and, 107,230quoted on protection & Lord's sanction,157Prahlado janako bhmoverse quoted, 169PrajApatis, 53Prilkrta-siSu defined, 266Prakrte kriyamdllfiniquoted, 168,277,291verse quoted, 51-52Prakidefined,239See also: Nature, materialPralamba, 119Prapya pur;tya-karh lokanverse quoted, 94Prayersby demigods for Krlll),a, 154-197on body, 161-162on devotees, 176, 190on Lord & living entities, 194-195on Lord as cause of cosmos, 164on Lord as Supreme Truth, 156on Lord's incarnations, 167, 179, 197on Lord's lotus feet as transcendentalshelter, 168,170-171,193on Lord's transcendental nature, 181,185on nondevotees, 173by Devaki for Krlll),a, 233-247on Lord as cause of all causes, 234on Lord as death's dispeller, 240on Lord as time's controller, 238-239on Lord at cosmic annihilation, 237on Lord's transcendental form, 243,245-247by Vasudeva for :Kr!l),a, 214-231on body & soul, 223on Kamsa, 231on Lord & the creation, 216, 219-220,226on Lord as protector, 229on Lord as Supreme Person, 215on Lord's forms, 227See also: WorshipPreaching of l),a consciousnessdirection for, 315by devotees, 22-23See also: l),a consciousness movement,literature distribution by; SupremeLord, glorification of

400 Srimad-BhigavatamPTenlddefined,247,248PTenldfijarw.-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanerw.quoted, 165, 175, 188, 220verse quoted, 187, 247Priests, Vedic. See: Brahma'(UlSPTiya defined, 109Promise of Vasudeva to Kamsa, 82, 85, 88,89Protectionofcows,313,325,326,342of father for child, 252by Lord. See: Supreme Lord, protection byby Nanda for Kr;a, 337by J?Oliticians useless, 277, 279by Se-niga for Vasudeva & Kr;a, 269by Vasudeva for Kr;a, 271Providence. See: Destiny; KarmaPfsni, Devaki was, 249, 251, 253-253, 256,257-260,261, 262Prthag-dr#/:1 sa vijfieyoverse quoted, 302Punldn defined, 105Purw./:1 puna.S carvita-carvai;U'inamquoted, 35Pura'(UlS, nondevotees misunderstand, 189Pure devotee(s) of the Supreme Lordbody of, spiritualized, 103chant Lord's holy name, 105duality doesn't disturb, 91hearing from, 191-192love the Lord, 247, 273material existence frightens, 124, 128, 129as transcendental, 128, 187truth known to, 128See also: Acafyas; Devotees; Mahajanas;Spiritual master; names of specificpure devoteesPurificationby chanting Hare i(r,;a, 254,256-257of devotee by Lord, 165by Ganges, 39by ;a consciousness, 68,73by kmra-katha, 39Vedic processes for, 323Pill'1}4/:l suddho nitya-muktoverse quoted, 4 7Puaril sasvataril divyamverse quoted, 44Pu-sakta mantra, 43, 108Piitana, 107, 119QQuadruple expansions of Godhead (caturvyaha)as Baladeva's expansions, 19as Kr;a's expansions, 108second, Sailkara;a (Ananta) among, 30,122,123Qualities, material. See: Modes of materialnatureRRadha kmra-pra"{Ulya-vikrtir hladini-Saktirquoted, 110Radhara;i and Kr;a, 109,248, 336Rain at Kr;a's advent, 269, 270Rajari defined, 38Rajo-gu"{UJ. See: Passion, mode ofRakasas (man-eaters), present society producing,289See also: DemonsRakta color, 227-228Ramacandra, LordBalarama nondifferent from, 135color of, 107Indian Ocean gave way to, 270Rava;a killed by, 158in sun dynasty, 17Ramadi-martu kalli-niyamerw. tlhanquoted, 141, 182verse quoted, 46-47Ramanujacarya, cited on Baladeva, 109Ramdya"{Ul, quoted on surrender to the Lord,157Ramya kdcid upasanaquoted, 329-330Rasa (relationship with Kr;a)chanting Hare Qa evokes, 257

