Vyasadev
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Chapter 4
Ambarîsha Mahârâja Offended by Durvâsâ Muni
his chapter describes the history of Mahārāja Nabhaga, of his son Nābhāga, and of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa.
The son of Manu was Nabhaga, and his son Nābhāga lived for many years in the gurukula. In Nābhāga's absence, his brothers did not consider his share of the kingdom, but instead divided the property among themselves. When Nābhāga returned home, his brothers bestowed upon him their father as his share, but when Nābhāga went to his father and told him about the dealings of the brothers, his father informed him that this was cheating and advised him that for his livelihood he should go to the sacrificial arena and describe two mantras to be chanted there. Nābhāga executed the order of his father, and thus Ańgirā and other great saintly persons gave him all the money collected in that sacrifice. To test Nābhāga, Lord Śiva challenged his claim to the wealth, but when Lord Śiva was satisfied by Nābhāga's behavior, Lord Śiva offered him all the riches.
From Nābhāga was born Ambarīṣa, the most powerful and celebrated devotee. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was the emperor of the entire world, but he considered his opulence temporary. Indeed, knowing that such material opulence is the cause of downfall into conditional life, he was unattached to this opulence. He engaged his senses and mind in the service of the Lord. This process is called yukta-vairāgya, or feasible renunciation, which is quite suitable for worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, as the emperor, was immensely opulent, he performed devotional service with great opulence, and therefore, despite his wealth, he had no attachment to his wife, children or kingdom. He constantly engaged his senses and mind in the service of the Lord. Therefore, to say nothing of enjoying material opulence, he never desired even liberation.
Once Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead in Vṛndāvana, observing the vow of Dvādaśī. On Dvādaśī, the day after Ekādaśī, when he was about to break his Ekādaśī fast, the great mystic yogī Durvāsā appeared in his house and became his guest. King Ambarīṣa respectfully received Durvāsā Muni, and Durvāsā Muni, after accepting his invitation to eat there, went to bathe in the Yamunā River at noontime. Because he was absorbed in samādhi, he did not come back very soon. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, however, upon seeing that the time to break the fast was passing, drank a little water, in accordance with the advice of learned brāhmaṇas, just to observe the formality of breaking the fast. By mystic power, Durvāsā Muni could understand that this had happened, and he was very angry. When he returned he began to chastise Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, but he was not satisfied, and finally he created from his hair a demon appearing like the fire of death. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, is always the protector of His devotee, and to protect Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, He sent His disc, the Sudarśana cakra, which immediately vanquished the fiery demon and then pursued Durvāsā, who was so envious of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. Durvāsā fled to Brahmaloka, Śivaloka and all the other higher planets, but he could not protect himself from the wrath of the Sudarśana cakra. Finally he went to the spiritual world and surrendered to Lord Nārāyaṇa, but Lord Nārāyaṇa could not excuse a person who had offended a Vaiṣṇava. To be excused from such an offense, one must submit to the Vaiṣṇava whom he has offended. There is no other way to be excused. Thus Lord Nārāyaṇa advised Durvāsā to return to Mahārāja Ambarīṣa and beg his pardon.
9.4.1
nābhāgo nabhagāpatyaḿ
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Nâbhâga, the learned youngest son of Nâbhaga [see 9.1: 11-12, not the uncle also called Nriga nor the Nâbhâga of Dishtha, see: 9.2: 23] returning from a celibate life received [as his share] the father when the elder brothers divided the property [among themselves].
There are two kinds of brahmacārīs. One may return home, marry and become a householder, whereas the other, known as bṛhad-vrata, takes a vow to remain a brahmacārī perpetually. The bṛhad-vrata brahmacārī does not return from the place of the spiritual master; he stays there, and later he directly takes sannyāsa. Because Nābhāga did not return from the place of his spiritual master, his brothers thought that he had taken bṛhadvrata-brahmacarya. Therefore, they did not preserve his share, and when he returned they gave him their father as his share.
9.4.2
tvāḿ mamāryās tatābhāńkṣur
(3) Nābhāga inquired, "My dear brothers, what have you given to me as my share of our father's property?" His elder brothers answered, "We have kept our father as your share." But when Nābhāga went to his father and said, "My dear father, my elder brothers have given you as my share of property," the father replied, "My dear son, do not rely upon their cheating words. I am not your property."
9.4.3
āsate 'dya sumedhasaḥ
ṣaṣṭhaḿ ṣaṣṭham upetyāhaḥ
(3) All these so very intelligent descendants of Angirâ [see 6.6: 19] are today performing a sacrifice but every sixth day after having such a day, o learned one, will they fall in ignorance because of their karma.
Nābhāga was very simple hearted. Therefore when he went to his father, the father, in compassion for his son, suggested that as a means of livelihood Nābhāga could go to the descendants of Ańgirā and take advantage of their misgivings in performing yajña.
9.4.4-5
(4-5) You yourself, recite for those great souls, two vedic hymns relating to the God of the Universe so that they, after resuming their own course, will deliver you the wealth of what remains of the sacrifice of their own property; therefore go to them.'
He then did what his father had told him to and so gave they him the remnants of the yajña before they returned to their own heavenly places.
9.4.6
uvācottarato 'bhyetya
(6) As he was accepting in the riches said some black-looking person who had arrived from the north to him: 'All these riches remaining from the sacrifice are mine!'
9.4.7
mamedam ṛṣibhir dattam
(7) [He replied:] 'They're all mine, the sages have handed them over to me!'
[The black man said:] 'Let us to this head for the son of Manu, your father and ask him', and so inquired he with his father as was proposed.
