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hiranyakasipuh—Hiranyakasipu; bhratuh—of the brother; samparetasya—deceased; duhkhitah—being very much distressed; krtva—performing; katodaka-adini—ceremonies observed after a death; bhratr-putran—the sons of his brother; asantvayat—pacified.

After performing the ritualistic observances for the death of his brother, Hiranyakasipu, being extremely unhappy, tried to pacify his nephews.

SB7.2.18-19

TEXTS 18–19

sakunim sambaram dhrstim

bhutasantapanam vrkam

kalanabham mahanabham

harismasrum athotkacam

tan-mataram rusabhanum

ditim ca jananim gira

slaksnaya desa-kala-jna

idam aha janesvara

SYNONYMS

sakunim—Sakuni; sambaram—Sambara; dhrstim—Dhrsti; bhutasantapanam—Bhutasantapana; vrkam—Vrka; kalanabham—Kalanabha; mahanabham—Mahanabha; harismasrum—Harismasru; atha—as well as; utkacam—Utkaca; tat-mataram—their mother; rusabhanum—Rusabhanu; ditim—Diti; ca—and; jananim—his own mother; gira—by words; slaksnaya—very sweet; desa-kala-jnah—who was expert in understanding the time and situation; idam—this; aha—said; jana-isvara—O King.

TRANSLATION

O King, Hiranyakasipu was extremely angry, but since he was a great politician, he knew how to act according to the time and situation. With sweet words he began pacifying his nephews, whose names were Sakuni, Sambara, Dhrsti, Bhutasantapana, Vrka, Kalanabha, Mahanabha, Harismasru and Utkaca. He also consoled their mother, his sister-in-law, Rusabhanu, as well as his own mother, Diti. He spoke to them all as follows.

SB7.2.20

TEXT 20

sri-hiranyakasipur uvaca

ambamba he vadhuh putra

viram marhatha socitum

ripor abhimukhe slaghyah

suranam vadha ipsitah

SYNONYMS

sri-hiranyakasipuh uvaca—Hiranyakasipu said; amba amba—my mother, my mother; he—O; vadhuh—my sister-in-law; putrah—O sons of my brother; viram—the hero; ma—not; arhatha—you deserve; socitum—to lament about; ripoh—of the enemy; abhimukhe—in front; slaghyah—glorious; suranam—of those who are actually great; vadhah—killing; ipsitah—desired.

TRANSLATION

Hiranyakasipu said: My dear mother, sister-in-law and nephews, you should not lament for the death of the great hero, for a hero’s death in front of his enemy is glorious and desirable.

SB7.2.21

TEXT 21

bhutanam iha samvasah

prapayam iva suvrate

daivenaikatra nitanam

unnitanam sva-karmabhih

SYNONYMS

bhutanam—of all living entities; iha—in this material world; samvasah—the living together; prapayam—in a place for drinking cold water; iva—like; su-vrate—O my gentle mother; daivena—by the superior arrangement; ekatra—in one place; nitanam—of those brought; unnitanam—of those led apart; sva-karmabhih—by their own reactions.

TRANSLATION

My dear mother, in a restaurant or place for drinking cold water, many travelers are brought together, and after drinking water they continue to their respective destinations. Similarly, living entities join together in a family, and later, as a result of their own actions, they are led apart to their destinations.

PURPORT

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate

“The bewildered soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.” (Bg. 3.27) All living entities act exactly according to the directions of prakrti, material nature, because in the material world we are fully under a higher control. All the living entities in this material world have come here only because they wanted to be equal to Krsna in enjoyment and have thus been sent here to be conditioned by material nature in different degrees. In the material world a so-called family is a combination of several persons in one home to fulfill the terms of their imprisonment. As criminal prisoners scatter as soon as their terms are over and they are released, all of us who have temporarily assembled as family members will continue to our respective destinations. Another example given is that family members are like straws carried together by the waves of a river. Sometimes such straws mix together in whirlpools, and later, dispersed again by the same waves, they float alone in the water.

