Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: Canto 4: “The Creation of the Fourth Order”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Three
SB4.3.17
TEXT 17
vidyā-tapo-vitta-vapur-vayaḥ-kulaiḥ
satāṁ guṇaiḥ ṣaḍbhir asattametaraiḥ
smṛtau hatāyāṁ bhṛta-māna-durdṛśaḥ
stabdhā na paśyanti hi dhāma bhūyasām
SYNONYMS
vidyā—education; tapaḥ—austerity; vitta—wealth; vapuḥ—beauty of body, etc.; vayaḥ—youth; kulaiḥ—with heritage; satām—of the pious; guṇaiḥ—by such qualities; ṣaḍbhiḥ—six; asattama-itaraiḥ—having the opposite result to those who are not great souls; smṛtau—good sense; hatāyām—being lost; bhṛta-māna-durdṛśaḥ—blind due to pride; stabdhāḥ—being proud; na—not; paśyanti—see; hi—for; dhāma—the glories; bhūyasām—of the great souls.
TRANSLATION
Although the six qualities education, austerity, wealth, beauty, youth and heritage are for the highly elevated, one who is proud of possessing them becomes blind, and thus he loses his good sense and cannot appreciate the glories of great personalities.
PURPORT
It may be argued that since Dakṣa was very learned, wealthy and austere and had descended from a very exalted heritage, how could he be unnecessarily angry towards another? The answer is that when the qualities of good education, good parentage, beauty and sufficient wealth are misplaced in a person who is puffed up by all these possessions, they produce a very bad result. Milk is a very nice food, but when milk is touched by an envious serpent it becomes poisonous. Similarly, material assets such as education, wealth, beauty and good parentage are undoubtedly nice, but when they decorate persons of a malicious nature, then they act adversely. Another example, given by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, is that a serpent that has a jewel on its head is still fearful because it is a serpent. A serpent, by nature, is envious of other living entities, even though they be faultless. When a serpent bites another creature, it is not necessarily because the other creature is at fault; it is the habit of the serpent to bite innocent creatures. Similarly, although Dakṣa was qualified by many material assets, because he was proud of his possessions and because he was envious, all those qualities were polluted. It is sometimes, therefore, detrimental for a person advancing in spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to possess such material assets. Kuntīdevī, while offering prayers to Kṛṣṇa, addressed Him as akiñcana-gocara, one who is easily approached by those who are bereft of all material acquisitions. Material exhaustion is an advantage for advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, although if one is conscious of his eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can utilize one’s material assets, such as great learning and beauty and exalted ancestry, for the service of the Lord; then such assets become glorious. In other words, unless one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, all his material possessions are zero, but when this zero is by the side of the Supreme One, it at once increases in value to ten. Unless situated by the side of the Supreme One, zero is always zero; one may add one hundred zeros, but the value will still remain zero. Unless one’s material assets are used in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they may play havoc and degrade the possessor.
SB4.3.18 TEXT 18 naitādṛśānāṁ sva-jana-vyapekṣayā gṛhān pratīyād anavasthitātmanām ye ’bhyāgatān vakra-dhiyābhicakṣate āropita-bhrūbhir amarṣaṇākṣibhiḥ SYNONYMS na—not; etādṛśānām—like this; sva-jana—kinsmen; vyapekṣayā—depending on that; gṛhān—in the house of; pratīyāt—one should go; anavasthita—disturbed; ātmanām—mind; ye—those; abhyāgatān—guests; vakra-dhiyā—with a cold reception; abhicakṣate—looking at; āropita-bhrūbhiḥ—with raised eyebrows; amarṣaṇa—angry; akṣibhiḥ—with the eyes.
TRANSLATION One should not go to anyone’s house, even on the consideration of his being a relative or a friend, when the man is disturbed in his mind and looks upon the guest with raised eyebrows and angry eyes. PURPORT However low a person may be, he is never unkind to his children, wife and nearest kin; even a tiger is kind to its cubs, for within the animal kingdom the cubs are treated very nicely. Since Sati was the daughter of Dakṣa, however cruel and contaminated he might be, naturally it was expected that he would receive her very nicely. But here it is indicated by the word anavasthita that such a person cannot be trusted. Tigers are very kind to their cubs, but it is also known that sometimes they eat them. Malicious persons should not be trusted, because they are always unsteady. Thus Satī was advised not to go to her father’s house because to accept such a father as a relative and to go to his house without being properly invited was not suitable.
