Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9: “Liberation”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Nineteen

SB9.19.17

TEXT 17

matra svasra duhitra va

naviviktasano bhavet

balavan indriya-gramo

vidvamsam api karsati

SYNONYMS

matra—with one’s mother; svasra—with one’s sister; duhitra—with ones own daughter; va—either; na—not; avivikta-asanah—seated closely on one seat; bhavet—one should be; balavan—very strong; indriya-gramah—the group of senses; vidvamsam—the very learned and advanced person; api—even; karsati—agitates.

TRANSLATION

One should not allow oneself to sit on the same seat even with one’s own mother, sister or daughter, for the senses are so strong that even though one is very advanced in knowledge, he may be attracted by sex.

PURPORT

Learning the etiquette of how to deal with women does not free one from sexual attraction. As specifically mentioned herewith, such attraction is possible even with one’s mother, sister or daughter. Generally, of course, one is not sexually attracted to his mother, sister or daughter, but if one allows himself to sit very close to such a woman, one may be attracted. This is a psychological fact. It may be said that one is liable to be attracted if he is not very advanced in civilized life; however, as specifically mentioned here, vidvamsam api karsati: even if one is highly advanced, materially or spiritually, he may be attracted by lusty desires. The object of attraction may even be one’s mother, sister or daughter. Therefore, one should be extremely careful in dealings with women. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was most strict in such dealings, especially after He accepted the sannyasa order. Indeed, no woman could come near Him to offer Him respect. Again, one is warned herewith that one should be extremely careful in dealings with women. A brahmacari is forbidden even to see the wife of his spiritual master if she happens to be young. The wife of the spiritual master may sometimes take some service from the disciple of her husband, as she would from a son, but if the wife of the spiritual master is young, a brahmacari is forbidden to render service to her.

SB9.19.18

TEXT 18

purnam varsa-sahasram me

visayan sevato ’sakrt

tathapi canusavanam

trsna tesupajayate

SYNONYMS

purnam—completely; varsa-sahasram—one thousand years; me—my; visayan—sense gratification; sevatah—enjoying; asakrt—without cessation, continuously; tatha api—still; ca—indeed; anusavanam—more and more; trsna—lusty desires; tesu—in sense gratification; upajayate—are increased.

TRANSLATION

I have spent a full one thousand years enjoying sense gratification, yet my desire to enjoy such pleasure increases daily.

PURPORT

Maharaja Yayati is explaining, in terms of his actual experience, how strong are sexual desires, even in old age.

SB9.19.19

TEXT 19

tasmad etam aham tyaktva

brahmany adhyaya manasam

nirdvandvo nirahankaras

carisyami mrgaih saha

SYNONYMS

tasmat—therefore; etam—such strong desires for lusty affairs; aham—I; tyaktva—giving up; brahmani—upon the Supreme Absolute Truth; adhyaya—fixing; manasam—the mind; nirdvandvah—without duality; nirahankarah—without an identity of false prestige; carisyami—I shall loiter or wander in the forest; mrgaih saha—with the forest animals.

TRANSLATION

Therefore, I shall now give up all these desires and meditate upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Free from the dualities of mental concoction and free from false prestige, I shall wander in the forest with the animals.

