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te—the demons; palayantah—keeping in order; samayam—equilibrium; asurah—the demons; sva-krtam—made by them; nrpa—O King; tusnim asan—remained silent; krta-snehah—because of having developed attachment to Mohini-murti; stri-vivada—disagreeing with a woman; jugupsaya—because of thinking such an action as abominable.

O King, since the demons had promised to accept whatever the woman did, whether just or unjust, now, to keep this promise, to show their equilibrium and to save themselves from fighting with a woman, they remained silent.

SB8.9.23

TEXT 23

tasyam krtatipranayah

pranayapaya-katarah

bahu-manena cabaddha

nocuh kincana vipriyam

SYNONYMS

tasyam—of Mohini-murti; krta-ati-pranayah—because of staunch friendship; pranaya-apaya-katarah—being afraid that their friendship with Her would be broken; bahu-manena—by great respect and honor; ca—also; abaddhah—being too attached to Her; na—not; ucuh—they said; kincana—even the slightest thing; vipriyam—by which Mohini-murti might be displeased with them.

TRANSLATION

The demons had developed affection for Mohini-murti and a kind of faith in Her, and they were afraid of disturbing their relationship. Therefore they showed respect and honor to Her words and did not say anything that might disturb their friendship with Her.

PURPORT

The demons were so captivated by the tricks and friendly words of Mohini-murti that although the demigods were served first, the demons were pacified merely by sweet words. The Lord said to the demons, “The demigods are very miserly and are excessively anxious to take the nectar first. So let them have it first. Since you are not like them you can wait a little longer. You are all heroes and are so pleased with Me. It is better for you to wait until after the demigods drink.”

SB8.9.24

TEXT 24

deva-linga-praticchannah

svarbhanur deva-samsadi

pravistah somam apibac

candrarkabhyam ca sucitah

deva-linga-praticchannah—covering himself with the dress of a demigod; svarbhanuh—Rahu (who attacks and eclipses the sun and moon); deva-samsadi—in the group of the demigods; pravistah—having entered; somam—the nectar; apibat—drank; candra-arkabhyam—by both the moon and the sun; ca—and; sucitah—was pointed out.

Rahu, the demon who causes eclipses of the sun and moon, covered himself with the dress of a demigod and thus entered the assembly of the demigods and drank nectar without being detected by anyone, even by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The moon and the sun, however, because of permanent animosity toward Rahu, understood the situation. Thus Rahu was detected.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mohini-murti, was able to bewilder all the demons, but Rahu was so clever that he was not bewildered. Rahu could understand that Mohini-murti was cheating the demons, and therefore he changed his dress, disguised himself as a demigod, and sat down in the assembly of the demigods. Here one may ask why the Supreme Personality of Godhead could not detect Rahu. The reason is that the Lord wanted to show the effects of drinking nectar. This will be revealed in the following verses. The moon and sun, however, were always alert in regard to Rahu. Thus when Rahu entered the assembly of the demigods, the moon and sun immediately detected him, and then the Supreme Personality of Godhead also became aware of him.

SB8.9.25

TEXT 25

cakrena ksura-dharena

jahara pibatah sirah

haris tasya kabandhas tu

sudhayaplavito ’patat

cakrena—by the disc; ksura-dharena—which was sharp like a razor; jahara—cut off; pibatah—while drinking nectar; sirah—the head; harih—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tasya—of that Rahu; kabandhah tu—but the headless body; sudhaya—by the nectar; aplavitah—without being touched; apatat—immediately fell dead.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, using His disc, which was sharp like a razor, at once cut off Rahu’s head. When Rahu’s head was severed from his body, the body, being untouched by the nectar, could not survive.

When the Personality of Godhead, Mohini-murti, severed Rahu’s head from his body, the head remained alive although the body died. Rahu had been drinking nectar through his mouth, and before the nectar entered his body, his head was cut off. Thus Rahu’s head remained alive whereas the body died. This wonderful act performed by the Lord was meant to show that nectar is miraculous ambrosia.

SB8.9.26

TEXT 26

siras tv amaratam nitam

ajo graham aciklpat

yas tu parvani candrarkav

abhidhavati vaira-dhih

sirah—the head; tu—of course; amaratam—immortality; nitam—having obtained; ajah—Lord Brahma; graham—as one of the planets; aciklpat—recognized; yah—the same Rahu; tu—indeed; parvani—during the periods of the full moon and dark moon; candra-arkau—both the moon and the sun; abhidhavati—chases; vaira-dhih—because of animosity.

Rahu’s head, however, having been touched by the nectar, became immortal. Thus Lord Brahma accepted Rahu’s head as one of the planets. Since Rahu is an eternal enemy of the moon and the sun, he always tries to attack them on the nights of the full moon and the dark moon.

Since Rahu had become immortal, Lord Brahma accepted him as one of the grahas, or planets, like the moon and the sun. Rahu, however, being an eternal enemy of the moon and sun, attacks them periodically during the nights of the full moon and the dark moon.

