Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 5: “The Creative Impetus”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Four
SB5.4.9
TEXT 9
yesam khalu maha-yogi bharato jyesthah srestha-guna asid yenedam varsam bharatam iti vyapadisanti.
SYNONYMS
yesam—of whom; khalu—indeed; maha-yogi—a very highly exalted devotee of the Lord; bharatah—Bharata; jyesthah—the eldest; srestha-gunah—qualified with the best attributes; asit—was; yena—by whom; idam—this; varsam—planet; bharatam—Bharata; iti—thus; vyapadisanti—people call.
TRANSLATION
Of Rsabhadeva’s one hundred sons, the eldest, named Bharata, was a great, exalted devotee qualified with the best attributes. In his honor, this planet has become known as Bharata-varsa.
PURPORT
This planet known as Bharata-varsa is also called punya-bhumi, the pious land. At the present moment Bharata-bhumi, or Bharata-varsa, is a small piece of land extending from the Himalaya Mountains to Cape Comorin. Sometimes this peninsula is called punya-bhumi. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given special importance to the people of this land.
bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara
“One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India (Bharata-varsa) should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.” (Cc. Adi 9.41) The inhabitants of this piece of land are very fortunate. They can purify their existence by accepting this Krsna consciousness movement and go outside Bharata-bhumi (India) and preach this cult to benefit the whole world. SB5.4.10 TEXT 10 tam anu kusavarta ilavarto brahmavarto malayah ketur bhadrasena indrasprg vidarbhah kikata iti nava navati pradhanah. SYNONYMS tam—him; anu—following; kusavarta—Kusavarta; ilavartah—Ilavarta; brahmavartah—Brahmavarta; malayah—Malaya; ketuh—Ketu; bhadra-senah—Bhadrasena; indra-sprk—Indrasprk; vidarbhah—Vidarbha; kikatah—Kikata; iti—thus; nava—nine; navati—ninety; pradhanah—older than. TRANSLATION Following Bharata, there were ninety-nine other sons. Among these were nine elderly sons, named Kusavarta, Ilavarta, Brahmavarta, Malaya, Ketu, Bhadrasena, Indrasprk, Vidarbha and Kikata. SB5.4.11-12 TEXTS 11–12 kavir havir antariksah prabuddhah pippalayanah avirhotro ’tha drumilas camasah karabhajanahupasamayanam uparistad varnayisyamah. SYNONYMS kavih—Kavi; havih—Havi; antariksah—Antariksa; prabuddhah—Prabuddha; pippalayanah—Pippalayana; avirhotrah—Avirhotra; atha—also; drumilah—Drumila; camasah—Camasa; karabhajanah—Karabhajana; iti—thus; bhagavata-dharma-darsanah—authorized preachers of Srimad-Bhagavatam; nava—nine; maha-bhagavatah—highly advanced devotees; tesam—of them; sucaritam—good characteristics; bhagavat-mahima-upabrmhitam—accompanied by the glories of the Supreme Lord; vasudeva-narada-samvadam—within the conversation between Vasudeva and Narada; upasamayanam—which gives full satisfaction to the mind; uparistat—hereafter (in the Eleventh Canto); varnayisyamah—I shall vividly explain. TRANSLATION In addition to these sons were Kavi, Havi, Antariksa, Prabuddha, Pippalayana, Avirhotra, Drumila, Camasa and Karabhajana. These were all very exalted, advanced devotees and authorized preachers of Srimad-Bhagavatam. These devotees were glorified due to their strong devotion to Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore they were very exalted. To satisfy the mind perfectly, I [Sukadeva Gosvami] shall hereafter describe the characteristics of these nine devotees when I discuss the conversation between Narada and Vasudeva. SB5.4.13 TEXT 13 yaviyamsa ekasitir jayanteyah pitur adesakara maha-salina maha-srotriya yajna-silah karma-visuddha brahmana babhuvuh. SYNONYMS yaviyamsah—younger; ekasitih—numbering eighty-one; jayanteyah—the sons of Jayanti, the wife of Rsabhadeva; pituh—of their father; adesakarah—following the order; maha-salinah—well behaved. well cultured; maha-srotriyah—extremely learned in Vedic knowledge; yajna-silah—expert in performing ritualistic ceremonies; karma-visuddhah—very pure in their activities; brahmanah—qualified brahmanas; babhuvuh—became. TRANSLATION In addition to these nineteen sons mentioned above, there were eighty-one younger ones, all born of Rsabhadeva and Jayanti. According to the order of their father, they became well cultured, well behaved, very pure in their activities and expert in Vedic knowledge and the performance of Vedic rituals. Thus they all became perfectly qualified brahmanas. PURPORT From this verse we have good information of how the castes are qualified according to quality and work. Rsabhadeva, a king, was certainly a ksatriya. He had a hundred sons, and out of these, ten were engaged as ksatriyas and ruled