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Chapter Fifteen
Description of the Kingdom of God
TEXT 1
TEXT
maitreya uvaca
prajapatyam tu tat tejah
para-tejo-hanam ditih
dadhara varsani satam
sankamana surardanat
SYNONYMS
maitreyah uvaca--the sage Maitreya said; prajapatyam--of the great Prajapati; tu--but; tat tejah--his powerful semen; para-tejah--others' prowess; hanam--troubling; ditih--Diti (Kasyapa's wife); dadhara--bore; varsani--years; satam--hundred; sankamana--being doubtful; sura-ardanat--disturbing to the demigods.
TRANSLATION
Sri Maitreya said: My dear Vidura, Diti, the wife of the sage Kasyapa, could understand that the sons within her womb would be a cause of disturbance to the demigods. As such, she continuously bore the powerful semen of Kasyapa Muni, which was meant to give trouble to others, for one hundred years.
PURPORT
The great sage Sri Maitreya was explaining to Vidura the activities of the demigods, including Lord Brahma. When Diti heard from her husband that the sons she bore within her abdomen would be causes of disturbances to the demigods, she was not very happy. There are two classes of men--devotees and nondevotees. Nondevotees are called demons, and devotees are called demigods. No sane man or woman can tolerate the nondevotees' giving trouble to devotees. Diti, therefore, was reluctant to give birth to her babies; she waited for one hundred years so that at least she could save the demigods from the disturbance for that period.
TEXT 2
TEXT
loke tenahataloke
loka-pala hataujasah
nyavedayan visva-srje
dhvanta-vyatikaram disam
SYNONYMS
loke--within this universe; tena--by the force of the pregnancy of Diti; ahata--being devoid of; aloke--light; loka-palah--the demigods of various planets; hata-ojasah--whose prowess was diminished; nyavedayan--asked; visva-srje--Brahma; dhvanta-vyatikaram--expansion of darkness; disam--in all directions.
TRANSLATION
By the force of the pregnancy of Diti, the light of the sun and moon was impaired in all the planets, and the demigods of various planets, being disturbed by that force, asked the creator of the universe, Brahma, "What is this expansion of darkness in all directions?"
PURPORT
It appears from this verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam that the sun is the source of light for all the planets in the universe. The modern scientific theory which states that there are many suns in each universe is not supported by this verse. It is understood that in each universe there is only one sun, which supplies light to all the planets. In Bhagavad-gita the moon is also stated to be one of the stars. There are many stars, and when we see them glittering at night we can understand that they are reflectors of light; just as moonlight is a reflection of sunlight, other planets also reflect sunlight, and there are many other planets which cannot be seen by our naked eyes. The demoniac influence of the sons in the womb of Diti expanded darkness throughout the universe.
TEXT 3
TEXT
deva ucuh
tama etad vibho vettha
samvigna yad vayam bhrsam
na hy avyaktam bhagavatah
kalenasprsta-vartmanah
SYNONYMS
devah ucuh--the demigods said; tamah--darkness; etat--this; vibho--O great one; vettha--you know; samvignah--very anxious; yat--because; vayam--we; bhrsam--very much; na--not; hi--because; avyaktam--unmanifest; bhagavatah--of You (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); kalena--by time; asprsta--untouched; vartmanah--whose way.
TRANSLATION
The fortunate demigods said: O great one, just see this darkness, which you know very well and which is causing us anxieties. Because the influence of time cannot touch you, there is nothing unmanifest before you.
PURPORT
Brahma is addressed herein as Vibhu and as the Personality of Godhead. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead's incarnation of the mode of passion in the material world. He is nondifferent, in the representative sense, from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore the influence of time cannot affect him. The influence of time, which manifests as past, present and future, cannot touch higher personalities like Brahma and other demigods. Sometimes demigods and great sages who have attained such perfection are called tri-kala jna.
TEXT 4
TEXT
deva-deva jagad-dhatar
lokanatha-sikhamane
paresam aparesam tvam
bhutanam asi bhava-vit
SYNONYMS
deva-deva--O god of the demigods; jagat-dhatah--O sustainer of the universe; lokanatha-sikhamane--O head jewel of all the demigods in other planets; paresam--of the spiritual world; aparesam--of the material world; tvam--you; bhutanam--of all living entities; asi--are; bhava-vit--knowing the intentions.
TRANSLATION
O god of the demigods, sustainer of the universe, head jewel of all the demigods in other planets, you know the intentions of all living entities, in both the spiritual and material worlds.
PURPORT
Because Brahma is almost on an equal footing with the Personality of Godhead, he is addressed here as the god of the demigods, and because he is the secondary creator of this universe, he is addressed as the sustainer of the universe. He is the head of all the demigods, and therefore he is addressed here as the head jewel of the demigods. It is not difficult for him to understand everything which is happening in both the spiritual and material worlds. He knows everyone's heart and everyone's intentions. Therefore he was requested to explain this incident. Why was the pregnancy of Diti causing such anxieties all over the universe?
TEXT 5
TEXT
namo vijnana-viryaya
mayayedam upeyuse
grhita-guna-bhedaya
namas te 'vyakta-yonaye
SYNONYMS
namah--respectful obeisances; vijnana-viryaya--O original source of strength and scientific knowledge; mayaya--by the external energy; idam--this body of Brahma; upeyuse--having obtained; grhita--accepting; guna-bhedaya--the differentiated mode of passion; namah te--offering obeisances unto you; avyakta--unmanifested; yonaye--source.
TRANSLATION
O original source of strength and scientific knowledge, all obeisances unto you! You have accepted the differentiated mode of passion from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. With the help of external energy you are born of the unmanifested source. All obeisances unto you!
PURPORT
The Vedas are the original scientific knowledge for all departments of understanding, and this knowledge of the Vedas was first impregnated into the heart of Brahma by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Brahma is the original source of all scientific knowledge. He is born directly from the transcendental body of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, who is never seen by any creature of this material universe and therefore always remains unmanifested. Brahma is stated here to be born of the unmanifested. He is the incarnation of the mode of passion in material nature, which is the separated, external energy of the Supreme Lord.
TEXT 6
TEXT
ye tvananyena bhavena
bhavayanty atma-bhavanam
atmani prota-bhuvanam
param sad-asad-atmakam
SYNONYMS
ye--those who; tva--on you; ananyena--without deviation; bhavena--with devotion; bhavayanti--meditate; atma-bhavanam--who generates all living entities; atmani--within your self; prota--linked; bhuvanam--all the planets; param--the supreme; sat--effect; asat--cause; atmakam--generator.
TRANSLATION
O lord, all these planets exist within your self, and all the living entities are generated from you. Therefore you are the cause of this universe, and anyone who meditates upon you without deviation attains devotional service.
TEXT 7
TEXT
tesam supakva-yoganam
jita-svasendriyatmanam
labdha-yusmat-prasadanam
na kutascit parabhavah
SYNONYMS
tesam--of them; su-pakva-yoganam--who are mature mystics; jita--controlled; svasa--breath; indriya--the senses; atmanam--the mind; labdha--attained; yusmat--your; prasadanam--mercy; na--not; kutascit--anywhere; parabhavah--defeat.
TRANSLATION
There is no defeat in this material world for persons who control the mind and senses by controlling the breathing process and who are therefore experienced, mature mystics. This is because by such perfection in yoga they have attained your mercy.
PURPORT
The purpose of yogic performances is explained here. It is said that an experienced mystic attains full control of the senses and the mind by controlling the breathing process. Therefore, controlling the breathing process is not the ultimate aim of yoga. The real purpose of yogic performances is to control the mind and the senses. Anyone who has such control is to be understood to be an experienced, mature mystic yogi. It is indicated herein that a yogi who has control over the mind and senses has the actual benediction of the Lord, and he has no fear. In other words, one cannot attain the mercy and benediction of the Supreme Lord until one is able to control the mind and the senses. This is actually possible when one fully engages in Krsna consciousness. A person whose senses and mind are always engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord has no possibility of engaging in material activities. The devotees of the Lord are not defeated anywhere in the universe. It is stated, narayana-parah sarve: one who is narayana-para, or a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is not afraid anywhere, whether he is sent to hell or promoted to heaven (Bhag. 6.17.28).
TEXT 8
TEXT
yasya vaca prajah sarva
gavas tantyeva yantritah
haranti balim ayattas
tasmai mukhyaya te namah
SYNONYMS
yasya--of whom; vaca--by the Vedic directions; prajah--living entities; sarvah--all; gavah--bulls; tantya--by a rope; iva--as; yantritah--are directed; haranti--offer, take away; balim--presentation, ingredients for worship; ayattah--under control; tasmai--unto him; mukhyaya--unto the chief person; te--unto you; namah--respectful obeisances.
TRANSLATION
All the living entities within the universe are conducted by the Vedic directions, as a bull is directed by the rope attached to its nose. No one can violate the rules laid down in the Vedic literatures. To the chief person, who has contributed the Vedas, we offer our respect!
PURPORT
The Vedic literatures are the laws of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One cannot violate the injunctions given in the Vedic literatures any more than one can violate the state laws. Any living creature who wants real benefit in life must act according to the direction of the Vedic literature. The conditioned souls who have come to this material world for material sense gratification are regulated by the injunctions of the Vedic literature. Sense gratification is just like salt. One cannot take too much or too little, but one must take some salt in order to make one's foodstuff palatable. Those conditioned souls who have come to this material world should utilize their senses according to the direction of the Vedic literature, otherwise they will be put into a more miserable condition of life. No human being or demigod can enact laws like those of the Vedic literature because the Vedic regulations are prescribed by the Supreme Lord.
TEXT 9
TEXT
sa tvam vidhatsva sam bhumams
tamasa lupta-karmanam
adabhra-dayaya drstya
apannan arhasiksitum
SYNONYMS
sah--he; tvam--you; vidhatsva--perform; sam--good fortune; bhuman--O great lord; tamasa--by the darkness; lupta--have been suspended; karmanam--of prescribed duties; adabhra--magnanimous, without reservation; dayaya--mercy; drstya--by your glance; apannan--us, the surrendered; arhasi--are able; iksitum--to see.
TRANSLATION
The demigods prayed to Brahma: Please look upon us mercifully, for we have fallen into a miserable condition; because of the darkness, all our work has been suspended.
PURPORT
Because of complete darkness throughout the universe, the regular activities and engagements of all the different planets were suspended. In the North and South Poles of this planet there are sometimes no divisions of day and night; similarly, when the sunlight does not approach the different planets within the universe, there is no distinction between day and night.
TEXT 10
TEXT
esa deva diter garbha
ojah kasyapam arpitam
disas timirayan sarva
vardhate 'gnir ivaidhasi
SYNONYMS
esah--this; deva--O lord; diteh--of Diti; garbhah--womb; ojah--semen; kasyapam--of Kasyapa; arpitam--deposited; disah--directions; timirayan--causing complete darkness; sarvah--all; vardhate--overloads; agnih--fire; iva--as; edhasi--fuel.
TRANSLATION
As fuel overloads a fire, so the embryo created by the semen of Kasyapa in the womb of Diti has caused complete darkness throughout the universe.
PURPORT
The darkness throughout the universe is explained herewith as being caused by the embryo created in the womb of Diti by the semen of Kasyapa.
TEXT 11
TEXT
maitreya uvaca
sa prahasya maha-baho
bhagavan sabda-gocarah
pratyacastatma-bhur devan
prinan ruciraya gira
SYNONYMS
maitreyah uvaca--Maitreya said; sah--he; prahasya--smiling; maha-baho--O mighty-armed (Vidura); bhagavan--the possessor of all opulences; sabda-gocarah--who is understood by transcendental sound vibration; pratyacasta--replied; atma-bhuh--Lord Brahma; devan--the demigods; prinan--satisfying; ruciraya--with sweet; gira--words.
TRANSLATION
Sri Maitreya said: Thus Lord Brahma, who is understood by transcendental vibration, tried to satisfy the demigods, being pleased with their words of prayer.
PURPORT
Brahma could understand the misdeeds of Diti, and therefore he smiled at the whole situation. He replied to the demigods present there in words they could understand.
TEXT 12
TEXT
brahmovaca
manasa me suta yusmat-
purvajah sanakadayah
cerur vihayasa lokal
lokesu vigata-sprhah
SYNONYMS
brahma uvaca--Lord Brahma said; manasah--born from the mind; me--my; sutah--sons; yusmat--than you; purva-jah--born previously; sanaka-adayah--headed by Sanaka; ceruh--traveled; vihayasa--by traveling in outer space or flying in the sky; lokan--to the material and spiritual worlds; lokesu--among the people; vigata-sprhah--without any desire.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahma said: My four sons Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumara, who were born from my mind, are your predecessors. Sometimes they travel throughout the material and spiritual skies without any definite desire.
PURPORT
When we speak of desire we refer to desire for material sense gratification. Saintly persons like Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumara have no material desire, but sometimes they travel all over the universe, out of their own accord, to preach devotional service.
TEXT 13
TEXT
ta ekada bhagavato
vaikunthasyamalatmanah
yayur vaikuntha-nilayam
sarva-loka-namaskrtam
SYNONYMS
te--they; ekada--once upon a time; bhagavatah--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vaikunthasya--of Lord Visnu; amala-atmanah--being freed from all material contamination; yayuh--entered; vaikuntha-nilayam--the abode named Vaikuntha; sarva-loka--by the residents of all the material planets; namaskrtam--worshiped.
