SB5.12Summary

Because Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa was still doubtful about his enlightenment, he asked the brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata to repeat his instructions and clarify ideas he could not understand. In this chapter, Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa offers his respectful obeisances to Jaḍa Bharata, who was concealing his real position. The King could understand by his speech how exalted and advanced he was in spiritual knowledge. He very much regretted his offense against him. Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa was bitten by the serpent of ignorance, but was cured by the nectarean words of Jaḍa Bharata. Later, because he was doubtful about the subjects discussed, he made further inquiries, one question after another. First he wanted to be released from the offense he had committed at the lotus feet of Jaḍa Bharata.

      Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa was somewhat unhappy at not being able to grasp Jaḍa Bharata’s instructions, which were full of meaning that could not be understood by a materialistic person. Therefore Jaḍa Bharata repeated his instructions more clearly. He said that on the surface of the globe all living entities, moving and unmoving, were but transformations of the earth in different ways. The King was very proud of his king’s body, but that body was simply another transformation of the earth. Out of his false prestige, the King was misbehaving toward the palanquin carrier. as a master toward a servant, and he was actually very unkind to other living entities. Consequently King Rahūgaṇa was unfit to give protection to the citizens, and because he was ignorant, he was unfit to be counted among advanced philosophers. Everything in the material world is but a transformation of the earth, although things have different names according to their transformations. Actually the varieties are one and the same, and ultimately all these varieties are vanquished into atoms. Nothing is permanent in this material world. The variety of things and their distinctions are simply mental concoctions. The Absolute Truth is beyond illusion and is manifest in three features—impersonal Brahman, localized Paramātmā and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ultimate realization of the Absolute Truth is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, called Vāsudeva by His devotees. Unless one is blessed with the dust from the feet of a pure devotee on his head, one cannot possibly become a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TEXT 1

rahūgaṇa uvāca

namo namaḥ kāraṇa-vigrahāya

svarūpa-tucchīkṛta-vigrahāya

namo ’vadhūta dvija-bandhu-liṅga-

nigūḍha-nityānubhavāya tubhyam

SYNONYMS

rahūgaṇaḥ uvāca—King Rahūgaṇa said; namaḥ—my respectful obeisances; namaḥ—obeisances; kāraṇa-vigrahāya—to one whose body emanates from the Supreme Person, the cause of all causes; svarūpa-tucchīkṛta-vigrahāya—who has completely removed all the contradictions of the scriptures by manifesting his true self; namaḥ—respectful obeisances; avadhūta—O master of all mystic power; dvija-bandhu-liṅga—by the characteristics of a person born in a brāhmaṇa family but not executing the duties of a brāhmaṇa; nigūḍha—covered; nitya-anubhavāya—to him whose eternal self-realization; tubhyam—to you.

TRANSLATION

King Rahūgaṇa said: O most exalted personality, you are not different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By the influence of your true self, all kinds of contradiction in the śāstras have been removed. In the dress of a friend of a brāhmaṇa, you are hiding your transcendental blissful position. I offer my respectful obeisances unto you.

PURPORT

TEXT 2

jvarāmayārtasya yathāgadaṁ sat

nidāgha-dagdhasya yathā himāmbhaḥ

kudeha-mānāhi-vidaṣṭa-dṛṣṭeḥ

brahman vacas te ’mṛtam auṣadhaṁ me

SYNONYMS

jvara—of a fever; āmaya—by the disease; ārtasya—of a distressed person; yathā—just as; agadam—the medicine; sat—right; nidāgha-dagdhasya—of one scorched by the heat of the sun; yathā—just as; hima-ambhaḥ—very cold water; ku-deha—in this body made of matter and full of dirty things such as stool and urine; māna—of pride; ahi—by the serpent; vidaṣṭa—bitten; dṛṣṭeḥ—of one whose vision; brahman—O best of the brāhmaṇas; vacaḥ—words; te—your; amṛtam—nectar; auṣadham—medicine; me—for me.

TRANSLATION

O best of the brāhmaṇas, my body is filled with dirty things, and my vision has been bitten by the serpent of pride. Due to my material conceptions, I am diseased. Your nectarean instructions are the proper medicine for one suffering from such a fever, and they are cooling waters for one scorched by the heat.

