Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 8: “Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Six

The Demigods and Demons Declare a Truce

SB8.6Summary

This chapter describes how the Lord appeared before the demigods when they offered Him their prayers. Following the advice of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demigods executed a truce with the demons for the purpose of churning nectar from the sea.

Because of the prayers offered by the demigods in the previous chapter, Lord Ksirodakasayi Visnu was pleased with the demigods, and thus He appeared before them. The demigods were almost blinded by His transcendental bodily effulgence. At first, therefore, they could not even see any part of His body. After some time, however, when Brahma could see the Lord, he, along with Lord Siva, began to offer the Lord prayers.

Lord Brahma said: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead, being beyond birth and death, is eternal. He has no material qualities. Yet He is the ocean of unlimited auspicious qualities. He is subtler than the most subtle, He is invisible, and His form is inconceivable. He is worshipable for all the demigods. Innumerable universes exist within His form, and therefore He is never separated from these universes by time, space or circumstances. He is the chief and the pradhana. Although He is the beginning, the middle and the end of the material creation, the idea of pantheism conceived by Mayavadi philosophers has no validity. The Supreme Personality of Godhead controls the entire material manifestation through His subordinate agent, the external energy. Because of His inconceivable transcendental position, He is always the master of the material energy. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His various forms, is always present even within this material world, but the material qualities cannot touch Him. One can understand His position only by His instructions, as given in Bhagavad-gita.” As stated in Bhagavad-gita (10.10), dadami buddhi-yogam tam. Buddhi-yoga means bhakti-yoga. Only through the process of bhakti-yoga can one understand the Supreme Lord.

When offered prayers by Lord Siva and Lord Brahma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was pleased. Thus He gave appropriate instructions to all the demigods. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Ajita, unconquerable, advised the demigods to make a peace proposal to the demons, so that after formulating a truce, the demigods and demons could churn the ocean of milk. The rope would be the biggest serpent, known as Vasuki, and the churning rod would be Mandara Mountain. Poison would also be produced from the churning, but it would be taken by Lord Siva, and so there would be no need to fear it. Many other attractive things would be generated by the churning, but the Lord warned the demigods not to be captivated by such things. Nor should the demigods be angry if there were some disturbances. After advising the demigods in this way, the Lord disappeared from the scene.

Following the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demigods established a peace with Maharaja Bali, the King of the demons. Then both the demons and the demigods started for the ocean, taking Mandara Mountain with them. Because of the great heaviness of the mountain, the demigods and demons became fatigued, and some of them actually died. Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, appeared there on the back of His carrier, Garuda, and by His mercy He brought these demigods and demons back to life. The Lord then lifted the mountain with one of His hands and placed it on the back of Garuda. The Lord sat on the mountain and was carried to the spot of the churning by Garuda, who placed the mountain in the middle of the sea. Then the Lord asked Garuda to leave that place because as long as Garuda was present, Vasuki could not come there.

SB8.6.1

TEXT 1

sri-suka uvaca

evam stutah sura-ganair

bhagavan harir isvarah

tesam avirabhud rajan

sahasrarkodaya-dyutih

SYNONYMS

sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; evam—in this way; stutah—being worshiped by prayers; sura-ganaih—by the demigods; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; harih—the vanquisher of all inauspiciousness; isvarah—the supreme controller; tesam—in front of Lord Brahma and all the demigods; avirabhut—appeared there; rajan—O King (Pariksit); sahasra—of thousands; arka—of suns; udaya—like the rising; dyutih—His effulgence.

TRANSLATION

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: O King Pariksit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, being thus worshiped with prayers by the demigods and Lord Brahma, appeared before them. His bodily effulgence resembled the simultaneous rising of thousands of suns.

SB8.6.2

TEXT 2

tenaiva sahasa sarve

devah pratihateksanah

napasyan kham disah ksaunim

atmanam ca kuto vibhum

SYNONYMS

tena eva—because of this; sahasa—all of a sudden; sarve—all; devah—the demigods; pratihata-iksanah—their vision being blocked; na—not; apasyan—could see; kham—the sky; disah—the directions; ksaunim—land; atmanam ca—also themselves; kutah—and where is the question of seeing; vibhum—the Supreme Lord.

TRANSLATION

The vision of all the demigods was blocked by the Lord’s effulgence. Thus they could see neither the sky, the directions, the land, nor even themselves, what to speak of seeing the Lord, who was present before them.