the planet. Nine sons became good preachers of Srimad-Bhagavatam (maha-bhagavatas), and this indicates that they were above the position of brahmanas. The other eighty-one sons became highly qualified brahmanas. These are some practical examples of how one can become fit for a certain type of activity by qualification, not by birth. All the sons of Maharaja Rsabhadeva were ksatriyas by birth, but by quality some of them became ksatriyas, and some became brahmanas. Nine became preachers of Srimad-Bhagavatam (bhagavata-dharma-darsanah), which means that they were above the categories of ksatriya and brahmana. SB5.4.14 TEXT 14 bhagavan rsabha-samjna atma-tantrah svayam nitya-nivrttanartha-paramparah kevalanandanubhava isvara eva viparitavat karmany arabhamanah kalenanugatam dharmam acaranenopasiksayann atad-vidam sama upasanto maitrah karuniko dharmartha-yasah-prajanandamrtavarodhena grhesu lokam niyamayat. SYNONYMS bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rsabha—Rsabha; samjnah—named; atma-tantrah—fully independent; svayam—personally; nitya—eternally; nivrtta—free from; anartha—of things not wanted (birth, old age, disease and death); paramparah—the continual succession, one after another; kevala—only; ananda-anubhavah—full of transcendental bliss; isvarah—the Supreme Lord, the controller; eva—indeed; viparita-vat—just like the opposite; karmani—material activities; arabhamanah—performing; kalena—in course of time; anugatam—neglected; dharmam—the varnasrama-dharma; acaranena—by executing; upasiksayan—teaching; a-tat-vidam—persons who are in ignorance; samah—equipoised; upasantah—undisturbed by the material senses; maitrah—very friendly to everyone; karunikah—very merciful to all; dharma—religious principles; artha—economic development; yasah—reputation; praja—sons and daughters; ananda—material pleasure; amrta—eternal life; avarodhena—for achieving; grhesu—in household life; lokam—the people in general; niyamayat—He regulated. TRANSLATION Being an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Rsabhadeva was fully independent because His form was spiritual, eternal and full of transcendental bliss. He eternally had nothing to do with the four principles of material misery [birth, death, old age and disease]. Nor was He materially attached. He was always equipoised, and He saw everyone on the same level. He was unhappy to see others unhappy, and He was the well-wisher of all living entities. Although He was a perfect personality, the Supreme Lord and controller of all, He nonetheless acted as if He were an ordinary conditioned soul. Therefore He strictly followed the principles of varnasrama-dharma and acted accordingly. In due course of time, the principles of varnasrama-dharma had become neglected; therefore through His personal characteristics and behavior, He taught the ignorant public how to perform duties within the varnasrama-dharma. In this way He regulated the general populace in householder life, enabling them to develop religion and economic well-being and to attain reputations, sons and daughters, material pleasure and finally eternal life. By His instructions, He showed how people could remain householders and at the same time become perfect by following the principles of varnasrama-dharma. PURPORT The varnasrama-dharma is meant for imperfect, conditioned souls. It trains them to become spiritually advanced in order to return home, back to Godhead. A civilization that does not know the highest aim of life is no better than an animal society. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam: na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. A human society is meant for elevation to spiritual knowledge so that all of the people can be freed from the clutches of birth, death, old age and disease. The varnasrama-dharma enables human society to become perfectly fit for getting out of the clutches of maya, and by following the regulative principles of varnasrama-dharma, one can become successful. In this regard, see Bhagavad-gita (3.21–24). SB5.4.15 TEXT 15 yad yac chirsanyacaritam tat tad anuvartate lokah. SYNONYMS yat yat—whatever; sirsanya—by the leading personalities; acaritam—performed; tat tat—that; anuvartate—follow; lokah—the people in general. TRANSLATION Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow. PURPORT A similar verse is also found in Bhagavad-gita (3.21). It is essential for human society to have a section of men perfectly trained as qualified brahmanas according to the instructions of Vedic knowledge. Those below the brahminical qualification—administrators, merchants and workers—should take instructions from those ideal people