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

Chapter Five

SB9.5.21

TEXT 21

karmavadatam etat te

gayanti svah-striyo muhuh

kirtim parama-punyam ca

kirtayisyati bhur iyam

SYNONYMS

karma—activity; avadatam—without any tinge; etat—all this; te—your; gayanti—will sing; svah-striyah—women from the heavenly planets; muhuh—always; kirtim—glories; parama-punyam—highly glorified and pious; ca—also; kirtayisyati—will continuously chant; bhuh—the whole world; iyam—this.

TRANSLATION

All the blessed women in the heavenly planets will continuously chant about your spotless character at every moment, and the people of this world will also chant your glories continuously.

SB9.5.22

TEXT 22

sri-suka uvaca

evam sankirtya rajanam

durvasah paritositah

yayau vihayasamantrya

brahmalokam ahaitukam

SYNONYMS

sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; evam—thus; sankirtya—glorifying; rajanam—the King; durvasah—the great mystic yogi Durvasa Muni; paritositah—being satisfied in all respects; yayau—left that place; vihayasa—by the spaceways; amantrya—taking permission; brahmalokam—to the topmost planet of this universe; ahaitukam—where there is no dry philosophical speculation.

TRANSLATION

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Thus being satisfied in all respects, the great mystic yogi Durvasa took permission and left, continuously glorifying the King. Through the skyways, he went to Brahmaloka, which is devoid of agnostics and dry philosophical speculators.

PURPORT

Although Durvasa Muni went back to Brahmaloka through the spaceways, he did not need an airplane, for great mystic yogis can transport themselves from any planet to any other without any machine. There is a planet named Siddhaloka whose inhabitants can go to any other planet because they naturally have all the perfection of yoga practice. Thus Durvasa Muni, the great mystic yogi, could go through the skyways to any planet, even to Brahmaloka. In Brahmaloka, everyone is self-realized, and thus there is no need of philosophical speculation to come to the conclusion of the Absolute Truth. Durvasa Muni’s purpose in going to Brahmaloka was apparently to speak to the residents of Brahmaloka about how powerful a devotee is and how a devotee can surpass every living entity within this material world. The so-called jnanis and yogis cannot compare to a devotee.

SB9.5.23

TEXT 23

samvatsaro ’tyagat tavad

yavata nagato gatah

munis tad-darsanakankso

rajab-bhakso babhuva ha

SYNONYMS

samvatsarah—one complete year; atyagat—passed; tavat—as long as; yavata—so long; na—not; agatah—returned; gatah—Durvasa Muni, who had left that place; munih—the great sage; tat-darsana-akanksah—desiring to see him again; raja—the King; ap-bhaksah—taking only water; babhuva—remained; ha—indeed.

TRANSLATION

Durvasa Muni had left the place of Maharaja Ambarisa, and as long as he had not returned—for one complete year—the King had fasted, maintaining himself simply by drinking water.

SB9.5.24

TEXT 24

gate ’tha durvasasi so ’mbariso

dvijopayogatipavitram aharat

rser vimoksam vyasanam ca viksya

mene sva-viryam ca paranubhavam

SYNONYMS

gate—on his return; atha—then; durvasasi—the great mystic yogi Durvasa; sah—he, the King; ambarisah—Maharaja Ambarisa; dvija-upayoga—most suitable for a pure brahmana; ati-pavitram—very pure food; aharat—gave him to eat and he also ate; rseh—of the great sage; vimoksam—release; vyasanam—from the great danger of being burned by the Sudarsana cakra; ca—and; viksya—seeing; mene—considered; sva-viryam—about his own power; ca—also; para-anubhavam—because of his pure devotion to the Supreme Lord.

TRANSLATION

After one year, when Durvasa Muni had returned, King Ambarisa sumptuously fed him all varieties of pure food, and then he himself also ate. When the King saw that the brahmana Durvasa had been released from the great danger of being burned, he could understand that by the grace of the Lord he himself was also powerful, but he did not take any credit, for everything had been done by the Lord.

