Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: Canto 6: “Prescribed Duties for Mankind”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Seventeen
SB6.17.19
TEXT 19
naivātmā na paraś cāpi
kartā syāt sukha-duḥkhayoḥ
kartāraṁ manyate ’trājña
ātmānaṁ param eva ca
SYNONYMS
na—not; eva—indeed; ātmā—the spirit soul; na—nor; paraḥ—another (friend or enemy); ca—also; api—indeed; kartā—the doer; syāt—can be; sukha-duḥkhayoḥ—of happiness and distress; kartāram—the doer; manyate—considers; atra—in this connection; ajñaḥ—a person not aware of the real fact; ātmānam—himself; param—another; eva—indeed; ca—also.
TRANSLATION
In this material world, neither the living entity himself nor others [friends and enemies] are the cause of material happiness and distress. But because of gross ignorance, the living entity thinks that he and others are the cause.
PURPORT
In this verse the word ajña is very significant. In the material world, all living entities are ajña, ignorant, in different degrees. This ignorance continues very strongly in the mode of ignorance presented by material nature. One must therefore promote himself to the stage of goodness through his character and behavior and then gradually come to the transcendental platform, or adhokṣaja platform, in which he realizes both his position and the position of others. Everything is done under the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The process by which the results of action are ordained is called niyatam, always working.
SB6.17.20 TEXT 20 guṇa-pravāha etasmin kaḥ śāpaḥ ko nv anugrahaḥ kaḥ svargo narakaḥ ko vā kiṁ sukhaṁ duḥkham eva vā SYNONYMS guṇa-pravāhe—in the current of the modes of material nature; etasmin—this; kaḥ—what; śāpaḥ—a curse; kaḥ—what; nu—indeed; anugrahaḥ—a favor; kaḥ—what; svargaḥ—elevation to heavenly planets; narakaḥ—hell; kaḥ—what; vā—or; kim—what; sukham—happiness; duḥkham—distress; eva—indeed; vā—or.
TRANSLATION This material world resembles the waves of a constantly flowing river. Therefore, what is a curse and what is a favor? What are the heavenly planets, and what are the hellish planets? What is actually happiness, and what is actually distress? Because the waves flow constantly, none of them has an eternal effect. PURPORT Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sings, (miche) māyāra vaśe, yāccha bhese’, khāccha hābuḍubu, bhāi: “My dear living entities within this material world, why are you being carried away by the waves of the modes of material nature?” (Jīva) kṛṣṇa-dāsa, ei viśvāsa, karle ta’ āra duḥkha nāi: “If the living entity tries to understand that he is an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, there will no longer be misery for him.” Kṛṣṇa wants us to give up all other engagements and surrender unto Him. If we do so, where will the cause and effect of this material world be? There is nothing like cause and effect for the surrendered soul. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says in this regard that being put into this material world is like being thrown into a mine of salt. If one falls into a mine of salt, he tastes only salt wherever he goes. Similarly, this material world is full of miseries. The so-called temporary happiness of the world is also misery, but in ignorance we cannot understand this. That is the actual position. When one comes to his senses—when he becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious—he is no longer concerned with the various conditions of this material world. He is not concerned with happiness or distress, curses or favors, or heavenly or hellish planets. He sees no distinction between them.
SB6.17.21 TEXT 21 ekaḥ sṛjati bhūtāni bhagavān ātma-māyayā eṣāṁ bandhaṁ ca mokṣaṁ ca sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ ca niṣkalaḥ SYNONYMS ekaḥ—one; sṛjati—creates; bhūtāni—different varieties of living entities; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ātma-māyayā—by His personal potencies; eṣām—of all the conditioned souls; bandham—the conditional life; ca—and; mokṣam—the liberated life; ca—also; sukham—happiness; duḥkham—distresses; ca—and; niṣkalaḥ—not affected by the material qualities.
TRANSLATION The Supreme Personality of Godhead is one. Unaffected by the conditions of the material world, He creates all the conditioned souls by His own personal potency. Because of being contaminated by the material energy, the living entity is put into ignorance and thus into different conditions of bondage. Sometimes, by knowledge, the living entity is given liberation. In sattva-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, he is subjected to happiness and distress. PURPORT The question may be raised why the living entities are situated in different conditions and who has arranged this. The answer is that it has been done by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without anyone’s help. The Lord has His own energies (parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate), and one of them, namely the external energy, creates the material world and the varieties of happiness and distress for the conditioned souls under the supervision of the Lord. The material world consists of three modes of material nature—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. By sattva-guṇa the Lord maintains the material world, by rajo-guṇa He creates it, and by tamo-guṇa He annihilates it. After the varieties of living entities are created, they are subject to happiness and distress according to their association. When they are in sattva-guṇa, the mode of goodness, they feel happiness, when in rajo-guṇa they are distressed, and when in tamo-guṇa they have no sense of what to do or what is right and wrong.