SB8.6.3-7

TEXTS 3–7

virinco bhagavan drstva

saha sarvena tam tanum

svaccham marakata-syamam

kanja-garbharuneksanam

tapta-hemavadatena

lasat-kauseya-vasasa

prasanna-caru-sarvangim

sumukhim sundara-bhruvam

maha-mani-kiritena

keyurabhyam ca bhusitam

karnabharana-nirbhata-

kapola-sri-mukhambujam

kancikalapa-valaya-

hara-nupura-sobhitam

kaustubhabharanam laksmim

bibhratim vana-malinim

sudarsanadibhih svastrair

murtimadbhir upasitam

tustava deva-pravarah

sasarvah purusam param

sarvamara-ganaih sakam

sarvangair avanim gataih

SYNONYMS

virincah—Lord Brahma; bhagavan—who is also addressed as bhagavan because of his powerful position; drstva—by seeing; saha—with; sarvena—Lord Siva; tam—unto the Supreme Lord; tanum—His transcendental form; svaccham—without material contamination; marakata-syamam—with a bodily luster like the light of a blue gem; kanja-garbha-aruna-iksanam—with pinkish eyes like the womb of a lotus flower; tapta-hema-avadatena—with a luster like that of molten gold; lasat—shining; kauseya-vasasa—dressed in yellow silk garments; prasanna-caru-sarva-angim—all the parts of whose body were graceful and very beautiful; su-mukhim—with a smiling face; sundara-bhruvam—whose eyebrows were very beautifully situated; maha-mani-kiritena—with a helmet bedecked with valuable jewels; keyurabhyam ca bhusitam—decorated with all kinds of ornaments; karna-abharana-nirbhata—illuminated by the rays of the jewels on His ears; kapola—with cheeks; sri-mukha-ambujam—whose beautiful lotuslike face; kanci-kalapa-valaya—ornaments like the belt on the waist and bangles on the hands; hara-nupura—with a necklace on the chest and ankle bells on the legs; sobhitam—all beautifully set; kaustubha-abharanam—whose chest was decorated with the Kaustubha gem; laksmim—the goddess of fortune; bibhratim—moving; vana-malinim—with flower garlands; sudarsana-adibhih—bearing the Sudarsana cakra and others; sva-astraih—with His weapons; murtimadbhih—in His original form; upasitam—being worshiped; tustava—satisfied; deva-pravarah—the chief of the demigods; sa-sarvah—with Lord Siva; purusam param—the Supreme Personality; sarva-amara-ganaih—accompanied by all the demigods; sakam—with; sarva-angaih—with all the parts of the body; avanim—on the ground; gataih—prostrated.

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahma, along with Lord Siva, saw the crystal-clear personal beauty of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose blackish body resembles a marakata gem, whose eyes are reddish like the depths of a lotus, who is dressed with garments that are yellow like molten gold, and whose entire body is attractively decorated. They saw His beautiful, smiling, lotuslike face, crowned by a helmet bedecked with valuable jewels. The Lord has attractive eyebrows, and His cheeks are adorned with earrings. Lord Brahma and Lord Siva saw the belt on the Lord’s waist, the bangles on Mis arms, the necklace on His chest, and the ankle bells on His legs. The Lord is bedecked with flower garlands, His neck is decorated with the Kaustubha gem, and He carries with Him the goddess of fortune and His personal weapons, like His disc and club. When Lord Brahma, along with Lord Siva and the other demigods, thus saw the form of the Lord, they all immediately fell to the ground, offering their obeisances.

SB8.6.8

TEXT 8

sri-brahmovaca

ajata-janma-sthiti-samyamaya-

gunaya nirvana-sukharnavaya

anor animne ’pariganya-dhamne

mahanubhavaya namo namas te

SYNONYMS

sri-brahma uvaca—Lord Brahma said; ajata-janma-sthiti-samyamaya—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is never born but whose appearance in different incarnations never ceases; agunaya—never affected by the material modes of nature (sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna); nirvana-sukha-arnavaya—unto the ocean of eternal bliss, beyond material existence; anoh animne—smaller than the atom; apariganya-dhamne—whose bodily features are never to be conceived by material speculation; maha-anubhavaya—whose existence is inconceivable; namah—offering our obeisances; namah—again offering our obeisances; te—unto You.

