Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4: “The Creation of the Fourth Order”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Twenty-six
SB4.26.11
TEXT 11
tatah ksut-trt-parisranto
nivrtto grham eyivan
krta-snanocitaharah
samvivesa gata-klamah
SYNONYMS
tatah—thereafter; ksut—by hunger; trt—thirst; parisrantah—being too fatigued; nivrttah—having ceased; grham eyivan—came back to his home; krta—taken; snana—bath; ucita-aharah—exactly required foodstuffs; samvivesa—took rest; gata-klamah—freed from all fatigue.
TRANSLATION
After this, the King, very much fatigued, hungry and thirsty, returned to his royal palace. After returning, he took a bath and had an appropriate dinner. Then he took rest and thus became freed from all restlessness.
PURPORT
A materialistic person works throughout the whole week very, very hard. He is always asking, “Where is money? Where is money?” Then, at the end of the week, he wants to retire from these activities and go to some secluded place to rest. King Puranjana returned to his home because he was very much fatigued from hunting animals in the forest. In this way his conscience came to stop him from committing further sinful activities and make him return home. In Bhagavad-gita materialistic persons are described as duskrtinah, which indicates those who are always engaged in sinful activities. When a person comes to his senses and understands how he is engaging in sinful activities, he returns to his conscience, which is herein figuratively described as the palace. Generally a materialistic person is infected by the material modes of passion and ignorance. The results of passion and ignorance are lust and greed. In the life of a materialist, activity means working in lust and greed. However, when he comes to his senses, he wants to retire. According to Vedic civilization, such retirement is positively recommended, and this portion of life is called vanaprastha. Retirement is absolutely necessary for a materialist who wants to become free from the activities of a sinful life.
King Puranjana’s coming home, taking bath and having an appropriate dinner indicate that a materialistic person must retire from sinful activities and become purified by accepting a spiritual master and hearing from him about the values of life. If one would do this, he would feel completely refreshed, just as one feels after taking a bath. After receiving initiation from a bona fide spiritual master, one must abandon all kinds of sinful activities, namely illicit sex, intoxication, gambling and meat-eating.
The word ucitaharah used in this verse is important. Ucita means “appropriate.” One must eat appropriately and not take after food as hogs take after stool. For a human being there are eatables described in Bhagavad-gita (17.8) as sattvika-ahara, or food in the mode of goodness. One should not indulge in eating food in the modes of passion and ignorance. This is called ucitahara, or appropriate eating. One who is always eating meat or drinking liquor, which is eating and drinking in passion and ignorance, must give these things up so that his real consciousness may be awakened. In this way one may become peaceful and refreshed. If one is restless or fatigued, one cannot understand the science of God. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.20):
evam prasanna-manaso
bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah
bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam
mukta-sangasya jayate
Unless one can become free from the influence of passion and ignorance, he cannot be pacified, and without being pacified, one cannot understand the science of God. King Puranjana’s returning home is indicative of man’s returning to his original consciousness, known as Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness is absolutely necessary for one who has committed a lot of sinful activities, especially killing animals or hunting in the forest. SB4.26.12 TEXT 12 atmanam arhayam cakre dhupalepa-srag-adibhih sadhv-alankrta-sarvango mahisyam adadhe manah SYNONYMS atmanam—himself; arhayam—as it ought to be done; cakre—did; dhupa—incense; alepa—smearing the body with sandalwood pulp; srak—garlands; adibhih—beginning with; sadhu—saintly, beautifully; alankrta—being decorated; sarva-angah—all over the body; mahisyam—unto the Queen; adadhe—he gave; manah—mind. TRANSLATION After this, King Puranjana decorated his body with suitable ornaments. He also smeared scented sandalwood pulp over his body and put on flower garlands. In this way he became completely refreshed. After this, he began to search out his Queen. PURPORT When a man comes into good consciousness and accepts a saintly person as a spiritual master, he hears many Vedic instructions in the form of philosophy, stories, narrations about great devotees and transactions between God and His devotees. In this way a man becomes refreshed in mind, exactly like a person who smears scented sandalwood pulp all over his body and decorates