SB6.17.22 TEXT 22 na tasya kaścid dayitaḥ pratīpo na jñāti-bandhur na paro na ca svaḥ samasya sarvatra nirañjanasya sukhe na rāgaḥ kuta eva roṣaḥ SYNONYMS na—not; tasya—of Him (the Supreme Lord); kaścit—anyone; dayitaḥ—dear; pratīpaḥ—not dear; na—nor; jñāti—kinsman; bandhuḥ—friend; na—nor; paraḥ—other; na—nor; ca—also; svaḥ—own; samasya—who is equal; sarvatra—everywhere; nirañjanasya—without being affected by material nature; sukhe—in happiness; na—not; rāgaḥ—attachment; kutaḥ—from where; eva—indeed; roṣaḥ—anger.
TRANSLATION The Supreme Personality of Godhead is equally disposed toward all living entities. Therefore no one is very dear to Him, and no one is a great enemy for Him; no one is His friend, and no one is His relative. Being unattached to the material world, He has no affection for so-called happiness or hatred for so-called distress. The two terms happiness and distress are relative. Since the Lord is always happy, for Him there is no question of distress. SB6.17.23 TEXT 23 tathāpi tac-chakti-visarga eṣāṁ sukhāya duḥkhāya hitāhitāya bandhāya mokṣāya ca mṛtyu-janmanoḥ śarīriṇāṁ saṁsṛtaye ’vakalpate SYNONYMS tathāpi—still; tat-śakti—of the Lord’s energy; visargaḥ—the creation; eṣām—of these (conditioned souls); sukhāya—for the happiness; duḥkhāya—for the distress; hita-ahitāya—for the profit and loss; bandhāya—for the bondage; mokṣāya—for the liberation; ca—also; mṛtyu—of death; janmanoḥ—and birth; śarīriṇām—of all those who accept material bodies; saṁsṛtaye—for the repetition; avakalpate—acts.
TRANSLATION Although the Supreme Lord is unattached to our happiness and distress according to karma, and although no one is His enemy or favorite, He creates pious and impious activities through the agency of His material potency. Thus for the continuation of the materialistic way of life He creates happiness and distress, good fortune and bad, bondage and liberation, birth and death. PURPORT Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the ultimate doer of everything, in His original transcendental existence He is not responsible for the happiness and distress, or bondage and liberation, of the conditioned souls. These are due to the results of the fruitive activities of the living entities within this material world. By the order of a judge, one person is released from jail, and another is imprisoned, but the judge is not responsible, for the distress and happiness of these different people is due to their own activities. Although the government is ultimately the supreme authority, the justice is administered by the departments of the government, and the government is not responsible for the individual judgments. Therefore the government is equal to all the citizens. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is neutral to everyone, but for the maintenance of law and order His supreme government has various departments, which control the activities of the living entities. Another example given in this regard is that lilies open or close because of the sunshine, and thus the bumblebees enjoy or suffer, but the sunshine and the sun globe are not responsible for the happiness and distress of the bumblebees.
SB6.17.24 TEXT 24 atha prasādaye na tvāṁ śāpa-mokṣāya bhāmini yan manyase hy asādhūktaṁ mama tat kṣamyatāṁ sati SYNONYMS atha—therefore; prasādaye—I am trying to please; na—not; tvām—you; śāpa-mokṣāya—for being released from your curse; bhāmini—O most angry one; yat—which; manyase—you consider; hi—indeed; asādhu-uktam—improper speech; mama—my; tat—that; kṣamyatām—let it be excused; sati—O most chaste one.
TRANSLATION O mother, you are now unnecessarily angry, but since all my happiness and distress are destined by my past activities, I do not plead to be excused or relieved from your curse. Although what I have said is not wrong, please let whatever you think is wrong be pardoned. PURPORT Being fully aware of how the results of one’s karma accrue by the laws of nature, Citraketu did not want to be released from Pārvatī’s curse. Nonetheless, he wanted to satisfy her because although his verdict was natural, she was displeased with him. As a matter of course, Mahārāja Citraketu begged pardon from Pārvatī.
