sribhagavatam -skandah (canto) 2 - chapters

Sree Madbhagavatam

Chapter 3: Pure Devotional Service - the Change in Heart

2.3.1

śrī-śuka uvāca
evam etan nigaditaṁ
pṛṣṭavān yad bhavān mama
nṛṇāṁ yan mriyamāṇānāṁ
manuṣyeṣu manīṣiṇām

(1) S'rî S'ukadeva said: 'For the intelligent among men, I have given you all the answers in response to the inquiring of your good self about the human being on the threshold of death.

2.3.2-7

brahma-varcasa-kāmas tu
yajeta brahmaṇaḥ patim
indram indriya-kāmas tu
prajā-kāmaḥ prajāpatīn
devīṁ māyāṁ tu śrī-kāmas
tejas-kāmo vibhāvasum
vasu-kāmo vasūn rudrān
vīrya-kāmo 'tha vīryavān
annādya-kāmas tv aditiṁ
svarga-kāmo 'diteḥ sutān
viśvān devān rājya-kāmaḥ
sādhyān saṁsādhako viśām
āyuṣ-kāmo 'śvinau devau
puṣṭi-kāma ilāṁ yajet
pratiṣṭhā-kāmaḥ puruṣo
rodasī loka-mātarau
rūpābhikāmo gandharvān
strī-kāmo 'psara urvaśīm
ādhipatya-kāmaḥ sarveṣāṁ
yajeta parameṣṭhinam
yajñaṁ yajed yaśas-kāmaḥ
kośa-kāmaḥ pracetasam
vidyā-kāmas tu giriśaṁ
dāmpatyārtha umāṁ satīm

 (2-7) They who desire the luster of the Absolute worship the master of the Vedas [Brihaspati]; Indra, the king of heaven is there for the ones desiring the strength of the senses [sex] and the Prajâpatis [the strong progenitors] are there for those who desire offspring. The goddess [Durgâ] is there for those who desire the beauty of the material world, the fire god  is there for the ones desiring power, for wealth there are the Vasus [a type of demigod] and the incarnations of Rudra [Lord S'iva] are there for those who wish strength and heroism. For a good harvest the mother of the demigods Aditi is worshiped, desiring heaven one worships her sons, for those desiring royal riches there are the Vis'vadeva demigods and to be of commercial success there are the Sâdhya gods. The As'vinîs [two brother demigods] are there for the ones desiring longevity, for a strong body mother earth is worshiped and those who want to maintain their position and be renown respect the goddesses of the earth and the heavens. Aspiring beauty there are the heavenly Gandharvas, those who want a good wife seek the girls of the heavenly society [the Apsaras and Urvas'îs] and anyone who wants to dominate others is bound to the worship of Brahmâ, the head of the Universe. Yajña, the Lord of Sacrifice is worshiped for tangible fame and for a good bank balance Varuna, the treasurer, is sought. But those who desire to learn, worship S'iva himself while f or a good marriage his chaste wife Umâ is honored.

2.3.8

dharmārtha uttama-ślokaṁ
tantuḥ tanvan pitṝn yajet
rakṣā-kāmaḥ puṇya-janān
ojas-kāmo marud-gaṇān

(8) For spiritual progress the supreme truth [Lord Vishnu and His devotees] is worshiped, for offspring and their care one seeks the ancestral [the residents of Pitriloka], pious persons are sought by those who seek protection, while the demigods in general are there for the less common desires.

2.3.9

rājya-kāmo manūn devān
nirṛtiṁ tv abhicaran yajet
kāma-kāmo yajet somam
akāmaḥ puruṣaṁ param

(9) The godly Manus [the fathers of mankind] are there for those desiring a kingdom, but the demons are sought for defeating enemies. The ones desiring sense gratification are bound to the moon [Candra], while those who are free from desire worship the Supreme Personality in the beyond.

2.3.10

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
yajeta puruṣaṁ param

(10) Whether he is free from desire, is full of it or else desires liberation, someone who has a broader outlook with all his heart should worship in devotional service [bhakti-yoga] the Original Personality of God, the Supreme One.

2.3.11

etāvān eva yajatām
iha niḥśreyasodayaḥ
bhagavaty acalo bhāvo
yad bhāgavata-saṅgataḥ

(11) All these types of worshipers for sure develop, in their worship of the highest benediction in this life, through association with His pure devotees unflinching, spontaneous attraction to the Supreme Lord.