PURPORT

A devotee like Maharaja Ambarisa is certainly always busy in many activities. Of course, this material world is full of dangers that one has to meet, but a devotee, because of his full dependence on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is never disturbed. The vivid example is Maharaja Ambarisa. He was the emperor of the entire world and had many duties to perform, and in the course of these duties there were many disturbances created by persons like Durvasa Muni, but the King tolerated everything, patiently depending fully on the mercy of the Lord. The Lord, however, is situated in everyone’s heart (sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah), and He manages things as He desires. Thus although Maharaja Ambarisa was faced with many disturbances, the Lord, being merciful to him, managed things so nicely that in the end Durvasa Muni and Maharaja Ambarisa became great friends and parted cordially on the basis of bhakti-yoga. After all, Durvasa Muni was convinced of the power of bhakti-yoga, although he himself was a great mystic yogi. Therefore, as stated by Lord Krsna in Bhagavad-gita (6.47):

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah

“Of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.” Thus it is a fact that a devotee is the topmost yogi, as proved in the dealings of Maharaja Ambarisa with Durvasa Muni.

SB9.5.25

TEXT 25

evam vidhaneka-gunah sa raja

paratmani brahmani vasudeve

kriya-kalapaih samuvaha bhaktim

yayavirincyan nirayams cakara

SYNONYMS

evam—in this way; vidha-aneka-gunah—endowed with varieties of good qualities; sah—he, Maharaja Ambarisa; raja—the King; para-atmani—unto the Supersoul; brahmani—unto Brahman; vasudeve—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, Vasudeva; kriya-kalapaih—by practical activities; samuvaha—executed; bhaktim—devotional service; yaya—by such activities; avirincyan—beginning from the topmost planet; nirayan—down to the hellish planets; cakara—he experienced that there is danger everywhere.

TRANSLATION

In this way, because of devotional service, Maharaja Ambarisa, who was endowed with varieties of transcendental qualities, was completely aware of Brahman, Paramatma and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus he executed devotional service perfectly. Because of his devotion, he thought even the topmost planet of this material world no better than the hellish planets.

PURPORT

An exalted and pure devotee like Maharaja Ambarisa is in full awareness of Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan; in other words, a devotee of Vasudeva, Krsna, is in full knowledge of the other features of the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is realized in three features—Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan (brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate). A devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, knows everything (vasudevah sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]) because Vasudeva, Krsna, includes both Paramatma and Brahman. One does not have to realize Paramatma by the yoga system, for the devotee always thinking of Vasudeva is the topmost yogi (yoginam api sarvesam [Bg. 6.47]). And as far as jnana is concerned, if one is a perfect devotee of Vasudeva, he is the greatest mahatma (vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]). A mahatma is one who has full knowledge of the Absolute Truth. Thus Maharaja Ambarisa, being a devotee of the personality of Godhead, was in full awareness of Paramatma, Brahman, maya, the material world, the spiritual world, and how things are going on everywhere. Everything was known to him. Yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati. Because the devotee knows Vasudeva, he knows everything within the creation of Vasudeva (vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]). Such a devotee does not give much value to the highest standard of happiness within this material world.

narayana-parah sarve
na kutascana bibhyati
svargapavarga-narakesv
api tulyartha-darsinah

(Bhag. 6.17.28)

Because he is fixed in devotional service, a devotee does not regard any position in the material world as important. Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati has therefore written (Caitanya-candramrta 5):

kaivalyam narakayate tri-dasa-pur akasa-puspayate
durdantendriya-kala-sarpa-patali protkhata-damstrayate
visvam purna-sukhayate vidhi-mahendradis ca kitayate
yat-karunya-kataksa-vaibhavavatam tam gauram eva stumah

For one who becomes a pure devotee through devotional service to great personalities like Caitanya Mahaprabhu, kaivalya, or merging into Brahman, appears no better than hell. As far as the heavenly planets are concerned, to a devotee they are like a phantasmagoria or will-o’-the-wisp, and as far as yogic perfection is concerned, a devotee does not care a fig for such perfection, since the purpose of yogic perfection is achieved automatically by the devotee. This is all possible when one becomes a devotee of the Lord through the medium of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s instructions.

