Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 1: “Creation”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Twelve

Birth of Emperor Pariksit

SB1.12.1

TEXT 1

saunaka uvaca

asvatthamnopasrstena

brahma-sirsnoru-tejasa

uttaraya hato garbha

isenajivitah punah

SYNONYMS

saunakah uvaca—the sage Saunaka said; asvatthamna—of Asvatthama (the son of Drona); upasrstena—by release of; brahma-sirsna—the invincible weapon, brahmastra; uru-tejasa—by high temperature; uttarayah—of Uttara (mother of Pariksit); hatah—being spoiled; garbhah—womb; isena—by the Supreme Lord; ajivitah—brought to life; punah—again.

TRANSLATION

The sage Saunaka said: The womb of Uttara, mother of Maharaja Pariksit, was spoiled by the dreadful and invincible brahmastra weapon released by Asvatthama. But Maharaja Pariksit was saved by the Supreme Lord.

PURPORT

The sages assembled in the forest of Naimisaranya inquired from Suta Gosvami about the birth of Maharaja Pariksit, but in the course of the narration other topics like the release of the brahmastra by the son of Drona, his punishment by Arjuna, Queen Kuntidevi’s prayers, the Pandavas’ visit to the place where Bhismadeva was lying, his prayers and thereafter the Lord’s departure for Dvaraka were discussed. His arrival at Dvaraka and residing with the sixteen thousand queens, etc., were narrated. The sages were absorbed in hearing such descriptions, but now they wanted to turn to the original topic, and thus the inquiry was made by Saunaka Rsi. So the subject of the release of the brahmastra weapon by Asvatthama is renewed.

SB1.12.2

TEXT 2

tasya janma maha-buddheh

karmani ca mahatmanah

nidhanam ca yathaivasit

sa pretya gatavan yatha

SYNONYMS

tasya—his (of Maharaja Pariksit); janma—birth; maha-buddheh—of great intelligence; karmani—activities; ca—also; maha-atmanah—of the great devotee; nidhanam—demise; ca—also; yatha—as it was; eva—of course; asit—happened; sah—he; pretya—destination after death; gatavan—achieved; yatha—as it were.

TRANSLATION

How was the great emperor Pariksit, who was a highly intelligent and great devotee, born in that womb? How did his death take place, and what did he achieve after his death?

PURPORT

The king of Hastinapura (now Delhi) used to be the emperor of the world, at least till the time of the son of Emperor Pariksit. Maharaja Pariksit was saved by the Lord in the womb of his mother, so he could certainly be saved from an untimely death due to the ill will of the son of a brahmana. Because the age of Kali began to act just after the assumption of power by Maharaja Pariksit, the first sign of misgivings was exhibited in the cursing of such a greatly intelligent and devoted king as Maharaja Pariksit. The king is the protector of the helpless citizens, and their welfare, peace and prosperity depend on him. Unfortunately, by the instigation of the fallen age of Kali, an unfortunate brahmana’s son was employed to condemn the innocent Maharaja Pariksit, and so the King had to prepare himself for death within seven days. Maharaja Pariksit is especially famous as one who is protected by Visnu, and when he was unduly cursed by a brahmana’s son, he could have invoked the mercy of the Lord to save him, but he did not want to because he was a pure devotee. A pure devotee never asks the Lord for any undue favor. Maharaja Pariksit knew that the curse of the brahmana’s son upon him was unjustified, as everyone else knew, but he did not want to counteract it because he knew also that the age of Kali had begun and that the first symptom of the age, namely degradation of the highly talented brahmana community, had also begun. He did not want to interfere with the current of the time, but he prepared himself to meet death very cheerfully and very properly. Being fortunate, he got at least seven days to prepare himself to meet death, and so he properly utilized the time in the association of Sukadeva Gosvami, the great saint and devotee of the Lord.

SB1.12.3

TEXT 3

tad idam srotum icchamo

gaditum yadi manyase

bruhi nah sraddadhananam

yasya jnanam adac chukah

SYNONYMS

tat—all; idam—this; srotum—to hear; icchamah—all willing; gaditum—to narrate; yadi—if; manyase—you think; bruhi—please speak; nah—we; sraddadhananam—who are very much respectful; yasya—whose; jnanam—transcendental knowledge; adat—delivered; sukah—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami.

