Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 6: “Prescribed Duties for Mankind”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Seventeen

Mother Parvati Curses Citraketu

SB6.17Summary

The Seventeenth Chapter is summarized as follows. This chapter describes Citraketu’s receiving the body of an asura, or demon, because of joking with Lord Siva.

After personally talking with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, King Citraketu enjoyed life in his airplane with the women of the Vidyadhara planet. Engaging in the congregational chanting of the glories of the Lord, he began flying his plane and traveling in outer space. One day while traveling like this, he wandered into the bowers of Sumeru Mountain, where he came upon Lord Siva embracing Parvati, surrounded by an assembly of Siddhas, Caranas and great sages. Seeing Lord Siva in that situation, Citraketu laughed very loudly, but Parvati became very angry at him and cursed him. Because of this curse, Citraketu later appeared as the demon Vrtrasura.

Citraketu, however, was not at all afraid of Parvati’s curse, and thus he spoke as follows: “Everyone in human society enjoys happiness and distress according to his past deeds and in this way travels in the material world. Therefore no one is responsible for his happiness and distress. One is controlled by the influence of material nature in the material world, yet one thinks himself the doer of everything. In this material world, which is made of the external energy of the Supreme Lord, one is sometimes cursed and sometimes favored, and thus he sometimes enjoys in the upper planetary systems and sometimes suffers in the lower planets, but all these situations are the same because they are within this material world. None of these positions has any factual existence, for all of them are temporary. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ultimate controller because the material world is created, maintained and annihilated under His control while He nonetheless remains neutral to these different transformations of the material world in time and space. The material, external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is in charge of this material world. The Lord helps the world by creating situations for the living entities within it.”

When Citraketu spoke in this way, all the members in the great assembly in which Lord Siva and Parvati were present were astonished. Then Lord Siva began speaking about the devotees of the Lord. A devotee is neutral in all conditions of life, whether in the heavenly planets or hellish planets, whether liberated from the material world or conditioned by it, and whether blessed with happiness or subjected to distress. These are all merely dualities created by the external energy. Being influenced by the external energy, the living entity accepts a gross and subtle material body, and in this illusory position he apparently suffers miseries, although everyone is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. The so-called demigods consider themselves independent lords, and in this way they are misled from understanding that all living entities are part of the Supreme. This chapter concludes by glorifying the devotee and the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB6.17.1

TEXT 1

sri-suka uvaca

yatas cantarhito ’nantas

tasyai krtva dise namah

vidyadharas citraketus

cacara gagane carah

SYNONYMS

sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; yatah—in which (direction); ca—and; antarhitah—disappeared; anantah—the unlimited Supreme Personality of Godhead; tasyai—unto that; krtva—after offering; dise—direction; namah—obeisances; vidyadharah—the King of the Vidyadhara planet; citraketuh—Citraketu; cacara—traveled; gagane—in outer space; carah—moving.

TRANSLATION

Srila Sukadeva Gosvami said: After offering obeisances to the direction from which Ananta, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, had disappeared, Citraketu began traveling in outer space as the head of the Vidyadharas.

SB6.17.2-3

TEXTS 2–3

sa laksam varsa-laksanam

avyahata-balendriyah

stuyamano maha-yogi

munibhih siddha-caranaih

kulacalendra-dronisu

nana-sankalpa-siddhisu

reme vidyadhara-stribhir

gapayan harim isvaram

SYNONYMS

sah—he (Citraketu); laksam—one hundred thousand; varsa—of years; laksanam—one hundred thousand; avyahata—without hindrance; bala-indriyah—whose strength and power of the senses; stuyamanah—being praised; maha-yogi—the great mystic yogi; munibhih—by saintly persons; siddha-caranaih—by the Siddhas and Caranas; kulacalendra-dronisu—within the valleys of the great mountain known as Kulacalendra, or Sumeru; nana-sankalpa-siddhisu—where one becomes perfect in all kinds of mystic power; reme—enjoyed; vidyadhara-stribhih—with the women of the Vidyadhara planet; gapayan—causing to praise; harim—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari; isvaram—the controller.

TRANSLATION

Being praised by great sages and saints and by the inhabitants of Siddhaloka and Caranaloka, Citraketu, the most powerful mystic yogi, wandered about enjoying life for millions of years. With bodily strength and senses free from deterioration, he traveled within the valleys of Sumeru Mountain, which is the place of perfection for various kinds of mystic power. In those valleys he enjoyed life with the women of Vidyadhara-loka by chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord, Hari.

