30 Mei, 2010
29 Mei, 2010
teguh
foto yang di kanan ini adalah anakku... berusia 8 taon saat ini sedang bersekolah di SD negeri 3 penarungan Mengwi... duduk di kelas 2... yang satunya lagi adalah ponakan ku sekarang duduk di bangku tk nol besarrrr... mereka senang skali bermain maklum anak anak... kalau di surung belajar selalu menolak... gimana caranya ya supaya anak itu mau belajar dan membantu mamanya? इ गेदे तेगुह परमाना
हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे
26 Mei, 2010
भागवतम कांटो ६
Srimad Bhagavatam - Canto 6
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Chapter Three: Yamarâja Instructs His Messengers
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TEXT 1
srî-râjovâca
nisamya devah sva-bhatopavarnitam
pratyâha kim tân api dharmarâjah
evam hatâjno vihatân murârer
naidesikair yasya vase jano 'yam
srî-râjâ uvâca--the King said; nisamya--after hearing; devah--Lord Yamarâja; sva-bhata--of his own servants; upavarnitam--the statements; pratyâha--replied; kim--what; tân--unto them; api--also; dharma-râjah--Yamarâja, the superintendent of death and the judge of religious and irreligious activities; evam--thus; hata-âjnah--whose order was foiled; vihatân--who were defeated; murâreh naidesikaih--by the order carriers of Murâri, Krsna; yasya--of whom; vase--under the subjugation; janah ayam--all the people of the world.
TRANSLATION
King Pariksit said: O my lord, O Sukadeva Gosvami, Yamaraja is the controller of all living entities in terms of their religious and irreligious activities, but his order had been foiled. When his servants, the Yamadutas, informed him of their defeat by the Visnudutas, who had stopped them from arresting Ajamila, what did he reply?
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TEXT 2
yamasya devasya na danda-bhangah
kutascanarse sruta-pûrva âsît
etan mune vrscati loka-samsayam
na hi tvad-anya iti me viniscitam
yamasya--of Yamarâja; devasya--the demigod in charge of judgment; na--not; danda-bhangah--the breaking of the order; kutascana--from anywhere; rse--O great sage; sruta-pûrvah--heard before; âsît--was; etat--this; mune--O great sage; vrscati--can eradicate; loka-samsayam--the doubt of people; na--not; hi--indeed; tvat-anyah--anyone other than you; iti--thus; me--by me; viniscitam--concluded.
TRANSLATION
O great sage, never before has it been heard anywhere that an order from Yamaraja has been baffled. Therefore I think that people will have doubts about this that no one but you can eradicate. Since that is my firm conviction, kindly explain the reasons for these events.
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TEXT 3
srî-suka uvâca
bhagavat-purusai râjan
yâmyâh pratihatodyamâh
patim vijnâpayâm âsur
yamam samyamanî-patim
srî-sukah uvâca--Sukadeva Gosvâmî said; bhagavat-purusaih--by the order carriers of the Lord, the Visnudûtas; râjan--O King; yâmyâh--the order carriers of Yamarâja; pratihata-udyamâh--whose efforts were defeated; patim--their master; vijnâpayâm âsuh--informed; yamam--Yamarâja; samyamanî-patim--the master of the city Samyamanî.
TRANSLATION
Sri Sukadeva Gosvami replied: My dear King, when the order carriers of Yamaraja were baffled and defeated by the order carriers of Visnu, they approached their master, the controller of Samyamani-puri and master of sinful persons, to tell him of this incident.
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TEXT 4
yamadûtâ ûcuh
kati santîha sâstâro
jîva-lokasya vai prabho
trai-vidhyam kurvatah karma
phalâbhivyakti-hetavah
yamadûtâh ûcuh--the order carriers of Yamarâja said; kati--how many; santi--are there; iha--in this world; sâstârah--controllers or rulers; jîva-lokasya--of this material world; vai--indeed; prabho--O master; trai-vidhyam--under the three modes of material nature: kurvatah--performing; karma--activity: phala--of the results; abhivyakti--of the manifestation; hetavah--causes.
TRANSLATION
The Yamadutas said: Our dear lord, how many controllers or rulers are there in this material world? How many causes are responsible for manifesting the various results of activities performed under the three modes of material nature [sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna]?
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TEXT 5
yadi syur bahavo loke
sâstâro danda-dhârinah
kasya syâtâm na vâ kasya
mrtyus câmrtam eva vâ
yadi--if; syuh--there are; bahavah--many; loke--in this world; sâstârah--rulers or controllers; danda-dhârinah--who punish the sinful men; kasya--of whom; syâtâm--there may be; na--not; vâ--or; kasya--of whom; mrtyuh--distress or unhappiness; ca--and; amrtam--happiness; eva--certainly; vâ--or.
TRANSLATION
If in this universe there are many rulers and justices who disagree about punishment and reward, their contradictory actions will neutralize each other, and no one will be punished or rewarded. Otherwise, if their contradictory acts fail to neutralize each other, everyone will have to be both punished and rewarded.
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TEXT 6
kintu sâstr-bahutve syâd
bahûnâm iha karminâm
sâstrtvam upacâro hi
yathâ mandala-vartinâm
kintu--but; sâstr--of governors or judges; bahutve--in the plurality; syât--there may be; bahûnâm--of many; iha--in this world; karminâm--persons performing actions; sâstrtvam--departmental management; upacârah--administration; hi--indeed; yathâ--just like; mandala-vartinâm--of the departmental heads.
TRANSLATION
The Yamadutas continued: Since there are many different karmis, or workers, there may be different judges or rulers to give them justice, but just as one central emperor controls different departmental rulers, there must be one supreme controller to guide all the judges.
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TEXT 7
atas tvam eko bhûtânâm
sesvarânâm adhîsvarah
sâstâ danda-dharo nrnâm
subhâsubh avivecanah
atah--as such; tvam--you; ekah--one; bhûtânâm--of all living beings; sa-îsvarânâm--including all the demigods; adhîsvarah--the supreme master; sâstâ--the supreme ruler; danda-dharah--the supreme administrator of punishment; nrnâm--of human society; subha-asubha-vivecanah--who discriminates between what is auspicious and inauspicious.
TRANSLATION
The supreme judge must be one, not many. It was our understanding that you are that supreme judge and that you have jurisdiction even over the demigods. Our impression was that you are the master of all living entities, the supreme authority who discriminates between the pious and impious activities of all human beings.
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TEXT 8
tasya te vihito dando
na loke vartate 'dhunâ
caturbhir adbhutaih siddhair
âjnâ te vipralambhitâ
tasya--of the influence; te--of you; vihitah--ordained; dandah--punishment; na--not; loke--within this world; vartate--exists; adhunâ--now; caturbhih--by four; adbhutaih--very wonderful; siddhaih--perfected persons; âjnâ--the order; te--your; vipralambhitâ--surpassed.
TRANSLATION
But now we see that the punishment ordained under your authority is no longer effective, since your order has been transgressed by four wonderful and perfect persons.
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TEXT 9
nîyamânam tavâdesâd
asmâbhir yâtanâ-grhân
vyâmocayan pâtakinam
chittvâ pâsân prasahya te
nîyamânam--being brought; tava âdesât--by your order; asmâbhih--by us; yâtanâ-grhân--to the torture chambers, the hellish planets; vyâmocayan--released; pâtakinam--the sinful Ajâmila; chittvâ--cutting; pâsân--the ropes; prasahya--by force; te--they.
TRANSLATION
We were bringing the most sinful Ajamila toward the hellish planets, following your order, when those beautiful persons from Siddhaloka forcibly cut the knots of the ropes with which we were arresting him.
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TEXT 10
tâms te veditum icchâmo
yadi no manyase ksamam
nârâyanety abhihite
mâ bhair ity âyayur drutam
tân--about them; te--from you; veditum--to know; icchâmah--we wish; yadi--if; nah--for us; manyase--you think; ksamam--suitable; nârâyana--Nârâyana; iti--thus; abhihite--being uttered; mâ--do not; bhaih--fear; iti--thus; âyayuh--they arrived; drutam--very soon.
TRANSLATION
As soon as the sinful Ajamila uttered the name Narayana, these four beautiful men immediately arrived and reassured him, saying, "Do not fear. Do not fear." We wish to know about them from Your Lordship. If you think we are able to understand them, kindly describe who they are.
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TEXT 11
srî-bâdarâyanir uvâca
iti devah sa âprstah
prajâ-samyamano yamah
prîtah sva-dûtân pratyâha
smaran pâdâmbujam hareh
srî-bâdarâyanih uvâca--Sukadeva Gosvâmî said; iti--thus; devah--the demigod; sah--he; âprstah--being questioned; prajâ-samyamanah yamah--Lord Yamarâja, who controls the living entities; prîtah--being pleased; sva-dûtân--to his own servants; pratyâha--replied; smaran--remembering; pâda-ambujam--the lotus feet; hareh--of Hari, the Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: Thus having been questioned, Lord Yamaraja, the supreme controller of the living entities, was very pleased with his order carriers because of hearing from them the holy name of Narayana. He remembered the lotus feet of the Lord and began to reply.