TRANSLATION

We all respectfully want to hear about him [Maharaja Pariksit] to whom Sukadeva Gosvami imparted transcendental knowledge. Please speak on this matter.

PURPORT

Sukadeva Gosvami imparted transcendental knowledge to Maharaja Pariksit during the remaining seven days of his life, and Maharaja Pariksit heard him properly, just like an ardent student. The effect of such a bona fide hearing and chanting of Srimad-Bhagavatam was equally shared by both the hearer and the chanter. Both of them were benefited. Out of the nine different transcendental means of devotional service to the Lord prescribed in the Bhagavatam, either all of them, or some of them or even one of them are equally beneficial if properly discharged. Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Gosvami were serious performers of the first two important items, namely the process of chanting and the process of hearing, and therefore both of them were successful in their laudable attempt. Transcendental realization is attained by such serious hearing and chanting and not otherwise. There is a type of spiritual master and disciple much advertised in this age of Kali. It is said that the master injects spiritual force into the disciple by an electrical current generated by the master, and the disciple begins to feel the shock. He becomes unconscious, and the master weeps for his exhausting his store of so-called spiritual assets. Such bogus advertisement is going on in this age, and the poor common man is becoming the victim of such advertisement. We do not find such folk tales in the dealings of Sukadeva Gosvami and his great disciple Maharaja Pariksit. The sage recited Srimad-Bhagavatam in devotion, and the great King heard him properly. The King did not feel any shock of electrical current from the master, nor did he become unconscious while receiving knowledge from the master. One should not, therefore, become a victim of these unauthorized advertisements made by some bogus representative of Vedic knowledge. The sages of Naimisaranya were very respectful in hearing about Maharaja Pariksit because of his receiving knowledge from Sukadeva Gosvami by means of ardent hearing. Ardent hearing from the bona fide master is the only way to receive transcendental knowledge, and there is no need for medical performances or occult mysticism for miraculous effects. The process is simple, but only the sincere party can achieve the desired result.

SB1.12.4

TEXT 4

suta uvaca

apipalad dharma-rajah

pitrvad ranjayan prajah

nihsprhah sarva-kamebhyah

krsna-padanusevaya

SYNONYMS

sutah uvaca—Sri Suta Gosvami said; apipalat—administered prosperity; dharma-rajah—King Yudhisthira; pitr-vat—exactly like his father; ranjayan—pleasing; prajah—all those who took birth; nihsprhah—without personal ambition; sarva—all; kamebhyah—from sense gratification; krsna-pada—the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna; anusevaya—by dint of rendering continuous service.

TRANSLATION

Sri Suta Gosvami said: Emperor Yudhisthira administered generously to everyone during his reign. He was exactly like his father. He had no personal ambition and was freed from all sorts of sense gratification because of his continuous service unto the lotus feet of the Lord Sri Krsna.