2.3.12

jñānaṁ yad āpratinivṛtta-guṇormi-cakram
ātma-prasāda uta yatra guṇeṣv asaṅgaḥ
kaivalya-sammata-pathas tv atha bhakti-yogaḥ
ko nirvṛto hari-kathāsu ratiṁ na kuryāt

(12) The knowledge leading to the limit of the complete withdrawal from the whirlpool of the material modes, gives the satisfaction of the soul, which in the transcendence of being detached from these modes, carries the blessings of the path of bhakti yoga. Who, absorbed in the narrations about the Lord would not act upon this attraction?"

2.3.13

śaunaka uvāca
ity abhivyāhṛtaṁ rājā
niśamya bharatarṣabhaḥ
kim anyat pṛṣṭavān bhūyo
vaiyāsakim ṛṣi kavim

(13) S'aunaka said: "What is it that the king, the ruler of Bharata, after hearing all of this, wanted to know more from the son of Vyâsadeva, the poetic wise?

2.3.14

etac chuśrūṣatāṁ vidvan
sūta no 'rhasi bhāṣitum
kathā hari-kathodarkāḥ
satāṁ syuḥ sadasi dhruvam

(14) Oh learned Sûta, explain those topics to us who are eager to hear about it, for in an assembly of devotees  those talks are welcome that lead to the narrations about the Lord.

2.3.15

sa vai bhāgavato rājā
pāṇḍaveyo mahā-rathaḥ
bāla-krīḍanakaiḥ krīḍan
kṛṣṇa-krīḍāṁ ya ādade

(15) He, the king, that grandson of the Pândavas, was no doubt a great devotee, a great fighter who playing with dolls as a child enacted the activities of Lord Krishna.

2.3.16

vaiyāsakiś ca bhagavān
vāsudeva-parāyaṇaḥ
urugāya-guṇodārāḥ
satāṁ syur hi samāgame

 (16) And thus it must also have been so -  there in the presence of all those devotees - with the son of Vyâsadeva who, in his attachment to the Supreme Lord Vâsudeva who is glorified by so many souls, had all the great qualities for it.

2.3.17

āyur harati vai puṁsām
udyann astaṁ ca yann asau
tasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nīta
uttama-śloka-vārtayā

(17) Except for the one who spends his time on the topics about the One who is discussed in the supreme scriptural truth, the rising and setting sun is but decreasing the lives of the people.

2.3.18

taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti
bhastrāḥ kiṁ na śvasanty uta
na khādanti na mehanti
kiṁ grāme paśavo 'pare

(18) Aren't the trees also living, are the blacksmith's bellows not breathing as well and are the beasts all around us not also eating and procreating?

2.3.19

śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ
saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ
na yat-karṇa-pathopeto
jātu nāma gadāgrajaḥ

 (19) A person whose ear never reached the holy name of the One who delivers us from all evil is just as praiseworthy as a dog, a hog, an ass or a camel.

2.3.20

bile batorukrama-vikramān ye
na śṛṇvataḥ karṇa-puṭe narasya
jihvāsatī dārdurikeva sūta
na copagāyaty urugāya-gāthāḥ

(20) The ears of a man who never heard of Vishnu, the One of giant progress, are like those of snakes and also the tongues of those who never sang aloud the songs of worth are as useless as those of frogs.

2.3.21

bhāraḥ paraṁ paṭṭa-kirīṭa-juṣṭam
apy uttamāṅgaṁ na namen mukundam
śāvau karau no kurute saparyāṁ
harer lasat-kāñcana-kaṅkaṇau vā

(21) Even carrying a heavy silk turban, the upper part of the body is just a burden, when that body never bows down to Mukunda [Krishna granting liberation];  just like hands not engaged in the worship of the Lord are alike those of a dead body, even though they are decorated with glittering golden bangles.

2.3.22

barhāyite te nayane narāṇāṁ
liṅgāni viṣṇor na nirīkṣato ye
pādau nṛṇāṁ tau druma-janma-bhājau
kṣetrāṇi nānuvrajato harer yau

(22) Like the eyes on the plumes of a peacock  the eyes of those men are who do not look upon the forms of Vishnu and like the roots of trees the feet of those human beings are who never went for the holy places of the Lord. 