TRANSLATION
After thus traveling all over the universes, they also entered into the spiritual sky, for they were freed from all material contamination. In the spiritual sky there are spiritual planets known as Vaikunthas, which are the residence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees and are worshiped by the residents of all the material planets.
PURPORT
The material world is full of cares and anxieties. In any one of the planets, beginning from the highest down to the lowest, Patala, every living creature must be full of cares and anxieties because in the material planets one cannot live eternally. The living entities, however, are actually eternal. They want an eternal home, an eternal residence, but because of accepting a temporal abode in the material world, they are naturally full of anxiety. In the spiritual sky the planets are called Vaikuntha because the residents of these planets are free from all anxieties. For them there is no question of birth, death, old age and diseases, and therefore they are not anxious. On the other hand, the residents of the material planets are always afraid of birth, death, disease and old age, and therefore they are full of anxieties.
TEXT 14
TEXT
vasanti yatra purusah
sarve vaikuntha-murtayah
ye 'nimitta-nimittena
dharmenaradhayan harim
SYNONYMS
vasanti--they live; yatra--where; purusah--persons; sarve--all; vaikuntha-murtayah--having a four-handed form similar to that of the Supreme Lord, Visnu; ye--those Vaikuntha persons; animitta--without desire for sense gratification; nimittena--caused by; dharmena--by devotional service; aradhayan--continuously worshiping; harim--unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
In the Vaikuntha planets all the residents are similar in form to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They all engage in devotional service to the Lord without desires for sense gratification.
PURPORT
The residents and the form of living in Vaikuntha are described in this verse. The residents are all like the Supreme Personality of Godhead Narayana. In the Vaikuntha planets Krsna's plenary feature as four-handed Narayana is the predominating Deity, and the residents of Vaikunthaloka are also four-handed, just contrary to our conception here in the material world. Nowhere in the material world do we find a human being with four hands. In Vaikunthaloka there is no occupation but the service of the Lord, and this service is not rendered with a purpose. Although every service has a particular result, the devotees never aspire for the fulfillment of their own desires; their desires are fulfilled by rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord.
TEXT 15
TEXT
yatra cadyah puman aste
bhagavan sabda-gocarah
sattvam vistabhya virajam
svanam no mrdayan vrsah
SYNONYMS
yatra--in the Vaikuntha planets; ca--and; adyah--original; puman--person; aste--is there; bhagavan--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sabda-gocarah--understood through the Vedic literature; sattvam--the mode of goodness; vistabhya--accepting; virajam--uncontaminated; svanam--of His own associates; nah--us; mrdayan--increasing happiness; vrsah--the personification of religious principles.
TRANSLATION
In the Vaikuntha planets is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the original person and who can be understood through the Vedic literature. He is full of the uncontaminated mode of goodness, with no place for passion or ignorance. He contributes religious progress for the devotees.
PURPORT
The kingdom of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the spiritual sky cannot be understood by any process other than hearing from the description of the Vedas. No one can go see it. In this material world also, one who is unable to pay to go to a far distant place by motorized conveyances can only understand about that place from authentic books. Similarly, the Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual sky are beyond this material sky. The modern scientists who are trying to travel in space are having difficulty going even to the nearest planet, the moon, to say nothing of the highest planets within the universe. There is no possibility that they can go beyond the material sky, enter the spiritual sky and see for themselves the spiritual planets, Vaikuntha. Therefore, the kingdom of God in the spiritual sky can be understood only through the authentic descriptions of the Vedas and Puranas.
In the material world there are three modes of material qualities--goodness, passion and ignorance--but in the spiritual world there is no trace of the modes of passion and ignorance; there is only the mode of goodness, which is uncontaminated by any tinge of ignorance or passion. In the material world, even if a person is completely in goodness, he is sometimes subject to be polluted by tinges of the modes of ignorance and passion. But in the Vaikuntha world, the spiritual sky, only the mode of goodness in its pure form exists. The Lord and His devotees reside in the Vaikuntha planets, and they are of the same transcendental quality, namely, suddha-sattva, the mode of pure goodness. The Vaikuntha planets are very dear to the Vaisnavas, and for the progressive march of the Vaisnavas toward the kingdom of God, the Lord Himself helps His devotees.
TEXT 16
TEXT
yatra naihsreyasam nama
vanam kama-dughair drumaih
sarvartu-sribhir vibhrajat
kaivalyam iva murtimat
SYNONYMS
yatra--in the Vaikuntha planets; naihsreyasam--auspicious; nama--named; vanam--forests; kama-dughaih--yielding desire; drumaih--with trees; sarva--all; rtu--seasons; sribhih--with flowers and fruits; vibhrajat--splendid; kaivalyam--spiritual; iva--as; murtimat--personal.
TRANSLATION
In those Vaikuntha planets there are many forests which are very auspicious. In those forests the trees are desire trees, and in all seasons they are filled with flowers and fruits because everything in the Vaikuntha planets is spiritual and personal.
PURPORT
In the Vaikuntha planets the land, the trees, the fruits and flowers and the cows--everything--is completely spiritual and personal. The trees are desire trees. On this material planet the trees can produce fruits and flowers according to the order of material energy, but in the Vaikuntha planets the trees, the land, the residents and the animals are all spiritual. There is no difference between the tree and the animal or the animal and the man. Here the word murtimat indicates that everything has a spiritual form. Formlessness, as conceived by the impersonalists, is refuted in this verse; in the Vaikuntha planets, although everything is spiritual, everything has a particular form. The trees and the men have form, and because all of them, although differently formed, are spiritual, there is no difference between them.
TEXT 17
TEXT
vaimanikah sa-lalanas caritani sasvad
gayanti yatra samala-ksapanani bhartuh
antar-jale 'nuvikasan-madhu-madhavinam
gandhena khandita-dhiyo 'py anilam ksipantah
SYNONYMS
vaimanikah--flying in their airplanes; sa-lalanah--along with their wives; caritani--activities; sasvat--eternally; gayanti--sing; yatra--in those Vaikuntha planets; samala--all inauspicious qualities; ksapanani--devoid of; bhartuh--of the Supreme Lord; antah-jale--in the midst of the water; anuvikasat--blossoming; madhu--fragrant, laden with honey; madhavinam--of the madhavi flowers; gandhena--by the fragrance; khandita--disturbed; dhiyah--minds; api--even though; anilam--breeze; ksipantah--deriding.
TRANSLATION
In the Vaikuntha planets the inhabitants fly in their airplanes, accompanied by their wives and consorts, and eternally sing of the character and activities of the Lord, which are always devoid of all inauspicious qualities. While singing the glories of the Lord, they deride even the presence of the blossoming madhavi flowers, which are fragrant and laden with honey.
PURPORT
It appears from this verse that the Vaikuntha planets are full of all opulences. There are airplanes in which the inhabitants travel in the spiritual sky with their sweethearts. There is a breeze carrying the fragrance of blossoming flowers, and this breeze is so nice that it also carries the honey of the flowers. The inhabitants of Vaikuntha, however, are so interested in glorifying the Lord that they do not like the disturbance of such a nice breeze while they are chanting the Lord's glories. In other words, they are pure devotees. They consider glorification of the Lord more important than their own sense gratification. In the Vaikuntha planets there is no question of sense gratification. To smell the fragrance of a blossoming flower is certainly very nice, but it is simply for sense gratification. The inhabitants of Vaikuntha give first preference to the service of the Lord, not their own sense gratification. Serving the Lord in transcendental love yields such transcendental pleasure that, in comparison, sense gratification is counted as insignificant.
TEXT 18
TEXT
paravatanyabhrta-sarasa-cakravaka-
datyuha-hamsa-suka-tittiri-barhinam yah
kolahalo viramate 'cira-matram uccair
bhrngadhipe hari-katham iva gayamane
SYNONYMS
paravata--pigeons; anyabhrta--cuckoo; sarasa--crane; cakravaka--cakravaka; datyuha--gallinule; hamsa--swan; suka--parrot; tittiri--partridge; barhinam--of the peacock; yah--which; kolahalah--tumult; viramate--stops; acira-matram--temporarily; uccaih--loudly; bhrnga-adhipe--king of the bumblebees; hari-katham--the glories of the Lord; iva--as; gayamane--while singing.
TRANSLATION
When the king of bees hums in a high pitch, singing the glories of the Lord, there is a temporary lull in the noise of the pigeon, the cuckoo, the crane, the cakravaka, the swan, the parrot, the partridge and the peacock. Such transcendental birds stop their own singing simply to hear the glories of the Lord.
PURPORT
This verse reveals the absolute nature of Vaikuntha. There is no difference between the birds there and the human residents. The situation in the spiritual sky is that everything is spiritual and variegated. Spiritual variegatedness means that everything is animate. There is nothing inanimate. Even the trees, the ground, the plants, the flowers, the birds and the beasts are all on the level of Krsna consciousness. The special feature of Vaikunthaloka is that there is no question of sense gratification, In the material world even an ass enjoys his sound vibration, but in the Vaikunthas such nice birds as the peacock, the cakravaka and the cuckoo prefer to hear the vibration of the glories of the Lord from the bees. The principles of devotional service, beginning with hearing and chanting, are very prominent in the Vaikuntha world.
TEXT 19
TEXT
mandara-kunda-kurabotpala-campakarna-
punnaga-naga-bakulambuja-parijatah
gandhe 'rcite tulasikabharanena tasya
yasmims tapah sumanaso bahu manayanti
SYNONYMS
mandara--mandara; kunda--kunda; kuraba--kuraba; utpala--utpala; campaka--campaka; arna--arna flower; punnaga--punnaga; naga--nagakesara; bakula--bakula; ambuja--lily; parijatah--parijata; gandhe--fragrance; arcite--being worshiped; tulasika--tulasi; abharanena--with a garland; tasyah--of her; yasmin--in which Vaikuntha; tapah--austerity; su-manasah--good minded, Vaikuntha minded; bahu--very much; manayanti--glorify.
TRANSLATION
Although flowering plants like the mandara, kunda, kurabaka, utpala, campaka, arna, punnaga, nagakesara, bakula, lily and parijata are full of transcendental fragrance, they are still conscious of the austerities performed by tulasi, for tulasi is given special preference by the Lord, who garlands Himself with tulasi leaves.
PURPORT
The importance of tulasi leaves is very clearly mentioned here. Tulasi plants and their leaves are very important in devotional service. Devotees are recommended to water the tulasi tree every day and collect the leaves to worship the Lord. One time an atheistic svami remarked, "What is the use of watering the tulasi plant? It is better to water eggplant. By watering the eggplant one can get some fruits, but what is the use of watering the tulasi?" These foolish creatures, unacquainted with devotional service, sometimes play havoc with the education of people in general.
The most important thing about the spiritual world is that there is no envy among the devotees there. This is true even among the flowers, which are all conscious of the greatness of tulasi. In the Vaikuntha world entered by the four Kumaras, even the birds and flowers are conscious of service to the Lord.
TEXT 20
TEXT
yat sankulam hari-padanati-matra-drstair
vaidurya-marakata-hema-mayair vimanaih
yesam brhat-kati-tatah smita-sobhi-mukhyah
krsnatmanam na raja adadhur utsmayadyaih
SYNONYMS
yat--that Vaikuntha abode; sankulam--is pervaded; hari-pada--at the two lotus feet of Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; anati--by obeisances; matra--simply; drstaih--are obtained; vaidurya--lapis lazuli; marakata--emeralds; hema--gold; mayaih--made of; vimanaih--with airplanes; yesam--of those passengers; brhat--large; kati-tatah--hips; smita--smiling; sobhi--beautiful; mukhyah--faces; krsna--in Krsna; atmanam--whose minds are absorbed; na--not; rajah--sex desire; adadhuh--stimulate; utsmaya-adyaih--by intimate friendly dealings, laughing and joking.
TRANSLATION
The inhabitants of Vaikuntha travel in their airplanes made of lapis lazuli, emerald and gold. Although crowded by their consorts, who have large hips and beautiful smiling faces, they cannot be stimulated to passion by their mirth and beautiful charms.
PURPORT
In the material world, opulences are achieved by materialistic persons by dint of their labor. One cannot enjoy material prosperity unless he works very hard to achieve it. But the devotees of the Lord who are residents of Vaikuntha have the opportunity to enjoy a transcendental situation of jewels and emeralds. Ornaments made of gold bedecked with jewels are achieved not by working hard but by the benediction of the Lord. In other words, devotees in the Vaikuntha world, or even in this material world, cannot be poverty-stricken, as is sometimes supposed. They have ample opulences for enjoyment, but they need not labor to achieve them. It is also stated that in the Vaikuntha world the consorts of the residents are many, many times more beautiful than we can find in this material world, even in the higher planets. It is specifically mentioned here that a woman's large hips are very attractive and they stimulate man's passion, but the wonderful feature of Vaikuntha is that although the women have large hips and beautiful faces and are decorated with ornaments of emeralds and jewels, the men are so absorbed in Krsna consciousness that the beautiful bodies of the women cannot attract them. In other words, there is enjoyment of the association of the opposite sex, but there is no sexual relationship. The residents of Vaikuntha have a better standard of pleasure, so there is no need of sex pleasure.