who are considered to be intellectuals. In this way, everyone can be elevated to the highest transcendental position and be freed from material attachment. The material world is described by Lord Krsna Himself as duhkhalayam asasvatam [Bg. 8.15], a temporary place of misery. No one can stay here, even if he makes a compromise with misery. One has to give up this body and accept another, which may not even be a human body. As soon as one gets a material body, he becomes deha-bhrt, or dehi. In other words, he is subjected to all the material conditions. The leaders of society must be so ideal that by following them one can be relieved from the clutches of material existence. SB5.4.16 TEXT 16 yadyapi sva-viditam sakala-dharmam brahmam guhyam brahmanair darsita-margena samadibhir upayair janatam anusasasa. SYNONYMS yadyapi—although; sva-viditam—known by Him; sakala-dharmam—which includes all different types of occupational duties; brahmam—Vedic instruction; guhyam—very confidential; brahmanaih—by the brahmanas; darsita-margena—by the path showed; sama-adibhih—sama, dama, titiksa (controlling the mind. controlling the senses, practicing tolerance) and so on; upayaih—by the means; janatam—the people in general; anusasasa—he ruled over. TRANSLATION Although Lord Rsabhadeva knew everything about confidential Vedic knowledge, which includes information about all types of occupational duties, He still maintained Himself as a ksatriya and followed the instructions of the brahmanas as they related to mind control, sense control, tolerance and so forth. Thus He ruled the people according to the system of varnasrama-dharma, which enjoins that the brahmanas instruct the ksatriyas and the ksatriyas administer to the state through the vaisyas and sudras. PURPORT Although Rsabhadeva knew all the Vedic instructions perfectly well, He nonetheless followed the instructions of the brahmanas in order to perfectly maintain the social order. The brahmanas would give advice according to the sastras, and all the other castes would follow. The word brahma means “perfect knowledge of all activities,” and this knowledge is very confidentially described in the Vedic literatures. Men trained perfectly as brahmanas should know all Vedic literature, and the benefit derived from this literature should be distributed to the general populace. The general populace should follow the perfect brahmana. In this way, one can learn how to control the mind and senses and thus gradually advance to spiritual perfection. SB5.4.17 TEXT 17 dravya-desa-kala-vayah-sraddhartvig-vividhoddesopacitaih sarvair api kratubhir yathopadesam sata-krtva iyaja. SYNONYMS dravya—the ingredients for performing yajna; desa—the particular place, a holy place or a temple; kala—the suitable time, such as springtime; vayah—the age, especially youth; sraddha—faith in goodness, not in passion and ignorance; rtvik—the priests; vividha-uddesa—worshiping different demigods for different purposes; upacitaih—enriched by; sarvaih—all kinds of; api—certainly; kratubhih—by sacrificial ceremonies; yatha-upadesam—according to the instruction; sata-krtvah—one hundred times; iyaja—He worshiped. TRANSLATION Lord Rsabhadeva performed all kinds of sacrifices one hundred times according to the instructions of the Vedic literatures. Thus He satisfied Lord Visnu in every respect. All the rituals were enriched by first-class ingredients. They were executed in holy places according to the proper time by priests who were all young and faithful. In this way Lord Visnu was worshiped, and the prasada was offered to all the demigods. Thus the functions and festivals were all successful. PURPORT It is said, kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha (Bhag. 7.6.1). A ritual should be performed by young men, even boys, at a tender age in order for the ritual to be performed successfully. From childhood, people should be trained in Vedic culture, especially in devotional service. In this way, one can perfect one’s life. A Vaisnava does not disrespect the demigods, but on the other hand he is not so foolish that he accepts each and every demigod as the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is master of all demigods; therefore the demigods are His servants. The Vaisnava accepts them as servants of the Supreme Lord, and he worships them directly. In the Brahma-samhita, the important demigods—Lord Siva, Lord Brahma and even the incarnations and expansions of Lord Krsna like Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakasayi Visnu and all the other visnu-tattvas, as well as the sakti-tattvas like Durgadevi—are all worshiped by the process of worshiping Govinda