SB4.3.19 TEXT 19 tathāribhir na vyathate śilīmukhaiḥ śete ’rditāṅgo hṛdayena dūyatā svānāṁ yathā vakra-dhiyāṁ duruktibhir divā-niśaṁ tapyati marma-tāḍitaḥ SYNONYMS tathā—so; aribhiḥ—enemy; na—not; vyathate—is hurt; śilīmukhaiḥ—by the arrows; śete—rests; ardita—aggrieved; aṅgaḥ—a part; hṛdayena—by the heart; dūyatā—grieving; svānām—of relatives; yathā—as; vakra-dhiyām—deceitful; duruktibhiḥ—by harsh words; divā-niśam—day and night; tapyati—suffers; marma-tāḍitaḥ—one whose feelings are hurt.
TRANSLATION Lord Śiva continued: If one is hurt by the arrows of an enemy, one is not as aggrieved as when cut by the unkind words of a relative, for such grief continues to rend one’s heart day and night. PURPORT Satī might have concluded that she would take the risk of going to her father’s house, and even if her father spoke unkindly against her she would be tolerant, as a son sometimes tolerates the reproaches of his parents. But Lord Śiva reminded her that she would not be able to tolerate such unkind words because natural psychology dictates that although one can suffer harm from an enemy and not mind so much because pain inflicted by an enemy is natural, when one is hurt by the strong words of a relative, one suffers the effects continually, day and night, and sometimes the injury becomes so intolerable that one commits suicide.
SB4.3.20 TEXT 20 vyaktaṁ tvam utkṛṣṭa-gateḥ prajāpateḥ priyātmajānām asi subhru me matā tathāpi mānaṁ na pituḥ prapatsyase mad-āśrayāt kaḥ paritapyate yataḥ SYNONYMS vyaktam—it is clear; tvam—you; utkṛṣṭa-gateḥ—having the best behavior; prajāpateḥ—of Prajāpati Dakṣa; priyā—the pet; ātmajānām—of the daughters; asi—you are; subhru—O you with the beautiful eyebrows; me—my; matā—considered; tathā api—yet; mānam—honor; na—not; pituḥ—from your father; prapatsyase—you will meet with; mat-āśrayāt—from connection with me; kaḥ—Dakṣa; paritapyate—is feeling pain; yataḥ—from whom.
TRANSLATION My dear white-complexioned wife, it is clear that of the many daughters of Dakṣa you are the pet, yet you will not be honored at his house because of your being my wife. Rather, you will be sorry that you are connected with me. PURPORT Lord Śiva put forward the argument that even if Sati proposed to go alone, without her husband, still she would not be received well because she was his wife. There was every chance of a catastrophe, even if she wanted to go alone. Therefore Lord Śiva indirectly requested her not to go to her father’s house.
SB4.3.21 TEXT 21 pāpacyamānena hṛdāturendriyaḥ samṛddhibhiḥ pūruṣa-buddhi-sākṣiṇām akalpa eṣām adhiroḍhum añjasā paraṁ padaṁ dveṣṭi yathāsurā harim SYNONYMS pāpacyamānena—burning; hṛdā—with a heart; ātura-indriyaḥ—who is distressed; samṛddhibhiḥ—by the pious reputation, etc.; pūruṣa-buddhi-sākṣiṇām—of those who are always absorbed in thought of the Supreme Lord; akalpaḥ—being unable; eṣām—of those persons; adhiroḍhum—to rise; añjasā—quickly; param—merely; padam—to the standard; dveṣṭi—envy; yathā—as much as; asurāḥ—the demons; harim—the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION One who is conducted by false ego and thus always distressed, both mentally and sensually, cannot tolerate the opulence of self-realized persons. Being unable to rise to the standard of self-realization, he envies such persons as much as demons envy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. PURPORT The real reason for the enmity between Lord Śiva and Dakṣa is explained here. Dakṣa was envious of Lord Śiva because of Śiva’s high position as an incarnation of a quality of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and because Śiva was directly in contact with the Supersoul and was therefore honored and given a better sitting place than he. There were many other reasons also. Dakṣa, being materially puffed up, could not tolerate the high position of Lord Śiva, so his anger at Lord Śiva’s not standing up in his presence was only the final manifestation of his envy. Lord Śiva is always in meditation and always perceives the Supersoul, as expressed here by the words pūruṣa-buddhi-sākṣiṇām. The position of one whose intelligence is always absorbed in meditation upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very great and cannot be imitated by anyone, especially an ordinary person. When Dakṣa entered the arena of yajña, Lord Śiva was in meditation and might not have seen Dakṣa enter, but Dakṣa took the opportunity to curse him because Dakṣa had maintained an envious attitude towards Lord Śiva for a long time. Those who are actually self-realized see every individual body as a temple of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Paramātmā feature, is residing in everyone’s body.