TEXT 21
TEXT
sri rupini kvanayati caranaravindam
lilambujena hari-sadmani mukta-dosa
samlaksyate sphatika-kudya upeta-hemni
sammarjativa yad-anugrahane 'nya-yatnah
SYNONYMS
sri--Laksmi, the goddess of fortune; rupini--assuming a beautiful form; kvanayati--tinkling; carana-aravindam--lotus feet; lila-ambujena--playing with a lotus flower; hari-sadmani--the house of the Supreme Personality; mukta-dosa--freed from all faults; samlaksyate--becomes visible; sphatika--crystal; kudye--walls; upeta--mixed; hemni--gold; sammarjati iva--appearing like a sweeper; yat-anugrahane--to receive her favor; anya--others'; yatnah--very much careful.
TRANSLATION
The ladies in the Vaikuntha planets are as beautiful as the goddess of fortune herself. Such transcendentally beautiful ladies, their hands playing with lotuses and their leg bangles tinkling, are sometimes seen sweeping the marble walls, which are bedecked at intervals with golden borders, in order to receive the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
In the Brahma-samhita it is stated that the Supreme Lord, Govinda, is always served in His abode by many, many millions of goddesses of fortune. Laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam. These millions and trillions of goddesses of fortune who reside in the Vaikuntha planets are not exactly consorts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but are the wives of the devotees of the Lord and also engage in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is stated here that in the Vaikuntha planets the houses are made of marble. Similarly, in the Brahma-samhita it is stated that the ground on the Vaikuntha planets is made of touchstone. Thus there is no need to sweep the stone in Vaikuntha, for there is hardly any dust on it, but still, in order to satisfy the Lord, the ladies there always engage in dusting the marble walls. Why? The reason is that they are eager to achieve the grace of the Lord by doing so.
It is also stated here that in the Vaikuntha planets the goddesses of fortune are faultless. Generally the goddess of fortune does not remain steadily in one place. Her name is Cancala, which means "one who is not steady." We find, therefore, that a man who is very rich may become the poorest of the poor. Another example is Ravana. Ravana took away Laksmi, Sitaji, to his kingdom, and instead of being happy by the grace of Laksmi, his family and his kingdom were vanquished. Thus Laksmi in the house of Ravana is Cancala, or unsteady. Men of Ravana's class want Laksmi only, without her husband, Narayana; therefore they become unsteady due to Laksmiji. Materialistic persons find fault on the part of Laksmi, but in Vaikuntha Laksmiji is fixed in the service of the Lord. In spite of her being the goddess of fortune, she cannot be happy without the grace of the Lord. Even the goddess of fortune needs the Lord's grace in order to be happy, yet in the material world even Brahma, the highest created being, seeks the favor of Laksmi for happiness.
TEXT 22
TEXT
vapisu vidruma-tatasv amalamrtapsu
presyanvita nija-vane tulasibhir isam
abhyarcati svalakam unnasam iksya vaktram
ucchesitam bhagavatety amatanga yac-chrih
SYNONYMS
vapisu--in the ponds; vidruma--made of coral; tatasu--banks; amala--transparent; amrta--nectarean; apsu--water; presya-anvita--surrounded by maidservants; nija-vane--in her own garden; tulasibhih--with tulasi; isam--the Supreme Lord; abhyarcati--worship; su-alakam--with her face decorated with tilaka; unnasam--raised nose; iksya--by seeing; vaktram--face; ucchesitam--being kissed; bhagavata--by the Supreme Lord; iti--thus; amata--thought; anga--O demigods; yat-srih--whose beauty.
TRANSLATION
The goddesses of fortune worship the Lord in their own gardens by offering tulasi leaves on the coral-paved banks of transcendental reservoirs of water. While offering worship to the Lord, they can see on the water the reflection of their beautiful faces with raised noses, and it appears that they have become more beautiful because of the Lord's kissing their faces.
PURPORT
Generally, when a woman is kissed by her husband, her face becomes more beautiful. In Vaikuntha also, although the goddess of fortune is naturally as beautiful as can be imagined, she nevertheless awaits the kissing of the Lord to make her face more beautiful. The beautiful face of the goddess of fortune appears in ponds of transcendental crystal water when she worships the Lord with tulasi leaves in her garden.
TEXT 23
TEXT
yan na vrajanty agha-bhido racananuvadac
chrnvanti ye 'nya-visayah kukatha mati-ghnih
yas tu sruta hata-bhagair nrbhir atta-saras
tams tan ksipanty asaranesu tamahsu hanta
SYNONYMS
yat--Vaikuntha; na--never; vrajanti--approach; agha-bhidah--of the vanquisher of all kinds of sins; racana--of the creation; anuvadat--than narrations; srnvanti--hear; ye--those who; anya--other; visayah--subject matter; ku-kathah--bad words; mati-ghnih--killing intelligence; yah--which; tu--but; srutah--are heard; hata-bhagaih--unfortunate; nrbhih--by men; atta--taken away; sarah--values of life; tan tan--such persons; ksipanti--are thrown; asaranesu--devoid of all shelter; tamahsu--in the darkest part of material existence; hanta--alas.
TRANSLATION
It is very much regrettable that unfortunate people do not discuss the description of the Vaikuntha planets but engage in topics which are unworthy to hear and which bewilder one's intelligence. Those who give up the topics of Vaikuntha and take to talk of the material world are thrown into the darkest region of ignorance.
PURPORT
The most unfortunate persons are the impersonalists, who cannot understand the transcendental variegatedness of the spiritual world. They are afraid to talk about the beauty of the Vaikuntha planets because they think that variegatedness must be material. Such impersonalists think that the spiritual world is completely void, or, in other words, that there is no variegatedness. This mentality is described here as ku-katha mati-ghnih, "intelligence bewildered by unworthy words." The philosophies of voidness and of the impersonal situation of the spiritual world are condemned here because they bewilder one's intelligence. How can the impersonalist and the void philosopher think of this material world, which is full of variegatedness, and then say that there is no variegatedness in the spiritual world? It is said that this material world is the perverted reflection of the spiritual world, so unless there is variegatedness in the spiritual world, how can there be temporary variegatedness in the material world? That one can transcend this material world does not imply that there is no transcendental variegatedness.
Here in the Bhagavatam, in this verse particularly, it is stressed that people who try to discuss and understand the real spiritual nature of the spiritual sky and the Vaikunthas are fortunate. The variegatedness of the Vaikuntha planets is described in relation to the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. But instead of trying to understand the spiritual abode and the spiritual activities of the Lord, people are more interested in politics and economic developments. They hold many conventions, meetings and discussions to solve the problems of this worldly situation, where they can remain for only a few years, but they are not interested in understanding the spiritual situation of the Vaikuntha world. If they are at all fortunate, they become interested in going back home, back to Godhead, but unless they understand the spiritual world, they rot in this material darkness continuously.
TEXT 24
TEXT
ye 'bhyarthitam api ca no nr-gatim prapanna
jnanam ca tattva-visayam saha-dharmam yatra
naradhanam bhagavato vitaranty amusya
sammohita vitataya bata mayaya te
SYNONYMS
ye--those persons; abhyarthitam--desired; api--certainly; ca--and; nah--by us (Brahma and the other demigods); nr-gatim--the human form of life; prapannah--have attained; jnanam--knowledge; ca--and; tattva-visayam--subject matter about the Absolute Truth; saha-dharmam--along with religious principles; yatra--where; na--not; aradhanam--worship; bhagavatah--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vitaranti--perform; amusya--of the Supreme Lord; sammohitah--being bewildered; vitataya--all-pervading; bata--alas; mayaya--by the influence of the illusory energy; te--they.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahma said: My dear demigods, the human form of life is of such importance that we also desire to have such life, for in the human form one can attain perfect religious truth and knowledge. If one in this human form of life does not understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His abode, it is to be understood that he is very much affected by the influence of external nature.
PURPORT
Brahmaji condemns very vehemently the condition of the human being who does not take interest in the Personality of Godhead and His transcendental abode, Vaikuntha. The human form of life is desired even by Brahmaji. Brahma and other demigods have much better material bodies than human beings, yet the demigods, including Brahma, nevertheless desire to attain the human form of life because it is specifically meant for the living entity who can attain transcendental knowledge and religious perfection. It is not possible to go back to Godhead in one life, but in the human form one should at least understand the goal of life and begin Krsna consciousness. It is said that the human form is a great boon because it is the most suitable boat for crossing over the nescience ocean. The spiritual master is considered to be the most able captain in that boat, and the information from the scriptures is the favorable wind for floating over the ocean of nescience. The human being who does not take advantage of all these facilities in this life is committing suicide. Therefore one who does not begin Krsna consciousness in the human form of life loses his life to the influence of the illusory energy. Brahma regrets the situation of such a human being.
TEXT 25
TEXT
yac ca vrajanty animisam rsabhanuvrttya
dure yama hy upari nah sprhaniya-silah
bhartur mithah suyasasah kathananuraga-
vaiklavya-baspa-kalaya pulaki-krtangah
SYNONYMS
yat--Vaikuntha; ca--and; vrajanti--go; animisam--of the demigods; rsabha--chief; anuvrttya--following in the footsteps; dure--keeping at a distance; yamah--regulative principles; hi--certainly; upari--above; nah--us; sprhaniya--to be desired; silah--good qualities; bhartuh--of the Supreme Lord; mithah--for one another; suyasasah--glories; kathana--by discussions, discourses; anuraga--attraction; vaiklavya--ecstasy; baspa-kalaya--tears in the eyes; pulaki-krta--shivering; angah--bodies.
TRANSLATION
Persons whose bodily features change in ecstasy and who breathe heavily and perspire due to hearing the glories of the Lord are promoted to the kingdom of God, even though they do not care for meditation and other austerities. The kingdom of God is above the material universes, and it is desired by Brahma and other demigods.
PURPORT
It is clearly stated herein that the kingdom of God is above the material universes. Just as there are many hundreds of thousands of higher planets above this earth, so there are many millions and billions of spiritual planets belonging to the spiritual sky. Brahmaji states herein that the spiritual kingdom is above the kingdom of the demigods. One can enter the kingdom of the Supreme Lord only when one is highly developed in desirable qualities. All good qualities develop in the person of a devotee. It is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Fifth Canto, Eighteenth Chapter, verse 12, that anyone who is Krsna conscious is endowed with all the good qualities of the demigods. In the material world the qualities of the demigods are highly appreciated, just as, even in our experience, the qualities of a gentleman are more highly appreciated than the qualities of a man in ignorance or in a lower condition of life. The qualities of the demigods in the higher planets are far superior to the qualities of the inhabitants of this earth.
Brahmaji confirms herewith that only persons who have developed the desirable qualities can enter into the kingdom of God. In the Caitanya-caritamrta, the devotee's desirable qualities are described to be twenty-six in number. They are stated as follows: He is very kind; he does not quarrel with anyone; he accepts Krsna consciousness as the highest goal of life; he is equal to everyone; no one can find fault in his character; he is magnanimous, mild and always clean, internally and externally; he does not profess to possess anything in this material world; he is a benefactor to all living entities; he is peaceful and is a soul completely surrendered to Krsna; he has no material desire to fulfill; he is meek and humble, always steady, and has conquered the sensual activities; he does not eat more than required to maintain body and soul together; he is never mad after material identity; he is respectful to all others and does not demand respect for himself; he is very grave, very compassionate and very friendly; he is poetic; he is expert in all activities, and he is silent in nonsense. Similarly, in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Third Canto, Twenty-fifth Chapter, verse 21, the qualifications of a saintly person are mentioned. It is said there that a saintly person eligible to enter into the kingdom of God is very tolerant and very kind to all living entities. He is not partial; he is kind both to human beings and to animals. He is not such a fool that he will kill a goat Narayana to feed a human Narayana, or daridra-narayana. He is very kind to all living entities; therefore he has no enemy. He is very peaceful. These are the qualities of persons who are eligible to enter into the kingdom of God. That such a person gradually becomes liberated and enters the kingdom of God is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Fifth Canto, Fifth Chapter, verse 2. The Srimad-Bhagavatam, Second Canto, Third Chapter, verse 24, also states that if a person does not cry or exhibit bodily changes after chanting the holy name of God without offense, it is to be understood that he is hardhearted and that therefore his heart does not change even after he chants the holy name of God, Hare Krsna. These bodily changes can take place due to ecstasy when we offenselessly chant the holy names of God: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
It may be noted that there are ten offenses we should avoid. The first offense is to decry persons who try in their lives to broadcast the glories of the Lord. People must be educated in understanding the glories of the Supreme; therefore the devotees who engage in preaching the glories of the Lord are never to be decried. It is the greatest offense. Furthermore, the holy name of Visnu is the most auspicious name, and His pastimes are also nondifferent from the holy name of the Lord. There are many foolish persons who say that one can chant Hare Krsna or chant the name of Kali or Durga or Siva because they are all the same. If one thinks that the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the names and activities of the demigods are on the same level, or if one accepts the holy name of Visnu to be a material sound vibration, that is also an offense. The third offense is to think of the spiritual master who spreads the glories of the Lord as an ordinary human being. The fourth offense is to consider the Vedic literatures, such as the Puranas or other transcendentally revealed scriptures, to be ordinary books of knowledge. The fifth offense is to think that devotees have given artificial importance to the holy name of God. The actual fact is that the Lord is nondifferent from His name. The highest realization of spiritual value is to chant the holy name of God, as prescribed for the age--Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The sixth offense is to give some interpretation on the holy name of God. The seventh offense is to act sinfully on the strength of chanting the holy name of God. It is understood that one can be freed from all sinful reaction simply by chanting the holy name of God, but if one thinks that he is therefore at liberty to commit all kinds of sinful acts, that is a symptom of offense. The eighth offense is to equate the chanting of Hare Krsna with other spiritual activities, such as meditation, austerity, penance or sacrifice. They cannot be equated at any level. The ninth offense is to specifically glorify the importance of the holy name before persons who have no interest. The tenth offense is to be attached to the misconception of possessing something, or to accept the body as one's self, while executing the process of spiritual cultivation.
