Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 1: “Creation”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Eighteen
SB1.18.16
TEXT 16
sa vai maha-bhagavatah pariksid
yenapavargakhyam adabhra-buddhih
jnanena vaiyasaki-sabditena
bheje khagendra-dhvaja-pada-mulam
SYNONYMS
sah—he; vai—certainly; maha-bhagavatah—first-class devotee; pariksit—the King; yena—by which; apavarga-akhyam—by the name of liberation; adabhra—fixed; buddhih—intelligence; jnanena—by knowledge; vaiyasaki—the son of Vyasa; sabditena—vibrated by; bheje—taken to; khaga-indra—Garuda, the king of the birds; dhvaja—flag; pada-mulam—soles of the feet.
TRANSLATION
O Suta Gosvami, please describe those topics of the Lord by which Maharaja Pariksit, whose intelligence was fixed on liberation, attained the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of Garuda, the king of birds. Those topics were vibrated by the son of Vyasa [Srila Sukadeva].
PURPORT
There is some controversy amongst the students on the path of liberation. Such transcendental students are known as impersonalists and devotees of the Lord. The devotee of the Lord worships the transcendental form of the Lord, whereas the impersonalist meditates upon the glaring effulgence, or the bodily rays of the Lord, known as the brahmajyoti. Here in this verse it is said that Maharaja Pariksit attained the lotus feet of the Lord by instructions in knowledge delivered by the son of Vyasadeva, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami. Sukadeva Gosvami was also an impersonalist in the beginning, as he himself has admitted in the Bhagavatam (2.1.9), but later on he was attracted by the transcendental pastimes of the Lord and thus became a devotee. Such devotees with perfect knowledge are called maha-bhagavatas, or first-class devotees. There are three classes of devotees, namely the prakrta, madhyama, and maha-bhagavata. The prakrta, or third-class devotees, are temple worshipers without specific knowledge of the Lord and the Lord’s devotees. The madhyama, or the second-class devotee, knows well the Lord, the Lord’s devotees, the neophytes, and the nondevotees also. But the maha-bhagavata, or the first-class devotee, sees everything in relation with the Lord and the Lord present in everyone’s relation. The maha-bhagavata, therefore, does not make any distinction, particularly between a devotee and nondevotee. Maharaja Pariksit was such a maha-bhagavata devotee because he was initiated by a maha-bhagavata devotee, Sukadeva Gosvami. He was equally kind, even to the personality of Kali, and what to speak of others.
So there are many instances in the transcendental histories of the world of an impersonalist who has later become a devotee. But a devotee has never become an impersonalist. This very fact proves that on the transcendental steps, the step occupied by a devotee is higher than the step occupied by an impersonalist. It is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita (12.5) that persons stuck on the impersonal step undergo more sufferings than achievement of reality. Therefore knowledge imparted by Sukadeva Gosvami unto Maharaja Pariksit helped him attain the service of the Lord. And this stage of perfection is called apavarga, or the perfect stage of liberation. Simple knowledge of liberation is material knowledge. Actual freedom from material bondage is called liberation, but attainment of the transcendental service of the Lord is called the perfect stage of liberation. Such a stage is attained by knowledge and renunciation, as we have already explained (Bhag. 1.2.12), and perfect knowledge, as delivered by Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, results in the attainment of the transcendental service of the Lord. SB1.18.17 TEXT 17 tan nah param punyam asamvrtartham akhyanam atyadbhuta-yoga-nistham akhyahy anantacaritopapannam pariksitam bhagavatabhiramam SYNONYMS tat—therefore; nah—unto us; param—supreme; punyam—purifying; asamvrta-artham—as it is; akhyanam—narration; ati—very; adbhuta—wonderful; yoga-nistham—compact in bhakti-yoga; akhyahi—describe; ananta—the Unlimited; acarita—activities; upapannam—full of; pariksitam—spoken to Maharaja Pariksit; bhagavata—of the pure devotees; abhiramam—particularly very dear. TRANSLATION Thus please narrate to us the narrations of the Unlimited, for they are purifying and supreme. They were spoken to Maharaja Pariksit, and they are very dear to the pure devotees, being full of bhakti-yoga. PURPORT What was spoken to Maharaja Pariksit and what is very dear to the pure