Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 5: “The Creative Impetus”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Nine
SB5.9.11
TEXT 11
yada tu parata aharam karma-vetanata ihamanah sva-bhratrbhir api kedara-karmani nirupitas tad api karoti kintu na samam visamam nyunam adhikam iti veda kana-pinyaka-phali-karana-kulmasa-sthalipurisadiny apy amrtavad abhyavaharati.
SYNONYMS
yada—when; tu—but; paratah—from others; aharam—food; karma-vetanatah—in exchange for wages from working; ihamanah—looking for; sva-bhratrbhih api—even by his own stepbrothers; kedara-karmani—in working in the field and adjusting the agricultural work; nirupitah—engaged; tat api—at that time also; karoti—he used to do; kintu—but; na—not; samam—level; visamam—uneven; nyunam—deficient; adhikam—more raised; iti—thus; veda—he knew; kana—broken rice; pinyaka—oil cakes; phali-karana—the chaff of rice; kulmasa—worm-eaten grains; sthali-purisa-adini—burned rice stuck to the pot and so on; api—even; amrta-vat—like nectar; abhyavaharati—used to eat.
TRANSLATION
Jada Bharata used to work only for food. His stepbrothers took advantage of this and engaged him in agricultural field work in exchange for some food, but actually he did not know how to work very well in the field. He did not know where to spread dirt or where to make the ground level or uneven. His brothers used to give him broken rice, oil cakes, the chaff of rice, worm-eaten grains and burned grains that had stuck to the pot, but he gladly accepted all this as if it were nectar. He did not hold any grudges and ate all this very gladly.
PURPORT
The platform of paramahamsa is described in Bhagavad-gita (2.15): sama-duhkha-sukham dhiram so ’mrtatvaya kalpate. When one is callous to all duality, the happiness and distress of this material world, one is fit for amrtatva, eternal life. Bharata Maharaja was determined to finish his business in this material world, and he did not at all care for the world of duality. He was complete in Krsna consciousness and was oblivious to good and evil, happiness and distress. As stated in Caitanya-caritamrta (Antya 4.176):
‘dvaite’ bhadrabhadra-jnana, saba-‘manodharma’
‘ei bhala, ei manda’,——saba ‘bhrama’
“In the material world, conceptions of good and bad are all mental speculations. Therefore, saying, ‘This is good and this is bad,’ is all a mistake.” One has to understand that in the material world of duality, to think that this is good or that this is bad is simply a mental concoction. However, one should not imitate this consciousness; one should actually be situated on the spiritual platform of neutrality. SB5.9.12 TEXT 12 atha kadacit kascid vrsala-patir bhadra-kalyai purusa-pasum alabhatapatya-kamah. SYNONYMS atha—thereafter; kadacit—at some time; kascit—some; vrsala-patih—the leader of sudras engaged in plundering the property of others; bhadra-kalyai—unto the goddess known as Bhadra Kali; purusa-pasum—an animal in the shape of a man; alabhata—started to sacrifice; apatya-kamah—desiring a son. TRANSLATION At this time, being desirous of obtaining a son, a leader of dacoits who came from a sudra family wanted to worship the goddess Bhadra Kali by offering her in sacrifice a dull man, who is considered no better than an animal. PURPORT Low-class men such as sudras worship demigods like goddess Kali, or Bhadra Kali, for the fulfillment of material desires. To this end, they sometimes kill a human being before the deity. They generally choose a person who is not very intelligent—in other words, an animal in the shape of a man. SB5.9.13 TEXT 13 tasya ha daiva-muktasya pasoh padavim tad-anucarah paridhavanto nisi nisitha-samaye tamasavrtayam anadhigata-pasava akasmikena vidhina kedaran virasanena mrga-varahadibhyah samraksamanam angirah-pravara-sutam apasyan. SYNONYMS tasya—of the leader of the dacoits; ha—certainly; daiva-muktasya—by chance having escaped; pasoh—of the human animal; padavim—the path; tat-anucarah—his followers or assistants; paridhavantah—searching here and there to find; nisi—at night; nisitha-samaye—at midnight; tamasa avrtayam—being covered by darkness; anadhigata-pasavah—not catching the man-animal; akasmikena vidhina—by the unexpected law of providence; kedaran—the fields; vira-asanena—by a seat on a raised place; mrga-varaha-adibhyah—from the deer, wild pigs and so on; samraksamanam—protecting; angirah-pravara-sutam—the son of the brahmana descending from the Angira family; apasyan—they found. TRANSLATION The leader of the dacoits captured a man-animal for sacrifice, but he escaped, and