When one is free from all ten of these offenses in chanting the holy name of God, he develops the ecstatic bodily features called pulakasru. Pulaka means "symptoms of happiness," and asru means "tears in the eyes." The symptoms of happiness and tears in the eyes must appear in a person who has chanted the holy name offenselessly. Here in this verse it is stated that those who have actually developed the symptoms of happiness and tears in the eyes by chanting the glories of the Lord are eligible to enter the kingdom of God. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said that if one does not develop these symptoms while chanting Hare Krsna, it is to be understood that he is still offensive. Caitanya-caritamrta suggests a nice remedy in this connection. There it is said in verse 31, Chapter Eight, of Adi-lila, that if anyone takes shelter of Lord Caitanya and just chants the holy name of the Lord, Hare Krsna, he becomes freed from all offenses.
TEXT 26
TEXT
tad visva-gurv-adhikrtam bhuvanaika-vandyam
divyam vicitra-vibudhagrya-vimana-socih
apuh param mudam apurvam upetya yoga-
maya-balena munayas tad atho vikuntham
SYNONYMS
tat--then; visva-guru--by the teacher of the universe, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; adhikrtam--predominated; bhuvana--of the planets; eka--alone; vandyam--worthy to be worshiped; divyam--spiritual; vicitra--highly decorated; vibudha-agrya--of the devotees (who are the best of the learned); vimana--of the airplanes; socih--illuminated; apuh--attained; param--the highest; mudam--happiness; apurvam--unprecedented; upetya--having attained; yoga-maya--by spiritual potency; balena--by the influence; munayah--the sages; tat--Vaikuntha; atho--that; vikuntham--Visnu.
TRANSLATION
Thus the great sages, Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumara, upon reaching the above-mentioned Vaikuntha in the spiritual world by dint of their mystic yoga performance, perceived unprecedented happiness. They found that the spiritual sky was illuminated by highly decorated airplanes piloted by the best devotees of Vaikuntha and was predominated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is one without a second. He is above everyone. No one is equal to Him, nor is anyone greater than Him. Therefore He is described here as visva-guru. He is the prime living entity of the entire material and spiritual creation and is bhuvanaika-vandyam, the only worshipable personality in the three worlds. The airplanes in the spiritual sky are self-illuminated and are piloted by great devotees of the Lord. In other words, in the Vaikuntha planets there is no scarcity of the things which are available in the material world; they are available, but they are more valuable because they are spiritual and therefore eternal and blissful. The sages felt an unprecedented happiness because Vaikuntha was not predominated by an ordinary man. The Vaikuntha planets are predominated by expansions of Krsna, who are differently named as Madhusudana, Madhava, Narayana, Pradyumna, etc. These transcendental planets are worshipable because the Personality of Godhead personally rules them. It is said here that the sages reached the transcendental spiritual sky by dint of their mystic power. That is the perfection of the yoga system. The breathing exercises and disciplines to keep health in proper order are not the ultimate goals of yoga perfection. The yoga system as generally understood is astanga-yoga, or siddhi, eightfold perfection in yoga. By dint of perfection in yoga one can become lighter than the lightest and heavier than the heaviest; one can go wherever he likes and can achieve opulences as he likes. There are eight such perfections. The rsis, the four Kumaras, reached Vaikuntha by becoming lighter than the lightest and thus passing over the space of the material world. Modern mechanical space vehicles are unsuccessful because they cannot go to the highest region of this material creation, and they certainly cannot enter the spiritual sky. But by perfection of the yoga system one not only can travel through material space, but can surpass material space and enter the spiritual sky. We learn this fact also from an incident concerning Durvasa Muni and Maharaja Ambarisa. It is understood that in one year Durvasa Muni traveled everywhere and went into the spiritual sky to meet the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana. By present standards, scientists calculate that if one could travel at the speed of light, it would take forty thousand years to reach the highest planet of this material world. But the yoga system can carry one without limitation or difficulty. The word yoga-maya is used in this verse. Yoga-maya-balena vikuntham. The transcendental happiness exhibited in the spiritual world and all other spiritual manifestations there are made possible by the influence of yoga-maya, the internal potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 27
TEXT
tasminn atitya munayah sad asajjamanah
kaksah samana-vayasav atha saptamayam
devav acaksata grhita-gadau parardhya-
keyura-kundala-kirita-vitanka-vesau
SYNONYMS
tasmin--in that Vaikuntha; atitya--after passing through; munayah--the great sages; sat--six; asajja manah--without being much attracted; kaksah--walls; samana--equal; vayasau--age; atha--thereafter; saptamayam--at the seventh gate; devau--two Vaikuntha doormen; acaksata--saw; grhita--carrying; gadau--maces; para-ardhya--most valuable; keyura--bracelets; kundala--earrings; kirita--helmets; vitanka--beautiful; vesau--garments.
TRANSLATION
After passing through the six entrances of Vaikuntha-puri, the Lord's residence, without feeling astonishment at all the decorations, they saw at the seventh gate two shining beings of the same age, armed with maces and adorned with most valuable jewelry, earrings, diamonds, helmets, garments, etc.
PURPORT
The sages were so eager to see the Lord within Vaikuntha-puri that they did not care to see the transcendental decorations of the six gates which they passed by one after another. But at the seventh door they found two doormen of the same age. The significance of the doormen's being of the same age is that in the Vaikuntha planets there is no old age, so one cannot distinguish who is older than whom. The inhabitants of Vaikuntha are decorated like the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, with sankha, cakra, gada and padma (conch, wheel, club and lotus).
TEXT 28
TEXT
matta-dvirepha-vanamalikaya nivitau
vinyastayasita-catustaya-bahu-madhye
vaktram bhruva kutilaya sphuta-nirgamabhyam
rakteksanena ca manag rabhasam dadhanau
SYNONYMS
matta--intoxicated; dvi-repha--bees; vana-malikaya--with a garland of fresh flowers; nivitau--hanging on the neck; vinyastaya--placed around; asita--blue; catustaya--four; bahu--hands; madhye--between; vaktram--face; bhruva--with their eyebrows; kutilaya--arched; sphuta--snorting; nirgamabhyam--breathing; rakta--reddish; iksanena--with eyes; ca--and; manak--somewhat; rabhasam--agitated; dadhanau--glanced over.
TRANSLATION
The two doormen were garlanded with fresh flowers which attracted intoxicated bees and which were placed around their necks and between their four blue arms. From their arched eyebrows, discontented nostrils and reddish eyes, they appeared somewhat agitated.
PURPORT
Their garlands attracted swarms of bees because they were garlands of fresh flowers. In the Vaikuntha world everything is fresh, new and transcendental. The inhabitants of Vaikuntha have bodies of bluish color and four hands like Narayana.
TEXT 29
TEXT
dvary etayor nivivisur misator aprstva
purva yatha purata-vajra-kapatika yah
sarvatra te 'visamaya munayah sva-drstya
ye sancaranty avihata vigatabhisankah
SYNONYMS
dvari--in the door; etayoh--both doorkeepers; nivivisuh--entered; misatoh--while seeing; aprstva--without asking; purvah--as before; yatha--as; purata--made of gold; vajra--and diamond; kapatikah--the doors; yah--which; sarvatra--everywhere; te--they; avisa-maya--without any sense of discrimination; munayah--the great sages; sva-drstya--out of their own will; ye--who; sancaranti--move; avihatah--without being checked; vigata--without; abhisankah--doubt.
TRANSLATION
The great sages, headed by Sanaka, had opened doors everywhere. They had no idea of "ours" and "theirs." With open minds, they entered the seventh door out of their own will, just as they had passed through the six other doors, which were made of gold and diamonds.
PURPORT
The great sages--namely, Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumara--although very old in years, maintained themselves eternally as small children. They were not at all duplicitous, and they entered the doors exactly as little children enter places without any idea of what it is to trespass. That is a child's nature. A child can enter any place, and no one checks him. Indeed, a child is generally welcome in his attempts to go places, but if it so happens that a child is checked from entering a door, he naturally becomes very sorry and angry. That is the nature of a child. In this case, the same thing happened. The childlike saintly personalities entered all the six doors of the palace, and no one checked them; therefore when they attempted to enter the seventh door and were forbidden by the doormen, who checked them with their sticks, they naturally became very angry and sorrowful. An ordinary child would cry, but because these were not ordinary children, they immediately made preparations to punish the doormen, for the doormen had committed a great offense. Even to this day a saintly person is never checked from entering anyone's door in India.
TEXT 30
TEXT
tan viksya vata-rasanams caturah kumaran
vrddhan dasardha-vayaso viditatma-tattvan
vetrena caskhalayatam atad-arhanams tau
tejo vihasya bhagavat-pratikula-silau
SYNONYMS
tan--them; viksya--after seeing; vata-rasanan--naked; caturah--four; kumaran--boys; vrddhan--aged; dasa-ardha--five years; vayasah--appearing as of the age; vidita--had realized; atma-tattvan--the truth of the self; vetrena--with their staffs; ca--also; askhalayatam--forbade; a-tat-arhanan--not deserving such from them; tau--those two porters; tejah--glories; vihasya--disregarding the etiquette; bhagavat-pratikula-silau--having a nature displeasing to the Lord.
TRANSLATION
The four boy-sages, who had nothing to cover their bodies but the atmosphere, looked only five years old, even though they were the oldest of all living creatures and had realized the truth of the self. But when the porters, who happened to possess a disposition quite unpalatable to the Lord, saw the sages, they blocked their way with their staffs, despising their glories, although the sages did not deserve such treatment at their hands.
PURPORT
The four sages were the first-born sons of Brahma. Therefore all other living entities, including Lord Siva, are born later and are therefore younger than the four Kumaras. Although they looked like five-year-old boys and traveled naked, the Kumaras were older than all other living creatures and had realized the truth of the self. Such saints were not to be forbidden to enter the kingdom of Vaikuntha, but by chance the doormen objected to their entrance. This was not fitting. The Lord is always anxious to serve sages like the Kumaras, but in spite of knowing this fact, the doormen, astonishingly and outrageously, prohibited them from entering.
TEXT 31
TEXT
tabhyam misatsv animisesu nisidhyamanah
svarhattama hy api hareh pratihara-pabhyam
ucuh suhrttama-didrksita-bhanga isat
kamanujena sahasa ta upaplutaksah
SYNONYMS
tabhyam--by those two porters; misatsu--while looking on; animisesu--demigods living in Vaikuntha; nisidhyamanah--being forbidden; su-arhattamah--by far the fittest persons; hi api--although; hareh--of Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pratihara-pabhyam--by the two doorkeepers; ucuh--said; suhrt-tama--most beloved; didrksita--eagerness to see; bhange--hindrance; isat--slight; kama-anujena--by the younger brother of lust (anger); sahasa--suddenly; te--those great sages; upapluta--agitated; aksah--eyes.
TRANSLATION
When the Kumaras, although by far the fittest persons, were thus forbidden entrance by the two chief doorkeepers of Sri Hari while other divinities looked on, their eyes suddenly turned red because of anger due to their great eagerness to see their most beloved master, Sri Hari, the Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
According to the Vedic system, a sannyasi, a person in the renounced order of life, is dressed in saffron-colored garments. This saffron dress is practically a passport for the mendicant and sannyasi to go anywhere. The sannyasi's duty is to enlighten people in Krsna consciousness. Those in the renounced order of life have no other business but preaching the glories and supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Vedic sociological conception is that a sannyasi should not be restricted; he is allowed to go anywhere and everywhere he wants, and he is not refused any gift he might demand from a householder. The four Kumaras came to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead Narayana. The word suhrttama, "best of all friends," is important. As Lord Krsna states in the Bhagavad-gita, He is the best friend of all living entities. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. No one can be a greater well-wishing friend to any living entity than the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is so kindly disposed towards everyone that in spite of our completely forgetting our relationship with the Supreme Lord, He comes Himself--sometimes personally, as Lord Krsna appeared on this earth, and sometimes as His devotee, as did Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu--and sometimes He sends His bona fide devotees to reclaim all the fallen souls. Therefore, He is the greatest well-wishing friend of everyone, and the Kumaras wanted to see Him. The doorkeepers should have known that the four sages had no other business, and therefore to restrict them from entering the palace was not apt.
In this verse it is figuratively stated that the younger brother of desire suddenly appeared in person when the sages were forbidden to see their most beloved Personality of Godhead. The younger brother of desire is anger. If one's desire is not fulfilled, the younger brother, anger, follows. Here we can mark that even great saintly persons like the Kumaras were also angry, but they were not angry for their personal interests. They were angry because they were forbidden to enter the palace to see the Personality of Godhead. Therefore the theory that in the perfectional stage one should not have anger is not supported in this verse. Anger will continue even in the liberated stage. These four mendicant brothers, the Kumaras, were considered liberated persons, but still they were angry because they were restricted in their service to the Lord. The difference between the anger of an ordinary person and that of a liberated person is that an ordinary person becomes angry because his sense desires are not being fulfilled, whereas a liberated person like the Kumaras becomes angry when restricted in the discharge of duties for serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In the previous verse it has been clearly mentioned that the Kumaras were liberated persons. Viditatma-tattva means "one who understands the truth of self-realization." One who does not understand the truth of self-realization is called ignorant, but one who understands the self, the Superself, their interrelation, and activities in self-realization is called viditatma-tattva. Although the Kumaras were already liberated persons, they nevertheless became angry. This point is very important. Becoming liberated does not necessitate losing one's sensual activities. Sense activities continue even in the liberated stage. The difference is, however, that sense activities in liberation are accepted only in connection with Krsna consciousness, whereas sense activities in the conditioned stage are enacted for personal sense gratification.
