SB5.1.18

TEXT 18

yaḥ ṣaṭ sapatnān vijigīṣamāṇo

gṛheṣu nirviśya yateta pūrvam

atyeti durgāśrita ūrjitārīn

kṣīṇeṣu kāmaṁ vicared vipaścit

SYNONYMS

yaḥ—anyone who; ṣaṭ—six; sapatnān—adversaries; vijigīṣamāṇaḥ—desiring to conquer; gṛheṣu—in household life; nirviśya—having entered; yateta—must try; pūrvam—first; atyeti—conquers; durga-āśritaḥ—being in a fortified place; ūrjita-arīn—very strong enemies; kṣīṇeṣu—decreased; kāmam—lusty desires; vicaret—can go; vipaścit—the most experienced, learned.

TRANSLATION

One who is situated in household life and who systematically conquers his mind and five sense organs is like a king in his fortress who conquers his powerful enemies. After one has been trained in household life and his lusty desires have decreased, he can move anywhere without danger.

PURPORT

TEXT 19

tvaṁ tv abja-nābhāṅghri-saroja-kośa-

durgāśrito nirjita-ṣaṭ-sapatnaḥ

bhuṅkṣveha bhogān puruṣātidiṣṭān

vimukta-saṅgaḥ prakṛtiṁ bhajasva

SYNONYMS

tvam—yourself; tu—then; abja-nābha—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose navel is like a lotus flower; aṅghri—feet; saroja—lotus; kośa—hole; durga—the stronghold; āśritaḥ—taken shelter of; nirjita—conquered; ṣaṭ-sapatnaḥ—the six enemies (the mind and five senses); bhuṅkṣva—enjoy; iha—in this material world; bhogān—enjoyable things; puruṣa—by the Supreme person; atidiṣṭān—extraordinarily ordered; vimukta—liberated; saṅgaḥ—from material association; prakṛtim—constitutional position; bhajasva—enjoy.

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahmā continued: My dear Priyavrata, seek shelter inside the opening in the lotus of the feet of the Lord, whose navel is also like a lotus. Thus conquer the six sense organs [the mind and knowledge-acquiring senses]. Accept material enjoyment because the Lord, extraordinarily, has ordered you to do this. You will thus always be liberated from material association and be able to carry out the Lord’s orders in your constitutional position.

PURPORT

TEXT 20

śrī-śuka uvāca

iti samabhihito mahā-bhāgavato bhagavatas tri-bhuvana-guror anuśāsanam ātmano laghutayāvanata-śirodharo bāḍham iti sabahu-mānam uvāha.

SYNONYMS

śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; iti—thus; samabhihitaḥ—completely instructed; mahā-bhāgavataḥ—the great devotee; bhagavataḥ—of the most powerful Lord Brahmā; tri-bhuvana—of the three worlds; guroḥ—the spiritual master; anuśāsanam—the order; ātmanaḥ—of himself; laghutayā—because of inferiority; avanata—bowed down; śirodharaḥ—his head; bāḍham—yes, sir; iti—thus; sa-bahu-mānam—with great respect; uvāha—carried out.

TRANSLATION

Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After thus being fully instructed by Lord Brahmā, who is the spiritual master of the three worlds, Priyavrata, his own position being inferior, offered obeisances, accepted the order and carried it out with great respect.

PURPORT

TEXT 21

bhagavān api manunā yathāvad upakalpitāpacitiḥ priyavrata-nāradayor aviṣamam abhisamīkṣamāṇayor ātmasam avasthānam avāṅ-manasaṁ kṣayam avyavahṛtaṁ pravartayann agamat.

SYNONYMS

bhagavān—the most powerful Lord Brahmā; api—also; manunā—by Manu; yathāvat—as deserved; upakalpita-apacitiḥ—being worshiped; priyavrata-nāradayoḥ—in the presence of Priyavrata and Nārada; aviṣamam—without aversion; abhisamīkṣamāṇayoḥ—looking on; ātmasam—just suitable for his position; avasthānam—to his abode; avāk-manasam—beyond the description of mind and words; kṣayam—the planet; avyavahṛtam—extraordinarily situated; pravartayan—departing; agamat—returned.

