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ayajayat—made to perform; dharma-sutam—by the son of Dharma (Maharaja Yudhisthira); asvamedhaih—by horse sacrifices; tribhih—three; vibhuh—the Supreme Lord; sah—Maharaja Yudhisthira; api—also; ksmam—the earth; anujaih—assisted by his younger brothers; raksan—protecting; reme—enjoyed; krsnam—Krsna, the Personality of Godhead; anuvratah—constant follower.

The Supreme Lord induced the son of Dharma to perform three horse sacrifices, and Maharaja Yudhisthira, constantly following Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, protected and enjoyed the earth, assisted by his younger brothers.

Maharaja Yudhisthira was the ideal monarchical representative on the earth because he was a constant follower of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna. As stated in the Vedas (Isopanisad), the Lord is the proprietor of the entire manifested cosmic creation, which presents a chance for the conditioned souls to revive their eternal relationship with the Lord and thus go back to Godhead, back home. The whole system of the material world is arranged with that program and plan. Anyone who violates the plan is punished by the law of nature, which is acting by the direction of the Supreme Lord. Maharaja Yudhisthira was installed on the throne of the earth as a representative of the Lord. The king is always expected to be the representative of the Lord. Perfect monarchy necessitates representation of the supreme will of the Lord, and Maharaja Yudhisthira was the ideal monarch on this supreme principle. both the King and the subjects were happy in the discharge of worldly duties, and thus protection of the citizens and enjoyment of natural life, with full cooperation of material nature, followed in the reign of Maharaja Yudhisthira and his worthy descendants like Maharaja Pariksit.

SB3.3.19

TEXT 19

bhagavan api visvatma

loka-veda-pathanugah

kaman siseve dvarvatyam

asaktah sankhyam asthitah

bhagavan—the Personality of Godhead; api—also; visva-atma—the Supersoul of the universe; loka—customary; veda—Vedic principles; patha-anugah—follower of the path; kaman—the necessities of life; siseve—enjoyed; dvarvatyam—in the city of Dvaraka; asaktah—without being attached; sankhyam—knowledge in Sankhya philosophy; asthitah—being situated.

Simultaneously, the Personality of Godhead enjoyed life in the city of Dvaraka, strictly in conformity with the Vedic customs of society. He was situated in detachment and knowledge, as enunciated by the Sankhya system of philosophy.

While Maharaja Yudhisthira was the Emperor of the earth, Lord Sri Krsna was the King of Dvaraka and was known as Dvarakadhisa. Like other subordinate kings, He was under the regime of Maharaja Yudhisthira. Although Lord Sri Krsna is the supreme emperor of the entire creation, while He was on this earth He never violated the principles of the Vedic injunctions because they are the guide for human life. Regulated human life according to the Vedic principles, which are based on the system of knowledge called Sankhya philosophy, is the real way of enjoyment of the necessities of life. Without such knowledge, detachment and custom, the so-called human civilization is no more than an animal society of eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. The Lord was acting freely, as He willed, yet by His practical example He taught not to lead a life which goes against the principles of detachment and knowledge. Attainment of knowledge and detachment, as very elaborately discussed in Sankhya philosophy, is the real perfection of life. Knowledge means to know that the mission of the human form of life is to end all the miseries of material existence and that in spite of having to fulfill the bodily necessities in a regulated way, one must be detached from such animal life. Fulfilling the demands of the body is animal life, and fulfilling the mission of spirit soul is the human mission.

SB3.3.20

TEXT 20

snigdha-smitavalokena

snigdha—gentle; smita-avalokena—by a glance with a sweet smile; vaca—by words; piyusa-kalpaya—compared to nectar; caritrena—by character; anavadyena—without flaw; sri—fortune; niketena—residence; ca—and; atmana—by His transcendental body.