devotees is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam is mainly full of the narrations of the activities of the Supreme Unlimited, and therefore it is the science of bhakti-yoga, or the devotional service of the Lord. Thus it is para, or supreme, because although it is enriched with all knowledge and religion, it is specifically enriched with the devotional service of the Lord. SB1.18.18 TEXT 18 suta uvaca aho vayam janma-bhrto ’dya hasma vrddhanuvrttyapi viloma-jatah dauskulyam adhim vidhunoti sighram mahattamanam abhidhana-yogah SYNONYMS sutah uvaca—Suta Gosvami said; aho—how; vayam—we; janma-bhrtah—promoted in birth; adya—today; ha—clearly; asma—have become; vrddha-anuvrttya—by serving those who are advanced in knowledge; api—although; viloma-jatah—born in a mixed caste; dauskulyam—disqualification of birth; adhim—sufferings; vidhunoti—purifies; sighram—very soon; mahat-tamanam—of those who are great; abhidhana—conversation; yogah—connection. TRANSLATION Sri Suta Gosvami said: O God, although we are born in a mixed caste, we are still promoted in birthright simply by serving and following the great who are advanced in knowledge. Even by conversing with such great souls, one can without delay cleanse oneself of all disqualifications resulting from lower births. PURPORT Suta Gosvami did not take his birth in a brahmana family. He was born in a family of mixed caste, or an uncultured low family. But because of higher association, like Sri Sukadeva Gosvami and the great rsis of Naimisaranya, certainly the disqualification of inferior birth was washed off. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu followed this principle in pursuance of the Vedic usages, and by His transcendental association He elevated many lowborn, or those disqualified by birth or action, to the status of devotional service and established them in the position of acaryas, or authorities. He clearly stated that any man, whatever he may be, whether a brahmana or sudra by birth, or a householder or mendicant in the order of society, if he is conversant with the science of Krsna, he can be accepted as an acarya or guru, a spiritual master. Suta Gosvami learned the science of Krsna from great rsis and authorities like Sukadeva and Vyasadeva and he was so qualified that even the sages of Naimisaranya eagerly wanted to hear from him the science of Krsna in the form of Srimad-Bhagavatam. So he had the double association of great souls by hearing and preaching. Transcendental science, or the science of Krsna, has to be learned from the authorities, and when one preaches the science, he becomes still more qualified. So Suta Gosvami had both the advantages, and thus undoubtedly he was completely freed from all disqualifications of low birth and mental agonies. This verse definitely proves that Srila Sukadeva Gosvami did not refuse to teach Suta Gosvami about the transcendental science nor did the sages of Naimisaranya refuse to hear lessons from him because of his inferior birth. This means that thousands of years ago there was no bar to learning or preaching the transcendental science because of inferior birth. The rigidity of the so-called caste system in Hindu society became prominent within only one hundred years or so when the number of dvija-bandhus, or disqualified men in the families of higher castes, increased. Lord Sri Caitanya revived the original Vedic system, and He elevated Thakura Haridasa to the position of namacarya, or the authority in preaching the glories of the holy name of the Lord, although His Holiness Srila Haridasa Thakura was pleased to appear in a family of Mohammedans. Such is the power of pure devotees of the Lord. The Ganges water is accepted as pure, and one can become purified after taking a bath in the waters of the Ganges. But as far as the great devotees of the Lord are concerned, they can purify a degraded soul even by being seen by the lowborn, and what to speak of association. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to purify the whole atmosphere of the polluted world by sending qualified preachers all over the world, and it remains with the Indians to take up this task scientifically and thus do the best kind of humanitarian work. The mental diseases of the present generation are more acute than bodily diseases; it is quite fit and proper to take up the preaching of Srimad-Bhagavatam all over the world without delay. Mahattamanam abhidhana also means dictionary of great devotees, or a book full of the words of great devotees. Such a dictionary of the words of great devotees and those of the Lord are in the Vedas and allied literatures, specifically the Srimad-Bhagavatam. SB1.18.19 TEXT 19 kutah punar grnato nama tasya mahattamaikanta-parayanasya yo ’nanta-saktir bhagavan ananto mahad-gunatvad yam anantam ahuh SYNONYMS kutah—what to say; punah—again; grnatah—one who chants; nama—holy name; tasya—His; mahat-tama—great devotees; ekanta—exclusive; parayanasya—of one who takes shelter of; yah—He who; ananta—is the Unlimited; saktih—potency; bhagavan—the Personality of Godhead; anantah—immeasurable; mahat—great; gunatvat—on account of such attributes; yam—whom; anantam—by the name ananta; ahuh—is called. TRANSLATION And what to speak of those who are under the direction of the great devotees, chanting the holy name of the Unlimited, who has unlimited potency? The Personality of Godhead, unlimited in potency and transcendental by attributes, is called the ananta [Unlimited]. PURPORT The dvija-bandhu, or the less intelligent, uncultured men born of higher castes, put forward many arguments against the lower-caste men becoming brahmanas in this life. They argue that birth in a family of sudras or less than sudras is made possible by one’s previous sinful acts and that one therefore has to complete the terms of disadvantages due to lower birth. And to answer these false logicians, Srimad-Bhagavatam asserts that one who chants the holy name of the Lord under the direction of a pure devotee can at once get free from the disadvantages due to a lower-caste birth. A pure devotee of the Lord does not commit any offense while chanting the holy name of the Lord. There are ten different offenses in the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. To chant the holy name under the direction of a pure devotee is offenseless chanting. Offenseless chanting of the holy name of the Lord is transcendental, and, therefore, such chanting can at once purify one from the effects of all kinds of previous sins. This offenseless chanting indicates that one has fully understood the transcendental nature of the holy name and has thus surrendered unto the Lord. Transcendentally the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself are identical, being absolute. The holy name of the Lord is as powerful as the Lord. The Lord is the all-powerful Personality of Godhead, and He has innumerable names, which are all nondifferent from Him and are equally powerful also. In the last word of the Bhagavad-gita the Lord asserts that one who surrenders fully unto Him is protected from all sins by the grace of the Lord. Since His name and He Himself are identical, the holy name of the Lord can protect the devotee from all effects of sins. The chanting of the holy name of the Lord can undoubtedly deliver one from the disadvantages of a lower-caste birth. The Lord’s unlimited power is extended on and on by the unlimited expansion of the devotees and incarnations, and thus every devotee of the Lord and incarnations also can be equally surcharged with the potency of the Lord. Since the devotee is surcharged with the potency of the Lord, even fractionally, the disqualification due to lower birth cannot stand in the way. SB1.18.20 TEXT 20 etavatalam nanu sucitena gunair asamyanatisayanasya hitvetaran prarthayato vibhutir yasyanghri-renum jusate ’nabhipsoh SYNONYMS etavata—so far; alam—unnecessary; nanu—if at all; sucitena—by description; gunaih—by attributes; asamya—immeasurable; anati-sayanasya—of one who is unexcelled; hitva—leaving aside; itaran—others; prarthayatah—of those who ask for; vibhutih—favor of the goddess of fortune; yasya—one whose; anghri—feet; renum—dust; jusate—serves; anabhipsoh—of one who is unwilling. TRANSLATION It is now ascertained that He [the Personality of Godhead] is unlimited and there is none equal to Him. Consequently no one can speak of Him adequately. Great demigods cannot obtain the favor of the goddess of fortune even by prayers, but this very goddess renders service unto the Lord, although He is unwilling to have such service. PURPORT The Personality of Godhead, or the Paramesvara Parabrahman, according to the srutis, has nothing to do. He has no equal. Nor does anyone excel Him. He has unlimited potencies, and His every action is carried out systematically in His natural and perfect ways. Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead is full in Himself, and He has nothing to accept from anyone else, including the great demigods like Brahma. Others ask for the favor of the goddess of fortune, and despite such prayers she declines to award such favors. But still she renders service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although He has nothing to accept from her. The Personality of Godhead in His Garbhodakasayi Visnu feature begets Brahma, the first created person in the material world, from His navel lotus stem and not in the womb of the goddess of fortune, who is eternally engaged in His service. These are some of the instances of His complete independence and perfection. That He has nothing to do does not mean that He is impersonal. He is transcendentally so full of inconceivable potencies that simply by His willing, everything is done without physical or personal endeavor. He is called, therefore, Yogesvara, or the Lord of all mystic powers. SB1.18.21 TEXT 21 athapi yat-pada-nakhavasrstam jagad virincopahrtarhanambhah sesam punaty anyatamo mukundat ko nama loke bhagavat-padarthah SYNONYMS atha—therefore; api—certainly; yat—whose; pada-nakha—nails of the feet; avasrstam—emanating; jagat—the whole universe; virinca—Brahmaji; upahrta—collected; arhana—worship; ambhah—water; sa—along with; isam—Lord Siva; punati—purifies; anyatamah—who else; mukundat—besides the Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna; kah—who; nama—name; loke—within the world; bhagavat—Supreme Lord; pada—position; arthah—worth. TRANSLATION Who can be worthy of the name of the Supreme Lord but the Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna? Brahmaji collected the water emanating from the nails of His feet in order to award it to Lord Siva as a worshipful welcome. This very water [the Ganges] is purifying the whole universe, including Lord Siva. PURPORT The conception of many gods in the Vedic literatures by the ignorant is completely wrong. The Lord is one without a second, but He expands Himself in many ways, and this is confirmed in the Vedas. Such expansions of the Lord are limitless, but some of them are the living entities. The living entities are not as powerful as the Lord’s plenary expansions, and therefore there are two different types of expansions. Lord Brahma is generally one of the living entities, and Lord Siva is the via medium between the Lord and the living entities. In other words, even demigods like Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, who are the chief amongst all demigods, are never equal to or greater than Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The goddess of fortune, Laksmi, and all-powerful demigods like Brahma and Siva are engaged in the worship of Visnu or Lord Krsna; therefore who can be more powerful than Mukunda (Lord Krsna) to be factually called the Supreme Personality of Godhead? The goddess of fortune, Laksmiji, Lord Brahma and Lord Siva are not independently powerful; they are powerful as expansions of the Supreme Lord, and all of them are engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and so also are the living entities. There are four sects of worshipful devotees of the Lord, and the chief amongst them are the Brahma-sampradaya, Rudra-sampradaya and Sri-sampradaya, descending directly from Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and the goddess of fortune, Laksmi, respectively. Besides the above-mentioned three sampradayas, there is the Kumara-sampradaya, descending from Sanat-kumara. All of the four original sampradayas are still scrupulously engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord up to date, and they all declare that Lord Krsna, Mukunda, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no other personality is equal to Him or greater than Him. SB1.18.22 TEXT 22 yatranuraktah sahasaiva dhira vyapohya dehadisu sangam udham vrajanti tat parama-hamsyam antyam yasminn ahimsopasamah sva-dharmah SYNONYMS yatra—unto whom; anuraktah—firmly attached; sahasa—all of a sudden; eva—certainly; dhirah—self-controlled; vyapohya—leaving aside; deha—the gross body and subtle mind; adisu—relating to; sangam—attachment; udham—taken to; vrajanti—go away; tat—that; parama-hamsyam—the highest stage of perfection; antyam—and beyond that; yasmin—in which; ahimsa—nonviolence; upasamah—and renunciation; sva-dharmah—consequential occupation. TRANSLATION Self-controlled persons who are attached to the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna can all of a sudden give up the world of material attachment, including the gross body and subtle mind, and go away to attain the highest perfection of the renounced order of life, by which nonviolence and renunciation are consequential. PURPORT Only the