General Index 401Rasa (relationship with Q.a)nuldhurya- (conjugal), 248stages of, 52, 247See also: Supreme Lord, love forRasa (taste), 161nRati defined, 248RAvaQ.a, RAmacandra killed, 158Reaction. See: Karma; Sinful activitiesReality, Lord as, 224See also: Absolute Truth; Spiritual worldRegulative principlesof Q.a consciousness movement,171-172transcendence via, 182See also: Religious principlesReincarnation. See: Birth and death, repeated;ReligionTransmigrationLord upholds, 331as surrender to the Lord, 102-103See also: Devotional serviceReligious principlesfor God-centered society, 311procreation according to, 251-253See also: Regulative principles; Vedic injunctionflg Veda, quoted on ViI).u, 234Ritualistic ceremoniesanimal killing in, 23-24at Q.a's "birth," 320-335Lord's advent restored, 204, 205-206name-giving, 88Vasudeva mentally performed, at Lord's"birth," 213See also: SacrificesRivers at 11-a's advent, 204, 205, 206RohiQ.ias BalarAma's mother, 30, 127,335,343at 11-a's "birth" festival, 335as Vasudeva's wife, 335Yogamaya transferred Balarama fromDevaki to, 137RohiQ.i star, 204, 205abhadeva, quoted on body and suffering, 76ayo 'pi tad-4de5dtverse quoted, 109RukmiQ.i, Lord advented for, 109Riipa Gosvamicited on devotees, 187, 189as devotee-author, 171happiness of, 153quoted on Caitanya Mahaprabhu, 256quoted on devotional service, 152quoted on liberated soul, 190, 294-295quoted on seeking shelter of spiritualmaster, 192sSac-chadba uttamarh brayadverse quoted, 160Sac-cid-4nanda-vigraha defined, 32Sacrificesbr4hma1J4S & cows required for, 312for Lord's sake, 179See also: Ritualistic ceremonies; WorshipSaQ.-garbhas. See: Kalanemi, sons of; Marici,sons of$a4.-gosv4my-laka, quoted on the GosvAmis'renunciation, 153Sddhus. See: Ac4ryas; Devotees; Pure devotees;Sages; Saintly persons; Spiritualmaster'Sadhu-sariga, ' 'sadhu-sariga '-sarva-Sdstrekayaverse quoted, 316Sadhu-sdstra, guru-v4kyaSagesquoted, 191came as cows to please Lord, 109See also: Ac4ryas; Br4hma1JAJS; Devotees;Pure devotees; Spiritual muterSa gu!ldn samatUyaitdnverse quoted, 69, 248Sahasra-yuga-paryantamquoted, 241, 256Saintly persons, Kamsa's demons penecuted.317See also: Ac4ryas; Br4hi'I'IGI,IGS; Devotees;Pure devotees; Spiritual muterSakhyadefined,168

402 Srimad-BhigavatamSakrd eva prapanno yasverse quoted, 157Saktas defined, 133, 287SAlva, 111, 120SAlvas, 121Salvation. See: LiberationSarna defined, 112Samtidhi (trance)of Brahma hearing the Lord, 45of devotee seeing Lord in heart, 169distributing l(rl).a literature as, 192Lord teaches, 179Sama/;1 sarveu bhateuverse quoted, 75, 175-176SamliSrita ye pada-pallava-plavarhverse quoted, 28, 169Samatvam defined, 90Sambhavamy atma-mayayaquoted, 29, 265Samika Muni and Parikit Maharaja, 34Sampradaya-vihina yequoted, 172Sarhsara. See: Birth and death, repeated;TransmigrationSarhskaras defined, 88Sanatana-dharma defined, 311Sanatana Gosvami, as cited or quotedon dharma-silasya, 102on hearing from nondevotees as forbidden,22,191on l(rl).a's advent, 102on Lord as Ke8ava, 108on Lord assuming colors, 228on mahd-ratha & atiratha soldiers, 106on Narada & co. at Lord's advent, 154-155on Siirasena, 111on Vasudeva's consciousness at Lord's advent,139Sankalpa & vikalpa defined, 68-69Salikaracai'ya, quoted on Narayal).a (K"I).a) asbeyond manifested cosmos, 183Salikaral).a, Lordas Ananta (Sea), 123, 127as Balarama (Baladeva), 30, 50, 109, 130,134, 137as Narayal).a's expansion, 19Sankha-cakra-gada-padmaquoted, 193Sankirtana. See: Chanting the Supreme Lord'sholy names; Hare l(rl).a mantra;Preaching of l(rl).a consciousness;Supreme Lord, glorification ofSarat season, 206Sarira-bandha defined, 149Sarva-devamayo guru/;1quoted, 87Sarva-dharman parityajyaquoted,102, 132,157Sarva-karar;r.a-karar;r.amquoted, 235, 301Sarva-loka-mahesvaramquoted, 331Sarvarh khalv idarh brahmaquoted, 128,165,224,236Sarvasya caharh hrdi sanniv4!oquoted, 124verse quoted, 25Sarvopddhi-vinirmuktarhquoted, 73, 103Sastras (Vedic scriptures). See: Vedas; Vedicknowledge; names of specific VedicliteraturesSatatarh kirtayanto mdrhquoted, 232verse quoted, 191Sattva-gur;r.a. See: Goodness, mode ofSatyarh jnanam anantam yadquoted, 235Sa vai mana/;1 km,r.a-paddravindayo/;1quoted, 69, 72, 101Sa vai purhsdrh paro dharmoverse quoted, 294Scholars, academicdcdryas ignored by, 184Bhagavad-gita misinterpreted by, 264hearing from, forbidden, 191l(rl).a misunderstood by, 184, 186See: ]iidnis; Philosophers; Scientists, materialScientists, materiallife misunderstood by, 152-153, 223material analysis by, 162, 163

