SB4.8.40

TEXT 40

nārada uvāca

jananyābhihitaḥ panthāḥ

sa vai niḥśreyasasya te

bhagavān vāsudevas taṁ

bhaja taṁ pravaṇātmanā

SYNONYMS

nāradaḥ uvāca—the great sage Nārada said; jananyā—by your mother; abhihitaḥ—stated; panthāḥ—the path; saḥ—that; vai—certainly; niḥśreyasasya—the ultimate goal of life; te—for you; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vāsudevaḥ—Kṛṣṇa; tam—unto Him; bhaja—render your service; tam—by Him; pravaṇa-ātmanā—fully absorbing your mind.

TRANSLATION

The great sage Nārada told Dhruva Mahārāja: The instruction given by your mother, Sunīti, to follow the path of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is just suitable for you. You should therefore completely absorb yourself in the devotional service of the Lord.

PURPORT

Dhruva Mahārāja’s demand was to achieve an abode even greater than Lord Brahmā’s. Within this universe, Lord Brahmā is supposed to be in the most exalted position, for he is the chief of all demigods, but Dhruva Mahārāja wanted a realm beyond his. Therefore his desire was not to be fulfilled by worshiping any demigod. As described in Bhagavad-gītā, the benedictions offered by the demigods are all temporary. Therefore Nārada Muni asked Dhruva Mahārāja to follow the path recommended by his mother—to worship Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva. When Kṛṣṇa offers anything, it is beyond the expectation of the devotee. Both Sunīti and Nārada Muni knew that the demand of Dhruva Mahārāja was impossible for any demigod to fulfill, and therefore both of them recommended following the process of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

TEXT 41

dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣākhyaṁ

ya icchec chreya ātmanaḥ

ekaṁ hy eva hares tatra

kāraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam

SYNONYMS

dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa—the four principles religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation; ākhyam—by the name; yaḥ—who; icchet—may desire; śreyaḥ—the goal of life; ātmanaḥ—of the self; ekam hi eva—only the one; hareḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tatra—in that; kāraṇam—the cause; pāda-sevanam—worshiping the lotus feet.

TRANSLATION

Any person who desires the fruits of the four principles religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, at the end, liberation, should engage himself in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for worship of His lotus feet yields the fulfillment of all of these.

PURPORT

In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that only with the sanction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can the demigods offer benedictions. Therefore, whenever any sacrifice is offered to a demigod, the Supreme Lord in the form of nārāyaṇa-śilā, or śālagrāma-śilā, is put forward to observe the sacrifice. Actually, the demigods cannot give any benediction without the sanction of the Supreme Lord. Nārada Muni, therefore, advised that even for religiosity, economic development, sense gratification or liberation, one should approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, offer prayers and ask for the fulfillment of one’s desire at the lotus feet of the Lord. That is real intelligence. An intelligent person never goes to demigods to pray for anything. He goes directly to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the cause of all benediction.

As Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa has said in Bhagavad-gītā, performance of ritualistic ceremonies is not actually religion. The real path of religion is to surrender at the lotus feet of the Lord. For one who is actually surrendered to the lotus feet of the Lord, there is no question of any separate endeavor for economic development. A devotee engaged in service to the Lord is not disappointed in the satisfaction of his senses. If he wants to satisfy his senses, Kṛṣṇa fulfills that desire. As far as liberation is concerned, any devotee fully engaged in the service of the Lord is already liberated; therefore there is no separate necessity for his liberation.

TEXT 42

tat tāta gaccha bhadraṁ te

yamunāyās taṭaṁ śuci

puṇyaṁ madhuvanaṁ yatra

sānnidhyaṁ nityadā hareḥ

SYNONYMS

tat—that; tāta—my dear son; gaccha—go; bhadram—good fortune; te—for you; yamunāyāḥ—of the Yamunā; taṭam—bank; śuci—being purified; puṇyam—the holy; madhu-vanam—of the name Madhuvana; yatra—where; sānnidhyam—being nearer; nityadā—always; hareḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

My dear boy, I therefore wish all good fortune for you. You should go to the bank of the Yamunā, where there is a virtuous forest named Madhuvana, and there be purified. Just by going there, one draws nearer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who always lives there.

