Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 3: “The Status Quo”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Nineteen
SB3.19.25
TEXT 25
tam mustibhir vinighnantam
vajra-sarair adhoksajah
karena karna-mule ’han
yatha tvastram marut-patih
SYNONYMS
tam—Hiranyaksa; mustibhih—with his fists; vinighnantam—striking; vajra-saraih—as hard as a thunderbolt; adhoksajah—Lord Adhoksaja; karena—with the hand; karna-mule—at the root of the ear; ahan—struck; yatha—as; tvastram—the demon Vrtra (son of Tvasta); marut-patih—Indra (lord of the Maruts).
TRANSLATION
The demon now began to strike the Lord with his hard fists, but Lord Adhoksaja slapped him in the root of the ear, even as Indra, the lord of the Maruts, hit the demon Vrtra.
PURPORT
The Lord is explained here to be adhoksaja, beyond the reach of all material calculation. Aksaja means “the measurement of our senses,” and adhoksaja means “that which is beyond the measurement of our senses.” SB3.19.26 TEXT 26 sa ahato visva-jita hy avajnaya paribhramad-gatra udasta-locanah visirna-bahv-anghri-siroruho ’patad yatha nagendro lulito nabhasvata SYNONYMS sah—he; ahatah—having been struck; visva-jita—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; hi—though; avajnaya—indifferently; paribhramat—wheeling; gatrah—body; udasta—bulged out; locanah—eyes; visirna—broken; bahu—arms; anghri—legs; sirah-ruhah—hair; apatat—fell down; yatha—like; naga-indrah—a gigantic tree; lulitah—uprooted; nabhasvata—by the wind. TRANSLATION Though struck indifferently by the Lord, the conqueror of all, the demon’s body began to wheel. His eyeballs bulged out of their sockets. His arms and legs broken and the hair on his head scattered, he fell down dead, like a gigantic tree uprooted by the wind. PURPORT It does not take even a moment for the Lord to kill any powerful demon, including Hiranyaksa. The Lord could have killed him long before, but He allowed the demon to display the full extent of his magical feats. One may know that by magical feats, by scientific advancement of knowledge or by material power one cannot become the equal of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His one signal is sufficient to destroy all our attempts. His inconceivable power, as displayed here, is so strong that the demon, despite all his demoniac maneuvers, was killed by the Lord when the Lord desired, simply by one slap. SB3.19.27 TEXT 27 ksitau sayanam tam akuntha-varcasam karala-damstram paridasta-dacchadam ajadayo viksya sasamsur agata aho imam ko nu labheta samsthitim SYNONYMS ksitau—on the ground; sayanam—lying; tam—Hiranyaksa; akuntha—unfaded; varcasam—glow; karala—fearful; damstram—teeth; paridasta—bitten; dat-chadam—lip; aja-adayah—Brahma and others; viksya—having seen; sasamsuh—admiringly said; agatah—arrived; aho—oh; imam—this; kah—who; nu—indeed; labheta—could meet; samsthitim—death. TRANSLATION Aja [Brahma] and others arrived on the spot to see the fearfully tusked demon lying on the ground, biting his lip. The glow of his face was yet unfaded, and Brahma admiringly said: Oh, who could meet such blessed death? PURPORT Although the demon was dead, his bodily luster was unfaded. This is very peculiar because when a man or animal is dead, the body immediately becomes pale, the luster gradually fades, and decomposition takes place. But here, although Hiranyaksa lay dead, his bodily luster was unfaded because the Lord, the Supreme Spirit, was touching his body. One’s bodily luster remains fresh only as long as the spirit soul is present. Although the demon’s soul had departed his body, the Supreme Spirit touched the body, and therefore his bodily luster did not fade. The individual soul is different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead when he quits his body is certainly very fortunate, and therefore personalities like Brahma and the other demigods eulogized the death of the demon. SB3.19.28 TEXT 28 yam yogino yoga-samadhina raho dhyayanti lingad asato mumuksaya tasyaisa daitya-rsabhah padahato mukham prapasyams tanum utsasarja ha SYNONYMS yam—whom; yoginah—the yogis; yoga-samadhina—in mystic trance; rahah—in seclusion; dhyayanti—meditate upon; lingat—from the body; asatah—unreal; mumuksaya—seeking freedom; tasya—of Him; esah—this; daitya—son of Diti; rsabhah—the crest jewel; pada—by a foot; ahatah—struck; mukham—countenance; prapasyan—while gazing