SB6.17.25 TEXT 25 śrī-śuka uvāca iti prasādya giriśau citraketur arindama jagāma sva-vimānena paśyatoḥ smayatos tayoḥ SYNONYMS śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; iti—thus; prasādya—after satisfying; giriśau—Lord Śiva and his wife, Pārvatī; citraketuḥ—King Citraketu; arim-dama—O King Parīkṣit, who are always able to subdue the enemy; jagāma—went away; sva-vimānena—by his own airplane; paśyatoḥ—were watching; smayatoḥ—were smiling; tayoḥ—while Lord Śiva and Pārvatī.
TRANSLATION Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: O King Parīkṣit, subduer of the enemy, after Citraketu satisfied Lord Śiva and his wife, Pārvatī, he boarded his airplane and left as they looked on. When Lord Śiva and Pārvatī saw that Citraketu, although informed of the curse, was unafraid, they smiled, being fully astonished by his behavior. SB6.17.26 TEXT 26 tatas tu bhagavān rudro rudrāṇīm idam abravīt devarṣi-daitya-siddhānāṁ pārṣadānāṁ ca śṛṇvatām SYNONYMS tataḥ—thereafter; tu—then; bhagavān—the most powerful; rudraḥ—Lord Śiva; rudrāṇīm—unto his wife, Pārvatī; idam—this; abravīt—said; devarṣi—while the great sage Nārada; daitya—the demons; siddhānām—and the inhabitants of Siddhaloka, who are expert in yogic power; pārṣadānām—his personal associates; ca—also; śṛṇvatām—were listening.
TRANSLATION Thereafter, in the presence of the great sage Nārada, the demons, the inhabitants of Siddhaloka, and his personal associates, Lord Śiva, who is most powerful, spoke to his wife, Pārvatī, while they all listened. SB6.17.27 TEXT 27 śrī-rudra uvāca dṛṣṭavaty asi suśroṇi harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ māhātmyaṁ bhṛtya-bhṛtyānāṁ niḥspṛhāṇāṁ mahātmanām SYNONYMS śrī-rudraḥ uvāca—Lord Śiva said; dṛṣṭavatī asi—have you seen; su-śroṇi—O beautiful Pārvatī; hareḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ—whose acts are wonderful; māhātmyam—the greatness; bhṛtya-bhṛtyānām—of the servants of the servants; niḥspṛhāṇām—who are without ambitions for sense gratification; mahātmanām—great souls.
TRANSLATION Lord Śiva said: My dear beautiful Pārvatī, have you seen the greatness of the Vaiṣṇavas? Being servants of the servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, they are great souls and are not interested in any kind of material happiness. PURPORT Lord Śiva, the husband of Pārvatī, told his wife, “My dear Pārvatī, you are very beautiful in your bodily features. Certainly you are glorious. But I do not think that you can compete with the beauty and glory of devotees who have become servants of the servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Of course, Lord Śiva smiled when he joked with his wife in that way, for others cannot speak like that. “The Supreme Lord,” Śiva continued, “is always exalted in His activities, and here is another example of His wonderful influence upon King Citraketu, His devotee. Just see, although you cursed the King, he was not at all afraid or sorry. Rather, he offered respect to you, called you mother and accepted your curse, thinking himself faulty. He did not say anything in retaliation. This is the excellence of a devotee. By mildly tolerating your curse, he has certainly excelled the glory of your beauty and your power to curse him. I can impartially judge that this devotee, Citraketu, has defeated you and your excellence simply by becoming a pure devotee of the Lord.” As stated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, taror api sahiṣṇunā. Just like a tree, a devotee can tolerate all kinds of curses and reversals in life. This is the excellence of a devotee. Indirectly, Lord Śiva forbade Pārvatī to commit the mistake of cursing a devotee like Citraketu. He indicated that although she was powerful, the King, without showing any power, had excelled her power by his tolerance.
SB6.17.28 TEXT 28 nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ SYNONYMS nārāyaṇa-parāḥ—pure devotees, who are interested only in the service of Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sarve—all; na—not; kutaścana—anywhere; bibhyati—are afraid; svarga—in the higher planetary systems; apavarga—in liberation; narakeṣu—and in hell; api—even; tulya—equal; artha—value; darśinaḥ—who see.