PURPORT

As mentioned in our introduction, “There is a need for the science of Krsna in human society for all the suffering humanity of the world, and we simply request the leading personalities of all nations to take to the science of Krsna for their own good, for the good of society, and for the good of all the people of the world.” So it is confirmed herein by the example of Maharaja Yudhisthira, the personality of goodness. In India the people hanker after Rama-rajya because the Personality of Godhead was the ideal king and all other kings or emperors in India controlled the destiny of the world for the prosperity of every living being who took birth on the earth. Herein the word prajah is significant. The etymological import of the word is “that which is born.” On the earth there are many species of life, from the aquatics up to the perfect human beings, and all are known as prajas. Lord Brahma, the creator of this particular universe, is known as the prajapati because he is the grandfather of all who have taken birth. Thus praja is used in a broader sense than it is now used. The king represents all living beings, the aquatics, plants, trees, reptiles, birds, animals and man. Every one of them is a part and parcel of the Supreme Lord (Bg. 14.4), and the king, being the representative of the Supreme Lord, is duty-bound to give proper protection to every one of them. This is not the case with the presidents and dictators of this demoralized system of administration, where the lower animals are given no protection while the higher animals are given so-called protection. But this is a great science which can be learned only by one who knows the science of Krsna. By knowing the science of Krsna, one can become the most perfect man in the world, and unless one has knowledge in this science, all qualifications and doctorate diplomas acquired by academic education are spoiled and useless. Maharaja Yudhisthira knew this science of Krsna very well, for it is stated here that by continuous cultivation of this science, or by continuous devotional service to Lord Krsna, he acquired the qualification of administering the state. The father is sometimes seemingly cruel to the son, but that does not mean that the father has lost the qualification to be a father. A father is always a father because he always has the good of the son at heart. The father wants every one of his sons to become a better man than himself. Therefore, a king like Maharaja Yudhisthira, who was the personality of goodness, wanted everyone under his administration, especially human beings who have better developed consciousness, to become devotees of Lord Krsna so that everyone can become free from the trifles of material existence. His motto of administration was all good for the citizens, for as personified goodness he knew perfectly well what is actually good for them. He conducted the administration on that principle, and not on the raksasi, demonic, principle of sense gratification. As an ideal king, he had no personal ambition, and there was no place for sense gratification because all his senses at all times were engaged in the loving service of the Supreme Lord, which includes the partial service to the living beings, who form the parts and parcels of the complete whole. Those who are busy rendering service to the parts and parcels, leaving aside the whole, only spoil time and energy, as one does when watering the leaves of a tree without watering the root. If water is poured on the root, the leaves are enlivened perfectly and automatically, but if water is poured on the leaves only, the whole energy is spoiled. Maharaja Yudhisthira, therefore, was constantly engaged in the service of the Lord, and thus the parts and parcels of the Lord, the living beings under his careful administration, were perfectly attended with all comforts in this life and all progress in the next. That is the way of perfect management of state administration.

SB1.12.5

TEXT 5

sampadah kratavo loka

mahisi bhrataro mahi

jambudvipadhipatyam ca

yasas ca tri-divam gatam

SYNONYMS

sampadah—opulence; kratavah—sacrifices; lokah—future destination; mahisi—the queens; bhratarah—the brothers; mahi—the earth; jambu-dvipa—the globe or planet of our residence; adhipatyam—sovereignty; ca—also; yasah—fame; ca—and; tri-divam—celestial planets; gatam—spread over.

TRANSLATION

News even reached the celestial planets about Maharaja Yudhisthira’s worldly possessions, the sacrifices by which he would attain a better destination, his queen, his stalwart brothers, his extensive land, his sovereignty over the planet earth, and his fame, etc.

PURPORT

Only a rich and great man’s name and fame are known all over the world, and the name and fame of Maharaja Yudhisthira reached the higher planets because of his good administration, worldly possessions, glorious wife Draupadi, the strength of his brothers Bhima and Arjuna, and his solid sovereign power over the world, known as Jambudvipa. Here the word lokah is significant. There are different lokas or higher planets scattered all over the sky, both material and spiritual. A person can reach them by dint of his work in the present life, as stated in Bhagavad-gita (9.25). No forceful entrance is allowed there. The tiny material scientists and engineers who have discovered vehicles to travel over a few thousand miles in outer space will not be allowed entrance. That is not the way to reach the better planets. One must qualify himself to enter into such happy planets by sacrifice and service. Those who are sinful in every step of life can expect only to be degraded into animal life to suffer more and more the pangs of material existence, and this is also stated in Bhagavad-gita (16.19). Maharaja Yudhisthira’s good sacrifices and qualifications were so lofty and virtuous that even the residents of the higher celestial planets were already prepared to receive him as one of them.

SB1.12.6

TEXT 6

kim te kamah sura-sparha

mukunda-manaso dvijah

adhijahrur mudam rajnah

ksudhitasya yathetare

SYNONYMS

kim—what for; te—all those; kamah—objects of sense enjoyment; sura—of the denizens of heaven; sparhah—aspirations; mukunda-manasah—of one who is already God conscious; dvijah—O brahmanas; adhijahruh—could satisfy; mudam—pleasure; rajnah—of the king; ksudhitasya—of the hungry; yatha—as it is; itare—in other things.

TRANSLATION

O brahmanas, the opulence of the King was so enchanting that the denizens of heaven aspired for it. But because he was absorbed in the service of the Lord, nothing could satisfy him except the Lord’s service.