PURPORT

To go to the forest and live there with the animals, meditating upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the only means by which to give up lusty desires. Unless one gives up such desires, one’s mind cannot be freed from material contamination. Therefore, if one is at all interested in being freed from the bondage of repeated birth, death, old age and disease, after a certain age one must go to the forest. pancasordhvam vanam vrajet. After fifty years of age, one should voluntarily give up family life and go to the forest. The best forest is Vrndavana, where one need not live with the animals but can associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who never leaves Vrndavana. Cultivating Krsna consciousness in Vrndavana is the best means of being liberated from material bondage, for in Vrndavana one can automatically meditate upon Krsna. Vrndavana has many temples, and in one or more of these temples one may see the form of the Supreme Lord as Radha-Krsna or Krsna-Balarama and meditate upon this form. As expressed here by the words brahmany adhyaya, one should concentrate one’s mind upon the Supreme Lord, Parabrahman. This Parabrahman is Krsna, as confirmed by Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita (param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]). Krsna and His abode, Vrndavana, are not different. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam. Vrndavana is as good as Krsna. Therefore, if one somehow or other gets the opportunity to live in Vrndavana, and if one is not a pretender but simply lives in Vrndavana and concentrates his mind upon Krsna, one is liberated from material bondage. One’s mind is not purified, however, even in Vrndavana, if one is agitated by lusty desires. One should not live in Vrndavana and commit offenses, for a life of offenses in Vrndavana is no better than the lives of the monkeys and hogs there. Many monkeys and hogs live in Vrndavana, and they are concerned with their sexual desires. Men who have gone to Vrndavana but who still hanker for sex should immediately leave Vrndavana and stop their grievous offenses at the lotus feet of the Lord. There are many misguided men who live in Vrndavana to satisfy their sexual desires, but they are certainly no better than the monkeys and hogs. Those who are under the control of maya, and specifically under the control of lusty desires, are called maya-mrga. Indeed, everyone in the conditional stage of material life is a maya-mrga. It is said, maya-mrgam dayitayepsitam anvadhavad: [SB 11.5.34] Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa to show His causeless mercy to the maya-mrgas, the people of this material world, who suffer because of lusty desires. One should follow the principles of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and always think of Krsna in full Krsna consciousness. Then one will be eligible to live in Vrndavana, and his life will be successful.

SB9.19.20

TEXT 20

drstam srutam asad buddhva

nanudhyayen na sandiset

samsrtim catma-nasam ca

tatra vidvan sa atma-drk

SYNONYMS

drstam—the material enjoyment we experience in our present life; srutam—material enjoyment as promised to the fruitive workers for future happiness (either in this life or in the next, in the heavenly planets and so on); asat—all temporary and bad; buddhva—knowing; na—not; anudhyayet—one should even think of; na—nor; sandiset—should actually enjoy; samsrtim—prolongation of material existence; ca—and; atma-nasam—forgetfulness of one’s own constitutional position; ca—as well as; tatra—in such a subject matter; vidvan—one who is completely aware; sah—such a person; atma-drk—a self-realized soul.

TRANSLATION

One who knows that material happiness, whether good or bad, in this life or in the next, on this planet or on the heavenly planets, is temporary and useless, and that an intelligent person should not try to enjoy or even think of such things, is the knower of the self. Such a self-realized person knows quite well that material happiness is the very cause of continued material existence and forgetfulness of one’s own constitutional position.

PURPORT

The living entity is a spiritual soul, and the material body is his encagement. This is the beginning of spiritual understanding.

dehino ’smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Bg. 2.13) The real mission of human life is to get free from encagement in the material body. Therefore Krsna descends to teach the conditioned soul about spiritual realization and how to become free from material bondage. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. The words dharmasya glanih mean “pollution of one’s existence.” Our existence is now polluted, and it must be purified (sattvam suddhyet). The human life is meant for this purification, not for thinking of happiness in terms of the external body, which is the cause of material bondage. Therefore, in this verse, Maharaja Yayati advises that whatever material happiness we see and whatever is promised for enjoyment is all merely flickering and temporary. Abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino ’rjuna [Bg. 8.16]. Even if one is promoted to Brahmaloka, if one is not freed from material bondage one must return to this planet earth and continue in the miserable condition of material existence (bhutva bhutva praliyate). One should always keep this understanding in mind so as not to be allured by any kind of sense enjoyment, in this life or in the next. One who is fully aware of this truth is self-realized (sa atma-drk), but aside from him, everyone suffers in the cycle of birth and death (mrtyu-samsara-vartmani). This understanding is one of true intelligence, and anything contrary to this is but a cause of unhappiness. Krsna-bhakta—niskama, ataeva ‘santa.’ Only a Krsna conscious person, who knows the aim and object of life, is peaceful. All others, whether karmis, jnanis or yogis, are restless and cannot enjoy real peace.

