Vyasadev
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Canto 6
Chapter 9: Appearance of the Demon Vritrâsura
As described in this chapter, Indra, the King of heaven, killed Viśvarūpa, and therefore Viśvarūpa's father performed a yajña to kill Indra. When Vṛtrāsura appeared from that yajña, the demigods, in fear, sought shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and glorified Him.
Because of affection for the demons, Viśvarūpa secretly supplied them the remnants of yajña. When Indra learned about this, he beheaded Viśvarūpa, but he later regretted killing Viśvarūpa because Viśvarūpa was a brāhmaṇa. Although competent to neutralize the sinful reactions for killing a brāhmaṇa, Indra did not do so. Instead he accepted the reactions. Later, he distributed these reactions among the land, water, trees and women in general. Since the land accepted one fourth of the sinful reactions, a portion of the land turned into desert. The trees were also given one fourth of the sinful reactions, and therefore they drip sap, which is prohibited for drinking. Because women accepted one fourth of the sinful reactions, they are untouchable during their menstrual period. Since water was also infested with sinful reactions, when bubbles appear in water it cannot be used for any purpose.
After Viśvarūpa was killed, his father, Tvaṣṭā, performed a sacrifice to kill King Indra. Unfortunately, if mantras are chanted irregularly, they yield an opposite result. This happened when Tvaṣṭā performed this yajña. While performing the sacrifice to kill Indra. Tvaṣṭā chanted a mantra to increase Indra's enemies, but because he chanted the mantra wrong, the sacrifice produced an asura named Vṛtrāsura, of whom Indra was the enemy. When Vṛtrāsura was generated from the sacrifice, his fierce features made the whole world afraid, and his personal effulgence diminished even the power of the demigods. Finding no other means of protection, the demigods began to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the enjoyer of all the results of sacrifice, who is supreme throughout the entire universe. The demigods all worshiped Him because ultimately no one but Him can protect a living entity from fear and danger. Seeking shelter of a demigod instead of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead is compared to trying to cross the ocean by grasping the tail of a dog. A dog can swim, but that does not mean that one can cross the ocean by grasping a dog's tail.
Being pleased with the demigods, the Supreme Personality of Godhead advised them to approach Dadhīci to beg him for the bones of his own body. Dadhīci would comply with the request of the demigods, and with the help of his bones Vṛtrāsura could be killed.
6.9.1
tasyāsan viśvarūpasya
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Vis'varûpa [see previous chapter] oh son of Bharata, had three heads. One for drinking soma [performing sacrifices], one for drinking wine [spiritual matters] and one for eating food [the material purpose] so I have heard.
One cannot directly perceive the kingdom of heaven, its king and other inhabitants, or how they perform their various engagements, for no one can go to the heavenly planets. Although modern scientists have invented many powerful space vehicles, they cannot even go to the moon, not to speak of other planets. By direct experience one cannot learn anything beyond the range of human perception. One must hear from authorities. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī, a great personality, says, "What I am describing to you, O King, is what I have heard from authoritative sources." This is the Vedic system. The Vedic knowledge is called śruti because it must be received by being heard from authorities. It is beyond the realm of our false experimental knowledge.
6.9.2
adadad yasya pitaro
(2) He oh ruler, offered the gods who were there as his fathers, their proper share by publicly chanting the mantras aloud with sacrifices in the fire.
6.9.3
yajamāno 'vahad bhāgaḿ
(3) Even though he with his sacrifices offered the gods their share he, lead by the affection of his mother [Racanâ], behind their back [also] made offerings to the Asuras.
6.9.4
dharmālīkaḿ sureśvaraḥ
tac-chīrṣāṇy acchinad ruṣā
(4) The king of the gods [Indra] seeing how he by that offense to the divinity betrayed the dharma, afraid [that the demons would gain strength] angrily quickly cut off Vis'varûpa's heads.
6.9.5
(5) The head he used for drinking soma became a kapiñjala [a francolin partridge], the head for drinking the wine turned into a kalavinka [a sparrow] and the one used for taking food turned into a tittiri [a common partridge].
6.9.6
caturdhā vyabhajad dhariḥ
(6) However powerful he was, because of the reaction of killing a brahmin Indra with folded hands for the time of a year had to face the consequences. In order to be purified from the sin towards other living beings he then divided the burden over the four departments of the earth, the waters, the trees and the women.
6.9.7
(7) With the benediction [by Indra] of having her hollows filled with water, the earth took one fourth of the burden of killing a brahmin by accepting the deserts as the visible sign [of the sin] on her surface.
6.9.8
(8) With the blessing that their branches and twigs would grow back when trimmed, the trees acceped a quarter of the burden of killing the brahmin through the sap flowing from them as the visible consequence.
6.9.9
rajo-rūpeṇa tāsv aḿho
(9) The [youthful] women being blessed with a constant sexual appetite accepted as their quarter of the burden of sin the monthly period as the visible reaction.
6.9.10
dravya-bhūyo-vareṇāpas
(10) Water blessed with the ability to increase the volume of the material it soaks, accepted one fourth of the sin with the reaction of visible bubbling and foaming because of which one has to throw it away.
6.9.11
juhāvendrāya śatrave
(11) After having lost his son, Tvashthâ [see 5.15: 14-15] performed a sacrifice for creating an enemy for Indra with the words: 'O enemy of Indra, increase in size so that you without delay can kill your opponent.'
There was some defect in Tvaṣṭā's chanting of the mantra because he chanted it long instead of short, and therefore the meaning changed. Tvaṣṭā intended to chant the word indra-śatro, meaning, "O enemy of Indra." In this mantra, the word indra is in the possessive case (ṣaṣṭhī), and the word indra-śatro is called a tat-puruṣa compound (tatpuruṣa-samāsa). Unfortunately, instead of chanting the mantra short, Tvaṣṭā chanted it long, and its meaning changed from "the enemy of Indra" to "Indra, who is an enemy." Consequently instead of an enemy of Indra's, there emerged the body of Vṛtrāsura, of whom Indra was the enemy.
6.9.12
athānvāhārya-pacanād
(12) Thereupon from the anvâhârya fire [the fire to the south] a most frightening character appeared who looked like the destroyer of all the worlds at the end of the yuga.
6.9.13-17
viṣvag vivardhamānaḿ tam
sandhyābhrānīka-varcasam
madhyāhnārkogra-locanam
lihatā jihvayarkṣāṇi
jṛmbhamāṇaḿ muhur muhuḥ
(13-17) Day after day expanding to a distance of an arrow's reach, he resembled a burned mountain or clouds amassing in the evening with the sun shining from behind. Next to his hair, beard and mustache that were as red as molten copper, he had eyes blazing like the sun at noon. Dancing and shouting loudly he kicked up the dirt as he moved around with the firmament held high on his blazing trident. With his mouth deep as a cave swallowing the three worlds, he drank the sky and licked up the stars. Over and over yawning with his massive, fierce teeth, the people who saw him fearfully fled in all the ten directions.
Like arrows released in the four directions, the demon's body grew, day after day. Tall and blackish, he appeared like a burnt hill and was as lustrous as a bright array of clouds in the evening. The hair on the demon's body and his beard and moustache were the color of melted copper, and his eyes were piercing like the midday sun. He appeared unconquerable, as if holding the three worlds on the points of his blazing trident. Dancing and shouting with a loud voice, he made the entire surface of the earth tremble as if from an earthquake. As he yawned again and again, he seemed to be trying to swallow the whole sky with his mouth, which was as deep as a cave. He seemed to be licking up all the stars in the sky with his tongue and eating the entire universe with his long, sharp teeth. Seeing this gigantic demon, everyone, in great fear, ran here and there in all directions.