TRANSLATION Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord. PURPORT Pārvatī might naturally have inquired how devotees become so exalted. Therefore this verse explains that they are nārāyaṇa-para, simply dependent on Nārāyaṇa. They do not mind reverses in life because in the service of Nārāyaṇa they have learned to tolerate whatever hardships there may be. They do not care whether they are in heaven or in hell: they simply engage in the service of the Lord. This is their excellence. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam: they are liberally engaged in the service of the Lord, and therefore they are excellent. By using the word bhṛtya-bhṛtyānām, Lord Śiva pointed out that although Citraketu provided one example of tolerance and excellence, all the devotees who have taken shelter of the Lord as eternal servants are glorious. They have no eagerness to be happy by being placed in the heavenly planets, becoming liberated or becoming one with Brahman, the supreme effulgence. These benefits do not appeal to their minds. They are simply interested in giving direct service to the Lord.
SB6.17.29 TEXT 29 dehināṁ deha-saṁyogād dvandvānīśvara-līlayā sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ mṛtir janma śāpo ’nugraha eva ca SYNONYMS dehinām—of all those who have accepted material bodies; deha-saṁyogāt—because of contact with the material body; dvandvāni—dualities; īśvara-līlayā—by the supreme will of the Lord; sukham—happiness; duḥkham—distress; mṛtiḥ—death; janma—birth; śāpaḥ—curse; anugrahaḥ—favor; eva—certainly; ca—and.
TRANSLATION Because of the actions of the Supreme Lord’s external energy, the living entities are conditioned in contact with material bodies. The dualities of happiness and distress, birth and death, curses and favors, are natural by-products of this contact in the material world. PURPORT In Bhagavad-gītā we find, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: [Bg. 9.10] the material world works under the direction of the goddess Durgā, the material energy of the Lord, but she acts under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.44):
sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā Durgā—the goddess Pārvatī, the wife of Lord Śiva—is extremely powerful. She can create, maintain and annihilate any number of universes by her sweet will, but she acts under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, not independently. Kṛṣṇa is impartial, but because this is the material world of duality, such relative terms as happiness and distress, curses and favors, are created by the will of the Supreme. Those who are not nārāyaṇa-para, pure devotees, must be disturbed by this duality of the material world, whereas devotees who are simply attached to the service of the Lord are not at all disturbed by it. For example, Haridāsa Ṭhākura was beaten with cane in twenty-two bazaars, but he was never disturbed; instead, he smilingly tolerated the beating. Despite the disturbing dualities of the material world, devotees are not disturbed at all. Because they fix their minds on the lotus feet of the Lord and concentrate on the holy name of the Lord, they do not feel the so-called pains and pleasures caused by the dualities of this material world.
SB6.17.30 TEXT 30 aviveka-kṛtaḥ puṁso hy artha-bheda ivātmani guṇa-doṣa-vikalpaś ca bhid eva srajivat kṛtaḥ SYNONYMS aviveka-kṛtaḥ—done in ignorance, without mature consideration; puṁsaḥ—of the living entity; hi—indeed; artha-bhedaḥ—differentiation of value; iva—like; ātmani—in himself; guṇa-doṣa—of quality and fault; vikalpaḥ—imagination; ca—and; bhit—difference; eva—certainly; sraji—in a garland; vat—like; kṛtaḥ—male.
TRANSLATION As one mistakenly considers a flower garland to be a snake or experiences happiness and distress in a dream, so, in the material world, by a lack of careful consideration, we differentiate between happiness and distress, considering one good and the other bad. PURPORT The happiness and distress of the material world of duality are both mistaken ideas. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya 4.176) it is said:
”dvaite” bhadrābhadra-jñāna, saba——”manodharma” The distinctions between happiness and distress in the material world of duality are simply mental concoctions, for the so-called happiness and distress are actually one and the same. They are like the happiness and distress in dreams. A sleeping man creates his happiness and distress by dreaming, although actually they have no existence.
The other example given in this verse is that a flower garland is originally very nice, but by mistake, for want of mature knowledge, one may consider it a snake. In this connection there is a statement by Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī: viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate. Everyone in this material world is distressed by miserable conditions, but Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says that this world is full of happiness. How is this possible? He answers, yat-kāruṇya-katākṣa-vaibhavavatāṁ taṁ gauram eva stumaḥ. A devotee accepts the distress of this material world as happiness only due to the causeless mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. By His personal behavior, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed that He was never distressed but always happy in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. One should follow in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and engage constantly in chanting the mahā-mantra—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Then he will never feel the distresses of the world of duality. In any condition of life one will be happy if he chants the holy name of the Lord.
