Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: Canto 3: “The Status Quo”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Nineteen
SB3.19.25
TEXT 25
taṁ muṣṭibhir vinighnantaṁ
vajra-sārair adhokṣajaḥ
kareṇa karṇa-mūle ’han
yathā tvāṣṭraṁ marut-patiḥ
SYNONYMS
tam—Hiraṇyākṣa; muṣṭibhiḥ—with his fists; vinighnantam—striking; vajra-sāraiḥ—as hard as a thunderbolt; adhokṣajaḥ—Lord Adhokṣaja; kareṇa—with the hand; karṇa-mūle—at the root of the ear; ahan—struck; yathā—as; tvāṣṭram—the demon Vṛtra (son of Tvaṣṭā); marut-patiḥ—Indra (lord of the Maruts).
TRANSLATION
The demon now began to strike the Lord with his hard fists, but Lord Adhokṣaja slapped him in the root of the ear, even as Indra, the lord of the Maruts, hit the demon Vṛtra.
PURPORT
The Lord is explained here to be adhokṣaja, beyond the reach of all material calculation. Akṣaja means “the measurement of our senses,” and adhokṣaja means “that which is beyond the measurement of our senses.”
SB3.19.26 TEXT 26 sa āhato viśva-jitā hy avajñayā paribhramad-gātra udasta-locanaḥ viśīrṇa-bāhv-aṅghri-śiroruho ’patad yathā nagendro lulito nabhasvatā SYNONYMS saḥ—he; āhataḥ—having been struck; viśva-jitā—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; hi—though; avajñayā—indifferently; paribhramat—wheeling; gātraḥ—body; udasta—bulged out; locanaḥ—eyes; viśīrṇa—broken; bāhu—arms; aṅghri—legs; śiraḥ-ruhaḥ—hair; apatat—fell down; yathā—like; naga-indraḥ—a gigantic tree; lulitaḥ—uprooted; nabhasvatā—by the wind.
TRANSLATION Though struck indifferently by the Lord, the conqueror of all, the demon’s body began to wheel. His eyeballs bulged out of their sockets. His arms and legs broken and the hair on his head scattered, he fell down dead, like a gigantic tree uprooted by the wind. PURPORT It does not take even a moment for the Lord to kill any powerful demon, including Hiraṇyākṣa. The Lord could have killed him long before, but He allowed the demon to display the full extent of his magical feats. One may know that by magical feats, by scientific advancement of knowledge or by material power one cannot become the equal of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His one signal is sufficient to destroy all our attempts. His inconceivable power, as displayed here, is so strong that the demon, despite all his demoniac maneuvers, was killed by the Lord when the Lord desired, simply by one slap.
SB3.19.27 TEXT 27 kṣitau śayānaṁ tam akuṇṭha-varcasaṁ karāla-daṁṣṭraṁ paridaṣṭa-dacchadam ajādayo vīkṣya śaśaṁsur āgatā aho imaṁ ko nu labheta saṁsthitim SYNONYMS kṣitau—on the ground; śayānam—lying; tam—Hiraṇyākṣa; akuṇṭha—unfaded; varcasam—glow; karāla—fearful; daṁṣṭram—teeth; paridaṣṭa—bitten; dat-chadam—lip; aja-ādayaḥ—Brahmā and others; vīkṣya—having seen; śaśaṁsuḥ—admiringly said; āgatāḥ—arrived; aho—oh; imam—this; kaḥ—who; nu—indeed; labheta—could meet; saṁsthitim—death.
TRANSLATION Aja [Brahmā] and others arrived on the spot to see the fearfully tusked demon lying on the ground, biting his lip. The glow of his face was yet unfaded, and Brahmā admiringly said: Oh, who could meet such blessed death? PURPORT Although the demon was dead, his bodily luster was unfaded. This is very peculiar because when a man or animal is dead, the body immediately becomes pale, the luster gradually fades, and decomposition takes place. But here, although Hiraṇyākṣa lay dead, his bodily luster was unfaded because the Lord, the Supreme Spirit, was touching his body. One’s bodily luster remains fresh only as long as the spirit soul is present. Although the demon’s soul had departed his body, the Supreme Spirit touched the body, and therefore his bodily luster did not fade. The individual soul is different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead when he quits his body is certainly very fortunate, and therefore personalities like Brahmā and the other demigods eulogized the death of the demon.