PURPORT

Both Nārada Muni and Sunīti, the mother of Dhruva Mahārāja, advised Dhruva Mahārāja to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now, Nārada Muni is especially giving him directions how this worship of the Supreme Person can very quickly fructify. He recommends that Dhruva Mahārāja go to the bank of the Yamunā, where there is a forest of the name Madhuvana, and begin his meditation and worship there.

Places of pilgrimage yield a special advantage for a devotee in quickly advancing his spiritual life. Lord Kṛṣṇa lives everywhere, but still it is very easy to approach Him in holy places of pilgrimage because these places are inhabited by great sages. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that He lives wherever His devotees are chanting the glories of His transcendental activities. There are many places of pilgrimage in India, and especially prominent are Badarī-nārāyaṇa, Dvārakā, Rāmeśvara and Jagannātha purī. These sacred places are called the four dhāmas. Dhāma refers to a place where one can immediately contact the Supreme Lord. To go to Badarī-nārāyaṇa one has to pass through Hardwar on the path to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, there are other holy places of pilgrimage, such as Prayāga (Allahabad) and Mathurā, and the topmost of them all is Vṛndāvana. Unless one is very advanced in spiritual life, it is recommended that he live in such holy places and execute devotional service there. But an advanced devotee like Nārada Muni who is engaged in preaching work can serve the Supreme Lord anywhere. Sometimes he even goes to the hellish planets. Hellish conditions do not affect Nārada Muni because he is engaged in greatly responsible activities in devotional service. According to the statement of Nārada Muni, Madhuvana, which is still existing in the Vṛndāvana area, in the district of Mathurā, is a most sacred place. Many saintly persons still live there and engage in the devotional service of the Lord.

TEXT 43

snātvānusavanaṁ tasmin

kālindyāḥ salile śive

kṛtvocitāni nivasann

ātmanaḥ kalpitāsanaḥ

SYNONYMS

snātvā—after taking bath; anusavanam—three times; tasmin—in that; kālindyāḥ—in the River Kālindī (the Yamunā); salile—in the water; śive—which is very auspicious; kṛtvā—performing; ucitāni—suitable; nivasan—sitting; ātmanaḥ—of the self; kalpita-āsanaḥ—having prepared a sitting place.

TRANSLATION

Nārada Muni instructed: My dear boy, in the waters of the Yamunā River, which is known as Kālindī, you should take three baths daily because the water is very auspicious, sacred and clear. After bathing, you should perform the necessary regulative principles for aṣṭāṅga-yoga and then sit down on your āsana [sitting place] in a calm and quiet position.

PURPORT

TEXT 44

prāṇāyāmena tri-vṛtā

prāṇendriya-mano-malam

śanair vyudasyābhidhyāyen

manasā guruṇā gurum

SYNONYMS

prāṇāyāmena—by breathing exercises; tri-vṛtā—by the three recommended ways; prāṇa-indriya—the life air and the senses; manaḥ—mind; malam—impurity; śanaiḥ—gradually; vyudasya—giving up; abhidhyāyet—meditate upon; manasā—by the mind; guruṇā—undisturbed; gurum—the supreme spiritual master, Kṛṣṇa.

TRANSLATION

After sitting on your seat, practice the three kinds of breathing exercises, and thus gradually control the life air, the mind and the senses. Completely free yourself from all material contamination, and with great patience begin to meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

In this verse the entire yoga system is described in summary, and special stress is given to the breathing exercises for stopping the disturbing mind. The mind, by nature, is always oscillating, for it is very fickle, but the breathing exercise is meant to control it. This process of controlling the mind might have been very possible in those days millions of years ago when Dhruva Mahārāja took to it, but at the present moment the mind has to be fixed directly on the lotus feet of the Lord by the chanting process. By chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one immediately concentrates on the sound vibration and thinks of the lotus feet of the Lord, and very quickly one is elevated to the position of samādhi, or trance. If one goes on chanting the holy names of the Lord, which are not different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, naturally his mind becomes absorbed in thought of the Lord.