PURPORT

There are two things in the world which can satisfy living beings. When one is materially engrossed, he is satisfied only by sense gratification, but when one is liberated from the conditions of the material modes, he is satisfied only by rendering loving service for the satisfaction of the Lord. This means that the living being is constitutionally a servitor, and not one who is served. Being illusioned by the conditions of the external energy, one falsely thinks himself to be the served, but actually he is not served; he is servant of the senses like lust, desire, anger, avarice, pride, madness and intolerance. When one is in his proper senses by attainment of spiritual knowledge, he realizes that he is not the master of the material world, but is only a servant of the senses. At that time he begs for the service of the Lord and thus becomes happy without being illusioned by so-called material happiness. Maharaja Yudhisthira was one of the liberated souls, and therefore for him there was no pleasure in a vast kingdom, good wife, obedient brothers, happy subjects and prosperous world. These blessings automatically follow for a pure devotee, even though the devotee does not aspire for them. The example set herein is exactly suitable. It is said that one who is hungry is never satisfied by anything other than food.

The whole material world is full of hungry living beings. The hunger is not for good food, shelter or sense gratification. The hunger is for the spiritual atmosphere. Due to ignorance only they think that the world is dissatisfied because there is not sufficient food, shelter, defense and objects of sense gratification. This is called illusion. When the living being is hungry for spiritual satisfaction, he is misrepresented by material hunger. But the foolish leaders cannot see that even the people who are most sumptuously materially satisfied are still hungry. And what is their hunger and poverty? This hunger is actually for spiritual food, spiritual shelter, spiritual defense and spiritual sense gratification. These can be obtained in the association of the Supreme Spirit, Lord Sri Krsna, and therefore one who has them cannot be attracted by the so-called food, shelter, defense and sense gratification of the material world, even if they are relished by the denizens of the heavenly planets. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gita (8.16) it is said by the Lord that even in the topmost planet of the universe, namely the Brahmaloka, where the duration of life is multiplied by millions of years by earth calculation, one cannot satisfy his hunger. Such hunger can be satisfied only when the living being is situated in immortality, which is attained in the spiritual sky, far, far above the Brahmaloka, in the association of Lord Mukunda, the Lord who awards His devotees the transcendental pleasure of liberation.

SB1.12.7

TEXT 7

matur garbha-gato virah

sa tada bhrgu-nandana

dadarsa purusam kancid

dahyamano ’stra-tejasa

SYNONYMS

matuh—mother; garbha—womb; gatah—being situated there; virah—the great fighter; sah—child Pariksit; tada—at that time; bhrgu-nandana—O son of Bhrgu; dadarsa—could see; purusam—the Supreme Lord; kancit—as someone else; dahyamanah—suffering from being burned; astra—the brahmastra; tejasa—temperature.

TRANSLATION

O son of Bhrgu [Saunaka], when the child Pariksit, the great fighter, was in the womb of his mother, Uttara, and was suffering from the burning heat of the brahmastra [thrown by Asvatthama], he could observe the Supreme Lord coming to him.

PURPORT

Death generally involves remaining in trance for seven months. A living being, according to his own action, is allowed to enter into the womb of a mother by the vehicle of a father’s semina, and thus he develops his desired body. This is the law of birth in specific bodies according to one’s past actions. When he is awake from trance, he feels the inconvenience of being confined within the womb, and thus he wants to come out of it and sometimes fortunately prays to the Lord for such liberation. Maharaja Pariksit, while in the womb of his mother, was struck by the brahmastra released by Asvatthama, and he was feeling the burning heat. But because he was a devotee of the Lord, the Lord at once appeared Himself within the womb by His all-powerful energy, and the child could see that someone else had come to save him. Even in that helpless condition, the child Pariksit endured the unbearable temperature due to his being a great fighter by nature. And for this reason the word virah has been used.

SB1.12.8

TEXT 8

angustha-matram amalam

sphurat-purata-maulinam

apivya-darsanam syamam

tadid vasasam acyutam

SYNONYMS

angustha—by the measure of a thumb; matram—only; amalam—transcendental; sphurat—blazing; purata—gold; maulinam—helmet; apivya—very beautiful; darsanam—to look at; syamam—blackish; tadit—lightning; vasasam—clothing; acyutam—the Infallible (the Lord).

TRANSLATION

He [the Lord] was only thumb high, but He was all transcendental. He had a very beautiful, blackish, infallible body, and He wore a dress of lightning yellow and a helmet of blazing gold. Thus He was seen by the child.

