Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 3: “The Status Quo”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Twenty

Conversation Between Maitreya and Vidura

SB3.20.1

TEXT 1

saunaka uvaca

mahim pratistham adhyasya

saute svayambhuvo manuh

kany anvatisthad dvarani

margayavara-janmanam

SYNONYMS

saunakah—Saunaka; uvaca—said; mahim—the earth; pratistham—situated; adhyasya—having secured; saute—O Suta Gosvami; svayambhuvah—Svayambhuva; manuh—Manu; kani—what; anvatisthat—performed; dvarani—ways; margaya—to get out; avara—later; janmanam—of those to be born.

TRANSLATION

Sri Saunaka inquired: O Suta Gosvami, after the earth was again situated in its orbit, what did Svayambhuva Manu do to show the path of liberation to persons who were to take birth later on?

PURPORT

The appearance of the Lord as the first boar incarnation occurred during the time of Svayambhuva Manu, whereas the present age is in the period of Vaivasvata Manu. Each Manu’s period lasts seventy-two times the cycle of four ages, and one cycle of ages equals 4,320,000 solar years. Thus 4,320,000 x 72 solar years is the reign of one Manu. In each Manu’s period there are many changes in many ways, and there are fourteen Manus within one day of Brahma. It is understood here that Manu creates scriptural regulations for the salvation of the conditioned souls, who come to the material world for material enjoyment. The Lord is so kind that any soul who wants to enjoy in this material world is given full facility for enjoyment, and at the same time he is shown the path of salvation. Saunaka Rsi, therefore, inquired from Suta Gosvami: “What did Svayambhuva Manu do after the reinstatement of the earth in its orbital situation?”

SB3.20.2

TEXT 2

ksatta maha-bhagavatah

krsnasyaikantikah suhrt

yas tatyajagrajam krsne

sapatyam aghavan iti

SYNONYMS

ksatta—Vidura; maha-bhagavatah—a great devotee of the Lord; krsnasya—of Lord Krsna; ekantikah—unalloyed devotee; suhrt—intimate friend; yah—he who; tatyaja—abandoned; agra-jam—his elder brother (King Dhrtarastra); krsne—toward Krsna; sa-apatyam—along with his one hundred sons; agha-van—offender; iti—thus.

TRANSLATION

Saunaka Rsi inquired about Vidura, who was a great devotee and friend of Lord Krsna and who gave up the company of his elder brother because the latter, along with his sons, played tricks against the desires of the Lord.

PURPORT

The incident referred to here is that Vidura left the protection of his elder brother Dhrtarastra, went traveling everywhere to sacred places and met Maitreya at Hardwar. Saunaka Rsi here inquires about the topics of the conversation between Maitreya Rsi and Vidura. Vidura’s qualification was that he was not only a friend of the Lord but also a great devotee. When Krsna tried to stop the war and mitigate the misunderstanding between the cousin-brothers, they refused to accept His counsel; therefore Ksatta, or Vidura, was unsatisfied with them, and he left the palace. As a devotee, Vidura showed by example that anywhere that Krsna is not honored is a place unfit for human habitation. A devotee may be tolerant regarding his own interests, but he should not be tolerant when there is misbehavior toward the Lord or the Lord’s devotee. Here the word aghavan is very significant, for it indicates that the Kauravas, Dhrtarastra’s sons, lost the war because of being sinful in disobeying the instructions of Krsna.

SB3.20.3

TEXT 3

dvaipayanad anavaro

mahitve tasya dehajah

sarvatmana sritah krsnam

tat-params capy anuvratah

SYNONYMS

dvaipayanat—from Vyasadeva; anavarah—in no way inferior; mahitve—in greatness; tasya—his (Vyasa’s); deha-jah—born of his body; sarva-atmana—with all his heart; sritah—took shelter; krsnam—Lord Krsna; tat-paran—those devoted to Him; ca—and; api—also; anuvratah—followed.

TRANSLATION

Vidura was born from the body of Veda-vyasa and was not less than he. Thus he accepted the lotus feet of Krsna wholeheartedly and was attached to His devotees.