himself with ornaments. These decorations may be compared to knowledge of religion and the self. Through such knowledge one becomes detached from a materialistic way of life and engages himself in always hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic literatures. The word sadhv-alankrta used in this verse indicates that one must be absorbed in knowledge gathered from the instructions of saintly persons. Just as King Puranjana began to search out his better half, the Queen, one who is decorated with knowledge and instructions from saintly persons should try to search out his original consciousness, Krsna consciousness. One cannot return to Krsna consciousness unless he is favored by the instructions of a saintly person. Therefore Srila Narottama dasa Thakura sings: sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya, cittete kariya aikya. If we want to become saintly persons, or if we want to return to our original Krsna consciousness, we must associate with sadhu (a saintly person), sastra (authoritative Vedic literature) and guru (a bona fide spiritual master). This is the process. SB4.26.13 TEXT 13 trpto hrstah sudrptas ca kandarpakrsta-manasah na vyacasta vararoham grhinim grha-medhinim SYNONYMS trptah—satisfied; hrstah—joyful; su-drptah—being very proud; ca—also; kandarpa—by Cupid; akrsta—attracted; manasah—his mind; na—did not; vyacasta—try; vara-aroham—higher consciousness; grhinim—wife; grha-medhinim—one who keeps her husband in material life. TRANSLATION After taking his dinner and having his thirst and hunger satisfied, King Puranjana felt some joy within his heart. Instead of being elevated to a higher consciousness, he became captivated by Cupid, and was moved by a desire to find his wife, who kept him satisfied in his household life. PURPORT This verse is very significant for those desiring to elevate themselves to a higher level of Krsna consciousness. When a person is initiated by a spiritual master, he changes his habits and does not eat undesirable eatables or engage in the eating of meat, the drinking of liquor, illicit sex or gambling. Sattvika-ahara, foodstuffs in the mode of goodness, are described in the sastras as wheat, rice, vegetables, fruits, milk, sugar, and milk products. Simple food like rice, dhal, capatis, vegetables, milk and sugar constitute a balanced diet, but sometimes it is found that an initiated person, in the name of prasada, eats very luxurious foodstuffs. Due to his past sinful life he becomes attracted by Cupid and eats good food voraciously. It is clearly visible that when a neophyte in Krsna consciousness eats too much, he falls down. Instead of being elevated to pure Krsna consciousness, he becomes attracted by Cupid. The so-called brahmacari becomes agitated by women, and the vanaprastha may again become captivated into having sex with his wife. Or he may begin to search out another wife. Due to some sentiment, he may give up his own wife and come into the association of devotees and a spiritual master, but due to his past sinful life he cannot stay. Instead of being elevated to Krsna consciousness, he falls down, being attracted by Cupid, and takes to another wife for sex enjoyment. The fall of the neophyte devotee from the path of Krsna consciousness down to material life is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.17) by Narada Muni. tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer This indicates that although a neophyte devotee may fall down from the path of Krsna consciousness due to his immaturity, his service to Krsna never goes in vain. However, a person who remains steadfast in his family duty or so-called social or family obligation but does not take to Krsna consciousness receives no profit. One who comes to Krsna consciousness must be very cautious and refrain from prohibited activities, as defined by Rupa Gosvami in his Upadesamrta (2): atyaharah prayasas ca A neophyte devotee should neither eat too much nor collect more money than necessary. Eating too much or collecting too much is called atyahara. For such atyahara one must endeavor very much. This is called prayasa. Superficially one may show himself to be very much faithful to the rules and regulations, but at the same time not be fixed in the regulative principles. This is called niyamagraha. By mixing with undesirable persons, or jana-sanga, one becomes tainted with lust and greed and falls down from the path of devotional service. SB4.26.14 TEXT 14 antahpura-striyo ’prcchad vimana iva vedisat api vah kusalam ramah sesvarinam yatha pura SYNONYMS antah-pura—household; striyah—women; aprcchat—he asked; vimanah—being very much anxious; iva—like; vedisat—O King Pracinabarhi; api—whether; vah—your; kusalam—good fortune; ramah—O you beautiful women; sa-isvarinam—with your mistress; yatha—as; pura—before. TRANSLATION At that time King Puranjana was a little anxious, and he inquired from the household women: My dear beautiful women, are you and your mistress all very happy