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahma said: Although You are never born, Your appearance and disappearance as an incarnation never cease. You are always free from the material qualities, and You are the shelter of transcendental bliss resembling an ocean. Eternally existing in Your transcendental form, You are the supreme subtle of the most extremely subtle. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto You, the Supreme, whose existence is inconceivable.

PURPORT

The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (4.6):

ajo ’pi sann avyayatma
bhutanam isvaro ’pi san
prakrtim svam adhisthaya
sambhavamy atma-mayaya

“Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.” In the following verse in Bhagavad-gita (4.7), the Lord says:

yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham

“Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time descend Myself.” Thus although the Supreme Lord is unborn, there is no cessation to His appearance in different forms as incarnations like Lord Krsna and Lord Rama. Since His incarnations are eternal, the various activities performed by these incarnations are also eternal. The Supreme Personality of Godhead does not appear because He is forced to do so by karma like ordinary living entities who are forced to accept a certain type of body. It is to be understood that the Lord’s body and activities are all transcendental, being free from the contamination of the material modes of nature. These pastimes are transcendental bliss to the Lord. The word apariganya-dhamne is very significant. There is no limit to the Lord’s appearance in different incarnations. All of these incarnations are eternal, blissful and full of knowledge.

SB8.6.9

TEXT 9

rupam tavaitat purusarsabhejyam

sreyo ’rthibhir vaidika-tantrikena

yogena dhatah saha nas tri-lokan

pasyamy amusminn u ha visva-murtau

SYNONYMS

rupam—form; tava—Your; etat—this; purusa-rsabha—O best of all personalities; ijyam—worshipable; sreyah—ultimate auspiciousness; arthibhih—by persons who desire; vaidika—under the direction of Vedic instructions; tantrikena—realized by followers of Tantras, like Narada-pancaratra; yogena—by practice of mystic yoga; dhatah—O supreme director; saha—with; nah—us (the demigods); tri-lokan—controlling the three worlds; pasyami—we see directly; amusmin—in You; u—oh; ha—completely manifested; visva-murtau—in You, who have the universal form.

TRANSLATION

O best of persons, O supreme director, those who actually aspire for supreme good fortune worship this form of Your Lordship according to the Vedic Tantras. My Lord, we can see all the three worlds in You.

PURPORT

The Vedic mantras say: yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati. When the devotee sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead by his meditation, or when he sees the Lord personally, face to face, he becomes aware of everything within this universe. Indeed, nothing is unknown to him. Everything within this material world is fully manifested to a devotee who has seen the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhagavad-gita (4.34) therefore advises:

tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” Lord Brahma is one of these self-realized authorities (svayambhur naradah sambhuh kumarah kapilo manuh [SB 6.3.20]). One must therefore accept the disciplic succession from Lord Brahma, and then one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead in fullness. Here the word visva-murtau indicates that everything exists in the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who is able to worship Him can see everything in Him and see Him in everything.

SB8.6.10

TEXT 10

tvayy agra asit tvayi madhya asit

tvayy anta asid idam atma-tantre

tvam adir anto jagato ’sya madhyam

ghatasya mrtsneva parah parasmat

SYNONYMS

tvayi—unto You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; agre—in the beginning; asit—there was; tvayi—unto You; madhye—in the middle; asit—there was; tvayi—unto You; ante—in the end; asit—there was; idam—all of this cosmic manifestation; atma-tantre—fully under Your control; tvam—Your Lordship; adih—beginning; antah—end; jagatah—of the cosmic manifestation; asya—of this; madhyam—middle; ghatasya—of an earthen pot; mrtsna iva—like the earth; parah—transcendental; parasmat—because of being the chief.

TRANSLATION

My dear Lord, who are always fully independent, this entire cosmic manifestation arises from You, rests upon You and ends in You. Your Lordship is the beginning, sustenance and end of everything, like the earth, which is the cause of an earthen pot, which supports the pot, and to which the pot, when broken, finally returns.