6.9.18
yenāvṛtā ime lokās
(18) He, that most fearful personification of sin, was in truth the form the son of Tvashthâ had assumed. Now, by [dint of the power of] his previous austerity, he covered all the worlds and was thus called Vritra ['the encloser'].
6.9.19
taḿ nijaghnur abhidrutya
sagaṇā vibudharṣabhāḥ
svaiḥ svair divyāstra-śastraughaiḥ
so 'grasat tāni kṛtsnaśaḥ
(19) All the defenders of wisdom together attacked him with their soldiers to strike him with each his own divine weapon, but Vritra swallowed the different weapons all at once.
6.9.20
(20) Faced with that fact they were all struck with wonder and gathered disheartened, having lost their courage, to turn inwards to pray to the Original Person.
6.9.21
(21) The gods said: 'We with Lord Brahmâ first and [all the inhabitants of] the three worlds that are composed of air, fire, ether, water and earth, all trembling with fear pay tribute to the destroyer [death]. But since he himself is afraid of Him [the eternal Original Personality], we should acknowledge the Lord as our refuge.
When one is afraid of being killed, one must take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is worshiped by all the demigods. beginning from Brahmā, although they are in charge of the various elements of this material world. The words bibheti yasmāt indicate that all the demons, regardless of how great and powerful, fear the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The demigods, being afraid of death, took shelter of the Lord and offered Him these prayers. Although the time factor is fearful to everyone, fear personified is afraid of the Supreme Lord, who is therefore known as abhaya, fearless. Taking shelter of the Supreme Lord brings actual fearlessness, and therefore the demigods decided to take shelter of the Lord.
6.9.22
(22) One is a fool when one wants to cross an ocean holding on to a dog's tail, one is a fool when one wants to approach anyone else but Him, He who is never astonished, is always satisfied by His own achievements, is equipoised and of perfect peace.
A dog can swim in the water, but if a dog dives in the ocean and someone wants to cross the ocean by holding the dog's tail, he is certainly fool number one. A dog cannot cross the ocean, nor can a person cross the ocean by catching a dog's tail. Similarly, one who desires to cross the ocean of nescience should not seek the shelter of any demigod or anyone else but the fearless shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.58) therefore says:
The Lord's lotus feet are an indestructible boat, and if one takes shelter of that boat he can easily cross the ocean of nescience. Consequently there are no dangers for a devotee although he lives within this material world, which is full of dangers at every step. One should seek the shelter of the all-powerful instead of trying to be protected by one's own concocted ideas.
6.9.23
trātāśritān vāricaro 'pi nūnam
(23) Just like Manu [here: king Satyavrata] who for surviving the flood bound his boat, our world, to the sturdy horn of Matsya, the Lord in the form of a fish, we who seek our refuge, are sure to be delivered [by Him] from our abysmal fear for the son of Tvashthâ.
6.9.24
(24) Formerly the Independent One [Svayambhû or Lord Brahmâ], alone on the lotus, was very afraid and by His grace narrowly escaped from a fall in the so very high waves of the waters of the flood blown up by the roaring wind [see 3.8]. May that deliverance be there for us also.
6.9.25
(25) He, the one controller who by His transcendental potency created us and by whose mercy we also may create a world of matter, can, although He stands in front of us as the actor, not in His form be recognized by us, who consider themselves separate controllers.
Here is an explanation of why the conditioned soul cannot see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. Even though the Lord appears before us as Lord Kṛṣṇa or Lord Rāmacandra and lives in human society as a leader or king, the conditioned soul cannot understand Him. Avajānanti māḿ mūḍhā mānuṣīḿ tanum āśritam: [Bg. 9.11] rascals (mūḍhas) deride the Supreme Personality of Godhead, thinking Him an ordinary human being. However insignificant we are, we think that we are also God, that we can create a universe or that we can create another God. This is why we cannot see or understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this regard, Śrīla Madhvācārya says:
kadācid abhimānas tu
tāratamyena so 'pi tu
We are all conditioned to various degrees, but we think that we are God. This is why we cannot understand who God is or see Him face to face.
6.9.26-27
(26-27) When we are heavily tormented by our opponents, He who exists eternally comes to our rescue age after age with His material potency in different avatâra forms among the sages, the human beings and the animals, in order to protect each and everyone near and dear to Him. He, the Godhead and True Self of us all and of every other living being, is the transcendental, original cause, the primary principle of nature [pradhâna], the Supreme Enjoyer whose energy is known in de form of the universe, from which He Himself stands apart. He is the refuge we can all surrender to. He, that Great Soul, will bless us, His devotees, with all good fortune.'
In this verse, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, is ascertained to be the original cause of creation. Śrīdhara Svāmī, in his commentary Bhāvārtha-dīpikā, replies to the idea that prakṛti and puruṣa are the causes of the cosmic manifestation. As stated herein, paraḿ pradhānaḿ puruṣaḿ viśvam anyam: "He is the supreme cause, represented as the male and female creative energies. Although different from this universe, He exists in His universal form [virāṭ 'rūpa]." The word prakṛti, which is used to indicate the source of generation, refers to the material energy of the Supreme Lord, and the word puruṣa refers to the living entities, who are the superior energy of the Lord. Both the prakṛti and puruṣa ultimately enter the Supreme Lord, as stated in Bhagavad-gītā (prakṛtiḿ yānti māmikām).
Although prakṛti and puruṣa superficially appear to be the causes of the material manifestation, both are emanations of different energies of the Supreme Lord. Therefore the Supreme Lord is the cause of prakṛti and puruṣa. He is the original cause (sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1]). The Nāradīya Purāṇa says:
avikāro 'pi paramaḥ
prakṛtis tu vikāriṇī
prakṛtiś cābhidhīyate
Both the prakṛti and puruṣa, which are inferior and superior energies, are emanations from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As explained in Bhagavad-gītā (gām āviśya), the Lord enters the prakṛti, and then the prakṛti creates different manifestations. The prakṛti is not independent or beyond His energies. Vāsudeva, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is the original cause of everything.
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.9.33) the Lord also says, aham evāsam evāgre: "Only I existed before the creation." This is confirmed in the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa as follows:
smṛtir avyavadhānena
ubhayātmaka-sūtitvād
prakṛtiḥ puruṣaś ceti
śabdair eko 'bhidhīyate
To generate the universe, the Lord acts indirectly as the puruṣa and directly as the prakṛti. Because both energies emanate from Lord Vāsudeva, the all-pervasive Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is known as both prakṛti and puruṣa. Therefore Vāsudeva is the cause of everything (sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1]).
6.9.28
pratīcyāḿ diśy abhūd āviḥ
(28) S'rî S'uka said: 'Because of that prayer of the enlightened souls oh King, He with them turning inward, became visible with His conch shell, disc and club.
6.9.29-30
śarad-amburuhekṣaṇam
īkṣaṇāhlāda-viklavāḥ
chanair utthāya tuṣṭuvuḥ
(29-30) He was surrounded by sixteen servants with eyes blooming like lotuses in autumn, that looked just like Him except for the Kaustubha jewel and the S'rîvatsa mark. Seeing Him oh King, they all threw themselves at His feet, overwhelmed with happiness because of seeing Him directly. Thereafter they slowly stood up and offered their prayers.
6.9.31
(31) The godly ones said: 'You, oh Lord awarding the results of sacrifice, we offer our obeisances. You using the cakra [the disc, the cyclic order of time] as a weapon are the one to set the limits. All our respect for You who are known by so many transcendental names.
6.9.32
nārvācīno visargasya
(32) They who appeared after You in creation, after You the controller of the three destinations [of going to hell, to heaven or the purgatory], can not understand Your supreme abode [Vaikunthha].
