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rsih—the great sage Kardama; uvaca—said; badham—very well; udvodhu-kamah—desirous to marry; aham—I; apratta—not promised to anyone else; ca—and; tava—your; atma-ja—daughter; avayoh—of us two; anurupah—proper; asau—this; adyah—first; vaivahikah—of marriage; vidhih—ritualistic ceremony.

The great sage replied: Certainly I have a desire to marry, and your daughter has not yet married or given her word to anyone. Therefore our marriage according to the Vedic system can take place.

There were many considerations by Kardama Muni before accepting the daughter of Svayambhuva Manu. Most important is that Devahuti had first of all fixed her mind on marrying him. She did not choose to have any other man as her husband. That is a great consideration because female psychology dictates that when a woman offers her heart to a man for the first time, it is very difficult for her to take it back. Also, she had not married before; she was a virgin girl. All these considerations convinced Kardama Muni to accept her. Therefore he said, “Yes, I shall accept your daughter under religious regulations of marriage.” There are different kinds of marriages, of which the first-class marriage is held by inviting a suitable bridegroom for the daughter and giving her in charity, well dressed and well decorated with ornaments, along with a dowry according to the means of the father. There are other kinds of marriage, such as gandharva marriage and marriage by love, which are also accepted as marriage. Even if one is forcibly kidnapped and later on accepted as a wife, that is also accepted. But Kardama Muni accepted the first-class way of marriage because the father was willing and the daughter was qualified. She had never offered her heart to anyone else. All these considerations made Kardama Muni agree to accept the daughter of Svayambhuva Manu.

SB3.22.16

TEXT 16

kamah sa bhuyan naradeva te ’syah

putryah samamnaya-vidhau pratitah

ka eva te tanayam nadriyeta

svayaiva kantya ksipatim iva sriyam

kamah—desire; sah—that; bhuyat—let it be fulfilled; nara-deva—O King; te—your; asyah—this; putryah—of the daughter; samamnaya-vidhau—in the process of the Vedic scriptures; pratitah—recognized; kah—who; eva—in fact; te—your; tanayam—daughter; na adriyeta—would not adore; svaya—by her own; eva—alone; kantya—bodily luster; ksipatim—excelling; iva—as if; sriyam—ornaments.

Let your daughter’s desire for marriage, which is recognized in the Vedic scriptures, be fulfilled. Who would not accept her hand? She is so beautiful that by her bodily luster alone she excels the beauty of her ornaments.

Kardama Muni wanted to marry Devahuti in the recognized manner of marriage prescribed in the scriptures. As stated in the Vedic scriptures, the first-class process is to call the bridegroom to the home of the bride and hand her to him in charity with a dowry of necessary ornaments, gold, furniture and other household paraphernalia. This form of marriage is prevalent among higher-class Hindus even today and is declared in the sastras to confer great religious merit on the bride’s father. To give a daughter in charity to a suitable son-in-law is considered to be one of the pious activities of a householder. There are eight forms of marriage mentioned in the scripture Manu-smrti, but only one process of marriage, brahma or rajasika marriage, is now current. Other kinds of marriage—by love, by exchange of garlands or by kidnapping the bride—are now forbidden in this Kali age. Formerly, ksatriyas would, at their pleasure, kidnap a princess from another royal house, and there would he a fight between the ksatriya and the girl’s family; then, if the kidnapper was the winner, the girl would be offered to him for marriage. Even Krsna married Rukmini by that process, and some of His sons and grandsons also married by kidnapping. Krsna’s grandsons kidnapped Duryodhana’s daughter, which caused a fight between the Kuru and Yadu families. Afterward, an adjustment was made by the elderly members of the Kuru family. Such marriages were current in bygone ages, but at the present moment they are impossible because the strict principles of ksatriya life have practically been abolished. Since India has become dependent on foreign countries, the particular influences of her social orders have been lost; now, according to the scriptures, everyone is a sudra. The so-called brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas have forgotten their traditional activities, and in the absence of these activities they are called sudras. It is said in the scriptures, kalau sudra-sambhavah. In the age of Kali everyone will be like sudras. The traditional social customs are not followed in this age, although formerly they were followed strictly.

SB3.22.17

TEXT 17

yam harmya-prsthe kvanad-anghri-sobham

vikridatim kanduka-vihvalaksim

visvavasur nyapatat svad vimanad

vilokya sammoha-vimudha-cetah

yam—whom; harmya-prsthe—on the roof of the palace; kvanat-anghri-sobham—whose beauty was heightened by the tinkling ornaments on her feet; vikridatim—playing; kanduka-vihvala-aksim—with eyes bewildered, following her ball; visvavasuh—Visvavasu; nyapatat—fell down; svat—from his own; vimanat—from the airplane; vilokya—seeing; sammoha-vimudha-cetah—whose mind was stupefied.