with the words govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. A Vaisnava worships the demigods in relation to Govinda, not independently. Vaisnavas are not so foolish that they consider the demigods independent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is confirmed in Caitanya-caritamrta. Ekale isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya: the supreme master is Krsna, and all others are His servants. SB5.4.18 TEXT 18 bhagavatarsabhena pariraksyamana etasmin varse na kascana puruso vanchaty avidyamanam ivatmano ’nyasmat kathancana kimapi karhicid aveksate bhartary anusavanam vijrmbhita-snehatisayam antarena. SYNONYMS bhagavata—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rsabhena—King Rsabha; pariraksyamane—being protected; etasmin—on this; varse—planet; na—not; kascana—anyone; purusah—even a common man; vanchati—desires; avidyamanam—not existing in reality; iva—as if; atmanah—for himself; anyasmat—from anyone else; kathancana—by any means; kimapi—anything; karhicit—at any time; aveksate—does care to see; bhartari—toward the master; anusavanam—always; vijrmbhita—expanding; sneha-atisayam—very great affection; antarena—within one’s self. TRANSLATION No one likes to possess anything that is like a will-o’-the-wisp or a flower in the sky, for everyone knows very well that such things do not exist. When Lord Rsabhadeva ruled this planet of Bharatavarsa, even common men did not want to ask for anything, at any time or by any means. No one ever asks for a will-o’-the-wisp. In other words, everyone was completely satisfied, and therefore there was no chance of anyone’s asking for anything. The people were absorbed in great affection for the King. Since this affection was always expanding, they were not inclined to ask for anything. PURPORT In Bengal the word ghoda-dimba is used, which means “the egg of a horse.” Since a horse never lays an egg, the word ghoda-dimba actually has no meaning. In Sanskrit there is a word kha-puspa, which means “the flower in the sky.” No flower grows in the sky; therefore no one is interested in asking for kha-puspa or ghoda-dimba. During the reign of Maharaja Rsabhadeva, people were so well equipped that they did not want to ask for anything. They were immensely supplied with all necessities for life due to King Rsabhadeva’s good government. Consequently everyone felt full satisfaction and did not want anything. This is the perfection of government. If the citizens are unhappy due to bad government, the heads of government are condemned. During these democratic days, monarchy is disliked by the people, but here is an example of how an emperor of the whole world kept all the citizens fully satisfied by supplying the necessities of life and following the Vedic principles. Thus everyone was happy during the reign of Maharaja Rsabhadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. SB5.4.19 TEXT 19 sa kadacid atamano bhagavan rsabho brahmavarta-gato brahmarsi-pravara-sabhayam prajanam nisamayantinam atmajan avahitatmanah prasraya-pranaya-bhara-suyantritan apy upasiksayann iti hovaca. SYNONYMS sah—He; kadacit—once; atamanah—while on tour; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rsabhah—Lord Rsabha; brahmavarta-gatah—when He reached the place known as Brahmavarta (identified by some as Burma and by others as a place near Kanpura, Uttar Pradesh); brahma-rsi-pravara-sabhayam—in a meeting of first-class brahmanas; prajanam—while the citizens; nisamayantinam—were hearing; atmajan—His sons; avahita-atmanah—attentive; prasraya—of good behavior; pranaya—of devotion; bhara—by an abundance; su-yantritan—well controlled; api—although; upasiksayan—teaching; iti—thus; ha—certainly; uvaca—said. TRANSLATION Once while touring the world, Lord Rsabhadeva, the Supreme Lord, reached a place known as Brahmavarta. There was a great conference of learned brahmanas at that place, and all the King’s sons attentively heard the instructions of the brahmanas there. At that assembly, within the hearing of the citizens, Rsabhadeva instructed His sons, although they were already very well behaved, devoted and qualified. He instructed them so that in the future they could rule the world very perfectly. Thus he spoke as follows. PURPORT The instructions of Lord Rsabhadeva to His sons are very valuable if one wants to live peacefully within this world, which is full of miseries. In the next chapter, Lord Rsabhadeva gives His sons these valuable instructions. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Fourth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “The Characteristics of Rsabhadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”