An inexperienced man generally does not know what to beg from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everyone is under the jurisdiction of the created material world, and no one knows what benediction to ask when praying to the Supreme Lord. People generally pray to be promoted to the heavenly planets because they have no information of Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Śrīla Madhvācārya quotes the following verse:
There are different planetary systems, known as Devaloka (the planets of the demigods), Pitṛloka (the planet of the Pitās) and Niraya (the hellish planets). When one transcends these various planetary systems and enters Vaikuṇṭhaloka, he achieves the ultimate resort of the Vaiṣṇavas. Vaiṣṇavas have nothing to do with the other planetary systems.
6.9.33
oḿ namas te 'stu bhagavan nārāyaṇa vāsudevādi-puruṣa mahā-puruṣa mahānubhāva parama-mańgala parama-kalyāṇa parama-kāruṇika kevala jagad-ādhāra lokaika-nātha sarveśvara lakṣmī-nātha paramahaḿsa-parivrājakaiḥ parameṇātma-yoga-samādhinā paribhāvita-parisphuṭa-pāramahaḿsya-dharmeṇodghāṭita-tamaḥ-kapāṭa-dvāre citte 'pāvṛta ātma-loke svayam upalabdha-nija-sukhānubhavo bhavān
(33) Oh Lord, let there be our obeisances unto You oh Bhagavân Nârâyana, oh Vâsudeva, oh Original Person, oh Highest Personality, oh Supreme Giver of Insight, oh Most Auspicious One, oh Transcendental Benediction, oh Greatness of Mercy, oh Changeless Support of the Universe, Only Proprietor of all Worlds, Ruler over All and Husband of Lakshmî Devî. The best of the ones completely detached [the sannyâsîs] wandering all around the world, fully purified by their transcendental absorption in devotional yoga [bhakti] push, by [the strength of] their dutiful respect of being paramahamsas ['swans of the Supreme'], open the door of this illusory existence that gives access to a consciousness in the spiritual world that is free from contaminations. Thus personally experiencing the continuity of Your Lordship [of devotion, Lord Caitanya] one finds happiness.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead has numerous transcendental names pertaining to different grades of revelation to various grades of devotees and transcendentalists. When He is realized in His impersonal form He is called the Supreme Brahman, when realized as the Paramātmā He is called antaryāmī, and when He expands Himself in different forms for material creation He is called Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and Kāraṇodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. When He is realized as Vāsudeva, Sańkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha — the Caturvyūha, who are beyond the three forms of Viṣṇu — He is the Vaikuṇṭha Nārāyaṇa. Above realization of Nārāyaṇa is realization of Baladeva, and above that is realization of Kṛṣṇa. All these realizations are possible when one engages fully in devotional service. The covered core of one's heart is then completely open to receiving an understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His various forms.
6.9.34
duravabodha iva tavāyaḿ vihāra-yogo yad aśaraṇo 'śarīra idam anavekṣitāsmat-samavāya ātmanaivāvikriyamāṇena saguṇam aguṇaḥ sṛjasi pāsi harasi
(34) It is rather difficult to understand how You in pastimes relating to the unification of consciousness without taking shelter of anyone or anything, without having a physical body, without awaiting our cooperation, without being transformed Yourself by the modes of nature, in transcendence above the modes can be of creation, annihilation and maintenance.
The Brahma-saḿhitā (5.37) says, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ: the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is always situated in Goloka Vṛndāvana. It is also said, vṛndāvanaḿ parityajya padam ekaḿ na gacchati: Kṛṣṇa never goes even a step from Vṛndāvana. Nevertheless, although Kṛṣṇa is situated in His own abode, Goloka Vṛndāvana, He is simultaneously all-pervading and is therefore present everywhere. This is very difficult for a conditioned soul to understand. but devotees can understand how Kṛṣṇa, without undergoing any changes, can simultaneously be in His abode and be all-pervasive. The demigods are understood to be various limbs of the Supreme Lord's body, although the Supreme Lord has no material body and does not need anyone's help. He is spread everywhere (mayā tatam idaḿ sarvaḿ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā). Nevertheless, He is not present everywhere in His spiritual form. According to the Māyāvāda philosophy, the Supreme Truth, being all-pervasive, does not need a transcendental form. The Māyāvādīs suppose that since His form is distributed everywhere, He has no form. This is untrue. The Lord keeps His transcendental form, and at the same time He extends everywhere, in every nook and corner of the material creation.
6.9.35
atha tatra bhavān kiḿ devadattavad iha guṇa-visarga-patitaḥ pāratantryeṇa sva-kṛta-kuśalākuśalaḿ phalam upādadāty āhosvid ātmārāma upaśama-śīlaḥ samañjasa-darśana udāsta iti ha vāva na vidāmaḥ
(35) Therefore we do not really know whether Your Lordship is there like an ordinary human being bound to actions in the material world, who under the influence of the modes thus depends on time, space, activities and nature, and thereby is forced to accept the good and bad results of his own actions, or whether You are there as a completely self-satisfied [âtmârâma] and self-controlled person who never fails in his spiritual potency and is always a neutral witness.
6.9.36
na hi virodha ubhayaḿ bhagavaty aparimita-guṇa-gaṇa īśvare 'navagāhya-māhātmye 'rvācīna-vikalpa-vitarka-vicāra-pramāṇābhāsa-kutarka-śāstra-kalilāntaḥkaraṇāśraya-duravagraha-vādināḿ vivādānavasara uparata-samasta-māyāmaye kevala evātma-māyām antardhāya ko nv artho durghaṭa iva bhavati svarūpa-dvayābhāvāt
(36) Those two positions certainly do not form a contradiction in You, the Fortunate One. For what would be impossible to You whose attributes are unlimited, You who are the Supreme Lord of unfathomable glories? You are by the present-day thinkers doubted with opinions and arguments laid down in scriptures containing judgments based upon halfhearted investigations and fallacious logic. But You are out of the range of the agitated minds of the obstinate theorists resorting to controversies. You withdrawn from all of them are hidden from view behind Your bewildering yoga potency, the incomparable and inscrutable potency [by which you make and break]. You after all, are not divided in two natures.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, being self-sufficient, is full of transcendental bliss (ātmārāma). He enjoys bliss in two ways — when He appears happy and when He appears distressed. Distinctions and contradictions are impossible in Him because only from Him have they emanated. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the reservoir of all knowledge, all potency, all strength, opulence and influence. There is no limit to His powers. Since He is full in all transcendental attributes, nothing abominable from the material world can exist in Him. He is transcendental and spiritual, and therefore conceptions of material happiness and distress do not apply to Him.
We should not be astonished to find contradictions in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Actually there are no contradictions. That is the meaning of His being supreme. Because He is all-powerful, He is not subject to the conditioned soul's arguments regarding His existence or nonexistence. He is pleased to protect His devotees by killing their enemies. He enjoys both the killing and the protecting.
Such freedom from duality applies not only to the Lord but also to His devotees. In Vṛndāvana, the damsels of Vrajabhūmi enjoy transcendental bliss in the company of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and they feel the same transcendental bliss in separation when Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma leave Vṛndāvana for Mathurā. There is no question of material pains or pleasures for either the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His pure devotees, although they are sometimes superficially said to be distressed or happy. One who is ātmārāma is blissful in both ways.
Nondevotees cannot understand the contradictions present in the Supreme Lord or His devotees. Therefore in Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says, bhaktyā mām abhijānāti: [Bg. 18.55] the transcendental pastimes can be understood through devotional service; to nondevotees they are inconceivable. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāḿs tarkeṇa yojayet: the Supreme Lord and His form, name, pastimes and paraphernalia are inconceivable to nondevotees, and one should not try to understand such realities simply by logical arguments. They will not bring one to the right conclusion about the Absolute Truth.