I have heard that Visvavasu, the great Gandharva, his mind stupefied with infatuation, fell from his airplane after seeing your daughter playing with a ball on the roof of the palace, for she was indeed beautiful with her tinkling ankle bells and her eyes moving to and fro.

It is understood that not only at the present moment but in those days also there were skyscrapers. Herein we find the word harmya-prsthe. Harmya means “a very big palatial building.” Svad vimanat means “from his own airplane.” It is suggested that private airplanes or helicopters were also current in those days. The Gandharva Visvavasu, while flying in the sky, could see Devahuti playing ball on the roof of the palace. Ball playing was also current, but aristocratic girls would not play in a public place. Ball playing and other such pleasures were not meant for ordinary women and girls; only princesses like Devahuti could indulge in such sports. It is described here that she was seen from the flying airplane. This indicates that the palace was very high, otherwise how could one see her from an airplane? The vision was so distinct that the Gandharva Visvavasu was bewildered by her beauty and by hearing the sound of her ankle bangles, and being captivated by the sound and beauty, he fell down. Kardama Muni mentioned the incident as he had heard it.

SB3.22.18

TEXT 18

tam prarthayantim lalana-lalamam

asevita-sri-caranair adrstam

vatsam manor uccapadah svasaram

ko nanumanyeta budho ’bhiyatam

tam—her; prarthayantim—seeking; lalana-lalamam—the ornament of women; asevita-sri-caranaih—by those who have not worshiped the feet of Laksmi; adrstam—not seen; vatsam—beloved daughter; manoh—of Svayambhuva Manu; uccapadah—of Uttanapada; svasaram—sister; kah—what; na anumanyeta—would not welcome; budhah—wise man; abhiyatam—who has come of her own accord.

What wise man would not welcome her, the very ornament of womanhood, the beloved daughter of Svayambhuva Manu and sister of Uttanapada? Those who have not worshiped the gracious feet of the goddess of fortune cannot even perceive her, yet she has come of her own accord to seek my hand.

Kardama Muni praised the beauty and qualification of Devahuti in different ways. Devahuti was actually the ornament of all ornamented beautiful girls. A girl becomes beautiful by putting ornaments on her body, but Devahuti was more beautiful than the ornaments; she was considered the ornament of the ornamented beautiful girls. Demigods and Gandharvas were attracted by her beauty. Kardama Muni, although a great sage, was not a denizen of the heavenly planets, but it is mentioned in the previous verse that Visvavasu, who came from heaven, was also attracted by the beauty of Devahuti. Besides her personal beauty, she was the daughter of Emperor Svayambhuva and sister of King Uttanapada. Who could refuse the hand of such a girl?

SB3.22.19

TEXT 19

ato bhajisye samayena sadhvim

yavat tejo bibhryad atmano me

ato dharman paramahamsya-mukhyan

sukla-proktan bahu manye ’vihimsran

atah—therefore; bhajisye—I shall accept; samayena—on the conditions; sadhvim—the chaste girl; yavat—until; tejah—semen; bibhryat—may bear; atmanah—from my body; me—my; atah—thereafter; dharman—the duties; paramahamsya-mukhyan—of the best of the paramahamsas; sukla-proktan—spoken by Lord Visnu; bahu—much; manye—I shall consider; avihimsran—free from envy.

Therefore I shall accept this chaste girl as my wife, on the condition that after she bears semen from my body, I shall accept the life of devotional service accepted by the most perfect human beings. That process was described by Lord Visnu. It is free from envy.

Kardama Muni expressed his desire for a very beautiful wife to Emperor Svayambhuva and accepted the Emperor’s daughter for marriage. Kardama Muni was in the hermitage practicing complete celibacy as a brahmacari, and although he had the desire to marry, he did not want to be a householder for the whole span of his life because he was conversant with the Vedic principles of human life. According to Vedic principles, the first part of life should be utilized in brahmacarya for the development of character and spiritual qualities. In the next part of life, one may accept a wife and beget children, but one should not beget children like cats and dogs.