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahmā was then worshiped by Manu, who respectfully satisfied him as well as he could. Priyavrata and Nārada also looked upon Brahmā with no tinges of resentment. Having engaged Priyavrata in accepting his father’s request, Lord Brahmā returned to his abode, Satyaloka, which is indescribable by the endeavor of mundane mind or words.

PURPORT

Manu was certainly very satisfied that Lord Brahmā had persuaded his son Priyavrata to take the responsibility for ruling the world. Priyavrata and Nārada were also very satisfied. Although Brahmā had forced Priyavrata to accept the management of worldly affairs, thus breaking his vow to remain brahmacārī and completely engage in devotional service, Nārada and Priyavrata did not look upon Brahmā with resentment. Nārada was not at all sorry that he had been frustrated in making Priyavrata a disciple. Both Priyavrata and Nārada were exalted personalities who knew how to respect Lord Brahmā. Therefore instead of looking upon Brahmā with resentment, they very feelingly offered him their respect. Lord Brahmā then returned to his celestial abode, known as Satyaloka, which is described here as being impeccable and being unapproachable by words.

TEXT 22

manur api pareṇaivaṁ pratisandhita-manorathaḥ surarṣi-varānumatenātmajam akhila-dharā-maṇḍala-sthiti-guptaya āsthāpya svayam ati-viṣama-viṣaya-viṣa-jalāśayāśāyā upararāma.

SYNONYMS

manuḥ—Svāyambhuva Manu; api—also; pareṇa—by Lord Brahmā; evam—thus; pratisandhita—executed; manaḥ-rathaḥ—his mental aspiration; sura-ṛṣi-vara—of the great sage Nārada; anumatena—by the permission; ātma-jam—his son; akhila—of the entire universe; dharā-maṇḍala—of planets; sthiti—maintenance; guptaye—for the protection; āsthāpya—establishing; svayam—personally; ati-viṣama—very dangerous; viṣaya—material affairs; viṣa—of poison; jala-āśaya—ocean; āśāyāḥ—from desires; upararāma—got relief.

TRANSLATION

Svāyambhuva Manu, with the assistance of Lord Brahmā, thus fulfilled his desires. With the permission of the great sage Nārada, he delivered to his son the governmental responsibility for maintaining and protecting all the planets of the universe. He thus achieved relief from the most dangerous, poisonous ocean of material desires.

PURPORT

Svāyambhuva Manu was practically hopeless because such a great personality as Nārada was instructing his son Priyavrata not to accept household life. Now he was very pleased that Lord Brahmā had interfered by inducing his son to accept the responsibility for ruling the government of the universe. From Bhagavad-gītā we get information that Vaivasvata Manu was the son of the sun-god and that his son, Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, ruled this planet earth. Svāyambhuva Manu, however, appears to have been in charge of the entire universe, and he entrusted to his son, Mahārāja Priyavrata, the responsibility for maintaining and protecting all the planetary systems. Dharā-maṇḍala means “planet.” This earth, for instance, is called dharā-maṇḍala. Akhila, however, means “all” or “universal.” It is therefore difficult to understand where Mahārāja Priyavrata was situated, but from this literature his position certainly appears greater than that of Vaivasvata Manu, for he was entrusted with all the planetary systems of the entire universe.

Another significant statement is that Svāyambhuva Manu took great satisfaction from abnegating the responsibility for ruling all the planetary systems of the universe. At present, politicians are very eager to take charge of the government, and they engage their men in canvassing from door to door to get votes to win the post of president or a similar exalted office. On the contrary, however, herein we find that King Priyavrata had to be persuaded by Lord Brahmā to accept the post of emperor of the entire universe. Similarly, his father, Svāyambhuva Manu, felt relieved to entrust the universal government to Priyavrata. Thus it is evident that the kings and executive heads of government in the Vedic age never accepted their positions for sense enjoyment. Such exalted kings, who were known as rājarṣis, ruled only to maintain and protect the kingdom for the welfare of the citizens. The history of Priyavrata and Svāyambhuva Manu describes how exemplary, responsible monarchs performed the duties of government with disinterest, keeping themselves always aloof from the contamination of material attachment.