SB1.12.9

TEXT 9

srimad-dirgha-catur-bahum

tapta-kancana-kundalam

ksatajaksam gada-panim

atmanah sarvato disam

paribhramantam ulkabham

bhramayantam gadam muhuh

SYNONYMS

srimat—enriched; dirgha—prolonged; catuh-bahum—four-handed; tapta-kancana—molten gold; kundalam—earrings; ksataja-aksam—eyes with the redness of blood; gada-panim—hand with a club; atmanah—own; sarvatah—all; disam—around; paribhramantam—loitering; ulkabham—like shooting stars; bhramayantam—encircling; gadam—the club; muhuh—constantly.

TRANSLATION

The Lord was enriched with four hands, earrings of molten gold and eyes blood red with fury. As He loitered about, His club constantly encircled Him like a shooting star.

PURPORT

It is said in the Brahma-samhita (Ch. 5) that the Supreme Lord Govinda, by His one plenary portion, enters into the halo of the universe and distributes himself as Paramatma, or the Supersoul, not only within the heart of every living being, but also within every atom of the material elements. Thus the Lord is all-pervading by His inconceivable potency, and thus He entered the womb of Uttara to save His beloved devotee Maharaja Pariksit. In the Bhagavad-gita (9.31) the Lord assured everyone that His devotees are never to be vanquished. No one can kill a devotee of the Lord because he is protected by the Lord, and no one can save a person whom the Lord desires to kill. The Lord is all-powerful, and therefore He can both save and kill as He likes. He became visible to His devotee Maharaja Pariksit even in that awkward position (in the womb of his mother) in a shape just suitable for his vision. The Lord can become bigger than thousands of universes and can become smaller than an atom at the same time. Merciful as He is, He becomes just suitable to the vision of the limited living being. He is unlimited. He is not limited by any measurement of our calculation. He can become bigger than what we can think of, and He can become smaller than what we can conceive. But in all circumstances He is the same all-powerful Lord. There is no difference between the thumblike Visnu in the womb of Uttara and the full-fledged Narayana in the Vaikuntha-dhama, the kingdom of Godhead. He accepts the form of arca-vigraha (worshipable Deity) just to accept service from His different incapable devotees. By the mercy of the arca-vigraha, the form of the Lord in material elements, the devotees who are in the material world can easily approach the Lord, although He is not conceivable by the material senses. The arca-vigraha is therefore an all-spiritual form of the Lord to be perceived by the material devotees; such an arca-vigraha of the Lord is never to be considered material. There is no difference between matter and spirit for the Lord, although there is a gulf of difference between the two in the case of the conditioned living being. For the Lord there is nothing but spiritual existence, and similarly there is nothing except spiritual existence for the pure devotee of the Lord in his intimate relation with the Lord.

SB1.12.10

TEXT 10

astra-tejah sva-gadaya

niharam iva gopatih

vidhamantam sannikarse

paryaiksata ka ity asau

SYNONYMS

astra-tejah—radiation of the brahmastra; sva-gadaya—by means of His own club; niharam—drops of dew; iva—like; gopatih—the sun; vidhamantam—the act of vanishing; sannikarse—nearby; paryaiksata—observing; kah—who; iti asau—this body.

TRANSLATION

The Lord was thus engaged in vanquishing the radiation of the brahmastra, just as the sun evaporates a drop of dew. He was observed by the child, who thought about who He was.

SB1.12.11

TEXT 11

vidhuya tad ameyatma

bhagavan dharma-gub vibhuh

misato dasamasasya

tatraivantardadhe harih

SYNONYMS

vidhuya—having completely washed off; tat—that; ameyatma—the all-pervading Supersoul; bhagavan—the Personality of Godhead; dharma-gup—the protector of righteousness; vibhuh—the Supreme; misatah—while observing; dasamasasya—of one who is dressed by all directions; tatra eva—then and there; antah—out of sight; dadhe—became; harih—the Lord.

TRANSLATION

While thus being observed by the child, the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul of everyone and the protector of the righteous, who stretches in all directions and who is unlimited by time and space, disappeared at once.