like before, or not? PURPORT In this verse the word vedisat indicates King Pracinabarhi. When a man becomes refreshed by association with devotees and awakes to Krsna consciousness, he consults the activities of his mind—namely thinking, feeling and willing—and decides whether he should return to his material activities or stay steady in spiritual consciousness. The word kusalam refers to that which is auspicious. One can make his home perfectly auspicious when he engages in devotional service to Lord Visnu. When one is engaged in activities other than visnu-bhakti, or in other words when one is engaged in material activities, he is always filled with anxieties. A sane man should consult his mind, its thinking, feeling and willing processes, and decide how these processes should be utilized. If one always thinks of Krsna, feels how to serve Him and wills to execute the order of Krsna, it should be known that he has taken good instruction from his intelligence, which is called the mother. Although the King was refreshed, he nonetheless inquired about his wife. Thus he was consulting, thinking and willing how he could return to his steady good consciousness. The mind may suggest that by visaya-bhoga, or sense enjoyment, one can become happy, but when one becomes advanced in Krsna consciousness, he does not derive happiness from material activities. This is explained in Bhagavad-gita (2.59): visaya vinivartante “The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.” One cannot be unattached to the sense objects unless he finds better engagement in devotional service. param drstva nivartate. One can cease from material activities only when one actually engages in devotional service. SB4.26.15 TEXT 15 na tathaitarhi rocante grhesu grha-sampadah yadi na syad grhe mata patni va pati-devata vyange ratha iva prajnah ko namasita dinavat SYNONYMS na—not; tatha—like before; etarhi—at this moment; rocante—become pleasing; grhesu—at home; grha-sampadah—all household paraphernalia; yadi—if; na—not; syat—there is; grhe—at home; mata—mother; patni—wife; va—or; pati-devata—devoted to the husband; vyange—without wheels; rathe—in a chariot; iva—like; prajnah—learned man; kah—who is that; nama—indeed; asita—would sit; dina-vat—like a poverty-stricken creature. TRANSLATION King Puranjana said: I do not understand why my household paraphernalia does not attract me as before. I think that if there is neither a mother nor devoted wife at home, the home is like a chariot without wheels. Where is the fool who will sit down on such an unworkable chariot? PURPORT The great politician Canakya Pandita said: mata yasya grhe nasti “If a person has neither a mother nor a pleasing wife at home, he should leave home and go to the forest, because for him there is no difference between the forest and home.” The real mata, or mother, is devotional service to the Lord, and the real patni, or devoted wife, is a wife who helps her husband execute religious principles in devotional service. These two things are required for a happy home. Actually, a woman is supposed to be the energy of the man. Historically, in the background of every great man there is either a mother or a wife. One’s household life is very successful if he has both a good wife and mother. In such a case, everything about household affairs and all the paraphernalia in the house becomes very pleasing. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu had both a good mother and pleasing wife, and He was very happy at home. Nonetheless, for the benefit of the whole human race, He took sannyasa and left both His mother and wife. In other words, it is essential that one have both a good mother and wife in order to become perfectly happy at home. Otherwise home life has no meaning. Unless one is religiously guided by intelligence and renders devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his home can never become very pleasing to a saintly person. In other words, if a man has a good mother or a good wife, there is no need of his taking sannyasa—that is, unless it is absolutely necessary, as it was for Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. SB4.26.16 TEXT 16 kva vartate sa lalana majjantam vyasanarnave ya mam uddharate prajnam dipayanti pade pade SYNONYMS kva—where; vartate—is now staying; sa—she; lalana—woman; majjantam—while drowning; vyasana-arnave—in the ocean of danger; ya—who; mam—me; uddharate—delivers; prajnam—good intelligence; dipayanti—enlightening; pade pade—in every step. TRANSLATION Kindly let me know the whereabouts of that beautiful woman who always saves me when I am drowning in the ocean of danger. By giving me good intelligence at every step, she always saves me. PURPORT There is no difference between a good wife and good intelligence. One who possesses good intelligence can deliberate properly and save himself from many dangerous conditions. In material existence there is danger at every step. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.58) it is said: padam padam yad vipadam na tesam. This material world is not actually a place of residence for an intelligent person or a devotee because here there is danger at every step. Vaikuntha is the real home for the devotee, for there is no anxiety and no danger. Good intelligence means becoming Krsna conscious. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said: krsna ye bhaje se bada catura. Unless one is Krsna conscious, he cannot be called an intelligent person. Herein we see that King Puranjana was searching after his good wife, who always helped him out of the dangerous situations that always occur in material existence. As already explained, a real wife is dharma-patni. That is, a woman accepted in marriage by ritualistic ceremony is called dharma-patni, which signifies that she is accepted in terms of religious principles. Children born of dharma-patni, or a woman married according to religious principles, inherit the property of the father, but children born of a woman who is not properly married do not inherit the father’s property. The word dharma-patni also refers to a chaste wife. A chaste wife is one who never had any connection with men before her marriage. Once a woman is given the freedom to mingle with all kinds of men in her youth, it is very difficult for her to keep chaste. She generally cannot remain chaste. When butter is brought into the proximity of fire, it melts. The woman is like fire, and man is like the butter. But if one gets a chaste wife, accepted through a religious marriage ritual, she can be of great help when one is threatened by the many dangerous situations of life. Actually such a wife can become the source of all good intelligence. With such a good wife, the family’s engagement in the devotional service of the Lord actually makes a home a grhastha-asrama, or household dedicated to spiritual cultivation. SB4.26.17 TEXT 17 rama ucuh nara-natha na janimas tvat-priya yad vyavasyati bhutale niravastare sayanam pasya satru-han SYNONYMS ramah ucuh—the women thus spoke; nara-natha—O King; na janimah—we do not know; tvat-priya—your beloved; yat vyavasyati—why she has taken to this sort of life; bhu-tale—on the ground; niravastare—without bedding; sayanam—lying down; pasya—look; satru-han—O killer of enemies. TRANSLATION All the women addressed the King: O master of the citizens, we do not know why your dear wife has taken on this sort of existence. O killer of enemies, kindly look! She is lying on the ground without bedding. We cannot understand why she is acting this way. PURPORT When a person is devoid of devotional service, or visnu-bhakti, he takes to many sinful activities. King Puranjana left home, neglected his own wife and engaged himself in killing animals. This is the position of all materialistic men. They do not care for a married chaste wife. They take the wife only as an instrument for sense enjoyment, not as a means for devotional service. To have unrestricted sex life, the karmis work very hard. They have concluded that the best course is to have sex with any woman and simply pay the price for her, as though she were a mercantile commodity. Thus they engage their energy in working very hard for such material acquisitions. Such materialistic people have lost their good intelligence. They must search out their intelligence within the heart. A person who does not have a chaste wife accepted by religious principles always has a bewildered intelligence. The wife of King Puranjana was lying on the ground because she was neglected by her husband. Actually the woman must always be protected by her husband. We always speak of the goddess of fortune as being placed on the chest of Narayana. In other words, the wife must remain embraced by her husband. Thus she becomes beloved and well protected. Just as one saves his money and places it under his own personal protection, one should similarly protect his wife by his own personal supervision. Just as intelligence is always within the heart, so a beloved chaste wife should always have her place on the chest of a good husband. This is the proper relationship between husband and wife. A wife is therefore called ardhangani, or half of the body. One cannot remain with only one leg, one hand or only one side of the body. He must have two sides. Similarly, according to nature’s way, husband and wife should live together. In the lower species of life, among birds and animals, it is seen that by nature’s arrangement the husband and wife live together. It is similarly ideal in human life for the husband and wife to live together. The home should be a place for devotional service, and the wife should be chaste and accepted by a ritualistic ceremony. In this way one can become happy at home. SB4.26.18 TEXT 18 narada uvaca puranjanah sva-mahisim niriksyavadhutam bhuvi tat-sangonmathita-jnano vaiklavyam paramam yayau SYNONYMS naradah uvaca—the great sage Narada spoke; puranjanah—King Puranjana; sva-mahisim—his own