Material affairs have herein been compared to an ocean of poison. They have been described in a similar way by Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura in one of his songs:

saṁsāra-viṣānale,     divā-niśi hiyā jvale,
juḍāite nā kainu upāya

“My heart is always burning in the fire of material existence. and I have made no provisions for getting out of it.”

golokera prema-dhana,     hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana,
rati nā janmila kene tāya

“The only remedy is hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, which is imported from the spiritual world, Goloka Vṛndāvana. How unfortunate I am that I have no attraction for this.” Manu wanted to seek shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord, and therefore when his son Priyavrata took charge of his worldly affairs, Manu was very relieved. That is the system of Vedic civilization. At the end of life, one must free himself from worldly affairs and completely engage in the service of the Lord.

TEXT 23

iti ha vāva sa jagatī-patir īśvarecchayādhiniveśita-karmādhikāro ’khila-jagad-bandha-dhvaṁsana-parānubhāvasya bhagavata ādi-puruṣasyāṅghri-yugalānavarata-dhyānānubhāvena parirandhita-kaṣāyāśayo ’vadāto ’pi māna-vardhano mahatāṁ mahītalam anuśaśāsa.

SYNONYMS

iti—thus; ha vāva—indeed; saḥ—he; jagatī-patiḥ—the emperor of the whole universe; īśvara-icchayā—by the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; adhiniveśita—completely engaged; karma-adhikāraḥ—in material affairs; akhila-jagat—of the entire universe; bandha—bondage; dhvaṁsana—destroying; para—transcendental; anubhāvasya—whose influence; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ādi-puruṣasya—the original person; aṅghri—on the lotus feet; yugala—two; anavarata—constant; dhyāna-anubhāvena—by meditation; parirandhita—destroyed; kaṣāya—all the dirty things; āśayaḥ—in his heart; avadātaḥ—completely pure; api—although; māna-vardhanaḥ—just to give honor; mahatām—to superiors; mahītalam—the material world; anuśaśāsa—ruled.

TRANSLATION

Following the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mahārāja Priyavrata fully engaged in worldly affairs, yet he always thought of the lotus feet of the Lord, which are the cause of liberation from all material attachment. Although Priyavrata Mahārāja was completely freed from all material contamination, he ruled the material world just to honor the orders of his superiors.

PURPORT

The words māna-vardhano mahatām (“just to show honor to superiors”) are very significant. Although Mahārāja Priyavrata was already a liberated person and had no attraction for material things, he engaged himself fully in governmental affairs just to show respect to Lord Brahmā. Arjuna had also acted in the same way. Arjuna had no desire to participate in political affairs or the fighting at Kurukṣetra, but when ordered to do so by the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, he executed those duties very nicely. One who always thinks of the lotus feet of the Lord is certainly above all the contamination of the material world. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntarātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

TEXT 24

atha ca duhitaraṁ prajāpater viśvakarmaṇa upayeme barhiṣmatīṁ nāma tasyām u ha vāva ātmajān ātma-samāna-śīla-guṇa-karma-rūpa-vīryodārān daśa bhāvayām babhūva kanyāṁ ca yavīyasīm ūrjasvatīṁ nāma.

SYNONYMS

atha—thereafter; ca—also; duhitaram—the daughter; prajāpateḥ—of one of the prajāpatis entrusted with increasing population; viśvakarmaṇaḥ—named Viśvakarmā; upayeme—married; barhiṣmatīm—Barhiṣmatī; nāma—named; tasyām—in her; u ha—as it is celebrated; vāva—wonderful; ātma-jān—sons; ātma-samāna—exactly equal to him; śīla—character; guṇa—quality; karma—activities; rūpa—beauty; vīrya—prowess; udārān—whose magnanimity; daśa—ten; bhāvayām babhūva—he begot; kanyām—daughter; ca—also; yavīyasīm—the youngest of all; ūrjasvatīm—Ūrjasvatī; nāma—named.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, Mahārāja Priyavrata married Barhiṣmatī, the daughter of the prajāpati named Viśvakarmā. In her he begot ten sons equal to him in beauty, character, magnanimity and other qualities. He also begot a daughter, the youngest of all, named Ūrjasvatī.