SB8.6.11

TEXT 11

tvam mayayatmasrayaya svayedam

nirmaya visvam tad-anupravistah

pasyanti yukta manasa manisino

guna-vyavaye ’py agunam vipascitah

SYNONYMS

tvam—Your Lordship; mayaya—by Your eternal energy; atma-asrayaya—whose existence is under Your shelter; svaya—emanated from Yourself; idam—this; nirmaya—for the sake of creating; visvam—the entire universe; tat—into it; anupravistah—You enter; pasyanti—they see; yuktah—persons in touch with You; manasa—by an elevated mind; manisinah—people with advanced consciousness; guna—of material qualities; vyavaye—in the transformation; api—although; agunam—still untouched by the material qualities; vipascitah—those who are fully aware of the truth of sastra.

TRANSLATION

O Supreme, You are independent in Your self and do not take help from others. Through Your own potency, You create this cosmic manifestation and enter into it. Those who are advanced in Krsna consciousness, who are fully in knowledge of the authoritative sastra, and who, through the practice of bhakti-yoga, are cleansed of all material contamination, can see with clear minds that although You exist within the transformations of the material qualities, Your presence is untouched by these qualities.

PURPORT

The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (9.10):

mayadhyaksena prakrtih
suyate sacaracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate

“This material nature, working under My direction, O son of Kunti, is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.” The material energy creates, maintains and devastates the entire cosmic manifestation because of directions given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who enters this universe as Garbhodakasayi Visnu but is untouched by the material qualities. In Bhagavad-gita the Lord refers to maya, the external energy, which creates this material world, as mama maya, “My energy,” because this energy works under the full control of the Lord. These facts can be realized only by those who are well versed in Vedic knowledge and advanced in Krsna consciousness.

SB8.6.12

TEXT 12

yathagnim edhasy amrtam ca gosu

bhuvy annam ambudyamane ca vrttim

yogair manusya adhiyanti hi tvam

gunesu buddhya kavayo vadanti

SYNONYMS

yatha—as; agnim—fire; edhasi—in wood; amrtam—milk, which is like nectar; ca—and; gosu—from cows; bhuvi—on the ground; annam—food grains; ambu—water; udyamane—in enterprise; ca—also; vrttim—livelihood; yogaih—by practice of bhakti-yoga; manusyah—human beings; adhiyanti—achieve; hi—indeed; tvam—You; gunesu—in the material modes of nature; buddhya—by intelligence; kavayah—great personalities; vadanti—say.

TRANSLATION

As one can derive fire from wood, milk from the milk bag of the cow, food grains and water from the land, and prosperity in one’s livelihood from industrial enterprises, so, by the practice of bhakti-yoga, even within this material world, one can achieve Your favor or intelligently approach You. Those who are pious all affirm this.

PURPORT

Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is nirguna, not to be found within this material world, the entire material world is pervaded by Him, as stated in Bhagavad-gita (maya tatam idam sarvam). The material world is nothing but an expansion of the Lord’s material energy, and the entire cosmic manifestation rests upon Him (mat-sthani sarva-bhutani). Nonetheless, the Supreme Lord cannot be found here (na caham tesv avasthitah). A devotee, however, can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the practice of bhakti-yoga. One ordinarily does not begin to practice bhakti-yoga unless he has practiced it in previous births. Moreover, one can begin bhakti-yoga only by the mercy of the spiritual master and Krsna. Guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija. The seed of devotional service is obtainable by the mercy of guru, the spiritual master, and Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Only by the practice of bhakti-yoga can one achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and see Him face to face (premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]). One cannot see the Lord by other methods, such as karma, jnana or yoga. Under the direction of the spiritual master, one must cultivate bhakti-yoga (sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam [SB 7.5.23]). Then, even within this material world, although the Lord is not visible, a devotee can see Him. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]) and in Srimad-Bhagavatam (bhaktyaham ekaya grahyah). Thus by devotional service one can achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although He is not visible or understandable to materialistic persons.

In this verse, the cultivation of bhakti-yoga is compared to many material activities. By friction one can get fire from wood, by digging the earth one can get food grains and water, and by agitating the milk bag of the cow one can get nectarean milk. Milk is compared to nectar, which one can drink to become immortal. Of course, simply drinking milk will not make one immortal, but it can increase the duration of one’s life. In modern civilization, men do not think milk to be important, and therefore they do not live very long. Although in this age men can live up to one hundred years, their duration of life is reduced because they do not drink large quantities of milk. This is a sign of Kali-yuga. In Kali-yuga, instead of drinking milk, people prefer to slaughter an animal and eat its flesh. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His instructions of Bhagavad-gita, advises go-raksya, which means cow protection. The cow should be protected, milk should be drawn from the cows, and this milk should be prepared in various ways. One should take ample milk, and thus one can prolong one’s life, develop his brain, execute devotional service, and ultimately attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it is essential to get food grains and water by digging the earth, it is also essential to give protection to the cows and take nectarean milk from their milk bags.