In dreams we sometimes enjoy eating sweet rice and sometimes suffer as if one of our beloved family members had died. Because the same mind and body exist in the same material world of duality when we are awake, the so-called happiness and distress of this world are no better than the false, superficial happiness of dreams. The mind is the via medium in both dreams and wakefulness, and everything created by the mind in terms of saṅkalpa and vikalpa, acceptance and rejection, is called manodharma, or mental concoction.
SB6.17.31 TEXT 31 vāsudeve bhagavati bhaktim udvahatāṁ nṛṇām jñāna-vairāgya-vīryāṇāṁ na hi kaścid vyapāśrayaḥ SYNONYMS vāsudeve—to Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa; bhagavati—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhaktim—love and faith in devotional service; udvahatām—for those who are carrying; nṛṇām—men; jñāna-vairāgya—of real knowledge and detachment; vīryāṇām—possessing the powerful strength; na—not; hi—indeed; kaścit—anything; vyapāśrayaḥ—as interest or shelter.
TRANSLATION Persons engaged in devotional service to Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, have naturally perfect knowledge and detachment from this material world. Therefore such devotees are not interested in the so-called happiness or so-called distress of this world. PURPORT Here is the distinction between a devotee and a philosopher who speculates on the subject matter of transcendence. A devotee does not need to cultivate knowledge to understand the falsity or temporary existence of this material world. Because of his unalloyed devotion to Vāsudeva, this knowledge and detachment are automatically manifested in his person. As confirmed elsewhere in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.7):
vāsudeve bhagavati One who engages in unalloyed devotional service to Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, automatically becomes aware of this material world, and therefore he is naturally detached. This detachment is possible because of his high standard of knowledge. The speculative philosopher tries to understand that this material world is false by cultivating knowledge, but this understanding is automatically manifested in the person of a devotee, without separate endeavor. The Māyāvādī philosophers may be very proud of their so-called knowledge, but because they do not understand Vāsudeva (vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]), they do not understand the world of duality, which is a manifestation of Vāsudeva’s external energy. Therefore, unless the so-called jñānīs take shelter of Vāsudeva, their speculative knowledge is imperfect. Ye ’nye ’ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. They simply think of becoming free from the contamination of the material world, but because they do not take shelter at the lotus feet of Vāsudeva, their knowledge is impure. When they actually become pure, they surrender to the lotus feet of Vāsudeva. Therefore, the Absolute Truth is easier to understand for a devotee than for jñānīs who simply speculate to understand Vāsudeva. Lord Śiva confirms this statement in the following verse.
SB6.17.32 TEXT 32 nāhaṁ viriñco na kumāra-nāradau na brahma-putrā munayaḥ sureśāḥ vidāma yasyehitam aṁśakāṁśakā na tat-svarūpaṁ pṛthag-īśa-māninaḥ SYNONYMS na—not; aham—I (Lord Śiva); viriñcaḥ—Lord Brahmā; na—nor; kumāra—the Aśvinī-kumāras; nāradau—the great saint Nārada; na—nor; brahma-putrāḥ—the sons of Lord Brahmā; munayaḥ—great saintly persons; sura-īśāḥ—all the great demigods; vidāma—know; yasya—of whom; īhitam—activity; aṁśaka-aṁśakāḥ—those who are parts of the parts; na—not; tat—His; sva-rūpam—real personality; pṛthak—separate; īśa—rulers; māninaḥ—who consider ourselves to be.
TRANSLATION Neither I [Lord Śiva], nor Brahmā, nor the Aśvinī-kumāras, nor Nārada or the other great sages who are Brahmā’s sons, nor even the demigods can understand the pastimes and personality of the Supreme Lord. Although we are part of the Supreme Lord, we consider ourselves independent, separate controllers, and thus we cannot understand His identity. PURPORT Brahma-saṁhitā (5.33) states:
advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam “I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, who is the original person. He is absolute, infallible and beginningless, and although expanded into unlimited forms, He is still the same original person, the oldest person, who always appears as a fresh youth. The eternal, blissful, all-knowing forms of the Lord can not be understood even by the best Vedic scholars, but they are always manifest to pure, unalloyed devotees.” Lord Śiva places himself as one of the nondevotees, who cannot understand the identity of the Supreme Lord. The Lord, being ananta, has an unlimited number of forms. Therefore, how is it possible for an ordinary, common man to understand Him? Lord Śiva, of course, is above the ordinary human beings, yet be is unable to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Śiva is not among the ordinary living entities, nor is he in the category of Lord Viṣṇu. He is between Lord Viṣṇu and the common living entity.