TEXT 32
TEXT
munaya ucuh
ko vam ihaitya bhagavat-paricaryayoccais
tad-dharminam nivasatam visamah svabhavah
tasmin prasanta-puruse gata-vigrahe vam
ko vatmavat kuhakayoh parisankaniyah
SYNONYMS
munayah--the great sages; ucuh--said; kah--who; vam--you two; iha--in Vaikuntha; etya--having attained; bhagavat--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; paricaryaya--by the service; uccaih--having been developed by past pious actions; tat-dharminam--of the devotees; nivasatam--dwelling in Vaikuntha; visamah--discordant; svabhavah--mentality; tasmin--in the Supreme Lord; prasanta-puruse--without anxieties; gata-vigrahe--without any enemy; vam--of you two; kah--who; va--or; atma-vat--like yourselves; kuhakayoh--maintaining duplicity; parisankaniyah--not becoming trustworthy.
TRANSLATION
The sages said: Who are these two persons who have developed such a discordant mentality even though they are posted in the service of the Lord in the highest position and are expected to have developed the same qualities as the Lord? How are these two persons living in Vaikuntha? Where is the possibility of an enemy's coming into this kingdom of God? The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no enemy. Who could be envious of Him? Probably these two persons are imposters; therefore they suspect others to be like themselves.
PURPORT
The difference between the inhabitants of a Vaikuntha planet and those of a material planet is that in Vaikuntha all the residents engage in the service of the Lord Himself and are equipped with all His good qualities. It has been analyzed by great personalities that when a conditioned soul is liberated and becomes a devotee, about seventy-nine percent of all the good qualities of the Lord develop in his person. Therefore in the Vaikuntha world there is no question of enmity between the Lord and the residents. Here in this material world the citizens may be inimical to the chief executives or heads of state, but in Vaikuntha there is no such mentality. One is not allowed to enter Vaikuntha unless he has completely developed the good qualities. The basic principle of goodness is to accept subordination to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The sages, therefore, were surprised to see that the two doormen who checked them from entering the palace were not exactly like the residents of Vaikunthaloka. It may be said that a doorman's duty is to determine who should be allowed to enter the palace and who should not. But that is not relevant in this matter because no one is allowed to enter the Vaikuntha planets unless he has developed one hundred percent his mentality of devotional service to the Supreme Lord. No enemy of the Lord can enter Vaikunthaloka. The Kumaras concluded that the only reason for the doormen's checking them was that the doormen themselves were imposters.
TEXT 33
TEXT
na hy antaram bhagavatiha samasta-kuksav
atmanam atmani nabho nabhasiva dhirah
pasyanti yatra yuvayoh sura-linginoh kim
vyutpaditam hy udara-bhedi bhayam yato 'sya
SYNONYMS
na--not; hi--because; antaram--distinction; bhagavati--in the Supreme Personality of Godhead; iha--here; samasta-kuksau--everything is within the abdomen; atmanam--the living entity; atmani--in the Supersoul; nabhah--the small quantity of air; nabhasi--within the whole air; iva--as; dhirah--the learned; pasyanti--see; yatra--in whom; yuvayoh--of you two; sura-linginoh--dressed like inhabitants of Vaikuntha; kim--how; vyutpaditam--awakened, developed; hi--certainly; udara-bhedi--distinction between the body and the soul; bhayam--fearfulness; yatah--wherefrom; asya--of the Supreme Lord.
TRANSLATION
In the Vaikuntha world there is complete harmony between the residents and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as there is complete harmony within space between the big and the small skies. Why then is there a seed of fear in this field of harmony? These two persons are dressed like inhabitants of Vaikuntha, but wherefrom can their disharmony come into existence?
PURPORT
Just as there are different departments in each state in this material world--the civil department and the criminal department--so, in God's creation, there are two departments of existence. As in the material world we find that the criminal department is far, far smaller than the civil department, so this material world, which is considered the criminal department, is one fourth of the entire creation of the Lord. All living entities who are residents of the material universes are considered to be more or less criminals because they do not wish to abide by the order of the Lord or they are against the harmonious activities of God's will. The principle of creation is that the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, is by nature joyful, and He becomes many in order to enhance His transcendental joy. The living entities like ourselves, being part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, are meant to satisfy the senses of the Lord. Thus, whenever there is a discrepancy in that harmony, immediately the living entity is entrapped by maya, or illusion.
The external energy of the Lord is called the material world, and the kingdom of the internal energy of the Lord is called Vaikuntha, or the kingdom of God. In the Vaikuntha world there is no disharmony between the Lord and the residents. Therefore God's creation in the Vaikuntha world is perfect. There is no cause of fear. The entire kingdom of God is such a completely harmonious unit that there is no possibility of enmity. Everything there is absolute. Just as there are many physiological constructions within the body yet they work in one order for the satisfaction of the stomach, and just as in a machine there are hundreds and thousands of parts yet they run in harmony to fulfill the function of the machine, in the Vaikuntha planets the Lord is perfect, and the inhabitants also perfectly engage in the service of the Lord.
The Mayavadi philosophers, the impersonalists, interpret this verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam to mean that the small sky and the big sky are one, but this idea cannot stand. The example of the big sky and the small skies is also applicable within a person's body. The big sky is the body itself, and the intestines and other parts of the body occupy the small sky. Each and every part of the body has individuality, even though occupying a small part of the total body. Similarly, the whole creation is the body of the Supreme Lord, and we created beings, or anything that is created, are but a small part of that body. The parts of the body are never equal to the whole. This is never possible. In Bhagavad-gita it is said that the living entities, who are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, are eternally parts and parcels. According to the Mayavadi philosophers, the living entity in illusion considers himself part and parcel although he is actually one and the same as the supreme whole. This theory is not valid. The oneness of the whole and the part is in their quality. The qualitative oneness of the small and large portions of the sky does not imply that the small sky becomes the big sky.
There is no cause for the politics of divide and rule in the Vaikuntha planets; there is no fear, because of the united interests of the Lord and the residents. Maya means disharmony between the living entities and the Supreme Lord, and Vaikuntha means harmony between them. Actually all living entities are provided for and maintained by the Lord because He is the supreme living entity. But foolish creatures, although actually under the control of the supreme living entity, defy His existence, and that state is called maya. Sometimes they deny that there is such a being as God. They say, "Everything is void." And sometimes they deny Him in a different way: "There may be a God, but He has no form." Both these conceptions arise from the rebellious condition of the living entity. As long as this rebellious condition prevails, the material world will continue in disharmony.
Harmony or disharmony is realized because of the law and order of a particular place. Religion is the law and order of the Supreme Lord. In the Srimad Bhagavad-gita we find that religion means devotional service, or Krsna consciousness. Krsna says, "Give up all other religious principles and simply become a soul surrendered unto Me." This is religion. When one is fully conscious that Krsna is the supreme enjoyer and Supreme Lord and one acts accordingly, that is real religion. Anything which goes against this principle is not religion. Krsna therefore says: "Just give up all other religious principles." In the spiritual world this religious principle of Krsna consciousness is maintained in harmony, and therefore that world is called Vaikuntha. If the same principles can be adopted here, wholly or partially, then it is also Vaikuntha. So it is with any society, such as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness: If the members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, putting faith in Krsna as the center, live in harmony according to the order and principles of Bhagavad-gita, then they are living in Vaikuntha, not in this material world.
TEXT 34
TEXT
tad vam amusya paramasya vikuntha-bhartuh
kartum prakrstam iha dhimahi manda-dhibhyam
lokan ito vrajatam antara-bhava-drstya
papiyasas traya ime ripavo 'sya yatra
SYNONYMS
tat--therefore; vam--unto these two; amusya--of Him; paramasya--the Supreme; vikuntha-bhartuh--the Lord of Vaikuntha; kartum--to bestow; prakrstam--benefit; iha--in the matter of this offense; dhimahi--let us consider; manda-dhibhyam--those whose intelligence is not very nice; lokan--to the material world; itah--from this place (Vaikuntha); vrajatam--go; antara-bhava--duality; drstya--on account of seeing; papiyasah--sinful; trayah--three; ime--these; ripavah--enemies; asya--of a living entity; yatra--where.
TRANSLATION
Therefore let us consider how these two contaminated persons should be punished. The punishment should be apt, for thus benefit can eventually be bestowed upon them. Since they find duality in the existence of Vaikuntha life, they are contaminated and should be removed from this place to the material world, where the living entities have three kinds of enemies.
PURPORT
The reason why pure souls come into the existential circumstances of the material world, which is considered to be the criminal department of the Supreme Lord, is stated in Bhagavad-gita, Seventh Chapter, verse 27. It is stated that as long as a living entity is pure, he is in complete harmony with the desires of the Supreme Lord, but as soon as he becomes impure he is in disharmony with the desires of the Lord. By contamination he is forced to transfer to this material world, where the living entities have three enemies, namely desire, anger and lust. These three enemies force the living entities to continue material existence, and when one is free from them he is eligible to enter the kingdom of God. One should not, therefore, be angry in the absence of an opportunity for sense gratification, and one should not be lusty to acquire more than necessary. In this verse it is clearly stated that the two doormen should be sent into the material world, where criminals are allowed to reside. Since the basic principles of criminality are sense gratification, anger and unnecessary lust, persons conducted by these three enemies of the living entity are never promoted to Vaikunthaloka. People should learn Bhagavad-gita and accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, as the Lord of everything; they should practice satisfying the senses of the Supreme Lord instead of trying to satisfy their own senses. Training in Krsna consciousness will help one be promoted to Vaikuntha.
TEXT 35
TEXT
tesam itiritam ubhav avadharya ghoram
tam brahma-dandam anivaranam astra-pugaih
sadyo harer anucarav uru bibhyatas tat-
pada-grahav apatatam atikatarena
SYNONYMS
tesam--of the four Kumaras; iti--thus; iritam--uttered; ubhau--both doorkeepers; avadharya--understanding; ghoram--terrible; tam--that; brahma-dandam--curse of a brahmana; anivaranam--not able to be counteracted; astra-pugaih--by any kind of weapon; sadyah--at once; hareh--of the Supreme Lord; anucarau--devotees; uru--very much; bibhyatah--became fearful; tat-pada-grahau--grasping their feet; apatatam--fell down; ati-katarena--in great anxiety.
TRANSLATION
When the doormen of Vaikunthaloka, who were certainly devotees of the Lord, found that they were going to be cursed by the brahmanas, they at once became very much afraid and fell down at the feet of the brahmanas in great anxiety, for a brahmana's curse cannot be counteracted by any kind of weapon.
PURPORT
Although, by chance, the doormen committed a mistake by checking the brahmanas from entering the gate of Vaikuntha, they were at once aware of the gravity of the curse. There are many kinds of offenses, but the greatest offense is to offend a devotee of the Lord. Because the doormen were also devotees of the Lord, they were able to understand their mistake and were terrified when the four Kumaras were ready to curse them.
TEXT 36
TEXT
bhuyad aghoni bhagavadbhir akari dando
yo nau hareta sura-helanam apy asesam
ma vo 'nutapa-kalaya bhagavat-smrti-ghno
moho bhaved iha tu nau vrajator adho 'dhah
SYNONYMS
bhuyat--let it be; aghoni--for the sinful; bhagavadbhih--by you; akari--was done; dandah--punishment; yah--that which; nau--in relation to us; hareta--should destroy; sura-helanam--disobeying great demigods; api--certainly; asesam--unlimited; ma--not; vah--of you; anutapa--repentance; kalaya--by a little; bhagavat--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; smrti-ghnah--destroying the memory of; mohah--illusion; bhavet--should be; iha--in the foolish species of life; tu--but; nau--of us; vrajatoh--who are going; adhah adhah--down to the material world.
TRANSLATION
After being cursed by the sages, the doormen said: It is quite apt that you have punished us for neglecting to respect sages like you. But we pray that due to your compassion at our repentance, the illusion of forgetting the Supreme Personality of Godhead will not come upon us as we go progressively downward.
PURPORT
To a devotee, any heavy punishment is tolerable but the one which effects forgetfulness of the Supreme Lord. The doormen, who were also devotees, could understand the punishment meted out to them, for they were conscious of the great offense they had committed by not allowing the sages to enter Vaikunthaloka. In the lowest species of life, including the animal species, forgetfulness of the Lord is very prominent. The doormen were aware that they were going to the criminal department of the material world, and they expected that they might go to the lowest species and forget the Supreme Lord. They prayed, therefore, that this might not happen in the lives they were going to accept because of the curse. In Bhagavad-gita, Sixteenth Chapter, verses 19 and 20, it is said that those who are envious of the Lord and His devotees are thrown into the species of abominable life; life after life such fools are unable to remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore they continue going down and down.
TEXT 37
TEXT
evam tadaiva bhagavan aravinda-nabhah
svanam vibudhya sad-atikramam arya-hrdyah
tasmin yayau paramahamsa-maha-muninam
anvesaniya-caranau calayan saha-srih
SYNONYMS
evam--thus; tada eva--at that very moment; bhagavan--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; aravinda-nabhah--with a lotus growing from His navel; svanam--of His own servants; vibudhya--learned about; sat--to the great sages; atikramam--the insult; arya--of the righteous; hrdyah--the delight; tasmin--there; yayau--went; paramahamsa--recluses; maha-muninam--by the great sages; anvesaniya--which are worthy to be sought; caranau--the two lotus feet; calayan--walking; saha-srih--with the goddess of fortune.