Kardama Muni desired to beget a child who would be a ray of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should beget a child who can perform the duties of Visnu, otherwise there is no need to produce children. There are two kinds of children born of good fathers: one is educated in Krsna consciousness so that he can be delivered from the clutches of maya in that very life, and the other is a ray of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and teaches the world the ultimate goal of life. As will be described in later chapters, Kardama Muni begot such a child—Kapila, the incarnation of the Personality of Godhead who enunciated the philosophy of Sankhya. Great householders pray to God to send His representative so that there may be an auspicious movement in human society. This is one reason to beget a child. Another reason is that a highly enlightened parent can train a child in Krsna consciousness so that the child will not have to come back again to this miserable world. Parents should see to it that the child born of them does not enter the womb of a mother again. Unless one can train a child for liberation in that life, there is no need to marry or produce children. If human society produces children like cats and dogs for the disturbance of social order, then the world becomes hellish, as it has in this age of Kali. In this age, neither parents nor their children are trained; both are animalistic and simply eat, sleep, mate, defend, and gratify their senses. This disorder in social life cannot bring peace to human society. Kardama Muni explains beforehand that he would not associate with the girl Devahuti for the whole duration of his life. He would simply associate with her until she had a child. In other words, sex life should be utilized only to produce a nice child, not for any other purpose. Human life is especially meant for complete devotion to the service of the Lord. That is the philosophy of Lord Caitanya.

After fulfilling his responsibility to produce a nice child, one should take sannyasa and engage in the perfectional paramahamsa stage. paramahamsa refers to the most highly elevated perfectional stage of life. There are four stages within sannyasa life, and paramahamsa is the highest order. The Srimad-Bhagavatam is called the paramahamsa-samhita, the treatise for the highest class of human beings. The paramahamsa is free from envy. In other stages, even in the householder stage of life, there is competition and envy, but since the activities of the human being in the paramahamsa stage are completely engaged in Krsna consciousness, or devotional service, there is no scope for envy. In the same order as Kardama Muni, about one hundred years ago, Thakura Bhaktivinoda also wanted to beget a child who could preach the philosophy and teachings of Lord Caitanya to the fullest extent. By his prayers to the Lord he had as his child Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, who at the present moment is preaching the philosophy of Lord Caitanya throughout the entire world through his bona fide disciples.

SB3.22.20

TEXT 20

yato ’bhavad visvam idam vicitram

samsthasyate yatra ca vavatisthate

prajapatinam patir esa mahyam

param pramanam bhagavan anantah

yatah—from whom; abhavat—emanated; visvam—creation; idam—this; vicitram—wonderful; samsthasyate—will dissolve; yatra—in whom; ca—and; va—or; avatisthate—presently exists; praja-patinam—of the Prajapatis; patih—the Lord; esah—this; mahyam—to me; param—highest; pramanam—authority; bhagavan—Supreme Lord; anantah—unlimited.

The highest authority for me is the unlimited Supreme Personality of Godhead, from whom this wonderful creation emanates and in whom its sustenance and dissolution rest. He is the origin of all Prajapatis, the personalities meant to produce living entities in this world.

Kardama Muni was ordered by his father, Prajapati, to produce children. In the beginning of creation the Prajapatis were meant to produce the large population which was to reside in the planets of the gigantic universe. But Kardama Muni said that although his father was Prajapati, who desired him to produce children, actually his origin was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, because Visnu is the origin of everything; He is the actual creator of this universe, He is the actual maintainer, and when everything is annihilated, it rests in Him only. That is the conclusion of Srimad-Bhagavatam. For creation, maintenance and annihilation there are the three deities Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara (Siva), but Brahma and Mahesvara are qualitative expansions of Visnu. Visnu is the central figure. Visnu, therefore, takes charge of maintenance. No one can maintain the whole creation but He. There are innumerable entities, and they have innumerable demands; no one but Visnu can fulfill the innumerable demands of all the innumerable living entities. Brahma is ordered to create, and Siva is ordered to annihilate. The middle function, maintenance, is taken charge of by Visnu. Kardama Muni knew very well, by his power in progressive spiritual life, that Visnu, the Personality of Godhead, was his worshipable Deity. Whatever Visnu desired was his duty, and nothing else. He was not prepared to beget a number of children. He would beget only one child, who would help the mission of Visnu. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, whenever there is a discrepancy in the discharge of religious principles, the Lord descends on the surface of the earth to protect religious principles and to annihilate the miscreants.

Marrying and begetting a child is considered to liquidate one’s debts to the family in which one is born. There are many debts which are imposed upon a child just after his birth. There are debts to the family in which one is born, debts to the demigods, debts to the Pitas, debts to the rsis, etc. But if someone engages only in the service of the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, who is actually worshipable, then even without trying to liquidate other debts, one becomes free from all obligations. Kardama Muni preferred to devote his life as a servant of the Lord in paramahamsa knowledge and to beget a child only for that purpose, not to beget numberless children to fill up the vacancies in the universe.