SB3.19.28 TEXT 28 yaṁ yogino yoga-samādhinā raho dhyāyanti liṅgād asato mumukṣayā tasyaiṣa daitya-ṛṣabhaḥ padāhato mukhaṁ prapaśyaṁs tanum utsasarja ha SYNONYMS yam—whom; yoginaḥ—the yogīs; yoga-samādhinā—in mystic trance; rahaḥ—in seclusion; dhyāyanti—meditate upon; liṅgāt—from the body; asataḥ—unreal; mumukṣayā—seeking freedom; tasya—of Him; eṣaḥ—this; daitya—son of Diti; ṛṣabhaḥ—the crest jewel; padā—by a foot; āhataḥ—struck; mukham—countenance; prapaśyan—while gazing on; tanum—the body; utsasarja—he cast off; ha—indeed.
TRANSLATION Brahmā continued: He was struck by a forefoot of the Lord, whom yogīs, seeking freedom from their unreal material bodies, meditate upon in seclusion in mystic trance. While gazing on His countenance, this crest jewel of Diti’s sons has cast off his mortal coil. PURPORT The process of yoga is very clearly described in this verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is said here that the ultimate end of the yogīs and mystics who perform meditation is to get rid of this material body. Therefore they meditate in secluded places to attain yogic trance. Yoga has to be performed in a secluded place, not in public or in a demonstration on stage, as nowadays practiced by many so-called yogīs. Real yoga aims at ridding one of the material body. Yoga practice is not intended to keep the body fit and young. Such advertisements of so-called yoga are not approved by any standard method. Particularly mentioned in this verse is the word yam, or “unto whom,” indicating that meditation should be targeted on the Personality of Godhead. Even if one concentrates his mind on the boar form of the Lord, that is also yoga. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā, one who concentrates his mind constantly in meditation upon the Personality of Godhead in one of His many varieties of forms is the first-class yogī, and he can very easily attain trance simply by meditating upon the form of the Lord. If one is able to continue such meditation on the Lord’s form at the time of one’s death, one is liberated from this mortal body and is transferred to the kingdom of God. This opportunity was given to the demon by the Lord, and therefore Brahmā and other demigods were astonished. In other words, the perfection of yoga practice can be attained by a demon also if he is simply kicked by the Lord.
SB3.19.29 TEXT 29 etau tau pārṣadāv asya śāpād yātāv asad-gatim punaḥ katipayaiḥ sthānaṁ prapatsyete ha janmabhiḥ SYNONYMS etau—these two; tau—both; pārṣadau—personal assistants; asya—of the Personality of Godhead; śāpāt—because of being cursed; yātau—have gone; asat-gatim—to take birth in a demoniac family; punaḥ—again; katipayaiḥ—a few; sthānam—own place; prapatsyete—will get back; ha—indeed; janmabhiḥ—after births.
TRANSLATION These two personal assistants of the Supreme Lord, having been cursed, have been destined to take birth in demoniac families. After a few such births, they will return to their own positions. SB3.19.30 TEXT 30 devā ūcuḥ namo namas te ’khila-yajña-tantave sthitau gṛhītāmala-sattva-mūrtaye diṣṭyā hato ’yaṁ jagatām aruntudas tvat-pāda-bhaktyā vayam īśa nirvṛtāḥ SYNONYMS devāḥ—the demigods; ūcuḥ—said; namaḥ—obeisances; namaḥ—obeisances; te—unto You; akhila-yajña-tantave—the enjoyer of all sacrifices; sthitau—for the purpose of maintaining; gṛhīta—assumed; amala—pure; sattva—goodness; mūrtaye—form; diṣṭyā—fortunately; hataḥ—slain; ayam—this; jagatām—to the worlds; aruntudaḥ—causing torment; tvat-pāda—to Your feet; bhaktyā—with devotion; vayam—we; īśa—O Lord; nirvṛtāḥ—have attained happiness.
