Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 3: “The Status Quo”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Thirty
SB3.30.18
TEXT 18
evam kutumba-bharane
vyaprtatmajitendriyah
mriyate rudatam svanam
uru-vedanayasta-dhih
SYNONYMS
evam—thus; kutumba-bharane—in maintaining a family; vyaprta—engrossed; atma—his mind; ajita—uncontrolled; indriyah—his senses; mriyate—he dies; rudatam—while crying; svanam—his relatives; uru—great; vedanaya—with pain; asta—bereft of; dhih—consciousness.
TRANSLATION
Thus the man, who engaged with uncontrolled senses in maintaining a family, dies in great grief, seeing his relatives crying. He dies most pathetically, in great pain and without consciousness.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gita it is said that at the time of death one will be absorbed in the thoughts which he cultivated during his lifetime. A person who had no other idea than to properly maintain his family members must have family affairs in his last thoughts. That is the natural sequence for a common man. The common man does not know the destiny of his life; he is simply busy in his flash of life, maintaining his family. At the last stage, no one is satisfied with how he has improved the family economic condition; everyone thinks that he could not provide sufficiently. Because of his deep family affection, he forgets his main duty of controlling the senses and improving his spiritual consciousness. Sometimes a dying man entrusts the family affairs to either his son or some relative, saying, “I am going. Please look after the family.” He does not know where he is going, but even at the time of death he is anxious about how his family will be maintained. Sometimes it is seen that a dying man requests the physician to increase his life at least for a few years so that the family maintenance plan which he has begun can be completed. These are the material diseases of the conditioned soul. He completely forgets his real engagement—to become Krsna conscious—and is always serious about planning to maintain his family, although he changes families one after another. SB3.30.19 TEXT 19 yama-dutau tada praptau bhimau sarabhaseksanau sa drstva trasta-hrdayah sakrn-mutram vimuncati SYNONYMS yama-dutau—two messengers of Yamaraja; tada—at that time; praptau—arrived; bhimau—terrible; sa-rabhasa—full of wrath; iksanau—their eyes; sah—he; drstva—seeing; trasta—frightened; hrdayah—his heart; sakrt—stool; mutram—urine; vimuncati—he passes. TRANSLATION At death, he sees the messengers of the lord of death come before him, their eyes full of wrath, and in great fear he passes stool and urine. PURPORT There are two kinds of transmigration of a living entity after passing away from the present body. One kind of transmigration is to go to the controller of sinful activities, who is known as Yamaraja, and the other is to go to the higher planets, up to Vaikuntha. Here Lord Kapila describes how persons engaged in activities of sense gratification to maintain a family are treated by the messengers of Yamaraja, called Yamadutas. At the time of death the Yamadutas become the custodians of those persons who have strongly gratified their senses. They take charge of the dying man and take him to the planet where Yamaraja resides. The conditions there are described in the following verses. SB3.30.20 TEXT 20 yatana-deha avrtya pasair baddhva gale balat nayato dirgham adhvanam dandyam raja-bhata yatha SYNONYMS yatana—for punishment; dehe—his body; avrtya—covering; pasaih—with ropes; baddhva—binding; gale—by the neck; balat—by force; nayatah—they lead; dirgham—long; adhvanam—distance; dandyam—a criminal; raja-bhatah—the king’s soldiers; yatha—as. TRANSLATION As a criminal is arrested for punishment by the constables of the state, a person engaged in criminal sense gratification is similarly arrested by the Yamadutas, who bind him by the neck with strong rope and cover his subtle body so that he may undergo severe punishment. PURPORT Every living entity is covered by a subtle and gross body. The subtle body is the covering of mind, ego, intelligence and consciousness. It is said in the scriptures that the constables of Yamaraja cover the subtle body of the culprit and take him to the abode of Yamaraja to be punished in a way that he is able to tolerate. He does not die from this punishment because if he died, then who would suffer the punishment? It is not the business of the constables of Yamaraja to put one to death. In fact, it is not possible to kill a living entity because factually he is eternal; he simply has to suffer the consequences of his activities of sense gratification. The process of punishment is explained in the Caitanya-caritamrta. Formerly the king’s men would take a criminal in a boat in the middle of the river. They would dunk him by grasping a bunch of his hair and thrusting him completely underwater, and when he was almost suffocated, the king’s constables would take him out of the water and allow him to breathe for some time, and then they would again dunk him in the water to suffocate. This sort of punishment is