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TEXT 12
yama uvâca
paro mad-anyo jagatas tasthusas ca
otam protam patavad yatra visvam
yad-amsato 'sya sthiti janma-nâsâ
nasy otavad yasya vase ca lokah
yamah uvâca--Yamarâja replied; parah--superior; mat--than me; anyah--another; jagatah--of all moving things; tasthusah--of nonmoving things; ca--and; otam--crosswise; protam--lengthwise; patavat--like a woven cloth; yatra--in whom; visvam--the cosmic manifestation; yat--of whom; amsatah--from the partial expansions; asya--of this universe; sthiti--the maintenance; janma--the creation; nâsâh--the annihilation; nasi--in the nose; ota-vat--like the rope; yasya--of whom; vase--under the control; ca--and; lokah--the whole creation.
TRANSLATION
Yamaraja said: My dear servants, you have accepted me as the Supreme, but factually I am not. Above me, and above all the other demigods, including Indra and Candra, is the one supreme master and controller. The partial manifestations of His personality are Brahma, Visnu and Siva, who are in charge of the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this universe. He is like the two threads that form the length and breadth of a woven cloth. The entire world is controlled by Him just as a bull is controlled by a rope in its nose.
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TEXT 13
yo nâmabhir vâci janam nijâyâm
badhnâti tantryâm iva dâmabhir gâh
yasmai balim ta ime nâma-karma-
nibandha-baddhâs cakitâ vahanti
yah--He who; nâmabhih--by different names; vâci--to the Vedic language; janam--all people; nijâyâm--which has emanated from Himself; badhnâti--binds; tantryâm--to a rope; iva--like; dâmabhih--by cords; gâh--bulls; yasmai--unto whom; balim--a small presentation of taxes; te--all of them; ime--these; nâma-karma--of names and different activities; nibandha--by the obligations; baddhâh--bound; cakitâh--being fearful; vahanti--carry.
TRANSLATION
Just as the driver of a bullock cart ties ropes through the nostrils of his bulls to control them, the Supreme Personality of Godhead binds all men through the ropes of His words in the Vedas, which set forth the names and activities of the distinct orders of human society [brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra]. In fear, the members of these orders all worship the Supreme Lord by offering Him presentations according to their respective activities.
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TEXT 14-15
aham mahendro nirrtih pracetâh
somo 'gnir îsah pavano virincih
âditya-visve vasavo 'tha sâdhyâ
marud-ganâ-rudra-ganâh sasiddhâh
anye ca ye visva-srjo 'maresâ
bhrgv-âdayo 'sprsta-rajas-tamaskâh
yasyehitam na viduh sprsta-mâyâh
sattva-pradhânâ api kim tato 'nye
aham--I, Yamarâja; mahendrah--Indra, the King of heaven; nirrtih--Nirrti; pracetâh--Varuna, the controller of water; somah--the moon; agnih--fire; îsah--Lord Siva; pavanah--the demigod of the air; virincih--Lord Brahmâ; âditya--the sun; visve--Visvâsu; vasavah--the eight Vasus; atha--also; sâdhyâh--the demigods; marut-ganâh--masters of the wind; rudra-ganâh--the expansions of Lord Siva; sa-siddhâh--with the inhabitants of Siddhaloka; anye--others; ca--and; ye--who; visva-srjah--Marîci and the other creators of the universal affairs; amara-îsâh--the demigods like Brhaspati; bhrgu-âdayah--the great sages headed by Bhrgu; asprsta--who have not been contaminated; rajah-tamaskâh--by the lower modes of material nature (rajo-guna and tamo-guna); yasya--of whom; îhitam--the activity; na viduh--do not know; sprsta-mâyâh--who are illusioned by the illusory energy; sattva-pradhânâh--chiefly in the mode of goodness; api--although; kim--what to speak of; tatah--than them; anye--others.
TRANSLATION
I, Yamaraja; Indra, the King of heaven; Nirrti; Varuna; Candra, the moon-god; Agni; Lord Siva; Pavana; Lord Brahma; Surya, the sun-god; Visvasu; the eight Vasus; the Sadhyas; the Maruts; the Rudras; the Siddhas; and Marici and the other great rsis engaged in maintaining the departmental affairs of the universe, as well as the best of the demigods headed by Brhaspati, and the great sages headed by Bhrgu are all certainly freed from the influence of the two base material modes of nature, namely passion and ignorance. Nevertheless, although we are in the mode of goodness, we cannot understand the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What, then, is to be said of others, who, under illusion, merely speculate to know God?
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TEXT 16
yam vai na gobhir manasâsubhir vâ
hrdâ girâ vâsu-bhrto vicaksate
âtmânam antar-hrdi santam âtmanâm
caksur yathaivâkrtayas tatah param
yam--whom; vai--indeed; na--not; gobhih--by the senses; manasâ--by the mind; asubhih--by the life breath; vâ--or; hrdâ--by thoughts; girâ--by words; vâ--or; asu-bhrtah--the living entities; vicaksate--see or know; âtmanâm--the Supersoul; antah-hrdi--within the core of the heart; santam--existing; atmanam--of the living entities; caksuh--the eyes; yathâ--just like; eva--indeed; âkrtayah--the different parts or limbs of the body; tatah--than them; param--higher.
TRANSLATION
As the different limbs of the body cannot see the eyes, the living entities cannot see the Supreme Lord, who is situated as the Supersoul in everyone's heart. Not by the senses, by the mind, by the life air, by thoughts within the heart, or by the vibration of words can the living entities ascertain the real situation of the Supreme Lord.
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TEXT 17
tasyâtma-tantrasya harer adhîsituh
parasya mâyâdhipater mahâtmanah
prâyena dûtâ iha vai manoharâs
caranti tad-rûpa-guna-svabhâvâh
tasya--of Him; âtma-tantrasya--being self-sufficient, not dependent on any other person; hareh--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; adhîsituh--who is the master of everything; parasya--the Transcendence; mâyâ-adhipateh--the master of the illusory energy; mahâ-âtmanah--of the Supreme Soul; prâyena--almost; dûtâh--the order carriers; iha--in this world; vai--indeed; manoharâh--pleasing in their dealings and bodily features; caranti--they move; tat--of Him; rûpa--possessing the bodily features; guna--the transcendental qualities; svabhâvâh--and nature.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is self-sufficient and fully independent. He is the master of everyone and everything, including the illusory energy. He has His form, qualities and features; and similarly His order carriers, the Vaisnavas, who are very beautiful, possess bodily features, transcendental qualities and a transcendental nature almost like His. They always wander within this world with full independence.
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TEXT 18
bhûtâni visnoh sura-pûjitâni
durdarsa-lingâni mahâdbhutâni
raksanti tad-bhaktimatah parebhyo
mattas ca martyân atha sarvatas ca
bhûtâni--living entities or servants; visnoh--of Lord Visnu; sura-pûjitâni--who are worshiped by the demigods; durdarsa-lingâni--possessing forms not easily seen; mahâ-adbhutâni--greatly wonderful; raksanti--they protect; tat-bhakti-matah--the devotees of the Lord; parebhyah--from others who are inimical; mattah--from me (Yamarâja) and my order carriers; ca--and; martyân--the human beings; atha--thus; sarvatah--from everything; ca--and.
TRANSLATION
The order carriers of Lord Visnu, who are worshiped even by the demigods, possess wonderful bodily features exactly like those of Visnu and are very rarely seen. The Visnudutas protect the devotees of the Lord from the hands of enemies, from envious persons and even from my jurisdiction, as well as from natural disturbances.
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TEXT 19
dharmam tu sâksâd bhagavat-pranîtam
na vai vidur rsayo nâpi devâh
na siddha-mukhyâ asurâ manusyâh
kuto nu vidyâdhara-câranâdayah
dharmam--real religious principles, or bona fide laws of religion; tu--but; sâksât--directly; bhagavat--by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pranîtam--enacted; na--not; vai--indeed; viduh--they know; rsayah--the great rsis such as Bhrgu; na--not; api--also; devâh--the demigods; na--nor; siddha-mukhyâh--the chief leaders of Siddhaloka; asurâh--the demons; manusyâh--the inhabitants of Bhûrloka, the human beings; kutah--where; nu--indeed; vidyâdhara--the lesser demigods known as Vidyâdharas; cârana--the residents of the planets where people are by nature great musicians and singers; âdayah--and so on.
TRANSLATION
Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great rsis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyadharas and Caranas.