PURPORT

The history of Vidura is that he was born of a sudra mother, but his seminal father was Vyasadeva; thus he was not less than Vyasadeva in any respect. Since he was born of a great father, who was supposed to be an incarnation of Narayana and who composed all the Vedic literatures, Vidura was also a great personality. He accepted Krsna as his worshipable Lord and followed His instructions wholeheartedly.

SB3.20.4

TEXT 4

kim anvaprcchan maitreyam

virajas tirtha-sevaya

upagamya kusavarta

asinam tattva-vittamam

SYNONYMS

kim—what; anvaprcchat—inquired; maitreyam—from the sage Maitreya; virajah—Vidura, who was without material contamination; tirtha-sevaya—by visiting sacred places; upagamya—having met; kusavarte—at Kusavarta (Haridvara, or Hardwar); asinam—who was abiding; tattva-vit-tamam—the foremost knower of the science of spiritual life.

TRANSLATION

Vidura was purified of all passion by wandering in sacred places, and at last he reached Hardwar, where he met the great sage who knew the science of spiritual life, and he inquired from him. Saunaka Rsi therefore asked: What more did Vidura inquire from Maitreya?

PURPORT

Here the words virajas tirtha-sevaya refer to Vidura, who was completely cleansed of all contamination by traveling to places of pilgrimage. In India there are hundreds of sacred places of pilgrimage, of which Prayaga, Hardwar, Vrndavana and Ramesvaram are considered principal. After leaving his home, which was full of politics and diplomacy, Vidura wanted to purify himself by traveling to all the sacred places, which are so situated that anyone who goes there automatically becomes purified. This is especially true in Vrndavana; any person may go there, and even if he is sinful he will at once contact an atmosphere of spiritual life and will automatically chant the names of Krsna and Radha. That we have actually seen and experienced. It is recommended in the sastras that after retiring from active life and accepting the vanaprastha (retired) order, one should travel everywhere to places of pilgrimage in order to purify himself. Vidura completely discharged this duty, and at last he reached Kusavarta, or Hardwar, where the sage Maitreya was sitting.

Another significant point is that one must go to sacred places not only to take bath there but to search out great sages like Maitreya and take instructions from them. If one does not do so, his traveling to places of pilgrimage is simply a waste of time. Narottama dasa Thakura, a great acarya of the Vaisnava sect, has, for the present, forbidden us to go to such places of pilgrimage because in this age, the times having so changed, a sincere person may have a different impression on seeing the behavior of the present residents of the pilgrimage sites. He has recommended that instead of taking the trouble to travel to such places, one should concentrate his mind on Govinda, and that will help him. Of course, to concentrate one’s mind on Govinda in any place is a path meant for those who are the most spiritually advanced; it is not for ordinary persons. Ordinary persons may still derive benefit from traveling to holy places like Prayaga, Mathura, Vrndavana and Hardwar.

It is recommended in this verse that one find a person who knows the science of God, or a tattva-vit. Tattva-vit means “one who knows the Absolute Truth.” There are many pseudotranscendentalists, even at places of pilgrimage. Such men are always present, and one has to be intelligent enough to find the actual person to be consulted; then one’s attempt to progress by traveling to different holy places will be successful. One has to be freed from all contamination, and at the same time he has to find a person who knows the science of Krsna. Krsna helps a sincere person; as stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta, guru-krsna-prasade: by the mercy of the spiritual master and Krsna, one attains the path of salvation, devotional service. If one sincerely searches for spiritual salvation, then Krsna, being situated in everyone’s heart, gives him the intelligence to find a suitable spiritual master. By the grace of a spiritual master like Maitreya, one gets the proper instruction and advances in his spiritual life.

SB3.20.5

TEXT 5

tayoh samvadatoh suta

pravrtta hy amalah kathah

apo ganga ivagha-ghnir

hareh padambujasrayah

SYNONYMS

tayoh—while the two (Maitreya and Vidura); samvadatoh—were conversing; suta—O Suta; pravrttah—arose; hi—certainly; amalah—spotless; kathah—narrations; apah—waters; gangah—of the River Ganges; iva—like; agha-ghnih—vanquishing all sins; hareh—of the Lord; pada-ambuja—the lotus feet; asrayah—taking shelter.