When one offers respect to the body, it is not to the material body but to the presence of the Supreme Lord. Thus one who is always in meditation upon the Supreme Lord is always offering Him obeisances. But since Dakṣa was not very elevated, he thought that obeisances were offered to the material body, and because Lord Śiva did not offer respect to his material body, Dakṣa became envious. Such persons, being unable to rise to the standard of self-realized souls like Lord Śiva, are always envious. The example given here is very suitable. Asuras, demons or atheists, are always envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; they simply want to kill Him. Even in this age we find some so-called scholars commenting on Bhagavad-gītā who are envious of Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ (Bg. 18.65)—“Always think of Me, become My devotee, and surrender unto Me”—the so-called scholars comment that it is not to Kṛṣṇa that we have to surrender. That is envy. The asuras or atheists, the demons, without reason or cause, are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, instead of offering respect to self-realized persons, foolish men who cannot approach the highest standard of self-realization are always envious, although there is no reason.
SB4.3.22 TEXT 22 pratyudgama-praśrayaṇābhivādanaṁ vidhīyate sādhu mithaḥ sumadhyame prājñaiḥ parasmai puruṣāya cetasā guhā-śayāyaiva na deha-mānine SYNONYMS pratyudgama—standing up from one’s seat; praśrayaṇa—welcoming; abhivādanam—obeisances; vidhīyate—are intended; sādhu—proper; mithaḥ—mutually; su-madhyame—my dear young wife; prājñaiḥ—by the wise; parasmai—unto the Supreme; puruṣāya—unto the Supersoul; cetasā—with the intelligence; guhā-śayāya—sitting within the body; eva—certainly; na—not; deha-mānine—to the person identifying with the body.
TRANSLATION My dear young wife, certainly friends and relatives offer mutual greetings by standing up, welcoming one another and offering obeisances. But those who are elevated to the transcendental platform, being intelligent, offer such respects to the Supersoul, who is sitting within the body, not to the person who identifies with the body. PURPORT It may be argued that since Dakṣa was the father-in-law of Lord Śiva, it was certainly the duty of Lord Śiva to offer him respect. In answer to that argument it is explained here that when a learned person stands up or offers obeisances in welcome, he offers respect to the Supersoul, who is sitting within everyone’s heart. It is seen, therefore, among Vaiṣṇavas, that even when a disciple offers obeisances to his spiritual master, the spiritual master immediately returns the obeisances because they are mutually offered not to the body but to the Supersoul. Therefore the spiritual master also offers respect to the Supersoul situated in the body of the disciple. The Lord says in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that offering respect to His devotee is more valuable than offering respect to Him. Devotees do not identify with the body, so offering respect to a Vaiṣṇava means offering respect to Viṣṇu. It is stated also that as a matter of etiquette as soon as one sees a Vaiṣṇava one must immediately offer him respect, indicating the Supersoul sitting within. A Vaiṣṇava sees the body as a temple of Viṣṇu. Since Lord Śiva had already offered respect to the Supersoul in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, offering respect to Dakṣa, who identified with his body, was already performed. There was no need to offer respect to his body, for that is not directed by any Vedic injunction.
SB4.3.23 TEXT 23 sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditaṁ yad īyate tatra pumān apāvṛtaḥ sattve ca tasmin bhagavān vāsudevo hy adhokṣajo me namasā vidhīyate SYNONYMS sattvam—consciousness; viśuddham—pure; vasudeva—Vasudeva; śabditam—known as; yat—because; īyate—is revealed; tatra—there; pumān—the Supreme Person; apāvṛtaḥ—without any covering; sattve—in consciousness; ca—and; tasmin—in that; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vāsudevaḥ—Vāsudeva; hi—because; adhokṣajaḥ—transcendental; me—by me; namasā—with obeisances; vidhīyate—worshiped.