PURPORT

It is to be understood that Maharaja Citraketu, although surrounded by beautiful women from Vidyadhara-loka, did not forget to glorify the Lord by chanting the holy name of the Lord. It has been proved in many places that one who is not contaminated by any material condition, who is a pure devotee engaged in chanting the glories of the Lord, should be understood to be perfect.

SB6.17.4-5

TEXTS 4–5

ekada sa vimanena

visnu-dattena bhasvata

girisam dadrse gacchan

paritam siddha-caranaih

alingyankikrtam devim

bahuna muni-samsadi

uvaca devyah srnvantya

jahasoccais tad-antike

SYNONYMS

ekada—one time; sah—he (King Citraketu); vimanena—with his airplane; visnu-dattena—given to him by Lord Visnu; bhasvata—shining brilliantly; girisam—Lord Siva; dadrse—he saw; gacchan—going; paritam—surrounded; siddha—by the inhabitants of Siddhaloka; caranaih—and the inhabitants of Caranaloka; alingya—embracing; ankikrtam—sitting on his lap; devim—his wife, Parvati; bahuna—with his arm; muni-samsadi—in the presence of great saintly persons; uvaca—he said; devyah—while the goddess Parvati; srnvantyah—was hearing; jahasa—he laughed; uccaih—very loudly; tad-antike—in the vicinity.

TRANSLATION

One time while King Citraketu was traveling in outer space on a brilliantly effulgent airplane given to him by Lord Visnu, he saw Lord Siva, surrounded by Siddhas and Caranas. Lord Siva was sitting in an assembly of great saintly persons and embracing Parvati on his lap with his arm. Citraketu laughed loudly and spoke, within the hearing of Parvati.

PURPORT

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says in this connection,

bhaktim bhutim harir dattva
sva-vicchedanubhutaye
devyah sapena vrtratvam
nitva tam svantike ’nayat

The purport is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead wanted to bring Citraketu to Vaikunthaloka as soon as possible. The Lord’s plan was that Citraketu be cursed by Parvati to become Vrtrasura so that in his next life he could quickly return home, back to Godhead. There have been many instances in which a devotee acting as a demon has been brought to the kingdom of God by the mercy of the Lord. For Parvati to be embraced by Lord Siva was natural in a relationship between husband and wife; this was nothing extraordinary for Citraketu to see. Nonetheless, Citraketu laughed loudly to see Lord Siva in that situation, even though he should not have done so. Thus he was eventually cursed, and this curse was the cause of his returning home, back to Godhead.

SB6.17.6

TEXT 6

citraketur uvaca

esa loka-guruh saksad

dharmam vakta saririnam

aste mukhyah sabhayam vai

mithuni-bhuya bharyaya

SYNONYMS

citraketuh uvaca—King Citraketu said; esah—this; loka-guruh—the spiritual master of the people who follow Vedic instructions; saksat—directly; dharmam—of religion; vakta—the speaker; saririnam—for all living entities who have accepted material bodies; aste—sits; mukhyah—the chief; sabhayam—in an assembly; vai—indeed; mithuni-bhuya—embracing; bharyaya—with his wife.

TRANSLATION

Citraketu said: Lord Siva, the spiritual master of the general populace, is the best of all living entities who have accepted material bodies. He enunciates the system of religion. Yet how wonderful it is that he is embracing his wife, Parvati, in the midst of an assembly of great saintly persons.

SB6.17.7

TEXT 7

jata-dharas tivra-tapa

brahmavadi-sabha-patih

ankikrtya striyam caste

gata-hrih prakrto yatha

SYNONYMS

jata-dharah—keeping matted locks of hair; tivra-tapah—highly elevated due to undergoing fierce austerities and penances; brahma-vadi—of strict followers of the Vedic principles; sabha-patih—the president of an assembly; ankikrtya—embracing; striyam—a woman; ca—and; aste—sits; gata-hrih—without shame; prakrtah—a person conditioned by material nature; yatha—just as.

TRANSLATION

Lord Siva, whose hair is matted on his head, has certainly undergone great austerities and penances. Indeed, he is the president in the assembly of strict followers of Vedic principles. Nonetheless, he is seated with his wife on his lap in the midst of saintly persons and is embracing her as if he were a shameless, ordinary human being.