Although Hiranyakasipu was a demon, he had Vedic knowledge and understanding. Thus the advice given to his family members—his sister-in-law, mother and nephews—was quite sound. The demons are considered highly elevated in knowledge, but because they do not use their good intelligence for the service of the Lord, they are called demons. The demigods, however, act very intelligently to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.13) as follows:

atah pumbhir dvija-srestha
varnasrama-vibhagasah
svanusthitasya dharmasya
samsiddhir hari-tosanam

“O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve, by discharging his prescribed duties [dharma] according to caste divisions and orders of life, is to please the Lord Hari.” To become a demigod or to become godly, whatever one’s occupation, one must satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB7.2.22

TEXT 22

nitya atmavyayah suddhah

sarvagah sarva-vit parah

dhatte ’sav atmano lingam

mayaya visrjan gunan

nityah—eternal; atma—spirit soul; avyayah—inexhaustible; suddhah—with no material tinge; sarva-gah—qualified to go anywhere in the material or spiritual worlds; sarva-vit—full of knowledge; parah—transcendental to material conditions; dhatte—accepts; asau—that atma, or living being; atmanah—of the self; lingam—a body; mayaya—by the material energy; visrjan—creating; gunan—various material qualities.

The spirit soul, the living entity, has no death, for he is eternal and inexhaustible. Being free from material contamination, he can go anywhere in the material or spiritual worlds. He is fully aware and completely different from the material body, but because of being misled by misuse of his slight independence, he is obliged to accept subtle and gross bodies created by the material energy and thus be subjected to so-called material happiness and distress. Therefore, no one should lament for the passing of the spirit soul from the body.

Hiranyakasipu very intelligently described the position of the soul. The soul is never the body, but is always completely different from the body. Being eternal and inexhaustible, the soul has no death, but when the same pure soul desires to enjoy the material world independently, he is placed under the conditions of material nature and must therefore accept a certain type of body and suffer the pains and pleasures thereof. This is also described by Krsna in Bhagavad-gita (13.22). Karanam guna-sango ’sya sad-asad-yoni janmasu: the living entity is born in different families or species of life because of being infected by the modes of material nature. When conditioned by material nature, the living entity must accept a certain type of body, which is offered by nature under the direction of the Supreme Lord.

isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” (Bg. 18.61) The body is just like a machine, and according to the living entity’s karma, he is offered a particular type of machine to move here and there under the control of material nature. This continues until he surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]). Until he surrenders, the conditioned soul is carried from life to life by the arrangement of material nature.

SB7.2.23

TEXT 23

yathambhasa pracalata

taravo ’pi cala iva

caksusa bhramyamanena

drsyate calativa bhuh

yatha—just as; ambhasa—by water; pracalata—moving; taravah—the trees (on the bank of the river); api—also; calah—moving; iva—as if; caksusa—by the eye; bhramyamanena—moving; drsyate—is seen; calati—moving; iva—as if; bhuh—the ground.

Because of the movements of the water, the trees on the bank of a river, when reflected on the water, seem to move. Similarly, when the eyes move because of some mental derangement, the land appears to move also.

Sometimes, because of mental derangement, the land appears to be moving. A drunkard, for example, or a person with heart disease, sometimes feels that the land is moving. Similarly, the reflections of trees in a flowing river also appear to move. These are the actions of maya. Actually the living entity does not move (sthanur acalo ’yam). The living entity does not take birth or accept death, but because of the transient subtle and gross bodies, the living entity appears to move from one place to another or be dead and gone forever. As the great Bengali Vaisnava poet, Jagadananda Pandita, has said:

pisaci paile yena mati-cchanna haya
maya-grasta jivera haya se bhava udaya

According to this statement from the Prema-vivarta, when a living entity is conditioned by material nature, he is exactly like a person haunted by a ghost. One should therefore understand the fixed position of the spirit soul and how he is carried away by the waves of material nature to different bodies and different situations under lamentation and hankering. One achieves the success of life when he understands the constitutional position of his self and is undisturbed by the conditions created by material nature (prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]).