9.4.8
(8) [Father Nâbhaga said:] 'Everything that belongs to the sacrificial arena, and what remains sometimes is by the sages set apart as a share for Lord S'iva; he is the demigod deserving it all.'
9.4.9
nābhāgas taḿ praṇamyāha
(9) Nâbhâga offered him [S'iva] his obeisances and said: 'As my father said: it's yours, o Lord, and so is for sure all that belongs to the sacrificial arena, o you of Brahmâ [see: 3.12: 6-14], let me bow my head before you, I beg your pardon.'
9.4.10
(10) [Lord S'iva said:] 'All that your father said is true and also is what you are saying the truth; let me, the knower of the mantras, grant you the spiritual knowledge that is transcendental and eternal.
9.4.11
ity uktvāntarhito rudro
(11) Please take all the riches; I give you all that has been offered to me', and having spoken thus, vanished Rudra, the great lord and guardian of the dharma.
9.4.12
gatiḿ caiva tathātmanaḥ
(12) Anyone who in the morning and in the evening with great attention remembers this becomes learned: like a self-realized soul will he be a knower of the mantras and the destination.
9.4.13
nābhāgād ambarīṣo 'bhūn
nāspṛśad brahma-śāpo 'pi
(13) From Nâbhâga was the most exalted and highly celebrated devotee Ambarîsha born; a curse of a brahmin against him failed: it could never ever touch him.'
9.4.14
śrī-rājovāca
brahma-daṇḍo duratyayaḥ
(14) The king said: 'O lordship, I would like to hear about him, that king who was such a sober personality that the so insurmountable power of a brahmin's measure had no effect on him.'
9.4.15-16
(15-16) S'rî S'uka said: 'Ambarîsha, the man of great fortune, meant that, after achieving on this earth consisting of the seven continents an unlimited opulence, that all that is so rarely obtained by many a ruler is as the riches imagined in a dream: coming to one's senses it is all gone; it is the reason because of which a man lands in ignorance.
For a devotee material opulence is insignificant, whereas for a nondevotee material opulence is the cause of increasing bondage, for a devotee knows that anything material is temporary, whereas a nondevotee regards the temporary so-called happiness as everything and forgets the path of self-realization. Thus for the nondevotee material opulence is a disqualification for spiritual advancement.
9.4.17
yenedaḿ loṣṭravat smṛtam
(17) Unto Vâsudeva, the Supreme Personality, unto the devotees as also unto the saints was he as someone who has achieved the reverence and devotion in the transcendental because of which one takes the entirety of this universe for something as insignificant as a piece of stone.
9.4.18-20
vacāḿsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane
śrutiḿ cakārācyuta-sat-kathodaye
śiro hṛṣīkeśa-padābhivandane
yathottamaśloka-janāśrayā ratiḥ
(18-20) He was sure to fix his mind upon the lotusfeet of Krishna, his words upon the description of the qualities of Vaikunthha, his hands to things like cleaning the Lord His temple and to engage his ears in the Infallible. Hearing the transcendental talks, using his eyes to see the deities, the temples and buildings of Mukunda, being physically in touch with the bodies of the devotees, smelling the fragrance of the tulsî leaves at the lotus flower of His feet, to have on his tongue the food offered to Him, to walk his legs to the Lord's holy places, to bow his head to the feet of Hrishîkes'a, to set his desires more to being a servant than to sense gratification, was he as that one man [Prahlâda] who seeks his refuge with the Lord Glorified in the Scriptures.
9.4.21
pare 'dhiyajñe bhagavaty adhokṣaje
(21) Thus in his prescribed duties always of sacrifice unto the Transcendence, the Original One of the Sacrifice, the Supreme Lordship and Him Beyond the Senses, exercised he all the different forms of love for the True One of the Soul and ruled he, directed by the Lord His faithful ones of learning, this planet earth in the past [see also 5.18: 12 and B.G. 5: 29].
As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (5.29):
bhoktāraḿ yajña-tapasāḿ
People are very much anxious to live in peace and prosperity in this material world, and here in Bhagavad-gītā the peace formula is given personally by the Supreme Personality of Godhead: everyone should understand that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the ultimate proprietor of all the planets and is therefore the enjoyer of all activities, political, social, cultural, religious, economic and so on. The Lord has given perfect advice in Bhagavad-gītā, and Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, as the ideal executive head, ruled the entire world as a Vaiṣṇava, taking advice from Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇas. The śāstras enjoin that even though a brāhmaṇa may be well versed in the occupational brahminical duties and may be very learned in Vedic knowledge, he cannot give advice as a guru until he is a Vaiṣṇava.
ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro
avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād
vaiṣṇavaḥ śva-paco guruḥ
Therefore, as indicated here by the words tan-niṣṭha-viprābhihitaḥ, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa took advice from brāhmaṇas who were pure devotees of the Lord, for ordinary brāhmaṇas who are merely learned scholars or experts in performing ritualistic ceremonies are not competent to give advice.In modern times, there are legislative assemblies whose members are authorized to make laws for the welfare of the state, but according to this description of the kingdom of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, the country or the world should be ruled by a chief executive whose advisors are all devotee brāhmaṇas. Such advisors or members of the legislative assembly should not be professional politicians, nor should they be selected by the ignorant public. Rather, they should be appointed by the king. When the king, the executive head of the state, is a devotee and he follows the instructions of devotee brāhmaṇas in ruling the country, everyone will be peaceful and prosperous. When the king and his advisors are perfect devotees, nothing can be wrong in the state. All the citizens should become devotees of the Lord, and then their good character will automatically follow.
yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā
harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā
manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ
"One who has unflinching devotion for the Personality of Godhead has all the good qualities of the demigods. But one who is not a devotee of the Lord has only material qualifications that are of little value. This is because he is hovering on the mental plane and is certain to be attracted by the glaring material energy." (Bhāg. 5.18.12) Citizens under the guidance of a Kṛṣṇa conscious king will become devotees, and then there will be no need to enact new laws every day to reform the way of life in the state. If the citizens are trained to become devotees, they will automatically become peaceful and honest, and if they are guided by a devoted king advised by devotees, the state will not be in the material world but in the spiritual world. All the states of the world should therefore follow the ideal of the rule or administration of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, as described here.9.4.22
īje 'śvamedhair adhiyajñam īśvaraḿ
mahā-vibhūtyopacitāńga-dakṣiṇaiḥ
tatair vasiṣṭhāsita-gautamādibhir
dhanvany abhisrotam asau sarasvatīm
(22) In horse sacrifices executed by brahmins like Vasishthha, Asita and Gautama, worshiped he, everywhere the Sarasvatî river flowed through the desert countries, the Lord of Sacrifice, the Supreme Controller, with great opulence and all the prescribed paraphernalia and remuneration.
When one performs ritualistic sacrifices as prescribed in the Vedas, one needs expert brāhmaṇas known as yājñika-brāhmaṇas. In Kali-yuga, however, there is a scarcity of such brāhmaṇas. Therefore in Kali-yuga the sacrifice recommended in śāstra is sańkīrtana-yajña (yajñaiḥ sańkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ [SB 11.5.32]). Instead of spending money unnecessarily on performing yajñas impossible to perform in this age of Kali because of the scarcity of yājñika-brāhmaṇas, one who is intelligent performs sańkīrtana-yajña. Without properly performed yajñas to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there will be scarcity of rain (yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ [Bg. 3.14]). Therefore the performance of yajña is essential. Without yajña there will be a scarcity of rain, and because of this scarcity, no food grains will be produced, and there will be famines. It is the duty of the king, therefore, to perform different types of yajñas, such as the aśvamedha-yajña, to maintain the production of food grains. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Without food grains, both men and animals will starve. Therefore yajña is necessary for the state to perform because by yajña the people in general will be fed sumptuously. The brāhmaṇas and yājñika priests should be sufficiently paid for their expert service. This payment is called dakṣiṇā. Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, as the head of the state, performed all these yajñas through great personalities like Vasiṣṭha, Gautama and Asita. Personally, however, he was engaged in devotional service, as mentioned before (sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ). The king or head of state must see that things go on well under proper guidance, and he must be an ideal devotee, as exemplified by Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. It is the duty of the king to see that food grains are produced even in desert countries, what to speak of elsewhere.
9.4.23
tulya-rūpāś cānimiṣā
(23) The loyals of penance and experts who as the participants in the sacrifice were the priests to perform for him the offerings, were, dressed up the finest, seen as the unblinking demigods.
9.4.24
śṛṇvadbhir upagāyadbhir
(24) The heavenly existence so dear to even the demigods, was not a thing desired by his citizens who were accustomed to hear and chant the glories of Uttamas'loka, the Lord hailed in the Verses.
A pure devotee who has been trained in the practice of chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord and His fame, qualities, form, paraphernalia and so on is never interested in elevation to the heavenly planets, even though such places are extremely dear even to the demigods.
nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve
svargāpavarga-narakeṣv
"Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, never fear any condition of life. The heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same to a devotee." (Bhāg. 6.17.28) A devotee is always situated in the spiritual world. Therefore he does not desire anything. He is known as akāma, or desireless, because he has nothing to desire except to render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was a most exalted devotee of the Lord, he trained his subjects in such a way that the citizens in his state were not interested in anything material, including even the happiness of the heavenly planets.9.4.25
durlabhā nāpi siddhānāḿ
(25) Because such aspirations are not conducive to the happiness of those who are happy in their constitutional position of rendering service, are the persons who are used to having Mukunda thus in their hearts, rarely after the perfections of the great [see siddhis].
A pure devotee is uninterested not only in elevation to the higher planetary systems but even in the perfections of mystic yoga. Real perfection is devotional service. The happiness derived from merging in the impersonal Brahman and the happiness derived from the eight perfections of mystic yoga (aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti and so on) do not give any pleasure to the devotee. As stated by Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī:
kaivalyaḿ narakāyate tridaśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate
(Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5)
When a devotee has achieved the position of rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord through the mercy of Lord Caitanya, he thinks the impersonal Brahman to be no better than hell, and he regards material happiness in the heavenly planets to be like a will-o'-the-wisp. As far as the perfection of mystic powers is concerned, a devotee compares it to a venomous snake with no teeth. A mystic yogī is especially concerned with controlling the senses, but because the senses of a devotee are engaged in the service of the Lord (hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaḿ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]) there is no need for separate control of the senses. For those who are materially engaged, control of the senses is required, but a devotee's senses are all engaged in the service of the Lord, which means that they are already controlled. paraḿ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (Bg. 2.59). A devotee's senses are not attracted by material enjoyment. And even though the material world is full of misery, the devotee considers this material world to be also spiritual because everything is engaged in the service of the Lord. The difference between the spiritual world and material world is the mentality of service. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaḿ vairāgyam ucyate. When there is no mentality of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one's activities are material.prāpañci-katayā buddhyā
mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.256)That which is not engaged in the service of the Lord is material, and nothing thus engaged should be given up. In the construction of a high skyscraper and the construction of a temple, there may be the same enthusiasm, but the endeavors are different, for one is material and the other spiritual. Spiritual activities should not be confused with material activities and given up. Nothing connected with Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is material. A devotee who considers all this is always situated in spiritual activities, and therefore he is no longer attracted by material activities (paraḿ dṛṣṭvā nivartate).