inflicted upon the forgotten soul by Yamaraja, as will be described in the following verses. SB3.30.21 TEXT 21 tayor nirbhinna-hrdayas tarjanair jata-vepathuh pathi svabhir bhaksyamana arto ’gham svam anusmaran SYNONYMS tayoh—of the Yamadutas; nirbhinna—broken; hrdayah—his heart; tarjanaih—by the threatening; jata—arisen; vepathuh—trembling; pathi—on the road; svabhih—by dogs; bhaksyamanah—being bitten; artah—distressed; agham—sins; svam—his; anusmaran—remembering. TRANSLATION While carried by the constables of Yamaraja, he is overwhelmed and trembles in their hands. While passing on the road he is bitten by dogs, and he can remember the sinful activities of his life. He is thus terribly distressed. PURPORT It appears from this verse that while passing from this planet to the planet of Yamaraja, the culprit arrested by Yamaraja’s constables meets many dogs, which bark and bite just to remind him of his criminal activities of sense gratification. It is said in Bhagavad-gita that one becomes almost blind and is bereft of all sense when he is infuriated by the desire for sense gratification. He forgets everything. Kamais tais tair hrta jnanah [Bg. 7.20]. One is bereft of all intelligence when he is too attracted by sense gratification, and he forgets that he has to suffer the consequences also. Here the chance for recounting his activities of sense gratification is given by the dogs engaged by Yamaraja. While we live in the gross body, such activities of sense gratification are encouraged even by modern government regulations. In every state all over the world, such activities are encouraged by the government in the form of birth control. Women are supplied pills, and they are allowed to go to a clinical laboratory to get assistance for abortions. This is going on as a result of sense gratification. Actually sex life is meant for begetting a good child, but because people have no control over the senses and there is no institution to train them to control the senses, the poor fellows fall victim to the criminal offenses of sense gratification, and they are punished after death as described in these pages of Srimad-Bhagavatam. SB3.30.22 TEXT 22 ksut-trt-parito ’rka-davanalanilaih santapyamanah pathi tapta-valuke krcchrena prsthe kasaya ca taditas calaty asakto ’pi nirasramodake SYNONYMS ksut-trt—by hunger and thirst; paritah—afflicted; arka—sun; dava-anala—forest fires; anilaih—by winds; santapyamanah—being scorched; pathi—on a road; tapta-valuke—of hot sand; krcchrena—painfully; prsthe—on the back; kasaya—with a whip; ca—and; taditah—beaten; calati—he moves; asaktah—unable; api—although; nirasrama-udake—without shelter or water. TRANSLATION Under the scorching sun, the criminal has to pass through roads of hot sand with forest fires on both sides. He is whipped on the back by the constables because of his inability to walk, and he is afflicted by hunger and thirst, but unfortunately there is no drinking water, no shelter and no place for rest on the road. SB3.30.23 TEXT 23 tatra tatra patan chranto murcchitah punar utthitah patha papiyasa nitas tarasa yama-sadanam SYNONYMS tatra tatra—here and there; patan—falling; srantah—fatigued; murcchitah—unconscious; punah—again; utthitah—risen; patha—by the road; papiyasa—very inauspicious; nitah—brought; tarasa—quickly; yama-sadanam—to the presence of Yamaraja. TRANSLATION While passing on that road to the abode of Yamaraja, he falls down in fatigue, and sometimes he becomes unconscious, but he is forced to rise again. In this way he is very quickly brought to the presence of Yamaraja. SB3.30.24 TEXT 24 yojananam sahasrani navatim nava cadhvanah tribhir muhurtair dvabhyam va nitah prapnoti yatanah SYNONYMS yojananam—of yojanas; sahasrani—thousands; navatim—ninety; nava—nine; ca—and; adhvanah—from a distance; tribhih—three; muhurtaih—within moments; dvabhyam—two; va—or; nitah—brought; prapnoti—he receives; yatanah—punishments. TRANSLATION Thus he has to pass ninety-nine thousand yojanas within two or three moments, and then he is at once engaged in the torturous punishment which he is destined to suffer. PURPORT One yojana is calculated to be eight miles, and he has to pass along a road which is therefore as much as 792,000 miles. Such a long distance is passed over within a few moments only. The subtle body is covered by the constables so that the living entity can pass such a long distance quickly and at the same time tolerate the suffering. This covering, although material, is of such fine elements that material scientists cannot discover what the coverings are made of. To pass 792,000 miles within a few moments seems wonderful to the modern space travelers. They have so far traveled at a speed of 18,000 miles per hour, but here we see that a criminal passes 792,000 miles within a few seconds only, although the process is not spiritual but material. SB3.30.25 TEXT 25 adipanam sva-gatranam vestayitvolmukadibhih atma-mamsadanam kvapi sva-krttam parato ’pi va SYNONYMS adipanam—setting on fire; sva-gatranam—of his own limbs; vestayitva—having been surrounded; ulmuka-adibhih—by pieces of burning wood