SB7.2.24

TEXT 24

evam gunair bhramyamane

manasy avikalah puman

yati tat-samyatam bhadre

hy alingo lingavan iva

evam—in this way; gunaih—by the modes of material nature; bhramyamane—when shaken; manasi—the mind; avikalah—changeless; puman—the living entity; yati—approaches; tat-samyatam—the same condition of agitation as the mind; bhadre—O my gentle mother; hi—indeed; alingah—without a subtle or gross body; linga-van—possessing a material body; iva—as if.

In the same way, O my gentle mother, when the mind is agitated by the movements of the modes of material nature, the living entity, although freed from all the different phases of the subtle and gross bodies, thinks that he has changed from one condition to another.

As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.84.13):

yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke
sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma-ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah

“A human being who identifies the body made of three elements as the self, who considers the by-products of the body to be his kinsmen, who considers the land of his birth worshipable, and who goes to a place of pilgrimage simply to bathe rather than to meet men of transcendental knowledge there, is to be considered like a cow or an ass.” Although Hiranyakasipu was a great demon, he was not as foolish as the population of the modern world. Hiranyakasipu had clear knowledge of the spirit soul and the subtle and gross bodies, but now we are so degraded that everyone, including the exalted scientists, philosophers and other leaders, is under the bodily conception of life, which is condemned in the sastras. Sa eva go-kharah: [SB 10.84.13] such persons are nothing but cows and asses.

Hiranyakasipu advised his family members that although the gross body of his brother Hiranyaksa was dead and they were aggrieved because of this, they should not lament for the great soul of Hiranyaksa, who had already attained his next destination. Atma, the spirit soul, is always unchanged (avikalah puman). We are spirit souls, but when carried away by mental activities (manodharma), we suffer from so-called material conditions of life. This generally happens to nondevotees. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-gunah: nondevotees may possess exalted material qualities, but because they are foolish they have no good qualifications. The designations of the conditioned soul in the material world are decorations of the dead body. The conditioned soul has no information of the spirit and its exalted existence beyond the effects of the material condition.

SB7.2.25-26

TEXTS 25–26

esa atma-viparyaso

hy alinge linga-bhavana

esa priyapriyair yogo

viyogah karma-samsrtih

sambhavas ca vinasas ca

sokas ca vividhah smrtah

avivekas ca cinta ca

vivekasmrtir eva ca

esah—this; atma-viparyasah—bewilderment of the living being; hi—indeed; alinge—in that which does not possess a material body; linga-bhavana—accepting the material body to be the self; esah—this; priya—with those who are very dear; apriyaih—and with those who are not dear (enemies, those not in the family, etc.); yogah—connection; viyogah—separation; karma—the fruits of action; samsrtih—the material condition of life; sambhavah—accepting birth; ca—and; vinasah—accepting death; ca—and; sokah—lamentation; ca—and; vividhah—varieties; smrtah—mentioned in scripture; avivekah—lack of discrimination; ca—and; cinta—anxiety; ca—also; viveka—of proper discrimination; asmrtih—forgetfulness; eva—indeed; ca—also.

In his bewildered state, the living entity, accepting the body and mind to be the self, considers some people to be his kinsmen and others to be outsiders. Because of this misconception, he suffers. Indeed, the accumulation of such concocted material ideas is the cause of suffering and so-called happiness in the material world. The conditioned soul thus situated must take birth in different species and work in various types of consciousness, thus creating new bodies. This continued material life is called samsara. Birth, death, lamentation, foolishness and anxiety are due to such material considerations. Thus we sometimes come to a proper understanding and sometimes fall again to a wrong conception of life.

SB7.2.27

TEXT 27

atrapy udaharantimam

itihasam puratanam

yamasya preta-bandhunam

samvadam tam nibodhata

SYNONYMS

atra—in this connection; api—indeed; udaharanti—they cite; imam—this; itihasam—history; puratanam—very old; yamasya—of Yamaraja, the superintendent of death, who gives judgment after death; preta-bandhunam—of the friends of a dead man; samvadam—discussion; tam—that; nibodhata—try to understand.

TRANSLATION

In this regard, an example is given from an old history. This involves a discourse between Yamaraja and the friends of a dead person. Please hear it attentively.