SB9.19.21

TEXT 21

ity uktva nahuso jayam

tadiyam purave vayah

dattva sva-jarasam tasmad

adade vigata-sprhah

SYNONYMS

iti uktva—saying this; nahusah—Maharaja Yayati, the son of King Nahusa; jayam—unto his wife, Devayani; tadiyam—his own; purave—unto his son Puru; vayah—youth; dattva—delivering; sva-jarasam—his own invalidity and old age; tasmat—from him; adade—took back; vigata-sprhah—being freed from all material lusty desires.

TRANSLATION

Sukadeva Gosvami said: After speaking in this way to his wife, Devayani, King Yayati, who was now free from all material desires, called his youngest son, Puru, and returned Puru’s youth in exchange for his own old age.

SB9.19.22

TEXT 22

disi daksina-purvasyam

druhyum daksinato yadum

praticyam turvasum cakra

udicyam anum isvaram

SYNONYMS

disi—in the direction; daksina-purvasyam—southeast; druhyum—his son named Druhyu; daksinatah—in the southern side of the world; yadum—Yadu; praticyam—in the western side of the world; turvasum—his son known as Turvasu; cakre—he made; udicyam—in the northern side of the world; anum—his son named Anu; isvaram—the King.

TRANSLATION

King Yayati gave the southeast to his son Druhyu, the south to his son Yadu, the west to his son Turvasu, and the north to his son Anu. In this way he divided the kingdom.

SB9.19.23

TEXT 23

bhu-mandalasya sarvasya

purum arhattamam visam

abhisicyagrajams tasya

vase sthapya vanam yayau

SYNONYMS

bhu-mandalasya—of the entire planet earth; sarvasya—of all wealth and riches; purum—his youngest son, Puru; arhat-tamam—the most worshipable person, the king; visam—of the citizens or the subjects of the world; abhisicya—crowning on the throne of the emperor; agrajan—all his elder brothers, beginning from Yadu; tasya—of Puru; vase—under the control; sthapya—establishing; vanam—in the forest; yayau—he went away.

TRANSLATION

Yayati enthroned his youngest son, Puru, as the emperor of the entire world and the proprietor of all its riches, and he placed all the other sons, who were older than Puru, under Puru’s control.

SB9.19.24

TEXT 24

asevitam varsa-pugan

sad-vargam visayesu sah

ksanena mumuce nidam

jata-paksa iva dvijah

SYNONYMS

asevitam—being always engaged in; varsa-pugan—for many, many years; sat-vargam—the six senses, including the mind; visayesu—in sense enjoyment; sah—King Yayati; ksanena—within a moment; mumuce—gave up; nidam—nest; jata-paksah—one that has grown its wings; iva—like; dvijah—a bird.

TRANSLATION

Having enjoyed sense gratification for many, many years, O King Pariksit, Yayati was accustomed to it, but he gave it up entirely in a moment, just as a bird flies away from the nest as soon as its wings have grown.

PURPORT

That Maharaja Yayati was immediately liberated from the bondage of conditioned life is certainly astonishing. But the example given herewith is appropriate. A tiny baby bird, dependent fully on its father and mother even to eat, suddenly flies away from the nest when its wings have grown. Similarly, if one fully surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is immediately liberated from the bondage of conditioned life, as promised by the Lord Himself (aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami). As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.4.18):

kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa
abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadayah
ye ’nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayah
sudhyanti tasmai prabhavisnave namah

“Kirata, Huna, Andhra, Pulinda, Pulkasa, Abhira, Sumbha, Yavana and the Khasa races and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, for He is the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.” Lord Visnu is so powerful that He can deliver anyone at once if He is pleased to do so. And Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, can be pleased immediately if we accept His order by surrendering unto Him, as Maharaja Yayati did. Maharaja Yayati was eager to serve Vasudeva, Krsna, and therefore as soon as he wanted to renounce material life, Lord Vasudeva helped him. We must therefore be very sincere in surrendering ourselves unto the lotus feet of the Lord. Then we can immediately be liberated from all the bondage of conditioned life. This is clearly expressed in the next verse.