the leader ordered his followers to find him. They ran in different directions but could not find him. Wandering here and there in the middle of the night, covered by dense darkness, they came to a paddy field where they saw the exalted son of the Angira family [Jada Bharata], who was sitting in an elevated place guarding the field against the attacks of deer and wild pigs. SB5.9.14 TEXT 14 atha ta enam anavadya-laksanam avamrsya bhartr-karma-nispattim manyamana baddhva rasanaya candika-grham upaninyur muda vikasita-vadanah. SYNONYMS atha—thereafter; te—they (the servants of the leader of the dacoits); enam—this (Jada Bharata); anavadya-laksanam—as bearing the characteristics of a dull animal because of a fat body like a bull’s and because of being deaf and dumb; avamrsya—recognizing; bhartr-karma-nispattim—the accomplishment of their master’s work; manyamanah—understanding; baddhva—binding tightly; rasanaya—with ropes; candika-grham—to the temple of goddess Kali; upaninyuh—brought; muda—with great happiness; vikasita-vadanah—with bright faces. TRANSLATION The followers and servants of the dacoit chief considered Jada Bharata to possess qualities quite suitable for a man-animal, and they decided that he was a perfect choice for sacrifice. Their faces bright with happiness, they bound him with ropes and brought him to the temple of the goddess Kali. PURPORT In some parts of India, animalistic men are still sacrificed before the goddess Kali. However, such a sacrifice is only performed by sudras and dacoits. Their business is to plunder the wealthy, and to become successful they offer an animalistic man before the goddess Kali. It should be noted that they never sacrifice an intelligent man before the goddess. In the body of a brahmana, Bharata Maharaja appeared deaf and dumb, yet he was the most intelligent man in the world. Nonetheless, being completely surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he remained in that condition and did not protest being brought before the deity for slaughter. As we have learned from the previous verses, he was very strong and could have very easily avoided being bound with ropes, but he did not do anything. He simply depended on the Supreme Personality of Godhead for his protection. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes surrender unto the Supreme Lord in this way: marabi rakhabi——yo iccha tohara “My Lord, I am now surrendered unto You. I am Your eternal servant, and if You like You can kill me, or, if You like, You can protect me. In any case, I am fully surrendered unto You.” SB5.9.15 TEXT 15 atha panayas tam sva-vidhinabhisicyahatena vasasacchadya bhusanalepa-srak-tilakadibhir upaskrtam bhuktavantam dhupa-dipa-malya-laja-kisalayankura-phalopaharopetaya vaisasa-samsthaya mahata gita-stuti-mrdanga-panava-ghosena ca purusa-pasum bhadra-kalyah purata upavesayam asuh. SYNONYMS atha—thereafter; panayah—all the followers of the dacoit; tam—him (Jada Bharata); sva-vidhina—according to their own ritualistic principles; abhisicya—bathing; ahatena—with new; vasasa—garments; acchadya—covering; bhusana—ornaments; alepa—smearing the body with sandalwood pulp; srak—a flower garland; tilaka-adibhih—with markings on the body and so on; upaskrtam—completely decorated; bhuktavantam—having eaten; dhupa—with incense; dipa—lamps; malya—garlands; laja—parched grain; kisalaya-ankura—twigs and sprouts; phala—fruits; upahara—other paraphernalia; upetaya—fully equipped; vaisasa-samsthaya—with complete arrangements for sacrifice; mahata—great; gita-stuti—of songs and prayers; mrdanga—of the drums; panava—of the bugles; ghosena—by vibration; ca—also; purusa-pasum—the man-animal; bhadra-kalyah—of the goddess Kali; puratah—just in front; upavesayam asuh—made him sit down. TRANSLATION After this, all the thieves, according to their imaginative ritual for killing animalistic men, bathed Jada Bharata, dressed him in new clothes, decorated him with ornaments befitting an animal, smeared his body with scented oils and decorated him with tilaka, sandalwood pulp and garlands. They fed him sumptuously and then brought him before the goddess Kali, offering her incense, lamps, garlands, parched grain, newly grown twigs, sprouts, fruits and flowers. In this way they worshiped the deity before killing the man-animal, and they vibrated songs and prayers and played drums and bugles. Jada Bharata was then made to sit down before the deity. PURPORT In this verse the word sva-vidhina (according to their own ritualistic principles) is very significant. According