PURPORT

The words itihasam puratanam mean “an old history.” The Puranas are not chronologically recorded, but the incidents mentioned in the Puranas are actual histories of bygone ages. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the Maha-Purana, the essence of all the Puranas. The Mayavadi scholars do not accept the Puranas, but Srila Madhvacarya and all other authorities accept them as the authoritative histories of the world.

sapatnair nihato yuddhe

jnatayas tam upasata

usinaresu—in the state known as Usinara; abhut—there was; raja—a king; suyajnah—Suyajna; iti—thus; visrutah—celebrated; sapatnaih—by enemies; nihatah—killed; yuddhe—in war; jnatayah—the kinsmen; tam—him; upasata—sat around.

In the state known as Usinara there was a celebrated King named Suyajna. When the King was killed in battle by his enemies, his kinsmen sat down around the dead body and began to lament the death of their friend.

SB7.2.29-31

TEXTS 29–31

visirna-ratna-kavacam

vibhrastabharana-srajam

sara-nirbhinna-hrdayam

sayanam asrg-avilam

prakirna-kesam dhvastaksam

rabhasa dasta-dacchadam

rajah-kuntha-mukhambhojam

chinnayudha-bhujam mrdhe

usinarendram vidhina tatha krtam

patim mahisyah prasamiksya duhkhitah

hatah sma natheti karair uro bhrsam

ghnantyo muhus tat-padayor upapatan

SYNONYMS

visirna—scattered here and there; ratna—made of jewels; kavacam—protective armor; vibhrasta—fallen off; abharana—ornaments; srajam—garlands; sara-nirbhinna—pierced by arrows; hrdayam—the heart; sayanam—lying down; asrk-avilam—smeared with blood; prakirna-kesam—his hair loosened and scattered; dhvasta-aksam—his eyes obscured; rabhasa—with anger; dasta—bitten; dacchadam—his lips; rajah-kuntha—covered with dust; mukha-ambhojam—his face, which had formerly resembled a lotus flower; chinna—cut off; ayudha-bhujam—his arms and weapons; mrdhe—on the battlefield; usinara-indram—the master of the state of Usinara; vidhina—by providence; tatha—thus; krtam—forced into this position; patim—the husband; mahisyah—the queens; prasamiksya—seeing; duhkhitah—very much aggrieved; hatah—killed; sma—certainly; natha—O husband; iti—thus; karaih—with the hands; urah—the breast; bhrsam—constantly; ghnantyah—pounding; muhuh—again and again; tat-padayoh—at the feet of the King; upapatan—fell down.

TRANSLATION

His golden, bejeweled armor smashed, his ornaments and garlands fallen from their places, his hair scattered and his eyes lusterless, the slain King lay on the battlefield, his entire body smeared with blood, his heart pierced by the arrows of the enemy. When he died he had wanted to show his prowess, and thus he had bitten his lips, and his teeth remained in that position. His beautiful lotuslike face was now black and covered with dust from the battlefield. His arms, with his sword and other weapons, were cut and broken. When the queens of the King of Usinara saw their husband lying in that position, they began crying, “O lord, now that you have been killed, we also have been killed.” Repeating these words again and again, they fell down, pounding their breasts, at the feet of the dead King.

PURPORT

As stated here, rabhasa dasta-dacchadam: the dead King, while fighting in anger, bit his lips to show his prowess, but nonetheless he was killed by providence (vidhina). This proves that we are controlled by higher authorities; our personal power or endeavor is not always supreme. We must therefore accept the position offered to us by the order of the Supreme.

SB7.2.32

TEXT 32

rudatya uccair dayitanghri-pankajam

sincantya asraih kuca-kunkumarunaih

visrasta-kesabharanah sucam nrnam

srjantya akrandanaya vilepire

rudatyah—crying; uccaih—very loudly; dayita—of their beloved husband; anghri-pankajam—the lotus feet; sincantyah—moistening; asraih—with tears; kuca-kunkuma-arunaih—which were red from the kunkuma covering their breasts; visrasta—scattered; kesa—hair; abharanah—and ornaments; sucam—grief; nrnam—of the people in general; srjantyah—creating; akrandanaya—by crying very pitiably; vilepire—began to lament.