6.9.37
(37) The same way one perceiving a piece of rope does not or does see a snake, one concludes [really] being intelligent to following [the person of You and the âcârya] or not.
The example cited herein is very appropriate. A rope is one truth, but some mistake it for a snake, whereas others know it to be a rope. Similarly, devotees who know the Supreme Personality of Godhead do not see contradictions in Him, but nondevotees regard Him as the snakelike source of all fear. For example, when Nṛsiḿhadeva appeared, Prahlāda Mahārāja saw the Lord as the supreme solace, whereas his father, a demon, saw Him as the ultimate death. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.37), bhayaḿ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt: fear results from being absorbed in duality. When one is in knowledge of duality, one knows both fear and bliss. The same Supreme Lord is a source of bliss to devotees and fear to nondevotees who have a poor fund of knowledge. God is one, but people understand the Absolute Truth from different angles of vision. The unintelligent see contradictions in Him, but sober devotees find no contradictions.
6.9.38
sa eva hi punaḥ sarva-vastuni vastu-svarūpaḥ sarveśvaraḥ sakala-jagat-kāraṇa-kāraṇa-bhūtaḥ sarva-pratyag-ātmatvāt sarva-guṇābhāsopalakṣita eka eva paryavaśeṣitaḥ
(38) You, under closer scrutiny, are the essence of authenticity, the controller of all and everything spiritual and material. You are there as the cause of all causes of the entire universe who with all qualities is present within all, up to the minutest atom. You are [with the temporality] of all manifestations the only one who remains.
6.9.39
atha ha vāva tava mahimāmṛta-rasa-samudra-vipruṣā sakṛd avalīḍhayā sva-manasi niṣyandamānānavarata-sukhena vismārita-dṛṣṭa-śruta-viṣaya-sukha-leśābhāsāḥ parama-bhāgavatā ekāntino bhagavati sarva-bhūta-priya-suhṛdi sarvātmani nitarāḿ nirantaraḿ nirvṛta-manasaḥ katham u ha vā ete madhumathana punaḥ svārtha-kuśalā hy ātma-priya-suhṛdaḥ sādhavas tvac-caraṇāmbujānusevāḿ visṛjanti na yatra punar ayaḿ saḿsāra-paryāvartaḥ
(39) For that reason those exalted devotees who relating to You but once tasted a drop of the nectar of Your glories and with the continuous flow of bliss within their minds forgot about the vague and limited reflection of the sights and sounds of material happiness, have faith in You alone as the Supreme Personality, the only and dearest friend of all living entities. How can those devotees whose minds are of a complete and continuous absorption oh Killer of Madhu, or who as said, are hands-on experts in having accepted You as the dear most lover and friend, then ever give it up to serve Your lotus feet that in this life never again allow a return to the material ocean?
Although nondevotees, because of their meager knowledge and speculative habits, cannot understand the real nature of the Lord, a devotee who has once tasted the nectar from the Lord's lotus feet can realize what transcendental pleasure there is in the Lord's devotional service. A devotee knows that simply by rendering service to the Lord, he serves everyone. Therefore devotees are real friends to all living entities. Only a pure devotee can preach the glories of the Lord for the benefit of all conditioned souls.
6.9.40
tri-bhuvanātma-bhavana trivikrama tri-nayana tri-loka-manoharānubhāva tavaiva vibhūtayo ditija-danujādayaś cāpi teṣām upakrama-samayo 'yam iti svātma-māyayā sura-nara-mṛga-miśrita-jalacarākṛtibhir yathāparādhaḿ daṇḍaḿ daṇḍa-dhara dadhartha evam enam api bhagavañ jahi tvāṣṭram uta yadi manyase
(40) Oh loving Soul and shelter, oh power and opulence, oh maintainer and seer and most attractive beauty of the three worlds, because of Your expansions in the material energy we are sure that with Your manifestations in different forms as the Lord of the enlightened ones [Vâmana], the human beings [Râmacandra and Krishna], the animals [Varâha], a mixture of them [Nrisimhadeva] and of the aquatics [Matsya and Kûrma], all the sons of Diti and Danu and such for their conspiring are awarded the proper punishment depending the offense, oh Supreme Chastiser. May You, if You deem it necessary, likewise kill this [terrible] son of Tvashthâ.
There are two kinds of devotees, known as sakāma and akāma. Pure devotees are akāma, whereas devotees in the upper planetary systems, such as the demigods, are called sakāma because they still want to enjoy material opulence. Because of their pious activities, the sakāma devotees are promoted to the higher planetary systems, but at heart they still desire to lord it over the material resources. The sakāma devotees are sometimes disturbed by the demons and Rākṣasas, but the Lord is so kind that He always saves them by appearing as an incarnation. The Lord's incarnations are so powerful that Lord Vāmanadeva covered the entire universe with two steps and therefore had no place for His third step. The Lord is called Trivikrama because He showed His strength by delivering the entire universe with merely three steps.
The difference between sakāma and akāma devotees is that when sakāma devotees, like the demigods, fall into difficulty, they approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead for relief, whereas akāma devotees, even in the greatest danger, never disturb the Lord for material benefits. Even if an akāma devotee is suffering, he thinks this is due to his past impious activities and agrees to suffer the consequences. He never disturbs the Lord. Sakāma devotees immediately pray to the Lord as soon as they are in difficulty, but they are regarded as pious because they consider themselves fully dependent on the mercy of the Lord. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.8):
Even while suffering in the midst of difficulties, devotees simply offer their prayers and service more enthusiastically. In this way they become firmly fixed in devotional service and eligible to return home, back to Godhead, without a doubt. Sakāma devotees, of course, achieve from the Lord the results they desire from their prayers, but they do not immediately become fit to return to Godhead. It is to be noted herein that Lord Viṣṇu, in His various incarnations, is always the protector of His devotees. Śrīla Madhvācārya says: vividhaḿ bhāva-pātratvāt sarve viṣṇor vibhūtayaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead (kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam). All the other incarnations proceed from Lord Viṣṇu.
6.9.41
asmākaḿ tāvakānāḿ tatatata natānāḿ hare tava caraṇa-nalina-yugala-dhyānānubaddha-hṛdaya-nigaḍānāḿ sva-lińga-vivaraṇenātmasāt-kṛtānām anukampānurañjita-viśada-rucira-śiśira-smitāvalokena vigalita-madhura-mukha-rasāmṛta-kalayā cāntas tāpam anaghārhasi śamayitum
(41) With our full surrender totally relying on You, oh Father of Fathers, oh Lord Hari, our hearts are chained in love by the meditation on Your two feet that are like two blue lotuses. By the manifestation of Your own form, by Your compassionate smile which is pure, pacifying and pleasing, with the drops of nectar of the very sweet words that emanate from Your mouth, the worries melt away of the ones You have accepted as Your own. You oh Purest One we consider the one eligible to take away our deep pain.
6.9.42
atha bhagavaḿs tavāsmābhir akhila-jagad-utpatti-sthiti-laya-nimittāyamāna-divya-māyā-vinodasya sakala-jīva-nikāyānām antar-hṛdayeṣu bahir api ca brahma-pratyag-ātma-svarūpeṇa pradhāna-rūpeṇa ca yathā-deśa-kāla-dehāvasthāna-viśeṣaḿ tad-upādānopalambhakatayānubhavataḥ sarva-pratyaya-sākṣiṇa ākāśa-śarīrasya sākṣāt para-brahmaṇaḥ paramātmanaḥ kiyān iha vārtha-viśeṣo vijñāpanīyaḥ syād visphulińgādibhir iva hiraṇya-retasaḥ
(42) Therefore oh Supreme Lord, what would we, as sparks of the original fire [the 'golden seed'], now all have to tell You who personally are amused to be engaged in creation, destruction and maintenance with Your divine energy, You who as the Supersoul and spirit of the absolute Brahman resides in the hearts of all the different living beings and externally are present according to time, place and the physical constitution, You whom one realizes as the cause of that what constitutes the [existence and consciousness of the] living being, You, as the witness of all that is going on, as the witnessing itself and the embodiment of the eternal memory of the entire universe [the âkâs'a record]?