General Index403Scientists, materialmoon not visited by, 242Self. See: SoulSelf-realizationbodily concept from lack of, 297, 300as spiritual awakening, 137-138See also: Devotional service; God consciousness;KnQ.a consciousness;Meditation; Y06aSelf-realized souls. See: Acdryas; Pure devotees;Spiritual masterSenayorubhayorhyequoted, 87Sense control for producing progeny, 251See also: Meditation; Samadhi; YogaSense gratificationBhagavad-gita misused for, 264demon can kill for, 231, 280hellish result of, 149kmw-katha precluded by, 22, 24, 25See also: Attachment; Bodily concept;Desire, material; Enjoyment, material;Sex lifeSense perception, Lord as beyond, 220, 221,228,229Senses in lCfQ.a's service, 69, 73See also: Body, material; MindServants of God. See: DevoteesServiceto devotees, 103-104material vs. spiritual, 68See also: Devotional serviceSea-nAga. See: AnantaSevonmukhe hi jihoodauquoted, 185-186, 257verse quoted, 185-186Sex lifematerial desire for, 259spiritual principles for, 251-252See also: Desire, material; Sense gratificationSiddhas, 207, 285-286Sitaka, quoted on desiring devotional service,190- 191,258Sinful activitiesanimal slaughter among, 150, 342Sinful activitieshad body by, 65, 77bodily concept causes, 149, 150condemned, 63four listed, 171ICnQ.a consciousness stops, 95-96Vasudeva warned Kamsa about, 62, 65, 76,77Siva, Lordas annihilator, 42, 228, 229as authority, 169chants Lord's holy name, 154color of, 228Lord above, 164, 165at Lord's advent, 154, 158Snake, cruel person worse than, 282Society, humananimalistic, 179, 180in chaos, 311-312fallen condition of, 146godly vs. godless, 313-314occupational divisions of, 41, 179in Western countries, 328See also: Civilization, modern; VediccultureSoma-vari1Sa. See: Yadu dynastySoulbody based on, 223body contrasted to, 292, 293changes bodies, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68-70,71,72,74,75,76,317-318consciousness symptomizes, 68as Lord's energy, 224Supersoul contrasted to, 163See also: Life force; Living entities; Soul,conditioned; TransmigrationSoul, conditionedcompared to reflected luminary, 74desires bind, 65liberation of, 51, 52Lord's abodes benefit, 55Lord's favor to, 29mahamdya bewilders, 51, llOSee also: Animals; Human beings; Livingentities; SoulSoul, liberated, devotee as, llO, 190, 191,295

404 Srimad-BhagavatamSoul, liberated (continued)See also: Acaryas; Pure devotees; SpiritualmasterSound, transcendentalto Brahma from Vil).u, 45glorifying the Lord as, 104Hare !).a as, 4 7See also: Hare l(rl).a mantra; l(rQ.a, Lord,name of; Supreme Lord, names ofSpeculation, mental, Lord not known by,182-184,185See also: Mind; Philosophers; Scholars,academicSpiritual lifeSpirit. See: Body, spiritual; Brahman (impersonalAbsolute); Life force; Soul; Spiritualworld; Supreme Lordanimal hunters ineligible for, 105-106sex desire unwanted in, 259Spiritual mastersuffering absent in, 294See also: Devotional service; God consciousness;l(rl).a consciousness;Self-realization; Yogabody of, spiritual, 295bogus vs. bona fide, 192compared to Ganges, 294-295God & demigods explained by, 87hearing from, 191-192initiation via, 142kmw-kathti spoken by, 25as necessary, 39truth via, 218See also: Acaryas; Pure devoteesSpiritual world (VaikuQ.tha)fear in, 248Lord's opulence admired in, 247material world vs. 17, 287yogamaya manages, llO, Ill, See also: VrndavanaSraddhtivan bhajate yo mamverse quoted, 68, 125Sravam kirtanam vrJ.oquoted, 168, 191verse quoted, 128Sravam naiva kartavyamverse quoted, 22, 191-192Sreya-srtim bhaktim udasy te vibhoquoted, 174Sridhara Svami, citedon Bhagavan l(rQ.a, l 02on Lord's appearance within Vasudeva, 139Sri gawja-marJ.{iala-bhumi, yebd jane cintdmarJ.iquoted, 54Srimad-BhtigavatamSee also: Srimad-Bhtigavatam, cited;Srimad-Bhtigavatam, quotationsfromadditional verses in, 109, ll3-ll5nondevotees misunderstand, 189recitation of, bogus & bona fide, 21-23, 25relieves suffering, 36, 37Tenth Canto of, summarized, l-12, 15, 31Vyasa compiled, 36, 37Srimad-Bhtigavatam, citedon cows during Yudhithira's reign, 325on l(rQ.a's disappearance, 266on Lord in heart, 209on modern society, 179on pure devotee's pleasure, 105Srimad-Bhtigavatam, quotations fromon Absolute Truth, 235on Bhagavan l(rQ.a, 229on bodily concept, 149on body and suffering, 76on Brahma and the Lord, 45on destiny, 281on devotee as transcendental, 190on devotee's distress as Lord's mercy, 165,301on devotee's goodness, 86on dharma of devotional service, 294on father's responsibility, 252on fear, 124on following great devotees, 169on impersonalist's labor, 174on }(rl).a as Supreme Truth, 156on !).a's pastimes, 16-17,94on liberation by kr-katha, 20