TRANSLATION The demigods addressed the Lord: All obeisances unto You! You are the enjoyer of all sacrifices, and You have assumed the form of a boar, in pure goodness, for the purpose of maintaining the world. Fortunately for us, this demon, who was a torment to the worlds, has been slain by You, and we too, O Lord, are now at ease, in devotion to Your lotus feet. PURPORT The material world consists of three modes—goodness, passion and ignorance—but the spiritual world is pure goodness. It is said here that the form of the Lord is pure goodness, which means that it is not material. In the material world there is no pure goodness. In the Bhāgavatam the stage of pure goodness is called sattvaṁ viśuddham. Viśuddham means “pure.” In pure goodness there is no contamination by the two inferior qualities, namely passion and ignorance. The form of the boar, therefore, in which the Lord appeared, is nothing of the material world. There are many other forms of the Lord, but none of them belong to the material qualities. Such forms are nondifferent from the Viṣṇu form, and Viṣṇu is the enjoyer of all sacrifices.
The sacrifices which are recommended in the Vedas are meant to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In ignorance only, people try to satisfy many other agents, but the real purpose of life is to satisfy the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu. All sacrifices are meant to please the Supreme Lord. The living entities who know this perfectly well are called demigods, godly or almost God. Since the living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, it is his duty to serve the Lord and please Him. The demigods are all attached to the Personality of Godhead, and for their pleasure the demon, who was a source of trouble to the world, was killed. Purified life is meant to please the Lord, and all sacrifices performed in purified life are called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is developed by devotional service, as clearly mentioned here.
SB3.19.31 TEXT 31 maitreya uvāca evaṁ hiraṇyākṣam asahya-vikramaṁ sa sādayitvā harir ādi-sūkaraḥ jagāma lokaṁ svam akhaṇḍitotsavaṁ samīḍitaḥ puṣkara-viṣṭarādibhiḥ SYNONYMS maitreyaḥ uvāca—Śrī Maitreya said; evam—thus; hiraṇyākṣam—Hiraṇyākṣa; asahya-vikramam—very powerful; saḥ—the Lord; sādayitvā—after killing; hariḥ—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ādi-sūkaraḥ—the origin of the boar species; jagāma—returned; lokam—to His abode; svam—own; akhaṇḍita—uninterrupted; utsavam—festival; samīḍitaḥ—being praised; puṣkara-viṣṭara—lotus seat (by Lord Brahmā, whose seat is a lotus); ādibhiḥ—and the others.
TRANSLATION Śrī Maitreya continued: After thus killing the most formidable demon Hiraṇyākṣa, the Supreme Lord Hari, the origin of the boar species, returned to His own abode, where there is always an uninterrupted festival. The Lord was praised by all the demigods, headed by Brahmā. PURPORT The Lord is spoken of herewith as the origin of the boar species. As stated in the Vedānta-sūtra (1.1.2), the Absolute Truth is the origin of everything. Therefore it is to be understood that all 8,400,000 species of bodily forms originate from the Lord, who is always ādi, or the beginning. In Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna addresses the Lord as ādyam, or the original. Similarly, in the Brahma-saṁhitā the Lord is addressed as ādi-puruṣam, the original person. Indeed, in Bhagavad-gītā (10.8) the Lord Himself declares, mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate: “From Me everything proceeds.”
In this situation the Lord assumed the shape of a boar to kill the demon Hiraṇyākṣa and pick up the earth from the Garbha Ocean. Thus He became ādi-sūkara, the original boar. In the material world a boar or pig is considered most abominable, but the ādi-sūkara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was not treated as an ordinary boar. Even Lord Brahmā and the other demigods praised the Lord’s form as a boar.
This verse confirms the statement in Bhagavad-gītā that the Lord appears as He is from His transcendental abode for the sake of killing the miscreants and saving the devotees. By killing the demon Hiraṇyākṣa He fulfilled His promise to kill the demons and always protect the demigods headed by Brahmā. The statement that the Lord returned to His own abode indicates that He has His own particular transcendental residence. Since He is full of all energies, He is all-pervasive in spite of His residing in Goloka Vṛndāvana, just as the sun, although situated in a particular place within the universe, is present by its sunshine throughout the universe.
Although the Lord has His particular abode in which to reside, He is all-pervasive. The impersonalists accept one aspect of the Lord’s features, the all-pervasive aspect, but they cannot understand His localized situation in His transcendental abode, where He always engages in fully transcendental pastimes. Especially mentioned in this verse is the word akhaṇḍitotsavam. Utsava means “pleasure.” Whenever some function takes place to express happiness, it is called utsava. Utsava, the expression of complete happiness, is always present in the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, the abode of the Lord, who is worshipable even by demigods like Brahmā, to say nothing of other, less important entities such as human beings.