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TEXT 20-21
svayambhûr nâradah sambhuh
kumârah kapilo manuh
prahlâdo janako bhîsmo
balir vaiyâsakir vayam
dvâdasaite vijânîmo
dharmam bhâgavatam bhatâh
guhyam visuddham durbodham
yam jnâtvâmrtam asnute
svayambhûh--Lord Brahmâ; nâradah--the great saint Nârada; sambhuh--Lord Siva; kumârah--the four Kumâras; kapilah--Lord Kapila; manuh--Svâyambhuva Manu; prahlâdah--Prahlâda Mahârâja; janakah--Janaka Mahârâja; bhîsmah--Grandfather Bhîsma; balih--Bali Mahârâja; vaiyâsakih--Sukadeva, the son of Vyâsadeva; vayam--we;
dvâdasa--twelve; ete--these; vijânîmah--know; dharmam--real religious principles; bhâgavatam--which teach a person how to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhatâh--O my dear servants; guhyam--very confidential; visuddham--transcendental, not contaminated by the material modes of nature; durbodham--not easily understood; yam--which; jnâtvâ--understanding; amrtam--eternal life; asnute--he enjoys.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahma, Bhagavan Narada, Lord Siva, the four Kumaras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahuti], Svayambhuva Manu, Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka Maharaja, Grandfather Bhisma, Bali Maharaja, Sukadeva Gosvami and I myself know the real religious principle. My dear servants, this transcendental religious principle, which is known as bhagavata-dharma, or surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love for Him, is uncontaminated by the material modes of nature. It is very confidential and difficult for ordinary human beings to understand, but if by chance one fortunately understands it, he is immediately liberated, and thus he returns home, back to Godhead.
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TEXT 22
etâvân eva loke 'smin
pumsâm dharmah parah smrtah
bhakti-yogo bhagavati
tan-nâma-grahanâdibhih
etâvân--this much; eva--indeed; loke asmin--in this material world; pumsâm--of the living entities; dharmah--the religious principles; parah--transcendental; smrtah--recognized; bhakti-yogah--bhakti-yoga, or devotional service; bhagavati--to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (not to the demigods); tat--His; nâma--of the holy name; grahana-âdibhih--beginning with chanting.
TRANSLATION
Devotional service, beginning with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is the ultimate religious principle for the living entity in human society.
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TEXT 23
nâmoccârana-mâhâtmyam
hareh pasyata putrakâh
ajâmilo 'pi yenaiva
mrtyu-pâsâd amucyata
nâma--of the holy name; uccârana--of the pronouncing; mâhâtmyam--the exalted position; hareh--of the Supreme Lord; pasyata--just see; putrakâh--O my dear servants, who are like my sons; ajâmilah api--even Ajâmila (who was considered greatly sinful); yena--by the chanting of which; eva--certainly; mrtyu-pâsât--from the ropes of death; amucyata--was delivered.
TRANSLATION
My dear servants, who are as good as my sons, just see how glorious is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The greatly sinful Ajamila chanted only to call his son, not knowing that he was chanting the Lord's holy name. Nevertheless, by chanting the holy name of the Lord, he remembered Narayana, and thus he was immediately saved from the ropes of death.
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TEXT 24
etâvatâlam agha-nirharanâya pumsâm
sankîrtanam bhagavato guna-karma-nâmnâm
vikrusya putram aghavân yad ajâmilo 'pi
nârâyaneti mriyamâna iyâya muktim
etâvatâ--with this much; alam--sufficient; agha-nirharanâya--for taking away the reactions of sinful activities; pumsâm--of human beings; sankîrtanam--the congregational chanting; bhagavatah--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guna--of the transcendental qualities; karma-nâmnâm--and of His names according to His activities and pastimes; vikrusya--crying to without offense; putram--his son; aghavân--the sinful; yat--since; ajâmilah api--even Ajâmila; nârâyana--the Lord's name, Nârâyana; iti--thus; mriyamânah--dying; iyâya--achieved; muktim--liberation.
TRANSLATION
Therefore it should be understood that one is easily relieved from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and chanting of His qualities and activities. This is the only process recommended for relief from sinful reactions. Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he will achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offenses. Ajamila, for example, was extremely sinful, but while dying he merely chanted the holy name, and although calling his son, he achieved complete liberation because he remembered the name of Narayana.
*******
TEXT 25
prâyena veda tad idam na mahâjano 'yam
devyâ vimohita-matir bata mâyayâlam
trayyâm jadî-krta-matir madhu-puspitâyâm
vaitânike mahati karmani yujyamânah
prâyena--almost always; veda--know; tat--that; idam--this; na--not; mahâjanah--great personalities besides Svayambhû, Sambhu and the other ten; ayam--this; devyâ--by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vimohita-matih--whose intelligence is bewildered; bata--indeed; mâyayâ--by the illusory energy; alam--greatly; trayyâm--in the three Vedas; jadî-krta-matih--whose intelligence has been dulled; madhu-puspitâyâm--in the flowery Vedic language describing the results of ritualistic performances; vaitânike--in the performances mentioned in the Vedas; mahati--very great; karmani--fruitive activities; yujyamânah--being engaged.
TRANSLATION
Because they are bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Yajnavalkya and Jaimini and other compilers of the religious scriptures cannot know the secret, confidential religious system of the twelve mahajanas. They cannot understand the transcendental value of performing devotional service or chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. Because their minds are attracted to the ritualistic ceremonies mentioned in the Vedas--especially the Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Rg Veda--their intelligence has become dull. Thus they are busy collecting the ingredients for ritualistic ceremonies that yield only temporary benefits, such as elevation to Svargaloka for material happiness. They are not attracted to the sankirtana movement; instead, they are interested in dharma, artha, kama and moksa.
*******
TEXT 26
evam vimrsya sudhiyo bhagavaty anante
sarvâtmanâ vidadhate khalu bhâva-yogam
te me na dandam arhanty atha yady amîsâm
syât pâtakam tad api hanty urugâya-vâdah
evam--thus; vimrsya--considering; su-dhiyah--those whose intelligence is sharp; bhagavati--unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; anante--the unlimited; sarva-âtmanâ--with all their heart and soul; vidadhate--take to; khalu--indeed; bhâva-yogam--the process of devotional service; te--such persons; me--my; na--not; dandam--punishment; arhanti--deserve; atha--therefore; yadi--if; amîsâm--of them; syât--there is; pâtakam--some sinful activity; tat--that; api--also; hanti--destroys; urugâya-vâdah--the chanting of the holy name of the Supreme Lord.
TRANSLATION
Considering all these points, therefore, intelligent men decide to solve all problems by adopting the devotional service of chanting the holy name of the Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart and who is a mine of all auspicious qualities. Such persons are not within my jurisdiction for punishment. Generally they never commit sinful activities, but even if by mistake or because of bewilderment or illusion they sometimes commit sinful acts, they are protected from sinful reactions because they always chant the Hare Krsna mantra.
*******
TEXT 27
te deva-siddha-parigîta-pavitra-gâthâ
ye sâdhavah samadrso bhagavat-prapannâh
tân nopasîdata harer gadayâbhiguptân
naisâm vayam na ca vayah prabhavâma dande
te--they; deva--by the demigods; siddha--and the inhabitants of Siddhaloka; parigîta--sung; pavitra-gâthâh--whose pure narrations; ye--who; sâdhavah--devotees; samadrsah--who see everyone equally; bhagavat-prapannâh--being surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tân--them; na--not; upasîdata--should go near; hareh--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; gadayâ--by the club; abhiguptân--being fully protected; na--not; esâm--of these; vayam--we; na ca--and also not; vayah--unlimited time; prabhavâma--are competent; dande--in punishing.
TRANSLATION
My dear servants, please do not approach such devotees, for they have fully surrendered to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are equal to everyone, and their narrations are sung by the demigods and the inhabitants of Siddhaloka. Please do not even go near them. They are always protected by the club of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore Lord Brahma and I and even the time factor are not competent to chastise them.
*******
TEXT 28
tân ânayadhvam asato vimukhân mukunda-
pâdâravinda-makaranda-rasâd ajasram
niskincanaih paramahamsa-kulair asangair
justâd grhe niraya-vartmani baddha-trsnân
tân--them; ânayadhvam--bring before me; asatah--nondevotees (those who have not taken to Krsna consciousness); vimukhân--who have turned against; mukunda--of Mukunda, the Supreme personality of Godhead; pâda-aravinda--of the lotus feet; makaranda--of the honey; rasât--the taste; ajasram--continuously; niskincanaih--by persons completely free from material attachment; paramahamsa-kulaih--by the paramahamsas, the most exalted personalities; asangaih--who have no material attachment; justât--which is enjoyed; grhe--to household life; niraya-vartmani--the path leading to hell; baddha-trsnân--whose desires are bound.