General Index405Srimad-Bhagavatam, quotations fromon Lord as shelter, 28on Lord known by His mercy, 181on Lord's abode, 140on Lord's "birth," 138on Lord's lotus feet as boat across materialocean,169on materialists, 34-35, 72, 132, 334on perfection of life, 17 4on sense gratification as hellish, 149on s.Piritual master, 39, 87on Srimad-Bhagavatam, 37on worshiping devotees, 334on yogis meditating on Lord, 142, 169Srivatsa mark, 211Sri-vry.olJ srava(le pariid abhavadvaiyasakil! kirtanequoted,168Srotavyadini rajendraverse quoted, 132Stars at :KrI).a's advent, 204, 205See also: Heavenly planets; Universe(s)Subhadra, 87Subtle body, transmigration via, 66See also: Bodily concept; MindSuccessvia Bhagavad-gita as it is, 264political methods for, 281three principles for, 159See also: PerfectionSucinam srimatam gehequoted, 48, 125, 177verse quoted, 94Suddha-sattva (pure goodness)devotional service as, 65Lord as,183Sufferingbodily concept causes, 294, 297body causes, 76, 77, 149-150chanting Lord's names cures, 104of devotee as Lord's mercy, 165, 301-302impersonal realization as, 75in India, 325, 326kmw-katha relieves, 36, 37, 38of living entities, 194-195, 196SufferingLord diminishes, 46, 4 7in material world, 34, 251of public under demoniac politicians, 230sins cause, 65, 77in spiritual life absent, 294of Vasudeva, 344Sukadeva Gosvamicited on pauram dhama, 140greatness of, 36-38liberation of, 168Sukadeva Gosvimi, quotations fromon Kamsa, 79, 119,315-316on i(nl).a, Vasudeva & Devaki, 265on :KrI).a's activities, 16-17on Nanda Mabnlja, 336-337Sukla color, 227,228Sukla raktas tatha pitalJquoted, 228Sunatriya family from, 17Lord compared to, 209-210time controls, 239Sunshine & Lord's energy, analogy of, 222Supersoul (Paramiltmil)in all bodies, 163changeless, 293Lord as, 28, 29, 123, 124,209,220soul contrasted to, 163Supreme Brahman. See: Brahman, Supreme;Supreme LordSupreme LordSee also: Supreme Lord, quotations fromabode of. See: Dhama; Dvilrakil; NandaMahAraja, residence of; Navadvipa;V:rndilvanaas Absolute Truth, 156activities ofliberation by hearing, 20-23, 25pleasing & purifying, 104See also: i(nl).a, Lord, pastimes ofas acyuta, 76advent ofBrahmil advised demigods about, 45,46,48-50

406 Srimad-BhigavatamSupreme Lord (continued)advent ofin Brahmi's day, 331compared to awakening Kn11-a consciousness,128-129demigods greeted, 154, 155, 158, 207,208demons deride, 45for devotee's deliverance & demon'sdemi,93,95,193, 158,230devotees with Kamsa awaited, 122, 123as eternal, 249-250eternal life by knowing, 250His integrated parts accompany, 130in human form, 266by internal energy, 29as triya, 17living entity's birth vs., 194-195, 196,205, 210, 212Lord's form established by, 182-184in Mathuri, 55Nirada eager for, 114purpose of, 16, 17, 120, 187, 230for RldhiriQ.i & RukmiQ.i, 109for religion's revival & irreligion'sremoval, 40, 41, 146, 195, 331as transcendental, 180, 205, 209, 210,250in Yadu dynasty, 17See also: Incarnations; Kn11-a, Lord,"birth" ofall-good, 103all-pervading, 217,218,220,221,222,235,236anger of, 228-229at annihilation of cosmos, 237, 244,246-247atheists ignore, 279as beyondimagination, 182, 183, 185manifested cosmos, 183modes of nature, 181, 182-184,216,220,222,226,227,228,229sen perception, 220, 221, 228, 229Bhagavad-gitdspoken by, 264birthless, 205, 210Supreme Lordbody ofbeauty of, 183-184, 187-188color of, 187-188,211, 212, 227, 228eternal, 266eyes of, 169, 175transcendental, 181wonderful, 211, 212, 213See also: 1\fQ.a, Lord, body ofBrahmi excelled by, 154, 164, 165,208Brahmi heard, in trance, 45bri!hmar:ws protected by, 313as Brahman's basis, 222,235, 236as cau of all causes, 234, 301changeless, 226compared to sun, 209-210cows protected by, 313as creator, maintainer, annihilator, 164,226,227,228as death personified, 107,279demigods under, 43, 87, 164-166demons killed by, 95, 228,229, 230,245devotees of. See: Devoteesdevotional service reveals, 128, 176, 182,184,185,186,189,220,248Dhruva blessed by, 174-175energy ofinconceivable, 266material & spiritual, 133, 221, 222,265-267superior & inferior, 162-163, 221, 224worshipers of, 287See also: Supreme Lord, potency ofas eternal, 111expansions ofaccompany Him, 141Se-niga, 269two types of, 87See also: Kn11-a, Lord, expansions of;Quadruple expansionsfear of death dispelled by, 240, 241, 242form(s) offor creation, maintenance & annihilation,227, 228-229devotee enchanted by, 169, 175devotional rvice reveals, 184

