Srimad Bhagavatam, Volume 3

Yo no jugopa vana etya duranta krichhat
Durvasaso ari rachitat ayuta agrabhug yah.
Shakannasistam upayujya yatas trilokim
Tripta mamnsta salile vinimagnasamga.
Yo—one who, No—us, Jhugopa—gave protection, Vano—forest, Etya—
getting in, Duranta—dangerously, Krichhat—trouble, Durvasaso—of the
Durvasa Muni, Ari—enemy, Rachitat—fabricated by, Ayuta—ten thousands,
Agrabhug—One who eats before Yah—that person, Shakannasistam—
remnanrs of foodstuff, Upayupa—having accepted, Yatas—because,
Trilokim—all the three worlds, Tripta—satisfied, Mamansta—thought within
the mind, Salile—while in the water, Vinimagnaramga—merged into water
all of them,
During our exile Durvasa Muni, who eats along with ten thousands of his
disciples, put us into dangerously trouble under intrigue by our enemies.
At that time He (Lord Krishna) simply by accepting the remnant of the
particle of foodstuff, saved us. By His dolng so the assembly of Munis
while taking bath in the river water felt sumptuously fed besides all
others in the three worlds.
Durvasa Muni: A powerful mystic Brahmin determined to observe the
principles of religiosity with great vow and under strict austerities. His name
is associated with many historical events and it appears that the great mystic
could both easily be satisfied and annoyed like Lord Shiva. When He was
satisfied he could do tremendous good to the servitor but if he was dissatisfied
he could bring about the greatest calamity. Kumari Kunti at her father's house
used to minister all kinds of services to all such great Brahmins and being
satisfied with her good reception Durvasa Muni benedicted her with a power
to call for any demigod as she desired. It is understood that he was a plenary
incarnation of Lord Shiva and as such he could both easily be satisfied or
annoyed. He was a great devotee of Lord shiva and by his order he accepted
the priesthood of king Swetaketu in the matter of the King's performance of
sacrifices for one hundred years. Sometimes he used to visit the parliamentary
assembly of the heavenly kingdom of Indradeva. He could travel in the space
by his great mystic powers and it is understand that he travelled a great
distance of space even up to the Vaikuntha planet beyond the material space
and he travelled all these long distances within one year during his quarrel
with King Amburisha the great devotee Emperor of the world.
He had about ten thousands of disciples and wherever he visited and
became guest of the great Kshatirya Kings he used to do so accompanied by
such hoaray number of followers. Once he visited the house of Duryodhone
the enemy cousin brother of Maharaj Yudhisthir. Duryodhone was intelligent
enough to satisfy the Brahmin by all means and the great Rishi wanted to give
some benediction to Duryodhone. Duryoodhone knew his mystic powers and
he knew it also that the mystic Brahmin, if dissatisfied could do some havoc
also and as such he designed to engage the Brahmin to show his wrath upon
his enemy brothers the Pandavas. When the Rishi wanted to award some
benediction to Dupyodhone, the latter wished that he should visit the house of
Maharaj Yudhisthir who was the eldest and the chief among all his brothers.
But by his request he would go to him after he had finished his meals along
with his queen Droupadi. Duryodhone knew it that after Droupadi's dinner it
would be impossible for Maharaj Yudhithir to receive such large number of
Brahmin guests and thus the Rishi would be annoyed and he would create
some trouble for his brother Maharaj Yudhsthir. That was the plan of
Duryodhone. Durvasa Muni agreed to this proposal of Duryodhone and once
he approached the King in exile according to the plan of Duryodhone after
they had finished their meals and Droupadi also had taken her meals.
On his arrival at the door of Maharaj Yudhisthir, he was at once well
received and he King requested him to finish his noon time ablutions religious
rites in the river and by the time the food stuff may be prepared. Durvasha
Muni along with his large number of disciples went to take bath in the river
and Maharaj Yudhisthir was in great anxiety for the guests. So long Droupadi
would not take her meals the whole foodstuff could be served to any number
of guests but the Rishi by the plan of Duryodhone reached there after
Droupadi had finished her meals.
When the devotees are put into difficulty it becomes an opportunity for
them to recollect the Lord with rapt attention. So Droupadi was thinking of
Lord krishna in that dangerous position and the all pervading Lord could at
once know the dangerous position of His Devotees. He therefore came there
on the scene and asked Droupadi to give some food stuff whatever she might
have in her stock. On her being so requested by the Lord Droupadi felt too
much because the Supreme Lord asked her for some food and she was unable
to supply it at that time. She said to the Lord that the mysterious dish which
she had received from the Sun-god could supply any ammount foodstuff if she
herself had not taken up the meals. But on that day she had already taken her
meals and as such they are in danger. By expresing her difficulties she began
to cry before the Lord as an woman would do in such position. The Lord
however asked Droupadi to bring up the cooking pots if there was any particle
of foodstuff and on Droupadi's doing so the Lord found out som-particle of
vegitable sticking with the pot. The Lord at once picked it up and ate it. After
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Fifteenth Chapter - The Pandavas Retire Timely
doing so the Lord asked Droupadi to call for her guests the company of
Durvasa.