SB6.17.33 TEXT 33 na hy asyāsti priyaḥ kaścin nāpriyaḥ svaḥ paro ’pi vā ātmatvāt sarva-bhūtānāṁ sarva-bhūta-priyo hariḥ SYNONYMS na—not; hi—indeed; asya—of the Lord; asti—there is; priyaḥ—very dear; kaścit—anyone; na—nor; apriyaḥ—not dear; svaḥ—own; paraḥ—other; api—even; vā—or; ātmatvāt—due to being the soul of the soul; sarva-bhūtānām—of all living entities; sarva-bhūta—to all living entities; priyaḥ—very, very dear; hariḥ—Lord Hari.
TRANSLATION He holds no one as very dear and no one as inimical. He has no one for His own relative, and no one is alien to Him. He is actually the soul of the soul of all living entities. Thus He is the auspicious friend of all living beings and is very near and dear to all of them. PURPORT The Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His second feature, is the Supersoul of all living entities. As one’s self is extremely dear, the Superself of the self is still more dear. No one can be the enemy of the friendly Superself, who is equal to everyone. Relationships of dearness or enmity between the Supreme Lord and the living beings are due to the intervention of the illusory energy. Because the three modes of material nature intervene between the Lord and the living beings, these different relationships appear. Actually, the living entity in his pure condition is always very near and dear to the Lord, and the Lord is dear to him. There is no question of partiality or enmity.
SB6.17.34-35 TEXTS 34–35 tasya cāyaṁ mahā-bhāgaś citraketuḥ priyo ’nugaḥ sarvatra sama-dṛk śānto hy ahaṁ caivācyuta-priyaḥ tasmān na vismayaḥ kāryaḥ puruṣeṣu mahātmasu mahāpuruṣa-bhakteṣu śānteṣu sama-darśiṣu SYNONYMS tasya—of Him (the Lord); ca—and; ayam—this; mahā-bhāgaḥ—the most fortunate; citraketuḥ—King Citraketu; priyaḥ—beloved; anugaḥ—most obedient servant; sarvatra—everywhere; sama-dṛk—sees equally; śāntaḥ—very peaceful; hi—indeed; aham—I; ca—also; eva—certainly; acyuta-priyaḥ—very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, who never fails; tasmāt—therefore; na—no; vismayaḥ—wonder; kāryaḥ—to be done; puruṣeṣu—among persons; mahā-ātmasu—who are exalted souls; mahā-puruṣa-bhakteṣu—devotees of Lord Viṣṇu; śānteṣu—peaceful; sama-darśiṣu—equal to everyone.
TRANSLATION This magnanimous Citraketu is a dear devotee of the Lord. He is equal to all living entities and is free from attachment and hatred. Similarly, I am also very dear to Lord Nārāyaṇa. Therefore, no one should be astonished to see the activities of the most exalted devotees of Nārāyaṇa, for they are free from attachment and envy. They are always peaceful, and they are equal to everyone. PURPORT It is said, vaiṣṇavera kriyā, mudrā vijñeha nā bujhaya: one should not be astonished to see the activities of exalted, liberated Vaiṣṇavas. As one should not be misled by the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one should also not be misled by the activities of His devotees. Both the Lord and His devotees are liberated. They are on the same platform, the only difference being that the Lord is the master and the devotees are servants. Qualitatively, they are one and the same. In Bhagavad-gītā (9.29) the Lord says:
samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu “I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” From this statement by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is clear that the devotees of the Lord are always extremely dear to Him. In effect, Lord Śiva told Pārvatī, “Both Citraketu and I are always very dear to the Supreme Lord. In other words, both he and I are on the same level as servants of the Lord. We are always friends, and sometimes we enjoy joking words between us. When Citraketu loudly laughed at my behavior, he did so on friendly terms, and therefore there was no reason to curse him.” Thus Lord Śiva tried to convince his wife, Pārvatī, that her cursing of Citraketu was not very sensible.
Here is a difference between male and female that exists even in the higher statuses of life—in fact, even between Lord Śiva and his wife. Lord Śiva could understand Citraketu very nicely, but Pārvatī could not. Thus even in the higher statuses of life there is a difference between the understanding of a male and that of a female. It may be clearly said that the understanding of a woman is always inferior to the understanding of a man. In the Western countries there is now agitation to the effect that man and woman should be considered equal, but from this verse it appears that woman is always less intelligent than man.