General Index 407Supreme L:lrdform(s) ofas eternal, 236four-armed, 244, 245, 246impersonalists misunderstand, 183,184, 186living entity's form vs., 74-76as transcendental, 181, 182-184, 185,186-189,227,236universal, 279See also: Deity form; Incarnations;KHQ.a, L:lrd, body of; SupremeLord, body ofglorification ofbenefits everyone, 105misery cured by, 104by Narada Muni, 154by serving His devotees, l 03-l 04See also: Chanting the Supreme L:lrd'sholy names; Preaching of Q.aconsciousnessas greater than all, 44happiness by pleasing, 334hearing aboutbogus & bona fide, 22-25devotees relish, l 05liberation by, 20-23, 25, 105pleases everyone, l 04from pure devotees, 191-192See also: Kmr.a-kathain heart of all, 25, 124, 209, 210in human role, 263, 265, 266incarnations of. See: Incarnationsindependent, 195, 197as kala, 279as Kesava, 108knowledge from, 25Q.a as, 22, 44, 87, 182-184, 198,261-262,331liberation given by, 29, 107-108, 184, 189living entities as parts & parcels of,152-153,194-195,196living entities as servants of, 73-75living entities contrasted to, 74-76,194-195,196,205,210,212,265-266Supreme L:lrdliving entities supervised by, 293lot us feet ofcompared to boat, 168, 169, 172marks on, 193as sole shelter, 168, 169, 196love forCaitanya bestows, 256, 257in devotees, 187-189, 273in Dvaraka & Mathura, 247in Q.a form, 256liberation by, 175L:lrd seen by, 220-221material desires dispelled by, 258stages of, 247, 248in Vasudeva & Devaki, 257-258in Vrndavana, 247,248See also: Rasa (relationship withQ.a)Madhava,176, 177as Madhusiidana, 245material elements from, 162, 163maya controlled by, 51,106-107as maya-manya, 106-108meditation on, 168, 169,243mercy ofdemons neglect, 45on devotee, 165,170-171,193L:lrd known by, 182as mukunda, 108names ofL:lrd's activities determine, 183-184,188as transcendental, 185, 186-189See also: Chanting the Supreme L:lrd'sholy names; Hare Q.a mantra;!).a, L:lrd, name ofas Nanda-nandana, 184nature controlled by, 181, 238-240nondevotees can't understand, 184, 186,188,189,263,264as oldest & youngest, 182as one without second, 164, 165opulences of, 141, 177-178potency ofinconceivable, 210

408 Srimad-BhigavatamSupreme Lord (continued)potency ofLord acts via, 159, 226material & spiritual aspects of, 50-52,106-107,109-111pleasure, 194, 195, 329See also: M4y4; Supreme Lord, energypower from, 140of; Y ogam4y4 potencypresent everywhere, 111-112, 130, 155n,200,209,210,217,218,220,221,222protection byfor cows & br4hmar;w.s, 313via demigods, 42for devotees, 123, 124, 167, 176-177,178,243,301-302via incarnations, 197as safest shelter, 28, 157, 158for surrendered souls, 157, 159-160,277for world public, 229, 230as Prenigarbha, 260, 262punishes the envious, 313-314qualities of, 104-105relationship with. See: Rasa (relationshipwithl(nQa)remembrance of, at death, 29as sac-cid-4nanda-vigraha, 7 4, 209sacrifice for satisfying, 179as seen by love, 220-221as Sea-niga, 237Siva under, 164, 165as substantial reality, 224suffering diminished by, 46,47as Supersoul, 28, 29, 123, 124, 209, 220surrender toas duty, 166as liberation, 75, 103material enjoyment vs., 132as protection, 157, 159-160,277as real religion, 102-103as Syimasundara, 183, 187, 188,247time controlled by, 238, 239, 240universe pervaded by, 130Supreme Lordas Upendra, 261as Vimana, 261, 262as VAsudeva, 39, 184as VisvAtmA, 123, 124, 125, 138vow of, on His advent, 155n, 156, 158as vriikapi, 108weapons of, 2llas within & without, 127-128,217,218,220, 221,222YogamAyA's orders from, 126, 127, 129,130,131,133,135-136See also: Absolute Truth; l(nQa, Lord;Supersoul; ViQu, LordSupreme Lord, quotations fromon demigod worship, 165-166, 235on devotee never perishing, 159-160on devotional service as highest yoga, 68,125on faithless persons falling to birth &death, 173on God & demigods, 87on Godhead, returning to, 48on knowing Lord's advent & activities, 98,189,250on Lord as death personified, 107on Lord as knower in all bodies, 163on Lord as within & without, 127-128,220on Lord delivering devotees & destroyingdemons,42,93,95on Lord enlightening devotees, 107, 124on Lord hiding from nondevotee's vision,184on Lord in heart, 25on Lord known by devotional service, 128,186on Lord maintaining devotees, 159on Lord pervading universe, 129-130on Lord protecting devotees, 177, 243on Lord reviving religion & removing irreligion,40, 145-146, 195,331on Lord's inferior & superior energies,162-163,224on Lord's material energies, 216on Lord's protection, 28

General Index409Supreme Lord, quotations fromon loving the Lord, 175on previous births of Vasudeva, Devaki &the Lord, 249-262on remembrance, knowledge & forgetfulness,69on sinful people cast into demoniac species,150,228on surrendering to Him, 75, 157on thinking of Him always, 263on tolerance amid happiness & distress,90-91on transcendence & devotional service,175-176on vaiSyas (agriculturalists), 325on worshiping devotees, 334Supreme Personality of Godhead. See: KrQ.a,Lord; Supreme Lord; ViQ.u, LordSuras defined, 206Stirasena, father of Vasudeva, 53, 338Stirasena, son of KartaviryArjuna, lllStirasena states, 53, 100, lll ·Sura-stri defined, 49Surrender. See: Supreme Lord, surrender toStirya, 43Sarya-vamsa, 17SutapA, Vasudeva was, 249,251,253,254,256,257-259,261,262Sv4bhdviki jiid.na-bala-kriyd caquoted,l59Sva-karmar.ul tam abhyarcyaquoted,l79Svalpam apy asya dharmasyaquoted, 175Sv4min krtdrtho 'smi varam na ydcequoted, 26, 103, 175SvdriiSa expansions, 87Svaraper,w vyavasthit*quoted, 29Svayambhar n4rada §ambhuquoted, 169, 209verse quoted, 169Svetadvipa, 43Svet4Svatara Upanad, quoted on Lord'spotencies, 51, 159, 226, 266TTad ai bahu sydmquoted, 87Tad viddhi praipdlenaverse quoted, 218Tallabhyate dukhavad anyata sukhamverse quoted, 281Tamo-gur,w. See: Ignorance, mode ofTam tam evaiti kaunteyaverse quoted, 69Tdn aham dvta kraronverse quoted, 150, 228Tdlidera carar,w sevi bhakta sane v4saverse quoted, 172Tanu-mdni defined, 150Tapasya defined, 254See also: AusteritiesTaptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihdnjasequoted,l57Tasmdc chdstram pranu'lr,&am teverse quoted, 136Tasmdd aparihdrye 'rtheverse quoted, 63Tasmdd gurum prapadyetaquoted, 39Tasydham nigraham manyeverse quoted, 71Tasyd kuim gata krverse quoted, 120Tasyiva heto prayateta kovidoverse quoted, 281Tathd dehdntara-prdptiquoted, 67, 70,124,279verse quoted, 64, 317-318Tato rn41h tattvato jMtv4verse quoted, 175-176, 186Tatra srrr vijayo bhatirverse quoted, 177-178Tat-sdra-bhatam yad yasydrhverse quoted, lllTat te 'nukampdrh susamquoted, 165, 301Tanvarir defined , 218Teachers, spiritual. See: Acdryas;Brohmar,ws; Spiritual muter

