Srimad Bhagavatam, Volume 3

Srimad Bhagawatam, First Canto, Volume Three
Such paramhansas are naturally qualified with all the good attributes such as
pridelessness, non vanity, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, respectability,
worship devotion, sincerity and all those godly qualities exist in the devotee
of the Lord spontaneously. Such Paramhansas who are completely given up to
the service of the Lord are very rare. They are very rare even amongst
liberated souls. Real nonviolence means not to be envious. In this world every
one is envious of his fellow being. But a perfect Paramhansa being completely
given up to service of the Lord is perfectly non-envious. He loves every living
being in relation with the Supreme Lord and real renunciation means to have
perfeet dependence in God. Every living being is dependant on somebody
else, because, he is so made. Actually one is dependant on the mercy of the
Supreme Lord but when one forgets his relation with the Lord he becomes
dependant on the conditions of material nature. Renunciation means to
renounce one's dependence on the conditions of material nature and thus be
completely dependant on the mercy of the Lord. Real independence means to
have complete faith in the mercy of the Lord without being dependant on the
conditions of matter. This Paramhansa stage is the highest perfectional stage
in the matter of Bhaktiyoga or the process of devotional service of the
Suprcme Lord.
Aham hi pristo aryamanah bhavadbhir
Achaksha atma abagama atra yavan
Nabhah utpatanti atmasamam patatrin
Samam vishnugatim bipaschitah.
Aham—my humbleself, Hi—certainly, Pristah—asked by you, Aryamanah—
as powerful as the sun, Bhavadbhir—by you, Achakska—may describe,
Atmabagama—as far as my knowledge is concerned Atra—herein, Yavan—
so far, Nabhah—sky, Utpatanti—fly on, Atmasamam—as far as it can,
Patatrin—the birds, Samam—simillarly, Vishnugatim—knowledge of Vishnu,
Vipaschitah—even though learned.
Oh the rishis who are as powerful of purity as the Sun, I shall try to
describe before you all about the transcendental pastimes of Vishnu as
far as my knowedge is concerned. As the birds do fly over the sky as far
its capacity so also learned devotees also do describe about the Lord as
far as their realisation.
The supreme absolute truth is unlimited. No living being can know about the
Unlimited by one's limited capacity. The Lord is both impersonal and
personal also as well as localised. By His impersonal feature He is all
pervading Brahman, by His localised feature He is present in every one's heart
as the Supreme Soul and by His ultimate Personal feature He is the object of
transcendental loving service by His fortunate associates the pure devotees.
As the birds can fly in the sky in part only similarly the pastimes of the Lord
in different features can only be estimated partly by the great learned
devotees. So Srila Suta Goswatni has rightly taken his position in the matter
of describing the pastimes of the Lord as far as he had had realised. Factually
the Lord only Himself can descri be about Himself and His learned devotee
also can describe about Him as far as the Lord gives him the power of
description.
Ekada dhanur udyamya vicharan mrigayam vane
Mrigan anugatah shrantah kshudhito taisito bhrisam
Jalasayam achakshanah pravivesha tam ashramam
Dadarsha munim asinam santam milita lochanam.
Ekada—once upon a time, Dhanur—arrows and bow, Udyamya—taking it
firmly, Vicharan—following, Mrigayam—hunting excursion, Vane—in the
forest, Jalasayam—reservoir of water, Achakshanah—while finding out,
Mrigan—stags, Anugatah—while following, Shrantah—fatigued,
Kshuditah—hungry, Trisito—being thirsty, Bhrisham—exteremely,
Pravivesha—entered into, Tam—that famous, Ashramam—hermitage of
Samika Rishi, Dadarsha—Saw, Munim—the sage, Asinam—seated,
Santam—all silent, Milita—closed, Locnanam—eyes.
Once upon a time Maharaj Parikshit while engaged in hunting in the
forest with arrows and bow firmly taken up became extemely fatigued,
hungry and thirsty while following the stags. And in search after the
reservoir of water he entered the hermitage of the well-known Samika
Rishi and saw the sage was sitting all silent with closed eyes.
The Srpreme Lord is so kind upon His pure devotees that in proper time he
calls for such devotees up to Him and thus creates a circumstance favourably
auspicious for the devotee. Maharaj Parikshit was pure devotee of the Lord
and there was no reason for him to become extemely fatigued hungry and
thirsty because a devotee of the Lord never becomes perturbed by such bodily
demands. But by the desire of the Lord even such a devotee also became
apparently fatigued ane thirsty just to create the situation favourable for his
renunciation of worldly activities. One has to give up all attachment for
worldly relation before one is able to go back to home back to Godhead and
as such even a devotee when he is too much absorbed in worldly affairs, the
Lord creates a situation for the devotee's cause of indifference. The Supreme
Lord never forgets His pure devotee even the latter may be engaged in
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socalled worldly affairs and as such sometimes He creates an awkward
sitation when the devotee becomes obliged to renounce all worldly affairs.