It is here recommended to Dhruva Mahārāja that he meditate on the supreme guru, or supreme spiritual master. The supreme spiritual master is Kṛṣṇa, who is therefore known as caitya-guru. This refers to the Supersoul, who is sitting in everyone’s heart. He helps from within as stated in Bhagavad-gītā, and He sends the spiritual master, who helps from without. The spiritual master is the external manifestation of the caitya-guru, or the spiritual master sitting in everyone’s heart.

TEXT 45

prasādābhimukhaṁ śaśvat

prasanna-vadanekṣaṇam

sunāsaṁ subhruvaṁ cāru-

kapolaṁ sura-sundaram

SYNONYMS

prasāda-abhimukham—always prepared to offer causeless mercy; śaśvat—always; prasanna—pleasing; vadana—mouth; īkṣaṇam—vision; su-nāsam—very nicely constructed nose; su-bhruvam—very nicely decorated eyebrows; cāru—beautiful; kapolam—forehead; sura—the demigods; sundaram—good looking.

TRANSLATION

[The form of the Lord is described herein.] The Lord’s face is perpetually very beautiful and pleasing in attitude. To the devotees who see Him, He appears never to be displeased, and He is always prepared to award benedictions to them. His eyes, His nicely decorated eyebrows, His raised nose and His broad forehead are all very beautiful. He is more beautiful than all the demigods.

PURPORT

TEXT 46

taruṇaṁ ramaṇīyāṅgam

aruṇoṣṭhekṣaṇādharam

praṇatāśrayaṇaṁ nṛmṇaṁ

śaraṇyaṁ karuṇārṇavam

SYNONYMS

taruṇam—youthful; ramaṇīya—attractive; aṅgam—all parts of the body; aruṇa-oṣṭha—lips pinkish like the rising sun; īkṣaṇa-adharam—eyes of the same nature; praṇata—one who is surrendered; āśrayaṇam—shelter of the surrendered; nṛmṇam—transcendentally pleasing in all respects; śaraṇyam—the person unto whom it is just worthy to surrender; karuṇā—merciful like; arṇavam—the ocean.

TRANSLATION

Nārada Muni continued: The Lord’s form is always youthful. Every limb and every part of His body is properly formed, free from defect. His eyes and lips are pinkish like the rising sun. He is always prepared to give shelter to the surrendered soul, and anyone so fortunate as to look upon Him feels all satisfaction. The Lord is always worthy to be the master of the surrendered soul, for He is the ocean of mercy.

PURPORT

Everyone has to surrender to someone superior. That is always the nature of our living condition. At the present moment we are trying to surrender to someone—either to society or to our nation, family, state or government. The surrendering process already exists, but it is never perfect because the person or institution unto whom we surrender is imperfect, and our surrender, having so many ulterior motives, is also imperfect. As such, in the material world no one is worthy to accept anyone’s surrender, nor does anyone fully surrender to anyone else unless obliged to do so. But here the surrendering process is voluntary, and the Lord is worthy to accept the surrender. This surrender by the living entity occurs automatically as soon as he sees the beautiful youthful nature of the Lord.

TEXT 47

śrīvatsāṅkaṁ ghana-śyāmaṁ

puruṣaṁ vana-mālinam

śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-padmair

abhivyakta-caturbhujam

SYNONYMS

śrīvatsa-aṅkam—the mark of Śrīvatsa on the chest of the Lord; ghana-śyāmam—deeply bluish; puruṣam—the Supreme Person; vana-mālinam—with a garland of flowers; śaṅkha—conchshell; cakra—wheel; gadā—club; padmaiḥ—lotus flower; abhivyakta—manifested; catuḥ-bhujam—four handed.