TRANSLATION
Paramahamsas are exalted persons who have no taste for material enjoyment and who drink the honey of the Lord's lotus feet. My dear servants, bring to me for punishment only persons who are averse to the taste of that honey, who do not associate with paramahamsas and who are attached to family life and worldly enjoyment, which form the path to hell.
*******
TEXT 29
jihvâ na vakti bhagavad-guna-nâmadheyam
cetas ca na smarati tac-caranâravindam
krsnâya no namati yac-chira ekadâpi
tân ânayadhvam asato 'krta-visnu-krtyân
jihvâ--the tongue; na--not; vakti--chants; bhagavat--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guna--transcendental qualities; nâma--and the holy name; dheyam--imparting; cetah--the heart; ca--also; na--not; smarati--remembers; tat--His; carana-aravindam--lotus feet; krsnâya--unto Lord Krsna through His Deity in the temple; no--not; namati--bows; yat--whose; sirah--head; ekadâ api--even once; tân--them; ânayadhvam--bring before me; asatah--the nondevotees; akrta--not performing; visnu-krtyân--duties toward Lord Visnu.
TRANSLATION
My dear servants, please bring to me only those sinful persons who do not use their tongues to chant the holy name and qualities of Krsna, whose hearts do not remember the lotus feet of Krsna even once, and whose heads do not bow down even once before Lord Krsna. Send me those who do not perform their duties toward Visnu, which are the only duties in human life. Please bring me all such fools and rascals.
*******
TEXT 30
tat ksamyatâm sa bhagavân purusah purâno
nârâyanah sva-purusair yad asat krtam nah
svânâm aho na vidusâm racitânjalînâm
ksântir garîyasi namah purusâya bhûmne
tat--that; ksamyatâm--let it be excused; sah--He; bhagavân--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; purusah--the Supreme Person; purânah--the oldest; nârâyanah--Lord Nârâyana; sva-purusaih--by my own servants; yat--which; asat--impudence; krtam--performed; nah--of us; svânâm--of my own men; aho--alas; na vidusâm--not knowing; racita-anjalînâm--folding our hands together to beg Your pardon; ksântih--forgiveness; garîyasi--in the glorious; namah--respectful obeisances; purusâya--unto the person; bhûmne--supreme and all-pervading.
TRANSLATION
[Then Yamaraja, considering himself and his servants to be offenders, spoke as follows, begging pardon from the Lord.] O my Lord, my servants have surely committed a great offense by arresting a Vaisnava such as Ajamila. O Narayana, O supreme and oldest person, please forgive us. Because of our ignorance, we failed to recognize Ajamila as a servant of Your Lordship, and thus we have certainly committed a great offense. Therefore with folded hands we beg Your pardon. My Lord, since You are supremely merciful and are always full of good qualities, please pardon us. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.
*******
TEXT 31
tasmât sankîrtanam visnor
jagan-mangalam amhasâm
mahatâm api kauravya
viddhy aikântika-niskrtam
tasmât--therefore; sankîrtanam--the congregational chanting of the holy name; visnoh--of Lord Visnu; jagat-mangalam--the most auspicious performance within this material world; amhasâm--for sinful activities; mahatâm api--even though very great; kauravya--O descendant of the Kuru family; viddhi--understand; aikântika--the ultimate; niskrtam--atonement.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sankirtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously.
*******
TEXT 32
srnvatâm grnatâm viryâny
uddâmâni harer muhuh
yathâ sujâtayâ bhaktyâ
suddhyen nâtmâ vratâdibhih
srnvatâm--of those hearing; grnâtam--and chanting; vîryâni--the wonderful activities; uddâmâni--able to counteract sin; hareh--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; muhuh--always; yathâ--as; su jâtayâ--easily brought forth; bhaktyâ--by devotional service; suddhyet--may be purified; na--not; âtmâ--the heart and soul; vrata-âdibhih--by performing ritualistic ceremonies.
TRANSLATION
One who constantly hears and chants the holy name of the Lord and hears and chants about His activities can very easily attain the platform of pure devotional service, which can cleanse the dirt from one's heart. One cannot achieve such purification merely by observing vows and performing Vedic ritualistic ceremonies.
*******
TEXT 33
krsnânghri-padma-madhu-lin na punar visrsta-
mâyâ-gunesu ramate vrjinâvahesu
anyas tu kâma-hata âtma-rajah pramârstum
îheta karma yata eva rajah punah syât
krsna-anghri-padma--of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna; madhu--the honey; lit--one who licks; na--not; punah--again; visrsta--already renounced; mâyâ-gunesu--in the material modes of nature; ramate--desires to enjoy; vrjina-avahesu--which brings distress; anyah--another; tu--however; kâma-hatah--being enchanted by lust; âtma-rajah--the sinful infection of the heart; pramârstum--to cleanse; îheta--may perform; karma--activities; yatah--after which; eva--indeed; rajah--the sinful activity; punah--again; syât--appears.
TRANSLATION
Devotees who always lick the honey from the lotus feet of Lord Krsna do not care at all for material activities, which are performed under the three modes of material nature and which bring only misery. Indeed, devotees never give up the lotus feet of Krsna to return to material activities. Others, however, who are addicted to Vedic rituals because they have neglected the service of the Lord's lotus feet and are enchanted by lusty desires, sometimes perform acts of atonement. Nevertheless, being incompletely purified, they return to sinful activities again and again.
*******
TEXT 34
ittham svabhartr-gaditam bhagavan-mahitvam
samsmrtya vismita-dhiyo yama-kinkarâs te
naivâcyutâsraya janam pratisankamânâ
drastum ca bibhyati tatah prabhrti sma râjan
ittham--of such power; sva-bhartr-gaditam--explained by their master (Yamarâja); bhagavat-mahitvam--the extraordinary glory of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His name, fame, form and attributes; samsmrtya--remembering; vismita-dhiyah--whose minds were struck with wonder; yama-kinkarâh--all the servants of Yamarâja; te--they; na--not; eva--indeed; acyuta-âsraya janam--a person sheltered by the lotus feet of Acyuta, Lord Krsna; pratisankamânâh--always fearing; drastum--to see; ca--and; bibhyati--they are afraid; tatah prabhrti--beginning from then; sma--indeed; râjan--O King.
TRANSLATION
After hearing from the mouth of their master about the extraordinary glories of the Lord and His name, fame and attributes, the Yamadutas were struck with wonder. Since then, as soon as they see a devotee, they fear him and dare not look at him again.
*******
TEXT 35
itihâsam imam guhyam
bhagavân kumbha-sambhavah
kathayâm âsa malaya
âsîno harim arcayan
itihâsam--history; imam--this; guhyam--very confidential; bhagavân--the most powerful; kumbha-sambhavah--Agastya Muni, the son of Kumbha; kathayâm âsa--explained; malaye--in the Malaya Hills; âsînah--residing; harim arcayan--worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
When the great sage Agastya, the son of Kumbha, was residing in the Malaya Hills and worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I approached him, and he explained to me this confidential history.
*******
Chapter Three: Yamarâja Instructs His Messengers
*******
TEXT 1
srî-râjovâca
nisamya devah sva-bhatopavarnitam
pratyâha kim tân api dharmarâjah
evam hatâjno vihatân murârer
naidesikair yasya vase jano 'yam
srî-râjâ uvâca--the King said; nisamya--after hearing; devah--Lord Yamarâja; sva-bhata--of his own servants; upavarnitam--the statements; pratyâha--replied; kim--what; tân--unto them; api--also; dharma-râjah--Yamarâja, the superintendent of death and the judge of religious and irreligious activities; evam--thus; hata-âjnah--whose order was foiled; vihatân--who were defeated; murâreh naidesikaih--by the order carriers of Murâri, Krsna; yasya--of whom; vase--under the subjugation; janah ayam--all the people of the world.
TRANSLATION
King Pariksit said: O my lord, O Sukadeva Gosvami, Yamaraja is the controller of all living entities in terms of their religious and irreligious activities, but his order had been foiled. When his servants, the Yamadutas, informed him of their defeat by the Visnudutas, who had stopped them from arresting Ajamila, what did he reply?
*******
TEXT 2
yamasya devasya na danda-bhangah
kutascanarse sruta-pûrva âsît
etan mune vrscati loka-samsayam
na hi tvad-anya iti me viniscitam
yamasya--of Yamarâja; devasya--the demigod in charge of judgment; na--not; danda-bhangah--the breaking of the order; kutascana--from anywhere; rse--O great sage; sruta-pûrvah--heard before; âsît--was; etat--this; mune--O great sage; vrscati--can eradicate; loka-samsayam--the doubt of people; na--not; hi--indeed; tvat-anyah--anyone other than you; iti--thus; me--by me; viniscitam--concluded.