PURPORT

Citraketu appreciated the exalted position of Lord Siva, and therefore he remarked at how wonderful it was that Lord Siva was acting like an ordinary human being. He appreciated Lord Siva’s position, but when he saw Lord Siva sitting in the midst of saintly persons and acting like a shameless, ordinary man, he was astonished. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura remarks that although Citraketu criticized Lord Siva, he did not offend Lord Siva like Daksa. Daksa considered Lord Siva insignificant, but Citraketu expressed his wonder at Lord Siva’s being situated in that way.

SB6.17.8

TEXT 8

prayasah prakrtas capi

striyam rahasi bibhrati

ayam maha-vrata-dharo

bibharti sadasi striyam

SYNONYMS

prayasah—generally; prakrtah—conditioned souls; ca—also; api—although; striyam—a woman; rahasi—in a solitary place; bibhrati—embrace; ayam—this (Lord Siva); maha-vrata-dharah—the master of great vows and austerities; bibharti—enjoys; sadasi—in an assembly of great saintly persons; striyam—his wife.

TRANSLATION

Ordinary conditioned persons generally embrace their wives and enjoy their company in solitary places. How wonderful it is that Lord Mahadeva, although a great master of austerity, is embracing his wife openly in the midst of an assembly of great saints.

PURPORT

The word maha-vrata-dharah indicates a brahmacari who has never fallen down. Lord Siva is counted among the best of yogis, yet he embraced his wife in the midst of great saintly persons. Citraketu appreciated how great Lord Siva was to be unaffected even in that situation. Therefore Citraketu was not an offender; he merely expressed his wonder.

SB6.17.9

TEXT 9

sri-suka uvaca

bhagavan api tac chrutva

prahasyagadha-dhir nrpa

tusnim babhuva sadasi

sabhyas ca tad-anuvratah

SYNONYMS

sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; bhagavan—Lord Siva; api—also; tat—that; srutva—hearing; prahasya—smiling; agadhadhih—whose intelligence is unfathomed; nrpa—O King; tusnim—silent; babhuva—remained; sadasi—in the assembly; sabhyah—everyone assembled there; ca—and; tat-anuvratah—followed Lord Siva (remained silent).

TRANSLATION

Srila Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King, after hearing Citraketu’s statement, Lord Siva, the most powerful personality, whose knowledge is fathomless, simply smiled and remained silent, and all the members of the assembly followed the lord by not saying anything.

PURPORT

Citraketu’s purpose in criticizing Lord Siva is somewhat mysterious and cannot be understood by a common man. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, however, has made the following observations. Lord Siva, being the most exalted Vaisnava and one of the most powerful demigods, is able to do anything he desires. Although he was externally exhibiting the behavior of a common man and not following etiquette, such actions cannot diminish his exalted position. The difficulty is that a common man, seeing Lord Siva’s behavior, might follow his example. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (3.21):

yad yad acarati sresthas
tat tad evetaro janah
sa yat pramanam kurute
lokas tad anuvartate

“Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.” A common man might also criticize Lord Siva, like Daksa, who suffered the consequences for his criticism. King Citraketu desired that Lord Siva cease this external behavior so that others might be saved from criticizing him and thus becoming offenders. If one thinks that Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the only perfect personality whereas the demigods, even such demigods as Lord Siva, are inclined to improper social affairs, he is an offender. Considering all this, King Citraketu was somewhat harsh in his behavior with Lord Siva.

Lord Siva, who is always deep in knowledge, could understand Citraketu’s purpose, and therefore he was not at all angry; rather, he simply smiled and remained silent. The members of the assembly surrounding Lord Siva could also understand Citraketu’s purpose. Consequently, following the behavior of Lord Siva, they did not protest; instead, following their master, they remained silent. If the members of the assembly thought that Citraketu had blasphemed Lord Siva, they would certainly have left at once, blocking their ears with their hands.

SB6.17.10

TEXT 10

ity atad-virya-vidusi

bruvane bahv-asobhanam

rusaha devi dhrstaya

nirjitatmabhimanine

SYNONYMS

iti—thus; a-tat-virya-vidusi—when Citraketu, who did not know the prowess of Lord Siva; bruvane—spoke; bahu-asobhanam—that which is not up to the standard of etiquette (the criticism of the exalted Lord Siva); rusa—with anger; aha—said; devi—the goddess Parvati; dhrstaya—unto Citraketu, who was quite shameless; nirjita-atma—as one who has controlled his senses; abhimanine—thinking of himself.

TRANSLATION

Not knowing the prowess of Lord Siva and Parvati, Citraketu strongly criticized them. His statements were not at all pleasing, and therefore the goddess Parvati, being very angry, spoke as follows to Citraketu, who thought himself better than Lord Siva in controlling the senses.

PURPORT

Although Citraketu never meant to insult Lord Siva, he should not have criticized the lord, even though the lord was transgressing social customs. It is said, tejiyasam na dosaya: one who is very powerful should be understood to be faultless. For example, one should not find faults with the sun, although it evaporates urine from the street. The most powerful cannot be criticized by an ordinary man, or even by a great personality. Citraketu should have known that Lord Siva, although sitting in that way, was not to be criticized. The difficulty was that Citraketu, having become a great devotee of Lord Visnu, Sankarsana, was somewhat proud at having achieved Lord Sankarsana’s favor and therefore thought that he could now criticize anyone, even Lord Siva. This kind of pride in a devotee is never tolerated. A Vaisnava should always remain very humble and meek and offer respect to others.

trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih

[Cc. adi 17.31]

“One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.” A Vaisnava should not try to minimize anyone else’s position. It is better to remain humble and meek and chant the Hare Krsna mantra. The word nirjitatmabhimanine indicates that Citraketu thought himself a better controller of the senses than Lord Siva, although actually he was not. Because of all these considerations, mother Parvati was somewhat angry at Citraketu.

SB6.17.11

TEXT 11

sri-parvaty uvaca

ayam kim adhuna loke

sasta danda-dharah prabhuh

asmad-vidhanam dustanam

nirlajjanam ca viprakrt

SYNONYMS

sri-parvati uvaca—the goddess Parvati said; ayam—this; kim—whether; adhuna—now; loke—in the world; sasta—the supreme controller; danda-dharah—the carrier of the rod of punishment; prabhuh—the master; asmat-vidhanam—of persons like us; dustanam—criminals; nirlajjanam—who have no shame; ca—and; viprakrt—the restrainer.

TRANSLATION

The goddess Parvati said: Alas, has this upstart now received a post from which to punish shameless persons like us? Has he been appointed ruler, carrier of the rod of punishment? Is he now the only master of everything?

SB6.17.12

TEXT 12

na veda dharmam kila padmayonir

na brahma-putra bhrgu-naradadyah

na vai kumarah kapilo manus ca

ye no nisedhanty ati-vartinam haram

SYNONYMS

na—not; veda—knows; dharmam—the religious principles; kila—indeed; padma-yonih—Lord Brahma; na—nor; brahma-putrah—the sons of Lord Brahma; bhrgu—Bhrgu; narada—Narada; adyah—and so on; na—nor; vai—indeed; kumarah—the four Kumaras (Sanaka, Sanat-kumara, Sananda and Sanatana); kapilah—Lord Kapila; manuh—Manu himself; ca—and; ye—who; no—not; nisedhanti—order to stop; ati-vartinam—who is beyond laws and orders; haram—Lord Siva.

TRANSLATION

Alas, Lord Brahma, who has taken his birth from the lotus flower, does not know the principles of religion, nor do the great saints like Bhrgu and Narada, nor the four Kumaras, headed by Sanat-kumara. Manu and Kapila have also forgotten the religious principles. I suppose it to be because of this that they have not tried to stop Lord Siva from behaving improperly.

SB6.17.13

TEXT 13

esam anudhyeya-padabja-yugmam

jagad-gurum mangala-mangalam svayam

yah ksatra-bandhuh paribhuya surin

prasasti dhrstas tad ayam hi dandyah

SYNONYMS

esam—of all these (exalted personalities); anudhyeya—to be constantly meditated upon; pada-abja-yugmam—whose two lotus feet; jagat-gurum—the spiritual master of the whole world; mangala-mangalam—personification of the topmost religious principle; svayam—himself; yah—he who; ksatra-bandhuh—the lowest of the ksatriyas; paribhuya—overriding; surin—the demigods (like Brahma and the others); prasasti—chastises; dhrstah—impudent; tat—therefore; ayam—this person; hi—indeed; dandyah—to be punished.

TRANSLATION

This Citraketu is the lowest of ksatriyas, for he has impudently overridden Brahma and the other demigods by insulting Lord Siva, upon whose lotus feet they always meditate. Lord Siva is personified religion and the spiritual master of the entire world, and therefore Citraketu must be punished.

PURPORT

All the members of the assembly were exalted brahmanas and self-realized souls, but they did not say anything about the conduct of Lord Siva, who was embracing the goddess Parvati on his lap. Citraketu nonetheless criticized Lord Siva, and therefore the opinion of Parvati was that he should be punished.