TRANSLATION

The Lord is further described as having the mark of Śrīvatsa, or the sitting place of the goddess of fortune, and His bodily hue is deep bluish. The Lord is a person, He wears a garland of flowers, and He is eternally manifest with four hands, which hold [beginning from the lower left hand] a conchshell, wheel, club and lotus flower.

PURPORT

TEXT 48

kirīṭinaṁ kuṇḍalinaṁ

keyūra-valayānvitam

kaustubhābharaṇa-grīvaṁ

pīta-kauśeya-vāsasam

SYNONYMS

kirīṭinam—the Lord is decorated with a jeweled helmet; kuṇḍalinam—with pearl earrings; keyūra—jeweled necklace; valaya-anvitam—with jeweled bracelets; kaustubha-ābharaṇa-grīvam—His neck is decorated by the Kaustubha jewel; pīta-kauśeya-vāsasam—and He is dressed with yellow silk garments.

TRANSLATION

The entire body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, is decorated. He wears a valuable jeweled helmet, necklaces and bracelets, His neck is adorned with the Kaustubha jewel, and He is dressed in yellow silk garments.

SB4.8.49

TEXT 49

kāñcī-kalāpa-paryastaṁ

lasat-kāñcana-nūpuram

darśanīyatamaṁ śāntaṁ

mano-nayana-vardhanam

SYNONYMS

kāñcī-kalāpa—small bells; paryastam—surrounding the waist; lasat-kāñcana-nūpuram—His legs are decorated with golden ankle bells; darśanīya-tamam—the superexcellent feature; śāntam—peaceful, calm and quiet; manaḥ-nayana-vardhanam—very pleasing to the eyes and the mind.

TRANSLATION

The Lord is decorated with small golden bells around His waist, and His lotus feet are decorated with golden ankle bells. All His bodily features are very attractive and pleasing to the eyes. He is always peaceful, calm and quiet and very pleasing to the eyes and the mind.

SB4.8.50

TEXT 50

padbhyāṁ nakha-maṇi-śreṇyā

vilasadbhyāṁ samarcatām

hṛt-padma-karṇikā-dhiṣṇyam

ākramyātmany avasthitam

SYNONYMS

padbhyām—by His lotus feet; nakha-maṇi-śreṇyā—by the light of the jewellike nails on the toes; vilasadbhyām—glittering lotus feet; samarcatām—persons who are engaged in worshiping them; hṛt-padma-karṇikā—the whorl of the lotus flower of the heart; dhiṣṇyam—situated; ākramya—seizing; ātmani—in the heart; avasthitam—situated.

TRANSLATION

Real yogīs meditate upon the transcendental form of the Lord as He stands on the whorl of the lotus of their hearts, the jewellike nails of His lotus feet glittering.

SB4.8.51

TEXT 51

smayamānam abhidhyāyet

sānurāgāvalokanam

niyatenaika-bhūtena

manasā varadarṣabham

SYNONYMS

smayamānam—the Lord’s smiling; abhidhyāyet—one should meditate upon Him; sa-anurāga-avalokanam—one who is looking toward the devotees with great affection; niyatena—in this way, regularly; eka-bhūtena—with great attention; manasā—with the mind; vara-da-ṛṣabham—one should meditate upon the greatest bestower of benedictions.

TRANSLATION

The Lord is always smiling, and the devotee should constantly see the Lord in this form, as He looks very mercifully toward the devotee. In this way the meditator should look toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the bestower of all benedictions.

PURPORT

TEXT 52

evaṁ bhagavato rūpaṁ

subhadraṁ dhyāyato manaḥ

nirvṛtyā parayā tūrṇaṁ

sampannaṁ na nivartate

SYNONYMS

evam—thus; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rūpam—form; su-bhadram—very auspicious; dhyāyataḥ—meditating; manaḥ—the mind; nirvṛtyā—being freed from all material contamination; parayā—transcendental; tūrṇam—very soon; sampannam—being enriched; na—never; nivartate—come down.