SB8.9.27

TEXT 27

pita-praye ’mrte devair

bhagavan loka-bhavanah

pasyatam asurendranam

svam rupam jagrhe harih

pita-praye—when almost finished being drunk; amrte—the nectar; devaih—by the demigods; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Mohini-murti; loka-bhavanah—the maintainer and well-wisher of the three worlds; pasyatam—in the presence of; asura-indranam—all the demons, with their chiefs; svam—own; rupam—form; jagrhe—manifested; harih—the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the best friend and well-wisher of the three worlds. Thus when the demigods had almost finished drinking the nectar, the Lord, in the presence of all the demons, disclosed His original form.

SB8.9.28

TEXT 28

evam surasura-ganah sama-desa-kala-

hetv-artha-karma-matayo ’pi phale vikalpah

tatramrtam sura-ganah phalam anjasapur

yat-pada-pankaja-rajah-srayanan na daityah

SYNONYMS

evam—thus; sura—the demigods; asura-ganah—and the demons; sama—equal; desa—place; kala—time; hetu—cause; artha—objective; karma—activities; matayah—ambition; api—although one; phale—in the result; vikalpah—not equal; tatra—thereupon; amrtam—nectar; sura-ganah—the demigods; phalam—the result; anjasa—easily, totally or directly; apuh—achieved; yat—because of; pada-pankaja—of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rajah—of the saffron dust; srayanat—because of receiving benedictions or taking shelter; na—not; daityah—the demons.

TRANSLATION

The place, the time, the cause, the purpose, the activity and the ambition were all the same for both the demigods and the demons, but the demigods achieved one result and the demons another. Because the demigods are always under the shelter of the dust of the Lord’s lotus feet, they could very easily drink the nectar and get its result. The demons, however, not having sought shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord, were unable to achieve the result they desired.

PURPORT

In Bhagavad-gita (4.11) it is said, ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham: the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the supreme judge who rewards or punishes different persons according to their surrender unto His lotus feet. Therefore it can actually be seen that although karmis and bhaktas may work in the same place, at the same time, with the same energy and with the same ambition, they achieve different results. The karmis transmigrate through different bodies in the cycle of birth and death, sometimes going upward and sometimes downward, thus suffering the results of their actions in the karma-cakra, the cycle of birth and death. The devotees, however, because of fully surrendering at the lotus feet of the Lord, are never baffled in their attempts. Although externally they work almost like the karmis, the devotees go back home, back to Godhead, and achieve success in every effort. The demons or atheists have faith in their own endeavors, but although they work very hard day and night, they cannot get any more than their destiny. The devotees, however, can surpass the reactions of karma and achieve wonderful results, even without effort. It is also said, phalena pariciyate: one’s success or defeat in any activity is understood by its result. There are many karmis in the dress of devotees, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead can detect their purpose. The karmis want to use the property of the Lord for their selfish sense gratification, but a devotee endeavors to use the Lord’s property for God’s service. Therefore a devotee is always distinct from the karmis, although the karmis may dress like devotees. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (3.9), yajnarthat karmano ’nyatra loko ’yam karma-bandhanah. One who works for Lord Visnu is free from this material world, and after giving up his body he goes back home, back to Godhead. A karmi, however, although externally working like a devotee, is entangled in his nondevotional activity, and thus he suffers the tribulations of material existence. Thus from the results achieved by the karmis and devotees, one can understand the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who acts differently for the karmis and jnanis than for the devotees. The author of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta therefore says:

krsna-bhakta——niskama, ataeva ‘santa’
bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami——sakali ‘asanta’

The karmis who desire sense gratification, the jnanis who aspire for the liberation of merging into the existence of the Supreme, and the yogis who seek material success in mystic power are all restless, and ultimately they are baffled. But the devotee, who does not expect any personal benefit and whose only ambition is to spread the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is blessed with all the auspicious results of bhakti-yoga, without hard labor.

SB8.9.29

TEXT 29

yad yujyate ’su-vasu-karma-mano-vacobhir

dehatmajadisu nrbhis tad asat prthaktvat

tair eva sad bhavati yat kriyate ’prthaktvat

sarvasya tad bhavati mula-nisecanam yat

yat—whatever; yujyate—is performed; asu—for the protection of one’s life; vasu—protection of wealth; karma—activities; manah—by the acts of the mind; vacobhih—by the acts of words; deha-atma-ja-adisu—for the sake of one’s personal body or family, etc., with reference to the body; nrbhih—by the human beings; tat—that; asat—impermanent, transient; prthaktvat—because of separation from the Supreme Personality of Godhead; taih—by the same activities; eva—indeed; sat bhavati—becomes factual and permanent; yat—which; kriyate—is performed; aprthaktvat—because of nonseparation; sarvasya—for everyone; tat bhavati—becomes beneficial; mula-nisecanam—exactly like pouring water on the root of a tree; yat—which.

In human society there are various activities performed for the protection of one’s wealth and life by one’s words, one’s mind and one’s actions, but they are all performed for one’s personal or extended sense gratification with reference to the body. All these activities are baffled because of being separate from devotional service. But when the same activities are performed for the satisfaction of the Lord, the beneficial results are distributed to everyone, just as water poured on the root of a tree is distributed throughout the entire tree.