TRANSLATION
O great sage, never before has it been heard anywhere that an order from Yamaraja has been baffled. Therefore I think that people will have doubts about this that no one but you can eradicate. Since that is my firm conviction, kindly explain the reasons for these events.
*******
TEXT 3
srî-suka uvâca
bhagavat-purusai râjan
yâmyâh pratihatodyamâh
patim vijnâpayâm âsur
yamam samyamanî-patim
srî-sukah uvâca--Sukadeva Gosvâmî said; bhagavat-purusaih--by the order carriers of the Lord, the Visnudûtas; râjan--O King; yâmyâh--the order carriers of Yamarâja; pratihata-udyamâh--whose efforts were defeated; patim--their master; vijnâpayâm âsuh--informed; yamam--Yamarâja; samyamanî-patim--the master of the city Samyamanî.
TRANSLATION
Sri Sukadeva Gosvami replied: My dear King, when the order carriers of Yamaraja were baffled and defeated by the order carriers of Visnu, they approached their master, the controller of Samyamani-puri and master of sinful persons, to tell him of this incident.
*******
TEXT 4
yamadûtâ ûcuh
kati santîha sâstâro
jîva-lokasya vai prabho
trai-vidhyam kurvatah karma
phalâbhivyakti-hetavah
yamadûtâh ûcuh--the order carriers of Yamarâja said; kati--how many; santi--are there; iha--in this world; sâstârah--controllers or rulers; jîva-lokasya--of this material world; vai--indeed; prabho--O master; trai-vidhyam--under the three modes of material nature: kurvatah--performing; karma--activity: phala--of the results; abhivyakti--of the manifestation; hetavah--causes.
TRANSLATION
The Yamadutas said: Our dear lord, how many controllers or rulers are there in this material world? How many causes are responsible for manifesting the various results of activities performed under the three modes of material nature [sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna]?
*******
TEXT 5
yadi syur bahavo loke
sâstâro danda-dhârinah
kasya syâtâm na vâ kasya
mrtyus câmrtam eva vâ
yadi--if; syuh--there are; bahavah--many; loke--in this world; sâstârah--rulers or controllers; danda-dhârinah--who punish the sinful men; kasya--of whom; syâtâm--there may be; na--not; vâ--or; kasya--of whom; mrtyuh--distress or unhappiness; ca--and; amrtam--happiness; eva--certainly; vâ--or.
TRANSLATION
If in this universe there are many rulers and justices who disagree about punishment and reward, their contradictory actions will neutralize each other, and no one will be punished or rewarded. Otherwise, if their contradictory acts fail to neutralize each other, everyone will have to be both punished and rewarded.
*******
TEXT 6
kintu sâstr-bahutve syâd
bahûnâm iha karminâm
sâstrtvam upacâro hi
yathâ mandala-vartinâm
kintu--but; sâstr--of governors or judges; bahutve--in the plurality; syât--there may be; bahûnâm--of many; iha--in this world; karminâm--persons performing actions; sâstrtvam--departmental management; upacârah--administration; hi--indeed; yathâ--just like; mandala-vartinâm--of the departmental heads.
TRANSLATION
The Yamadutas continued: Since there are many different karmis, or workers, there may be different judges or rulers to give them justice, but just as one central emperor controls different departmental rulers, there must be one supreme controller to guide all the judges.
*******
TEXT 7
atas tvam eko bhûtânâm
sesvarânâm adhîsvarah
sâstâ danda-dharo nrnâm
subhâsubh avivecanah
atah--as such; tvam--you; ekah--one; bhûtânâm--of all living beings; sa-îsvarânâm--including all the demigods; adhîsvarah--the supreme master; sâstâ--the supreme ruler; danda-dharah--the supreme administrator of punishment; nrnâm--of human society; subha-asubha-vivecanah--who discriminates between what is auspicious and inauspicious.
TRANSLATION
The supreme judge must be one, not many. It was our understanding that you are that supreme judge and that you have jurisdiction even over the demigods. Our impression was that you are the master of all living entities, the supreme authority who discriminates between the pious and impious activities of all human beings.
*******
TEXT 8
tasya te vihito dando
na loke vartate 'dhunâ
caturbhir adbhutaih siddhair
âjnâ te vipralambhitâ
tasya--of the influence; te--of you; vihitah--ordained; dandah--punishment; na--not; loke--within this world; vartate--exists; adhunâ--now; caturbhih--by four; adbhutaih--very wonderful; siddhaih--perfected persons; âjnâ--the order; te--your; vipralambhitâ--surpassed.
TRANSLATION
But now we see that the punishment ordained under your authority is no longer effective, since your order has been transgressed by four wonderful and perfect persons.
*******
TEXT 9
nîyamânam tavâdesâd
asmâbhir yâtanâ-grhân
vyâmocayan pâtakinam
chittvâ pâsân prasahya te
nîyamânam--being brought; tava âdesât--by your order; asmâbhih--by us; yâtanâ-grhân--to the torture chambers, the hellish planets; vyâmocayan--released; pâtakinam--the sinful Ajâmila; chittvâ--cutting; pâsân--the ropes; prasahya--by force; te--they.
TRANSLATION
We were bringing the most sinful Ajamila toward the hellish planets, following your order, when those beautiful persons from Siddhaloka forcibly cut the knots of the ropes with which we were arresting him.
*******
TEXT 10
tâms te veditum icchâmo
yadi no manyase ksamam
nârâyanety abhihite
mâ bhair ity âyayur drutam
tân--about them; te--from you; veditum--to know; icchâmah--we wish; yadi--if; nah--for us; manyase--you think; ksamam--suitable; nârâyana--Nârâyana; iti--thus; abhihite--being uttered; mâ--do not; bhaih--fear; iti--thus; âyayuh--they arrived; drutam--very soon.
TRANSLATION
As soon as the sinful Ajamila uttered the name Narayana, these four beautiful men immediately arrived and reassured him, saying, "Do not fear. Do not fear." We wish to know about them from Your Lordship. If you think we are able to understand them, kindly describe who they are.
*******
TEXT 11
srî-bâdarâyanir uvâca
iti devah sa âprstah
prajâ-samyamano yamah
prîtah sva-dûtân pratyâha
smaran pâdâmbujam hareh
srî-bâdarâyanih uvâca--Sukadeva Gosvâmî said; iti--thus; devah--the demigod; sah--he; âprstah--being questioned; prajâ-samyamanah yamah--Lord Yamarâja, who controls the living entities; prîtah--being pleased; sva-dûtân--to his own servants; pratyâha--replied; smaran--remembering; pâda-ambujam--the lotus feet; hareh--of Hari, the Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: Thus having been questioned, Lord Yamaraja, the supreme controller of the living entities, was very pleased with his order carriers because of hearing from them the holy name of Narayana. He remembered the lotus feet of the Lord and began to reply.
*******
TEXT 12
yama uvâca
paro mad-anyo jagatas tasthusas ca
otam protam patavad yatra visvam
yad-amsato 'sya sthiti janma-nâsâ
nasy otavad yasya vase ca lokah
yamah uvâca--Yamarâja replied; parah--superior; mat--than me; anyah--another; jagatah--of all moving things; tasthusah--of nonmoving things; ca--and; otam--crosswise; protam--lengthwise; patavat--like a woven cloth; yatra--in whom; visvam--the cosmic manifestation; yat--of whom; amsatah--from the partial expansions; asya--of this universe; sthiti--the maintenance; janma--the creation; nâsâh--the annihilation; nasi--in the nose; ota-vat--like the rope; yasya--of whom; vase--under the control; ca--and; lokah--the whole creation.
TRANSLATION
Yamaraja said: My dear servants, you have accepted me as the Supreme, but factually I am not. Above me, and above all the other demigods, including Indra and Candra, is the one supreme master and controller. The partial manifestations of His personality are Brahma, Visnu and Siva, who are in charge of the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this universe. He is like the two threads that form the length and breadth of a woven cloth. The entire world is controlled by Him just as a bull is controlled by a rope in its nose.
*******
TEXT 13
yo nâmabhir vâci janam nijâyâm
badhnâti tantryâm iva dâmabhir gâh
yasmai balim ta ime nâma-karma-
nibandha-baddhâs cakitâ vahanti
yah--He who; nâmabhih--by different names; vâci--to the Vedic language; janam--all people; nijâyâm--which has emanated from Himself; badhnâti--binds; tantryâm--to a rope; iva--like; dâmabhih--by cords; gâh--bulls; yasmai--unto whom; balim--a small presentation of taxes; te--all of them; ime--these; nâma-karma--of names and different activities; nibandha--by the obligations; baddhâh--bound; cakitâh--being fearful; vahanti--carry.
