Vyasadev
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Chapter 4
Gajendra Returns to the Spiritual World
This Fourth Chapter describes the previous birth of Gajendra and the crocodile. It tells how the crocodile became a Gandharva and how Gajendra became an associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
There was a king on the Gandharva planet whose name was Hūhū. Once this King Hūhū was enjoying with women in the water, and while enjoying he pulled the leg of Devala Ṛṣi, who was also taking a bath in the water. Upon this, the sage became very angry and immediately cursed him to become a crocodile. King Hūhū was very sorry when cursed in that way, and he begged pardon from the sage, who in compassion gave him the benediction that he would be freed when Gajendra was delivered by the Personality of Godhead. Thus the crocodile was delivered when killed by Nārāyaṇa.
When Gajendra, by the mercy of the Lord, became one of the Lord's associates in Vaikuṇṭha, he got four hands. This achievement is called sārūpya-mukti, or the liberation of receiving a spiritual body exactly like that of Nārāyaṇa. Gajendra, in his previous birth, had been a great devotee of Lord Viṣṇu. His name was Indradyumna, and he was the King of the Tāmila country. Following the Vedic principles, this King retired from family life and constructed a small cottage in the Malayācala Hills, where he always worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead in silence. Agastya Ṛṣi, along with many disciples, once approached King Indradyumna's āśrama, but because the King was meditating on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he could not receive Agastya Ṛṣi properly. Thus the ṛṣi became very angry and cursed the King to become a dull elephant. In accordance with this curse, the King was born as an elephant, and he forgot all about his previous activities in devotional service. Nonetheless, in his birth as an elephant, when he was dangerously attacked by the crocodile, he remembered his past life in devotional service and remembered a prayer he had learned in that life. Because of this prayer, he again received the mercy of the Lord. Thus he was immediately delivered, and he became one of the Lord's four-handed associates.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī ends this chapter by describing the good fortune of the elephant. Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that by hearing the narration of Gajendra's deliverance, one can also get the opportunity to be delivered. Śukadeva Gosvāmī vividly describes this, and thus the chapter ends.
8.4.1
brahmeśāna-purogamāḥ
mumucuḥ kusumāsāraḿ
śaḿsantaḥ karma tad dhareḥ
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thereafter [when Gajendra was freed] showered the godly, the rishis and the heavenly singers headed by Brahmâ and S'iva, flowers in praise of that feat of the Lord.
It is evident from this chapter that great sages like Devala Ṛṣi, Nārada Muni and Agastya Muni will sometimes curse someone. The curse of such a personality, however, is in fact a benediction. Both the crocodile, who had been a Gandharva in his previous life, and Gajendra, who had been a king named Indradyumna, were cursed, but both of them benefited. Indradyumna, in his birth as an elephant, attained salvation and became a personal associate of the Lord in Vaikuṇṭha, and the crocodile regained his status as a Gandharva. We find evidence in many places that the curse of a great saint or devotee is not a curse but a benediction.
8.4.2
nedur dundubhayo divyā
ṛṣayaś cāraṇāḥ siddhās
tuṣṭuvuḥ puruṣottamam
(2) The sky vibrated of the kettledrums, the Gandharvas sang and danced and the saints, the venerable ones and the perfected offered prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
There was a beating of kettledrums in the heavenly planets, the inhabitants of Gandharvaloka began to dance and sing, while great sages and the inhabitants of Cāraṇaloka and Siddhaloka offered prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Puruṣottama.
8.4.3-4
praṇamya śirasādhīśam
(3-4) He, Hûhû, a singer of heaven who by a curse of sage Devala, had become that crocodile, appeared that very moment as a most wonderfully beautiful Gandharva indeed, who, offering obeisances with his head to the Supreme Eternal Master Hailed in the Verses, began to chant the glories of His transcendental pastimes and qualities.
The story of how the Gandharva had become a crocodile will be described later. The curse by which the Gandharva took this position was actually a blessing, not a curse. One should not be displeased when a saintly person curses someone, for his curse, indirectly, is a blessing. The Gandharva had the mentality of an inhabitant of the celestial planetary system, and for him to become an associate of the Supreme Lord would have taken millions of long years. However, because he was cursed by Devala Ṛṣi, he became a crocodile and in only one life was fortunate enough to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face and be promoted to the spiritual world to become one of the Lord's associates. Similarly, Gajendra was also delivered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead when he was freed from the curse of Agastya Muni.