410 Srimad-BhagavatamTemple worship. See: Deity form; WorshipTene brahma hrda ya adi-kavayequoted, 45Te 'pi mam eva kaunteyaverse quoted, 165-166, 235Tedm evdnukampdrthamverse quoted, 124Tedri'l nityt1bhiyuktt1nari'lquoted, 178verse quoted, 159Tedri'l satata-yuktdndri'lverse quoted, 107Timeon Brahmaloka, 241,256cosmos controlled by, 158, 237, 238, 239,240on higher planets, 241, 255-256of Kr1,1a's "birth," 204, 205, 206Lord controls, 238, 239, 240separates everyone, 341sun controlled by, 239TraigurJ.ya-vaya vedaquoted, 181Traivargikds te puraquoted, 24Trance. See: SamiidhiTranscendentalists. See: Devotees; ]iiiinis;YogisTransmigration of the soulcompared to dreaming, 67, 100-101compared to fire, 82-83, 102Kamsa aware of, 147, 149process of, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68-70, 71, 72,74, 75,76See also: Birth and death, repeated; Bodilyconcept; Body, materialTree, body compared to, 161-162, 163Treta-yuga, Lord as Psnigarbha in, 260Tribhir guJ.Umayair bhdvairquoted, 166Tri-guTJ.U defined, 51Trivarga defined, 24T1,1avarta, 119Truth. See: Absolute TruthTyaja durjana-sari'lsargari'lverse quoted, 77Tyaktva ckham punar janmaquoted,48, 70, 76,77,80,241,256,287verse quoted, 98, 189, 250Tyaktvtl turrJ.am a§ea-mar,r4alapati-sre1J.iri'lsada tucchavatquoted, 153Uddhava,266uUgrasena, King, 56, 100, 243Universe(s)annihilation of, 237, 244, 246-24 7Baladeva (Sea) sustains, 109, 127at Kr1,1a's advent, 204, 205, 206, 331living entity wanders, 101, 241-242Lord's pastimes in, 48Lord within & without, 127-128, 130MahaVi1,1u breathes, 19,217,221See also: Creation, the; Heavenly planets;Material world; Spiritual worldUpackk$yanti te jnanari'lverse quoted, 218Upackso hi murkhd1J.dri'lquoted, 282Upendra incarnation, 49Uragas, 285-286Ordhvari'l gacchanti sattva-sthaverse quoted, 72Utpadya teu pua kratubh* sameverse quoted, 16-17Uttama§loka defined, l 03vVaidiirya gem, 211, 212Vaiku1,1ha. See: Spiritual worldVairagya-vidya nija-bhakti-yogaquoted, 73Vai1,1avas. See: DevoteesV a7J.Uva-to1J.i, as cited or quotedon bodily concept of life, 149on dharma-silasya, l 02

General Index 411Va4va-tQ$a(li, as cited or quotedon KirtimAn, 113on Kra's advent, 102, 210on Lord as Kesava, 108on Lord assuming colors, 228on mah4-ratha & atiratha soldiers, 106on Nirada & co. at Kra's advent,154-155on paurm dh4ma, 140on Siirasena, 111on Vasudeva's consciousness at Kra's advent,139VaiSyas (agriculturalists)duties of, 325Nanda among, 338past & present, 326VallabhicArya, cited on Miyidevi's names,133-134Vaiicha-kalpataru defined, 170Varihadeva,Lord,321Va-sa1ikara defined, 253Varamacaravattiquoted, 334Varama-dharma. See: Society, human,Vasudevaoccupational divisions of; Vedic cultureexchanged Kra for Yogamiyi, 268-272,273feared Karilsa would kill Kra, 231, 232,233fearless from Lord's advent, 214, 215greatness of, 61Kamsa advised by, about life & death,62-64,65,66,67,71,74,76,77Kamsa dissuaded by, from killing Devaki,78,79,80,81-86,88,89,112Kamsa forgiven by, 299-300Kamsa imprisoned, 97Kamsa pleased by equanimity of, 90, 91Karilsa repented atrocities to, 288-299as Kasyapa in past life, 261Kr11a instructed, at His advent, 264-265Kra's advent beheld by, 211, 213,214Lord as son of, 213, 215, 217, 218, 249,253,258,261-262,264-265,268Lord within, 138, 139Vasudevamarried Devaki, 56-58mentally celebrated Lord's advent, 213Nanda advised by, to return to Gokula,346,347Nanda cheated by, for a's sake, 271as Nanda's "brother," 337, 338as Nanda's friend, 271, 272Nanda's Mathuri meeting with, 337-347prayers for 11-a by. See: Prayers, byVasudeva for Knaas pure devotee, 86, 89-91quoted on bodily concept of life, 300, 301quoted on body, death & transmigration,63, 64, 66, 67, 71, 74,77as Rohii's husband, 335as Sutapi in past life, 249, 251, 253, 254.,256,257-259,261,262as transcendental, 76, 248unhappiness of, 344YamunA River gave passage to, 270VAsudeva, Lord, 108Vasudeva-kath4. See: Kr(la-kath4VedaiS ca sarvair aham eva vedyaquoted, 180verse quoted, 25Vedas, duty to follow, 136See also: Vedic knowledge; names ofspecific Vedic literaturesVedic cultureduty before death in, 80impunity in, 231marriage in, 57,58name-giving ceremony in, 88procreation in, 251purification processes in, 323Vedic injunctionon killing, 62, 147as Lord's order, 136on producing progeny, 251on Supreme Brahman, 224Vedic knowledgeBhagavad-gU4 u eaeence of, 69Brahmi received, in heart, 45humans need, 163See also: Knowleqe, tranacendental