TRANSLATION

Saunaka inquired about the conversation between Vidura and Maitreya: There must have been many narrations of the spotless pastimes of the Lord. The hearing of such narrations is exactly like bathing in the water of the Ganges, for it can free one from all sinful reactions.

PURPORT

The water of the Ganges is purified because it pours forth from the lotus feet of the Lord. Similarly, Bhagavad-gita is as good as the water of the Ganges because it is spoken from the mouth of the Supreme Lord. So it is with any topic on the pastimes of the Lord or the characteristics of His transcendental activities. The Lord is absolute; there is no difference between His words, His perspiration or His pastimes. The water of the Ganges, the narrations of His pastimes and the words spoken by Him are all on the absolute platform, and thus taking shelter of any one of them is equally good. Srila Rupa Gosvami has enunciated that anything in relationship with Krsna is on the transcendental platform. If we can dovetail all our activities in relationship with Krsna, then we do not stand on the material platform, but always on the spiritual platform.

SB3.20.6

TEXT 6

ta nah kirtaya bhadram te

kirtanyodara-karmanah

rasajnah ko nu trpyeta

hari-lilamrtam piban

SYNONYMS

tah—those talks; nah—to us; kirtaya—narrate; bhadram te—may all good come unto you; kirtanya—should be chanted; udara—liberal; karmanah—activities; rasa-jnah—a devotee who can appreciate mellow tastes; kah—who; nu—indeed; trpyeta—would feel satisfied; hari-lila-amrtam—the nectar of the pastimes of the Lord; piban—drinking.

TRANSLATION

O Suta Gosvami, all good fortune to you! Please narrate the activities of the Lord, which are all magnanimous and worth glorifying. What sort of devotee can be satiated by hearing the nectarean pastimes of the Lord?

PURPORT

The narration of the pastimes of the Lord, which are always enacted on the transcendental platform, should be received with all respect by devotees. Those who are actually on the transcendental platform are never satiated by hearing the continuous narration of the pastimes of the Lord. For example, if any self-realized soul reads from Bhagavad-gita, he will never feel satiated. The narrations of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam may be read thousands and thousands of times, and still, without fail, new aspects of the subject matter will be relished by the devotee.

SB3.20.7

TEXT 7

evam ugrasravah prsta

rsibhir naimisayanaih

bhagavaty arpitadhyatmas

tan aha sruyatam iti

SYNONYMS

evam—thus; ugrasravah—Suta Gosvami; prstah—being asked; rsibhih—by the sages; naimisa-ayanaih—who were assembled in the forest of Naimisa; bhagavati—unto the Lord; arpita—dedicated; adhyatmah—his mind; tan—to them; aha—said; sruyatam—just hear; iti—thus.

TRANSLATION

On being asked to speak by the great sages of Naimisaranya, the son of Romaharsana, Suta Gosvami, whose mind was absorbed in the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, said: Please hear what I shall now speak.

SB3.20.8

TEXT 8

suta uvaca

harer dhrta-kroda-tanoh sva-mayaya

nisamya gor uddharanam rasatalat

lilam hiranyaksam avajnaya hatam

sanjata-harso munim aha bharatah

SYNONYMS

sutah uvaca—Suta said; hareh—of the Lord; dhrta—who had assumed; kroda—of a boar; tanoh—body; sva-mayaya—by His divine potency; nisamya—having heard; goh—of the earth; uddharanam—uplifting; rasatalat—from the bottom of the ocean; lilam—sport; hiranyaksam—the demon Hiranyaksa; avajnaya—neglectfully; hatam—killed; sanjata-harsah—being overjoyed; munim—to the sage (Maitreya); aha—said; bharatah—Vidura.

TRANSLATION

Suta Gosvami continued: Vidura, the descendant of Bharata, was delighted to hear the story of the Lord, who, having assumed by His own divine potency the form of a boar, had enacted the sport of lifting the earth from the bottom of the ocean and indifferently killing the demon Hiranyaksa. Vidura then spoke to the sage as follows.