Queen; niriksya—after seeing; avadhutam—appearing like a mendicant; bhuvi—on the ground; tat—her; sanga—by association; unmathita—encouraged; jnanah—whose knowledge; vaiklavyam—bewilderment; paramam—supreme; yayau—obtained. TRANSLATION The great sage Narada continued: My dear King Pracinabarhi, as soon as King Puranjana saw his Queen lying on the ground, appearing like a mendicant, he immediately became bewildered. PURPORT In this verse the word avadhutam is especially significant, for it refers to a mendicant who does not take care of his body. Since the Queen was lying on the ground without bedding and proper dress, King Puranjana became very much aggrieved. In other words, he repented that he had neglected his intelligence and had engaged himself in the forest in killing animals. In other words, when one’s good intelligence is separated or neglected, he fully engages in sinful activities. Due to neglecting one’s good intelligence, or Krsna consciousness, one becomes bewildered and engages in sinful activities. Upon realizing this, a man becomes repentant. Such repentance is described by Narottama dasa Thakura: hari hari viphale janama gonainu Narottama dasa Thakura herein says that he repents for having spoiled his human life and knowingly drunk poison. By not being Krsna conscious, one willingly drinks the poison of material life. The purport is that one certainly becomes addicted to sinful activities when he becomes devoid of his good chaste wife, or when he has lost his good sense and does not take to Krsna consciousness. SB4.26.19 TEXT 19 santvayan slaksnaya vaca hrdayena viduyata preyasyah sneha-samrambha- lingam atmani nabhyagat SYNONYMS santvayan—pacifying; slaksnaya—by sweet; vaca—words; hrdayena—with a heart; viduyata—regretting very much; preyasyah—of his beloved; sneha—from affection; samrambha—of anger; lingam—symptom; atmani—in her heart; na—did not; abhyagat—arouse. TRANSLATION The King, with aggrieved mind, began to speak to his wife with very pleasing words. Although he was filled with regret and tried to pacify her, he could not see any symptom of anger caused by love within the heart of his beloved wife. PURPORT The King very much regretted having left his Queen and having gone to the forest to execute sinful activities. When a person regrets his sinful activities, the abandoning of Krsna consciousness and good intelligence, his path of deliverance from the path of material clutches is opened. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.5.5): parabhavas tavad abodha jato yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam. When a person loses his Krsna consciousness and loses interest in self-realization, he must engage in sinful activities. All one’s activities in a life devoid of Krsna consciousness simply lead to defeat and misuse of one’s life. Naturally one who comes to Krsna consciousness regrets his previous sinful activities in the human form. Only by this process can one be delivered from the clutches of nescience or ignorance in materialistic life. SB4.26.20 TEXT 20 anuninye ’tha sanakair viro ’nunaya-kovidah pasparsa pada-yugalam aha cotsanga-lalitam SYNONYMS anuninye—began to flatter; atha—thus; sanakaih—gradually; virah—the hero; anunaya-kovidah—one who is very expert in flattery; pasparsa—touched; pada-yugalam—both the feet; aha—he said; ca—also; utsanga—on his lap; lalitam—thus being embraced. TRANSLATION Because the King was very expert in flattery, he began to pacify his Queen very slowly. First he touched her two feet, then embraced her nicely, seating her on his lap, and began to speak as follows. PURPORT One has to awaken his Krsna consciousness by first regretting his past deeds. Just as King Puranjana began to flatter his Queen, one should, by deliberate consideration, raise himself to the platform of Krsna consciousness. To attain such an end, one must touch the lotus feet of the spiritual master. Krsna consciousness cannot be achieved by self-endeavor. One must therefore approach a self-realized, Krsna conscious person and touch his lotus feet. Prahlada Maharaja therefore said: naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim One cannot come to the precincts of Krsna consciousness unless he touches the dust of the lotus feet of a person who has become a mahatma, a great devotee. This is the beginning of the surrendering process. Lord Krsna wants everyone to surrender unto Him, and this surrendering process begins when one touches the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master. By sincerely rendering service to a bona fide spiritual master, one begins his spiritual life in Krsna consciousness. Touching the lotus feet of a spiritual master means giving up one’s false prestige and unnecessarily puffed-up position in the material world. Those who remain in the darkness of material existence due to their falsely prestigious positions—so-called scientists and philosophers—are actually atheists. They do not know the ultimate cause of