Bhima was sent to call them from the river. Bhima said, "why you are
delaying sirs, come on the sfoodstuffs are ready for you." But the Brahmins
on account of Lord Krishna's accepting a little paticle of food stuff, felt
sumptuosly fed even whilet they were merged within the water. They thought
it that had no hunger and Maharaj Yudhisthir must have had prepared many
valuable dishes for them so if they could not take any part of the foodstuff the
king would be feeling sorry so it was better not togo there but they decided to
go away from that place.
This incidence proves that the Lord is the greatest mystic than any other
mystic of the world and therefore He is known as the Yogeswara. Another
instruction is that every householder must offer the foodstuff to the Lord and
the result will be that every body even a company of guests numbering ten
thousands would be satisfied on account of the Lord's being satisfied. That is
the way of devotional service.
Yat tejasa atha bhagavan yudhi Sulapanir
Bismapitah sagirijo astram adat nijam me,
Anyepi cha aham amunaiva kalevarena
Prapto mahendrabhavane mahad asanardham.
Yat—by whose, Tejasa—by influence, atha—at a time, Bhagavan—the
personality of God (Lord Shiva), Yudhi—in the battle, Sulapani—one who
has the trident in hand, Bismapitah—astonished, Sagirija—along with the
daughter of Mount Himalaya, Astram—weapon, Adat—awarded, Nijam—of
His own, Me—unto me, Anyepi—so also others, Cha—and, Aham—Myself,
Amuna—by this, Eva—definitely, Kalevarena—by the body, Prapto—
obtained, Mahendrabhavane—in the house of Indradeva, Mahad—great,
Asanardham—seat half elevated.
It is by His influence only that I was able to astonish the Personality of
God Lord Shiva along with His wife the daughter of Mount Himalaya in
fight and thus He became pleased with me and awarded His own weapon.
Thus other demigods also delivered their respective weapons to me and
what to speak more I was able to reach the heavely planet definitely by
this present body and was allowed to the half elevated seat.
By the Grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna, all other
demigods including Lord Shiva also was pleased with him (Arjuna). The idea
is that one who is favoured by Lord Shiva or any other demigods may not
necesarily be favoured by the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna (Godhead). Ravana
was certainly a great devotee of tlle Lord Shiva but he could not be saved
faom the wrath of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Ramachndra.
And there are many instances like that in the histories of the Puranas. But here
is an instance where we can see that Lord Shiva became pleased even in the
fight with Arjuna. The devotees of the Supreme Lord know how to respect the
demigods but the devotees of other demigods sometimes foolishly think that
the Supreme Personality of Godhead is as good as other demigods (?) By such
conception of the Supreme God and the demigods one becomes an offender
and ultimately meets with the same result as Ravana and others had to meet.
The instances described by Arjuna during his friendly dealings with Lord Sri
Krishna are instructive for all who may be convinced by the lessons that one
can achieve all favoures simply by pleasing the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna
while the devotees or the worshippers of other demigods may achieve only
partial benefits of life which are also perishable as much as the demigods
themselves are.
Another significance of the present verse is that Arjuna, by the Grace of
Lord Sri Krishna, was able to reach the heavenly planet even with the self
same body and was honoured by the heavenly demigod Indradeva being
seated with him half eleveted. One can reach the heavenly plantets by pious
acts as they are recommended in the Shastras in the category of fruitive
activities. And as stated, in the Bhagwat Geeta (Bg. 9.21) the reactions. of
such pious acts being spent up the enjoyer is again degraded to come down to
this earehly planets. The Moon planet is also on the level of heavenly planet
and only persons who have had performed virtue only namely performing
sacrifices, giving in charties and undergon severe austerities etc can be
allowed to enter into the heavenly planets after expiry of the duration of life of
the body. Arjuna was allowed to enter into the heavenly planets in the self
same body simply by the Grace of the Lord otherwise it was not passible to do
so. The present attempts to enter into the heavenly planet by the modern
scientists will certainly prove futile because such scientists are not on the level
of Arjuna. They are ordinary human beings without any assets of sacrifice,
charity or austerities. The material body is influenced by the three modes of
material nature namely goodness, passion and ignorance. The present mass of
population is more or less influenced by the modes of passion and ignorance
and the symptoms for such influence is exhibited in becoming too much lusty
and greedy. Such degraded lusty and greedy fellows can hardly approach the
higher planetary system namely the heavenly planets or above them. Above
the heavenly planets there are many other planets also where only those who
are influenced by goodness can reach. In the heavenly and other higher
planets within an universe, the inhabitants are all highly intelligent many more