on; tanum—the body; utsasarja—he cast off; ha—indeed. TRANSLATION Brahma continued: He was struck by a forefoot of the Lord, whom yogis, seeking freedom from their unreal material bodies, meditate upon in seclusion in mystic trance. While gazing on His countenance, this crest jewel of Diti’s sons has cast off his mortal coil. PURPORT The process of yoga is very clearly described in this verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is said here that the ultimate end of the yogis and mystics who perform meditation is to get rid of this material body. Therefore they meditate in secluded places to attain yogic trance. Yoga has to be performed in a secluded place, not in public or in a demonstration on stage, as nowadays practiced by many so-called yogis. Real yoga aims at ridding one of the material body. Yoga practice is not intended to keep the body fit and young. Such advertisements of so-called yoga are not approved by any standard method. Particularly mentioned in this verse is the word yam, or “unto whom,” indicating that meditation should be targeted on the Personality of Godhead. Even if one concentrates his mind on the boar form of the Lord, that is also yoga. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, one who concentrates his mind constantly in meditation upon the Personality of Godhead in one of His many varieties of forms is the first-class yogi, and he can very easily attain trance simply by meditating upon the form of the Lord. If one is able to continue such meditation on the Lord’s form at the time of one’s death, one is liberated from this mortal body and is transferred to the kingdom of God. This opportunity was given to the demon by the Lord, and therefore Brahma and other demigods were astonished. In other words, the perfection of yoga practice can be attained by a demon also if he is simply kicked by the Lord. SB3.19.29 TEXT 29 etau tau parsadav asya sapad yatav asad-gatim punah katipayaih sthanam prapatsyete ha janmabhih SYNONYMS etau—these two; tau—both; parsadau—personal assistants; asya—of the Personality of Godhead; sapat—because of being cursed; yatau—have gone; asat-gatim—to take birth in a demoniac family; punah—again; katipayaih—a few; sthanam—own place; prapatsyete—will get back; ha—indeed; janmabhih—after births. TRANSLATION These two personal assistants of the Supreme Lord, having been cursed, have been destined to take birth in demoniac families. After a few such births, they will return to their own positions. SB3.19.30 TEXT 30 deva ucuh namo namas te ’khila-yajna-tantave sthitau grhitamala-sattva-murtaye distya hato ’yam jagatam aruntudas tvat-pada-bhaktya vayam isa nirvrtah SYNONYMS devah—the demigods; ucuh—said; namah—obeisances; namah—obeisances; te—unto You; akhila-yajna-tantave—the enjoyer of all sacrifices; sthitau—for the purpose of maintaining; grhita—assumed; amala—pure; sattva—goodness; murtaye—form; distya—fortunately; hatah—slain; ayam—this; jagatam—to the worlds; aruntudah—causing torment; tvat-pada—to Your feet; bhaktya—with devotion; vayam—we; isa—O Lord; nirvrtah—have attained happiness. TRANSLATION The demigods addressed the Lord: All obeisances unto You! You are the enjoyer of all sacrifices, and You have assumed the form of a boar, in pure goodness, for the purpose of maintaining the world. Fortunately for us, this demon, who was a torment to the worlds, has been slain by You, and we too, O Lord, are now at ease, in devotion to Your lotus feet. PURPORT The material world consists of three modes—goodness, passion and ignorance—but the spiritual world is pure goodness. It is said here that the form of the Lord is pure goodness, which means that it is not material. In the material world there is no pure goodness. In the Bhagavatam the stage of pure goodness is called sattvam visuddham. Visuddham means “pure.” In pure goodness there is no contamination by the two inferior qualities, namely passion and ignorance. The form of the boar, therefore, in which the Lord appeared, is nothing of the material world. There are many other forms of the Lord, but none of them belong to the material qualities. Such forms are nondifferent from the Visnu form, and Visnu is the enjoyer of all sacrifices. The sacrifices which are recommended in the Vedas are meant to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In ignorance only, people try