PURPORT

Mahārāja Priyavrata not only carried out the order of Lord Brahmā by accepting the duties of government, but also married Barhiṣmatī, the daughter of Viśvakarmā, one of the prajāpatis. Since Mahārāja Priyavrata was fully trained in transcendental knowledge, he could have returned home and conducted the business of government as a brahmacārī. Instead, however, when he returned to household life, he accepted a wife also. The principle is that when one becomes a gṛhastha, he must live perfectly in that order, which means he must live peacefully with a wife and children. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s first wife died, His mother requested Him to marry for a second time. He was twenty years old and was going to take sannyāsa at the age of twenty-four, yet by the request of His mother, He married. “As long as I am in household life,” He told His mother, “I must have a wife, for household life does not mean staying in a house. Real household life means living in a house with a wife.”

Three words in this verse are very significant—u ha vāva. These words are used to express wonder. Priyavrata Mahārāja had taken a vow of renunciation, but accepting a wife and begetting children have nothing to do with the path of renunciation; these are activities on the path of enjoyment. It was a source of great wonder, therefore, that Priyavrata Mahārāja, who had followed the path of renunciation, had now accepted the path of enjoyment.

TEXT 25

 āgnīdhredhmajihva-yajñabāhu-mahāvīra-hiraṇyareto-ghṛtapṛṣṭha-savana-medhātithi-vītihotra-kavaya iti sarva evāgni-nāmānaḥ.

SYNONYMS

āgnīdhra—Āgnīdhra; idhma-jihva—Idhmajihva; yajña-bāhu—Yajñabāhu; mahā-vīra—Mahāvīra; hiraṇya-retaḥ—Hiraṇyaretā; ghṛtapṛṣṭha—Ghṛtapṛṣṭha; savana—Savana; medhā-tithi—Medhātithi; vītihotra—Vītihotra; kavayaḥ—and Kavi; iti—thus; sarve—all these; eva—certainly; agni—of the demigod controlling fire; nāmānaḥ—names.

TRANSLATION

The ten sons of Mahārāja Priyavrata were named Āgnīdhra, Idhmajihva, Yajñabāhu, Mahāvīra, Hiraṇyaretā, Ghṛtapṛṣṭha, Savana, Medhātithi, Vītihotra and Kavi. These are also names of Agni, the fire-god.

SB5.1.26

TEXT 26

eteṣāṁ kavir mahāvīraḥ savana iti traya āsann ūrdhva-retasas ta ātma-vidyāyām arbha-bhāvād ārabhya kṛta-paricayāḥ pāramahaṁsyam evāśramam abhajan.

SYNONYMS

eteṣām—of these; kaviḥ—Kavi; mahāvīraḥ—Mahāvīra; savanaḥ—Savana; iti—thus; trayaḥ—three; āsan—were; ūrdhva-retasaḥ—completely celibate; te—they; ātma-vidyāyām—in transcendental knowledge; arbha-bhāvāt—from childhood; ārabhya—beginning; kṛta-paricayāḥ—very well versed; pāramahaṁsyam—of the highest spiritual perfection of human life; eva—certainly; āśramam—the order; abhajan—executed.

TRANSLATION

Three among these ten—namely Kavi, Mahāvīra and Savana—lived in complete celibacy. Thus trained in brahmacārī life from the beginning of childhood, they were very conversant with the highest perfection, known as the paramahaṁsa-āśrama.

PURPORT

The word ūrdhva-retasaḥ in this verse is very significant. Ūrdhva-retaḥ refers to one who can control sex life and who instead of wasting semen by discharging it, can use this most important substance accumulated in the body to enrich the brain. One who can completely control sex life is able to work wonderfully with his brain, especially in remembering. Thus students who simply hear Vedic instructions once from their teacher could remember them verbatim without needing to read books, which therefore did not exist in former times.