8.4.5
so 'nukampita īśena
(5) He being favored by the Lord circumambulated Him offering his respects, and with everybody watching went he, being delivered from all sin, back to his own abode.
Having been favored by the causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and having regained his original form, King Hūhū circumambulated the Lord and offered his obeisances. Then, in the presence of all the demigods, headed by Brahmā, he returned to Gandharvaloka. He had been freed of all sinful reactions.
8.4.6
gajendro bhagavat-sparśād
prāpto bhagavato rūpaḿ
(6) Gajendra was by the touch of the Supreme Lord instantly freed from the ignorance of being bound and had achieved the selfsame form with four arms and yellow garments [sârûpya-mukti, see also 3.29: 13].
If one is favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead by having his gross body touched by the Lord, his body turns into a spiritual body, and he can go back home, back to Godhead. Gajendra assumed a spiritual body when his body was touched by the Lord. Similarly, Dhruva Mahārāja assumed his spiritual body in this way. Arcanā-paddhati, daily worship of the Deity, provides an opportunity to touch the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus it enables one to be fortunate enough to get a spiritual body and go back to Godhead. Not only by touching the body of the Supreme Lord, but simply by hearing about His pastimes, chanting His glories, touching His feet and offering worship — in other words, by serving the Lord somehow or other — one is purified of material contamination. This is the result of touching the Supreme Lord. One who is a pure devotee (anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11]), who acts according to the śāstra and the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, certainly becomes purified. Like Gajendra, he assumes a spiritual body and returns home, back to Godhead.
8.4.7
indradyumna iti khyāto
(7) He in fact before had, born as the best of Dravida-des'a, been the king of Pândya and was, sworn to Vishnu always being on the transcendental path, thus known as Indradyumna.
8.4.8
samarcayām āsa kulācalāśramaḥ
(8) He had, when the time had come for his penance, with the greatest care taken to the vow of silence and was, with matted locks doing his austerity in Kulâcala [the Malaya hills] where he had his âs'rama, one day worshipping the Infallible Lord, immersed in love for the Supreme Controller.
8.4.9
samāgamac chiṣya-gaṇaiḥ pariśritaḥ
(9) Out of his own will arrived at the spot the renown Âgastya surrounded by his disciples and seeing him silent, sitting alone in meditation without offering a respectful reception, it so happened that the rishi became very angry.
8.4.10
(10) He then gave him this curse: 'This degraded soul so unfriendly and inapt of mind before me as an insult to the brahminical, let him enter the darkness as a dull minded elephant indeed.'
An elephant is very strong, it has a very big body, and it can work very hard and eat a large quantity of food, but its intelligence is not at all commensurate with its size and strength. Thus in spite of so much bodily strength, the elephant works as a menial servant for a human being. Agastya Muni thought it wise to curse the King to become an elephant because the powerful King did not receive Agastya Muni as one is obliged to receive a brāhmaṇa. Yet although Agastya Muni cursed Mahārāja Indradyumna to become an elephant, the curse was indirectly a benediction, for by undergoing one life as an elephant, Indradyumna Mahārāja ended the reactions for all the sins of his previous life. Immediately after the expiry of the elephant's life, he was promoted to Vaikuṇṭhaloka to become a personal associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, in a body exactly like that of the Lord. This is called sārūpya-mukti.
8.4.11-12
indradyumno 'pi rājarṣir
hary-arcanānubhāvena
yad-gajatve 'py anusmṛtiḥ
(11-12) S'rî S'uka said: 'After thus condemning him left the so powerful Âgastya from there with his associates, o King, leaving Indradyumna thinking that the curse despite of his elevated position was a result of his past deeds. When he got born as an elephant was the remembrance of his identity destroyed, but because he worshiped the Lord offering prayers, got he despite of that elephant's body the chance to remember his past.