TRANSLATION
At that very moment, the Lord, who is called Padmanabha because of the lotus grown from His navel and who is the delight of the righteous, learned about the insult offered by His own servants to the saints. Accompanied by His spouse, the goddess of fortune, He went to the spot on those very feet sought for by recluses and great sages.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gita the Lord declares that His devotees cannot be vanquished at any time. The Lord could understand that the quarrel between the doormen and the sages was taking a different turn, and therefore He instantly came out of His place and went to the spot to stop further aggravation so that His devotees, the doormen, might not be vanquished for good.
TEXT 38
TEXT
tam tv agatam pratihrtaupayikam sva-pumbhis
te 'caksataksa-visayam sva-samadhi-bhagyam
hamsa-sriyor vyajanayoh siva-vayu-lolac-
chubhratapatra-sasi-kesara-sikarambum
SYNONYMS
tam--Him; tu--but; agatam--coming forward; pratihrta--carried; aupayikam--the paraphernalia; sva-pumbhih--by His own associates; te--the great sages (the Kumaras); acaksata--saw; aksa-visayam--now a subject matter for seeing; sva-samadhi-bhagyam--visible simply by ecstatic trance; hamsa-sriyoh--as beautiful as white swans; vyajanayoh--the camaras (bunches of white hair); siva-vayu--favorable winds; lolat--moving; subhra-atapatra--the white umbrella; sasi--the moon; kesara--pearls; sikara--drops; ambum--water.
TRANSLATION
The sages, headed by Sanaka Rsi, saw that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, who was formerly visible only within their hearts in ecstatic trance, had now actually become visible to their eyes. As He came forward, accompanied by His own associates bearing all paraphernalia, such as an umbrella and a camara fan, the white bunches of hair moved very gently, like two swans, and due to their favorable breeze the pearls garlanding the umbrella also moved, like drops of nectar falling from the white full moon or ice melting due to a gust of wind.
PURPORT
In this verse we find the word acaksataksa-visayam. The Supreme Lord cannot be seen by ordinary eyes, but He now became visible to the eyesight of the Kumaras. Another significant word is samadhi-bhagyam. Meditators who are very fortunate can see the Visnu form of the Lord within their hearts by following the yogic process. But to see Him face to face is a different matter. This is only possible for pure devotees. The Kumaras, therefore, upon seeing the Lord coming forward with His associates, who were holding an umbrella and a camara fan, were struck with wonder that they were seeing the Lord face to face. It is said in the Brahma-samhita that devotees, being elevated in love of God, always see Syamasundara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, within their hearts. But when they are mature, the same God is visible before them face to face. For ordinary persons the Lord is not visible; however, when one can understand the significance of His holy name and one engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord, beginning with the tongue, by chanting and tasting prasada, then gradually the Lord reveals Himself. Thus the devotee constantly sees the Lord within his heart, and, in a more mature stage, one can see the same Lord directly, as we see everything else.
TEXT 39
TEXT
krtsna-prasada-sumukham sprhaniya-dhama
snehavaloka-kalaya hrdi samsprsantam
syame prthav urasi sobhitaya sriya svas-
cudamanim subhagayantam ivatma-dhisnyam
SYNONYMS
krtsna-prasada--blessing everyone; su-mukham--auspicious face; sprhaniya--desirable; dhama--shelter; sneha--affection; avaloka--looking upon; kalaya--by expansion; hrdi--within the heart; samsprsantam--touching; syame--unto the Lord with blackish color; prthau--broad; urasi--chest; sobhitaya--being decorated; sriya--goddess of fortune; svah--heavenly planets; cuda-manim--summit; subhagayantam--spreading good fortune; iva--like; atma--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; dhisnyam--abode.
TRANSLATION
The Lord is the reservoir of all pleasure. His auspicious presence is meant for everyone's benediction, and His affectionate smiling and glancing touch the core of the heart. The Lord's beautiful bodily color is blackish, and His broad chest is the resting place of the goddess of fortune, who glorifies the entire spiritual world, the summit of all heavenly planets. Thus it appeared that the Lord was personally spreading the beauty and good fortune of the spiritual world.
PURPORT
When the Lord came, He was pleased with everyone; therefore it is stated here, krtsna-prasada-sumukham. The Lord knew that even the offensive doormen were His pure devotees, although by chance they committed an offense at the feet of other devotees. To commit an offense against a devotee is very dangerous in devotional service. Lord Caitanya therefore said that an offense to a devotee is just like a mad elephant run loose; when a mad elephant enters a garden, it tramples all the plants. Similarly, an offense unto the feet of a pure devotee murders one's position in devotional service. On the part of the Lord there was no offended mood because He does not accept any offense created by His sincere devotee. But a devotee should be very cautious of committing offenses at the feet of another devotee. The Lord, being equal to all, and being especially inclined to His devotee, looked as mercifully at the offenders as at the offended. This attitude of the Lord was due to His unlimited quantity of transcendental qualities. His cheerful attitude towards the devotees was so pleasing and heart-touching that His very smile was attractive for them. That attraction was glorious not only for all the higher planets of this material world, but beyond, for the spiritual world also. Generally a human being has no idea of what the constitutional position is in the higher material planets, which are far better constituted in regard to all paraphernalia, yet the Vaikuntha planet is so pleasing and so celestial that it is compared to the middle jewel or locket in a necklace of jewels.
In this verse the words sprhaniya-dhama indicate that the Lord is the reservoir of all pleasure because He has all the transcendental qualities. Although only some of these are aspired for by persons who hanker after the pleasure of merging in the impersonal Brahman, there are other aspirants who want to associate with the Lord personally as His servants. The Lord is so kind that He gives shelter to everyone--both impersonalists and devotees. He gives shelter to the impersonalists in His impersonal Brahman effulgence, whereas He gives shelter to the devotees in His personal abodes known as the Vaikunthalokas. He is especially inclined to His devotee; He touches the core of the heart of the devotee simply by smiling and glancing over him. The Lord is always served in the Vaikunthaloka by many hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, as stated by the Brahma-samhita (laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam). In this material world, one is glorified if he is favored even a pinch by the goddess of fortune, so we can simply imagine how glorified is the kingdom of God in the spiritual world, where many hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune engage in the direct service of the Lord. Another feature of this verse is that it openly declares where the Vaikunthalokas are situated. They are situated as the summit of all the heavenly planets, which are above the sun globe, at the upper limit of the universe, and are known as Satyaloka, or Brahmaloka. The spiritual world is situated beyond the universe. Therefore it is stated here that the spiritual world, Vaikunthaloka, is the summit of all planetary systems.
TEXT 40
TEXT
pitamsuke prthu-nitambini visphurantya
kancyalibhir virutaya vana-malaya ca
valgu-prakostha-valayam vinata-sutamse
vinyasta-hastam itarena dhunanam abjam
SYNONYMS
pita-amsuke--covered with a yellow cloth; prthu-nitambini--on His large hips; visphurantya--shining brightly; kancya--with a girdle; alibhih--by the bees; virutaya--humming; vana-malaya--with a garland of fresh flowers; ca--and; valgu--lovely; prakostha--wrists; valayam--bracelets; vinata-suta--of Garuda, the son of Vinata; amse--on the shoulder; vinyasta--rested; hastam--one hand; itarena--with another hand; dhunanam--being twirled; abjam--a lotus flower.
TRANSLATION
He was adorned with a girdle that shone brightly on the yellow cloth covering His large hips, and He wore a garland of fresh flowers which was distinguished by humming bees. His lovely wrists were graced with bracelets, and He rested one of His hands on the shoulder of Garuda, His carrier, and twirled a lotus with another hand.
PURPORT
Here is a full description of the Personality of Godhead as personally experienced by the sages. The Lord's personal body was covered with yellow robes, and His waist was thin. In Vaikuntha, whenever there is a flower garland on the chest of the Personality of Godhead or any one of His associates, it is described that the humming bees are there. All these features were very beautiful and attractive for the devotees. One of the Lord's hands rested on His carrier, Garuda, and in another hand He twirled a lotus flower. These are personal characteristics of the Personality of Godhead, Narayana.
TEXT 41
TEXT
vidyut-ksipan-makara-kundala-mandanarha-
ganda-sthalonnasa-mukham manimat-kiritam
dor-danda-sanda-vivare harata parardhya-
harena kandhara-gatena ca kaustubhena
SYNONYMS
vidyut--lightning; ksipat--outshining; makara--alligator shaped; kundala--earrings; mandana--decoration; arha--as it fits; ganda-sthala--cheeks; unnasa--prominent nose; mukham--countenance; mani-mat--gem-studded; kiritam--crown; doh-danda--of His four stout arms; sanda--group; vivare--between; harata--charming; para-ardhya--by the most precious; harena--necklace; kandhara-gatena--adorning His neck; ca--and; kaustubhena--by the Kaustubha jewel.
TRANSLATION
His countenance was distinguished by cheeks that enhanced the beauty of His alligator-shaped pendants, which outshone lightning. His nose was prominent, and His head was covered with a gem-studded crown. A charming necklace hung between His stout arms, and His neck was adorned with the gem known by the name Kaustubha.
TEXT 42
TEXT
atropasrstam iti cotsmitam indirayah
svanam dhiya viracitam bahu-sausthavadhyam
mahyam bhavasya bhavatam ca bhajantam angam
nemur niriksya na vitrpta-drso muda kaih
SYNONYMS
atra--here, in the matter of the beauty; upasrstam--curbed down; iti--thus; ca--and; utsmitam--the pride of her beauty; indirayah--of the goddess of fortune; svanam--of His own devotees; dhiya--by intelligence; viracitam--meditated on; bahu-sausthava-adhyam--very beautifully decorated; mahyam--of me; bhavasya--of Lord Siva; bhavatam--of all of you; ca--and; bhajantam--worshiped; angam--the figure; nemuh--bowed down; niriksya--after seeing; na--not; vitrpta--satiated; drsah--eyes; muda--joyously; kaih--by their heads.
TRANSLATION
The exquisite beauty of Narayana, being many times magnified by the intelligence of His devotees, was so attractive that it defeated the pride of the goddess of fortune in being the most beautiful. My dear demigods, the Lord who thus manifested Himself is worshipable by me, by Lord Siva and by all of you. The sages regarded Him with unsated eyes and joyously bowed their heads at His lotus feet.
PURPORT
The beauty of the Lord was so enchanting that it could not be sufficiently described. The goddess of fortune is supposed to be the most beautiful sight within the spiritual and material creations of the Lord; she has a sense of being the most beautiful, yet her beauty was defeated when the Lord appeared. In other words, the beauty of the goddess of fortune is secondary in the presence of the Lord. In the words of Vaisnava poets, it is said that the Lord's beauty is so enchanting that it defeats hundreds of thousands of Cupids. He is therefore called Madana-mohana. It is also described that the Lord sometimes becomes mad after the beauty of Radharani. Poets describe that under those circumstances, although Lord Krsna is Madana-mohana, He becomes Madana-daha, or enchanted by the beauty of Radharani. Actually the Lord's beauty is superexcellent, surpassing even the beauty of Laksmi in Vaikuntha. The devotees of the Lord in the Vaikuntha planets want to see the Lord as the most beautiful, but the devotees in Gokula or Krsnaloka want to see Radharani as more beautiful than Krsna. The adjustment is that the Lord, being bhakta-vatsala, or one who wants to please His devotees, assumes such features so that devotees like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and other demigods may be pleased. Here also, for the devotee-sages, the Kumaras, the Lord appeared in His most beautiful feature, and they continued to see Him without satiation and wanted to continue seeing Him more and more.
TEXT 43
TEXT
tasyaravinda-nayanasya padaravinda-
kinjalka-misra-tulasi-makaranda-vayuh
antar-gatah sva-vivarena cakara tesam
sanksobham aksara-jusam api citta-tanvoh
SYNONYMS
tasya--of Him; aravinda-nayanasya--of the lotus-eyed Lord; pada-aravinda--of the lotus feet; kinjalka--with the toes; misra--mixed; tulasi--the tulasi leaves; makaranda--fragrance; vayuh--breeze; antah-gatah--entered within; sva-vivarena--through their nostrils; cakara--made; tesam--of the Kumaras; sanksobham--agitation for change; aksara-jusam--attached to impersonal Brahman realization; api--even though; citta-tanvoh--in both mind and body.
TRANSLATION
When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasi leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead entered the nostrils of those sages, they experienced a change both in body and in mind, even though they were attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding.
PURPORT
It appears from this verse that the four Kumaras were impersonalists or protagonists of the philosophy of monism, becoming one with the Lord. But as soon as they saw the Lord's features, their minds changed. In other words, the impersonalist who feels transcendental pleasure in striving to become one with the Lord is defeated when he sees the beautiful transcendental features of the Lord. Because of the fragrance of His lotus feet, carried by the air and mixed with the aroma of tulasi, their minds changed; instead of becoming one with the Supreme Lord, they thought it wise to be devotees. Becoming a servitor of the lotus feet of the Lord is better than becoming one with the Lord.