The Absolute Truth exists in three phases of spiritual understanding — Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān (brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate). Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the cause of Brahman and Paramātmā. Brahman, the impersonal Absolute Truth, is all-pervading, and Paramātmā is locally situated in everyone's heart, but Bhagavān, who is worshipable by the devotees. is the original cause of all causes. A pure devotee is aware that since nothing is unknown to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He need not be informed of a devotee's conveniences and inconveniences. A pure devotee knows that there is no need to ask the Absolute Truth for any material necessities. Therefore, while informing the Supreme Lord about their distress in being attacked by Vṛtrāsura, the demigods apologized for offering prayers for their safety. A neophyte devotee, of course, approaches the Supreme Lord for relief from distress or poverty, or for speculative knowledge of the Lord. Bhagavad-gītā (7.16) mentions four kinds of pious men who begin devotional service to the Lord — one who is distressed (ārta), one in need of money (arthārthī), one who is inquisitive (jijñāsu) and one who is searching for the Absolute Truth (jñānī). A pure devotee, however, knows that since the Lord is omnipresent and omniscient, there is no need to offer prayers or worship Him for one's personal benefit. A pure devotee always engages in the service of the Lord without demanding anything. The Lord is present everywhere and knows the necessities of His devotees; consequently there is no need to disturb Him by asking Him for material benefits.
6.9.43
ata eva svayaḿ tad upakalpayāsmākaḿ bhagavataḥ parama-guros tava caraṇa-śata-palāśac-chāyāḿ vividha-vṛjina-saḿsāra-pariśramopaśamanīm upasṛtānāḿ vayaḿ yat-kāmenopasāditāḥ
(43) Because You are our Supreme Lord and Master of Transcendence, please arrange for us a position in the shadow of the thousand-petaled lotus flowers that are Your feet, so that we may be relieved of the pain resulting from the dangers and desires of this conditioned existence that made us approach You.
One need only seek shelter of the shade of the Lord's lotus feet. Then all the material tribulations that disturb him will be subdued, just as when one comes under the shadow of a big tree, the disturbances caused by the heat of the scorching sun are immediately mitigated, without one's asking for relief. Therefore the whole concern of the conditioned soul should be the lotus feet of the Lord. The conditioned soul suffering from various tribulations because of existing in this material world can be relieved only when he seeks shelter at the Lord's lotus feet.
6.9.44
tejāḿsy astrāyudhāni ca
(44) Please oh Controller, put an end now to this son of Tvashthâ who is devouring the three worlds and has exhausted oh Krishna, oh bliss of eternal existence [*, see B.G. 4: 4-6], all our strength, arrows and other means of defense.
“The miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me. O best among the Bhāratas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me — the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute."
The four classes of neophyte devotees who approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead to offer devotional service because of material motives are not pure devotees, but the advantage for such materialistic devotees is that they sometimes give up their material desires and become pure. When the demigods are utterly helpless, they approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead in grief and with tears in their eyes, praying to the Lord, and thus they become almost pure devotees, free from material desires. Admitting that they have forgotten pure devotional service because of extensive material opportunities, they fully surrender to the Lord, leaving to His consideration whether to maintain them or annihilate them. Such surrender is necessary. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings, mārabi rākhabi — yo icchā tohārā: "O Lord, I fully surrender unto Your lotus feet. Now, as You desire, You may protect me or annihilate me. You have the full right to do either."
6.9.45
(45) Unto You the swanlike Lord who has His abode in the kernel of the heart where You supervise the actions of the individual soul, unto that manifestation of Krishna whose reputation as a redeemer is so bright, unto Him without a beginning who is solely understood by the pure devotee, unto the path in this world of the friend and refuge that He is, unto the ultimate goal of that elder brother to perform sacrifices for, we offer our obeisances.'
The demigods certainly wanted Lord Viṣṇu to relieve their anxiety, but now they directly approach Lord Kṛṣṇa, for although there is no difference between Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa descends to this planet in His Vāsudeva feature for the purpose of paritrāṇāya sādhūnāḿ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām [Bg. 4.8] — protecting His devotees and annihilating the miscreants. Demons, or atheists, always disturb the demigods, or devotees, and therefore Kṛṣṇa descends to punish the atheists and demons and fulfill the desire of His devotees. Kṛṣṇa, being the original cause of everything, is the Supreme Person, above even Viṣṇu and Nārāyaṇa, although there is no difference between these different forms of the Lord. As explained in Brahma-saḿhitā (5.46):
Kṛṣṇa expands Himself as Viṣṇu the way a bright candle kindles another. Although there is no difference between the power of one candle and another, Kṛṣṇa is compared to the original candle.
The word mṛṣṭa-yaśase is significant herein because Kṛṣṇa is always famous for relieving His devotee from danger. A devotee who has sacrificed everything for the service of Kṛṣṇa and whose only source of relief is the Lord is known as akiñcana.
As expressed in the prayers offered by Queen Kuntī, the Lord is akiñcana-vitta, the property of such a devotee. Those who are liberated from the bondage of conditioned life are elevated to the spiritual world, where they achieve five kinds of liberation — sāyujya, sālokya, sārūpya, sārṣṭi and sāmīpya. They personally associate with the Lord in five mellows — śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and mādhurya. These rasas are all emanations from Kṛṣṇa. As described by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the original mellow, ādi-rasa, is conjugal love. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of pure and spiritual conjugal love.
6.9.46
athaivam īḍito rājan
(46) S'rî S'uka said: 'After by the servants of the three worlds this way with due respect having been worshiped oh King, the Lord, pleased to hear their praises, replied.
6.9.47
(47) The Supreme Lord said: 'I'm very happy with you oh best of the demigods. By your knowledgeable prayers unto Me man can remember Me and be of devotion unto Me as the Original Self of the opulences.
Another name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Uttamaśloka, which means that He is offered prayers with selected verses. Bhakti means śravaṇaḿ kīrtanaḿ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23], chanting and hearing about Lord Viṣṇu. Impersonalists cannot be purified, for they do not offer personal prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even though they sometimes offer prayers, the prayers are not directed toward the Supreme Person. Impersonalists sometimes show their incomplete knowledge by addressing the Lord as being nameless. They always offer prayers indirectly, saying, "You are this, You are that," but they do not know to whom they are praying. A devotee, however, always offers personal prayers. A devotee says, govindam ādi-puruṣaḿ tam ahaḿ bhajāmi **: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto Govinda, unto Kṛṣṇa." That is the way to offer prayers. If one continues to offer such personal prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is eligible to become a pure devotee and return home, back to Godhead.
6.9.48
tathāpi vibudharṣabhāḥ
mayy ekānta-matir nānyan
(48) When I am satisfied one can achieve whatever that is difficult to attain. Still oh best of the intelligent ones, he who knows the truth, having fixed his attention exclusively on Me, does not desire for anything else but Me.
6.9.49
(49) A miserable person [kripana] looking for the material quality of things has no knowledge of the ultimate end of the soul and he who awards the desire for them is not a whit better.
6.9.50
vāñchato 'pi bhiṣaktamaḥ
(50) Someone who personally knows of the supreme goal of life will not tell an ignorant person to build up karma, just like an experienced physician wouldn't give a patient the wrong food, not even when he'd ask for it.