TRANSLATION
Just as the driver of a bullock cart ties ropes through the nostrils of his bulls to control them, the Supreme Personality of Godhead binds all men through the ropes of His words in the Vedas, which set forth the names and activities of the distinct orders of human society [brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra]. In fear, the members of these orders all worship the Supreme Lord by offering Him presentations according to their respective activities.
*******
TEXT 14-15
aham mahendro nirrtih pracetâh
somo 'gnir îsah pavano virincih
âditya-visve vasavo 'tha sâdhyâ
marud-ganâ-rudra-ganâh sasiddhâh
anye ca ye visva-srjo 'maresâ
bhrgv-âdayo 'sprsta-rajas-tamaskâh
yasyehitam na viduh sprsta-mâyâh
sattva-pradhânâ api kim tato 'nye
aham--I, Yamarâja; mahendrah--Indra, the King of heaven; nirrtih--Nirrti; pracetâh--Varuna, the controller of water; somah--the moon; agnih--fire; îsah--Lord Siva; pavanah--the demigod of the air; virincih--Lord Brahmâ; âditya--the sun; visve--Visvâsu; vasavah--the eight Vasus; atha--also; sâdhyâh--the demigods; marut-ganâh--masters of the wind; rudra-ganâh--the expansions of Lord Siva; sa-siddhâh--with the inhabitants of Siddhaloka; anye--others; ca--and; ye--who; visva-srjah--Marîci and the other creators of the universal affairs; amara-îsâh--the demigods like Brhaspati; bhrgu-âdayah--the great sages headed by Bhrgu; asprsta--who have not been contaminated; rajah-tamaskâh--by the lower modes of material nature (rajo-guna and tamo-guna); yasya--of whom; îhitam--the activity; na viduh--do not know; sprsta-mâyâh--who are illusioned by the illusory energy; sattva-pradhânâh--chiefly in the mode of goodness; api--although; kim--what to speak of; tatah--than them; anye--others.
TRANSLATION
I, Yamaraja; Indra, the King of heaven; Nirrti; Varuna; Candra, the moon-god; Agni; Lord Siva; Pavana; Lord Brahma; Surya, the sun-god; Visvasu; the eight Vasus; the Sadhyas; the Maruts; the Rudras; the Siddhas; and Marici and the other great rsis engaged in maintaining the departmental affairs of the universe, as well as the best of the demigods headed by Brhaspati, and the great sages headed by Bhrgu are all certainly freed from the influence of the two base material modes of nature, namely passion and ignorance. Nevertheless, although we are in the mode of goodness, we cannot understand the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What, then, is to be said of others, who, under illusion, merely speculate to know God?
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TEXT 16
yam vai na gobhir manasâsubhir vâ
hrdâ girâ vâsu-bhrto vicaksate
âtmânam antar-hrdi santam âtmanâm
caksur yathaivâkrtayas tatah param
yam--whom; vai--indeed; na--not; gobhih--by the senses; manasâ--by the mind; asubhih--by the life breath; vâ--or; hrdâ--by thoughts; girâ--by words; vâ--or; asu-bhrtah--the living entities; vicaksate--see or know; âtmanâm--the Supersoul; antah-hrdi--within the core of the heart; santam--existing; atmanam--of the living entities; caksuh--the eyes; yathâ--just like; eva--indeed; âkrtayah--the different parts or limbs of the body; tatah--than them; param--higher.
TRANSLATION
As the different limbs of the body cannot see the eyes, the living entities cannot see the Supreme Lord, who is situated as the Supersoul in everyone's heart. Not by the senses, by the mind, by the life air, by thoughts within the heart, or by the vibration of words can the living entities ascertain the real situation of the Supreme Lord.
*******
TEXT 17
tasyâtma-tantrasya harer adhîsituh
parasya mâyâdhipater mahâtmanah
prâyena dûtâ iha vai manoharâs
caranti tad-rûpa-guna-svabhâvâh
tasya--of Him; âtma-tantrasya--being self-sufficient, not dependent on any other person; hareh--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; adhîsituh--who is the master of everything; parasya--the Transcendence; mâyâ-adhipateh--the master of the illusory energy; mahâ-âtmanah--of the Supreme Soul; prâyena--almost; dûtâh--the order carriers; iha--in this world; vai--indeed; manoharâh--pleasing in their dealings and bodily features; caranti--they move; tat--of Him; rûpa--possessing the bodily features; guna--the transcendental qualities; svabhâvâh--and nature.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is self-sufficient and fully independent. He is the master of everyone and everything, including the illusory energy. He has His form, qualities and features; and similarly His order carriers, the Vaisnavas, who are very beautiful, possess bodily features, transcendental qualities and a transcendental nature almost like His. They always wander within this world with full independence.
*******
TEXT 18
bhûtâni visnoh sura-pûjitâni
durdarsa-lingâni mahâdbhutâni
raksanti tad-bhaktimatah parebhyo
mattas ca martyân atha sarvatas ca
bhûtâni--living entities or servants; visnoh--of Lord Visnu; sura-pûjitâni--who are worshiped by the demigods; durdarsa-lingâni--possessing forms not easily seen; mahâ-adbhutâni--greatly wonderful; raksanti--they protect; tat-bhakti-matah--the devotees of the Lord; parebhyah--from others who are inimical; mattah--from me (Yamarâja) and my order carriers; ca--and; martyân--the human beings; atha--thus; sarvatah--from everything; ca--and.
TRANSLATION
The order carriers of Lord Visnu, who are worshiped even by the demigods, possess wonderful bodily features exactly like those of Visnu and are very rarely seen. The Visnudutas protect the devotees of the Lord from the hands of enemies, from envious persons and even from my jurisdiction, as well as from natural disturbances.
*******
TEXT 19
dharmam tu sâksâd bhagavat-pranîtam
na vai vidur rsayo nâpi devâh
na siddha-mukhyâ asurâ manusyâh
kuto nu vidyâdhara-câranâdayah
dharmam--real religious principles, or bona fide laws of religion; tu--but; sâksât--directly; bhagavat--by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pranîtam--enacted; na--not; vai--indeed; viduh--they know; rsayah--the great rsis such as Bhrgu; na--not; api--also; devâh--the demigods; na--nor; siddha-mukhyâh--the chief leaders of Siddhaloka; asurâh--the demons; manusyâh--the inhabitants of Bhûrloka, the human beings; kutah--where; nu--indeed; vidyâdhara--the lesser demigods known as Vidyâdharas; cârana--the residents of the planets where people are by nature great musicians and singers; âdayah--and so on.
TRANSLATION
Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great rsis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyadharas and Caranas.
*******
TEXT 20-21
svayambhûr nâradah sambhuh
kumârah kapilo manuh
prahlâdo janako bhîsmo
balir vaiyâsakir vayam
dvâdasaite vijânîmo
dharmam bhâgavatam bhatâh
guhyam visuddham durbodham
yam jnâtvâmrtam asnute
svayambhûh--Lord Brahmâ; nâradah--the great saint Nârada; sambhuh--Lord Siva; kumârah--the four Kumâras; kapilah--Lord Kapila; manuh--Svâyambhuva Manu; prahlâdah--Prahlâda Mahârâja; janakah--Janaka Mahârâja; bhîsmah--Grandfather Bhîsma; balih--Bali Mahârâja; vaiyâsakih--Sukadeva, the son of Vyâsadeva; vayam--we;
dvâdasa--twelve; ete--these; vijânîmah--know; dharmam--real religious principles; bhâgavatam--which teach a person how to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhatâh--O my dear servants; guhyam--very confidential; visuddham--transcendental, not contaminated by the material modes of nature; durbodham--not easily understood; yam--which; jnâtvâ--understanding; amrtam--eternal life; asnute--he enjoys.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahma, Bhagavan Narada, Lord Siva, the four Kumaras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahuti], Svayambhuva Manu, Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka Maharaja, Grandfather Bhisma, Bali Maharaja, Sukadeva Gosvami and I myself know the real religious principle. My dear servants, this transcendental religious principle, which is known as bhagavata-dharma, or surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love for Him, is uncontaminated by the material modes of nature. It is very confidential and difficult for ordinary human beings to understand, but if by chance one fortunately understands it, he is immediately liberated, and thus he returns home, back to Godhead.
*******
TEXT 22
etâvân eva loke 'smin
pumsâm dharmah parah smrtah
bhakti-yogo bhagavati
tan-nâma-grahanâdibhih
etâvân--this much; eva--indeed; loke asmin--in this material world; pumsâm--of the living entities; dharmah--the religious principles; parah--transcendental; smrtah--recognized; bhakti-yogah--bhakti-yoga, or devotional service; bhagavati--to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (not to the demigods); tat--His; nâma--of the holy name; grahana-âdibhih--beginning with chanting.
TRANSLATION
Devotional service, beginning with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is the ultimate religious principle for the living entity in human society.