He was there in His transcendental body, the residence of the goddess of fortune, with His usual gentle and sweetly smiling face, His nectarean words and His flawless character.

ksana-stri-ksana-sauhrdah

In the previous verse it is described that Lord Krsna, being situated in the truths of Sankhya philosophy, is detached from all kinds of matter. In the present verse it is described that He is the residence of the goddess of fortune. These two things are not at all contradictory. Lord Krsna is detached from the variegatedness of the inferior nature, but He is in eternal, blissful enjoyment of the spiritual nature, or His internal potency. One who has a poor fund of knowledge cannot understand this distinction between the external and internal potencies. In Bhagavad-gita, the internal potency is described as the para prakrti. In the Visnu Purana also, the internal potency of Visnu is described as para sakti. The Lord is never detached from the association of para sakti. This para sakti and her manifestations are described in the Brahma-samhita (5.37) as ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhih. The Lord is eternally joyful and cognizant in the taste derived from such transcendental bliss. Negation of the variegatedness of the inferior energy does not necessitate negation of the positive transcendental bliss of the spiritual world. Therefore the Lord’s gentleness, His smile, His character and everything related to Him are all transcendental. Such manifestations of the internal potency are the reality, of which the material shadow is only a temporary representation from which everyone with proper knowledge must be detached.

SB3.3.21

TEXT 21

imam lokam amum caiva

ramayan sutaram yadun

reme ksanadaya datta-

imam—this; lokam—earth; amum—and the other worlds; ca—also; eva—certainly; ramayan—pleasing; sutaram—specifically; yadun—the Yadus; reme—enjoyed; ksanadaya—by night; datta—given by; ksana—leisure; stri—with women; ksana—conjugal love; sauhrdah—friendship.

The Lord enjoyed His pastimes, both in this world and in other worlds [higher planets], specifically in the association of the Yadu dynasty. At leisure hours offered by night, He enjoyed the friendship of conjugal love with women.

The Lord enjoyed in this world with His pure devotees. Although He is the Personality of Godhead and is transcendental to all material attachment, He nevertheless exhibited much attachment for His pure devotees on the earth, as well as for the demigods who engage in His service in the heavenly planets as powerful delegated directors in the management of all material activities. He displayed special attachment for His family members, the Yadus, as well as for His sixteen thousand wives, who had the opportunity to meet Him in the leisure hours of night. All these attachments of the Lord are manifestations of His internal potency, of which the external potency is only a shadow representation. In the Skanda Purana, Prabhasa-khanda, in the topics between Lord Siva and Gauri, there is confirmation of His internal potential manifestations. There is mention of the Lord’s meeting with sixteen thousand cowherd damsels although He is the Hamsa (transcendental) Supersoul and maintainer of all living entities. The sixteen thousand cowherd damsels are a display of sixteen varieties of internal potencies. This will be more elaborately explained in the Tenth Canto. It is said there that Lord Krsna is just like the moon and the internal potential damsels are like the stars around the moon.

SB3.3.22

TEXT 22

tasyaivam ramamanasya

samvatsara-ganan bahun

grhamedhesu yogesu

viragah samajayata

tasya—His; evam—thus; ramamanasya—enjoying; samvatsara—years; ganan—many; bahun—great many; grhamedhesu—in household life; yogesu—in sex life; viragah—detachment; samajayata—awakened.

The Lord was thus engaged in household life for many, many years, but at last His detachment from ephemeral sex life was fully manifested.

Even though the Lord is never attached to any kind of material sex life, as the universal teacher He remained a householder for many, many years, just to teach others how one should live in householder life. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains that the word samajayata means “fully exhibited.” In all His activities while present on the earth, the Lord exhibited detachment. This was fully displayed when He wanted to teach by example that one should not remain attached to household life for all the days of one’s life. One should naturally develop detachment as a matter of course. The Lord’s detachment from household life does not indicate detachment from His eternal associates, the transcendental cowherd damsels. But the Lord desired to end His so-called attachment to the three modes of material nature. He can never be detached from the service of His transcendental associates like Rukmini and other goddesses of fortune, as described in the Brahma-samhita (5.29): laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam.

SB3.3.23

TEXT 23

daivadhinesu kamesu

daivadhinah svayam puman

ko visrambheta yogena

yogesvaram anuvratah

daiva—supernatural; adhinesu—being controlled; kamesu—in sense enjoyment; daiva-adhinah—controlled by supernatural force; svayam—himself; puman—living entity; kah—whoever; visrambheta—can have faith in; yogena—by devotional service; yogesvaram—the Supreme Lord; anuvratah—serving.