to the Vedic sastras, everything must be done according to regulative principles, but here it is stated that the thieves and rogues devised their own process for killing an animalistic man. The tamasic sastras give instructions for the sacrifice of an animal like a goat or buffalo before the goddess Kali, but there is no mention of killing a man, however dull he may be. This process was manufactured by the dacoits themselves; therefore the word sva-vidhina is used. Even at this time there are many sacrifices being conducted without reference to the Vedic scriptures. For instance, in Calcutta recently a slaughterhouse was being advertised as a temple of the goddess Kali. Meat-eaters foolishly purchase meat from such shops, thinking it different from ordinary meat and taking it to be the prasada of goddess Kali. The sacrifice of a goat or a similar animal before the goddess Kali is mentioned in sastras just to keep people from eating slaughterhouse meat and becoming responsible for the killing of animals. The conditioned soul has a natural tendency toward sex and meat-eating; consequently the sastras grant them some concessions. Actually the sastras aim at putting an end to these abominable activities, but they impart some regulative principles so that gradually meat-eaters and sex hunters will be rectified. SB5.9.16 TEXT 16 atha vrsala-raja-panih purusa-pasor asrg-asavena devim bhadra-kalim yaksyamanas tad-abhimantritam asim ati-karala-nisitam upadade. SYNONYMS atha—thereafter; vrsala-raja-panih—the so-called priest of the leader of the dacoits (one of the thieves); purusa-pasoh—of the animalistic man for being sacrificed (Bharata Maharaja); asrk-asavena—with the liquor of blood; devim—to the deity; bhadra-kalim—the goddess Kali; yaksyamanah—desiring to offer; tat-abhimantritam—consecrated by the mantra of Bhadra Kali; asim—the sword; ati-karala—very fearful; nisitam—finely sharpened; upadade—he took up. TRANSLATION At this time, one of the thieves, acting as the chief priest, was ready to offer the blood of Jada Bharata, whom they imagined to be an animal-man, to the goddess Kali to drink as a liquor. He therefore took up a very fearsome sword, which was very sharp and, consecrating it by the mantra of Bhadra Kali, raised it to kill Jada Bharata. SB5.9.17 TEXT 17 iti tesam vrsalanam rajas-tamah-prakrtinam dhana-mada-raja-utsikta-manasam bhagavat-kala-vira-kulam kadarthi-krtyotpathena svairam viharatam himsa-viharanam karmati-darunam yad brahma-bhutasya saksad brahmarsi-sutasya nirvairasya sarva-bhuta-suhrdah sunayam apy ananumatam alambhanam tad upalabhya brahma-tejasati-durvisahena dandahyamanena vapusa sahasoccacata saiva devi bhadra-kali. SYNONYMS iti—thus; tesam—of them; vrsalanam—the sudras, by whom all religious principles are destroyed; rajah—in passion; tamah—in ignorance; prakrtinam—having natures; dhana-mada—in the form of infatuation by material wealth; rajah—by passion; utsikta—puffed up; manasam—whose minds; bhagavat-kala—an expansion of the plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vira-kulam—the group of elevated personalities (the brahmanas); kat-arthi-krtya—disrespecting; utpathena—by a wrong path; svairam—independently; viharatam—who are proceeding; himsa-viharanam—whose business is to commit violence against others; karma—the activity; ati-darunam—very fearful; yat—that which; brahma-bhutasya—of a self-realized person born in a brahmana family; saksat—directly; brahma-rsi-sutasya—of the son born of a brahmana exalted in spiritual consciousness; nirvairasya—who had no enemies; sarva-bhuta-suhrdah—a well-wisher to all others; sunayam—at the last moment; api—even though; ananumatam—not being sanctioned by law; alambhanam—against the desire of the Lord; tat—that; upalabhya—perceiving; brahma-tejasa—with the effulgence of spiritual bliss; ati-durvisahena—being too bright and unbearable; dandahyamanena—burning; vapusa—with a physical body; sahasa—suddenly; uccacata—fractured (the deity); sa—she; eva—indeed; devi—the goddess; bhadra-kali—Bhadra Kali. TRANSLATION All the rogues and thieves who had made arrangements for the worship of goddess Kali were low minded and bound to the modes of passion and ignorance. They were overpowered by the desire to become very rich; therefore they had the audacity to disobey the injunctions of the Vedas, so much so that they were prepared to kill Jada Bharata, a self-realized soul born in a brahmana family. Due to their envy, these dacoits brought him before the goddess Kali for sacrifice. Such people are always