*******
TEXT 23
nâmoccârana-mâhâtmyam
hareh pasyata putrakâh
ajâmilo 'pi yenaiva
mrtyu-pâsâd amucyata
nâma--of the holy name; uccârana--of the pronouncing; mâhâtmyam--the exalted position; hareh--of the Supreme Lord; pasyata--just see; putrakâh--O my dear servants, who are like my sons; ajâmilah api--even Ajâmila (who was considered greatly sinful); yena--by the chanting of which; eva--certainly; mrtyu-pâsât--from the ropes of death; amucyata--was delivered.
TRANSLATION
My dear servants, who are as good as my sons, just see how glorious is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The greatly sinful Ajamila chanted only to call his son, not knowing that he was chanting the Lord's holy name. Nevertheless, by chanting the holy name of the Lord, he remembered Narayana, and thus he was immediately saved from the ropes of death.
*******
TEXT 24
etâvatâlam agha-nirharanâya pumsâm
sankîrtanam bhagavato guna-karma-nâmnâm
vikrusya putram aghavân yad ajâmilo 'pi
nârâyaneti mriyamâna iyâya muktim
etâvatâ--with this much; alam--sufficient; agha-nirharanâya--for taking away the reactions of sinful activities; pumsâm--of human beings; sankîrtanam--the congregational chanting; bhagavatah--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guna--of the transcendental qualities; karma-nâmnâm--and of His names according to His activities and pastimes; vikrusya--crying to without offense; putram--his son; aghavân--the sinful; yat--since; ajâmilah api--even Ajâmila; nârâyana--the Lord's name, Nârâyana; iti--thus; mriyamânah--dying; iyâya--achieved; muktim--liberation.
TRANSLATION
Therefore it should be understood that one is easily relieved from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and chanting of His qualities and activities. This is the only process recommended for relief from sinful reactions. Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he will achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offenses. Ajamila, for example, was extremely sinful, but while dying he merely chanted the holy name, and although calling his son, he achieved complete liberation because he remembered the name of Narayana.
*******
TEXT 25
prâyena veda tad idam na mahâjano 'yam
devyâ vimohita-matir bata mâyayâlam
trayyâm jadî-krta-matir madhu-puspitâyâm
vaitânike mahati karmani yujyamânah
prâyena--almost always; veda--know; tat--that; idam--this; na--not; mahâjanah--great personalities besides Svayambhû, Sambhu and the other ten; ayam--this; devyâ--by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vimohita-matih--whose intelligence is bewildered; bata--indeed; mâyayâ--by the illusory energy; alam--greatly; trayyâm--in the three Vedas; jadî-krta-matih--whose intelligence has been dulled; madhu-puspitâyâm--in the flowery Vedic language describing the results of ritualistic performances; vaitânike--in the performances mentioned in the Vedas; mahati--very great; karmani--fruitive activities; yujyamânah--being engaged.
TRANSLATION
Because they are bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Yajnavalkya and Jaimini and other compilers of the religious scriptures cannot know the secret, confidential religious system of the twelve mahajanas. They cannot understand the transcendental value of performing devotional service or chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. Because their minds are attracted to the ritualistic ceremonies mentioned in the Vedas--especially the Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Rg Veda--their intelligence has become dull. Thus they are busy collecting the ingredients for ritualistic ceremonies that yield only temporary benefits, such as elevation to Svargaloka for material happiness. They are not attracted to the sankirtana movement; instead, they are interested in dharma, artha, kama and moksa.
*******
TEXT 26
evam vimrsya sudhiyo bhagavaty anante
sarvâtmanâ vidadhate khalu bhâva-yogam
te me na dandam arhanty atha yady amîsâm
syât pâtakam tad api hanty urugâya-vâdah
evam--thus; vimrsya--considering; su-dhiyah--those whose intelligence is sharp; bhagavati--unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; anante--the unlimited; sarva-âtmanâ--with all their heart and soul; vidadhate--take to; khalu--indeed; bhâva-yogam--the process of devotional service; te--such persons; me--my; na--not; dandam--punishment; arhanti--deserve; atha--therefore; yadi--if; amîsâm--of them; syât--there is; pâtakam--some sinful activity; tat--that; api--also; hanti--destroys; urugâya-vâdah--the chanting of the holy name of the Supreme Lord.
TRANSLATION
Considering all these points, therefore, intelligent men decide to solve all problems by adopting the devotional service of chanting the holy name of the Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart and who is a mine of all auspicious qualities. Such persons are not within my jurisdiction for punishment. Generally they never commit sinful activities, but even if by mistake or because of bewilderment or illusion they sometimes commit sinful acts, they are protected from sinful reactions because they always chant the Hare Krsna mantra.
*******
TEXT 27
te deva-siddha-parigîta-pavitra-gâthâ
ye sâdhavah samadrso bhagavat-prapannâh
tân nopasîdata harer gadayâbhiguptân
naisâm vayam na ca vayah prabhavâma dande
te--they; deva--by the demigods; siddha--and the inhabitants of Siddhaloka; parigîta--sung; pavitra-gâthâh--whose pure narrations; ye--who; sâdhavah--devotees; samadrsah--who see everyone equally; bhagavat-prapannâh--being surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tân--them; na--not; upasîdata--should go near; hareh--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; gadayâ--by the club; abhiguptân--being fully protected; na--not; esâm--of these; vayam--we; na ca--and also not; vayah--unlimited time; prabhavâma--are competent; dande--in punishing.
TRANSLATION
My dear servants, please do not approach such devotees, for they have fully surrendered to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are equal to everyone, and their narrations are sung by the demigods and the inhabitants of Siddhaloka. Please do not even go near them. They are always protected by the club of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore Lord Brahma and I and even the time factor are not competent to chastise them.
*******
TEXT 28
tân ânayadhvam asato vimukhân mukunda-
pâdâravinda-makaranda-rasâd ajasram
niskincanaih paramahamsa-kulair asangair
justâd grhe niraya-vartmani baddha-trsnân
tân--them; ânayadhvam--bring before me; asatah--nondevotees (those who have not taken to Krsna consciousness); vimukhân--who have turned against; mukunda--of Mukunda, the Supreme personality of Godhead; pâda-aravinda--of the lotus feet; makaranda--of the honey; rasât--the taste; ajasram--continuously; niskincanaih--by persons completely free from material attachment; paramahamsa-kulaih--by the paramahamsas, the most exalted personalities; asangaih--who have no material attachment; justât--which is enjoyed; grhe--to household life; niraya-vartmani--the path leading to hell; baddha-trsnân--whose desires are bound.
TRANSLATION
Paramahamsas are exalted persons who have no taste for material enjoyment and who drink the honey of the Lord's lotus feet. My dear servants, bring to me for punishment only persons who are averse to the taste of that honey, who do not associate with paramahamsas and who are attached to family life and worldly enjoyment, which form the path to hell.
*******
TEXT 29
jihvâ na vakti bhagavad-guna-nâmadheyam
cetas ca na smarati tac-caranâravindam
krsnâya no namati yac-chira ekadâpi
tân ânayadhvam asato 'krta-visnu-krtyân
jihvâ--the tongue; na--not; vakti--chants; bhagavat--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guna--transcendental qualities; nâma--and the holy name; dheyam--imparting; cetah--the heart; ca--also; na--not; smarati--remembers; tat--His; carana-aravindam--lotus feet; krsnâya--unto Lord Krsna through His Deity in the temple; no--not; namati--bows; yat--whose; sirah--head; ekadâ api--even once; tân--them; ânayadhvam--bring before me; asatah--the nondevotees; akrta--not performing; visnu-krtyân--duties toward Lord Visnu.
TRANSLATION
My dear servants, please bring to me only those sinful persons who do not use their tongues to chant the holy name and qualities of Krsna, whose hearts do not remember the lotus feet of Krsna even once, and whose heads do not bow down even once before Lord Krsna. Send me those who do not perform their duties toward Visnu, which are the only duties in human life. Please bring me all such fools and rascals.
*******
TEXT 30
tat ksamyatâm sa bhagavân purusah purâno
nârâyanah sva-purusair yad asat krtam nah
svânâm aho na vidusâm racitânjalînâm
ksântir garîyasi namah purusâya bhûmne
tat--that; ksamyatâm--let it be excused; sah--He; bhagavân--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; purusah--the Supreme Person; purânah--the oldest; nârâyanah--Lord Nârâyana; sva-purusaih--by my own servants; yat--which; asat--impudence; krtam--performed; nah--of us; svânâm--of my own men; aho--alas; na vidusâm--not knowing; racita-anjalînâm--folding our hands together to beg Your pardon; ksântih--forgiveness; garîyasi--in the glorious; namah--respectful obeisances; purusâya--unto the person; bhûmne--supreme and all-pervading.