It is clear that Citraketu wanted to criticize the behavior of his friend Lord Śiva because Lord Śiva was sitting with his wife on his lap. Then, too, Lord Śiva wanted to criticize Citraketu for externally posing as a great devotee but being interested in enjoying with the Vidyādharī women. These were all friendly jokes; there was nothing serious for which Citraketu should have been cursed by Pārvatī. Upon hearing the instructions of Lord Śiva, Pārvatī must have been very much ashamed for cursing Citraketu to become a demon. Mother Pārvatī could not appreciate Citraketu’s position, and therefore she cursed him, but when she understood the instructions of Lord Śiva she was ashamed.
SB6.17.36 TEXT 36 śrī-śuka uvāca iti śrutvā bhagavataḥ śivasyomābhibhāṣitam babhūva śānta-dhī rājan devī vigata-vismayā SYNONYMS śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; iti—thus; śrutvā—hearing; bhagavataḥ—of the most powerful demigod; śivasya—of Lord Śiva; umā—Pārvatī; abhibhāṣitam—instruction; babhūva—became; śānta-dhīḥ—very peaceful; rājan—O King Parīkṣit; devī—the goddess; vigata-vismayā—released from astonishment.
TRANSLATION Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, after hearing this speech by her husband, the demigoddess [Umā, the wife of Lord Śiva] gave up her astonishment at the behavior of King Citraketu and became steady in intelligence. PURPORT Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks that the word śānta-dhīḥ means svīya-pūrva-svabhāva-smṛtyā. When Pārvatī remembered her former behavior in cursing Citraketu, she became very much ashamed and covered her face with the skirt of her sari, admitting that she was wrong in cursing Citraketu.
SB6.17.37 TEXT 37 iti bhāgavato devyāḥ pratiśaptum alantamaḥ mūrdhnā sa jagṛhe śāpam etāvat sādhu-lakṣaṇam SYNONYMS iti—thus; bhāgavataḥ—the most exalted devotee; devyāḥ—of Pārvatī; pratiśaptum—to make a counter-curse; alantamaḥ—able in all respects; mūrdhnā—with his head; saḥ—he (Citraketu); jagṛhe—accepted; śāpam—the curse; etāvat—this much; sādhu-lakṣaṇam—the symptom of a devotee.
TRANSLATION The great devotee Citraketu was so powerful that he was quite competent to curse mother Pārvatī in retaliation, but instead of doing so he very humbly accepted the curse and bowed his head before Lord Śiva and his wife. This is very much to be appreciated as the standard behavior of a Vaiṣṇava. PURPORT Upon being informed by Lord Śiva, mother Pārvatī could understand that she was wrong in cursing Citraketu. King Citraketu was so exalted in his character that in spite of being wrongly cursed by Pārvatī, he immediately descended from his airplane and bowed his head before the mother, accepting her curse. This has already been explained: nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati. Citraketu very sportingly felt that since the mother wanted to curse him, he could accept this curse just to please her. This is called sādhu-lakṣaṇam, the characteristic of a sādhu, or a devotee. As explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. A devotee should always be very humble and meek and should offer all respect to others, especially to superiors. Being protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a devotee is always powerful, but a devotee does not wish to show his power unnecessarily. However, when a less intelligent person has some power, he wants to use it for sense gratification. This is not the behavior of a devotee.
SB6.17.38 TEXT 38 jajñe tvaṣṭur dakṣiṇāgnau dānavīṁ yonim āśritaḥ vṛtra ity abhivikhyāto jñāna-vijñāna-saṁyutaḥ SYNONYMS jajñe—was born; tvaṣṭuḥ—of the brāhmaṇa known as Tvaṣṭā; dakṣiṇa-agnau—in the fire sacrifice known as dakṣiṇāgni; dānavīm—demoniac; yonim—species of life; āśritaḥ—taking shelter of; vṛtraḥ—Vṛtra; iti—thus; abhivikhyātaḥ—celebrated; jñāna-vijñāna-saṁyutaḥ—fully equipped with transcendental knowledge and practical application of that knowledge in life.