Every living entity is controlled by a supernatural force, and thus his sense enjoyment is also under the control of that supernatural force. No one, therefore, can put his faith in Lord Krsna’s transcendental sense activities but one who has become a devotee of the Lord by rendering devotional service.

As stated in Bhagavad-gita no one can understand the transcendental birth and activities of the Lord. The same fact is herein corroborated: no one but one who is enlightened by the devotional service of the Lord can understand the difference between the Lord’s activities and those of others, who are controlled by the supernatural force. The sense enjoyment of all animals, men and demigods within the purview of the material universe is controlled by the supernatural force called the prakrti, or daivi-maya. No one is independent in obtaining sense enjoyment, and everyone in this material world is after sense enjoyment. Persons who are themselves under the control of supernatural power cannot believe that Lord Krsna is not under any control beyond Himself in the matter of sense enjoyment. They cannot understand that His senses are transcendental. In the Brahma-samhita the Lord’s senses are described as omnipotent; i.e., with any sense He can perform the activities of the other senses. One who has limited senses cannot believe that the Lord can eat by His transcendental power of hearing and can perform the act of sex life simply by seeing. The controlled living entity cannot even dream of such sense activities in his conditional life. But simply by the activities of bhakti-yoga, he can understand that the Lord and His activities are always transcendental. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (18.55), bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah: one cannot know even a fraction of the activities of the Lord if he is not a pure devotee of the Lord.

SB3.3.24

TEXT 24

puryam kadacit kridadbhir

yadu-bhoja-kumarakaih

kopita munayah sepur

bhagavan-mata-kovidah

puryam—in the city of Dvaraka; kadacit—once upon a time; kridadbhih—by sporting activities; yadu—the descendants of Yadu; bhoja—the descendants of Bhoja; kumarakaih—princes; kopitah—became angry; munayah—the great sages; sepuh—cursed; bhagavat—the Personality of Godhead; mata—desire; kovidah—cognizant.

Once upon a time, great sages were made angry by the sporting activities of the princely descendants of the Yadu and Bhoja dynasties, and thus, as desired by the Lord, the sages cursed them.

The associates of the Lord who were playing the part of princely descendants of the Yadu and Bhoja dynasties were not ordinary living entities. It is not possible that they could offend any saintly man or sage, nor could the sages, who were all pure devotees of the Lord, be influenced to anger by any of the sporting activities of the princes born in the holy dynasties of Yadu or Bhoja, wherein the Lord Himself appeared as a descendant. The cursing of the princes by the sages was another transcendental pastime of the Lord to make a show of anger. The princes were cursed in order that one may know that even the descendants of the Lord, who could never be vanquished by any act of material nature, were subjected to the reactions of anger by great devotees of the Lord. One should therefore take great care and attention not to commit an offense at the feet of a devotee of the Lord.

SB3.3.25

TEXT 25

tatah katipayair masair

vrsni-bhojandhakadayah

yayuh prabhasam samhrsta

rathair deva-vimohitah

tatah—thereafter; katipayaih—a few; masaih—months passing; vrsni—the descendants of Vrsni; bhoja—the descendants of Bhoja; andhaka-adayah—and others, like the sons of Andhaka; yayuh—went; prabhasam—the place of pilgrimage named Prabhasa; samhrstah—with great pleasure; rathaih—on their chariots; deva—by Krsna; vimohitah—bewildered.

A few months passed, and then, bewildered by Krsna, all the descendants of Vrsni, Bhoja and Andhaka who were incarnations of demigods went to Prabhasa, while those who were eternal devotees of the Lord did not leave but remained in Dvaraka.

SB3.3.26

TEXT 26

tatra snatva pitrn devan

rsims caiva tad-ambhasa

tarpayitvatha viprebhyo

gavo bahu-guna daduh

SYNONYMS

tatra—there; snatva—by taking bath; pitrn—forefathers; devan—demigods; rsin—great sages; ca—also; eva—certainly; tat—of that; ambhasa—by the water; tarpayitva—by pleasing; atha—thereupon; viprebhyah—unto the brahmanas; gavah—cows; bahu-gunah—greatly useful; daduh—gave in charity.