SB3.22.21

TEXT 21

maitreya uvaca

sa ugra-dhanvann iyad evababhase

asic ca tusnim aravinda-nabham

dhiyopagrhnan smita-sobhitena

mukhena ceto lulubhe devahutyah

maitreyah—the great sage Maitreya; uvaca—said; sah—he (Kardama); ugra-dhanvan—O great warrior Vidura; iyat—this much; eva—only; ababhase—spoke; asit—became; ca—and; tusnim—silent; aravinda-nabham—Lord Visnu (whose navel is adorned by a lotus); dhiya—by thought; upagrhnan—seizing; smita-sobhitena—beautified by his smile; mukhena—by his face; cetah—the mind; lulubhe—was captivated; devahutyah—of Devahuti.

Sri Maitreya said: O great warrior Vidura, the sage Kardama said this much only and then became silent, thinking of his worshipable Lord Visnu, who has a lotus on His navel. As he silently smiled, his face captured the mind of Devahuti, who began to meditate upon the great sage.

It appears that Kardama Muni was fully absorbed in Krsna consciousness because as soon as he became silent, he at once began to think of Lord Visnu. That is the way of Krsna consciousness. Pure devotees are so absorbed in thought of Krsna that they have no other engagement; although they may seem to think or act otherwise, they are always thinking of Krsna. The smile of such a Krsna conscious person is so attractive that simply by smiling he wins so many admirers, disciples and followers.

SB3.22.22

TEXT 22

so ’nu jnatva vyavasitam

mahisya duhituh sphutam

tasmai guna-ganadhyaya

dadau tulyam praharsitah

sah—he (Emperor Manu); anu—afterward; jnatva—having known; vyavasitam—the fixed decision; mahisyah—of the Queen; duhituh—of his daughter; sphutam—clearly; tasmai—to him; guna-gana-adhyaya—who was endowed with a host of virtues; dadau—gave away; tulyam—who was equal (in good qualities); praharsitah—extremely pleased.

After having unmistakably known the decision of the Queen, as well as that of Devahuti, the Emperor most gladly gave his daughter to the sage, whose host of virtues was equaled by hers.

SB3.22.23

TEXT 23

satarupa maha-rajni

paribarhan maha-dhanan

dampatyoh paryadat pritya

bhusa-vasah paricchadan

SYNONYMS

satarupa—Empress Satarupa; maha-rajni—the Empress; paribarhan—dowry; maha-dhanan—valuable presents; dam-patyoh—to the bride and bridegroom; paryadat—gave; pritya—out of affection; bhusa—ornaments; vasah—clothes; paricchadan—articles for household use.

TRANSLATION

Empress Satarupa lovingly gave most valuable presents, suitable for the occasion, such as jewelry, clothes and household articles, in dowry to the bride and bridegroom.

PURPORT

The custom of giving one’s daughter in charity with a dowry is still current in India. The gifts are given according to the position of the father of the bride. Paribarhan maha-dhanan means the dowry which must be awarded to the bridegroom at the time of marriage. Here maha-dhanan means greatly valuable gifts befitting the dowry of an empress. The words bhusa-vasah paricchadan also appear here. Bhusa means “ornaments,” vasah means “clothing,” and paricchadan means “various household articles.” All things befitting the marriage ceremony of an emperor’s daughter were awarded to Kardama Muni, who was until now observing celibacy as a brahmacari. The bride, Devahuti, was very richly dressed with ornaments and clothing.

In this way Kardama Muni was married with full opulence to a qualified wife and was endowed with the necessary paraphernalia for household life. In the Vedic way of marriage such a dowry is still given to the bridegroom by the father of the bride; even in poverty-stricken India there are marriages where hundreds and thousands of rupees are spent for a dowry. The dowry system is not illegal, as some have tried to prove. The dowry is a gift given to the daughter by the father to show good will, and it is compulsory. In rare cases where the father is completely unable to give a dowry, it is enjoined that he must at least give a fruit and a flower. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, God can also be pleased even by a fruit and a flower. When there is financial inability and no question of accumulating a dowry by another means, one can give a fruit and flower for the satisfaction of the bridegroom.

SB3.22.24

TEXT 24

prattam duhitaram samrat

sadrksaya gata-vyathah

upaguhya ca bahubhyam

autkanthyonmathitasayah

prattam—who was given; duhitaram—daughter; samrat—the Emperor (Manu); sadrksaya—unto a suitable person; gata-vyathah—relieved of his responsibility; upaguhya—embracing; ca—and; bahubhyam—with his two arms; autkanthya-unmathita-asayah—having an anxious and agitated mind.

Thus relieved of his responsibility by handing over his daughter to a suitable man, Svayambhuva Manu, his mind agitated by feelings of separation, embraced his affectionate daughter with both his arms.