As the queens loudly cried, their tears glided down their breasts, becoming reddened by kunkuma powder, and fell upon the lotus feet of their husband. Their hair became disarrayed, their ornaments fell, and in a way that evoked sympathy from the hearts of others, the queens began lamenting their husband’s death.

SB7.2.33

TEXT 33

aho vidhatrakarunena nah prabho

bhavan pranito drg-agocaram dasam

usinaranam asi vrttidah pura

krto ’dhuna yena sucam vivardhanah

SYNONYMS

aho—alas; vidhatra—by providence; akarunena—who is merciless; nah—our; prabho—O lord; bhavan—Your Lordship; pranitah—taken away; drk—of sight; agocaram—beyond the range; dasam—to a state; usinaranam—to the inhabitants of the state of Usinara; asi—you were; vrtti-dah—giving livelihood; pura—formerly; krtah—finished; adhuna—now; yena—by whom; sucam—of lamentation; vivardhanah—increasing.

TRANSLATION

O lord, you have now been removed by cruel providence to a state beyond our sight. You had previously sustained the livelihood of the inhabitants of Usinara, and thus they were happy, but your condition now is the cause of their unhappiness.

SB7.2.34

TEXT 34

tvaya krtajnena vayam mahi-pate

katham vina syama suhrttamena te

tatranuyanam tava vira padayoh

susrusatinam disa yatra yasyasi

SYNONYMS

tvaya—you; krtajnena—a most grateful personality; vayam—we; mahi-pate—O King; katham—how; vina—without; syama—shall exist; suhrt-tamena—the best of our friends; te—of you; tatra—there; anuyanam—the following; tava—of you; vira—O hero; padayoh—of the lotus feet; susrusatinam—of those engaging in the service; disa—please order; yatra—where; yasyasi—you will go.

TRANSLATION

O King, O hero, you were a very grateful husband and the most sincere friend of all of us. How shall we exist without you? O hero, wherever you are going, please direct us there so that we may follow in your footsteps and engage again in your service. Let us go along with you!

PURPORT

Formerly, a ksatriya king was generally the husband of many wives, and after the death of the king, especially in the battlefield, all the queens would agree to accept saha-marana, dying with the husband who was their life. When Pandu Maharaja, the father of the Pandavas, died, his two wives—namely, the mother of Yudhisthira, Bhima and Arjuna and the mother of Nakula and Sahadeva—were both ready to die in the fire with their husband. Later, after a compromise was arranged, Kunti stayed alive to care for the little children, and the other wife, Madri, was allowed to die with her husband. This system of saha-marana continued in India even until the time of British rule, but later it was discouraged, since the attitude of wives gradually changed with the advancement of Kali-yuga. Thus the system of saha-marana has practically been abolished. Nevertheless, within the past fifty years I have seen the wife of a medical practitioner voluntarily accept death immediately when her husband died. Both the husband and wife were taken in procession in the mourning cart. Such intense love of a chaste wife for her husband is a special case.

SB7.2.35

TEXT 35

evam vilapatinam vai

parigrhya mrtam patim

anicchatinam nirharam

arko ’stam sannyavartata

evam—thus; vilapatinam—of the lamenting queens; vai—indeed; parigrhya—taking on their laps; mrtam—the dead; patim—husband; anicchatinam—not desiring; nirharam—the carrying out of the body for the funeral ceremony; arkah—the sun; astam—the setting position; sannyavartata—passed away.

The time was appropriate for the body to be burned, but the queens, not allowing it to be taken away, continued lamenting for the dead body, which they kept on their laps. In the meantime, the sun completed its movements for setting in the west.