TRANSLATION

After arriving there, all of them took bath, and with the water of this place of pilgrimage they offered their respects to the forefathers, demigods and great sages and thus satisfied them. They gave cows to the brahmanas in royal charity.

PURPORT

Amongst the devotees of the Lord there are several divisions, mainly nitya-siddhas and sadhana-siddhas. The nitya-siddha devotees never fall down to the region of the material atmosphere, even though they sometimes come onto the material plane to execute the mission of the Lord. The sadhana-siddha devotees are chosen from the conditioned souls. Out of the sadhana devotees, there are mixed and pure devotees. The mixed devotees are sometimes enthusiastic about fruitive activities and are habituated to philosophical speculation. The pure devotees are free from all these mixtures and are completely absorbed in the service of the Lord, regardless of how and where they are situated. Pure devotees of the Lord are not enthusiastic to put aside their service to the Lord in order to go visit holy places of pilgrimage. A great devotee of the Lord in modern times, Sri Narottama dasa Thakura, has sung like this: “To visit holy places of pilgrimage is another bewilderment of the mind because devotional service to the Lord at any place is the last word in spiritual perfection.”

For pure devotees of the Lord who are completely satisfied with the transcendental loving service of the Lord, there is hardly any necessity to visit the various places of pilgrimage. But those who are not so advanced have the prescribed duties of visiting pilgrimage sites and regularly performing the rituals. The part of the princely order of the Yadu dynasty who went to Prabhasa performed all duties to be done in a place of pilgrimage and offered their pious actions to their forefathers and others.

As a rule, every human being is indebted to God, the demigods, great sages, other living entities, people in general, forefathers, etc., for various contributions received from them. Thus everyone is obliged to repay the debt of gratitude. The Yadus who went to the Prabhasa pilgrimage site performed their duties by distributing land, gold, and well-nourished cows in royal charity, as described in the following verse.

SB3.3.27

TEXT 27

hiranyam rajatam sayyam

vasamsy ajina-kambalan

yanam rathan ibhan kanya

dharam vrtti-karim api

hiranyam—gold; rajatam—gold coins; sayyam—bedding; vasamsi—clothing; ajina—animal skin for seats; kambalan—blankets; yanam—horses; rathan—chariots; ibhan—elephants; kanyah—girls; dharam—land; vrtti-karim—to provide livelihood; api—also.

The brahmanas were not only given well-fed cows in charity, but also gold, gold coins, bedding, clothing, animal-skin seats, blankets, horses, elephants, girls and sufficient land for maintenance.

All these charities were meant for the brahmanas, whose lives were devoted entirely to the welfare of society, both spiritually and materially. The brahmanas were not giving their services as paid servants, but the society provided them with all necessities. It was arranged for some of the brahmanas, who were in difficulty for marriage, to be given girls. The brahmanas, therefore, had no economic problems. The ksatriya kings and rich mercantile men would provide them with all that they needed, and in exchange the brahmanas were completely devoted to the elevation of society. That was the way of social cooperation between the different castes. When the brahmana class or caste gradually became easygoing, being fed by the society although they had no brahminical qualifications, they degraded themselves into brahma-bandhus, or disqualified brahmanas, and thus other members of society also gradually fell down from the social standard of progressive life. As described in Bhagavad-gita, the caste system is the creation of the Lord and is arranged according to the quality of work rendered to society and not in terms of birthright, as falsely claimed in the present degraded society.

SB3.3.28

TEXT 28

annam coru-rasam tebhyo

dattva bhagavad-arpanam

go-viprarthasavah surah

pranemur bhuvi murdhabhih

annam—foodstuff; ca—also; uru-rasam—highly delicious; tebhyah—unto the brahmanas; dattva—after supplying; bhagavat-arpanam—which was first offered to the Personality of Godhead; go—cows; vipra—brahmanas; artha—purpose; asavah—purpose of living; surah—all the valiant ksatriyas; pranemuh—offered obeisances; bhuvi—touching the ground; murdhabhih—with their heads.

Thereafter they offered the brahmanas highly delicious foodstuffs first offered to the Personality of Godhead and offered their respectful obeisances by touching their heads to the ground. They lived perfectly by protecting the cows and the brahmanas.