addicted to envious activities, and therefore they dared to try to kill Jada Bharata. Jada Bharata was the best friend of all living entities. He was no one’s enemy, and he was always absorbed in meditation on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was born of a good brahmana father, and killing him was forbidden, even though he might have been an enemy or aggressive person. In any case, there was no reason to kill Jada Bharata, and the goddess Kali could not bear this. She could immediately understand that these sinful dacoits were about to kill a great devotee of the Lord. Suddenly the deity’s body burst asunder, and the goddess Kali personally emerged from it in a body burning with an intense and intolerable effulgence. PURPORT According to the Vedic injunctions, only an aggressor can be killed. If a person comes with an intent to kill, one can immediately take action and kill in self-defense. It is also stated that one can be killed if he comes to set fire to the home or to pollute or kidnap one’s wife. Lord Ramacandra killed the entire family of Ravana because Ravana kidnapped His wife, Sitadevi. However, killing is not sanctioned in the sastras for other purposes. The killing of animals in sacrifice to the demigods, who are expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is sanctioned for those who eat meat. This is a kind of restriction for meat-eating. In other words, the slaughter of animals is also restricted by certain rules and regulations in the Vedas. Considering these points, there was no reason to kill Jada Bharata, who was born in a respectable, highly exalted brahmana family. He was a God-realized soul and a well-wisher to all living entities. The Vedas did not at all sanction the killing of Jada Bharata by rogues and thieves. Consequently the goddess Bhadra Kali emerged from the deity to give protection to the Lord’s devotee. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains that due to the Brahman effulgence of such a devotee as Jada Bharata, the deity was fractured. Only thieves and rogues in the modes of passion and ignorance and maddened by material opulence offer a man in sacrifice before the goddess Kali. This is not sanctioned by the Vedic instructions. Presently there are many hundreds and thousands of slaughterhouses throughout the world that are maintained by a puffed-up population mad for material opulence. Such activities are never supported by the Bhagavata school. SB5.9.18 TEXT 18 bhrsam amarsa-rosavesa-rabhasa-vilasita-bhru-kuti-vitapa-kutila-damstraruneksanatopati-bhayanaka-vadana hantu-kamevedam mahatta-hasam ati-samrambhena vimuncanti tata utpatya papiyasam dustanam tenaivasina vivrkna-sirsnam galat sravantam asrg-asavam atyusnam saha ganena nipiyati-pana-mada-vihvaloccaistaram sva-parsadaih saha jagau nanarta ca vijahara ca sirah-kanduka-lilaya. SYNONYMS bhrsam—very highly; amarsa—in intolerance of the offenses; rosa—in anger; avesa—of her absorption; rabhasa-vilasita—expanded by the force; bhru-kuti—of her eyebrows; vitapa—the branches; kutila—curved; damstra—teeth; aruna-iksana—of reddish eyes; atopa—by the agitation; ati—very much; bhayanaka—fearful; vadana—having a face; hantu-kama—desirous to destroy; iva—as if; idam—this universe; maha-atta-hasam—a greatly fearful laugh; ati—great; samrambhena—because of anger; vimuncanti—releasing; tatah—from that altar; utpatya—coming forth; papiyasam—of all the sinful; dustanam—great offenders; tena eva asina—by that same chopper; vivrkna—separated; sirsnam—whose heads; galat—from the neck; sravantam—oozing out; asrk-asavam—the blood, compared to an intoxicating beverage; ati-usnam—very hot; saha—with; ganena—her associates; nipiya—drinking; ati-pana—from drinking so much; mada—by intoxication; vihvala—overwhelmed; uccaih-taram—very loudly; sva-parsadaih—her own associates; saha—with; jagau—sang; nanarta—danced; ca—also; vijahara—played; ca—also; sirah-kanduka—using the heads as balls; lilaya—by sports. TRANSLATION Intolerant of the offenses committed, the infuriated goddess Kali flashed her eyes and displayed her fierce, curved teeth. Her reddish eyes glowed, and she displayed her fearsome features. She assumed a frightening body, as if she were prepared to destroy the entire creation. Leaping violently from the altar, she immediately decapitated all the rogues and thieves with the very sword with which they had intended to kill Jada Bharata. She then began to drink the hot blood that flowed from the necks of the beheaded rogues and thieves, as if this blood were