A devotee may foolishly ask for material benedictions, but Lord Kṛṣṇa does not give him such benedictions, despite the devotee's prayers. Therefore people who are very attached to material life do not generally become devotees of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. Instead they become devotees of the demigods (kāmais tais tair hṛta jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ [Bg. 7.20]). The benedictions of the demigods, however, are condemned in Bhagavad-gītā. Antavat tu phalaḿ teṣāḿ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām: "Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary." A non-Vaiṣṇava, one who is not engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is considered a fool with a small quantity of brain substance.
6.9.51
dadhyañcam ṛṣi-sattamam
(51) Oh patron of sacrifice [Maghavan; Indra], good fortune to all of you, go and without delay ask Dadhyañca [Dadhîci], the most exalted of all saints, for his body which is strong because of his education, vows and austerity.
6.9.52
(52) Dadhyañca is someone who has assimilated the spiritual knowledge of purity that is called 'the head of the horse' [As'vas'ira]. He delivered that knowledge to the As'vins who then opened up to immortality [they became jivan-mukhas, liberated souls even in this life **].
The following story is narrated by many ācāryas in their commentaries:
niśamyātharvaṇaḿ dakṣaḿ pravargya-brahmavidyayoḥ; dadhyañcaḿ samupāgamya tam ūcatur athāśvinau; bhagavan dehi nau vidyām iti śrutvā sa cābravīt; karmaṇy avasthito 'dyāhaḿ paścād vakṣyāmi gacchatam; tayor nirgatayor eva śakra āgatya taḿ munim; uvāca bhiṣajor vidyāḿ mā vādīr aśvinor mune; yadi mad-vākyam ullańghya bravīṣi sahasaiva te; śiraś-chindyāḿ na sandeha ity uktvā sa yayau hariḥ; indre gate tathābhyetya nāsatyāv ūcatur dvijam; tan-mukhād indra-gaditaḿ śrutvā tāv ūcatuḥ punaḥ; āvāḿ tava śiraś chittvā pūrvam aśvasya mastakam; sandhāsyāvas tato brūhi tena vidyāḿ ca nau dvija; tasminn indreṇa sañchinne punaḥ sandhāya mastakam; nijaḿ te dakṣiṇāḿ dattvā gamiṣyāvo yathāgatam; etac chrutvā tadovāca dadhyańń ātharvaṇas tayoḥ pravargyaḿ brahma-vidyāḿ ca sat-kṛto 'satya-śańkitaḥ.
The great saint Dadhīci had perfect knowledge of how to perform fruitive activities, and he had advanced spiritual knowledge as well. Knowing this, the Aśvinī-kumāras once approached him and begged him to instruct them in spiritual science (brahma-vidyā). Dadhīci Muni replied, "I am now engaged in arranging sacrifices for fruitive activities. Come back some time later." When the Aśvinī-kumāras left, Indra, the King of heaven, approached Dadhīci and said, "My dear Muni, the Aśvinī-kumāras are only physicians. Please do not instruct them in spiritual science. If you impart the spiritual science to them despite my warning, I shall punish you by cutting off your head." After warning Dadhīci in this way, Indra returned to heaven. The Aśvinī-kumāras, who understood Indra's desires, returned and begged Dadhīci for brahma-vidyā. When the great saint Dadhīci informed them of Indra's threat, the Aśvinī-kumāras replied, "Let us first cut off your head and replace it with the head of a horse. You can instruct brahma-vidyā through the horse's head, and when Indra returns and cuts off that head, we shall reward you and restore your original head." Since Dadhīci had promised to impart brahma-vidyā to the Aśvinī-kumāras, he agreed to their proposal. Therefore, because Dadhīci imparted brahma-vidyā through the mouth of a horse, this brahma-vidyā is also known as Aśvaśira.
6.9.53
dadhyańń ātharvaṇas tvaṣṭre
varmābhedyaḿ mad-ātmakam
(53) Dadhyañca, the son of Atharvâ, delivered his invincible armor [of mantras] controlled by Me to Tvashthâ who gave it to Vis'varûpa. He on his turn delivered this [Nârâyana-kavaca protection in prayers] to you.
6.9.54
yuṣmabhyaḿ yācito 'śvibhyāḿ
tatas tair āyudha-śreṣṭho
(54) [Dadhyañca] the knower of dharma will for your sake provide the As'vins with his limbs upon their request. With them Vis'vakarmâ will create the most powerful of all weapons [de thunderbolt] by means of which, because it is invested with My power, the head of Vritrâsura can be severed.
6.9.55
(55) When he is killed you will all regain your wealth, power, arrows and other means of defense. All good fortune will be yours, because you, My devotees, will not be hurt.'
A devotee of the Lord is never envious of anyone, what to speak of other devotees. As revealed later, Vṛtrāsura was also a devotee. Therefore be was not expected to be envious of the demigods. Indeed, of his own accord, he would try to benefit the demigods. A devotee does not hesitate to give up his own body for a better cause. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, san-nimitte varaḿ tyāgo vināśe niyate sati. After all, all one's material possessions, including his body, will be destroyed in due course of time. Therefore if the body and other possessions can be utilized for a better cause, a devotee never hesitates to give up even his own body. Because Lord Viṣṇu wanted to save the demigods, Vṛtrāsura, even though able to swallow the three worlds, would agree to be killed by the demigods. For a devotee there is no difference between living and dying because in this life a devotee engages in devotional service, and after giving up his body, he engages in the same service in the spiritual world. His devotional service is never hindered.
*: The anachronistic use of the name of Krishna in this context is etymologically explained as the combination of the syllables krish and na, implying respectively 'absolute existence' and 'beatitude' as the characteristics of the Supreme Reality.
*: The anachronistic use of the name of Krishna in this context is etymologically explained as the combination of the syllables krish and na, implying respectively 'absolute existence' and 'beatitude' as the characteristics of the Supreme Reality.
**: In this context the âcâryas tell the following story: 'The great saint Dadhîci had perfect knowledge of how to perform fruitive activities, and he had advanced spiritual knowledge as well. Knowing this, the As'vinî-kumâras once approached him and begged him to instruct them in spiritual science (brahma-vidyâ). Dadhîci Muni replied, "I am now engaged in arranging sacrifices for fruitive activities. Come back some time later." When the As'vinî-kumâras left, Indra, the king of heaven, approached Dadhîci and said, "My dear muni, the As'vinî-kumâras are only physicians. Please do not instruct them in spiritual science. If you impart the spiritual science to them despite of my warning, I shall punish you by cutting off your head." After warning Dadhîci in this way, Indra returned to heaven. The As'vinî-kumâras, who understood Indra's desires, returned and begged Dadhîci for brahma-vidyâ. When the great saint Dadhîci informed them of Indra's threat, the As'vinî-kumâras replied, "Let us first cut off your head and replace it with the head of a horse. You can instruct brahma-vidyâ through the horse's head, and when Indra returns and cuts off that head, we shall reward you and restore your original head." Since Dadhîci had promised to impart brahma-vidyâ to the As'vinî-kumâras, he agreed to their proposal. Therefore, because Dadhîci imparted brahma-vidyâ through the mouth of a horse, this brahma-vidyâ is also known as As'vas'ira.'
Canto6
Chapter 10: The Battle Between the Demigods and Vritrâsura
As described in this chapter, after Indra obtained the body of Dadhīci, a thunderbolt was prepared from Dadhīci's bones, and a fight took place between Vṛtrāsura and the demigods.