everything. Although bewildered, they are not ready to surrender themselves to the lotus feet of a person who knows things in their proper perspective. In other words, one cannot arouse Krsna consciousness simply by his own mental speculation. One must surrender to a bona fide spiritual master. Only this process will help one. SB4.26.21 TEXT 21 puranjana uvaca nunam tv akrta-punyas te bhrtya yesv isvarah subhe krtagahsv atmasat krtva siksa-dandam na yunjate SYNONYMS puranjanah uvaca—Puranjana said; nunam—certainly; tu—then; akrta-punyah—those who are not pious; te—such; bhrtyah—servants; yesu—unto whom; isvarah—the masters; subhe—O most auspicious one; krta-agahsu—having committed an offense; atmasat—accepting as their own; krtva—doing so; siksa—instructive; dandam—punishment; na yunjate—do not give. TRANSLATION King Puranjana said: My dear beautiful wife, when a master accepts a servant as his own man, but does not punish him for his offenses, the servant must be considered unfortunate. PURPORT According to Vedic civilization, domestic animals and servants are treated exactly like one’s own children. Animals and children are sometimes punished not out of vengeance but out of love. Similarly, a master sometimes punishes his servant, not out of vengeance but out of love, to correct him and bring him to the right point. Thus King Puranjana took his punishment dealt by his wife, the Queen, as mercy upon him. He considered himself the most obedient servant of the Queen. She was angry at him for his sinful activities—namely, hunting in the forest and leaving her at home. King Puranjana accepted the punishment as actual love and affection from his wife. In the same way, when a person is punished by the laws of nature, by the will of God, he should not be disturbed. A real devotee thinks in this way. When a devotee is put into an awkward position, he takes it as the mercy of the Supreme Lord. tat te ’nukampam susamiksamano (Bhag. 10.14.8) This verse states that the devotee accepts a reversal of his position in life as a benediction by the Lord and consequently offers the Lord more obeisances and prayers, thinking that the punishment is due to his past misdeeds and that the Lord is punishing him very mildly. The punishment awarded by the state or by God for one’s own faults is actually for one’s benefit. In the Manu-samhita it is said that the King should be considered merciful when he condemns a murderer to death because a murderer punished in this life becomes freed from his sinful activity and in the next life takes birth cleared of all sins. If one accepts punishment as a reward dealt by the master, he becomes intelligent enough not to commit the same mistake again. SB4.26.22 TEXT 22 paramo ’nugraho dando bhrtyesu prabhunarpitah balo na veda tat tanvi bandhu-krtyam amarsanah SYNONYMS paramah—supreme; anugrahah—mercy; dandah—punishment; bhrtyesu—upon the servants; prabhuna—by the master; arpitah—awarded; balah—foolish; na—does not; veda—know; tat—that; tanvi—O slender maiden; bandhu-krtyam—the duty of a friend; amarsanah—angry. TRANSLATION My dear slender maiden, when a master chastises his servant, the servant should accept this as great mercy. One who becomes angry must be very foolish not to know that such is the duty of his friend. PURPORT It is said that when a foolish man is instructed in something very nice, he generally cannot accept it. Indeed, he actually becomes angry. Such anger is compared to the poison of a serpent, for when a serpent is fed milk and bananas, its poison actually increases. Instead of becoming merciful or sober, the serpent increases its poisonous venom when fed nice foodstuffs. Similarly, when a fool is instructed, he does not rectify himself, but actually becomes angry. SB4.26.23 TEXT 23 sa tvam mukham sudati subhrv anuraga-bhara- vrida-vilamba-vilasad-dhasitavalokam nilalakalibhir upaskrtam unnasam nah svanam pradarsaya manasvini valgu-vakyam SYNONYMS sa—that (you, my wife); tvam—you; mukham—your face; su-dati—with beautiful teeth; su-bhru—with beautiful eyebrows; anuraga—attachment; bhara—loaded by; vrida—feminine shyness; vilamba—hanging down; vilasat—shining; hasita—smiling; avalokam—with glances; nila—bluish; alaka—with hair; alibhih—beelike; upaskrtam—thus being beautiful; unnasam—with a raised nose; nah—to me; svanam—who am yours; pradarsaya—please show; manasvini—O most thoughtful lady; valgu-vakyam—with sweet words. TRANSLATION My dear wife, your teeth are very beautifully set, and your attractive features make you appear very thoughtful. Kindly give up your anger, be merciful upon me, and please smile upon me with loving attachment. When I see a smile on your beautiful face, and when I see your hair, which is as beautiful as the color blue, and see your raised nose and hear your sweet talk, you will become more beautiful to me and thus attract me and oblige me. You are my most respected mistress. PURPORT An effeminate husband, simply being attracted by the external beauty of his