self-controlled can gradually be attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Self-controlled means not indulging in sense enjoyment more than is necessary. And those who are not self-controlled are given over to sense enjoyment. Dry philosophical speculation is a subtle sense enjoyment of the mind. Sense enjoyment leads one to the path of darkness. Those who are self-controlled can make progress on the path of liberation from the conditional life of material existence. The Vedas, therefore, enjoin that one should not go on the path of darkness but should make a progressive march towards the path of light or liberation. Self-control is actually achieved not by artificially stopping the senses from material enjoyment, but by becoming factually attached to the Supreme Lord by engaging one’s unalloyed senses in the transcendental service of the Lord. The senses cannot be forcibly curbed, but they can be given proper engagement. Purified senses, therefore, are always engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord. This perfectional stage of sense engagement is called bhakti-yoga. So those who are attached to the means of bhakti-yoga are factually self-controlled and can all of a sudden give up their homely or bodily attachment for the service of the Lord. This is called the paramahamsa stage. Hamsas, or swans, accept only milk out of a mixture of milk and water. Similarly, those who accept the service of the Lord instead of maya’s service are called the paramahamsas. They are naturally qualified with all the good attributes, such as pridelessness, freedom from vanity, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, respectability, worship, devotion and sincerity. All these godly qualities exist in the devotee of the Lord spontaneously. Such paramahamsas, who are completely given up to the service of the Lord, are very rare. They are very rare even amongst the liberated souls. Real nonviolence means freedom from envy. In this world everyone is envious of his fellow being. But a perfect paramahamsa, being completely given up to the service of the Lord, is perfectly nonenvious. He loves every living being in relation with the Supreme Lord. Real renunciation means perfect dependence on God. Every living being is dependent on someone else because he is so made. Actually everyone is dependent on the mercy of the Supreme Lord, but when one forgets his relation with the Lord, he becomes dependent on the conditions of material nature. Renunciation means renouncing ones dependence on the conditions of material nature and thus becoming completely dependent on the mercy of the Lord. Real independence means complete faith in the mercy of the Lord without dependence on the conditions of matter. This paramahamsa stage is the highest perfectional stage in bhakti-yoga, the process of devotional service to the Supreme Lord. SB1.18.23 TEXT 23 aham hi prsto ’ryamano bhavadbhir acaksa atmavagamo ’tra yavan nabhah patanty atma-samam patattrinas tatha samam visnu-gatim vipascitah SYNONYMS aham—my humble self; hi—certainly; prstah—asked by you; aryamanah—as powerful as the sun; bhavadbhih—by you; acakse—may describe; atma-avagamah—as far as my knowledge is concerned; atra—herein; yavan—so far; nabhah—sky; patanti—fly; atma-samam—as far as it can; patattrinah—the birds; tatha—thus; samam—similarly; visnu-gatim—knowledge of Visnu; vipascitah—even though learned. TRANSLATION O rsis, who are as powerfully pure as the sun, I shall try to describe to you the transcendental pastimes of Visnu as far as my knowledge is concerned. As the birds fly in the sky as far as their capacity allows, so do the learned devotees describe the Lord as far as their realization allows. PURPORT The Supreme Absolute Truth is unlimited. No living being can know about the unlimited by his limited capacity. The Lord is impersonal, personal and localized. By His impersonal feature He is all-pervading Brahman, by His localized feature He is present in everyone’s heart as the Supreme Soul, and by His ultimate personal feature He is the object of transcendental loving service by His fortunate associates the pure devotees. The pastimes of the Lord in different features can only be estimated partly by the great learned devotees. So Srila Suta Gosvami has rightly taken this position in describing the pastimes of the Lord as far as he has realized. Factually only the Lord Himself can describe Himself, and His learned devotee also can describe Him as far as the Lord gives him the power of description. SB1.18.24-25 TEXTS 