Following the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demigods approached Dadhīci Muni and begged for his body. Dadhīci Muni, just to hear from the demigods about the principles of religion, jokingly refused to relinquish his body, but for higher purposes he thereafter agreed to give it up, for after death the body is usually eaten by low animals like dogs and jackals. Dadhīci Muni first merged his gross body made of five elements into the original stock of five elements and then engaged his soul at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus he gave up his gross body. With the help of Viśvakarmā, the demigods then prepared a thunderbolt from Dadhīci's bones. Armed with the thunderbolt weapon, they prepared themselves to fight and got up on the backs of elephants.
At the end of Satya-yuga and the beginning of Tretā-yuga. a great fight took place between the demigods and the asuras. Unable to tolerate the effulgence of the demigods, the asuras fled the battle. leaving Vṛtrāsura, their commander in chief, to fight for himself. Vṛtrāsura, however, seeing the demons fleeing, instructed them in the importance of fighting and dying in the battlefield. One who is victorious in battle gains material possessions, and one who dies in the battlefield attains a residence at once in the celestial heavens. In either way, the fighter benefits.
6.10.1
tatraivāntardadhe hariḥ
(1) The son of Vyâsa said: 'The Supreme Lord Hari, the Original Cause of the cosmic manifestation, after thus having instructed Indra then disappeared from before the eyes of the devoted.
6.10.2
tathābhiyācito devair
ṛṣir ātharvaṇo mahān
modamāna uvācedaḿ
(2) When the son of Atharvâ [Dadhîci], the saint, as was told was beseeched by the godly, the great personality, slightly amused, with a smile said the following oh son of Bharata.
6.10.3
saḿsthāyāḿ yas tv abhidroho
duḥsahaś cetanāpahaḥ
(3) 'Oh souls of God, don't you know that all embodied beings when they die have to suffer an unbearable, intense pain that takes away their consciousness?
6.10.4
(4) All souls struggle to remain alive and the body they desired in this world is very dear to them. Who would be willing to give away his body, even to Lord Vishnu if He asked for it?'
It is said, ātmānaḿ sarvato rakṣet tato dharmaḿ tato dhanam: one must protect his body by all means; then he may protect his religious principles and thereafter his possessions. This is the natural desire of all living entities. No one wants to give up his body unless it is forcibly given away. Even though the demigods said that they were demanding Dadhīci's body for their benefit in accordance with the order of Lord Viṣṇu, Dadhīci superficially refused to give them his body.
6.10.5
puḿsāḿ bhūtānukampinām
(5) The gods said: 'What would there be too difficult oh brahmin, for persons as great as your holiness, whose virtues are sung by all and who are of mercy towards all?
6.10.6
nūnaḿ svārtha-paro loko
(6) People running after their self-interest do not know what trouble they cause to other people. If they would know they wouldn't make their demands. But if one [knows about the misery of others and] is capable of giving, one won't say no but comply.'
This verse describes two people — one who gives charity and one who begs for it. A beggar should not ask charity from a person who is in difficulty. Similarly, one who is able to give charity should not deny a beggar. These are the moral instructions of the śāstra. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, san-nimitte varaḿ tyāgo vināśe niyate sati: everything within this material world will be destroyed, and therefore one should use everything for good purposes. If one is advanced in knowledge, he must always be prepared to sacrifice anything for a better cause. At the present moment the entire world is in a dangerous position under the spell of a godless civilization. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement needs many exalted, learned persons who will sacrifice their lives to revive God consciousness throughout the world. We therefore invite all men and women advanced in knowledge to join the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and sacrifice their lives for the great cause of reviving the God consciousness of human society.
6.10.7
tyajantaḿ santyajāmy aham
(7) The honorable saint said: 'Just to hear from you what would be the dharma [in this matter], I was opposing you. I will give up this dear body for you [though]. I sooner or later have to give it up anyway.
6.10.8
yo 'dhruveṇātmanā nāthā
(8) Anyone who with the impermanence of the body oh Lords, not full of mercy for each and all endeavors for honorability and religious principles, is a person pitiable even to the immobile creatures [like the tolerant trees, see also the S'rî S'rî Shadgosvâmî-ashthaka]!
In this regard, a very exalted example was set by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana. Concerning Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.34):
"We offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of the Lord. upon whom one should always meditate. He left His householder life, leaving aside His eternal consort, whom even the denizens of heaven adore. He went into the forest to deliver the fallen souls, who are put into illusion by material energy." To accept sannyāsa means to commit civil suicide. but sannyāsa is compulsory, at least for every brāhmaṇa, every first-class human being. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had a very young and beautiful wife and a very affectionate mother. Indeed, the affectionate dealings of His family members were so pleasing that even the demigods could not expect such happiness at home. Nevertheless, for the deliverance of all the fallen souls of the world, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took sannyāsa and left home when He was only twenty-four years old. He lived a very strict life as a sannyāsī, refusing all bodily comforts. Similarly, His disciples the six Gosvāmīs were ministers who held exalted positions in society, but they also left everything to join the movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrīnivāsa Ācārya says:
These Gosvāmīs left their very comfortable lives as ministers. Zamindars and learned scholars and joined Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement, just to show mercy to the fallen souls of the world (dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā). Accepting very humble lives as mendicants, wearing no more than loincloths and torn quilts (kaupīna-kantha). they lived in Vṛndāvana and followed Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order to excavate Vṛndāvana's lost glories.
Similarly. everyone else with a materially comfortable condition in this world should join the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to elevate the fallen souls. The words bhūta-dayayā, māyā-mṛgaḿ dayitayepsitam and dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā all convey the same sense. These are very significant words for those interested in elevating human society to a proper understanding of life. One should join the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, following the examples of such great personalities as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the six Gosvāmīs and, before them, the great sage Dadhīci. Instead of wasting one's life for temporary bodily comforts. one should always be prepared to give up one's life for better causes. After all, the body will be destroyed. Therefore one should sacrifice it for the glory of distributing religious principles throughout the world.
6.10.9
(9) By the meritorious ones of renown this much is recognized as the imperishable dharma: dharmic is the soul who laments over the distress of other living beings and feels happy upon their happiness.
6.10.10
yan nopakuryād asvārthair
(10) Away with the misery, away with the difficulty! Because a physical body can perish any moment and be eaten by the jackals it wouldn't help [to hold on to it], it is not there for myself - a mortal is there with his body [in order to give his life] for that what is his own [for what he stands for] and for the ones he knows [his relatives and friends, see also S.B. 10.22: 35].'
etāvaj janma-sāphalyaḿ
"It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words." This is the mission of life. One's own body and the bodies of his friends and relatives, as well as one's own riches and everything else one has, should be engaged for the benefit of others. This is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. As stated in Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 9.41):
"One who has taken birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.
The word upakuryāt means para-upakāra, helping others. Of course, in human society there are many institutions to help others, but because philanthropists do not know how to help others, their propensity for philanthropy is ineffectual. They do not know the ultimate goal of life (śreya ācaraṇam), which is to please the Supreme Lord. If all philanthropic and humanitarian activities were directed toward achieving the ultimate goal of life — to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead — they would all be perfect. Humanitarian work without Kṛṣṇa is nothing. Kṛṣṇa must be brought to the center of all our activities; otherwise no activity will have value.
6.10.11
dadhyańń ātharvaṇas tanum
(11) The son of Vyâsa said: 'Thus decided on the right course of action Dadhîci, the son of Atharvâ, gave up his body in sacrifice for the Supreme, the supreme Brahman, the Supreme Personality [compare 1.13: 55].