PURPORT

It is stated here that the Lord assumed the form of a boar by His own potency. His form is not actually the form of a conditioned soul. A conditioned soul is forced to accept a particular type of body by the higher authority of material laws, but here it is clearly said that the Lord was not forced to accept the form of a boar by the external power. In Bhagavad-gita the same fact is confirmed; when the Lord descends to this earth, He assumes a form by His own internal potency. The form of the Lord, therefore, can never consist of material energy. The Mayavada version that when Brahman assumes a form the form is accepted from maya is not acceptable, because although maya is superior to the conditioned soul, she is not superior to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; she is under the control of the Supreme Godhead, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita. Maya is under His superintendence; maya cannot overcome the Lord. The Mayavada idea that the living entity is the Supreme Absolute Truth but has become covered by maya is invalid, because maya cannot be so great that it can cover the Supreme. The covering capacity can be employed on the part and parcel of Brahman, not on the Supreme Brahman.

SB3.20.9

TEXT 9

vidura uvaca

prajapati-patih srstva

praja-sarge prajapatin

kim arabhata me brahman

prabruhy avyakta-marga-vit

SYNONYMS

vidurah uvaca—Vidura said; prajapati-patih—Lord Brahma; srstva—after creating; praja-sarge—for the purpose of creating living beings; prajapatin—the Prajapatis; kim—what; arabhata—started; me—to me; brahman—O holy sage; prabruhi—tell; avyakta-marga-vit—knower of that which we do not know.

TRANSLATION

Vidura said: Since you know of matters inconceivable to us, tell me, O holy sage, what did Brahma do to create living beings after evolving the Prajapatis, the progenitors of living beings?

PURPORT

Significant here is the word avyakta-marga-vit, “one who knows that which is beyond our perception.” To know matters beyond one’s perception, one has to learn from a superior authority in the line of disciplic succession. Just to know who is our father is beyond our perception. For that, the mother is the authority. Similarly, we have to understand everything beyond our perception from the authority who actually knows. The first avyakta-marga-vit, or authority, is Brahma, and the next authority in disciplic succession is Narada. Maitreya Rsi belongs to that disciplic succession, so he also is avyakta-marga-vit. Anyone in the bona fide line of disciplic succession is avyakta-marga-vit, a personality who knows that which is beyond ordinary perception.

SB3.20.10

TEXT 10

ye maricy-adayo vipra

yas tu svayambhuvo manuh

te vai brahmana adesat

katham etad abhavayan

SYNONYMS

ye—those; marici-adayah—great sages headed by Marici; viprahbrahmanas; yah—who; tu—indeed; svayambhuvah manuh—and Svayambhuva Manu; te—they; vai—indeed; brahmanah—of Lord Brahma; adesat—by the order; katham—how; etat—this universe; abhavayan—evolved.

TRANSLATION

Vidura inquired: How did the Prajapatis [such progenitors of living entities as Marici and Svayambhuva Manu] create according to the instruction of Brahma, and how did they evolve this manifested universe?

SB3.20.11

TEXT 11

sa-dvitiyah kim asrjan

svatantra uta karmasu

aho svit samhatah sarva

idam sma samakalpayan

SYNONYMS

sa-dvitiyah—with their wives; kim—whether; asrjan—created; sva-tantrah—remaining independent; uta—or; karmasu—in their actions; aho svit—or else; samhatah—jointly; sarve—all the Prajapatis; idam—this; sma samakalpayan—produced.

TRANSLATION

Did they evolve the creation in conjunction with their respective wives, did they remain independent in their action, or did they all jointly produce it?

SB3.20.12

TEXT 12

maitreya uvaca

daivena durvitarkyena

parenanimisena ca

jata-ksobhad bhagavato

mahan asid guna-trayat

SYNONYMS

maitreyah uvaca—Maitreya said; daivena—by superior management known as destiny; durvitarkyena—beyond empiric speculation; parena—by Maha-Visnu; animisena—by the potency of eternal time; ca—and; jata-ksobhat—the equilibrium was agitated; bhagavatah—of the Personality of Godhead; mahan—the total material elements (the mahat-tattva); asit—were produced; guna-trayat—from the three modes of nature.

TRANSLATION

Maitreya said: When the equilibrium of the combination of the three modes of nature was agitated by the unseen activity of the living entity, by Maha-Visnu and by the force of time, the total material elements were produced.