to satisfy many other agents, but the real purpose of life is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Visnu. All sacrifices are meant to please the Supreme Lord. The living entities who know this perfectly well are called demigods, godly or almost God. Since the living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, it is his duty to serve the Lord and please Him. The demigods are all attached to the Personality of Godhead, and for their pleasure the demon, who was a source of trouble to the world, was killed. Purified life is meant to please the Lord, and all sacrifices performed in purified life are called Krsna consciousness. This Krsna consciousness is developed by devotional service, as clearly mentioned here. SB3.19.31 TEXT 31 maitreya uvaca evam hiranyaksam asahya-vikramam sa sadayitva harir adi-sukarah jagama lokam svam akhanditotsavam samiditah puskara-vistaradibhih SYNONYMS maitreyah uvaca—Sri Maitreya said; evam—thus; hiranyaksam—Hiranyaksa; asahya-vikramam—very powerful; sah—the Lord; sadayitva—after killing; harih—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; adi-sukarah—the origin of the boar species; jagama—returned; lokam—to His abode; svam—own; akhandita—uninterrupted; utsavam—festival; samiditah—being praised; puskara-vistara—lotus seat (by Lord Brahma, whose seat is a lotus); adibhih—and the others. TRANSLATION Sri Maitreya continued: After thus killing the most formidable demon Hiranyaksa, the Supreme Lord Hari, the origin of the boar species, returned to His own abode, where there is always an uninterrupted festival. The Lord was praised by all the demigods, headed by Brahma. PURPORT The Lord is spoken of herewith as the origin of the boar species. As stated in the Vedanta-sutra (1.1.2), the Absolute Truth is the origin of everything. Therefore it is to be understood that all 8,400,000 species of bodily forms originate from the Lord, who is always adi, or the beginning. In Bhagavad-gita Arjuna addresses the Lord as adyam, or the original. Similarly, in the Brahma-samhita the Lord is addressed as adi-purusam, the original person. Indeed, in Bhagavad-gita (10.8) the Lord Himself declares, mattah sarvam pravartate: “From Me everything proceeds.” In this situation the Lord assumed the shape of a boar to kill the demon Hiranyaksa and pick up the earth from the Garbha Ocean. Thus He became adi-sukara, the original boar. In the material world a boar or pig is considered most abominable, but the adi-sukara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was not treated as an ordinary boar. Even Lord Brahma and the other demigods praised the Lord’s form as a boar. This verse confirms the statement in Bhagavad-gita that the Lord appears as He is from His transcendental abode for the sake of killing the miscreants and saving the devotees. By killing the demon Hiranyaksa He fulfilled His promise to kill the demons and always protect the demigods headed by Brahma. The statement that the Lord returned to His own abode indicates that He has His own particular transcendental residence. Since He is full of all energies, He is all-pervasive in spite of His residing in Goloka Vrndavana, just as the sun, although situated in a particular place within the universe, is present by its sunshine throughout the universe. Although the Lord has His particular abode in which to reside, He is all-pervasive. The impersonalists accept one aspect of the Lord’s features, the all-pervasive aspect, but they cannot understand His localized situation in His transcendental abode, where He always engages in fully transcendental pastimes. Especially mentioned in this verse is the word akhanditotsavam. Utsava means “pleasure.” Whenever some function takes place to express happiness, it is called utsava. Utsava, the expression of complete happiness, is always present in the Vaikunthalokas, the abode of the Lord, who is worshipable even by demigods like Brahma, to say nothing of other, less important entities such as human beings. The Lord descends from His abode to this world, and therefore He is called avatara, which means “one who descends.” Sometimes avatara is understood to refer to an incarnation who assumes a material form of flesh and bone, but actually avatara refers to one who descends from higher regions. The Lord’s abode is situated far above this material sky, and He descends