TRANSLATION I am always engaged in offering obeisances to Lord Vāsudeva in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is always pure consciousness, in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Vāsudeva, is revealed without any covering. PURPORT The living entity is constitutionally pure. Asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ. In the Vedic literature it is said that the soul is always pure and uncontaminated by material attachment. The identification of the body with the soul is due to misunderstanding. As soon as one is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious it is to be understood that one is in his pure, original constitutional position. This state of existence is called śuddha-sattva, which means that it is transcendental to the material qualities. Since this śuddha-sattva existence is under the direct action of the internal potency, in this state the activities of material consciousness stop. For example, when iron is put into a fire, it becomes warm, and when red-hot, although it is iron, it acts like fire. Similarly, when copper is surcharged with electricity, its action as copper stops; it acts as electricity. Bhagavad-gītā (14.26) also confirms that anyone who engages in unadulterated devotional service to the Lord is at once elevated to the position of pure Brahman:
māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa Therefore śuddha-sattva, as described in this verse, is the transcendental position, which is technically called vasudeva. Vasudeva is also the name of the person from whom Kṛṣṇa appears. This verse explains that the pure state is called vasudeva because in that state Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is revealed without any covering. To execute unadulterated devotional service, therefore, one must follow the rules and regulations of devotional service without desire to gain material profit by fruitive activities or mental speculation.
In pure devotional service one simply serves the Supreme Personality of Godhead as a matter of duty, without reason and without being impeded by material conditions. That is called śuddha-sattva, or vasudeva, because in that stage the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, is revealed in the heart of the devotee. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has very nicely described this vasudeva, or śuddha-sattva, in his Bhagavat-sandarbha. He explains that aṣṭottara-śata (108) is added to the name of the spiritual master to indicate one who is situated in śuddha-sattva, or in the transcendental state of vasudeva. The word vasudeva is also used for other purposes. For example, vasudeva also means one who is everywhere, or all-pervading. The sun is also called vasudeva-śabditam. The word vasudeva may be utilized for different purposes, but whatever purpose we adopt, Vāsudeva means the all-pervading or localized Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Bhagavad-gītā (7.19) it is also stated, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. Factual realization is to understand Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and surrender unto Him. Vasudeva is the ground wherein Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is revealed. When one is free from the contamination of material nature and is situated in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or in the vasudeva state, Vāsudeva, the Supreme Person, is revealed. This state is also called kaivalya, which means “pure consciousness.” Jñānaṁ sāttvikaṁ kaivalyam. When one is situated in pure, transcendental knowledge, one is situated in kaivalya. Therefore vasudeva also means kaivalya, a word which is generally used by impersonalists. Impersonal kaivalya is not the last stage of realization, but in Kṛṣṇa consciousness kaivalya, when one understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then one is successful. In that pure state, by hearing, chanting, remembering, etc., because of the development of knowledge of the science of Kṛṣṇa, one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All these activities are under the guidance of the internal energy of the Supreme Lord.