PURPORT

The cause of the material creation is described here very lucidly. The first cause is daiva, or the destiny of the conditioned soul. The material creation exists for the conditioned soul who wanted to become a false lord for sense enjoyment. One cannot trace out the history of when the conditioned soul first desired to lord it over material nature, but in Vedic literature we always find that the material creation is meant for the sense enjoyment of the conditioned soul. There is a nice verse which says that the sum and substance of the conditioned soul’s sense enjoyment is that as soon as he forgets his primary duty, to render service to the Lord, he creates an atmosphere of sense enjoyment, which is called maya; that is the cause of material creation.

Another word used here is durvitarkyena. No one can argue about when and how the conditioned soul became desirous of sense enjoyment, but the cause is there. Material nature is an atmosphere meant only for the sense enjoyment of the conditioned soul, and it is created by the Personality of Godhead. It is mentioned here that in the beginning of the creation the material nature, or prakrti, is agitated by the Personality of Godhead, Visnu. There are three Visnus mentioned. One is Maha-Visnu, another is Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and the third is Ksirodakasayi Visnu. The First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam discusses all these three Visnus, and here also it is confirmed that Visnu is the cause of creation. From Bhagavad-gita also we learn that prakrti begins to work and is still working under Krsna’s, or Visnu’s, glance of superintendence, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead is unchangeable. One should not mistakenly think that because the creation emanates from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He has therefore transformed into this material cosmic manifestation. He exists in His personal form always, but the cosmic manifestation takes place by His inconceivable potency. The workings of that energy are difficult to comprehend, but it is understood from Vedic literature that the conditioned soul creates his own destiny and is offered a particular body by the laws of nature under the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who always accompanies him as Paramatma.

SB3.20.13

TEXT 13

rajah-pradhanan mahatas

tri-lingo daiva-coditat

jatah sasarja bhutadir

viyad-adini pancasah

SYNONYMS

rajah-pradhanat—in which the element of rajas, or passion, predominates; mahatah—from the mahat-tattva; tri-lingah—of three kinds; daiva-coditat—impelled by superior authority; jatah—was born; sasarja—evolved; bhuta-adih—the false ego (origin of the material elements); viyat—the ether; adini—beginning with; pancasah—in groups of five.

TRANSLATION

As impelled by the destiny of the jiva, the false ego, which is of three kinds, evolved from the mahat-tattva, in which the element of rajas predominates. From the ego, in turn, evolved many groups of five principles.

PURPORT

The primordial matter, or prakrti, material nature, consisting of three modes, generates four groups of five. The first group is called elementary and consists of earth, water, fire, air and ether. The second group of five is called tan-matra, referring to the subtle elements (sense objects): sound, touch, form, taste and smell. The third group is the five sense organs for acquiring knowledge: eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. The fourth group is the five working senses: speech, hands, feet, anus and genitals. Some say that there are five groups of five. One group is the sense objects, one is the five elements, one is the five sense organs for acquiring knowledge, another is the senses for working, and the fifth group is the five deities who control these divisions.

SB3.20.14

TEXT 14

tani caikaikasah srastum

asamarthani bhautikam

samhatya daiva-yogena

haimam andam avasrjan

SYNONYMS

tani—those elements; ca—and; eka-ekasah—separately; srastum—to produce; asamarthani—unable; bhautikam—the material universe; samhatya—having combined; daiva-yogena—with the energy of the Supreme Lord; haimam—shining like gold; andam—globe; avasrjan—produced.

TRANSLATION

Separately unable to produce the material universe, they combined with the help of the energy of the Supreme Lord and were able to produce a shining egg.

SB3.20.15

TEXT 15

so ’sayistabdhi-salile

andakoso niratmakah

sagram vai varsa-sahasram

anvavatsit tam isvarah

SYNONYMS

sah—it; asayista—lay; abdhi-salile—on the waters of the Causal Ocean; anda-kosah—egg; niratmakah—in an unconscious state; sagram—a little more than; vai—in fact; varsa-sahasram—a thousand years; anvavatsit—became situated; tam—in the egg; isvarah—the Lord.

TRANSLATION

For over one thousand years the shiny egg lay on the waters of the Causal Ocean in the lifeless state. Then the Lord entered it as Garbhodakasayi Visnu.