from that higher position; thus He is called avatara. SB3.19.32 TEXT 32 maya yathanuktam avadi te hareh krtavatarasya sumitra cestitam yatha hiranyaksa udara-vikramo maha-mrdhe kridanavan nirakrtah SYNONYMS maya—by me; yatha—as; anuktam—told; avadi—was explained; te—to you; hareh—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; krta-avatarasya—who assumed the incarnation; sumitra—O dear Vidura; cestitam—the activities; yatha—as; hiranyaksah—Hiranyaksa; udara—very extensive; vikramah—prowess; maha-mrdhe—in a great fight; kridana-vat—like a plaything; nirakrtah—was killed. TRANSLATION Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, I have explained to you the Personality of Godhead’s coming down as the first boar incarnation and killing in a great fight a demon of unprecedented prowess as if he were just a plaything. This has been narrated by me as I heard it from my predecessor spiritual master. PURPORT Here the sage Maitreya admits that he explained the incident of the killing of Hiranyaksa by the Supreme Personality of Godhead as a straight narration; he did not manufacture anything or add interpretation, but explained whatever he had heard from his spiritual master. Thus he accepted as bona fide the system of parampara, or receiving the transcendental message in disciplic succession. Unless received by this bona fide process of hearing from a spiritual master, the statement of an acarya or preceptor cannot be valid. It is also stated here that although the demon Hiranyaksa was unlimited in prowess, he was just like a doll for the Lord. A child breaks so many dolls without real endeavor. Similarly, although a demon may be very powerful and extraordinary in the eyes of an ordinary man in the material world, to the Lord, killing such a demon is no difficulty. He can kill millions of demons as simply as a child plays with dolls and breaks them. SB3.19.33 TEXT 33 suta uvaca iti kausaravakhyatam asrutya bhagavat-katham ksattanandam param lebhe maha-bhagavato dvija SYNONYMS sutah—Suta Gosvami; uvaca—said; iti—thus; kausarava—from Maitreya (son of Kusaru); akhyatam—told; asrutya—having heard; bhagavat-katham—the narration about the Lord; ksatta—Vidura; anandam—bliss; param—transcendental; lebhe—achieved; maha-bhagavatah—the great devotee; dvija—O brahmana (Saunaka). TRANSLATION Sri Suta Gosvami continued: My dear brahmana, Ksatta [Vidura] the great devotee of the Lord achieved transcendental bliss by hearing the narration of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from the authoritative source of the sage Kausarava [Maitreya], and he was very pleased. PURPORT If anyone wants to derive transcendental pleasure by hearing the pastimes of the Lord, he must hear from the authoritative source, as explained here. Maitreya heard the narration from his bona fide spiritual master, and Vidura also heard from Maitreya. One becomes an authority simply by presenting whatever he has heard from his spiritual master, and one who does not accept a bona fide spiritual master cannot be an authority. This is clearly explained here. If one wants to have transcendental pleasure, he must find a person with authority. It is also stated in the Bhagavatam that simply by hearing from an authoritative source, with the ear and the heart, one can relish the pastimes of the Lord, otherwise it is not possible. Sanatana Gosvami, therefore, has especially warned that one should not hear anything about the personality of the Lord from the lips of a nondevotee. Nondevotees are considered to be like serpents; as milk is poisoned by a serpent’s touch, so, although the narration of the pastimes of the Lord is as pure as milk, when administered by serpentlike nondevotees it becomes poisonous. Not only does it have no effect in transcendental pleasure, but it is dangerous also. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has warned that no description of the pastimes of the Lord should be heard from the Mayavada, or impersonalist, school. He has clearly said, mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva nasa: if anyone hears the Mayavadis’ interpretation of the pastimes of the Lord, or their interpretation of Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam or any other Vedic literature, then he is doomed. Once one is associated with impersonalists, he can never understand the personal feature of the Lord and His transcendental pastimes. Suta Gosvami was speaking to the sages headed by Saunaka, and therefore he addressed them in this verse as dvija, twice-born. The sages assembled in Naimisaranya hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam from Suta Gosvami were all brahmanas, but to acquire the qualifications of a brahmana is not everything. Merely to be twice-born is not perfection. Perfection is attained when one hears the pastimes and activities of the Lord from a bona fide source. SB3.19.34 TEXT 34 anyesam punya-slokanam uddama-yasasam satam upasrutya bhaven modah srivatsankasya kim punah SYNONYMS anyesam—of others; punya-slokanam—of pious reputation; uddama-yasasam—whose fame is spread everywhere; satam—of the devotees; upasrutya—by hearing; bhavet—may arise; modah—pleasure; srivatsa-ankasya—of the Lord, who bears the mark Srivatsa; kim punah—what to speak of. TRANSLATION What to speak of hearing the pastimes of the Lord, whose chest is marked with Srivatsa, people may take transcendental pleasure even in hearing of the works and deeds of the devotees, whose fame is immortal. PURPORT Bhagavatam literally means the pastimes of the Lord and the Lord’s devotees. For example, there are pastimes of Lord Krsna and narrations of devotees like Prahlada, Dhruva and Maharaja Ambarisa. Both pastimes pertain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead because the devotees’ pastimes are in relation with Him. The Mahabharata, for example, the history of the Pandavas and their activities, is sacred because the Pandavas had a direct relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. SB3.19.35 TEXT 35 yo gajendram jhasa-grastam dhyayantam caranambujam krosantinam karenunam krcchrato ’mocayad drutam SYNONYMS yah—He who; gaja-indram—the king of elephants; jhasa—an alligator; grastam—attacked by; dhyayantam—meditating upon; carana—feet; ambujam—lotus; krosantinam—while crying; karenunam—the female elephants; krcchratah—from danger; amocayat—delivered; drutam—quickly. TRANSLATION The Personality of Godhead delivered the king of the elephants, who was attacked by an alligator and who meditated upon the lotus feet of the Lord. At that time the female elephants who accompanied him were crying, and the Lord saved them from the impending danger. PURPORT The example of the elephant in danger who was saved by the Supreme Lord is especially cited here because even if one is an animal he can approach the Personality of Godhead in devotional service, whereas even a demigod cannot approach the Supreme Person unless he is a devotee. SB3.19.36 TEXT 36 tam sukharadhyam rjubhir ananya-saranair nrbhih krtajnah ko na seveta duraradhyam asadhubhih SYNONYMS tam—unto Him; sukha—easily; aradhyam—worshiped; rjubhih—by the unpretentious; ananya—no other; saranaih—who take shelter; nrbhih—by men; krta-jnah—grateful soul; kah—what; na—not; seveta—would render service; duraradhyam—impossible to be worshiped; asadhubhih—by the nondevotees. TRANSLATION What grateful soul is there who would not render his loving service to such a great master as the Personality of Godhead? The Lord can be easily pleased by spotless devotees who resort exclusively to Him for protection, though the unrighteous man finds it difficult to propitiate Him. PURPORT Every living entity, especially persons in the human race, must feel grateful for the benedictions offered by the grace of the Supreme Lord. Anyone, therefore, with a simple heart of gratefulness must be Krsna conscious and offer devotional service to the Lord. Those who are actually thieves and rogues do not recognize or acknowledge the benedictions offered to them by the Supreme Lord, and they cannot render Him devotional service. Ungrateful persons are those who do not understand how much benefit they are deriving by the arrangement of the Lord. They enjoy the sunshine and moonshine, and they get water free of charge, yet they do not feel grateful, but simply go on enjoying these gifts of the Lord. Therefore, they must be called thieves and rogues. SB3.19.37 TEXT 37 yo vai hiranyaksa-vadham mahadbhutam vikriditam karana-sukaratmanah srnoti gayaty anumodate ’njasa vimucyate brahma-vadhad api dvijah SYNONYMS yah—he who; vai—indeed; hiranyaksa-vadham—of the killing of Hiranyaksa; maha-adbhutam—most wonderful; vikriditam—pastime; karana—for reasons like raising the earth