TRANSLATION

One who meditates in this way, concentrating his mind upon the always auspicious form of the Lord, is very soon freed from all material contamination, and he does not come down from meditation upon the Lord.

PURPORT

TEXT 53

japaś ca paramo guhyaḥ

śrūyatāṁ me nṛpātmaja

yaṁ sapta-rātraṁ prapaṭhan

pumān paśyati khecarān

SYNONYMS

japaḥ ca—the chanting mantra in this connection; paramaḥ—very, very; guhyaḥ—confidential; śrūyatām—please hear; me—from me; nṛpa-ātmaja—O son of the King; yam—which; sapta-rātram—seven nights; prapaṭhan—chanting; pumān—a person; paśyati—can see; khe-carān—human beings who travel in space.

TRANSLATION

O son of the King, now I shall speak unto you the mantra which is to be chanted with this process of meditation. One who carefully chants this mantra for seven nights can see the perfect human beings flying in the sky.

PURPORT

Within this universe there is a planet called Siddhaloka. The inhabitants of Siddhaloka are by nature perfect in the yoga achievements, which are of eight varieties: one can become smaller than the smallest, lighter than the lightest, or bigger than the biggest; one can immediately get whatever he likes, one can even create a planet, etc. These are some of the yogic perfections. By virtue of the laghimā-siddhi, or purificatory process to become lighter than the lightest, the inhabitants of Siddhaloka can fly in the sky without airplanes or airships. It is hinted herein by Nārada Muni to Dhruva Mahārāja that by meditating upon the transcendental form of the Lord and at the same time chanting the mantra one becomes so perfect within seven days that he can see the human beings who fly in the sky. Nārada Muni uses the word japaḥ, which indicates that the mantra to be chanted is very confidential. One may ask, “If it is confidential, why is it mentioned in the writing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam?” It is confidential in this sense: one may receive a published mantra anywhere, but unless it is accepted through the chain of disciplic succession, the mantra does not act. It is said by authoritative sources that any mantra chanted without having been received from the disciplic succession has no efficacy.

TEXT 54

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

mantreṇānena devasya

kuryād dravyamayīṁ budhaḥ

saparyāṁ vividhair dravyair

deśa-kāla-vibhāgavit

SYNONYMS

oṁ—O my Lord; namaḥ—I offer my respectful obeisances; bhagavate—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vāsudevāya—unto the Supreme Lord, Vāsudeva; mantreṇa—by this hymn, or mantra; anena—this; devasya—of the Lord; kuryāt—one should do; dravyamayīm—physical; budhaḥ—one who is learned; saparyām—worship by the prescribed method; vividhaiḥ—with varieties; dravyaiḥ—paraphernalia; deśa—according to country; kāla—time; vibhāga-vit—one who knows the divisions.

TRANSLATION

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. This is the twelve-syllable mantra for worshiping Lord Kṛṣṇa. One should install the physical forms of the Lord, and with the chanting of the mantra one should offer flowers and fruits and other varieties of foodstuffs exactly according to the rules and regulations prescribed by authorities. But this should be done in consideration of place, time, and attendant conveniences and inconveniences.

PURPORT

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya is known as the dvādaśākṣara-mantra. This mantra is chanted by Vaiṣṇava devotees, and it begins with praṇava, or oṁkāra. There is an injunction that those who are not brāhmaṇas cannot pronounce the praṇava mantra. But Dhruva Mahārāja was born a kṣatriya. He at once admitted before Nārada Muni that as a kṣatriya he was unable to accept Nārada’s instruction of renunciation and mental equilibrium, which are the concern of a brāhmaṇa. Still, although not a brāhmaṇa but a kṣatriya, Dhruva was allowed, on the authority of Nārada, to pronounce the praṇava oṁkāra. This is very significant. Especially in India, the caste brāhmaṇas object greatly when persons from other castes, who are not born in brāhmaṇa families, recite this praṇava mantra. But here is tacit proof that if a person accepts the Vaiṣṇava mantra or Vaiṣṇava way of worshiping the Deity, he is allowed to chant the praṇava mantra. In Bhagavad-gītā the Lord personally accepts that anyone, even one of a low species, can be elevated to the highest position and go back home, back to Godhead, simply if he worships properly.