9.4.26
tapo-yuktena pārthivaḥ
(26)The king of this planet, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, thus performed devotional service to the Lord and in this endeavor practiced severe austerity. Always satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead by his constitutional activities, he gradually gave up all material desiresSevere austerities in the practice of devotional service are of many varieties. For example, in worshiping the Deity in the temple there are certainly laborious activities. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā śṛńgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau **. One must decorate the Deity, cleanse the temple, bring water from the Ganges and Yamunā, continue the routine work, perform ārati many times, prepare first-class food for the Deity, prepare dresses and so on. In this way, one must constantly be engaged in various activities, and the hard labor involved is certainly an austerity. Similarly, the hard labor involved in preaching, preparing literature, preaching to atheistic men and distributing literature door to door is of course an austerity (tapo-yuktena). Tapo divyaḿ putrakā. Such austerity is necessary. Yena sattvaḿ śuddhyet. By such austerity in devotional service, one is purified of material existence (kāmān śanair jahau). Indeed, such austerity leads one to the constitutional position of devotional service. In this way one can give up material desires, and as soon as one is freed from material desires, he is free from the repetition of birth and death, old age and disease.
9.4.27
akṣayya-ratnābharaṇāmbarādiṣv
(27) Mahārāja Ambarīṣa gave up all attachment to household affairs, wives, children, friends and relatives, to the best of powerful elephants, to beautiful chariots, carts, horses and inexhaustible jewels, and to ornaments, garments and an inexhaustible treasury. He gave up attachment to all of them, regarding them as temporary and material.
Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Material possessions can be accepted as far as they can be used in devotional service. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam. Ānukūlyasya sańkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam. In preaching, many things considered material are needed. A devotee should not have any attachment for such material involvements as house, wife, children, friends and cars. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, for example, had all such things, but he was not attached to them. This is the effect of bhakti-yoga. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra ca (Bhāg. 11.2.42). One who is advanced in devotional service has no attachment for material things for sense enjoyment, but for preaching, to spread the glories of the Lord, he accepts such things without attachment. Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Everything can be used to the extent that it can be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service.
9.4.28
tasmā adād dhariś cakraḿ
pratyanīka-bhayāvaham
prīto bhaktābhirakṣaṇam
(28) Pleased with his unalloyed devotional service gave the Lord him for the protection of the devotees His cakra that is so intimidating to the ones opposed [see also 7.9: 43 and B.G. 9: 31].
A devotee, being always engaged in the service of the Lord, may not be expert in self-defense, but because a devotee fully depends on the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is always sure of protection by the Lord. Prahlāda Mahārāja said:
naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās
(Bhāg. 7.9.43)
A devotee is always merged in the ocean of the transcendental bliss of rendering service to the Lord. Therefore he is not at all afraid of any adverse situation in the material world. The Lord also promises, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati: "O Arjuna, you may declare to the world that the devotees of the Lord are never vanquished." (Bg. 9.31) For the protection of the devotees, Kṛṣṇa's disc, the Sudarśana cakra, is always ready. This disc is extremely fearful to the nondevotees (pratyanīka-bhayāvaham). Therefore although Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was fully engaged in devotional service, his kingdom was free of all fear of adversity.
9.4.29
yuktaḥ sāḿvatsaraḿ vīro
(29) Aspiring to worship Krishna together with his equally qualified queen, accepted the king the vow of dvâdas'î [fasting on certain lunar days] for a whole year.
To observe Ekādaśī-vrata and Dvādaśī-vrata means to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Those interested in advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness must observe Ekādaśī-vrata regularly. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa's queen was equally as qualified as the King. Therefore it was possible for Mahārāja Ambarīṣa to engage his life in household affairs. In this regard, the word tulya-śīlayā is very significant. Unless a wife is equally as qualified as her husband, household affairs are very difficult to continue. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita advises that a person in such a situation should immediately give up household life and become a vānaprastha or sannyāsī:
mātā yasya gṛhe nāsti
A person who has no mother at home and whose wife is not agreeable with him should immediately go away to the forest. Because human life is meant for spiritual advancement only, one's wife must be helpful in this endeavor. Otherwise there is no need of household life.
9.4.30
(30) Once at the Yamunâ, at the end of his vow, observed he in the month Kârtika [Oct. - Nov.] for three nights a full fast after which he took a bath and worshiped the Lord in Madhuvana [a part of the Vrindâvana area].
9.4.31-32
mahābhiṣeka-vidhinā
sarvopaskara-sampadā
abhiṣicyāmbarākalpair
gandha-mālyārhaṇādibhiḥ
siddhārthān api bhaktitaḥ
(31-32) According the rules of bathing the deity bathing it [mahâbhisheka] with all paraphernalia for the honoring - nice clothing and ornaments, fragrant flower garlands and other means of worship - performed he the pûjâ with a mind filled with divine love in bhakti unto the greatly fortunate of Kes'ava and the brahmins, to the peace of whom he equally became peaceful.