24–25 ekada dhanur udyamya vicaran mrgayam vane mrgan anugatah srantah ksudhitas trsito bhrsam jalasayam acaksanah pravivesa tam asramam dadarsa munim asinam santam milita-locanam SYNONYMS ekada—once upon a time; dhanuh—arrows and bow; udyamya—taking firmly; vicaran—following; mrgayam—hunting excursion; vane—in the forest; mrgan—stags; anugatah—while following; srantah—fatigued; ksudhitah—hungry; trsitah—being thirsty; bhrsam—extremely; jala-asayam—reservoir of water; acaksanah—while searching for; pravivesa—entered into; tam—that famous; asramam—hermitage of Samika Rsi; dadarsa—saw; munim—the sage; asinam—seated; santam—all silent; milita—closed; locanam—eyes. TRANSLATION Once upon a time Maharaja Pariksit, while engaged in hunting in the forest with bow and arrows, became extremely fatigued, hungry and thirsty while following the stags. While searching for a reservoir of water, he entered the hermitage of the well-known Samika Rsi and saw the sage sitting silently with closed eyes. PURPORT The Supreme Lord is so kind to His pure devotees that in proper time He calls such devotees up to Him and thus creates an auspicious circumstance for the devotee. Maharaja Pariksit was a pure devotee of the Lord, and there was no reason for him to become extremely fatigued, hungry and thirsty because a devotee of the Lord never becomes perturbed by such bodily demands. But by the desire of the Lord, even such a devotee can become apparently fatigued and thirsty just to create a situation favorable for his renunciation of worldly activities. One has to give up all attachment for worldly relations before one is able to go back to Godhead, and thus when a devotee is too much absorbed in worldly affairs, the Lord creates a situation to cause indifference. The Supreme Lord never forgets His pure devotee, even though he may be engaged in so-called worldly affairs. Sometimes He creates an awkward situation, and the devotee becomes obliged to renounce all worldly affairs. The devotee can understand by the signal of the Lord, but others take it to be unfavorable and frustrating. Maharaja Pariksit was to become the medium for the revelation of Srimad-Bhagavatam by Lord Sri Krsna, as his grandfather Arjuna was the medium for the Bhagavad-gita. Had Arjuna not been taken up with an illusion of family affection by the will of the Lord, the Bhagavad-gita would not have been spoken by the Lord Himself for the good of all concerned. Similarly, had Maharaja Pariksit not been fatigued, hungry and thirsty at this time, Srimad-Bhagavatam would not have been spoken by Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, the prime authority of Srimad-Bhagavatam. So this is a prelude to the circumstances under which Srimad-Bhagavatam was spoken for the benefit of all concerned. The prelude, therefore, begins with the words “once upon a time.” SB1.18.26 TEXT 26 pratiruddhendriya-prana- mano-buddhim uparatam sthana-trayat param praptam brahma-bhutam avikriyam SYNONYMS pratiruddha—restrained; indriya—the sense organs; prana—air of respiration; manah—the mind; buddhim—intelligence; uparatam—inactive; sthana—places; trayat—from the three; param—transcendental; praptam—achieved; brahma-bhutam—qualitatively equal with the Supreme Absolute; avikriyam—unaffected. TRANSLATION The muni’s sense organs, breath, mind and intelligence were all restrained from material activities, and he was situated in a trance apart from the three [wakefulness, dream and unconsciousness], having achieved a transcendental position qualitatively equal with the Supreme Absolute. PURPORT It appears that the muni, in whose hermitage the King entered, was in yogic trance. The transcendental position is attained by three processes, namely the process of jnana, or theoretical knowledge of transcendence, the process of yoga, or factual realization of trance by manipulation of the physiological and psychological functions of the body, and the most approved process of bhakti-yoga, or the engagement of senses in the devotional service of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita also we have the information of the gradual development of perception from matter to a living entity. Our material mind and body develop from the living entity, the soul, and being influenced by the three qualities of matter, we forget our real identity. The jnana process theoretically speculates about the reality of the soul. But bhakti-yoga factually engages the spirit soul in activities. The perception of matter is transcended to still subtler states of the senses. The