SB9.5.26

TEXT 26

sri-suka uvaca

athambarisas tanayesu rajyam

samana-silesu visrjya dhirah

vanam vivesatmani vasudeve

mano dadhad dhvasta-guna-pravahah

SYNONYMS

sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; atha—in this way; ambarisah—King Ambarisa; tanayesu—unto his sons; rajyam—the kingdom; samana-silesu—who were equally as qualified as their father; visrjya—dividing; dhirah—the most learned person, Maharaja Ambarisa; vanam—into the forest; vivesa—entered; atmani—unto the Supreme Lord; vasudeve—Lord Krsna, who is known as Vasudeva; manah—mind; dadhat—concentrating; dhvasta—vanquished; guna-pravahah—the waves of the material modes of nature.

TRANSLATION

Srila Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Thereafter, because of his advanced position in devotional life, Maharaja Ambarisa, who no longer desired to live with material things, retired from active family life. He divided his property among his sons, who were equally as qualified, and he himself took the order of vanaprastha and went to the forest to concentrate his mind fully upon Lord Vasudeva.

PURPORT

As a pure devotee, Maharaja Ambarisa was liberated in any condition of life because, as enunciated by Srila Rupa Gosvami, a devotee is always liberated.

iha yasya harer dasye
karmana manasa gira
nikhilasv apy avasthasu
jivan-muktah sa ucyate

In Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami thus instructs that if one’s only desire is service to the Lord, he is liberated in any condition of life. Maharaja Ambarisa was undoubtedly liberated in any condition, but as an ideal king he accepted the vanaprastha order of retirement from family life. It is essential for one to renounce family responsibilities and fully concentrate on the lotus feet of Vasudeva. Therefore Maharaja Ambarisa divided the kingdom among his sons and retired from family life.

SB9.5.27

TEXT 27

ity etat punyam akhyanam

ambarisasya bhupate

sankirtayann anudhyayan

bhakto bhagavato bhavet

SYNONYMS

iti—thus; etat—this; punyam akhyanam—most pious activity in history; ambarisasya—of Maharaja Ambarisa; bhupate—O King (Maharaja Pariksit); sankirtayan—by chanting, repeating; anudhyayan—or by meditating upon; bhaktah—a devotee; bhagavatah—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhavet—one can become.

TRANSLATION

Anyone who chants this narration or even thinks of this narration about the activities of Maharaja Ambarisa certainly becomes a pure devotee of the Lord.

PURPORT

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura herein gives a very good example. When one is very eager for more and more money, he is not satisfied even when he is a millionaire or a multimillionaire, but wants to earn more and more money by any means. The same mentality is present in a devotee. The devotee is never satisfied, thinking, “This is the limit of my devotional service.” The more he engages in the service of the Lord, the more service he wants to give. This is the position of a devotee. Maharaja Ambarisa, in his family life, was certainly a pure devotee, complete in every respect, because his mind and all his senses were engaged in devotional service (sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane). Maharaja Ambarisa was self-satisfied because all of his senses were engaged in devotional service (sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam/ hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]). Nonetheless, although Maharaja Ambarisa had engaged all his senses in devotional service, he left his home and went to the forest to concentrate his mind fully at the lotus feet of Krsna, exactly as a mercantile man, even though complete in wealth, tries to earn more and more. This mentality of getting more and more engaged in devotional service puts one in the most exalted position. Whereas on the karma platform the mercantile man who wants more and more money becomes increasingly bound and entangled, the devotee becomes increasingly liberated.

SB9.5.28

TEXT 28

ambarisasya caritam

ye srnvanti mahatmanah

muktim prayanti te sarve

bhaktya visnoh prasadatah

SYNONYMS

ambarisasya—of Maharaja Ambarisa; caritam—character; ye—persons who; srnvanti—hear; maha-atmanah—of the great personality, the great devotee; muktim—liberation; prayanti—certainly they attain; te—such persons; sarve—all of them; bhaktya—simply by devotional service; visnoh—of Lord Visnu; prasadatah—by the mercy.

TRANSLATION

By the grace of the Lord, those who hear about the activities of Maharaja Ambarisa, the great devotee, certainly become liberated or become devotees without delay.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Ninth Canto, Fifth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Durvasa Muni’s Life Spared.”

Next chapter (SB 9.6)