The people of this age are inclined toward industrial enterprises for comfortable living, but they refuse to endeavor to execute devotional service, by which they can achieve the ultimate goal of life by returning home, back to Godhead. Unfortunately, as it is said, na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]. People without spiritual education do not know that the ultimate goal of life is to go back home, back to Godhead. Forgetting this aim of life, they are working very hard in disappointment and frustration (moghasa mogha-karmano mogha jnana vicetasah [Bg. 9.12]). The so-called vaisyas—the industrialists or businessmen—are involved in big, big industrial enterprises, but they are not interested in food grains and milk. However, as indicated here, by digging for water, even in the desert, we can produce food grains; when we produce food grains and vegetables, we can give protection to the cows; while giving protection to the cows, we can draw from them abundant quantities of milk; and by getting enough milk and combining it with food grains and vegetables, we can prepare hundreds of nectarean foods. We can happily eat this food and thus avoid industrial enterprises and joblessness.

Agriculture and cow protection are the way to become sinless and thus be attracted to devotional service. Those who are sinful cannot be attracted by devotional service. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (7.28):

yesam tv anta-gatam papam
jananam punya-karmanam
te dvandva-moha-nirmukta
bhajante mam drdha-vratah

“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.” The majority of people in this age of Kali are sinful, short-living, unfortunate and disturbed (mandah sumanda-matayo manda-bhagya hy upadrutah [SB 1.1.10]). For them, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has advised:

harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha

[Adi 17.21]

“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.”

SB8.6.13

TEXT 13

tam tvam vayam natha samujjihanam

saroja-nabhaticirepsitartham

drstva gata nirvrtam adya sarve

gaja davarta iva gangam ambhah

SYNONYMS

tam—O Lord; tvam—Your Lordship; vayam—all of us; natha—O master; samujjihanam—now appearing before us with all glories; saroja-nabha—O Lord, whose navel resembles a lotus flower, or from whose navel grows a lotus flower; ati-cira—for an extremely long time; ipsita—desiring; artham—for the ultimate goal of life; drstva—seeing; gatah—in our vision; nirvrtam—transcendental happiness; adya—today; sarve—all of us; gajah—elephants; dava-artah—being afflicted in a forest fire; iva—like; gangam ambhah—with water from the Ganges.

TRANSLATION

Elephants afflicted by a forest fire become very happy when they get water from the Ganges. Similarly, O my Lord, from whose navel grows a lotus flower, since You have now appeared before us, we have become transcendentally happy. By seeing Your Lordship, whom we have desired to see for a very long time, we have achieved our ultimate goal in life.

PURPORT

The devotees of the Lord are always very eager to see the Supreme Lord face to face, but they do not demand that the Lord come before them, for a pure devotee considers such a demand to be contrary to devotional service. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches this lesson in His Siksastaka. Adarsanan marma-hatam karotu va. The devotee is always eager to see the Lord face to face, but if he is brokenhearted because he cannot see the Lord, even life after life, he will never command the Lord to appear. This is a sign of pure devotion. Therefore in this verse we find the word ati-cira-ipsita-artham, meaning that the devotee aspires for a long, long time to see the Lord. If the Lord, by His own pleasure, appears before the devotee, the devotee feels extremely happy, as Dhruva Maharaja felt when he personally saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Dhruva Maharaja saw the Lord, he had no desire to ask the Lord for any benediction. Indeed, simply by seeing the Lord, Dhruva Maharaja felt so satisfied that he did not want to ask the Lord for any benediction (svamin krtartho ’smi varam na yace). A pure devotee, whether able or unable to see the Lord, always engages in the Lord’s devotional service, always hoping that at some time the Lord may be pleased to appear before him so that he can see the Lord face to face.