and so on; atma-mamsa—of his own flesh; adanam—eating; kva api—sometimes; sva-krttam—done by himself; paratah—by others; api—else; va—or. TRANSLATION He is placed in the midst of burning pieces of wood, and his limbs are set on fire. In some cases he is made to eat his own flesh or have it eaten by others. PURPORT From this verse through the next three verses the description of punishment will be narrated. The first description is that the criminal has to eat his own flesh, burning with fire, or allow others like himself who are present there to eat. In the last great war, people in concentration camps sometimes ate their own stool, so there is no wonder that in the Yamasadana, the abode of Yamaraja, one who had a very enjoyable life eating others’ flesh has to eat his own flesh. SB3.30.26 TEXT 26 jivatas cantrabhyuddharah sva-grdhrair yama-sadane sarpa-vrscika-damsadyair dasadbhis catma-vaisasam SYNONYMS jivatah—alive; ca—and; antra—of his entrails; abhyuddharah—pulling out; sva-grdhraih—by dogs and vultures; yama-sadane—in the abode of Yamaraja; sarpa—by serpents; vrscika—scorpions; damsa—gnats; adyaih—and so on; dasadbhih—biting; ca—and; atma-vaisasam—torment of himself. TRANSLATION His entrails are pulled out by the hounds and vultures of hell, even though he is still alive to see it, and he is subjected to torment by serpents, scorpions, gnats and other creatures that bite him. SB3.30.27 TEXT 27 krntanam cavayavaso gajadibhyo bhidapanam patanam giri-srngebhyo rodhanam cambu-gartayoh SYNONYMS krntanam—cutting off; ca—and; avayavasah—limb by limb; gaja-adibhyah—by elephants and so on; bhidapanam—tearing; patanam—hurling down; giri—of hills; srngebhyah—from the tops; rodhanam—enclosing; ca—and; ambu-gartayoh—in water or in a cave. TRANSLATION Next his limbs are lopped off and torn asunder by elephants. He is hurled down from hilltops, and he is also held captive either in water or in a cave. SB3.30.28 TEXT 28 yas tamisrandha-tamisra rauravadyas ca yatanah bhunkte naro va nari va mithah sangena nirmitah SYNONYMS yah—which; tamisra—the name of a hell; andha-tamisrah—the name of a hell; raurava—the name of a hell; adyah—and so on; ca—and; yatanah—punishments; bhunkte—undergoes; narah—man; va—or; nari—woman; va—or; mithah—mutual; sangena—by association; nirmitah—caused. TRANSLATION Men and women whose lives were built upon indulgence in illicit sex life are put into many kinds of miserable conditions in the hells known as Tamisra, Andha-tamisra and Raurava. PURPORT Materialistic life is based on sex life. The existence of all the materialistic people, who are undergoing severe tribulation in the struggle for existence, is based on sex. Therefore, in the Vedic civilization sex life is allowed only in a restricted way; it is for the married couple and only for begetting children. But when sex life is indulged in for sense gratification illegally and illicitly, both the man and the woman await severe punishment in this world or after death. In this world also they are punished by virulent diseases like syphilis and gonorrhea, and in the next life, as we see in this passage of Srimad-Bhagavatam, they are put into different kinds of hellish conditions to suffer. In Bhagavad-gita, First Chapter, illicit sex life is also very much condemned, and it is said that one who produces children by illicit sex life is sent to hell. It is confirmed here in the Bhagavatam that such offenders are put into hellish conditions of life in Tamisra, Andha-tamisra and Raurava. SB3.30.29 TEXT 29 atraiva narakah svarga iti matah pracaksate ya yatana vai narakyas ta ihapy upalaksitah SYNONYMS atra—in this world; eva—even; narakah—hell; svargah—heaven; iti—thus; matah—O mother; pracaksate—they say; yah—which; yatanah—punishments; vai—certainly; narakyah—hellish; tah—they; iha—here; api—also; upalaksitah—visible. TRANSLATION Lord Kapila continued: My dear mother, it is sometimes said that we experience hell or heaven on this planet, for hellish punishments are sometimes visible on this planet also. PURPORT Sometimes unbelievers do not accept these statements of scripture regarding hell. They disregard such authorized descriptions. Lord Kapila therefore confirms them by saying that these hellish conditions are also visible on this planet. It is not that they are only on the planet where Yamaraja lives. On the planet of Yamaraja, the sinful man is given the chance to practice living in the hellish conditions which he will have to endure in the next life, and then he is given a chance to take birth on another planet to continue his hellish life. For example, if a man is to be punished to remain in hell and eat stool and urine, then first of all he practices such habits on the planet of Yamaraja, and then he is given a particular type of body, that of a hog, so that he can eat stool and think that he is enjoying life. It is stated previously that in any hellish condition, the conditioned soul thinks he is happy. Otherwise, it would not be possible for him to suffer hellish life. SB3.30.30 TEXT 30 evam kutumbam bibhrana udaram bhara eva va visrjyehobhayam pretya bhunkte tat-phalam idrsam SYNONYMS evam—in this way; kutumbam—family; bibhranah—he who maintained; udaram—stomach; bharah—he who maintained; eva—only; va—or; visrjya—after giving up; iha—here; ubhayam—both of them; pretya—after death; bhunkte—he undergoes; tat—of that; phalam—result; idrsam—such. TRANSLATION After leaving this body, the man who maintained himself and his family members by sinful activities suffers a hellish life, and his relatives suffer also. PURPORT The mistake of modern civilization is that man does not believe in the next life. But whether he believes or not, the next life is there, and one has to suffer if one does not lead a responsible life in terms of the injunctions of authoritative scriptures like the Vedas and puranas. Species lower than human beings are not responsible for their actions because they are made to act in a certain way, but in the developed life of human consciousness, if one is not responsible for his activities, then he is sure to get a hellish life, as described herein. SB3.30.31 TEXT 31 ekah prapadyate dhvantam hitvedam sva-kalevaram kusaletara-patheyo bhuta-drohena yad bhrtam SYNONYMS ekah—alone; prapadyate—he enters; dhvantam—darkness; hitva—after quitting; idam—this; sva—his; kalevaram—body; kusala-itara—sin; patheyah—his passage money; bhuta—to other living entities; drohena—by injury; yat—which body; bhrtam—was maintained. TRANSLATION He goes alone to the darkest regions of hell after quitting the present body, and the money he acquired by envying other living entities is the passage money with which he leaves this world. PURPORT When a man earns money by unfair means and maintains his family and himself with that money, the money is enjoyed by many members of the family, but he alone goes to hell. A person who enjoys life by earning money or by envying another’s life, and who enjoys with family and friends, will have to enjoy alone the resultant sinful reactions accrued from such violent and illicit life. For example, if a man secures some money by killing someone and with that money maintains his family, those who enjoy the black money earned by him are also partially responsible and are also sent to hell, but he who is the leader is especially punished. The result of material enjoyment is that one takes with him the sinful reaction only, and not the money. The money he earned is left in this world, and he takes only the reaction. In this world also, if a person acquires some money by murdering someone, the family is not hanged, although its members are sinfully contaminated. But the man who commits the murder and maintains his family is himself hanged as a murderer. The direct offender is more responsible for sinful activities than the indirect enjoyer. The great learned scholar Canakya Pandita says, therefore, that whatever one has in his possession had better be spent for the cause of sat, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because one cannot take his possessions with him. They remain here, and they will be lost. Either we leave the money or the money leaves us, but we will be separated. The best use of money as long as it is within our possession is to spend it to acquire Krsna consciousness. SB3.30.32 TEXT 32 daivenasaditam tasya samalam niraye puman bhunkte kutumba-posasya hrta-vitta ivaturah SYNONYMS daivena—by the arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; asaditam—obtained; tasya—his; samalam—sinful reaction; niraye—in a hellish condition; puman—the man; bhunkte—undergoes; kutumba-posasya—of maintaining a family; hrta-vittah—one whose wealth is lost; iva—like; aturah—suffering. TRANSLATION Thus, by the arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the maintainer of kinsmen is put into a hellish condition to suffer for his sinful activities, like a man who has lost his wealth. PURPORT The example set herein is that the sinful person suffers just like a man who has lost his wealth. The human form of body is achieved by the conditioned soul after many, many births and is a very valuable asset. Instead of utilizing this life to get liberation, if one uses it simply for the purpose of maintaining his so-called family and therefore performs foolish and unauthorized action, he is compared to a man who has lost his wealth and who, upon losing it, laments. When wealth is lost, there is no use lamenting, but as long as there is wealth, one has to utilize it properly and thereby gain eternal profit. It may be argued that when a man leaves his money earned by sinful activities, he also leaves his sinful activities here with his money. But it is especially mentioned herein that by superior arrangement (daivenasaditam), although the man leaves behind him his sinfully earned money, he carries the effect of it. When a man steals some money, if he is caught and agrees to return it, he is not freed from the criminal punishment. By the law of the state, even though he returns the money, he has to undergo the punishment. Similarly, the money earned by a criminal process may be left by the man when dying, but by superior arrangement he carries with him the effect, and therefore he has to suffer hellish life. SB3.30.33 TEXT 33 kevalena hy adharmena kutumba-bharanotsukah yati jivo ’ndha-tamisram caramam tamasah padam SYNONYMS kevalena—simply; hi—certainly; adharmena—by irreligious activities; kutumba—family; bharana—to maintain; utsukah—eager; yati—goes; jivah—a person; andha-tamisram—to Andha-tamisra; caramam—ultimate; tamasah—of darkness; padam—region. TRANSLATION Therefore a person who is very eager to maintain his family and kinsmen simply by black methods certainly goes to the darkest region of hell, which is known as Andha-tamisra. PURPORT Three words in this verse are very significant. Kevalena means “only by black methods,” adharmena means “unrighteous” or “irreligious,” and kutumba-bharana means “family maintenance.” Maintaining one’s family is certainly the duty of a householder, but one should be eager to earn his livelihood by the prescribed method, as stated in the scriptures. In Bhagavad-gita it is described that the Lord has divided the social system into four classifications of castes, or varnas, according to quality and work. Apart from Bhagavad-gita, in every society a man is known according to his quality and work. For example, when a man is constructing wooden furniture, he is called a carpenter, and a man who works with an anvil and iron is called a blacksmith. Similarly, a man who is engaged in the medical or engineering fields has a particular duty and designation. All these human activities have been divided by the Supreme Lord into four varnas, namely brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra. In Bhagavad-gita and in other Vedic literatures, the specific duties of the brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra are mentioned. One should work honestly according to his qualification. He should not earn his livelihood unfairly, by means for which he is not qualified. If a brahmana who works as a priest so that he may enlighten his followers with the spiritual way of life is not qualified as a priest, then he is cheating the public. One should not earn by such unfair means. The same is applicable to a ksatriya or to a vaisya. It is especially mentioned that the means of livelihood of those who are trying to advance in Krsna consciousness must be very fair and uncomplicated. Here it is mentioned that he who earns his livelihood by unfair means (kevalena) is sent to the darkest hellish region. Otherwise, if one maintains his family by prescribed methods and honest means, there is no objection to one’s being a family man. SB3.30.34 TEXT 34 adhastan nara-lokasya yavatir yatanadayah kramasah samanukramya punar atravrajec chucih SYNONYMS adhastat—from below; nara-lokasya—human birth; yavatih—as many; yatana—punishments; adayah—and so on; kramasah—in a regular order; samanukramya—having gone through; punah—again; atra—here, on this earth; avrajet—he may return; sucih—pure. TRANSLATION Having gone through all the miserable, hellish conditions and having passed in a regular order through the lowest forms of animal life prior to human birth, and having thus been purged of his sins, one is reborn again as a human being on this earth. PURPORT Just as a prisoner, who has undergone troublesome prison life, is set free again, the person who has always engaged in impious and mischievous activities is put into hellish conditions, and when he has undergone different hellish lives, namely those of lower animals like cats, dogs and hogs, by the gradual process of evolution he again comes back as a human being. In Bhagavad-gita it is stated that even though a person engaged in the practice of the yoga system may not finish perfectly and may fall down for some reason or other, his next life as a human being is guaranteed. It is stated that such a person, who has fallen from the path of yoga practice, is given a chance in his next life to take birth in a very rich family or in a very pious family. It is interpreted that “rich family” refers to a big mercantile family because generally people who engage in trades and mercantile business are very rich. One who engaged in the process of self-realization, or connecting with the Supreme Absolute Truth, but fell short is allowed to take birth in such a rich family, or he is allowed to take birth in the family of pious brahmanas; either way, he is guaranteed to appear in human society in his next life. It can be concluded that if someone is not willing to enter into hellish life, as in Tamisra or Andha-tamisra, then he must take to the process of Krsna consciousness, which is the first-class yoga system, because even if one is unable to attain complete Krsna consciousness in this life, he is guaranteed at least to take his next birth in a human family. He cannot be sent into a hellish condition. Krsna consciousness is the purest life, and it protects all human beings from gliding down to hell to take birth in a family of dogs or hogs. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Third Canto, Thirtieth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Description by Lord Kapila of Adverse Fruitive Activities.”