As indicated by the words pare bhagavati brahmaṇy ātmānaḿ sannayan, Dadhīci placed himself, as spirit soul, at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this regard, one may refer to the incident of Dhṛtarāṣṭra's leaving his body, as described in the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.13.55). Dhṛtarāṣṭra analytically divided his gross material body into the five different elements of which it was made — earth, water, fire, air and ether — and distributed them to the different reservoirs of these elements; in other words, he merged these five elements into the original mahat-tattva. By identifying his material conception of life, he gradually separated his spirit soul from material connections and placed himself at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The example given in this connection is that when an earthen pot is broken, the small portion of the sky within the pot is united with the large sky outside the pot. Māyāvādī philosophers misunderstand this description of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore Śrī Rāmānuja Svāmī, in his book Vedānta-tattva-sāra, has described that this merging of the soul means that after separating himself from the material body made of eight elements — earth, water, fire, air, ether, false ego, mind and intelligence — the individual soul engages himself in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His eternal form (īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ/ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1]). The material cause of the material elements absorbs the material body, and the spiritual soul assumes its original position. As described by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jīvera 'svarūpa' haya — kṛṣṇera 'nitya-dāsa': [Cc. Madhya 20.108] the constitutional position of the living entity is that he is the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. When one overcomes the material body through cultivation of spiritual knowledge and devotional service, one can revive his own position and thus engage in the service of the Lord.
6.10.12
yatākṣāsu-mano-buddhis
(12) He as a seer of the truth with his senses, life air, mind and intelligence under control, absorbed in trance being situated in the Supreme, was liberated from his bondage and left the world no longer taking notice of his material body [see also B.G. 8: 5].
6.10.13-14
muneḥ śaktibhir utsikto
bhagavat-tejasānvitaḥ
gajendropary aśobhata
stūyamāno muni-gaṇais
trailokyaḿ harṣayann iva
(13-14) King Indra thereafter took up the thunderbolt that was created by Vis'vakarmâ, empowered by the great sage [Dadhîci] and suffused with the spiritual strength of the Supreme Lord. Together riding out with all the other gods while the munis offered prayers, he gloriously sat on the back of Gajendra [his elephant] to the apparent pleasure of all the three worlds.
6.10.15
vṛtram abhyadravac chatrum
asurānīka-yūthapaiḥ
kruddho rudra ivāntakam
(15) Vritrâsura surrounded by the asura chiefs and commanders was with great force attacked as the enemy oh King, just like it happened when Rudra angrily attacked Antaka [Yamarâja].
6.10.16
(16) What followed was a great and most ferocious battle between the sura, the divine, and the asura, the demoniac hordes, which took place at the bank of the [celestial] Narmadâ river at the onset of the first millennium [the Vaivasvata-manvantara] of Tretâ-yuga.
Herein the Narmadā does not mean the Narmadā River in India. The five sacred rivers in India — Gańgā, Yamunā, Narmadā, Kāverī and Kṛṣṇā — are all celestial. Like the Ganges River, the Narmadā River also flows in the higher planetary systems. The battle between the demigods and the demons took place in the higher planets.
The words prathame yuge mean "in the beginning of the first millennium," that is to say, in the beginning of the Vaivasvata manvantara. In one day of Brahmā there are fourteen Manus, who each live for seventy-one millenniums. The four yugas — Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali — constitute one millennium. We are presently in the manvantara of Vaivasvata Manu, who is mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā (imaḿ vivasvate yogaḿ proktavān aham avyayam/ vivasvān manave prāha [Bg. 4.1]). We are now in the twenty-eighth millennium of Vaivasvata Manu, but this fight took place in the beginning of Vaivasvata Manu's first millennium. One can historically calculate how long ago the battle took place. Since each millennium consists of 4,300,000 years and we are now in the twenty-eighth millennium, some 120,400,000 years have passed since the battle took place on the bank of the River Narmadā.
6.10.17-18
rudrair vasubhir ādityair
marudbhir ṛbhubhiḥ sādhyair
(17-18) Oh King, when the demons headed by Vritrâsura were confronted with the resplendent opulence of Indra the Heavenly King with the thunderbolt and the Rudras, Vasus, Âdityas, As'vins, Pitâs, Vahnis, Maruts, Ribhus, Sâdhyas and Vis'vadevas, they couldn't bear the sight.
6.10.19-22
namuciḥ śambaro 'narvā
hayagrīvaḥ śańkuśirā
vipracittir ayomukhaḥ
prahetir hetir utkalaḥ
pratiṣidhyendra-senāgraḿ
abhyardayann asambhrāntāḥ
(19-22) Namuci, S'ambara, Anarvâ, Dvimûrdhâ, Rishabha, Asura, Hayagrîva, S'ankus'irâ, Vipracitti, Ayomukha, Pulomâ, Vrishaparvâ, Praheti, Heti and Utkala and the hundreds and thousands of other Daityas, Danavas, Yakshas, Râkshasas and others headed by Sumâli and Mâli who were all dressed up with golden ornaments, drove back the front of Indra's army that even for death itself was difficult to approach. Fearlessly the Asuras furiously roaring like lions thereupon pained their opponents with clubs, iron studded bludgeons, arrows, barbed missiles, mallets and lances.
6.10.23
śataghnībhir bhuśuṇḍibhiḥ
sarvato 'vākiran śastrair
astraiś ca vibudharṣabhān
(23) The chiefs of the divine forces were from all sides covered by a shower of arrows, spears, axes, swords, s'ataghnîs and bhus'undis [different types of spiked weapons].
6.10.24
puńkhānupuńkha-patitair
jyotīḿṣīva nabho-ghanaiḥ
(24) Like stars in the sky covered by clouds, they couldn't be discerned any longer, completely covered as they were by the downpour of projectiles that from all sides in waves fell upon them.
6.10.25
(25) But the showers of arrows and other weapons didn't reach the armies of the enlightened ones because the demigods quickly cut them midair into thousands of pieces.
6.10.26
atha kṣīṇāstra-śastraughā
(26) Thereupon running out of arrows and weapons they showered a rain of mountain peaks, trees and stones upon them that, as before, were fragmented by the sura forces.
6.10.27
drumair dṛṣadbhir vividhādri-śṛńgair
(27) When the troops led by Vritrâsura saw that their enemy fared quite well under the load of weapons and mantras and that none of them was harmed by the trees, the stones and the different mountain peaks either, they became very afraid of Indra's soldiers.
6.10.28
(28) All the daitya endeavors of time and again waging against the demigods who enjoyed the favor of Krishna were in vain, just as the rough words are of little men when they abuse the great ones.
6.10.29
(29) They who were not of devotion unto the Lord, upon seeing their endeavors fruitless, left defeated in their pride as fighters the battlefield and gave up the fight that had just begun. They whose power had been nullified abandoned the commander [Vritrâsura] who had inspired them.
6.10.30
6.10.30
(30) Vritra seeing how the demons that followed him fled away and how his army was broken and scared away, spoke as a broad-minded hero with a big grin as follows.
6.10.31
kālopapannāḿ rucirāḿ manasvināḿ
mayānarvañ chambara me śṛṇudhvam
(31) Befitting time and circumstances the hero of heroes expressed himself in words that were even attractive to the greatest minds: 'Oh Vipracitti, Namuci and Pulomâ! Oh Maya, Anarvâ and S'ambara! Please listen to me.
6.10.32
(32) All who are born inevitably have to face death, wherever they might exist in the universe. There is no way to counter that in this world which offers someone the opportunity to reach a better world and be glorious. Considering this indeed to be the case, who wouldn't accept a suitable way to die?
6.10.33
kalevaraḿ yoga-rato vijahyād
(33) There are two approved ways to die with honor in this world, and both are very rare. One is to be allowed to leave the body when one engaged in yoga controlling the mind and senses concentrates on Brahman [Paramâtma and Bhagavân], and the other is to take the lead on the battlefield and never turn one's back.'
*: 10.22: 35 It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.
*: 10.22: 35 It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.
(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swamyjis, Philosophers, Scholars and Knowledge Seekers for the collection)
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