2.3.23

jīvañ chavo bhāgavatāṅghri-reṇuṁ
na jātu martyo 'bhilabheta yas tu
śrī-viṣṇu-padyā manujas tulasyāḥ
śvasañ chavo yas tu na veda gandham

 (23) Dead while being alive the mortals are who never personally received the dust of the feet of pure devotees and a descendant of Manu [a man] is but a dead breathing body when he has never experienced the wealth of the aroma of tulsî leaves of Lord Vishnu's lotus feet.

2.3.24

tad aśma-sāraṁ hṛdayaṁ batedaṁ
yad gṛhyamāṇair hari-nāma-dheyaiḥ
na vikriyetātha yadā vikāro
netre jalaṁ gātra-ruheṣu harṣaḥ

(24) Certainly that heart is steel-framed which, in spite of being absorbed in chanting the name of the Lord, is not transformed by the emotions of therewith having tears in one's eyes and hairs standing on end.

2.3.25

athābhidhehy aṅga mano-'nukūlaṁ
prabhāase bhāgavata-pradhānaḥ
yad āha vaiyāsakir ātma-vidyā-
viśārado nṛpatiṁ sādhu pṛṣṭaḥ

(25) Oh Sûta Gosvâmî, you express yourself in favorable terms, so please explain what transcendental knowledge the expertly leading S'ukadeva Gosvâmî upon being questioned conveyed to the king who sought the truth."

SREE MADBHAGAVATAM :

Chapter 4: The Process of Creation

2.4.1

sūta uvāca
vaiyāsaker iti vacas
tattva-niścayam ātmanaḥ
upadhārya matiṁ kṛṣṇe
auttareyaḥ satīṁ vyadhāt

 (1) Sûta said: "Just having realized what S'ukadeva Gosvâmî thus said about the verification of the reality of the soul, the chaste son of Uttarâ [Parîkchit] concentrated upon Lord Krishna.

2.4.2

ātma-jāyā-sutāgāra-
paśu-draviṇa-bandhuṣu
rājye cāvikale nityaṁ
virūḍhāṁ mamatāṁ jahau

 (2) He [thus meditating for a moment innerly] gave up his deep-rooted and constant possessiveness in relation to his body, his wife, his son, his treasury and all his relatives and friends in his undisputed kingdom.

2.4.3-4

papraccha cemam evārthaṁ
yan māṁ pṛcchatha sattamāḥ
kṛṣṇānubhāva-śravaṇe
śraddadhāno mahā-manāḥ
saṁsthāṁ vijñāya sannyasya
karma trai-vargikaṁ ca yat
vāsudeve bhagavati
ātma-bhāvaṁ dṛḍhaṁ gataḥ

(3-4) The great soul in full faith inquired for the purpose of this exactly the way you are asking me, oh great sages. Being informed of his death he renounced his fruitive activity according the three principles [of self-realization: renouncing religious acts, economic development and sense gratification] and everything thereto and thus firmly fixed he achieved the attraction for the love of the Supreme Lord Vâsudeva.

2.4.5

rājovāca
samīcīnaṁ vaco brahman
sarva-jñasya tavānagha
tamo viśīryate mahyaṁ
hareḥ kathayataḥ kathām

(5) The king said: 'What you said is perfectly right, oh learned one; being without contaminations you have the knowledge of it all and make the darkness of ignorance gradually disappear when you are speaking about the topics concerning the Lord.

2.4.6

bhūya eva vivitsāmi
bhagavān ātma-māyayā
yathedaṁ sṛjate viśvaṁ
durvibhāvyam adhīśvaraiḥ

(6) Furthermore, I would like to learn how the Supreme Lord by His personal energies creates this phenomenal world of the universe that is so inconceivable for even the great masters of meditation.

2.4.7

yathā gopāyati vibhur
yathā saṁyacchate punaḥ
yāṁ yāṁ śaktim upāśritya
puru-śaktiḥ paraḥ pumān
ātmānaṁ krīḍayan krīḍan
karoti vikaroti ca

(7)  And please tell me also about the way the powerful one maintains His energies and winds them up again, how He as the all-powerful Supreme Personality arrives at His expansions, involves them and being involved Himself enacts them and causes them to act [see also canto 1, chapter 3].