The Lord descends from His abode to this world, and therefore He is called avatāra, which means “one who descends.” Sometimes avatāra is understood to refer to an incarnation who assumes a material form of flesh and bone, but actually avatāra refers to one who descends from higher regions. The Lord’s abode is situated far above this material sky, and He descends from that higher position; thus He is called avatāra.
SB3.19.32 TEXT 32 mayā yathānūktam avādi te hareḥ kṛtāvatārasya sumitra ceṣṭitam yathā hiraṇyākṣa udāra-vikramo mahā-mṛdhe krīḍanavan nirākṛtaḥ SYNONYMS mayā—by me; yathā—as; anūktam—told; avādi—was explained; te—to you; hareḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kṛta-avatārasya—who assumed the incarnation; sumitra—O dear Vidura; ceṣṭitam—the activities; yathā—as; hiraṇyākṣaḥ—Hiraṇyākṣa; udāra—very extensive; vikramaḥ—prowess; mahā-mṛdhe—in a great fight; krīḍana-vat—like a plaything; nirākṛtaḥ—was killed.
TRANSLATION Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, I have explained to you the Personality of Godhead’s coming down as the first boar incarnation and killing in a great fight a demon of unprecedented prowess as if he were just a plaything. This has been narrated by me as I heard it from my predecessor spiritual master. PURPORT Here the sage Maitreya admits that he explained the incident of the killing of Hiraṇyākṣa by the Supreme Personality of Godhead as a straight narration; he did not manufacture anything or add interpretation, but explained whatever he had heard from his spiritual master. Thus he accepted as bona fide the system of paramparā, or receiving the transcendental message in disciplic succession. Unless received by this bona fide process of hearing from a spiritual master, the statement of an ācārya or preceptor cannot be valid.
It is also stated here that although the demon Hiraṇyākṣa was unlimited in prowess, he was just like a doll for the Lord. A child breaks so many dolls without real endeavor. Similarly, although a demon may be very powerful and extraordinary in the eyes of an ordinary man in the material world, to the Lord, killing such a demon is no difficulty. He can kill millions of demons as simply as a child plays with dolls and breaks them.
SB3.19.33 TEXT 33 sūta uvāca iti kauṣāravākhyātām āśrutya bhagavat-kathām kṣattānandaṁ paraṁ lebhe mahā-bhāgavato dvija SYNONYMS sūtaḥ—Sūta Gosvāmī; uvāca—said; iti—thus; kauṣārava—from Maitreya (son of Kuṣāru); ākhyātām—told; āśrutya—having heard; bhagavat-kathām—the narration about the Lord; kṣattā—Vidura; ānandam—bliss; param—transcendental; lebhe—achieved; mahā-bhāgavataḥ—the great devotee; dvija—O brāhmaṇa (Śaunaka).
TRANSLATION Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī continued: My dear brāhmaṇa, Kṣattā [Vidura] the great devotee of the Lord achieved transcendental bliss by hearing the narration of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead from the authoritative source of the sage Kauṣārava [Maitreya], and he was very pleased. PURPORT If anyone wants to derive transcendental pleasure by hearing the pastimes of the Lord, he must hear from the authoritative source, as explained here. Maitreya heard the narration from his bona fide spiritual master, and Vidura also heard from Maitreya. One becomes an authority simply by presenting whatever he has heard from his spiritual master, and one who does not accept a bona fide spiritual master cannot be an authority. This is clearly explained here. If one wants to have transcendental pleasure, he must find a person with authority. It is also stated in the Bhāgavatam that simply by hearing from an authoritative source, with the ear and the heart, one can relish the pastimes of the Lord, otherwise it is not possible. Sanātana Gosvāmī, therefore, has especially warned that one should not hear anything about the personality of the Lord from the lips of a nondevotee. Nondevotees are considered to be like serpents; as milk is poisoned by a serpent’s touch, so, although the narration of the pastimes of the Lord is as pure as milk, when administered by serpentlike nondevotees it becomes poisonous. Not only does it have no effect in transcendental pleasure, but it is dangerous also. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned that no description of the pastimes of the Lord should be heard from the Māyāvāda, or impersonalist, school. He has clearly said, māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva nāśa: if anyone hears the Māyāvādīs’ interpretation of the pastimes of the Lord, or their interpretation of Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or any other Vedic literature, then he is doomed. Once one is associated with impersonalists, he can never understand the personal feature of the Lord and His transcendental pastimes.