The devotee can understand it by the signal of the Lord but others take it as a
matter of unfavourable frustration. Maharaj Parikshit was meant for becoming
the medium of revelation of Srimad Bhagwatam by Lord Sri Krishna as much
as his grand father Arjuna was meant for revelation of the Bhagwat Geeta in
the world. Had not had Arjuna taken up with an illusion of family affection by
the will af the Lord, there was no chance of the Bhagwat Geeta being spoken
by the Lord Himself for the good of all concerned. Similarty had not had
Maharaj Parikshit been fatigued, hungry and thtrsty at this time, there was no
chance of Srimad Bhagwatam being spoken by Srila Sukdehva Goswami the
prime authority of Srimad Bhagwatam. So this is a prelude to the
circumstances under which Srimad Bhagwatam was spoken for the benefit of
all concerned. The prelude, therefore, begins with the word that once upon a
time etc.
Pratiruddha indriya prana mana buddhim uparatam
Sthana trayat param praptam brahmabhutam avikriam.
Pratiruddha—restrained, Indriya—the sense organs, Prana—air of respiration,
Mana—the mind, Buddhim—inteligence, Uparatam—inactive, Sthana—
places, Trayat—from the three, Param—transcendental, Praptam—achieved,
Brahmabhutam—qualitatively equal with the Supreme Absolute, Avikriam—
unaffected.
The Muni's sense organs, air of breathing, mind and intelligence all were
restrained from material activities and he got himself situated in the
trance apart from the three (awakeness. dream and unconsciousness)
having achieved transcendental position qualitatively equal with the
Supreme Absolute.
It appears that the Muni in whose hermitage the King entered was in trance
Yogic process. Transcendental position is attained by three processes namely
the process of Jnana or theoritical knowledge of transcendence, the process of
Yoga or factual realisation of trance by manipulation of the physiological and
psychological functions of the body, and the most approved process of
Bhakti-Yoga or the senses engaged in devotional service of the Lord. In the
Bhagwat Geeta also we have the information of gradual development of
perception, from matter to living entity. Our material mind and body develop
from the living entity the soul and being influenced by the three qualities of
matter we forget our real identity. The Jnana process theoritically speculates
ascendingly about the reality of the soul. But Bhaktiyoga factually engages
the spirit soul in factual activities. Perception of matter is to transcended still
more subtler state of the senses. The senses are transcended to the subtler
mind, and then to breathing activities gradually to intellignence and beyond
the intelligence the living soul is realised by the mechanical activities of the
Yoga system or practice of meditation restraining the seenses, regulating the
breathing system and application of intelligence to rise up to the
transcendental position of living condition. This living condition of trance
stops all material activities of the body and the King saw the Muni in that
position. He also saw the Muni as follows.
Viprakirna jatachhannam rourevena ajinena cha
Visusyat talur udakam tathabhutam ayachata.
Viprakirna—all scattered, Jatacnhahnam—covered with compressed
elongated hair, Rourevena—by the skin of a stag, Ajinena—by ihe skin,
Cha—also, Visusyat—dried up, Talur—palate, Udakam—water,
Tathabhutam—in that state, Ayachata—asked for.
The sage in meditation was also seen covered by the skin of stag and
elongated compressed hair. The King, however, being dried up by his
palate asked him for water.
The King being too much affected by the dried up palate asked the sage-intrance
for water. For such a great and devotee king asking for water from sage
absorbed in trance, was eertainly providencial: otherwise there was no chance
of such unprecedental happening. Maharaj Parikshit was thus placed in an
awkward position so that gradually the whole thing developed in to the
revelation of Srimad Bhagwatam.
Alabdha trina bhumyadir asamprapta argha sunritah
Avajnatam iva atmanam manyamanas chukopa ha.
Alabdha—having not received, Trina—seat of straw, Bhumi—place,
Asamprapta—not properly received, Argha—receptional water, Sunritam—
sweet words, Avajnatam—thus being neglected, Atmanam—personally,
Iva—like that, Manyamanas—thinking like that, Chukopa—became angry,
Ha—in that way.
The King having not received any formal welcome in the shape of seat,
place, water, and sweet addresses, thought himself of being neglected and
thus thinking in the mind he became angry in that way.
The law of reception in the codes of the Vedic principles is that even if any
enemy is received at home, he must be received with all respects without
giving him chance to understand that he has come to the house of an enemy.