2.4.8

nūnaṁ bhagavato brahman
harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ
durvibhāvyam ivābhāti
kavibhiś cāpi ceṣṭitam

(8) Even the highly learned in spite of their endeavors for His sake, fall short, dear brahmin, in explaining the wonderful, inconceivable acts of the Supreme Lord.

2.4.9

yathā guṇāṁs tu prakṛter
yugapat kramaśo 'pi vā
bibharti bhūriśas tv ekaḥ
kurvan karmāṇi janmabhiḥ

 (9) Even though He acts through His different incarnations He is the One and Supreme, whether He acts by the modes, is there simultaneously in the material energy or is manifesting in many forms consecutively.

2.4.10

vicikitsitam etan me
bravītu bhagavān yathā
śābde brahmaṇi niṣṇātaḥ
parasmiṁś ca bhavān khalu

(10) Please clear up these questions asked by me, since you, being as good as the Supreme Lord, are of the oral tradition with the Vedic literatures as well as of  full realization in transcendence.' "

2.4.11

sūta uvāca
ity upāmantrito rājñā
guṇānukathane hareḥ
hṛṣīkeśam anusmṛtya
prativaktuṁ pracakrame

(11) Sûta said: "Upon thus being requested by the king to describe the transcendental attributes of Lord Hrishîkes'a [Krishna as the master of the senses] S'uka, in order to reply properly, proceeded methodically.

2.4.12

śrī-śuka uvāca
namaḥ parasmai puruṣāya bhūyase
sad-udbhava-sthāna-nirodha-līlayā
gṛhīta-śakti-tritayāya dehinām
antarbhavāyānupalakṣya-vartmane

(12) S'rî S'uka said: 'My obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who for the maintenance as well as the winding up of the complete whole of the material creation, by His pastimes assumed the power of the three modes while residing within as the One whose ways are inconceivable.

2.4.13

bhūyo namaḥ sad-vṛjina-cchide 'satām
asambhavāyākhila-sattva-mūrtaye
puṁsāṁ punaḥ pāramahaṁsya āśrame
vyavasthitānām anumṛgya-dāśuṣe

(13) Again my obeisances to Him who frees the truthful from the distressing controversies of those who follow untruth, unto Him who is the form of pure goodness, granting all that is sought by those who are situated in the status of the highest stage of spiritual perfection [the paramahamsas].

2.4.14

namo namas te 'stv ṛṣabhāya sātvatāṁ
vidūra-kāṣṭhāya muhuḥ kuyoginām
nirasta-sāmyātiśayena rādhasā
sva-dhāmani brahmaṇi raṁsyate namaḥ

 (14) Let me offer my obeisances unto the great associate of the Yadu dynasty who, keeping far from mundane wrangling, vanquishes the non-devotees. I bow down to Him who is of the same greatness of enjoying the opulences as in enjoying the sky in His own abode.

2.4.15

yat-kīrtanaṁ yat-smaraṇaṁ yad-īkṣaṇaṁ
yad-vandanaṁ yac-chravaṇaṁ yad-arhaṇam
lokasya sadyo vidhunoti kalmaṣaṁ
tasmai subhadra-śravase namo namaḥ

(15) For Him of whom the glorification, remembrance, audience, prayers, hearing and worship forthwith cleanses away the effects of the sins of everyone, unto Him of whom one speaks as being the all-auspicious one, I bring my due obeisances again and again.

2.4.16

vicakṣaṇā yac-caraṇopasādanāt
saṅgaṁ vyudasyobhayato 'ntar-ātmanaḥ
vindanti hi brahma-gatiṁ gata-klamās
tasmai subhadra-śravase namo namaḥ

(16) The bright ones who by simply dedicating themselves to His lotus feet completely give up all attachments to a present or future existence, realize without difficulty the progress of the heart and the soul towards a spiritual existence; unto that renown all-auspicious One my obeisances again and again.