SB6.17.14

TEXT 14

nayam arhati vaikuntha-

pada-mulopasarpanam

sambhavita-matih stabdhah

sadhubhih paryupasitam

SYNONYMS

na—not; ayam—this person; arhati—deserves; vaikuntha-pada-mula-upasarpanam—the approaching of the shelter of Lord Visnu’s lotus feet; sambhavita-matih—considering himself highly esteemed; stabdhah—impudent; sadhubhih—by great saintly persons; paryupasitam—worshiped.

TRANSLATION

This person is puffed up because of his achievements, thinking, “I am the best.” He does not deserve to approach the shelter of Lord Visnu’s lotus feet, which are worshiped by all saintly persons, for he is impudent, thinking himself greatly important.

PURPORT

If a devotee thinks that he is very much advanced in devotional service, he is considered puffed up and unfit to sit beneath the shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet. Again, this instruction by Lord Caitanya is applicable:

trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih

[Cc. adi 17.31]

“One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.” Unless one is humble and meek, one cannot qualify to sit at the lotus feet of the Lord.

SB6.17.15

TEXT 15

atah papiyasim yonim

asurim yahi durmate

yatheha bhuyo mahatam

na karta putra kilbisam

SYNONYMS

atah—therefore; papiyasim—most sinful; yonim—to the species of life; asurim—demoniac; yahi—go; durmate—O impudent one; yatha—so that; iha—in this world; bhuyah—again; mahatam—to great personalities; na—not; karta—will commit; putra—my dear son; kilbisam—any offense.

TRANSLATION

O impudent one, my dear son, now take birth in a low, sinful family of demons so that you will not commit such an offense again toward exalted, saintly persons in this world.

PURPORT

One should be very careful not to commit offenses at the lotus feet of Vaisnavas, of whom Lord Siva is the best. While instructing Srila Rupa Gosvami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu described an offense at the lotus feet of a Vaisnava as hati mata, a mad elephant. When a mad elephant enters a nice garden, it spoils the entire garden. Similarly, if one becomes like a mad elephant and commits offenses at the lotus feet of a Vaisnava, his entire spiritual career is halted. One should therefore be very careful not to commit offenses at the lotus feet of a Vaisnava.

Mother Parvati was justified in punishing Citraketu, for Citraketu impudently criticized the supreme father, Mahadeva, who is the father of the living entities conditioned within this material world. The goddess Durga is called mother, and Lord Siva is called father. A pure Vaisnava should be very careful to engage in his specific duty without criticizing others. This is the safest position. Otherwise, if one tends to criticize others, he may commit the great offense of criticizing a Vaisnava.

Because Citraketu was undoubtedly a Vaisnava, he might have been surprised that Parvati had cursed him. Therefore the goddess Parvati addressed him as putra, or son. Everyone is the son of mother Durga, but she is not an ordinary mother. As soon as there is a small discrepancy in a demon’s behavior, mother Durga immediately punishes the demon so that he may come to his senses. This is explained by Lord Krsna in Bhagavad-gita (7.14):

daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te

“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” To surrender to Krsna means to surrender to His devotees also, for no one can be a proper servant of Krsna unless he is a proper servant of a devotee. Chadiya vaisnava-seva nistara payeche keba: without serving a servant of Krsna, one cannot be elevated to being a servant of Krsna Himself. Therefore mother Parvati spoke to Citraketu exactly like a mother who says to her naughty child, “My dear child, I am punishing you so that you won’t do anything like this again.” This tendency of a mother to punish her child is found even in mother Yasoda, who became the mother of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mother Yasoda punished Krsna by binding Him and showing Him a stick. Thus it is the duty of a mother to chastise her beloved son, even in the case of the Supreme Lord. It is to be understood that mother Durga was justified in punishing Citraketu. This punishment was a boon to Citraketu because after taking birth as the demon Vrtrasura, he was promoted directly to Vaikuntha.

SB6.17.16

TEXT 16

sri-suka uvaca

evam saptas citraketur

vimanad avaruhya sah

prasadayam asa satim

murdhna namrena bharata

SYNONYMS

sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; evam—thus; saptah—cursed; citraketuh—King Citraketu; vimanat—from his airplane; avaruhya—coming down; sah—he; prasadayam asa—completely pleased; satim—Parvati; murdhna—by his head; namrena—bent low; bharata—O King Pariksit.