412 Srimad-BhagavatamVeum kva;antam aravinda-dalayatamverse quoted, 187-188Vibhinnt'imsa expansions, 87Vidarbhas, 121Videhas, 121Vidyadharis, 207Vijayadhvaja Tirthacited on Mayadevi's names, 134cited on nivrtta-taraib, 103cited on pauram dhama, 140in Madhvacarya-sampradaya, 113Vijnana defined, 182, 183Vikalpa & sankalpa defined, 68-69Vindhyacala, 131Viraraghava Acarya, as cited or quotedon asuras, 114-ll5on Lord's advent via Vasudeva & Devaki,143on nivrtta-taraib, 103on pauram dhama, 140on sages coming as cows to please Lord, 109on Vasudeva's consciousness at Lord's advent,139ViQu, LordBrahma heard message of, 45as demigods' chief, 43, 311, 314, 315demigods worshiped, 43, 108expansions of, 124i(rQa advented as, 208, 209, 211, 212i(rQa nondifferent from, 234-236as i(rQa's expansion, 44, 102maintains cosmos, 227on milk ocean, 43, 108symbols held by, 244yogis meditate on, 243See also: Garbhodaka8ayi ViQu;Kirodakasayi ViQu; Narii.yaQa,Lord; Supersoul; Supreme Lordvu-t'irtidhana defined, 334vu-bhakta smrto daivabquoted, 154verse quoted, 304Vu-maya. See: Supreme Lord, potency ofvu Pura;a, cited on Lord's advent, 210vur mahan sa iha yasya kala-viSeoverse quoted, 19, 217vu-tattva. See: Supreme Lord; ViQU,Lord; names of specific expansions &incarnationsVtabhyaham idam krtsnamverse quoted, 130ViSva-ko5a dictionary, quoted on garbha, 59,ll2ViSvam prlrJ;a-sukhayate vidhi-mahendradiSca ki1Q.yatequoted, 153Visvanatha Cakravarti 'fhakura, as cited orquotedon Devaki & Qa, 247on Karhsa's watchmen, 277on i(rQa as origin of incarnations, 160on KrQa as son of Devaki & Y asodii., 268on i(rQa as Yasoda's son, 321on i(rQa's advent & awakening KrQa consciousness,128-129on i(rQa's appearance within Vasudeva,139on KrQa's fullness, 102on Narada Muni, ll4on nondevotees as jaundiced, 188on oril, 136on pauram dhama, 140on Prsnigarbha in Treta-yuga, 260on Vasudeva protecting child i(rQa, 271on Vasudeva's wonder at.i(rQa's advent,213on yogamaya & mahamaya, 111ViSvtiso naiva kartavyaquoted, 60Vowof devotees in Lord's abodes, 55of Lord KrQa on His advent, 155n, 156,158Vraja. See: VrndavanaVrndavanademigods descended to, 93, 94Goloka, 49, 108, ll1i(rQa descends to, 331i(rQa's footprints in, 193as KrQa's transcendental abode, 17, 54, 55i(rQa's transfer to, 31love for i(rQa in, 247,248, 273