Another significant word is arbha-bhāvāt, which means “from very childhood.” Another meaning is “from being very affectionate to children.” In other words, paramahaṁsa life is dedicated for the benefit of others. Just as a father sacrifices many things out of affection for his son, great saintly persons sacrifice all kinds of bodily comforts for the benefit of human society. In this connection there is a verse concerning the six Gosvāmīs:

tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat
bhūtvā dīna-gaṇeśakau karuṇayā kaupīna-kanthāśritau

TEXT 27

tasminn u ha vā upaśama-śīlāḥ paramarṣayaḥ sakala-jīva-nikāyāvāsasya bhagavato vāsudevasya bhītānāṁ śaraṇa-bhūtasya śrīmac-caraṇāravindāvirata-smaraṇāvigalita-parama-bhakti-yogānu-bhāvena paribhāvitāntar-hṛdayādhigate bhagavati sarveṣāṁ bhūtānām ātma-bhūte pratyag-ātmany evātmanas tādātmyam aviśeṣeṇa samīyuḥ.

SYNONYMS

tasmin—in that paramahaṁsa-āśrama; u—certainly; ha—so celebrated; vā—indeed; upaśama-śīlāḥ—in the renounced order of life; parama-ṛṣayaḥ—the great sages; sakala—all; jīva—of living entities; nikāya—in total; āvāsasya—the residence; bhagavataḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vāsudevasya—Lord Vāsudeva; bhītānām—of those afraid of material existence; śaraṇa-bhūtasya—the one who is the only shelter; śrīmat—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; caraṇa-aravinda—the lotus feet; avirata—constantly; smaraṇa—remembering; avigalita—completely uncontaminated; parama—supreme; bhakti-yoga—of mystic devotional service; anubhāvena—by the prowess; paribhāvita—purified; antaḥ—within; hṛdaya—the heart; adhigate—perceived; bhagavati—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sarveṣām—of all; bhūtānām—living entities; ātma-bhūte—situated within the body; pratyak—directly; ātmani—with the Supreme Supersoul; eva—certainly; ātmanaḥ—of the self; tādātmyam—qualitative equality; aviśeṣeṇa—without differences; samīyuḥ—realized.

TRANSLATION

Thus situated in the renounced order from the beginning of their lives, all three of them completely controlled the activities of their senses and thus became great saints. They concentrated their minds always upon the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the resting place of the totality of living entities and who is therefore celebrated as Vāsudeva. Lord Vāsudeva is the only shelter of those who are actually afraid of material existence. By constantly thinking of His lotus feet, these three sons of Mahārāja Priyavrata became advanced in pure devotional service. By the prowess of their devotional service, they could directly perceive the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul, and realize that there was qualitatively no difference between themselves and Him.

PURPORT

The paramahaṁsa stage is the topmost position in renounced life. In sannyāsa, the renounced order, there are four stages—kuṭīcaka, bahūdaka, parivrājakācārya and paramahaṁsa. According to the Vedic system, when one accepts the renounced order, he stays outside his village in a cottage, and his necessities, especially his food, are supplied from home. This is called the kuṭīcaka stage. When a sannyāsī advances further, he no longer accepts anything from home: instead, he collects his necessities, especially his food, from many places. This system is called mādhukarī, which literally means “the profession of the bumblebees.” As bumblebees collect honey from many flowers, a little from each, so a sannyāsī should beg from door to door but not accept very much food from any particular house; he should collect a little bit from every house. This is called the bahūdaka stage. When a sannyāsī is still more experienced, he travels all over the world to preach the glories of Lord Vāsudeva. He is then known as parivrājakācārya. The sannyāsī reaches the paramahaṁsa stage when he finishes his preaching work and sits down in one place, strictly for the sake of advancing in spiritual life. An actual paramahaṁsa is one who completely controls his senses and engages in the unalloyed service of the Lord. Therefore all three of these sons of Priyavrata, namely Kavi, Mahāvīra and Savana, were situated in the paramahaṁsa stage from the very beginning. Their senses could not disturb them, for their senses were completely engaged in serving the Lord. Therefore the three brothers are described in this verse as upaśama-śīlāḥ. Upaśama means “completely subdued.” Because they completely subdued their senses, they are understood to have been great sages and saints.

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