TEXT 44
TEXT
te va amusya vadanasita-padma-kosam
udviksya sundarataradhara-kunda-hasam
labdhasisah punar aveksya tadiyam anghri-
dvandvam nakharuna-mani-srayanam nidadhyuh
SYNONYMS
te--those sages; vai--certainly; amusya--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vadana--face; asita--blue; padma--lotus; kosam--inside; udviksya--after looking up; sundara-tara--more beautiful; adhara--lips; kunda--jasmine flower; hasam--smiling; labdha--achieved; asisah--aims of life; punah--again; aveksya--looking down; tadiyam--His; anghri-dvandvam--pair of lotus feet; nakha--nails; aruna--red; mani--rubies; srayanam--shelter; nidadhyuh--meditated.
TRANSLATION
The Lord's beautiful face appeared to them like the inside of a blue lotus, and the Lord's smile appeared to be a blossoming jasmine flower. After seeing the face of the Lord, the sages were fully satisfied, and when they wanted to see Him further, they looked upon the nails of His lotus feet, which resembled rubies. Thus they viewed the Lord's transcendental body again and again, and so they finally achieved meditation on the Lord's personal feature.
TEXT 45
TEXT
pumsam gatim mrgayatam iha yoga-margair
dhyanaspadam bahu-matam nayanabhiramam
paumsnam vapur darsayanam ananya-siddhair
autpattikaih samagrnan yutam asta-bhogaih
SYNONYMS
pumsam--of those persons; gatim--liberation; mrgayatam--who are searching; iha--here in this world; yoga-margaih--by the process of astanga-yoga; dhyana-aspadam--object of meditation; bahu--by the great yogis; matam--approved; nayana--eyes; abhiramam--pleasing; paumsnam--human; vapuh--form; darsayanam--displaying; ananya--not by others; siddhaih--perfected; autpattikaih--eternally present; samagrnan--praised; yutam--the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is endowed; asta-bhogaih--with eight kinds of achievement.
TRANSLATION
This is the form of the Lord which is meditated upon by the followers of the yoga process, and it is pleasing to the yogis in meditation. It is not imaginary but factual, as proved by great yogis. The Lord is full in eight kinds of achievement, but for others these achievements are not possible in full perfection.
PURPORT
The success of the yoga process is very nicely described here. It is specifically mentioned that the form of the Lord as four-handed Narayana is the object of meditation for the followers of yoga-marga. In the modern age there are so many so-called yogis who do not target their meditation on the four-handed Narayana form. Some of them try to meditate on something impersonal or void, but that is not approved by the great yogis who follow the standard method. The real yoga-marga process is to control the senses, sit in a solitary and sanctified place and meditate on the four-handed form of Narayana, decorated as described in this chapter as He appeared before the four sages. This Narayana form is Krsna's expansion; therefore the Krsna consciousness movement which is now spreading is the real, topmost process of yoga practice.
Krsna consciousness is the highest yoga performance by trained devotional yogis. Despite all the allurement of yoga practice, the eight kinds of yogic perfections are hardly achievable by the common man. But here it is described that the Lord, who appeared before the four sages, is Himself full of all eight of those perfections. The highest yoga-marga process is to concentrate the mind twenty-four hours a day on Krsna. This is called Krsna consciousness. The yoga system, as described in Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita or as recommended in the Patanjali yoga process, is different from the nowadays-practiced hatha-yoga as it is generally understood in the Western countries. Real yoga practice is to control the senses and, after such control is established, to concentrate the mind on the Narayana form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. Lord Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead, and all the other Visnu forms--with four hands decorated with conch, lotus, club and wheel--are plenary expansions of Krsna. In Bhagavad-gita it is recommended that one meditate upon the form of the Lord. To practice concentration of the mind, one has to sit with the head and the back in a straight line, and one must practice in a secluded place, sanctified by a sacred atmosphere. The yogi should observe the rules and regulations of brahmacarya--to strictly live a life of self-restraint and celibacy. One cannot practice yoga in a congested city, living a life of extravagancy, including unrestricted sex indulgence and adultery of the tongue. Yoga practice necessitates controlling the senses, and the beginning of sense control is to control the tongue. One who can control the tongue can also have control over the other senses. One cannot allow the tongue to take all kinds of forbidden food and drink and at the same time advance in the practice of yoga. It is a very regrettable fact that many unauthorized so-called yogis come to the Western countries and exploit people's inclination towards yoga practice. Such unauthorized yogis even dare to say publicly that one can indulge in the habit of drinking and at the same time practice meditation.
Five thousand years ago Lord Krsna recommended yoga practice to Arjuna, but Arjuna frankly expressed his inability to follow the stringent rules and regulations of the yoga system. One should be very practical in every field of activities and should not waste his valuable time in practicing useless gymnastic feats in the name of yoga. Real yoga is to search out the four-handed Supersoul within one's heart and see Him perpetually in meditation. Such continued meditation is called samadhi, and the object of this meditation is the four-handed Narayana, with bodily decorations as described in this chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam. If, however, one wants to meditate upon something void or impersonal, it will take a very long time before he achieves success in yoga practice. We cannot concentrate our mind on something void or impersonal. Real yoga is to fix the mind on the form of the Lord, the four-handed Narayana who is sitting in everyone's heart.
By meditation one can understand that God is seated within one's heart. Even if one does not know it, God is seated within the heart of everyone. Not only is He seated in the heart of the human being, but He is also within the hearts of cats and dogs. Bhagavad-gita certifies this fact by the declaration of the Lord, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese. The isvara, the supreme controller of the world, is seated in the heart of everyone. Not only is He in everyone's heart, but He is also present within the atom. No place is vacant or devoid of the presence of the Lord. That is the statement of Isopanisad. God is present everywhere, and His right of proprietorship applies to everything. The feature of the Lord by which He is present everywhere is called Paramatma. Atma means the individual soul, and Paramatma means the individual Supersoul; both atma and Paramatma are individual persons. The difference between atma and Paramatma is that the atma, or the soul, is present only in a particular body, whereas the Paramatma is present everywhere. In this connection, the example of the sun is very nice. An individual person may be situated in one place, but the sun, even though a similar individual entity, is present on the head of every individual person. In Bhagavad-gita this is explained. Therefore even though the qualities of all entities, including the Lord, are equal, the Supersoul is different from the individual soul by quantitative power of expansion. The Lord, or the Supersoul, can expand Himself into millions of different forms, whereas the individual soul cannot do so.
The Supersoul, being seated in everyone's heart, can witness everyone's activities--past, present and future. In the Upanisads the Supersoul is described as being seated with the individual soul as friend and witness. As a friend, the Lord is always anxious to get back His friend, the individual soul, and bring him back home, back to Godhead. As a witness He is the bestower of all benedictions, and He endows each individual with the result of his actions. The Supersoul gives the individual soul all facilities to achieve whatever he desires to enjoy in this material world. Suffering is a reaction to the living entity's propensity to try to lord it over the material world. But the Lord instructs His friend, the individual soul, who is also His son, to give up all other engagements and simply surrender unto Him for perpetual bliss and an eternal life full of knowledge. This is the last instruction of Bhagavad-gita, the most authorized and widely read book on all varieties of yoga. Thus the last word of Bhagavad-gita is the last word in the perfection of yoga.
It is stated in Bhagavad-gita that a person who is always absorbed in Krsna consciousness is the topmost yogi. What is Krsna consciousness? As the individual soul is present by his consciousness throughout his entire body, so the Supersoul, or Paramatma, is present throughout the whole creation by superconsciousness. This superconscious energy is imitated by the individual soul, who has limited consciousness. I can understand what is going on within my limited body, but I cannot feel what is going on in another's body. I am present throughout my body by my consciousness, but my consciousness is not present in another's body. The Supersoul, or Paramatma, however, being present everywhere and within everyone, is also conscious of everyone's existence. The theory that the soul and the Supersoul are one is not acceptable because it is not confirmed by authoritative Vedic literature. The individual soul's consciousness cannot act in superconsciousness. This superconsciousness can be achieved, however, by dovetailing individual consciousness with the consciousness of the Supreme. This dovetailing process is called surrender, or Krsna consciousness. From the teachings of Bhagavad-gita we learn very clearly that Arjuna, in the beginning, did not want to fight with his brothers and relatives, but after understanding Bhagavad-gita he dovetailed his consciousness with the superconsciousness of Krsna. He was then in Krsna consciousness.
A person in full Krsna consciousness acts by the dictation of Krsna. In the beginning of Krsna consciousness, dictation is received through the transparent medium of the spiritual master. When one is sufficiently trained and acts in submissive faith and love for Krsna under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master, the dovetailing process becomes more firm and accurate. This stage of devotional service by the devotee in Krsna consciousness is the most perfect stage of the yoga system. At this stage, Krsna, or the Supersoul, dictates from within, while from without the devotee is helped by the spiritual master, who is the bona fide representative of Krsna. From within He helps the devotee as caitya, for He is seated within the heart of everyone. Understanding that God is seated within everyone's heart is not, however, sufficient. One has to be acquainted with God from both within and without, and one must take dictation from within and without to act in Krsna consciousness. This is the highest perfectional stage of the human form of life and the topmost perfection of all yoga.
For a perfect yogi, there are eight kinds of superachievements: one can become lighter than air, one can become smaller than the atom, one can become bigger than a mountain, one can achieve whatever he desires, one can control like the Lord, and so on. But when one rises to the perfectional stage of receiving dictation from the Lord, that is greater than any stage of material achievements above mentioned. The breathing exercise of the yoga system which is generally practiced is just the beginning. Meditation on the Supersoul is just another step forward. But to obtain direct contact with the Supersoul and take dictation from Him is the highest perfectional stage. The breathing exercises of meditation practice were very difficult even five thousand years ago, otherwise Arjuna would not have rejected the proposal of Krsna that he adopt this system. This age of Kali is called the fallen age. In this age, people in general are short-living and very slow to understand self-realization or spiritual life; they are mostly unfortunate, and therefore if someone is a little bit interested in self-realization he is likely to be misguided by so many frauds. The only way to realize the perfect stage of yoga is to follow the principles of Bhagavad-gita as practiced by Lord Caitanya. This is the simplest and highest perfection of yoga practice. Lord Caitanya demonstrated this Krsna consciousness yoga system in a practical manner simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna, as prescribed in the Vedanta, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and many important Puranas.
The largest number of Indians follow this yoga process, and in the United States it is gradually spreading in many cities. It is very easy and practical for this age, especially for those who are serious about success in yoga. No other process of yoga can be successful in this age. The meditation process was possible in the golden age, Satya-yuga, because people in that age used to live for hundreds of thousands of years. If one wants success in practical yoga practice, it is advised that he take to the chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and he will actually feel himself making progress. In Bhagavad-gita this practice of Krsna consciousness is prescribed as raja-vidya, or the king of all erudition.
Those who have taken to this most sublime bhakti-yoga system, who practice devotional service in transcendental love of Krsna, can testify to its happy and easy execution. The four sages Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumara also became attracted by the features of the Lord and the transcendental aroma of the dust of His lotus feet, as already described in verse 43.
Yoga necessitates controlling the senses, and bhakti-yoga, or Krsna consciousness, is the process of purifying the senses. When the senses are purified, they are automatically controlled. One cannot stop the activities of the senses by artificial means, but if one purifies the senses by engaging in the service of the Lord, the senses not only can be controlled from rubbish engagement, but can be engaged in the Lord's transcendental service, as aspired to by the four sages Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumara. Krsna consciousness is not, therefore, a manufactured concoction of the speculative mind. It is the process enjoined in Bhagavad-gita (9.34): man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru.
TEXT 46
TEXT
kumara ucuh
yo 'ntarhito hrdi gato 'pi duratmanam tvam
so 'dyaiva no nayana-mulam ananta raddhah
yarhy eva karna-vivarena guham gato nah
pitranuvarnita-raha bhavad-udbhavena
SYNONYMS
kumarah ucuh--the Kumaras said; yah--He who; antarhitah--not manifested; hrdi--in the heart; gatah--is seated; api--even though; duratmanam--to the rascals; tvam--You; sah--He; adya--today; eva--certainly; nah--of us; nayana-mulam--face to face; ananta--O unlimited one; raddhah--attained; yarhi--when; eva--certainly; karna-vivarena--through the ears; guham--intelligence; gatah--have attained; nah--our; pitra--by our father; anuvarnita--described; rahah--mysteries; bhavat-udbhavena--by Your appearance.
TRANSLATION
The Kumaras said: Our dear Lord, You are not manifested to rascals, even though You are seated within the heart of everyone. But as far as we are concerned, we see You face to face, although You are unlimited. The statements we have heard about You from our father, Brahma, through the ears have now been actually realized by Your kind appearance.
PURPORT
The so-called yogis who concentrate their mind or meditate upon the impersonal or void are described here. This verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam describes persons who are expected to be very expert yogis engaged in meditation but who do not find the Supreme Personality of Godhead seated within the heart. These persons are described here as duratma, which means a person who has a very crooked heart, or a less intelligent person, just opposite to a mahatma, which means one who has a broad heart. Those so-called yogis who, although engaged in meditation, are not broad hearted cannot find the four-handed Narayana form, even though He is seated within their heart. Although the first realization of the Supreme Absolute Truth is impersonal Brahman, one should not remain satisfied with experiencing the impersonal effulgence of the Supreme Lord. In the Isopanisad also, the devotee prays that the glaring effulgence of Brahman may be removed from his eyes so that he can see the real, personal feature of the Lord and thus satisfy himself fully. Similarly, although the Lord is not visible in the beginning because of His glaring bodily effulgence, if a devotee sincerely wants to see Him, the Lord is revealed to him. It is said in Bhagavad-gita that the Lord cannot be seen by our imperfect eyes, He cannot be heard by our imperfect ears, and He cannot be experienced by our imperfect senses; but if one engages in devotional service with faith and devotion, then God reveals Himself.