wife, tries to become her most obedient servant. Sripada Sankaracarya has therefore advised that we not become attracted by a lump of flesh and blood. The story is told that at one time a man, very much attracted to a beautiful woman, wooed the woman in such a way that she devised a plan to show him the ingredients of her beauty. The woman made a date to see him, and before seeing him she took a purgative, and that whole day and night she simply passed stool, and she preserved that stool in a pot. The next night, when the man came to see her, she appeared very ugly and emaciated. When the man inquired from her about the woman with whom he had an engagement, she replied, “I am that very woman.” The man refused to believe her, not knowing that she had lost all her beauty due to the violent purgative that caused her to pass stool day and night. When the man began to argue with her, the woman said that she was not looking beautiful because she was separated from the ingredients of her beauty. When the man asked how she could be so separated, the woman said, “Come on, and I will show you.” She then showed him the pot filled with liquid stool and vomit. Thus the man became aware that a beautiful woman is simply a lump of matter composed of blood, stool, urine and similar other disgusting ingredients. This is the actual fact, but in a state of illusion, man becomes attracted by illusory beauty and becomes a victim of maya. King Puranjana begged his Queen to return to her original beauty. He tried to revive her just as a living entity tries to revive his original consciousness, Krsna consciousness, which is very beautiful. All the beautiful features of the Queen could be compared to the beautiful features of Krsna consciousness. When one returns to his original Krsna consciousness, he actually becomes steady, and his life becomes successful. SB4.26.24 TEXT 24 tasmin dadhe damam aham tava vira-patni yo ’nyatra bhusura-kulat krta-kilbisas tam pasye na vita-bhayam unmuditam tri-lokyam anyatra vai mura-ripor itaratra dasat SYNONYMS tasmin—unto him; dadhe—shall give; damam—punishment; aham—I; tava—to you; vira-patni—O wife of the hero; yah—one who; anyatra—besides; bhu-sura-kulat—from the group of demigods on this earth (the brahmanas); krta—done; kilbisah—offense; tam—him; pasye—I see; na—not; vita—without; bhayam—fear; unmuditam—without anxiety; tri-lokyam—within the three worlds; anyatra—elsewhere; vai—certainly; mura-ripoh—of the enemy of Mura (Krsna); itaratra—on the other hand; dasat—than the servant. TRANSLATION O hero’s wife, kindly tell me if someone has offended you. I am prepared to give such a person punishment as long as he does not belong to the brahmana caste. But for the servant of Muraripu [Krsna], I excuse no one within or beyond these three worlds. No one can freely move after offending you, for I am prepared to punish him. PURPORT According to Vedic civilization, a brahmana, or one who is properly qualified to understand the Absolute Truth—that is, one belonging to the most intelligent social order—as well as the devotee of Lord Krsna, who is known as Muradvisa, enemy of a demon named Mura, is not subject to the rules and regulations of the state. In other words, upon breaking the laws of the state, everyone can be punished by the government except the brahmanas and Vaisnavas. Brahmanas and Vaisnavas never transgress the laws of the state or the laws of nature because they know perfectly well the resultant reactions caused by such law-breaking. Even though they may sometimes appear to violate the laws, they are not to be punished by the king. This instruction was given to King Pracinabarhisat by Narada Muni. King Puranjana was a representative of King Pracinabarhisat, and Narada Muni was reminding King Pracinabarhisat of his forefather, Maharaja Prthu, who never chastised a brahmana or a Vaisnava. One’s pure intelligence, or pure Krsna consciousness, becomes polluted by material activities. Pure consciousness can be revived by the process of sacrifice, charity, pious activities, etc., but when one pollutes his Krsna consciousness by offending a brahmana or a Vaisnava, it is very difficult to revive. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has described the vaisnava-aparadha, or offense to a Vaisnava, as “the mad elephant offense.” One should be very careful not to offend a Vaisnava or a brahmana. Even the great yogi Durvasa was harassed by the Sudarsana cakra when he offended the Vaisnava Maharaja Ambarisa, who was neither a brahmana nor a sannyasi but an ordinary householder. Maharaja Ambarisa was a Vaisnava, and consequently Durvasa Muni was chastised. The conclusion is that if Krsna consciousness is covered by material sins, one can eliminate the sins simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, but if one pollutes his Krsna consciousness by offending a brahmana or a Vaisnava, one cannot revive it until one properly atones for the sin by pleasing the offended Vaisnava or brahmana. This