This is the unique position of a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although the King was cursed, he welcomed the curse because a devotee is always aware that nothing can happen without the desire of the Supreme Lord. Although the King was not at fault, Agastya Muni cursed him, and when this happened the King considered it to be due to his past misdeeds. Tat te 'nukampāḿ susamīkṣamāṇaḥ (Bhāg. 10.14.8). This is a practical example of how a devotee thinks. He regards any reverses in life as blessings of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, instead of being agitated by such reverses, he continues his activities of devotional service, and Kṛṣṇa takes care of him and enables him to be promoted to the spiritual world, back to Godhead. If a devotee has to suffer the reactions of his past misdeeds, the Supreme Lord arranges for him to be given only a token of these reactions, and very soon he is freed from all the reactions of material contamination. One should therefore adhere to devotional service, and the Lord Himself will very soon see to one's promotion to the spiritual world. A devotee should not be disturbed by unfortunate circumstances, but must continue his regular program, depending on the Lord for everything. The word upadhārayan, "considering," is very significant in this verse. This word indicates that a devotee knows what is what; he understands what is happening in material, conditional life.
8.4.13
gandharva-siddha-vibudhair upagīyamāna-
(13) When the Lord of the Lotus navel thus had delivered the king of the elephants, returned He accompanied by him, who was awarded the position of being His associate, together with the Gandharvas, the perfected and the sages - who all praised Him for His wonderful deeds - to His own abode sitting on the back of Garuda.
In this verse the word vimokṣya is significant. For a devotee, mokṣa or mukti — salvation — means getting the position of the Lord's associate. The impersonalists are satisfied to get the liberation of merging in the Brahman effulgence, but for a devotee, mukti (liberation) means not to merge in the effulgence of the Lord, but to be directly promoted to the Vaikuṇṭha planets and to become an associate of the Lord. In this regard, there is a relevant verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.8):
tat te 'nukampāḿ susamīkṣamāṇo
"One who seeks Your compassion and thus tolerates all kinds of adverse conditions due to the karma of his past deeds, who engages always in Your devotional service with his mind, words and body, and who always offers obeisances unto You, is certainly a bona fide candidate for liberation." A devotee who tolerates everything in this material world and patiently executes his devotional service can become mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk, a bona fide candidate for liberation. The word dāya-bhāk refers to a hereditary right to the Lord's mercy. A devotee must simply engage in devotional service, not caring about material situations. Then he automatically becomes a rightful candidate for promotion to Vaikuṇṭhaloka. The devotee who renders unalloyed service to the Lord gets the right to be promoted to Vaikuṇṭhaloka, just as a son inherits the property of his father.
When a devotee gets liberation, he becomes free from material contamination and engages as a servant of the Lord. This is explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.10.6): muktir hitvānyathā rūpaḿ svarūpena vyavasthitiḥ. The word svarūpa refers to sārūpya-mukti — going back home, back to Godhead, and remaining the Lord's eternal associate, having regained a spiritual body exactly resembling that of the Lord, with four hands, holding the śańkha, cakra, gadā and padma. The difference between the mukti of the impersonalist and that of the devotee is that the devotee is immediately appointed an eternal servant of the Lord, whereas the impersonalist, although merging in the effulgence of the brahmajyoti, is still insecure and therefore generally falls again to this material world. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraḿ padaḿ tataḥ patanty adho 'nādṛta-yuṣmad-ańghrayaḥ (Bhāg. 10.2.32). Although the impersonalist rises to the Brahman effulgence and enters into that effulgence, he has no engagement in the service of the Lord, and therefore he is again attracted to materialistic philanthropic activities. Thus he comes down to open hospitals and educational institutions, feed poor men and perform similar materialistic activities, which the impersonalist thinks are more precious than serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anādṛta-yuṣmad-ańghrayaḥ. The impersonalists do not think that the service of the Lord is more valuable than serving the poor man or starting a school or hospital. Although they say brahma satyaḿ jagan mithyā — "Brahman is real, and the material world is false" — they are nonetheless very eager to serve the false material world and neglect the service of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
8.4.14
kṛṣṇānubhāvo gaja-rāja-mokṣaṇam
(14) This what I described to you, o King, about the unlimited potency of Lord Krishna in delivering the devotee Gajendra, promotes those who hear of it to the heavenly spheres and increases their reputation as a devotee; it takes away the contaminations of Kali-yuga [see 1.17: 24-25] and drives away the bad dreams, o best of the Kurus.