PURPORT

Child Pariksit was not observing a living being who is limited by time and space. There is a gulf of difference between the Lord and the individual living being. The Lord is mentioned herein as the supreme living being unlimited by time and space. Every living being is limited by time and space. Even though a living being is qualitatively one with the Lord, quantitatively there is a great difference between the Supreme Soul and the common individual soul. In the Bhagavad-gita both the living beings and the Supreme Being are said to be all-pervading (yena sarvam idam tatam), yet there is a difference between these two kinds of all-pervasiveness. A common living being or soul can be all-pervading within his own limited body, but the supreme living being is all-pervading in all space and all time. A common living being cannot extend its influence over another common living being by its all-pervasiveness, but the Supreme Supersoul, the Personality of Godhead, is unlimitedly able to exert His influence over all places and all times and over all living beings. And because He is all-pervasive, unlimited by time and space, He can appear even within the womb of the mother of child Pariksit. He is mentioned herein as the protector of the righteous. Anyone who is a surrendered soul unto the Supreme is righteous, and he is specifically protected by the Lord in all circumstances. The Lord is the indirect protector of the unrighteous also, for He rectifies their sins through His external potency. The Lord is mentioned herein as one who is dressed in the ten directions. This means dressed with garments on ten sides, up and down. He is present everywhere and can appear and disappear at His will from everywhere and anywhere. His disappearance from the sight of the child Pariksit does not mean that He appeared on the spot from any other place. He was present there, and even after His disappearance He was there, although invisible to the eyes of the child. This material covering of the effulgent firmament is also something like a womb of the mother nature, and we are all put into the womb by the Lord, the father of all living beings. He is present everywhere, even in this material womb of mother Durga, and those who are deserving can see the Lord.

SB1.12.12

TEXT 12

tatah sarva-gunodarke

sanukula-grahodaye

jajne vamsa-dharah pandor

bhuyah pandur ivaujasa

SYNONYMS

tatah—thereupon; sarva—all; guna—good signs; udarke—having gradually evolved; sa-anukula—all favorable; grahodaye—constellation of stellar influence; jajne—took birth; vamsa-dharah—heir apparent; pandoh—of Pandu; bhuyah—being; panduh iva—exactly like Pandu; ojasa—by prowess.

TRANSLATION

Thereupon, when all the good signs of the zodiac gradually evolved, the heir apparent of Pandu, who would be exactly like him in prowess, took birth.

PURPORT

Astronomical calculations of stellar influences upon a living being are not suppositions, but are factual, as confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Every living being is controlled by the laws of nature at every minute, just as a citizen is controlled by the influence of the state. The state laws are grossly observed, but the laws of material nature, being subtle to our gross understanding, cannot be experienced grossly. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (3.9), every action of life produces another reaction, which is binding upon us, and only those who are acting on behalf of Yajna (Visnu) are not bound by reactions. Our actions are judged by the higher authorities, the agents of the Lord, and thus we are awarded bodies according to our activities. The law of nature is so subtle that every part of our body is influenced by the respective stars, and a living being obtains his working body to fulfill his terms of imprisonment by the manipulation of such astronomical influence. A man’s destiny is therefore ascertained by the birthtime constellation of stars, and a factual horoscope is made by a learned astrologer. It is a great science, and misuse of a science does not make it useless. Maharaja Pariksit or even the Personality of Godhead appear in certain constellations of good stars, and thus the influence is exerted upon the body thus born at an auspicious moment. The most auspicious constellation of stars takes place during the appearance of the Lord in this material world, and it is specifically called jayanti, a word not to be abused for any other purposes. Maharaja Pariksit was not only a great ksatriya emperor, but also a great devotee of the Lord. Thus he cannot take his birth at any inauspicious moment. As a proper place and time is selected to receive a respectable personage, so also to receive such a personality as Maharaja Pariksit, who was especially cared for by the Supreme Lord, a suitable moment is chosen when all good stars assembled together to exert their influence upon the King. Thus he took his birth just to be known as the great hero of Srimad-Bhagavatam. This suitable arrangement of astral influences is never a creation of man’s will, but is the arrangement of the superior management of the agency of the Supreme Lord. Of course, the arrangement is made according to the good or bad deeds of the living being. Herein lies the importance of pious acts performed by the living being. Only by pious acts can one be allowed to get good wealth, good education and beautiful features. The samskaras of the school of sanatana-dharma (man’s eternal engagement) are highly suitable for creating an atmosphere for taking advantage of good stellar influences, and therefore garbhadhana-samskara, or the first seedling purificatory process prescribed for the higher castes, is the beginning of all pious acts to receive a good pious and intelligent class of men in human society. There will be peace and prosperity in the world due to good and sane population only; there is hell and disturbance only because of the unwanted, insane populace addicted to sex indulgence.