was the course that Durvasa Muni had to follow, for he surrendered unto Maharaja Ambarisa. A vaisnava-aparadha cannot be atoned for by any means other than by begging the pardon of the offended Vaisnava. SB4.26.25 TEXT 25 vaktram na te vitilakam malinam viharsam samrambha-bhimam avimrstam apeta-ragam pasye stanav api sucopahatau sujatau bimbadharam vigata-kunkuma-panka-ragam SYNONYMS vaktram—face; na—never; te—your; vitilakam—without being decorated; malinam—unclean; viharsam—morose; samrambha—with anger; bhimam—dangerous; avimrstam—without luster; apeta-ragam—without affection; pasye—I have seen; stanau—your breasts; api—also; suca-upahatau—wet because of your tears; su-jatau—so nice; bimba-adharam—red lips; vigata—without; kunkuma-panka—saffron; ragam—color. TRANSLATION My dear wife, until this day I have never seen your face without tilaka decorations, nor have I seen you so morose and without luster or affection. Nor have I seen your two nice breasts wet with tears from your eyes. Nor have I ever before seen your lips, which are ordinarily as red as the bimba fruit, without their reddish hue. PURPORT Every woman looks very beautiful when decorated with tilaka and vermillion. A woman generally becomes very attractive when her lips are colored with reddish saffron or vermillion. But when one’s consciousness and intelligence are without any brilliant thoughts about Krsna, they become morose and lusterless, so much so that one cannot derive any benefit despite sharp intelligence. SB4.26.26 TEXT 26 tan me prasida suhrdah krta-kilbisasya svairam gatasya mrgayam vyasanaturasya ka devaram vasa-gatam kusumastra-vega- visrasta-paumsnam usati na bhajeta krtye SYNONYMS tat—therefore; me—unto me; prasida—be kind; su-hrdah—intimate friend; krta-kilbisasya—having committed sinful activities; svairam—independently; gatasya—who went; mrgayam—hunting; vyasana-aturasya—being influenced by sinful desire; ka—what woman; devaram—the husband; vasa-gatam—under her control; kusuma-astra-vega—pierced by the arrow of Cupid; visrasta—scattered; paumsnam—his patience; usati—very beautiful; na—never; bhajeta—would embrace; krtye—in proper duty. TRANSLATION My dear Queen, due to my sinful desires I went to the forest to hunt without asking you. Therefore I must admit that I have offended you. Nonetheless, thinking of me as your most intimate subordinate, you should still be very much pleased with me. Factually I am very much bereaved, but being pierced by the arrow of Cupid, I am feeling lusty. But where is the beautiful woman who would give up her lusty husband and refuse to unite with him? PURPORT Both man and woman desire one another; that is the basic principle of material existence. Women in general always keep themselves beautiful so that they can be attractive to their lusty husbands. When a lusty husband comes before his wife, the wife takes advantage of his aggressive activities and enjoys life. Generally when a woman is attacked by a man—whether her husband or some other man—she enjoys the attack, being too lusty. In other words, when one’s intelligence is properly utilized, both the intellect and the intelligent person enjoy one another with great satisfaction. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.9.45): yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham The actual happiness of the karmis is sex life. They work very hard outside the home, and to satiate their hard labor, they come home to enjoy sex life. King Puranjana went to the forest to hunt, and after his hard labor he returned home to enjoy sex life. If a man lives outside the home and spends a week in a city or somewhere else, at the end of the week he becomes very anxious to return home and enjoy sex with his wife. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam: yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]. Karmis work very hard simply to enjoy sex. Modern human society has improved the materialistic way of life simply by inducing unrestricted sex life in many different ways. This is most prominently visible in the Western world. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fourth Canto, Twenty-sixth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “King Puranjana Goes to the Forest to Hunt, and His Queen Becomes Angry.”
bhajann apakvo ’tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim
ko vartha apto ’bhajatam sva-dharmatah
prajalpo niyamagrahah
jana-sangas ca laulyam ca
sadbhir bhaktir vinasyati
niraharasya dehinah
rasa-varjam raso ’py asya
param drstva nivartate
bharya capriya-vadini
aranyam tena gantavyam
yatharanyam tatha grham
manusya-janama paiya, radha-krsna na bhajiya,
janiya suniya visa khainu
sprsaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah
mahiyasam pada-rajo-’bhisekam
niskincananam na vrnita yavat
bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam
hrd-vag-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jiveta yo mukti-pade sa daya-bhak
kanduyanena karayor iva duhkha-duhkham