PURPORT

From this verse it appears that all the universes are floating in the Causal Ocean.

SB3.20.16

TEXT 16

tasya nabher abhut padmam

sahasrarkoru-didhiti

sarva-jivanikayauko

yatra svayam abhut svarat

SYNONYMS

tasya—of the Lord; nabheh—from the navel; abhut—sprouted up; padmam—a lotus; sahasra-arka—a thousand suns; uru—more; didhiti—with dazzling splendor; sarva—all; jiva-nikaya—resting place of conditioned souls; okah—place; yatra—where; svayam—himself; abhut—emanated; sva-rat—the omnipotent (Lord Brahma).

TRANSLATION

From the navel of the Personality of Godhead Garbhodakasayi Visnu sprouted a lotus flower effulgent like a thousand blazing suns. This lotus flower is the reservoir of all conditioned souls, and the first living entity who came out of the lotus flower was the omnipotent Brahma

PURPORT

It appears from this verse that the conditioned souls who rested within the body of the Personality of Godhead after the dissolution of the last creation came out in the sum total form of the lotus. This is called hiranyagarbha. The first living entity to come out was Lord Brahma, who is independently able to create the rest of the manifested universe. The lotus is described here as effulgent as the glare of a thousand suns. This indicates that the living entities, as parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, are also of the same quality, since the Lord also diffuses His bodily glare, known as brahmajyoti. The description of Vaikunthaloka, as stated in Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literatures, is confirmed herewith. In Vaikuntha, the spiritual sky, there is no need of sunshine, moonshine, electricity or fire. Every planet there is self-effulgent like the sun.

SB3.20.17

TEXT 17

so ’nuvisto bhagavata

yah sete salilasaye

loka-samstham yatha purvam

nirmame samsthaya svaya

SYNONYMS

sah—Lord Brahma; anuvistah—was entered; bhagavata—by the Lord; yah—who; sete—sleeps; salila-asaye—on the Garbhodaka Ocean; loka-samstham—the universe; yatha purvam—as previously; nirmame—created; samsthaya—by intelligence; svaya—his own.

TRANSLATION

When that Supreme Personality of Godhead who is lying on the Garbhodaka Ocean entered the heart of Brahma, Brahma brought his intelligence to bear, and with the intelligence invoked he began to create the universe as it was before.

PURPORT

At a certain time, the Personality of Godhead, Karanodakasayi Visnu, lies in the Karana Ocean and produces many thousands of universes from His breathing; then He enters again into each and every universe as Garbhodakasayi Visnu and fills up half of each universe with His own perspiration. The other half of the universe remains vacant, and that vacant region is called outer space. Then the lotus flower sprouts from His abdomen and produces the first living creature, Brahma. Then again, as Ksirodakasayi Visnu, the Lord enters into the heart of every living entity, including Brahma. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, Fifteenth Chapter. The Lord says, “I am seated in everyone’s heart, and by Me are remembrance and forgetfulness made possible.” As the witness of the activities of the individual entities, the Lord gives each one remembrance and intelligence to act according to his desire at the time he was annihilated in his last birth in the last millennium. This intelligence is invoked according to one’s own capacity, or by the law of karma.

Brahma was the first living entity, and he was empowered by the Supreme Lord to act in charge of the mode of passion; therefore, he was given the required intelligence, which is so powerful and extensive that he is almost independent of the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just as a highly posted manager is almost as independent as the owner of a firm, Brahma is described here as independent because, as the Lord’s representative to control the universe, he is almost as powerful and independent as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord, as the Supersoul within Brahma, gave him the intelligence to create. The creative power, therefore, of every living entity is not his own; it is by the grace of the Lord that one can create. There are many scientists and great workers in this material world who have wonderful creative force, but they act and create only according to the direction of the Supreme Lord. A scientist may create many wonderful inventions by the direction of the Lord, but it is not possible for him to overcome the stringent laws of material nature by his intelligence, nor is it possible to acquire such intelligence from the Lord, for the Lord’s supremacy would then be hampered. It is stated in this verse that Brahma created the universe as it was before. This means that he created everything by the same name and form as in the previous cosmic manifestation.

Next verse (SB3.20.18)