senses are transcended to the subtler mind, and then to breathing activities and gradually to intelligence. Beyond the intelligence, the living soul is realized by the mechanical activities of the yoga system, or practice of meditation restraining the senses, regulating the breathing system and applying intelligence to rise to the transcendental position. This trance stops all material activities of the body. The King saw the muni in that position. He also saw the muni as follows. SB1.18.27 TEXT 27 viprakirna-jatacchannam rauravenajinena ca visusyat-talur udakam tatha-bhutam ayacata SYNONYMS viprakirna—all scattered; jata-acchannam—covered with compressed, long hair; rauravena—by the skin of a stag; ajinena—by the skin; ca—also; visusyat—dried up; taluh—palate; udakam—water; tatha-bhutam—in that state; ayacata—asked for. TRANSLATION The sage, in meditation, was covered by the skin of a stag, and long, compressed hair was scattered all over him. The King, whose palate was dry from thirst, asked him for water. PURPORT The King, being thirsty, asked the sage for water. That such a great devotee and king asked for water from a sage absorbed in trance was certainly providential. Otherwise there was no chance of such a unique happening. Maharaja Pariksit was thus placed in an awkward position so that gradually Srimad-Bhagavatam could be revealed. SB1.18.28 TEXT 28 alabdha-trna-bhumy-adir asampraptarghya-sunrtah avajnatam ivatmanam manyamanas cukopa ha SYNONYMS alabdha—having not received; trna—seat of straw; bhumi—place; adih—and so on; asamprapta—not properly received; arghya—water for reception; sunrtah—sweet words; avajnatam—thus being neglected; iva—like that; atmanam—personally; manyamanah—thinking like that; cukopa—became angry; ha—in that way. TRANSLATION The King, not received by any formal welcome by means of being offered a seat, place, water and sweet addresses, considered himself neglected, and so thinking he became angry. PURPORT The law of reception in the codes of the Vedic principles states that even if an enemy is received at home, he must be received with all respects. He should not be given a chance to understand that he has come into the house of an enemy. When Lord Krsna, accompanied by Arjuna and Bhima, approached Jarasandha in Magadha, the respectable enemies were given a royal reception by King Jarasandha. The guest enemy, namely Bhima, was to fight with Jarasandha, and yet they were given a grand reception. At night they used to sit down together as friends and guests, and in the day they used to fight, risking life and death. That was the law of reception. The reception law enjoins that a poor man, who has nothing to offer his guest, should be good enough to offer a straw mat for sitting, a glass of water for drinking and some sweet words. Therefore, to receive a guest, either friend or foe, there is no expense. It is only a question of good manners. When Maharaja Pariksit entered the door of Samika Rsi, he did not expect a royal reception by the rsi because he knew that saints and rsis are not materially rich men. But he never expected that a seat of straw, a glass of water and some sweet words would be denied to him. He was not an ordinary guest, nor was he an enemy of the rsi, and therefore the cold reception by the rsi astonished the King greatly. As a matter of fact, the King was right to get angry with the rsi when he needed a glass of water very badly. To become angry in such a grave situation was not unnatural for the King, but because the King himself was not less than a great saint, his becoming angry and taking action were astonishing. So it must be accepted that it was so ordained by the supreme will of the Lord. The King was a great devotee of the Lord, and the saint was also as good as the King. But by the will of the Lord, the circumstances were so created that they became ways to the King’s becoming unattached to family connection and governmental activities and thus becoming a completely surrendered soul unto the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. The merciful Lord sometimes creates such awkward positions for his pure devotees in order to drag them towards Himself from the mire of material existence. But outwardly the situations appear to be frustrating to the devotees. The devotees of the Lord are always under the protection of the Lord, and in any condition, frustration or success, the Lord is the supreme guide for the devotees. The pure devotees, therefore, accept all conditions of frustration as blessings from the Lord.