Sūta Gosvāmī was speaking to the sages headed by Śaunaka, and therefore he addressed them in this verse as dvija, twice-born. The sages assembled in Naimiṣāraṇya hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Sūta Gosvāmī were all brāhmaṇas, but to acquire the qualifications of a brāhmaṇa is not everything. Merely to be twice-born is not perfection. Perfection is attained when one hears the pastimes and activities of the Lord from a bona fide source.
SB3.19.34 TEXT 34 anyeṣāṁ puṇya-ślokānām uddāma-yaśasāṁ satām upaśrutya bhaven modaḥ śrīvatsāṅkasya kiṁ punaḥ SYNONYMS anyeṣām—of others; puṇya-ślokānām—of pious reputation; uddāma-yaśasām—whose fame is spread everywhere; satām—of the devotees; upaśrutya—by hearing; bhavet—may arise; modaḥ—pleasure; śrīvatsa-aṅkasya—of the Lord, who bears the mark Śrīvatsa; kim punaḥ—what to speak of.
TRANSLATION What to speak of hearing the pastimes of the Lord, whose chest is marked with Śrīvatsa, people may take transcendental pleasure even in hearing of the works and deeds of the devotees, whose fame is immortal. PURPORT Bhāgavatam literally means the pastimes of the Lord and the Lord’s devotees. For example, there are pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa and narrations of devotees like Prahlāda, Dhruva and Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. Both pastimes pertain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead because the devotees’ pastimes are in relation with Him. The Mahābhārata, for example, the history of the Pāṇḍavas and their activities, is sacred because the Pāṇḍavas had a direct relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
SB3.19.35 TEXT 35 yo gajendraṁ jhaṣa-grastaṁ dhyāyantaṁ caraṇāmbujam krośantīnāṁ kareṇūnāṁ kṛcchrato ’mocayad drutam SYNONYMS yaḥ—He who; gaja-indram—the king of elephants; jhaṣa—an alligator; grastam—attacked by; dhyāyantam—meditating upon; caraṇa—feet; ambujam—lotus; krośantīnām—while crying; kareṇūnām—the female elephants; kṛcchrataḥ—from danger; amocayat—delivered; drutam—quickly.
TRANSLATION The Personality of Godhead delivered the king of the elephants, who was attacked by an alligator and who meditated upon the lotus feet of the Lord. At that time the female elephants who accompanied him were crying, and the Lord saved them from the impending danger. PURPORT The example of the elephant in danger who was saved by the Supreme Lord is especially cited here because even if one is an animal he can approach the Personality of Godhead in devotional service, whereas even a demigod cannot approach the Supreme Person unless he is a devotee.
SB3.19.36 TEXT 36 taṁ sukhārādhyam ṛjubhir ananya-śaraṇair nṛbhiḥ kṛtajñaḥ ko na seveta durārādhyam asādhubhiḥ SYNONYMS tam—unto Him; sukha—easily; ārādhyam—worshiped; ṛjubhiḥ—by the unpretentious; ananya—no other; śaraṇaiḥ—who take shelter; nṛbhiḥ—by men; kṛta-jñaḥ—grateful soul; kaḥ—what; na—not; seveta—would render service; durārādhyam—impossible to be worshiped; asādhubhiḥ—by the nondevotees.
TRANSLATION What grateful soul is there who would not render his loving service to such a great master as the Personality of Godhead? The Lord can be easily pleased by spotless devotees who resort exclusively to Him for protection, though the unrighteous man finds it difficult to propitiate Him. PURPORT Every living entity, especially persons in the human race, must feel grateful for the benedictions offered by the grace of the Supreme Lord. Anyone, therefore, with a simple heart of gratefulness must be Kṛṣṇa conscious and offer devotional service to the Lord. Those who are actually thieves and rogues do not recognize or acknowledge the benedictions offered to them by the Supreme Lord, and they cannot render Him devotional service. Ungrateful persons are those who do not understand how much benefit they are deriving by the arrangement of the Lord. They enjoy the sunshine and moonshine, and they get water free of charge, yet they do not feel grateful, but simply go on enjoying these gifts of the Lord. Therefore, they must be called thieves and rogues.