9.4.33-35
rūpyāńghrīṇāḿ suvāsasām
payaḥśīla-vayo-rūpa-
vatsopaskara-sampadām
gṛheṣu nyarbudāni ṣaṭ
svādv annaḿ guṇavattamam
labdha-kāmair anujñātaḥ
pāraṇāyopacakrame
(33-35) The brahmins, the learned who had arrived at his place fed he, whith the twice-born first, sumptuously with the most heavenly, delicious food after having donated sixty crores nicely decorated, young and beautiful cows with gold covered horns and silver plated hooves, full udders and extra calves next to them. When he to the full of their satisfaction and with their permission was about to observe the concluding ceremony were they all of a sudden confronted with a unexpected visit of the mighty sage Durvâsâ.
9.4.36
pratyutthānāsanārhaṇaiḥ
yayāce 'bhyavahārāya
(36) Even though he came there uninvited showed the king him his respect by standing up and offering him a seat, and asked he him with all regards fallen at his feet whether he would like to eat something.
9.4.37
(37) He gladly accepted that request and next went, in order to perform the necessary rituals, to the Yamunâ to dip into the auspicious water and meditate on the Supreme Brahmân.
9.4.38
muhūrtārdhāvaśiṣṭāyāḿ
(38) That, with less than an hour left before the ending of the dvâdas'î fast that was observed, made the king together with the twice-born wonder what now would be the appropriate notion of dharma in the precarious situation he had ran into:
9.4.39-40
brāhmaṇātikrame doṣo
ambhasā kevalenātha
āhur ab-bhakṣaṇaḿ viprā
(39-40) 'Failing to respect the brahmin sage is an offense as well as not to break with the fast of dvâdas'î at the right time; what now is the best thing to do, what would be irreligious and what not? So let me touch water only so that I correctly may conclude the vow, because, o learned ones, the act of drinking water is considered to be indeed as well eating as not eating.'
When Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, in his dilemma, consulted the brāhmaṇas about whether he should break the fast or wait for Durvāsā Muni, apparently they could not give a definite answer about what to do. A Vaiṣṇava, however, is the most intelligent personality. Therefore Mahārāja Ambarīṣa himself decided, in the presence of the brāhmaṇas, that he would drink a little water, for this would confirm that the fast was broken but would not transgress the laws for receiving a brāhmaṇa. In the Vedas it is said, apo 'śnāti tan naivāśitaḿ naivānaśitam. This Vedic injunction declares that the drinking of water may be accepted as eating or as not eating. Sometimes in our practical experience we see that some political leader adhering to satyāgraha will not eat but will drink water. Considering that drinking water would not be eating, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa decided to act in this way.
9.4.41
cintayan manasācyutam
(41) The great king, after thus drinking water, awaited the return of the brahmin mystic with his mind put to the Infallible One, o best of the Kurus.
9.4.42
kṛtāvaśyaka āgataḥ
rājñābhinanditas tasya
(42) When Durvâsâ had finished the rituals at the bank of the Yamunâ and returned, was he well received by the king but from his insight he managed to figure out what had taken place.
9.4.43
manyunā pracalad-gātro
kṛtāñjalim abhāṣata
(43) Incensed trembling all over, with his face tightened and frowning, addressed he hungry for action the perpetrator standing there with folded hands.
9.4.44
śriyonmattasya paśyata
dharma-vyatikramaḿ viṣṇor
abhaktasyeśa-māninaḥ
(44) 'Alas, this one here, this 'love of all', has mad of his opulence, for everyone to see, transgressed the dharma; not a devotee of Vishnu at all, he thinks he is the Controller Himself!
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has diverted the entire meaning of this verse as spoken by Durvāsā Muni. Durvāsā Muni used the word nṛ-śaḿsasya to indicate that the King was cruel, but Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura interprets it to mean that the King's character was glorified by all the local people. He says that the word nṛ means "by all the local people" and that śaḿsasya means "of he (Ambarīṣa) whose character was glorified." Similarly, one who is very rich becomes mad because of his wealth and is therefore called śriyā-unmattasya, but Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura interprets these words to mean that although Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was such an opulent king, he was not mad after money, for he had already surpassed the madness of material opulence. Similarly, the word īśa-māninaḥ is interpreted to mean that he was so respectful to the Supreme Personality of Godhead that he did not transgress the laws for observing Ekādaśī-pāraṇa, despite the thinking of Durvāsā Muni, for he only took water. In this way, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has supported Ambarīṣa Mahārāja and all his activities.
9.4.45
(45) This man has towards me, unexpectantly arriving here, after welcoming me as his guest, taken food without sharing it with me: I'll show you here and now what the repercussion is.'
A devotee cannot be defeated by a so-called mystic yogī. This will be proved by the failure of Durvāsā Muni's endeavor to chastise Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ (Bhāg. 5.18.12). One who is not a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord has no good qualifications, however great a mystic, philosopher or fruitive worker he may be. Only a devotee emerges victorious in all circumstances, as will be shown in this incident involving the rivalry between Durvāsā and Mahārāja Ambarīṣa.
9.4.46
kṛtyāḿ kālānalopamām
(46) Speaking thus pulled he, red of anger, a bunch of hair out of his head and created he from it a demon that appeared like the fire at the end of time.
9.4.47
(47) As the demon came at him with a trident blazing with fire in his hand and a footstep that made the earth tremble, did the king, seeing him clearly, not move an inch from the spot [compare 6.17: 28].
Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (Bhāg. 6.17.28). A pure devotee of Nārāyaṇa is never afraid of any material danger. There are many examples of devotees such as Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was tortured by his father but was not at all afraid, although he was only a five-year-old boy. Therefore, following the examples of Ambarīṣa Mahārāja and Prahlāda Mahārāja, a devotee should learn how to tolerate all such awkward positions in this world. Devotees are often tortured by nondevotees, yet the pure devotee, depending fully on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is never disturbed by such inimical activities.