SB8.6.14

TEXT 14

sa tvam vidhatsvakhila-loka-pala

vayam yad arthas tava pada-mulam

samagatas te bahir-antar-atman

kim vanya-vijnapyam asesa-saksinah

SYNONYMS

sah—that; tvam—Your Lordship; vidhatsva—kindly do the needful; akhila-loka-palah—the demigods, directors of different departments of this universe; vayam—all of us; yat—that which; arthah—purpose; tava—at Your Lordship’s; pada-mulam—lotus feet; samagatah—we have arrived; te—unto You; bahih-antah-atman—O Supersoul of everyone, O constant internal and external witness; kim—what; va—either; anya-vijnapyam—we have to inform You; asesa-saksinah—the witness and knower of everything.

TRANSLATION

My Lord, we, the various demigods, the directors of this universe, have come to Your lotus feet. Please fulfill the purpose for which we have come. You are the witness of everything, from within and without. Nothing is unknown to You, and therefore it is unnecessary to inform You again of anything.

PURPORT

As stated in Bhagavad-gita (13.3), ksetra jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata. The individual souls are proprietors of their individual bodies, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the proprietor of all bodies. Since He is the witness of everyone’s body, nothing is unknown to Him. He knows what we need. Our duty, therefore, is to execute devotional service sincerely, under the direction of the spiritual master. Krsna, by His grace, will supply whatever we need in executing our devotional service. In the Krsna consciousness movement, we simply have to execute the order of Krsna and guru. Then all necessities will be supplied by Krsna, even if we do not ask for them.

SB8.6.15

TEXT 15

aham giritras ca suradayo ye

daksadayo ’gner iva ketavas te

kim va vidamesa prthag-vibhata

vidhatsva sam no dvija-deva-mantram

SYNONYMS

aham—I (Lord Brahma); giritrah—Lord Siva; ca—also; sura-adayah—all the demigods; ye—as we are; daksa-adayah—headed by Maharaja Daksa; agneh—of fire; iva—like; ketavah—sparks; te—of You; kim—what; va—either; vidama—can we understand; isa—O my Lord; prthak-vibhatah—independently of You; vidhatsva—kindly bestow upon us; sam—good fortune; nah—our; dvija-deva-mantram—the means of deliverance suitable for the brahmanas and demigods.

TRANSLATION

I [Lord Brahma], Lord Siva and all the demigods, accompanied by the prajapatis like Daksa, are nothing but sparks illuminated by You, who are the original fire. Since we are particles of You, what can we understand about our welfare? O Supreme Lord, please give us the means of deliverance that is suitable for the brahmanas and demigods.

PURPORT

In this verse, the word dvija-deva-mantram is very important. The word mantra means “that which delivers one from the material world.” Only the dvijas (the brahmanas) and the devas (the demigods) can be delivered from material existence by the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whatever is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a mantra and is suitable for delivering the conditioned souls from mental speculation. The conditioned souls are engaged in a struggle for existence (manah sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati [Bg. 15.7]). Deliverance from this struggle constitutes the highest benefit, but unless one gets a mantra from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, deliverance is impossible. The beginning mantra is the Gayatri mantra. Therefore, after purification, when one is qualified to become a brahmana (dvija), he is offered the Gayatri mantra. Simply by chanting the Gayatri mantra, one can be delivered. This mantra, however, is suitable only for the brahmanas and demigods. In Kali-yuga, we are all in a very difficult position, in which we need a suitable mantra that can deliver us from the dangers of this age. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His incarnation as Lord Caitanya, gives us the Hare Krsna mantra.

harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha

[Adi 17.21]

“In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.” In His Siksastaka, Lord Caitanya says, param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam: “All glories to the chanting of sri-krsna-sankirtana!” The maha-mantra—Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—is directly chanted by the Lord Himself, who gives us this mantra for deliverance.

We cannot invent any means to be delivered from the dangers of material existence. Here, even the demigods, such as Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, and the prajapatis, such as Daksa, are said to be like illuminating sparks in the presence of the Supreme Lord, who is compared to a great fire. Sparks are beautiful as long as they are in the fire. Similarly, we have to remain in the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and always engage in devotional service, for then we shall always be brilliant and illuminating. As soon as we fall from the service of the Lord, our brilliance and illumination will immediately be extinguished, or at least stopped for some time. When we living entities, who are like sparks of the original fire, the Supreme Lord, fall into a material condition, we must take the mantra from the Supreme Personality of Godhead as it is offered by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. By chanting this Hare Krsna mantra, we shall be delivered from all the difficulties of this material world.

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