SB9.19.25

TEXT 25

sa tatra nirmukta-samasta-sanga

atmanubhutya vidhuta-trilingah

pare ’male brahmani vasudeve

lebhe gatim bhagavatim pratitah

SYNONYMS

sah—Maharaja Yayati; tatra—upon doing this; nirmukta—was immediately liberated from; samasta-sangah—all contamination; atma-anubhutya—simply by understanding his constitutional position; vidhuta—was cleansed of; tri-lingah—the contamination caused by the three modes of material nature (sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna); pare—unto the Transcendence; amale—without material contact; brahmani—the Supreme Lord; vasudeve—Vasudeva, Krsna, the Absolute Truth, Bhagavan; lebhe—achieved; gatim—the destination; bhagavatim—as an associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pratitah—famous.

TRANSLATION

Because King Yayati completely surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, he was freed from all contamination of the material modes of nature. Because of his self-realization, he was able to fix his mind upon the Transcendence [Parabrahman, Vasudeva], and thus he ultimately achieved the position of an associate of the Lord.

PURPORT

The word vidhuta, meaning “cleansed,” is very significant. Everyone in this material world is contaminated (karanam guna-sango ’sya). Because we are in a material condition, we are contaminated either by sattva-guna, by rajo-guna or by tamo-guna. Even if one becomes a qualified brahmana in the mode of goodness (sattva-guna), he is still materially contaminated. One must come to the platform of suddha-sattva, transcending the sattva-guna. Then one is vidhuta-trilinga, cleansed of the contamination caused by the three modes of material nature. This is possible by the mercy of Krsna. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.17):

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt-satam

“Sri Krsna, the personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.” A person trying to be perfectly Krsna conscious by hearing the words of Krsna from Srimad-Bhagavatam or Bhagavad-gita certainly has all the dirty things cleansed from the core of his heart. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also says, ceto-darpana-marjanam: [Cc. Antya 20.12] the process of hearing and chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord washes away the dirty things accumulated in the core of the heart. As soon as one is freed from all the dirt of material contamination, as Maharaja Yayati was, one’s original position as an associate of the Lord is revealed. This is called svarupa-siddhi, or personal perfection.

SB9.19.26

TEXT 26

srutva gatham devayani

mene prastobham atmanah

stri-pumsoh sneha-vaiklavyat

parihasam iveritam

SYNONYMS

srutva—hearing; gatham—the narration; devayani—Queen Devayani, the wife of Maharaja Yayati; mene—understood; prastobham atmanah—when instructed for her self-realization; stri-pumsoh—between the husband and wife; sneha-vaiklavyat—from an exchange of love and affection; parihasam—a funny joke or story; iva—like; iritam—spoken (by Maharaja Yayati).

TRANSLATION

When Devayani heard Maharaja Yayati’s story of the he-goat and she-goat, she understood that this story, which was presented as if a funny joke for entertainment between husband and wife, was intended to awaken her to her constitutional position.

PURPORT

When one actually awakens from material life, one understands his real position as an eternal servant of Krsna. This is called liberation. Muktir hitvanyatha rupam svarupena vyavasthitih (Bhag. 2.10.6). Under the influence of maya, everyone living in this material world thinks that he is the master of everything (ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]). One thinks that there is no God or controller and that one is independent and can do anything. This is the material condition, and when one awakens from this ignorance, he is called liberated. Maharaja Yayati had delivered Devayani from the well, and finally, as a dutiful husband, he instructed her with the story about the he-goat and she-goat and thus delivered her from the misconception of material happiness. Devayani was quite competent to understand her liberated husband, and therefore she decided to follow him as his faithful wife.