According to the Vedic system, if a person dies during the daytime it is customary for his funeral ceremony to be performed before the sun sets, regardless of whether he is burned or buried, and if he dies at night the funeral must be completed before the next sunrise. Apparently the queens continued lamenting for the dead body, the lump of matter, and would not allow it to be taken away for burning. This illustrates the strong grip of illusion among foolish persons who consider the body the self. Women are generally considered less intelligent. Because of ignorance only, the queens thought of the dead body as their husband and somehow or other thought that if the body were kept their husband would remain with them. Such a conception of the self is certainly for go-khara—cows and asses. We have actually seen that sometimes when a cow’s calf has died the milkman cheats the cow by presenting before her the dead body of her calf. Thus the cow, who would not otherwise allow milking, licks the dead body of the calf and allows herself to be milked. This substantiates the description of the sastra that a foolish man in the bodily concept of life is like a cow. Not only do foolish men and women consider the body the self, but we have even seen that the dead body of a so-called yogi was kept for days by his disciples, who thought that their guru was in samadhi. When decomposition began and a bad smell unfortunately began to overwhelm the yogic power, the disciples allowed the dead body of the so-called yogi to be burned. Thus the bodily concept of life is extremely strong among foolish persons, who are compared to cows and asses. Nowadays, great scientists are trying to freeze dead bodies so that in the future these frozen bodies may again be brought to life. The incident narrated by Hiranyakasipu from history must have taken place millions of years ago because Hiranyakasipu lived millions of years ago and was even then quoting from history. Thus the incident occurred before Hiranyakasipu’s lifetime, but the same ignorance in the bodily concept of life is still prevalent, not only among laymen but even among scientists who think they will be able to revive frozen corpses.

Apparently the queens did not want to deliver the dead body for burning because they were afraid of dying with the dead body of their husband.

SB7.2.36

TEXT 36

tatra ha preta-bandhunam

asrutya paridevitam

aha tan balako bhutva

yamah svayam upagatah

tatra—there; ha—certainly; preta-bandhunam—of the friends and relatives of the dead King; asrutya—hearing; paridevitam—the loud lamentation (so loud that it could be heard from the planet of Yamaraja); aha—said; tan—unto them (the lamenting queens); balakah—a boy; bhutva—becoming; yamah—Yamaraja, the superintendent of death; svayam—personally; upagatah—after coming.

While the queens were lamenting for the dead body of the King, their loud cries were heard even from the abode of Yamaraja. Assuming the body of a boy, Yamaraja personally approached the relatives of the dead body and advised them as follows.

Sometimes the living entity is forced to give up his body and enter another one according to the judgment of Yamaraja. It is difficult, however, for the conditioned soul to enter another body unless the present dead body is annihilated through cremation or some other means. The living being has attachment for the present body and does not want to enter another, and thus in the interim he remains a ghost. If a living being who has already left his body has been pious, Yamaraja, just to give him relief, will give him another body. Since the living being in the body of the King had some attachment to his body, he was hovering as a ghost, and therefore Yamaraja, as a special consideration, approached the lamenting relatives to instruct them personally. Yamaraja approached them as a child because a child is not restricted but is granted admittance anywhere, even to the palace of a king. Besides this, the child was speaking philosophy. People are very much interested in hearing philosophy when it is spoken by a child.

SB7.2.37

TEXT 37

sri-yama uvaca

aho amisam vayasadhikanam

vipasyatam loka-vidhim vimohah

yatragatas tatra gatam manusyam

svayam sadharma api socanty apartham

sri-yamah uvaca—Sri Yamaraja said; aho—alas; amisam—of these; vayasa—by age; adhikanam—of those advanced; vipasyatam—seeing every day; loka-vidhim—the law of nature (that everyone dies); vimohah—the bewilderment; yatra—from where; agatah—came; tatra—there; gatam—returned; manusyam—the man; svayam—themselves; sa-dharmah—similar in nature (prone to die); api—although; socanti—they lament; apartham—uselessly.

Sri Yamaraja said: Alas, how amazing it is! These persons, who are older than me, have full experience that hundreds and thousands of living entities have taken birth and died. Thus they should understand that they also are apt to die, yet still they are bewildered. The conditioned soul comes from an unknown place and returns after death to that same unknown place. There is no exception to this rule, which is conducted by material nature. Knowing this, why do they uselessly lament?