2.4.17

tapasvino dāna-parā yaśasvino
manasvino mantra-vidaḥ sumaṅgalāḥ
kṣemaṁ na vindanti vinā yad-arpaṇaṁ
tasmai subhadra-śravase namo namaḥ

(17) The great sages, the great performers of charity, the ones most distinguished, the great thinkers, the great mantra chanters [reciters/singers] and the strict followers will never attain to tangible results when they are not dedicated to Him. I offer my obeisances again and again to Him about whom to hear is so very auspicious.

2.4.18

kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā
ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ
ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ
śudhyanti tasmai prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ

 (18) The people of old Bharata, Europe, southern India, Greece, Pulkas'a [a province], Âbhîra [part of old Sind], S'umbha [another province], Turkey, Mongolia and more who are also addicted to sin, at once get purified when they take to the shelter of the Lord His devotees. Him, the powerful Lord Vishnu I offer my respectful obeisances.

2.4.19

sa eṣa ātmātmavatām adhīśvaras
trayīmayo dharmamayas tapomayaḥ
gata-vyalīkair aja-śaṅkarādibhir
vitarkya-liṅgo bhagavān prasīdatām

(19) He is the soul and Lord of the self-realized, the personification of the Vedas, the religious literatures and austerity. May the Supreme Lord, He who is held in awe by those who in their transcendence are free from all pretension - the Unborn One [Lord Brahmâ], Lord S'iva and others - always be graceful with me.

2.4.20

śriyaḥ patir yajña-patiḥ prajā-patir
dhiyāṁ patir loka-patir dharā-patiḥ
patir gatiś cāndhaka-vṛṣṇi-sātvatāṁ
prasīdatāṁ me bhagavān satāṁ patiḥ

(20) May He, the Supreme Lord and master of all the devotees, who is the owner of all opulence, the director of all sacrifices, the leader of all living entities, the master of the intelligent, the ruler of all worlds, the supreme head of the planet earth and the destination and first among the [Yadu] kings of the Sâtvatas, the Andhakas and the Vrishnis, be merciful with me.

2.4.21

yad-aṅghry-abhidhyāna-samādhi-dhautayā
dhiyānupaśyanti hi tattvam ātmanaḥ
vadanti caitat kavayo yathā-rucaṁ
sa me mukundo bhagavān prasīdatām

(21) It is said that thinking of His lotus feet and at each moment being absorbed in it, when one follows the authorities, purifies and results in the actual knowledge of the ultimate reality of the soul and also that it makes the scholars describe Him to their liking. Oh Mukunda, my Supreme Lord, may Your grace always be with me.

2.4.22

pracoditā yena purā sarasvatī
vitanvatājasya satīṁ smṛtiṁ hṛdi
sva-lakṣaṇā prādurabhūt kilāsyataḥ
sa me ṛṣīṇām ṛṣabhaḥ prasīdatām

(22) May He who strengthened the first one of creation [Lord Brahmâ] with remembrance in his heart about Himself and his origin and who [thus] from the beginning inspired the Goddess of Learning who appeared to have been created from Brahmâ's mouth - may He, the Teacher of Teachers, be pleased with me.

2.4.23

bhūtair mahadbhir ya imāḥ puro vibhur
nirmāya śete yad amūṣu pūruṣaḥ
bhuṅkte guṇān ṣoḍaśa ṣoḍaśātmakaḥ
so 'laṅkṛṣīṣṭa bhagavān vacāṁsi me

(23) He who lies down within the material creation and empowers all these bodies made of the material elements while He as the Purusha [the original person] causes all to be subjected to the modes of nature with her sixteen divisions [of consciousness, the elements of earth, water, fire, air, ether, the five organs of action and the senses]; may that Supreme Lord give strength to my statements.

2.4.24

namas tasmai bhagavate
vāsudevāya vedhase
papur jñānam ayaṁ saumyā
yan-mukhāmburuhāsavam

 (24) My obeisances unto him, the great expansion of Vâsudeva  [viz. Vyâsadeva] who is the compiler of the Vedic literatures from whose lotus mouth his adherents drank the nectar of this knowledge.

2.4.25

etad evātma-bhū rājan
nāradāya vipṛcchate
veda-garbho 'bhyadhāt sākṣād
yad āha harir ātmanaḥ

(25) The first created being [Brahmâ], my dear king, imparted, on the request of Nârada, from the inside the Vedic knowledge exactly as it was spoken by the Lord in the heart.' "

Sree Mabbhagavatam

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