SB9.19.27-28

TEXTS 27–28

sa sannivasam suhrdam

prapayam iva gacchatam

vijnayesvara-tantranam

maya-viracitam prabhoh

sarvatra sangam utsrjya

svapnaupamyena bhargavi

krsne manah samavesya

vyadhunol lingam atmanah

SYNONYMS

sa—Devayani; sannivasam—living in the association; suhrdam—of friends and relatives; prapayam—in a place where water is supplied; iva—like; gacchatam—of tourists on a program for going from one place to another; vijnaya—understanding; isvara-tantranam—under the influence of the rigid laws of nature; maya-viracitam—the laws enforced by maya, the illusory energy; prabhoh—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sarvatra—everywhere in this material world; sangam—association; utsrjya—giving up; svapna-aupamyena—by the analogy of a dream; bhargavi—Devayani, the daughter of Sukracarya; krsne—unto Lord Krsna; manah—complete attention; samavesya—fixing; vyadhunot—gave up; lingam—the gross and subtle bodies; atmanah—of the soul.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, Devayani, the daughter of Sukracarya, understood that the materialistic association of husband, friends and relatives is like the association in a hotel full of tourists. The relationships of society, friendship and love are created by the maya of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, exactly as in a dream. By the grace of Krsna, Devayani gave up her imaginary position in the material world. Completely fixing her mind upon Krsna, she achieved liberation from the gross and subtle bodies.

PURPORT

One should be convinced that he is a spirit soul, part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman, Krsna, but has somehow or other been entrapped by the material coverings of the gross and subtle bodies, consisting of earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. One should know that the association of society, friendship, love, nationalism, religion and so on are nothing but creations of maya. One’s only business is to become Krsna conscious and render service unto Krsna as extensively as possible for a living being. In this way one is liberated from material bondage. By the grace of Krsna, Devayani attained this state through the instructions of her husband.

SB9.19.29

TEXT 29

namas tubhyam bhagavate

vasudevaya vedhase

sarva-bhutadhivasaya

santaya brhate namah

SYNONYMS

namah—I offer my respectful obeisances; tubhyam—unto You; bhagavate—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vasudevaya—Lord Vasudeva; vedhase—the creator of everything; sarva-bhuta-adhivasaya—present everywhere (within the heart of every living entity and within the atom also); santaya—peaceful, as if completely inactive; brhate—the greatest of all; namah—I offer my respectful obeisances.

TRANSLATION

O Lord Vasudeva, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are the creator of the entire cosmic manifestation. You live as the Supersoul in everyone’s heart and are smaller than the smallest, yet You are greater than the greatest and are all-pervading. You appear completely silent, having nothing to do, but this is due to Your all-pervading nature and Your fullness in all opulences. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

PURPORT

How Devayani became self-realized by the grace of her great husband, Maharaja Yayati, is described here. Describing such realization is another way of performing the bhakti process.

sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam

[SB 7.5.23]

“Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Visnu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service.” (Bhag. 7.5.23) sravanam kirtanam, hearing and chanting, are especially important. By hearing from her husband about the greatness of Lord Vasudeva, Devayani certainly became convinced and surrendered herself unto the lotus feet of the Lord (om namo bhagavate vasudevaya). This is knowledge. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate [Bg. 7.19]. Surrender to Vasudeva is the result of hearing about Him for many, many births. As soon as one surrenders unto Vasudeva, one is liberated immediately. Because of her association with her great husband, Maharaja Yayati, Devayani became purified, adopted the means of bhakti-yoga, and thus became liberated.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Ninth Canto, Nineteenth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “King Yayati Achieves Liberation.”

Next chapter (SB 9.20)