The prescribed rules, as stated here by Nārada Muni, are that one should accept the mantra through a bona fide spiritual master and hear the mantra in the right ear. Not only should one chant or murmur the mantra, but in front of him he must have the Deity, or physical form of the Lord. Of course, when the Lord appears it is no longer a physical form. For example, when an iron rod is made red-hot in a fire, it is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, when we make a form of the Lord—whether of wood or stone or metal or jewels or paint, or even a form within the mind—it is a bona fide, spiritual, transcendental form of the Lord. Not only must one receive the mantra from the bona fide spiritual master like Nārada Muni or his representative in the disciplic succession, but one must chant the mantra. And not only must one chant, but he should also offer whatever foodstuff is available in his part of the world, according to time and convenience.

The method of worship—chanting the mantra and preparing the forms of the Lord—is not stereotyped, nor is it exactly the same everywhere. lt is specifically mentioned in this verse that one should take consideration of the time, place and available conveniences. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is going on throughout the entire world, and we also install Deities in different centers. Sometimes our Indian friends, puffed up with concocted notions, criticize, “This has not been done. That has not been done.” But they forget this instruction of Nārada Muni to one of the greatest Vaiṣṇavas, Dhruva Mahārāja. One has to consider the particular time, country and conveniences. What is convenient in India may not be convenient in the Western countries. Those who are not actually in the line of ācāryas, or who personally have no knowledge of how to act in the role of ācārya, unnecessarily criticize the activities of the ISKCON movement in countries outside of India. The fact is that such critics cannot do anything personally to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If someone does go and preach, taking all risks and allowing all considerations for time and place, it might be that there are changes in the manner of worship, but that is not at all faulty according to śāstra. Śrīmad Vīrarāghava Ācārya, an ācārya in the disciplic succession of the Rāmānuja-sampradāya, has remarked in his commentary that caṇḍālas, or conditioned souls who are born in lower than śūdra families, can also be initiated according to circumstances. The formalities may be slightly changed here and there to make them Vaiṣṇavas.

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that His name should be heard in every nook and corner of the world. How is this possible unless one preaches everywhere? The cult of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is bhāgavata-dharma, and He especially recommends kṛṣṇa-kathā, or the cult of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He recommends that every Indian, considering this task to be para-upakāra, or welfare activity, take the Lord’s message to other residents of the world. “Other residents of the world” does not refer only to those who are exactly like the Indian brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas, or like the caste brāhmaṇas, who claim to be brāhmaṇas because they were born in the families of brāhmaṇas. The principle that only Indians and Hindus should be brought into the Vaiṣṇava cult is a mistaken idea. There should be propaganda to bring everyone to the Vaiṣṇava cult. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for this purpose. There is no bar to propagating the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement even among people who are born in caṇḍāla, mleccha or yavana families. Even in India, this point has been enunciated by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī in his book Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, which is smṛti and is the authorized Vedic guide for Vaiṣṇavas in their daily behavior. Sanātana Gosvāmī says that as bell metal can turn to gold when mixed with mercury in a chemical process, so, by the bona fide dīkṣā, or initiation method, anyone can become a Vaiṣṇava. One should take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession, who is authorized by his predecessor spiritual master. I his is called dīkṣā-vidhāna. Lord Kṛṣṇa states in Bhagavad-gītā, vyapāśritya: one should accept a spiritual master. By this process the entire world can be converted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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