9.4.48
(48) The way it by the Original Person of the Supersoul was arranged for the protection of His devotees burned the cakra [that Ambarîsha had received, see verse 28] like fire that angry serpent of a created demon to ashes [see also B.G. 18: 66].
As a pure devotee, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, although in such danger, did not move an inch from his position, nor did he request the Supreme Personality of Godhead to give him protection. He was fixed in understanding, and it was certain that he was simply thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the core of his heart. A devotee is never fearful of his death, for he meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead always, not for any material profit, but as his duty. The Lord, however, knows how to protect His devotee. As indicated by the words prāg diṣṭam, the Lord knew everything. Therefore, before anything happened, He had already arranged for His cakra to protect Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. This protection is offered to a devotee even from the very beginning of his devotional service. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (Bg. 9.31). If one simply begins devotional service, he is immediately protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (18.66): ahaḿ tvāḿ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. Protection begins immediately. The Lord is so kind and merciful that He gives the devotee proper guidance and all protection, and thus the devotee very peacefully makes solid progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness without outward disturbances. A serpent may be very angry and ready to bite, but the furious snake is helpless when faced by a blazing fire in the forest. Although an enemy of a devotee may be very strong, he is compared to an angry serpent before the fire of devotional service.
9.4.49
durvāsā dudruve bhīto
(49) Seeing how the disc moved at him and how his own attempt had failed, began Durvâsâ to run in great fear wherever he could go to save his life.
9.4.50
tam anvadhāvad bhagavad-rathāńgaḿ
dāvāgnir uddhūta-śikho yathāhim
tathānuṣaktaḿ munir īkṣamāṇo
(50) As a snake pursued by a forest fire blazing high with flames ran the muni, seeing how the disc, that wheel from the Lord His chariot, burned his back, quickly to mount Meru to enter a cave there.
9.4.51
(51) But, fleeing in each direction, in the sky, on the earth's surface, in caves, in the seas, in all places hiding with all rulers of the three worlds - wheresoever he went, saw Durvâsâ the acute of His presence [Sudars'ana cakra] that was so frightening.
9.4.52
santrasta-citto 'raṇam eṣamāṇaḥ
(52) Without the shelter of a protector was he everywhere, with a constant fear in his heart, looking for someone who could give him protection. At last he approached Lord Brahmâ: 'O my Lord, o Selfborn One, save me from the fire released at me by the Invincible One.'
9.4.53-54
śrī-brahmovāca
kālātmano yasya tirobhaviṣyati
ahaḿ bhavo dakṣa-bhṛgu-pradhānāḥ
(53-54) Lord Brahmâ said: 'With a flick of His eyebrows will the place where I am, my residence, along with this entire universe at the end of the Supreme Lord His pastimes, upon the desire of Him in the form of time to burn it at the end of one day of my life [a dvi-parârdha, see 3.11: 33], be vanquished indeed. I, Lord S'iva, Daksha, Bhrigu and others under their lead, the rulers of man, the living beings and the demigods - we and all lead by us, who are bowing our heads for the good of all living beings surrendered to the principles regulating our lives, do carry out His orders.'
9.4.55
pratyākhyāto viriñcena
viṣṇu-cakropatāpitaḥ
(55) Turned down by Lord Brahmâ went Durvâsâ, scorched by the cakra, for his shelter to him who always resides on Kailâsa [Lord S'iva].
9.4.56
sahasraśo yatra vayaḿ bhramāmaḥ
(56) S'rî Sankara said: 'We in relation to the Supreme One lack in power, my dear - with us rotating in Him, the Transcendence, can [I and] the other living beings up to the Unborn One, Lord Brahmâ and not even the universes, arrive at such a power; indeed can we nor any of the thousands and millions of our worlds evolve to that degree.
There are innumerable universes in the material world, and there are innumerable Lord Brahmās, Lord Śivas and other demigods. All of them rotate within this material world under the supreme direction of the Personality of Godhead. Therefore no one is able to compete with the strength of the Lord. Lord Śiva also refused to protect Durvāsā, for Lord Śiva also was under the rays of the Sudarśana cakra sent by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
9.4.57-59
kapilo 'pāntaratamo
marīci-pramukhāś cānye
tasya viśveśvarasyedaḿ
haris te śaḿ vidhāsyati
(57-59) I, Sanat and the other Kumâras, Nârada, the great Lord Unborn, Kapila, Vyâsadeva, Devala [the great sage], Yamarâja, Âsuri [the saint] and Marîci, and the others all-perfect in knowledge headed by them, have met the limits of all there is to know, but none of us can fully comprehend His illusory energy and that which is covered by it. The Controller of the Universe His weapon [the cakra] is indeed even for us difficult to handle and therefore should you seek your refuge with the Lord who will not fail you in His auspiciousness.'
9.4.60
tato nirāśo durvāsāḥ
(60) Disappointed went Durvâsâ thereafter to the Supreme Lord His place known as Vaikunthha where He as S'rînivâsa, the Master of the Abode, perpetually resides with the goddess of fortune.
9.4.61
(61) Scorched by the fire of the invincible weapon fell he down at His lotus feet trembling all over and said he: 'O Infallible and Unlimited One, o Desire of the Saintly, o Master give me, this great offender, protection, o Well-wisher of the Entire Universe!
9.4.62
vidhehi tasyāpacitiḿ vidhātar
(62) Not knowing of Your inconceivable prowess have I committed a great offense at the feet of the ones dear to Your Lordship; please be so kind to do whatever is needed to counteract an offense like this o Vidhâta, Lord of Regulation, by whose name, when awakened, even a person destined for hell can be delivered.'
9.4.63
hy asvatantra iva dvija
sādhubhir grasta-hṛdayo
(63) The Supreme Lord said: 'Precisely o twice-born one, I am not self-willed, I indeed am fully committed to My bhaktas; it is because they are devotees that My heart is controlled by the saintly and by those who hold those bhaktas dear.
All the great stalwart personalities in the universe, including Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, are fully under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead is fully under the control of His devotee. Why is this? Because the devotee is anyābhilāṣitā-śūnya; in other words, he has no material desires in his heart. His only desire is to think always of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and how to serve Him best. Because of this transcendental qualification, the Supreme Lord is extremely favorable to the devotees — indeed, not only the devotees, but also the devotees of the devotees. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā: without being a devotee of a devotee, one cannot be released from material entanglement. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu identified Himself as gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. Thus he instructed us to become not directly servants of Kṛṣṇa but servants of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Devotees like Brahmā, Nārada, Vyāsadeva and Śukadeva Gosvāmī are directly servants of Kṛṣṇa, and one who becomes a servant of Nārada, Vyāsadeva and Śukadeva, like the six Gosvāmīs, is still more devoted. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura therefore says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ: ** if one very sincerely serves the spiritual master, Kṛṣṇa certainly becomes favorable to such a devotee. Following the instructions of a devotee is more valuable than following the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly.
9.4.64
(64) I as their ultimate destination am, without My saintly devotees, not for the blissful essence or the Supreme of My opulences [see om pûrnam].
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is self-sufficient, but to enjoy His transcendental bliss He requires the cooperation of His devotees. In Vṛndāvana, for example, although Lord Kṛṣṇa is full in Himself, He wants the cooperation of His devotees like the cowherd boys and the gopīs to increase His transcendental bliss. Such pure devotees, who can increase the pleasure potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are certainly most dear to Him. Not only does the Supreme Personality of Godhead enjoy the company of His devotees, but because He is unlimited He wants to increase His devotees unlimitedly. Thus, He descends to the material world to induce the nondevotees and rebellious living entities to return home, back to Godhead. He requests them to surrender unto Him because, unlimited as He is, He wants to increase His devotees unlimitedly. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is an attempt to increase the number of pure devotees of the Supreme Lord more and more. It is certain that a devotee who helps in this endeavor to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes indirectly a controller of the Supreme Lord. Although the Supreme Lord is full in six opulences, He does not feel transcendental bliss without His devotees. An example that may be cited in this regard is that if a very rich man does not have sons in a family he does not feel happiness. Indeed, sometimes a rich man adopts a son to complete his happiness. The science of transcendental bliss is known to the pure devotee. Therefore the pure devotee is always engaged in increasing the transcendental happiness of the Lord.
9.4.65
ye dārāgāra-putrāpta-
(65) Their wife, house, children, relatives, their very lives and wealth - if they unto Me for the Transcendence gave up on all these in their taking shelter, then how can I be after those things and let them down?
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshiped by the words brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. Thus He is the well-wisher of the brāhmaṇas. Durvāsā Muni was certainly a very great brāhmaṇa, but because he was a nondevotee, he could not sacrifice everything in devotional service. Great mystic yogīs are actually self-interested. The proof is that when Durvāsā Muni created a demon to kill Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, the King stayed fixed in his place, praying to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and depending solely and wholly on Him, whereas when Durvāsā Muni was chased by the Sudarśana cakra by the supreme will of the Lord, he was so perturbed that he fled all over the world and tried to take shelter in every nook and corner of the universe. At last, in fear of his life, he approached Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and ultimately the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was so interested in his own body that he wanted to kill the body of a Vaiṣṇava. Therefore, he did not have very good intelligence, and how can an unintelligent person be delivered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead? The Lord certainly tries to give all protection to His devotees who have given up everything for the sake of serving Him.
Another point in this verse is that attachment to dārāgāra-putrāpta — home, wife, children, friendship, society and love — is not the way to achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who is attached to hearth and home for material pleasure cannot become a pure devotee. Sometimes a pure devotee may have a habit or attraction for wife, children and home but at the same time want to serve the Supreme Lord to the best of his ability. For such a devotee, the Lord makes a special arrangement to take away the objects of his false attachment and thus free him from attachment to wife, home, children, friends and so on. This is special mercy bestowed upon the devotee to bring him back home, back to Godhead.
9.4.66
(66) The way a chaste woman controls a gentle husband, do the saintly, pure and equalminded [see also 7.9: 43], in their hearts firmly attached to Me, in settling for their devotional service, have Me under control.
In this verse, the word sama-darśanāḥ is significant. The pure devotee is actually equal toward everyone, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (18.54): brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāńkṣati/ samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Universal brotherhood is possible when one is a pure devotee (paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ [Bg. 5.18]). A pure devotee is actually learned because he knows his constitutional position, he knows the position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he knows the relationship between the living entity and the Supreme Lord. Thus he has full spiritual knowledge and is automatically liberated (brahma-bhūtaḥ). He can therefore see everyone on the spiritual platform. He can comprehend the happiness and distress of all living entities. He understands that what is happiness to him is also happiness to others and that what is distress to him is distressing for others. Therefore he is sympathetic to everyone. As Prahlāda Mahārāja said:
śoce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyārtha-
(Bhāg. 7.9.43)
People suffer from material distress because they are not attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A pure devotee's chief concern, therefore, is to raise the ignorant mass of people to the sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
9.4.67
sālokyādi-catuṣṭayam
(67) In My service do they automatically achieve the four types of liberation and hanker they, simply being of service, not for the complete [the pûrnam] so that there is no question of other things: in the course of time have they been overcome.
the value of liberation as follows:
muktiḥ svayaḿ mukulitāñjaliḥ sevate 'smān
Bilvamańgala Ṭhākura realized that if one develops his natural devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, mukti stands before him with folded hands to offer all kinds of service. In other words, the devotee is already liberated. There is no need for him to aspire for different types of liberation. The pure devotee automatically achieves liberation, even without desiring it.
9.4.68
nāhaḿ tebhyo manāg api
(68) The saintly are always in My heart and I am verily always in theirs; they know nothing apart from Me and I do not have the least interest apart from them [see also B.G 9: 29].
Since Durvāsā Muni wanted to chastise Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, it is to be understood that he wanted to give pain to the heart of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for the Lord says, sādhavo hṛdayaḿ mahyam: "The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart." The Lord's feelings are like those of a father, who feels pain when his child is in pain. Therefore, offenses at the lotus feet of a devotee are serious. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has very strongly recommended that one not commit any offense at the lotus feet of a devotee. Such offenses are compared to a mad elephant because when a mad elephant enters a garden it causes devastation. Therefore one should be extremely careful not to commit offenses at the lotus feet of a pure devotee. Actually Mahārāja Ambarīṣa was not at all at fault; Durvāsā Muni unnecessarily wanted to chastise him on flimsy grounds. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa wanted to complete the Ekādaśī-pāraṇa as part of devotional service to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore he drank a little water. But although Durvāsā Muni was a great mystic brāhmaṇa, he did not know what is what. That is the difference between a pure devotee and a so-called learned scholar of Vedic knowledge. The devotees, being always situated in the core of the Lord's heart, surely get all instructions directly from the Lord, as confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (10.11):
teṣām evānukampārtham
nāśayāmy ātma-bhāvastho
"Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance." The devotee does not do anything not sanctioned by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it is said, vaiṣṇavera kriyā mudrā vijñeha nā bujhaya. Even the most learned or experienced person cannot understand the movements of a Vaiṣṇava, a pure devotee. No one, therefore, should criticize a pure Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava knows his own business; whatever he does is precisely right because he is always guided by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.9.4.69
(69) Let Me tell you how to protect yourself with this, o learned one, just listen to what I say: with this action of yours have you become your own enemy; now waste no time and forthwith go to him [Ambarîsha] because of whom this happened - you see: the power applied against the devotee is harmful to the one who employs it.
A Vaiṣṇava is always an object of envy for nondevotees, even when the nondevotee happens to be his father. To give a practical example, Hiraṇyakaśipu was envious of Prahlāda Mahārāja, but this envy of the devotee was harmful to Hiraṇyakaśipu, not to Prahlāda. Every action taken by Hiraṇyakaśipu against his son Prahlāda Mahārāja was taken very seriously by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus when Hiraṇyakaśipu was on the verge of killing Prahlāda, the Lord personally appeared and killed Hiraṇyakaśipu. Service to a Vaiṣṇava gradually accumulates and becomes an asset for the devotee. Similarly, harmful activities directed against the devotee gradually become the ultimate cause of the performer's falldown. Even such a great brāhmaṇa and mystic yogī as Durvāsā was in a most dangerous situation because of his offense at the lotus feet of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, a pure devotee.
9.4.70
tapo vidyā ca viprāṇāḿ
(70) Penance and knowledge are the two causes for the upliftment of the learned ones, but practiced by an obstinate person lead they to the exact opposite.
It is said that a jewel is very valuable, but when it is on the hood of a serpent, it is dangerous despite its value. Similarly, when a materialistic nondevotee achieves great success in learning and austerity, that success is dangerous for all of society. So-called learned scientists, for example, invented atomic weapons that are dangerous for all humanity. It is therefore said, maṇinā bhūṣitaḥ sarpaḥ kim asau na bhayańkaraḥ. A serpent with a jewel on its hood is as dangerous as a serpent without such a jewel. Durvāsā Muni was a very learned brāhmaṇa equipped with mystic power, but because he was not a gentleman, he did not know how to use his power. He was therefore extremely dangerous. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is never inclined toward a dangerous person who uses his mystic power for some personal design. By the laws of nature, therefore, such misuse of power is ultimately dangerous not for society but for the person who misuses it.
9.4.71
tataḥ śāntir bhaviṣyat
(71) O brahmin, go therefore to the king, the son of Nâbhâga, to satisfy him, that great personality - then will there be peace.'
In this regard, Madhva Muni quotes from the Garuḍa Purāṇa:
brahmādi-bhakti-koṭy-aḿśād
aḿśo naivāmbarīṣake
naivanyasya cakrasyāpi
tātkālikopaceyatvāt
mohanāya ca daityānāḿ
brahmāde nindanāya ca
brahmādyāś ca nirāśiṣaḥ
mānuṣeṣūttamātvāc ca
brahmāder viṣṇv-adhīnatva-
tathāpy anyāyām uktavān
tasyāpy anugrahārthāya
The lesson to be derived from this narration concerning Mahārāja Ambarīṣa and Durvāsā Muni is that all the demigods, including Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, are under the control of Lord Viṣṇu. Therefore, when a Vaiṣṇava is offended, the offender is punished by Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord. No one can protect such a person, even Lord Brahmā or Lord Śiva.
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