from the ocean; sukara—appearing in the form of a boar; atmanah—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; srnoti—hears; gayati—chants; anumodate—takes pleasure; anjasa—at once; vimucyate—becomes freed; brahma-vadhat—from the sin of killing a brahmana; api—even; dvijah—O brahmanas. TRANSLATION O brahmanas, anyone who hears, chants, or takes pleasure in the wonderful narration of the killing of the Hiranyaksa demon by the Lord, who appeared as the first boar in order to deliver the world, is at once relieved of the results of sinful activities, even the killing of a brahmana. PURPORT Since the Personality of Godhead is in the absolute position, there is no difference between His pastimes and His personality. Anyone who hears about the pastimes of the Lord associates with the Lord directly, and one who associates directly with the Lord is certainly freed from all sinful activities, even to the extent of the killing of a brahmana, which is considered the most sinful activity in the material world. One should be very eager to hear about the activities of the Lord from the bona fide source, the pure devotee. If one simply gives aural reception to the narration and accepts the glories of the Lord, then he is qualified. The impersonalist philosophers cannot understand the activities of the Lord. They think that all His activities are maya; therefore they are called Mayavadis. Since everything to them is maya, these narrations are not for them. Some impersonalists are reluctant to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, although many of them are now taking an interest in it just for monetary gain. Actually, however, they have no faith. On the contrary, they describe it in their own way. We should not hear, therefore, from the Mayavadis. We have to hear from Suta Gosvami or Maitreya, who actually present the narrations as they are, and only then can we relish the pastimes of the Lord; otherwise the effects on the neophyte audience will be poisonous. SB3.19.38 TEXT 38 etan maha-punyam alam pavitram dhanyam yasasyam padam ayur-asisam pranendriyanam yudhi saurya-vardhanam narayano ’nte gatir anga srnvatam SYNONYMS etat—this narrative; maha-punyam—conferring great merit; alam—very; pavitram—sacred; dhanyam—conferring wealth; yasasyam—bearing fame; padam—the receptacle; ayuh—of longevity; asisam—of the objects of one’s desire; prana—of the vital organs; indriyanam—of the organs of action; yudhi—on the field of battle; saurya—the strength; vardhanam—increasing; narayanah—Lord Narayana; ante—at the end of life; gatih—shelter; anga—O dear Saunaka; srnvatam—of those who listen. TRANSLATION This most sacred narrative confers extraordinary merit, wealth, fame, longevity, and all the objects of one’s desire. On the field of battle it promotes the strength of one’s vital organs and organs of action. One who listens to it at the last moment of his life is transferred to the supreme abode of the Lord, O dear Saunaka. PURPORT Devotees are generally attracted by the narratives of the pastimes of the Lord, and even though they do not prosecute austerities or meditation, this very process of hearing attentively about the pastimes of the Lord will endow them with innumerable benefits, such as wealth, fame, longevity and other desirable aims of life. If one continues to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is full of narratives of the pastimes of the Lord, at the end of this life, one is sure to be transferred to the eternal, transcendental abode of the Lord. Thus hearers are benefited both ultimately and for as long as they are in the material world. That is the supreme, sublime result of engaging in devotional service. The beginning of devotional service is to spare some time and listen to Srimad-Bhagavatam from the right source. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu also recommended five items of devotional service, namely to serve the devotees of the Lord, to chant Hare Krsna, to hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, to worship the Deity of the Lord and to live in a place of pilgrimage. Just performing these five activities can deliver one from the miserable condition of material life. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Third Canto, Nineteenth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “The Killing of the Demon Hiranyaksa.”