SB3.19.37 TEXT 37 yo vai hiraṇyākṣa-vadhaṁ mahādbhutaṁ vikrīḍitaṁ kāraṇa-sūkarātmanaḥ śṛṇoti gāyaty anumodate ’ñjasā vimucyate brahma-vadhād api dvijāḥ SYNONYMS yaḥ—he who; vai—indeed; hiraṇyākṣa-vadham—of the killing of Hiraṇyākṣa; mahā-adbhutam—most wonderful; vikrīḍitam—pastime; kāraṇa—for reasons like raising the earth from the ocean; sūkara—appearing in the form of a boar; ātmanaḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; śṛṇoti—hears; gāyati—chants; anumodate—takes pleasure; añjasā—at once; vimucyate—becomes freed; brahma-vadhāt—from the sin of killing a brāhmaṇa; api—even; dvijāḥ—O brāhmaṇas.
TRANSLATION O brāhmaṇas, anyone who hears, chants, or takes pleasure in the wonderful narration of the killing of the Hiraṇyākṣa demon by the Lord, who appeared as the first boar in order to deliver the world, is at once relieved of the results of sinful activities, even the killing of a brāhmaṇa. PURPORT Since the Personality of Godhead is in the absolute position, there is no difference between His pastimes and His personality. Anyone who hears about the pastimes of the Lord associates with the Lord directly, and one who associates directly with the Lord is certainly freed from all sinful activities, even to the extent of the killing of a brāhmaṇa, which is considered the most sinful activity in the material world. One should be very eager to hear about the activities of the Lord from the bona fide source, the pure devotee. If one simply gives aural reception to the narration and accepts the glories of the Lord, then he is qualified. The impersonalist philosophers cannot understand the activities of the Lord. They think that all His activities are māyā; therefore they are called Māyāvādīs. Since everything to them is māyā, these narrations are not for them. Some impersonalists are reluctant to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, although many of them are now taking an interest in it just for monetary gain. Actually, however, they have no faith. On the contrary, they describe it in their own way. We should not hear, therefore, from the Māyāvādīs. We have to hear from Sūta Gosvāmī or Maitreya, who actually present the narrations as they are, and only then can we relish the pastimes of the Lord; otherwise the effects on the neophyte audience will be poisonous.
SB3.19.38 TEXT 38 etan mahā-puṇyam alaṁ pavitraṁ dhanyaṁ yaśasyaṁ padam āyur-āśiṣām prāṇendriyāṇāṁ yudhi śaurya-vardhanaṁ nārāyaṇo ’nte gatir aṅga śṛṇvatām SYNONYMS etat—this narrative; mahā-puṇyam—conferring great merit; alam—very; pavitram—sacred; dhanyam—conferring wealth; yaśasyam—bearing fame; padam—the receptacle; āyuḥ—of longevity; āśiṣām—of the objects of one’s desire; prāṇa—of the vital organs; indriyāṇām—of the organs of action; yudhi—on the field of battle; śaurya—the strength; vardhanam—increasing; nārāyaṇaḥ—Lord Nārāyaṇa; ante—at the end of life; gatiḥ—shelter; aṅga—O dear Śaunaka; śṛṇvatām—of those who listen.
TRANSLATION This most sacred narrative confers extraordinary merit, wealth, fame, longevity, and all the objects of one’s desire. On the field of battle it promotes the strength of one’s vital organs and organs of action. One who listens to it at the last moment of his life is transferred to the supreme abode of the Lord, O dear Śaunaka. PURPORT Devotees are generally attracted by the narratives of the pastimes of the Lord, and even though they do not prosecute austerities or meditation, this very process of hearing attentively about the pastimes of the Lord will endow them with innumerable benefits, such as wealth, fame, longevity and other desirable aims of life. If one continues to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is full of narratives of the pastimes of the Lord, at the end of this life, one is sure to be transferred to the eternal, transcendental abode of the Lord. Thus hearers are benefited both ultimately and for as long as they are in the material world. That is the supreme, sublime result of engaging in devotional service. The beginning of devotional service is to spare some time and listen to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the right source. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu also recommended five items of devotional service, namely to serve the devotees of the Lord, to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, to worship the Deity of the Lord and to live in a place of pilgrimage. Just performing these five activities can deliver one from the miserable condition of material life.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Third Canto, Nineteenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “The Killing of the Demon Hiraṇyākṣa.” THIS WEB PAGE URL: http://causelessmercy.com/SB3.19.1.htm