General Index 413VrndavanaRiipa Gosvami in, 153See also: Spiritual worldVrndavanam parityajyaquoted, 54Vr11-i dynasty, 93, 94Vrtrasura, 177VyadevaMahtibharata by, 187Srimad-Bhagavatam by, 36, 37as transcendental, 228Vyavastiytitmikd buddh*verse quoted, 24wWar, world preparing for, 41See also: Fighting, principles for; Kuruketra,Battlefield ofWatchdogs & politicians, analogy of, 277, 279Wealth. See: OpulenceWeapons of the Lord, 211Western countriescondemned society in, 328constant chanting impossible in, 171opponents of 11-a consciousness movementin,66,146,313-314Womenof heaven in Kr11-a's pastimes, 49killing of, condemned, 62, 147in politics, 281village vs. modern, 328See also: GopisWork. See: Duty; Fruitive activities; Karma;SacrificesWorld. See: Creation, the; Earth planet;Heavenly planets; Material world; Universe(s)Worship of the Supreme Lordby demigods at milk ocean, 43, 108demigod worship vs., 87-88, 101,156-158,165-166,235by devotees, 159, 182devotee worship vs., 333-334Worship of the Supreme LordDurga (Mayadevi) worship vs., 131, 133,287in Vedic society, 179See also: Deity form; Devotional service;Ritualistic ceremonies; SacrificesyY ac-caur e$a sa vita sakala-grahar;ulmverse quoted, 239Y ada yadti hi dharmasyaverse quoted, 40, 118, 120, 145-146,155n,195,331Y ad gatvti na nivartantequoted, 241Y adubh* sa vyarudhyataquoted, 120Yadu dynasty (soma-vamsa)demigods appeared in, 93, 94Kamsa's demons persecuted, 119, 120,121Kr11-a appeared in, 17Kr11-a destroyed, 266Mathura capital of, 54from moon-god, 17Siirasena chief of, 53Yajria. See: Ritualistic ceremonies; SacrificesYajria-dtina-tapal;r.-karmaquoted, 179Yajnarthtit karmar;w 'nyatraquoted, 179YajiW dtinam tapa§ caivaquoted, 179Yamaraja as punisher, 316Yam labdhva caparam ldbhamquoted, 175Yam syamasundaram acintya-gur;wsvanlpamverse quoted, 187,247Yamuna Riverquoted on Rama (Balarama), 109Vasudeva given passage by, 270Yam yam viipi smaran bh4vamquoted, 177verse quoted, 69

414 Srimad-BhigavatamYa ni.Sd saroa-bhatdndrhverse quoted, 137-138Yanti deva-vratd devanquoted, 101Ya'ra bhagye thdke se dekhaye nirantareverse quoted, 199Yare dekha, tare kaha 'kmw'-upadesaquoted, 20, 192, 264verse quoted, 144Y asmin sthito na dukhenaquoted, 153Y asmin vijfUlte sarvam evarh vijootarh bhavatiquoted, 25, 131y asoda, motherDevaki contrasted to, 272-273as l(rQa's mother, 247,268, 273,321name of, meaning of, 130as Yogamaya's mother, 268, 271Y as tv indra-gopam athavendram aho svakarmaverse quoted, 295-296Y asyaika-ni.Svasita-kdlam athdvalambyaverse quoted, 19, 217Y asydjnayd bhramati sambhrta-kdla-cakroverse quoted, 239Y asydrh jagrati bhataniverse quoted, 137-138Yasya nahankrto bhdvoverse quoted, 297Yasya prabhd prabhavato jagad-a$-kotiquoted,236Y asydsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiiicandquoted, 86, 305Y asydtma-buddh* kuJ;Wpe tri-dhdtukequoted, 180Yato bhaktir adhojequoted, 294Yatra nityarh sannihito hariquoted, 111Yatra yogesvara krr:wverse quoted, 177-178Yavat kriyds tavad idarh mana vaiquoted, 149Yaya sammohitarh jagatquoted, 110Yayd sammohito jfvaquoted, 51Ye 'py anya-devata bhaktdverse quoted, 165-166, 235Yetijoonarh samuddrhverse quoted, 160Yogaof bhakti best, 125defined, 125in l(rQa consciousness, 68, 72Vasudeva & Devakl practiced, in past life,253See also: Devotional service; l(rQa consciousness;Meditation; SamddhiYogamayaBalarama transferred by, from Devaki toRohiQi, 137in Durgil. form, 284, 285, 287, 288Kamsa outwitted by, 284-286, 303-304Kamsa's watchmen slept due to, 269, 277l(rQa blessed, 130l(rQa's orders to, 126, 127, 129, 130,131, 133, 135-136as l(rQa's sister, 284-285, 321Vasudeva exchanged l(rQa for, 268-272,273as Yasoda's daughter, 268, 271Y ogamayam samddi.Satquoted, 110Yogamdyam up4Sritaquoted, 111Y ogamaya potencymahdmaya vs., 110-111nondevotees and, 106-107, 184spiritual function of, 51, 52, 110-111, 125Y oga-nidrd defined, 138Yogi(s)highest, 68, 125Qa's devotees contrasted to, 142meditate on the Lord, 142, 169, 243See also: DevoteesY ogindm api saroerhverse quoted, 68, 125Yudhihira Maharaja, 325Yuga, duration of, 241

;..What the reviewers say about the Srimad­Bhagavatam, by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhakti- ·vedanta Swami Prabhupada:"It has, been my great pleasure recently to haveread the Srimad-Bhagavatam in the superb editionauthorized by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.I am sure this monumental work will go far tobring the sublime message of the Bhagavatam tonumerous Westerners who otherwise would miss thisopportunity."Dr. Alex WaymanProfessor of SanskritColumbia University"Srimad-Bhagavatam is a valuable source materialfor several categories of readers. With its exhaustiveplan of providing the original Sanskrit text,its Roman transliteration, English synonyms,English translation and elaborate commentary by ascholar and practitioner of philosophy, it cannot butbe attractive to serious students and scholars ofreligion and philosophy. I recommend this series toanyone as an important and useful reference work."Professor C. P. AgrawalDepartment of HumanitiesUniversity of Michigan"The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust editions offamous religious classics of India with new translationsand commentaries are an important addition toour expanding kl}owledge of spiritual India. The newedition of the Srimad-Bhagavatam is particularlywelcome."Dr. John L. MishChief, Oriental DivisionNew York Public Library