The action of the internal potency is also described in this verse as apāvṛtaḥ, free from any covering. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His name, His form, His quality, His paraphernalia, etc., being transcendental, are beyond material nature, it is not possible to understand any one of them with the materialistic senses. When the senses are purified by the discharge of pure devotional service (hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate [Cc. Madhya 19.170]), the pure senses can see Kṛṣṇa without covering. Now one may inquire that since factually the devotee has the same material existential body, how is it possible that the same materialistic eyes become purified by devotional service? The example, as stated by Lord Caitanya, is that devotional service cleanses the mirror of the mind. In a clean mirror one can see one’s face very distinctly. Similarly, simply by cleansing the mirror of the mind one can have a clear conception of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is stated in Bhagavad-gītā (8.8 Lord Śiva said that since his heart was always filled with the conception of Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because of the Supreme Lord’s presence within his mind and heart, he was always offering obeisances unto that Supreme Godhead. In other words, Lord Śiva is always in trance, samādhi. This samādhi is not under the control of the devotee; it is under the control of Vāsudeva, for the entire internal energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead acts under His order. Of course, the material energy also acts by His order, but His direct will is specifically executed through the spiritual energy. Thus by His spiritual energy He reveals Himself. It is stated in Bhagavad-gītā (4.6), sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā. Ātma-māyayā means “internal potency.” By His sweet will He reveals Himself by His internal potency, being satisfied by the transcendental loving service of the devotee. The devotee never commands, “My dear Lord, please come here so that I can see You.” It is not the position of the devotee to command the Supreme Personality of Godhead to come before him or to dance before him. There are many so-called devotees who command the Lord to come before them dancing. The Lord, however, is not subject to anyone’s command, but if He is satisfied by one’s pure devotional activities, He reveals Himself. Therefore a meaningful word in this verse is adhokṣaja, for it indicates that the activities of our material senses will fail to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One cannot realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead simply by the attempt of one’s speculative mind, but if one desires he can subdue all the material activities of his senses, and the Lord, by manifesting His spiritual energy, can reveal Himself to the pure devotee. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead reveals Himself to the pure devotee, the devotee has no other duty than to offer Him respectful obeisances. The Absolute Truth reveals Himself to the devotee in His form. He is not formless. Vāsudeva is not formless, for it is stated in this verse that as soon as the Lord reveals Himself, the devotee offers his obeisances. Obeisances are offered to a person, not to anything impersonal. One should not accept the Māyāvāda interpretation that Vāsudeva is impersonal. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, prapadyate, one surrenders. One surrenders to a person, not to impersonal nonduality. Whenever there is a question of surrendering or offering obeisances, there must be an object of surrender or obeisances.
SB4.3.24 TEXT 24 tat te nirīkṣyo na pitāpi deha-kṛd dakṣo mama dviṭ tad-anuvratāś ca ye yo viśvasṛg-yajña-gataṁ varoru mām anāgasaṁ durvacasākarot tiraḥ SYNONYMS tat—therefore; te—your; nirīkṣyaḥ—to be seen; na—not; pitā—your father; api—although; deha-kṛt—the giver of your body; dakṣaḥ—Dakṣa; mama—my; dviṭ—envious; tat-anuvratāḥ—his (Dakṣa’s) followers; ca—also; ye—who; yaḥ—who (Dakṣa); viśva-sṛk—of the Viśvasṛks; yajña-gatam—being present at the sacrifice; vara-ūru—O Sati; mām—me; anāgasam—being innocent; durvacasā—with cruel words; akarot tiraḥ—has insulted.
TRANSLATION Therefore you should not see your father, although he is the giver of your body, because he and his followers are envious of me. Because of his envy, O most worshipful one, he has insulted me with cruel words although I am innocent. PURPORT For a woman, both the husband and the father are equally worshipable. The husband is the protector of a woman during her youthful life, whereas the father is her protector during her childhood. Thus both are worshipable, but especially the father because he is the giver of the body. Lord Śiva reminded Satī, “Your father is undoubtedly worshipable, even more than I am, but take care, for although he is the giver of your body, he may also be the taker of your body because when you see your father, because of your association with me, he may insult you. An insult from a relative is worse than death, especially when one is well situated.”
SB4.3.25 TEXT 25 yadi vrajiṣyasy atihāya mad-vaco bhadraṁ bhavatyā na tato bhaviṣyati sambhāvitasya sva-janāt parābhavo yadā sa sadyo maraṇāya kalpate SYNONYMS yadi—if; vrajiṣyasi—you will go; atihāya—neglecting; mat-vacaḥ—my words; bhadram—good; bhavatyāḥ—your; na—not; tataḥ—then; bhaviṣyati—will become; sambhāvitasya—most respectable; svajanāt—by your own relative; parābhavaḥ—are insulted; yadā—when; saḥ—that insult; sadyaḥ—immediately; maraṇāya—to death; kalpate—is equal.
TRANSLATION If in spite of this instruction you decide to go, neglecting my words, the future will not be good for you. You are most respectable, and when you are insulted by your relative, this insult will immediately be equal to death. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fourth Canto, Third Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Talks Between Lord Śiva and Satī.” THIS WEB PAGE URL: http://causelessmercy.com/SB4.3.1.htm
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate