ERROR: Your browser does not support scripts.

yatra—where; yajna-patih—the enjoyer of all sacrifices; saksat—directly; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; harih—Lord Visnu; isvarah—the supreme controller; anvabhuyata—became visible; sarva-atma—the Supersoul of everyone; sarva-loka-guruh—the master of all planets, or the teacher of everyone; prabhuh—the proprietor.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, is present in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul, and He is the proprietor of all planets and the enjoyer of the results of all sacrifices. He was personally present at the sacrifices made by King Prthu.

In this verse the word saksat is significant. Prthu Maharaja was a saktyavesa-avatara incarnation of Lord Visnu. Actually Prthu Maharaja was a living entity, but he acquired specific powers from Lord Visnu. Lord Visnu, however, is directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus belongs to the category of visnu-tattva. Maharaja Prthu belonged to the jiva-tattva. The visnu-tattva indicates God, whereas the jiva-tattva indicates the part and parcel of God. When God’s part and parcel is especially empowered, he is called saktyavesa-avatara. Lord Visnu is herein described as harir isvarah. The Lord is so kind that He takes all miserable conditions away from His devotees. Consequently He is called Hari. He is described as isvara because He can do whatever He likes. He is the supreme controller. The supreme isvara purusottama is Lord Krsna. He exhibits His powers as isvara, or the supreme controller, when He assures His devotee in Bhagavad-gita (18.66): “Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” He can immediately make His devotee immune from all the reactions caused by sinful life if the devotee simply surrenders unto Him. He is described herein as sarvatma, meaning that He is present in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul, and as such He is the supreme teacher of everyone. If we are fortunate enough to take the lessons given by Lord Krsna in Bhagavad-gita, our lives immediately become successful. No one can give better instructions to human society than Lord Krsna.

SB4.19.4

TEXT 4

anvito brahma-sarvabhyam

loka-palaih sahanugaih

upagiyamano gandharvair

munibhis capsaro-ganaih

anvitah—being accompanied; brahma—by Lord Brahma; sarvabhyam—and by Lord Siva; loka-palaih—by the predominating chiefs of all different planets; saha anugaih—along with their followers; upagiyamanah—being praised; gandharvaih—by the residents of Gandharvaloka; munibhih—by great sages; ca—also; apsarah-ganaih—by the residents of Apsaroloka.

When Lord Visnu appeared in the sacrificial arena, Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and all the chief predominating personalities of every planet, as well as their followers, came with Him. When He appeared on the scene, the residents of Gandharvaloka, the great sages, and the residents of Apsaroloka all praised Him.

SB4.19.5

TEXT 5

siddha vidyadhara daitya

danava guhyakadayah

sunanda-nanda-pramukhah

parsada-pravara hareh

SYNONYMS

siddhah—the residents of Siddhaloka; vidyadharah—the residents of Vidyadhara-loka; daityah—the demoniac descendants of Diti; danavah—the asuras; guhyaka-adayah—the Yaksas, etc.; sunanda-nanda-pramukhah—headed by Sunanda and Nanda, the chief of Lord Visnu’s associates from Vaikuntha; parsada—associates; pravarah—most respectful; hareh—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

The Lord was accompanied by the residents of Siddhaloka and Vidyadhara-loka, all the descendants of Diti, and the demons and the Yaksas. He was also accompanied by His chief associates, headed by Sunanda and Nanda.

SB4.19.6

TEXT 6

kapilo narado datto

yogesah sanakadayah

tam anviyur bhagavata

ye ca tat-sevanotsukah

SYNONYMS

kapilah—Kapila Muni; naradah—the great sage Narada; dattah—Dattatreya; yoga-isah—the masters of mystic power; sanaka-adayah—headed by Sanaka; tam—Lord Visnu; anviyuh—followed; bhagavatah—great devotees; ye—all those who; ca—also; tat-sevana-utsukah—always eager to serve the Lord.

TRANSLATION

Great devotees, who were always engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as well as the great sages named Kapila, Narada and Dattatreya, and masters of mystic powers, headed by Sanaka Kumara, all attended the great sacrifice with Lord Visnu.

SB4.19.7

TEXT 7

yatra dharma-dugha bhumih

sarva-kama-dugha sati

dogdhi smabhipsitan arthan

yajamanasya bharata

SYNONYMS

yatra—where; dharma-dugha—producing sufficient milk for religiosity; bhumih—the land; sarva-kama—all desires; dugha—yielding as milk; sati—the cow; dogdhi sma—fulfilled; abhipsitan—desirable; arthan—objects; yajamanasya—of the sacrificer; bharata—my dear Vidura.

TRANSLATION

My dear Vidura, in that great sacrifice the entire land came to be like the milk-producing kama-dhenu, and thus, by the performance of yajna, all daily necessities for life were supplied.

PURPORT

In this verse the word dharma-dugha is significant, for it indicates kama-dhenu. Kama-dhenu is also known as surabhi. Surabhi cows inhabit the spiritual world, and, as stated in Brahma-samhita, Lord Krsna is engaged in tending these cows: surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. One can milk a surabhi cow as often as one likes, and the cow will deliver as much milk as one requires. Milk, of course, is necessary for the production of so many milk products, especially clarified butter, which is required for the performance of great sacrifices. Unless we are prepared to perform the prescribed sacrifices, our supply of the necessities of life will be checked. Bhagavad-gita confirms that Lord Brahma created human society along with yajna, the performance of sacrifice. Yajna means Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and sacrifice means working for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this age, however, it is very difficult to find qualified brahmanas who can perform sacrifices as prescribed in the Vedas. Therefore it is recommended in Srimad-Bhagavatam (yajnaih sankirtana-prayaih) that by performing sankirtana-yajna and by satisfying the yajna-purusa, Lord Caitanya, one can derive all the results derived by great sacrifices in the past. King Prthu and others derived all the necessities of life from the earthly planet by performing great sacrifices. Now this sankirtana movement has already been started by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. people should take advantage of this great sacrifice and join in the Society’s activities; then there will be no scarcity. If sankirtana-yajna is performed, there will be no difficulty, not even in industrial enterprises. Therefore this system should be introduced in all spheres of life—social, political, industrial, commercial, etc. Then everything will run very peacefully and smoothly.

SB4.19.8

TEXT 8

uhuh sarva-rasan nadyah

ksira-dadhy-anna-go-rasan

taravo bhuri-varsmanah

prasuyanta madhu-cyutah

uhuh—bore; sarva-rasan—all kinds of tastes; nadyah—the rivers; ksira—milk; dadhi—curd; anna—different kinds of food; go-rasan—other milk products; taravah—trees; bhuri—great; varsmanah—having bodies; prasuyanta—bore fruit; madhu-cyutah—dropping honey.

The flowing rivers supplied all kinds of tastes—sweet, pungent, sour, etc.—and very big trees supplied fruit and honey in abundance. The cows, having eaten sufficient green grass, supplied profuse quantities of milk, curd, clarified butter and similar other necessities.

girayo ’nnam catur-vidham

If rivers are not polluted and are allowed to flow in their own way, or sometimes allowed to flood the land, the land will become very fertile and able to produce all kinds of vegetables, trees and plants. The word rasa means “taste.” Actually all rasas are tastes within the earth, and as soon as seeds are sown in the ground, various trees sprout up to satisfy our different tastes. For instance, sugarcane provides its juices to satisfy our taste for sweetness, and oranges provide their juices to satisfy our taste for a mixture of the sour and the sweet. Similarly, there are pineapples and other fruits. At the same time, there are chilies to satisfy our taste for pungency. Although the earth’s ground is the same, different tastes arise due to different kinds of seeds. As Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (7.10), bijam mam sarva-bhutanam: “I am the original seed of all existences.” Therefore all arrangements are there. And as stated in Isopanisad: purnam idam [Isopanisad, Invocation]. Complete arrangements for the production of all the necessities of life are made by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. People should therefore learn how to satisfy the yajna-purusa, Lord Visnu. Indeed, the living entity’s prime business is to satisfy the Lord because the living entity is part and parcel of the Lord. Thus the whole system is so arranged that the living entity must do his duty as he is constitutionally made. Without doing so, all living entities must suffer. That is the law of nature.

The words taravo bhuri-varsmanah indicate very luxuriantly grown, big-bodied trees. The purpose of these trees was to produce honey and varieties of fruit. In other words, the forest also has its purpose in supplying honey, fruits and flowers. Unfortunately in Kali-yuga, due to an absence of yajna, there are many big trees in the forests, but they do not supply sufficient fruits and honey. Thus everything is dependent on the performance of yajna. The best way to perform yajna in this age is to spread the sankirtana movement all over the world.

SB4.19.9

TEXT 9

sindhavo ratna-nikaran

upayanam upajahruh

sarve lokah sa-palakah

sindhavah—the oceans; ratna-nikaran—heaps of jewels; girayah—the hills; annam—eatables; catuh-vidham—four kinds of; upayanam—presentations; upajahruh—brought forward; sarve—all; lokah—the people in general of all planets; sa-palakah—along with the governors.

King Prthu was presented with various gifts from the general populace and predominating deities of all planets. The oceans and seas were full of valuable jewels and pearls, and the hills were full of chemicals and fertilizers. Four kinds of edibles were produced profusely.

As stated in Isopanisad, this material creation is supplied with all the potencies for the production of all necessities required by the living entities—not only human beings, but animals, reptiles, aquatics and trees. The oceans and seas produce pearls, coral and valuable jewels so that fortunate law-abiding people can utilize them. Similarly, the hills are full of chemicals so that when rivers flow down from them the chemicals spread over the fields to fertilize the four kinds of foodstuffs. These are technically known as carvya (those edibles which are chewed), lehya (those which are licked up), cusya (those which are swallowed) and peya (those which are drunk).

Prthu Maharaja was greeted by the residents of other planets and their presiding deities. They presented various gifts to the King and acknowledged him as the proper type of king by whose planning and activities everyone throughout the universe could be happy and prosperous. It is clearly indicated in this verse that the oceans and seas are meant for producing jewels, but in Kali-yuga the oceans are mainly being utilized for fishing. Sudras and poor men were allowed to fish, but the higher classes like the ksatriyas and vaisyas would gather pearls, jewels and coral. Although poor men would catch tons of fish, they would not be equal in value to one piece of coral or pearl. In this age so many factories for the manufacture of fertilizers have been opened, but when the Personality of Godhead is pleased by the performance of yajnas, the hills automatically produce fertilizing chemicals, which help produce edibles in the fields. Everything is dependent on the people’s acceptance of the Vedic principles of sacrifice.

SB4.19.10

TEXT 10

iti cadhoksajesasya

prthos tu paramodayam

asuyan bhagavan indrah

pratighatam acikarat

iti—thus; ca—also; adhoksaja-isasya—who accepted Adhoksaja as his worshipable Lord; prthoh—of King Prthu; tu—then; parama—the topmost; udayam—opulence; asuyan—being envious of; bhagavan—the most powerful; indrah—the King of heaven; pratighatam—impediments; acikarat—made.

King Prthu was dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Adhoksaja. Because King Prthu Performed so many sacrifices, he was superhumanly enhanced by the mercy of the Supreme Lord. King Prthu’s opulence, however, could not be tolerated by the King of heaven, Indra, who tried to impede the progress of his opulence.

In this verse there are three significant purposes expressed in the words adhoksaja, bhagavan indrah and prthoh. Maharaja Prthu is an incarnation of Visnu, yet he is a great devotee of Lord Visnu. Although an empowered incarnation of Lord Visnu, he is nonetheless a living entity. As such, he must be a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although one is empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is an incarnation, he should not forget his eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Kali-yuga there are many self-made incarnations, rascals, who declare themselves to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The words bhagavan indrah indicate that a living entity can even be as exalted and powerful as King Indra, for even King Indra is an ordinary living entity in the material world and possesses the four defects of the conditioned soul. King Indra is described herein as bhagavan, which is generally used in reference to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this case, however, King Indra is addressed as bhagavan because he has so much power in his hands. Despite his becoming bhagavan, he is envious of the incarnation of God, Prthu Maharaja. The defects of material life are so strong that due to contamination King Indra becomes envious of an incarnation of God.

We should try to understand, therefore, how a conditioned soul becomes fallen. The opulence of King Prthu was not dependent on material conditions. As described in this verse, he was a great devotee of Adhoksaja. The word adhoksaja indicates the Personality of Godhead, who is beyond the expression of mind and words. However, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears before the devotee in His original form of eternal bliss and knowledge. The devotee is allowed to see the Supreme Lord face to face, although the Lord is beyond the expression of our senses and beyond our direct perception.

vainye yajna-pasum spardhann

apovaha tirohitah

caramena—by the last one; asva-medhena—by the asvamedha sacrifice; yajamane—when he was performing the sacrifice; yajuh-patim—for satisfaction of the Lord of yajna, Visnu; vainye—the son of King Vena; yajna-pasum—the animal meant to be sacrificed in the yajna; spardhan—being envious; apovaha—stole; tirohitah—being invisible.

When Prthu Maharaja was performing the last horse sacrifice [asvamedha-yajna], King Indra, invisible to everyone, stole the horse intended for sacrifice. He did this because of his great envy of King Prthu.

King Indra is known as sata-kratu, which indicates that he has performed one hundred horse sacrifices (asvamedha-yajna). We should know, however, that the animals sacrificed in the yajna were not killed. If the Vedic mantras were properly pronounced during the sacrifice, the animal sacrificed would come out again with a new life. That is the test for a successful yajna. When King Prthu was performing one hundred yajnas, Indra became very envious because he did not want anyone to excel him. Being an ordinary living entity, he became envious of King Prthu, and, making himself invisible, he stole the horse and thus impeded the yajna performance.

SB4.19.12

TEXT 12

tam atrir bhagavan aiksat

tvaramanam vihayasa

amuktam iva pakhandam

yo ’dharme dharma-vibhramah

tam—King Indra; atrih—the sage Atri; bhagavan—most powerful; aiksat—could see; tvaramanam—moving very hastily; vihayasa—in outer space; amuktam iva—like a liberated person; pakhandam—imposter; yah—one who; adharme—in irreligion; dharma—religion; vibhramah—mistaking.

When King Indra was taking away the horse, he dressed himself to appear as a liberated person. Actually this dress was a form of cheating, for it falsely created an impression of religion. When Indra went into outer space in this way, the great sage Atri saw him and understood the whole situation.

The word pakhanda used in this verse is sometimes pronounced pasanda. Both of these words indicate an imposter who presents himself as a very religious person but in actuality is sinful. Indra took up the saffron-colored dress as a way of cheating others. This saffron dress has been misused by many imposters who present themselves as liberated persons or incarnations of God. In this way people are cheated. As we have mentioned many times, the conditioned soul has a tendency to cheat; therefore this quality is also visible in a person like King Indra. It is understood that even King Indra is not liberated from the clutches of material contamination. Thus the words amuktam iva, meaning “as if he were liberated,” are used. The saffron dress worn by a sannyasi announces to the world that he has renounced all worldly affairs and is simply engaged in the service of the Lord. Such a devotee is actually a sannyasi, or liberated person. In Bhagavad-gita (6.1) it is said:

anasritah karma-phalam
karyam karma karoti yah
sa sannyasi ca yogi ca
na niragnir na cakriyah

“One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic, not he who lights no fire and performs no work.”

In other words, one who offers the results of his activities to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is actually a sannyasi and yogi. Cheating sannyasis and yogis have existed since the time of Prthu Maharaja’s sacrifice. This cheating was very foolishly introduced by King Indra. In some ages such cheating is very prominent, and in other ages not so prominent. It is the duty of a sannyasi to be very cautious because, as stated by Lord Caitanya, sannyasira alpa chidra sarva-loke gaya: a little spot in a sannyasi’s character will be magnified by the public (Cc. Madhya 12.51). Therefore, unless one is very sincere and serious, he should not take up the order of sannyasa. One should not use this order as a means to cheat the public. It is better not to take up sannyasa in this age of Kali because provocations are very strong in this age. Only a very exalted person advanced in spiritual understanding should attempt to take up sannyasa. One should not adopt this order as a means of livelihood or for some material purpose.

SB4.19.13

TEXT 13

atrina codito hantum

prthu-putro maha-rathah

anvadhavata sankruddhas

tistha tistheti cabravit

atrina—by the great sage Atri; coditah—being encouraged; hantum—to kill; prthu-putrah—the son of King Prthu; maha-rathah—a great hero; anvadhavata—followed; sankruddhah—being very angry; tistha tistha—just wait, just wait; iti—thus; ca—also; abravit—he said.

When the son of King Prthu was informed by Atri of King Indra’s trick, he immediately became very angry and followed Indra to kill him, calling, “Wait! Wait!”

The words tistha tistha are used by a ksatriya when he challenges his enemy. When fighting, a ksatriya cannot flee from the battlefield. However, when a ksatriya out of cowardice flees from the battlefield, showing his back to his enemy, he is challenged with the words tistha tistha. A real ksatriya does not kill his enemy from behind, nor does a real ksatriya turn his back on the battlefield. According to ksatriya principle and spirit, one either attains victory or dies on the battlefield. Although King Indra was very exalted, being the King of heaven, he became degraded due to his stealing the horse intended for sacrifice. Therefore he fled without observing the ksatriya principles, and the son of Prthu had to challenge him with the words tistha tistha.

SB4.19.14

TEXT 14

tam tadrsakrtim viksya

mene dharmam saririnam

jatilam bhasmanacchannam

tasmai banam na muncati

tam—him; tadrsa-akrtim—in such dress; viksya—after seeing; mene—considered; dharmam—pious or religious; saririnam—having a body; jatilam—having knotted hair; bhasmana—by ashes; acchannam—smeared all over the body; tasmai—unto him; banam—arrow; na—not; muncati—he did release.