My dear King Parīkṣit, I have now described the wonderful power of Kṛṣṇa, as displayed when the Lord delivered the King of the elephants. O best of the Kuru dynasty, those who hear this narration become fit to be promoted to the higher planetary systems. Simply because of hearing this narration, they gain a reputation as devotees, they are unaffected by the contamination of Kali-yuga, and they never see bad dreams.
8.4.15
yathānukīrtayanty etac
chreyas-kāmā dvijātayaḥ
duḥsvapnādy-upaśāntaye
(15) To counteract the troubles of having had a bad night do people out for the blessing, especially the pure of the twice-born, faithfully recite this story when they rise in the morning.
Every verse in the Vedic literature, especially in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, is a Vedic mantra. Here the words yathānukīrtayanti are used to recommend that this literature be presented as it is. Unscrupulous persons, however, deviate from the actual narration and interpret the text in their own way with grammatical jugglery. Such deviations are to be avoided. This is a Vedic injunction supported by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, one of the mahājanas, or authorities. He says, yathānukīrtayanti: one should recite the mantra as it is, without deviation, for then one will be eligible to rise to the platform of all good fortune. Śukadeva Gosvāmī especially recommends that those who are brāhmaṇas (śucayaḥ) recite all these mantras after rising from bed in the morning.
Because of sinful activities, at night we have bad dreams, which are very troublesome. Indeed, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was obliged to see hell because of a slight deviation from devotional service to the Lord. Therefore, duḥsvapna — bad dreams — occur because of sinful activities. A devotee sometimes accepts a sinful person as his disciple, and to counteract the sinful reactions he accepts from the disciple, he has to see a bad dream. Nonetheless, the spiritual master is so kind that in spite of having bad dreams due to the sinful disciple, he accepts this troublesome business for the deliverance of the victims of Kali-yuga. After initiation, therefore, a disciple should be extremely careful not to commit again any sinful act that might cause difficulties for himself and the spiritual master. Before the Deity, before the fire, before the spiritual master and before the Vaiṣṇavas, the honest disciple promises to refrain from all sinful activity. Therefore he must not again commit sinful acts and thus create a troublesome situation.
8.4.16
(16) This is what the All-pervading Great Lord being pleased in the presence of everyone has said to Gajendra, o best of the Kuru dynasty.
8.4.17-24
śṛńgāṇīmāni dhiṣṇyāni
suparṇaḿ patageśvaram
utthāyāpara-rātrānte
(17-24) The Supreme Lord said: 'Those who, when they get up at the end of the night, with care concentrating do remember My forms - the forms of Me and you; the forms of the lake, this hill, these caves and gardens; those of the cane and bamboos, the groups of trees, these peaks and the abodes of Me and those of Lord Brahmâ and Lord S'iva; as also this ocean of milk and this white island with its brilliant luster so dear to Me; My S'rîvatsa-mark, Kaustubha-jewel, [Vaijayantî] garland, Kaumodakî club, Sudars'ana disc and Pâñcajanya conch; Garuda, Ananta S'esha, My subtle plenary portion the Goddess of Fortune; all who depend on me, Lord Brahmâ, Nârada rishi, S'iva and Prahlâda; My Matsya incarnation, Kûrma, Varâha, and the other avatâras; the countless of all My auspicious deeds; the deities of the sun, the moon and the fire; the Omkâra mantra, the Absolute Truth and the total material energy; the cows, the brahmins and the eternal dharma; the daughters of Daksha, the dutiful wives of the moongod, Kas'yapa and also the Ganges, the Sarasvatî, the Nandâ and the Yamunâ; Airâvata [Indra's elephant], Dhruva, the seven so very pious sages and the human beings - are delivered from all their worries.
8.4.25
pratibudhya niśātyaye
teṣāḿ prāṇātyaye cāhaḿ
(25) Those offering Me prayers this way, my best, rising at the end of the night, will I, also at the time of their death, grant the greater destination.'
8.4.26
ity ādiśya hṛṣīkeśaḥ
prādhmāya jalajottamam
harṣayan vibudhānīkam
āruroha khagādhipam
(26) S'rî S'uka said: 'Hrishîkes'a, thus having given his address, mounting the back of Garuda then blew on the best one of the sea [His conch] to the pleasure of the host of divine lordships.'
My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swamyjis, Philosophers, Scholars and Knowledge Seekers for the collection)
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