PURPORT

TEXT 3

tasmād bhavantaṁ mama saṁśayārthaṁ

prakṣyāmi paścād adhunā subodham

adhyātma-yoga-grathitaṁ tavoktam

ākhyāhi kautūhala-cetaso me

SYNONYMS

tasmāt—therefore; bhavantam—to you; mama—of me; saṁśaya-artham—the subject matter that is not clear to me; prakṣyāmi—I shall submit; paścāt—afterwards; adhunā—now; su-bodham—so that it can be clearly understood; adhyātma-yoga—of mystic instruction for self-realization; grathitam—as composed; tava—your; uktam—speech; ākhyāhi—please explain again; kautūhala-cetasaḥ—whose mind is very inquisitive to understand the mystery of such statements; me—to me.

TRANSLATION

Whatever doubts I have about a particular subject matter I shall ask you about later. For the time being, these mysterious yoga instructions you have given me for self-realization appear very difficult to understand. Please repeat them in a simple way so that I can understand them. My mind is very inquisitive, and I want to understand this clearly.

PURPORT

TEXT 4

yad āha yogeśvara dṛśyamānaṁ

kriyā-phalaṁ sad-vyavahāra-mūlam

na hy añjasā tattva-vimarśanāya

bhavān amuṣmin bhramate mano me

SYNONYMS

yat—that which; āha—have said; yoga-īśvara—O master of mystic power; dṛśyamānam—being clearly seen; kriyā-phalam—the results of moving the body here and there, such as feeling fatigue; sat—existing; vyavahāra-mūlam—whose basis is etiquette alone; na—not; hi—certainly; añjasā—on the whole, or in fact; tattva-vimarśanāya—for understanding the truth by consultation; bhavān—your good self; amuṣmin—in that explanation; bhramate—is bewildered; manaḥ—mind; me—my.

TRANSLATION

O master of yogic power, you said that fatigue resulting from moving the body here and there is appreciated by direct perception, but actually there is no fatigue. It simply exists as a matter of formality. By such inquiries and answers, no one can come to the conclusion of the Absolute Truth. Because of your presentation of this statement, my mind is a little disturbed.

PURPORT

TEXTS 5–6

brāhmaṇa uvāca

ayaṁ jano nāma calan pṛthivyāṁ

yaḥ pārthivaḥ pārthiva kasya hetoḥ

tasyāpi cāṅghryor adhi gulpha-jaṅghā-

jānūru-madhyora-śirodharāṁsāḥ

aṁse ’dhi dārvī śibikā ca yasyāṁ

sauvīra-rājety apadeśa āste

yasmin bhavān rūḍha-nijābhimāno

rājāsmi sindhuṣv iti durmadāndhaḥ

SYNONYMS

brāhmaṇaḥ uvāca—the brāhmaṇa said; ayam—this; janaḥ—person; nāma—celebrated as such; calan—moving; pṛthivyām—on the earth; yaḥ—who; pārthivaḥ—a transformation of the earth; pārthiva—O King, who possesses a similar earthly body; kasya—for what; hetoḥ—reason; tasya api—of him also; ca—and; aṅghryoḥ—feet; adhi—above; gulpha—ankles; jaṅghā—calves; jānu—knees; uru—thighs; madhyora—waist; śiraḥ-dhara—neck; aṁsāḥ—shoulders; aṁse—shoulder; adhi—upon; dārvī—made of wood; śibikā—palanquin; ca—and; yasyām—on which; sauvīra-rājā—the King of Sauvīra; iti—thus; apadeśaḥ—known as; āste—there is; yasmin—in which; bhavān—Your Lordship; rūḍha—imposed upon; nija-abhimānaḥ—having a conception of false prestige; rājā asmi—I am the King; sindhuṣu—in the state of Sindhu; iti—thus; durmada-andhaḥ—captivated by false prestige.

TRANSLATION

The self-realized brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata said: Among the various material combinations and permutations, there are various forms and earthly transformations. For some reason, these move on the surface of the earth and are called palanquin carriers. Those material transformations which do not move are gross material objects like stones. In any case, the material body is made of earth and stone in the form of feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, torso, throat and head. Upon the shoulders is the wooden palanquin, and within the palanquin is the so-called King of Sauvīra. The body of the King is simply another transformation of earth, but within that body Your Lordship is situated and falsely thinking that you are the King of the state of Sauvīra.

PURPORT

TEXT 7

śocyān imāṁs tvam adhikaṣṭa-dīnān

viṣṭyā nigṛhṇan niranugraho ’si

janasya goptāsmi vikatthamāno

na śobhase vṛddha-sabhāsu dhṛṣṭaḥ

SYNONYMS

śocyān—lamentable; imān—all these; tvam—you; adhi-kaṣṭa-dīnān—poor persons suffering more pains because of their poverty-stricken position; viṣṭyā—by force; nigṛhṇan—seizing; niranugrahaḥ asi—you have no mercy in your heart; janasya—of the people in general; goptā asmi—I am the protector (king); vikatthamānaḥ—bragging; na śobhase—you do not look very good; vṛddha-sabhāsu—in the society of learned persons; dhṛṣṭaḥ—simply impudent.