liquor. Indeed, she drank this intoxicant with her associates, who were witches and female demons. Becoming intoxicated with this blood, they all began to sing very loudly and dance as though prepared to annihilate the entire universe. At the same time, they began to play with the heads of the rogues and thieves, tossing them about as if they were balls. PURPORT It is evident from this verse that the devotees of goddess Kali are not at all favored by her. It is goddess Kali’s work to kill and punish the demons. Goddess Kali (Durga) engages in decapitating many demons, dacoits and other unwanted elements in society. Neglecting Krsna consciousness, foolish people try to satisfy the goddess by offering her many abominable things, but ultimately when there is a little discrepancy in this worship, the goddess punishes the worshiper by taking his life. Demoniac people worship goddess Kali to obtain some material benefit, but they are not excused of the sins performed in the name of worship. To sacrifice a man or animal before the deity is specifically forbidden. SB5.9.19 TEXT 19 evam eva khalu mahad-abhicarati-kramah kartsnyenatmane phalati. SYNONYMS evam eva—in this way; khalu—indeed; mahat—to great personalities; abhicara—in the form of envy; ati-kramah—the limit of offense; kartsnyena—always; atmane—unto oneself; phalati—gives the result. TRANSLATION When an envious person commits an offense before a great personality, he is always punished in the way mentioned above. SB5.9.20 TEXT 20 na va etad visnudatta mahad-adbhutam yad asambhramah sva-siras-chedana apatite ’pi vimukta-dehady-atma-bhava-sudrdha-hrdaya-granthinam sarva-sattva-suhrd-atmanam nirvairanam saksad bhagavatanimisari-varayudhenapramattena tais tair bhavaih pariraksyamananam tat-pada-mulam akutascid-bhayam upasrtanam bhagavata-paramahamsanam. SYNONYMS na—not; va—or; etat—this; visnu-datta—O Maharaja Pariksit, who was protected by Lord Visnu; mahat—a great; adbhutam—wonder; yat—which; asambhramah—lack of perplexity; sva-sirah-chedane—when the chopping off of the head; apatite—was about to happen; api—even though; vimukta—completely liberated from; deha-adi-atma-bhava—the false bodily concept of life; su-drdha—very strong and tight; hrdaya-granthinam—of those whose knots within the heart; sarva-sattva-suhrt-atmanam—of persons who in their hearts always wish well to all living entities; nirvairanam—who do not find anyone as their enemy; saksat—directly; bhagavata—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; animisa—invincible time; ari-vara—and the best of weapons, the Sudarsana cakra; ayudhena—by Him who possesses the weapons; apramattena—not agitated at any time; taih taih—by those respective; bhavaih—moods of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pariraksyamananam—of persons who are protected; tat-pada-mulam—at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; akutascit—from nowhere; bhayam—fear; upasrtanam—of those who have taken complete shelter; bhagavata—of devotees of the Lord; parama-hamsanam—of the most liberated persons. TRANSLATION Sukadeva Gosvami then said to Maharaja Pariksit: O Visnudatta, those who already know that the soul is separate from the body, who are liberated from the invincible knot in the heart, who are always engaged in welfare activities for all living entities and who never contemplate harming anyone are always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who carries His disc [the Sudarsana cakra] and acts as supreme time to kill the demons and protect His devotees. The devotees always take shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord. Therefore at all times, even if threatened by decapitation, they remain unagitated. For them, this is not at all wonderful. PURPORT These are some of the great qualities of a pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. First, a devotee is firmly convinced of his spiritual identity. He never identifies with the body; he is firmly convinced that the spirit soul is different from the body. Consequently he fears nothing. Even though his life may be threatened, he is not at all afraid. He does not even treat an enemy like an enemy. Such are the qualifications of devotees. Devotees are always fully dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the Lord is always eager to give them all protection in all circumstances. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Ninth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “The Supreme Character of Jada Bharata.”
nitya-dasa-prati tuya adhikara