SB1.12.13

TEXT 13

tasya prita-mana raja

viprair dhaumya-krpadibhih

jatakam karayam asa

vacayitva ca mangalam

SYNONYMS

tasya—his; prita-manah—satisfied; raja—King Yudhisthira; vipraih—by the learned brahmanas; dhaumya—Dhaumya; krpa—Krpa; adibhih—and others also; jatakam—one of the purificatory processes performed just after the birth of a child; karayam asa—had them performed; vacayitva—by recitation; ca—also; mangalam—auspicious.

TRANSLATION

King Yudhisthira, who was very satisfied with the birth of Maharaja Pariksit, had the purificatory process of birth performed. Learned brahmanas, headed by Dhaumya and Krpa, recited auspicious hymns.

PURPORT

There is a need for a good and intelligent class of brahmanas who are expert in performing the purificatory processes prescribed in the system of varnasrama-dharma. Unless such purificatory processes are performed, there is no possibility of good population, and in the age of Kali the population all over the world is of sudra quality or lower for want of this purificatory process. It is not possible, however, to revive the Vedic process of purification in this age, for want of proper facilities and good brahmanas, but there is the Pancaratrika system also recommended for this age. The Pancaratrika system acts on the sudra class of men, supposedly the population of the Kali-yuga, and it is the prescribed purificatory process suitable to the age and time. Such a purificatory process is allowed only for spiritual upliftment and not for any other purpose. Spiritual upliftment is never conditioned by higher or lower parentage.

After the garbhadhana purificatory process, there are certain other samskaras like simantonnayana, sadhabhaksanam, etc., during the period of pregnancy, and when the child is born the first purificatory process is jatakarman. This was performed duly by Maharaja Yudhisthira with the help of good and learned brahmanas like Dhaumya, the royal priest, and Krpacarya, who was not only a priest but also a great general. Both these learned and perfect priests, assisted by other good brahmanas, were employed by Maharaja Yudhisthira to perform the ceremony. Therefore all the samskaras, purificatory processes, are not mere formalities or social functions only, but they are all for practical purposes and can be successfully performed by expert brahmanas like Dhaumya and Krpa. Such brahmanas are not only rare, but also not available in this age, and therefore, for the purpose of spiritual upliftment in this fallen age, the Gosvamis prefer the purificatory processes under Pancaratrika formulas to the Vedic rites.

Krpacarya is the son of the great Rsi Sardban and was born in the family of Gautama. The birth is said to be accidental. By chance, the great Rsi Sardban met Janapadi, a famous society girl of heaven, and the Rsi Sardban discharged semina in two parts. By one part immediately a male child and by the other part a female child were born as twins. The male child was later on known as Krpa, and the female child was known as Krpi. Maharaja Santanu, while engaged in chase in the jungle, picked up the children and brought them up to the brahminical status by the proper purificatory process. Krpacarya later became a great general like Dronacarya, and his sister was married to Dronacarya. Krpacarya later on took part in the Battle of Kuruksetra and joined the party of Duryodhana. Krpacarya helped kill Abhimanyu, the father of Maharaja Pariksit, but he was still held in esteem by the family of the Pandavas due to his being as great a brahmana as Dronacarya. When the Pandavas were sent to the forest after being defeated in the gambling game with Duryodhana, Dhrtarastra entrusted the Pandavas to Krpacarya for guidance. After the end of the battle, Krpacarya again became a member of the royal assembly, and he was called during the birth of Maharaja Pariksit for recitation of auspicious Vedic hymns to make the ceremony successful. Maharaja Yudhisthira, while quitting the palace for his great departure to the Himalayas, entrusted Krpacarya with Maharaja Pariksit as his disciple, and he left home satisfied because of Krpacarya’s taking charge of Maharaja Pariksit. The great administrators, kings and emperors were always under the guidance of learned brahmanas like Krpacarya and thus were able to act properly in the discharge of political responsibilities.

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