TRANSLATION Being cursed by mother Durgā [Bhavānī, the wife of Lord Śiva], that same Citraketu accepted birth in a demoniac species of life. Although still fully equipped with transcendental knowledge and practical application of that knowledge in life, he appeared as a demon at the fire sacrifice performed by Tvaṣṭā, and thus he became famous as Vṛtrāsura. PURPORT The word yoni is generally understood to mean jāti—family, group or species. Although Vṛtrāsura appeared in a family of demons, it is clearly said that his knowledge of spiritual life still existed. Jñāna-vijñāna-saṁyutaḥ: his spiritual knowledge and the practical application of that knowledge in life were not lost. Therefore it is said that even if a devotee falls down for some reason, he is still not lost.
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ Once one is advanced in devotional service, his spiritual assets are never lost under any circumstances. Whatever spiritual advancement he has achieved continues. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā. Even if a bhakti-yogī falls, he takes birth in a rich family or family of brāhmaṇas, in which he again starts devotional activities from the point where he left off. Although Vṛtrāsura was known as an asura, or demon, he did not lose his consciousness of Kṛṣṇa or devotional service.
SB6.17.39 TEXT 39 etat te sarvam ākhyātaṁ yan māṁ tvaṁ paripṛcchasi vṛtrasyāsura-jāteś ca kāraṇaṁ bhagavan-mateḥ SYNONYMS etat—this; te—unto you; sarvam—all; ākhyātam—explained; yat—which; mām—me; tvam—you; paripṛcchasi—asked; vṛtrasya—of Vṛtrāsura; asura-jāteḥ—whose birth was in a species of asuras; ca—and; kāraṇam—the cause; bhagavat-mateḥ—of exalted intelligence in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
TRANSLATION My dear King Parīkṣit, you inquired from me how Vṛtrāsura, a great devotee, took birth in a demoniac family. Thus I have tried to explain to you everything about this. SB6.17.40 TEXT 40 itihāsam imaṁ puṇyaṁ citraketor mahātmanaḥ māhātmyaṁ viṣṇu-bhaktānāṁ śrutvā bandhād vimucyate SYNONYMS itihāsam—history; imam—this; puṇyam—very pious; citraketoḥ—of Citraketu; mahā-ātmanaḥ—the exalted devotee; māhātmyam—containing glory; viṣṇu-bhaktānām—from the devotees of Viṣṇu; śrutvā—hearing; bandhāt—from bondage or conditional, material life; vimucyate—is freed.
TRANSLATION Citraketu was a great devotee [mahātmā]. If one hears this history of Citraketu from a pure devotee, the listener also is freed from the conditional life of material existence. PURPORT The historical incidents in the purāṇas, such as the history of Citraketu explained in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, are sometimes misunderstood by outsiders, or nondevotees. Therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī advised that the history of Citraketu be heard from a devotee. Anything about devotional service or the characteristics of the Lord and His devotees must be heard from a devotee, not from a professional reciter. This is advised herein. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s secretary also advised that one learn the history of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from a devotee: yāha, bhāgavata pada vaiṣṇavera sthāne. One should not hear the statements of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from professional reciters, or else they will not be effective. Quoting from Padma Purāṇa, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī has strictly forbidden us to hear about the activities of the Lord and His devotees from the mouths of nondevotees:
avaiṣṇava-mukhodgīrṇaṁ “One should not hear anything about Kṛṣṇa from a non-Vaiṣṇava. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects; similarly, talks about Kṛṣṇa given by a non-Vaiṣṇava are also poisonous.” One must be a bona fide devotee, and then he can preach and impress devotional service upon his listeners.
SB6.17.41 TEXT 41 ya etat prātar utthāya śraddhayā vāg-yataḥ paṭhet itihāsaṁ hariṁ smṛtvā sa yāti paramāṁ gatim SYNONYMS yaḥ—any person who; etat—this; prātaḥ—early in the morning; utthāya—rising; śraddhayā—with faith; vāk-yataḥ—controlling the mind and words; paṭhet—may read; itihāsam—history; harim—the Supreme Lord; smṛtvā—remembering; saḥ—that person; yāti—goes; paramām gatim—back home, back to Godhead.
TRANSLATION One who rises from bed early in the morning and recites this history of Citraketu, controlling his words and mind and remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead, will return home, back to Godhead, without difficulty. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Sixth Canto, Seventeenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam entitled, “Mother Pārvatī Curses Citraketu.”
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chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā
”ei bhāla, ei manda”,——ei saba ”bhrama”
bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ nava-yauvanaṁ ca
vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
na me dveṣyo ’sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
mayi te teṣu cāpy aham
ko vārtha āpto ’bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ
pūtaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam
śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyaṁ
sarpocchiṣṭaṁ yathā payaḥ