TRANSLATION

It is a fact, however, that these innocent people carrying your palanquin without payment are certainly suffering due to this injustice. Their condition is very lamentable because you have forcibly engaged them in carrying your palanquin. This proves that you are cruel and unkind, yet due to false prestige you were thinking that you were protecting the citizens. This is ludicrous. You were such a fool that you could not have been adored as a great man in an assembly of persons advanced in knowledge.

PURPORT

King Rahūgaṇa was proud of being king, and he felt he had the right to control the citizens as he liked, but actually he was engaging men in carrying his palanquin without payment, and therefore he was causing them trouble without reason. Nonetheless, the King was thinking that he was the protector of the citizens. Actually the king should be the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For this reason he is called nara-devatā, the Lord among human beings. However, when a king thinks that because he is the head of the state, he can utilize the citizens for his sense gratification, he is in error. Such an attitude is not appreciated by learned scholars. According to the Vedic principles, the king should be advised by learned sages, brāhmaṇas and scholars, who advise him according to the injunctions given in the dharma-śāstra. The duty of the king is to follow these instructions. Learned circles do not appreciate the king’s utilizing public endeavor for his own benefit. His duty is to give protection to the citizens instead. The king should not become such a rogue that he exploits the citizens for his own benefit.

It is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that in Kali-yuga the heads of government will be plunderers and thieves. These thieves and plunderers take the money and property of the public by force or connivance. Therefore it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, rājanyair nirghṛṇair dasyu-dharmabhiḥ. As Kali-yuga advances, we can see that these characteristics are already visible. We can certainly imagine how deteriorated human civilization will be by the end of Kali-yuga. Indeed, there will no longer be a sane man capable of understanding God and our relationship with Him. In other words, human beings will be just like animals. At that time, in order to reform human society, Lord Kṛṣṇa will come in the form of the Kalki avatāra. His business will be to kill all the atheists because ultimately the real protector is Viṣṇu, or Kṛṣṇa.

TEXT 8

yadā kṣitāv eva carācarasya

vidāma niṣṭhāṁ prabhavaṁ ca nityam

tan nāmato ’nyad vyavahāra-mūlaṁ

nirūpyatāṁ sat-kriyayānumeyam

SYNONYMS

yadā—therefore; kṣitau—in the earth; eva—certainly; cara-acarasya—of different bodies, some moving and some not moving; vidāma—we know; niṣṭhām—annihilation; prabhavam—appearance; ca—and; nityam—regularly by the principles of nature; tat—that; nāmataḥ—than simply by name; anyat—other; vyavahāra-mūlam—cause of material activities; nirūpyatām—let it be ascertained; sat-kriyayā—by actual employment; anumeyam—to be inferred.

TRANSLATION

All of us on the surface of the globe are living entities in different forms. Some of us are moving and some not moving. All of us come into existence, remain for some time and are annihilated when the body is again mingled with the earth. We are all simply different transformations of the earth. Different bodies and capacities are simply transformations of the earth that exist in name only, for everything grows out of the earth and when everything is annihilated it again mingles with the earth. In other words, we are but dust, and we shall but be dust. Everyone can consider this point.

PURPORT

TEXT 9

evaṁ niruktaṁ kṣiti-śabda-vṛttam

asan nidhānāt paramāṇavo ye

avidyayā manasā kalpitās te

yeṣāṁ samūhena kṛto viśeṣaḥ

SYNONYMS

evam—thus; niruktam—falsely described; kṣiti-śabda—of the word “earth”; vṛttam—the existence; asat—not real; nidhānāt—from the dissolution; parama-aṇavaḥ—atomic particles; ye—all of which; avidyayā—because of less intelligence; manasā—in the mind; kalpitāḥ—imagined; te—they; yeṣām—of which; samūhena—by the aggregate; kṛtaḥ—made; viśeṣaḥ—the particulars.

TRANSLATION

One may say that varieties arise from the planet earth itself. However, although the universe may temporarily appear to be the truth, it ultimately has no real existence. The earth was originally created by a combination of atomic particles, but these particles are impermanent. Actually the atom is not the cause of the universe, although some philosophers think so. It is not a fact that the varieties found in this material world simply result from atomic juxtaposition or combination.

PURPORT

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