TRANSLATION

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King Pariksit, when Citraketu was cursed by Parvati, he descended from his airplane, bowed before her with great humility and pleased her completely.

SB6.17.17

TEXT 17

citraketur uvaca

pratigrhnami te sapam

atmano ’njalinambike

devair martyaya yat proktam

purva-distam hi tasya tat

SYNONYMS

citraketuh uvaca—King Citraketu said; pratigrhnami—I accept; te—your; sapam—curse; atmanah—my own; anjalina—with folded bands; ambike—O mother; devaih—by the demigods; martyaya—unto a mortal; yat—which; proktam—prescribed; purva-distam—fixed previously according to one’s past deeds; hi—indeed; tasya—of him; tat—that.

TRANSLATION

Citraketu said: My dear mother, with my own hands folded together I accept the curse upon me. I do not mind the curse, for happiness and distress are given by the demigods as a result of one’s past deeds.

PURPORT

Since Citraketu was a devotee of the Lord, he was not at all disturbed by the curse of mother Parvati. He knew very well that one suffers or enjoys the results of one’s past deeds as ordained by daiva-netra—superior authority, or the agents of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He knew that he had not committed any offense at the lotus feet of Lord Siva or the goddess Parvati, yet he had been punished, and this means that the punishment had been ordained. Thus the King did not mind it. A devotee is naturally so humble and meek that he accepts any condition of life as a blessing from the Lord. Tat te ’nukampam susamiksamanah (Bhag. 10.14.8). A devotee always accepts punishment from anyone as the mercy of the Lord. If one lives in this conception of life, he sees whatever reverses occur to be due to his past misdeeds, and therefore he never accuses anyone. On the contrary, he becomes increasingly attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead because of his being purified by his suffering. Suffering, therefore, is also a process of purification.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says in this connection that one who has developed Krsna consciousness and who exists in love with Krsna is no longer subject to suffering and happiness under the laws of karma. Indeed, he is beyond karma. The Brahma-samhita says, karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam: [Bs. 5.54] a devotee is free from the reactions of his karma because he has taken to devotional service. This same principle is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (14.26). Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate: one who is engaged in devotional service has already been freed from the reactions of his material karma, and thus he immediately becomes brahma-bhuta, or transcendental. This is also expressed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.21). Ksiyante casya karmani: before attaining the stage of love, one becomes free from all the results of karma.

The Lord is very kind and affectionate toward His devotees, and therefore a devotee, in any condition, is not subjected to the results of karma. A devotee never aspires for the heavenly planets. The heavenly planets, liberation and hell are nondifferent for a devotee, for he does not discriminate between different positions in the material world. A devotee is always eager to return home, back to Godhead, and remain there as the Lord’s associate. This ambition becomes increasingly fervent in his heart, and therefore he does not care about material changes in his life. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura comments that Maharaja Citraketu’s being cursed by Parvati should be considered the mercy of the Lord. The Lord wanted Citraketu to return to Godhead as soon as possible, and therefore he terminated all the reactions of his past deeds. Acting through the heart of Parvati, the Lord, who is situated in everyone’s heart, cursed Citraketu in order to end all his material reactions. Thus Citraketu became Vrtrasura in his next life and returned home, back to Godhead.

SB6.17.18

TEXT 18

samsara-cakra etasmin

jantur ajnana-mohitah

bhramyan sukham ca duhkham ca

bhunkte sarvatra sarvada

SYNONYMS

samsara-cakre—in the wheel of material existence; etasmin—this; jantuh—the living entity; ajnana-mohitah—being bewildered by ignorance; bhramyan—wandering; sukham—happiness; ca—and; duhkham—distress; ca—also; bhunkte—he undergoes; sarvatra—everywhere; sarvada—always.

TRANSLATION

Deluded by ignorance, the living entity wanders in the forest of this material world, enjoying the happiness and distress resulting from his past deeds, everywhere and at all times. [Therefore, my dear mother, neither you nor I am to be blamed for this incident.]

PURPORT

As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (3.27):

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate

“The bewildered soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by nature.” Actually a conditioned soul is completely under the control of material nature. Wandering here and there—always and everywhere—he is subjected to the results of his past deeds. This is carried out by the laws of nature, but one foolishly thinks himself the doer, which in fact he is not. To get free from the karma-cakra, the wheel of the results of one’s karma, one should take to bhakti-marga—devotional service, or Krsna consciousness. That is the only remedy. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66].

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