Here the four sages Sanat-kumara, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanaka are described as actually sincere devotees. Although they had heard from their father, Brahma, about the personal feature of the Lord, only the impersonal feature--Brahman--was revealed to them. But because they were sincerely searching for the Lord, they finally saw His personal feature directly, which corresponded with the description given by their father. They thus became fully satisfied. Here they express their gratitude because although they were foolish impersonalists in the beginning, by the grace of the Lord they could now have the good fortune to see His personal feature. Another significant aspect of this verse is that the sages describe their experience of hearing from their father, Brahma, who was born of the Lord directly. In other words, the disciplic succession from the Lord to Brahma and from Brahma to Narada and from Narada to Vyasa, and so on, is accepted here. Because the Kumaras were sons of Brahma, they had the opportunity to learn Vedic knowledge from the disciplic succession of Brahma, and therefore, in spite of their impersonalist beginnings, they became, in the end, direct seers of the personal feature of the Lord.
TEXT 47
TEXT
tam tvam vidama bhagavan param atma-tattvam
sattvena samprati ratim racayantam esam
yat te 'nutapa-viditair drdha-bhakti-yogair
udgranthayo hrdi vidur munayo viragah
SYNONYMS
tam--Him; tvam--You; vidama--we know; bhagavan--O Supreme Personality of Godhead; param--the Supreme; atma-tattvam--Absolute Truth; sattvena--by Your form of pure goodness; samprati--now; ratim--love of God; racayantam--creating; esam--of all of them; yat--which; te--Your; anutapa--mercy; viditaih--understood; drdha--unflinching; bhakti-yogaih--through devotional service; udgranthayah--without attachment, free from material bondage; hrdi--in the heart; viduh--understood; munayah--great sages; viragah--not interested in material life.
TRANSLATION
We know that You are the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, who manifests His transcendental form in the uncontaminated mode of pure goodness. This transcendental, eternal form of Your personality can be understood only by Your mercy, through unflinching devotional service, by great sages whose hearts have been purified in the devotional way.
PURPORT
The Absolute Truth can be understood in three features--impersonal Brahman, localized Paramatma, and Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here it is admitted that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the last word in understanding the Absolute Truth. Even though the four Kumaras were instructed by their great learned father, Brahma, they could not actually understand the Absolute Truth. They could only understand the Supreme Absolute Truth when they personally saw the Personality of Godhead with their own eyes. In other words, if one sees or understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the other two features of the Absolute Truth--namely impersonal Brahman and localized Paramatma--are also automatically understood. Therefore the Kumaras confirm: "You are the ultimate Absolute Truth." The impersonalist may argue that since the Supreme Personality of Godhead was so nicely decorated, He was therefore not the Absolute Truth. But here it is confirmed that all the variegatedness of the absolute platform is constituted of suddha-sattva, pure goodness. In the material world, any quality--goodness, passion or ignorance--is contaminated. Even the quality of goodness here in the material world is not free from tinges of passion and ignorance. But in the transcendental world, only pure goodness, without any tinge of passion or ignorance, exists; therefore the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His variegated pastimes and paraphernalia are all pure sattva-guna. Such variegatedness in pure goodness is exhibited eternally by the Lord for the satisfaction of the devotee. The devotee does not want to see the Supreme Personality of Absolute Truth in voidness or impersonalism. In one sense, absolute transcendental variegatedness is meant only for the devotees, not for others, because this distinct feature of transcendental variegatedness can be understood only by the mercy of the Supreme Lord and not by mental speculation or the ascending process. It is said that one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead when one is even slightly favored by Him; otherwise, without His mercy, a man may speculate for thousands of years and not understand what is actually the Absolute Truth. This mercy can be perceived by the devotee when he is completely freed from contamination. It is stated, therefore, that only when all contamination is rooted out and the devotee is completely detached from material attractions can he receive this mercy of the Lord.
TEXT 48
TEXT
natyantikam viganayanty api te prasadam
kimv anyad arpita-bhayam bhruva unnayais te
ye 'nga tvad-anghri-sarana bhavatah kathayah
kirtanya-tirtha-yasasah kusala rasa-jnah
SYNONYMS
na--not; atyantikam--liberation; viganayanti--care for; api--even; te--those; prasadam--benedictions; kim u--what to speak; anyat--other material happinesses; arpita--given; bhayam--fearfulness; bhruvah--of the eyebrows; unnayaih--by the raising; te--Your; ye--those devotees; anga--O Supreme Personality of Godhead; tvat--Your; anghri--lotus feet; saranah--who have taken shelter; bhavatah--Your; kathayah--narrations; kirtanya--worth chanting; tirtha--pure; yasasah--glories; kusalah--very expert; rasa-jnah--knowers of the mellows or humors.
TRANSLATION
Persons who are very expert and most intelligent in understanding things as they are engage in hearing narrations of the auspicious activities and pastimes of the Lord, which are worth chanting and worth hearing. Such persons do not care even for the highest material benediction, namely liberation, to say nothing of other less important benedictions like the material happiness of the heavenly kingdom.
PURPORT
The transcendental bliss enjoyed by the devotees of the Lord is completely different from the material happiness enjoyed by less intelligent persons. The less intelligent persons in the material world are engaged by the four principles of benediction called dharma, artha, kama and moksa. Generally they prefer to take to religious life to achieve some material benediction, the purpose of which is to satisfy the senses. When, by that process, they become confused or frustrated in fulfilling the maximum amount of sense enjoyment, they try to become one with the Supreme, which is, according to their conception, mukti, or liberation. There are five kinds of liberation, the least important of which is called sayujya, to become one with the Supreme. Devotees don't care for such liberation because they are actually intelligent. Nor are they inclined to accept any of the other four kinds of liberation, namely to live on the same planet as the Lord, to live with Him side by side as an associate, to have the same opulence, and to attain the same bodily features. They are concerned only with glorifying the Supreme Lord and His auspicious activities. Pure devotional service is sravanam kirtanam. Pure devotees, who take transcendental pleasure in hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord, do not care for any kind of liberation; even if they are offered the five liberations, they refuse to accept them, as stated in the Bhagavatam in the Third Canto. Materialistic persons aspire for the sense enjoyment of heavenly pleasure in the heavenly kingdom, but devotees reject such material pleasure at once. The devotee does not even care for the post of Indra. A devotee knows that any pleasurable material position is subject to be annihilated at a certain point. Even if one reaches the post of Indra, Candra, or any other demigod, he must be dissolved at a certain stage. A devotee is never interested in such temporary pleasure. From Vedic scriptures it is understood that sometimes even Brahma and Indra fall down, but a devotee in the transcendental abode of the Lord never falls. This transcendental stage of life, in which one feels transcendental pleasure in hearing the Lord's pastimes, is also recommended by Lord Caitanya. When Lord Caitanya was talking with Ramananda Raya, there were varieties of suggestions offered by Ramananda regarding spiritual realization, but Lord Caitanya rejected all but one--that one should hear the glories of the Lord in association with pure devotees. That is acceptable for everyone, especially in this age. One should engage himself in hearing from pure devotees about the activities of the Lord. That is considered the supreme benediction for mankind.
TEXT 49
TEXT
kamam bhavah sva-vrjinair nirayesu nah stac
ceto 'livad yadi nu te padayo rameta
vacas ca nas tulasivad yadi te 'nghri-sobhah
puryeta te guna-ganair yadi karna-randhrah
SYNONYMS
kamam--as much as deserved; bhavah--birth; sva-vrjinaih--by our own sinful activities; nirayesu--in low births; nah--our; stat--let it be; cetah--minds; ali-vat--like bees; yadi--if; nu--may be; te--Your; padayoh--at Your lotus feet; rameta--are engaged; vacah--words; ca--and; nah--our; tulasi-vat--like the tulasi leaves; yadi--if; te--Your; anghri--at Your lotus feet; sobhah--beautified; puryeta--are filled; te--Your; guna-ganaih--by transcendental qualities; yadi--if; karna-randhrah--the holes of the ears.
TRANSLATION
O Lord, we pray that You let us be born in any hellish condition of life, just as long as our hearts and minds are always engaged in the service of Your lotus feet, our words are made beautiful [by speaking of Your activities] just as tulasi leaves are beautified when offered unto Your lotus feet, and as long as our ears are always filled with the chanting of Your transcendental qualities.
PURPORT
The four sages now offer their humility to the Personality of Godhead because of their having been haughty in cursing two other devotees of the Lord. Jaya and Vijaya, the two doorkeepers who checked them from entering the Vaikuntha planet, were certainly offenders, but as Vaisnavas, the four sages should not have cursed them in anger. After the incident, they became conscious that they had done wrong by cursing the devotees of the Lord, and they prayed to the Lord that even in the hellish condition of life their minds might not be distracted from the engagement of service to the lotus feet of Lord Narayana. Those who are devotees of the Lord are not afraid of any condition of life, provided there is constant engagement in the service of the Lord. It is said of the narayana-para, or those who are devotees of Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, na kutascana bibhyati (Bhag. 6.17.28). They are not afraid of entering a hellish condition, for since they are engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, heaven or hell is the same for them. In material life both heaven and hell are one and the same because they are material; in either place there is no engagement in the Lord's service. Therefore those who are engaged in the service of the Lord see no distinction between heaven and hell; it is only the materialists who prefer one to the other.
These four devotees prayed to the Lord that although they might go to hell because they had cursed devotees, they might not forget the service of the Lord. The transcendental loving service of the Lord is performed in three ways--with the body, with the mind and with words. Here the sages pray that their words may always be engaged in glorifying the Supreme Lord. One may speak very nicely with ornamental language or one may be expert at controlled grammatical presentation, but if one's words are not engaged in the service of the Lord, they have no flavor and no actual use. The example is given here of tulasi leaves. The tulasi leaf is very useful even from the medicinal or antiseptic point of view. It is considered sacred and is offered to the lotus feet of the Lord. The tulasi leaf has numerous good qualities, but if it were not offered to the lotus feet of the Lord, tulasi could not be of much value or importance. Similarly, one may speak very nicely from the rhetorical or grammatical point of view, which may be very much appreciated by a materialistic audience, but if one's words are not offered to the service of the Lord, they are useless. The holes of the ears are very small and can be filled with any insignificant sound, so how can they receive as great a vibration as the glorification of the Lord? The answer is that the holes of the ears are like the sky. As the sky can never be filled up, the quality of the ear is such that one may go on pouring in vibrations of various kinds, yet it is capable of receiving more and more vibrations. A devotee is not afraid of going to hell if he has the opportunity to hear the glories of the Lord constantly. This is the advantage of chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. One may be put in any condition, but God gives him the prerogative to chant Hare Krsna. In any condition of life, if one goes on chanting he will never be unhappy.
TEXT 50
TEXT
praduscakartha yad idam puruhuta rupam
tenesa nirvrtim avapur alam drso nah
tasma idam bhagavate nama id vidhema
yo 'natmanam durudayo bhagavan pratitah
SYNONYMS
praduscakartha--You have manifested; yat--which; idam--this; puruhuta--O greatly worshiped; rupam--eternal form; tena--by that form; isa--O Lord; nirvrtim--satisfaction; avapuh--obtained; alam--so much; drsah--vision; nah--our; tasmai--unto Him; idam--this; bhagavate--unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; namah--obeisances; it--only; vidhema--let us offer; yah--who; anatmanam--of those who are less intelligent; durudayah--cannot be seen; bhagavan--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pratitah--has been seen by us.
TRANSLATION
O Lord, we therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto Your eternal form as the Personality of Godhead, which You have so kindly manifested before us. Your supreme, eternal form cannot be seen by unfortunate, less intelligent persons, but we are so much satisfied in our mind and vision to see it.
PURPORT
The four sages were impersonalists in the beginning of their spiritual life, but afterwards, by the grace of their father and spiritual master, Brahma, they understood the eternal, spiritual form of the Lord and felt completely satisfied. In other words, the transcendentalists who aspire to the impersonal Brahman or localized Paramatma are not fully satisfied and still hanker for more. Even if they are satisfied in their minds, still, transcendentally, their eyes are not satisfied. But as soon as such persons come to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are satisfied in all respects. In other words, they become devotees and want to see the form of the Lord continually. It is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita that one who has developed transcendental love of Krsna by smearing his eyes with the ointment of love sees constantly the eternal form of the Lord. The particular word used in this connection, anatmanam, signifies those who have no control over the mind and senses and who therefore speculate and want to become one with the Lord. Such persons cannot have the pleasure of seeing the eternal form of the Lord. For the impersonalists and the so-called yogis, the Lord is always hidden by the curtain of yogamaya. Bhagavad-gita says that even when Lord Krsna was seen by everyone while He was present on the surface of the earth, the impersonalists and the so-called yogis could not see Him because they were devoid of devotional eyesight. The theory of the impersonalists and so-called yogis is that the Supreme Lord assumes a particular form when He comes in touch with maya, although actually He has no form. This very conception of the impersonalists and so-called yogis checks them from seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He is. The Lord, therefore, is always beyond the sight of such nondevotees. The four sages felt so much obliged to the Lord that they offered their respectful obeisances unto Him again and again.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Third Canto, Fifteenth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled "Description of the Kingdom of God."