TRANSLATION
[Then Yamaraja, considering himself and his servants to be offenders, spoke as follows, begging pardon from the Lord.] O my Lord, my servants have surely committed a great offense by arresting a Vaisnava such as Ajamila. O Narayana, O supreme and oldest person, please forgive us. Because of our ignorance, we failed to recognize Ajamila as a servant of Your Lordship, and thus we have certainly committed a great offense. Therefore with folded hands we beg Your pardon. My Lord, since You are supremely merciful and are always full of good qualities, please pardon us. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.
*******
TEXT 31
tasmât sankîrtanam visnor
jagan-mangalam amhasâm
mahatâm api kauravya
viddhy aikântika-niskrtam
tasmât--therefore; sankîrtanam--the congregational chanting of the holy name; visnoh--of Lord Visnu; jagat-mangalam--the most auspicious performance within this material world; amhasâm--for sinful activities; mahatâm api--even though very great; kauravya--O descendant of the Kuru family; viddhi--understand; aikântika--the ultimate; niskrtam--atonement.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sankirtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously.
*******
TEXT 32
srnvatâm grnatâm viryâny
uddâmâni harer muhuh
yathâ sujâtayâ bhaktyâ
suddhyen nâtmâ vratâdibhih
srnvatâm--of those hearing; grnâtam--and chanting; vîryâni--the wonderful activities; uddâmâni--able to counteract sin; hareh--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; muhuh--always; yathâ--as; su jâtayâ--easily brought forth; bhaktyâ--by devotional service; suddhyet--may be purified; na--not; âtmâ--the heart and soul; vrata-âdibhih--by performing ritualistic ceremonies.
TRANSLATION
One who constantly hears and chants the holy name of the Lord and hears and chants about His activities can very easily attain the platform of pure devotional service, which can cleanse the dirt from one's heart. One cannot achieve such purification merely by observing vows and performing Vedic ritualistic ceremonies.
*******
TEXT 33
krsnânghri-padma-madhu-lin na punar visrsta-
mâyâ-gunesu ramate vrjinâvahesu
anyas tu kâma-hata âtma-rajah pramârstum
îheta karma yata eva rajah punah syât
krsna-anghri-padma--of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna; madhu--the honey; lit--one who licks; na--not; punah--again; visrsta--already renounced; mâyâ-gunesu--in the material modes of nature; ramate--desires to enjoy; vrjina-avahesu--which brings distress; anyah--another; tu--however; kâma-hatah--being enchanted by lust; âtma-rajah--the sinful infection of the heart; pramârstum--to cleanse; îheta--may perform; karma--activities; yatah--after which; eva--indeed; rajah--the sinful activity; punah--again; syât--appears.
TRANSLATION
Devotees who always lick the honey from the lotus feet of Lord Krsna do not care at all for material activities, which are performed under the three modes of material nature and which bring only misery. Indeed, devotees never give up the lotus feet of Krsna to return to material activities. Others, however, who are addicted to Vedic rituals because they have neglected the service of the Lord's lotus feet and are enchanted by lusty desires, sometimes perform acts of atonement. Nevertheless, being incompletely purified, they return to sinful activities again and again.
*******
TEXT 34
ittham svabhartr-gaditam bhagavan-mahitvam
samsmrtya vismita-dhiyo yama-kinkarâs te
naivâcyutâsraya janam pratisankamânâ
drastum ca bibhyati tatah prabhrti sma râjan
ittham--of such power; sva-bhartr-gaditam--explained by their master (Yamarâja); bhagavat-mahitvam--the extraordinary glory of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His name, fame, form and attributes; samsmrtya--remembering; vismita-dhiyah--whose minds were struck with wonder; yama-kinkarâh--all the servants of Yamarâja; te--they; na--not; eva--indeed; acyuta-âsraya janam--a person sheltered by the lotus feet of Acyuta, Lord Krsna; pratisankamânâh--always fearing; drastum--to see; ca--and; bibhyati--they are afraid; tatah prabhrti--beginning from then; sma--indeed; râjan--O King.
TRANSLATION
After hearing from the mouth of their master about the extraordinary glories of the Lord and His name, fame and attributes, the Yamadutas were struck with wonder. Since then, as soon as they see a devotee, they fear him and dare not look at him again.
*******
TEXT 35
itihâsam imam guhyam
bhagavân kumbha-sambhavah
kathayâm âsa malaya
âsîno harim arcayan
itihâsam--history; imam--this; guhyam--very confidential; bhagavân--the most powerful; kumbha-sambhavah--Agastya Muni, the son of Kumbha; kathayâm âsa--explained; malaye--in the Malaya Hills; âsînah--residing; harim arcayan--worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
When the great sage Agastya, the son of Kumbha, was residing in the Malaya Hills and worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I approached him, and he explained to me this confidential history.
श्रीमद भागवतम
Srimad Bhagavatam
Glories of Srimad Bhagavatam in various Puranas
Enumeration of the subjects in the Srimad Bhagavatam
Glories of Srimad Bhagavatam in various Puranas
History of Srimad Bhagavatam is described in the beginning and at the end (SB 12.13.19).
After compiling the Vedic literature, Puranas, etc., Vyasadeva was still feeling unsatisfied. While thinking in this way Narada Muni reached the cottage of Vyasadeva and was asked about the cause of dissatisfaction. Narada Muni explained that because he (Vyasadeva) did not directly describe Krsna's pastimes, and instead gave a license to enjoy sense gratification under religious principles, he was remaining unsatisfied. Narada then instructed Vyasadeva in the catur sloka, or catuhsloki (SB 2.9.33-36) the essence of the Veda. Vyasadeva took these four verses and expanded them to compile the Srimad Bhagavatam, which is known as the ripened fruit of Vedic literature because it directly describes Krsna's transcendental pastimes. Vyasadeva has written SB in his spiritual maturity (SB 1.5.13: samadhi nanusmara tad-vicestitam - "In the trance you are thinking about Lord's pastimes and describing them").
krsne sva-dhamopagate
dharma-jnanadibhih saha
kalau nasta-drsam esa
puranarko 'dhunoditah
This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krsna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purana. (SB 1.3.43)
As stated in the Matsya Purana (53.65,68,69):
A Purana has five characteristics as opposed to an Akhyana. (The scriptures are divided into three classes - sattvika, rajasika, and tamasika.) The glory of Lord Hari is greater in the sattvika Puranas; the glory of Lord Brahma is more in the rajasika Puranas; the glory of Lord Siva and Agni is more in the tamasika Puranas. In the mixed scriptures the glory of Sarasvati and the Pitrs is explained."
The verse cited from the Matsya Purana refers to the five characteristics of a Purana. These characteristics are given in another verse of the Matsya Purana, 53.65 and Garuda Purana 1.223.14:
sargasca pratisargasca vamso manvantarani ca
vamsyanucaritaccaiva puranam pancalaksanam
"Creation, dissolution, genealogy, manvantaras and descriptions of the activities of famous kings, these are the five characteristics of a Purana."
Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda (236.18-21), which explicitly state that the eighteen Puranas are divided according to the three modes of nature.:
vaisnavam naradiyanca tathabhagavatam subham garudanca tathapadmam varaham subhadarsane sattvikanipuranani vijneyani subhani vai brahmandam brahmavaivartam markandeyam tathaiva ca bhavisyam vamanam brahmam rajasani nibodhame matsyam kaurmam tathalaingam saivam skandam tathaiva ca agneyam ca sadetani tamasani nibodhame
"Lord Siva said: O beautiful lady, know that the Visnu, Narada, Bhagavata, Garuda, Padma and Varaha Puranas are sattvika; the Brahmanda, Brahma-vaivarta, Markandeya, Bhavisya, Vamana and Brahma Puranas are rajasika; and the Matsya, Kurma, Linga, Siva, Skanda and Agni Puranas are tamasika."
The characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam are given in the Matsya Purana (53.20-22), "That which explains the topmost principles of religion, basing it on Gayatri, and which has the incident of the killing of Vrtrasura is to be known as the Srimad Bhagavatam. This Purana has eighteen thousand verses. Whoever makes a copy of the Srimad Bhagavatam and, placing it on a golden lion throne, donates it on the full moon day in the month of Bhadra (August-September), will attain the supreme goal".
Skanda Purana, Prabhasa Khanda (7.1.2.39-42) also describes Srimad Bhagavatam: "That which gives accounts of the humans and demigods in the Sarasvata Kalpa, explains the supreme religion, basing itself on Gayatri, and narrates the slaying of Vrtrasura is to be known as the Srimad Bhagavatam. It has eighteen thousand verses. Whoever makes a copy of the Bhagavatam and donates it, on a golden lion throne, on the full moon day in the month of Bhadra, will attain the supreme destination".
These verses are also found in the Agni Purana (272.6,7).
Padma Purana, "Gautama said: O Lord of the Earth, do you recite the Bhagavata Purana in front of the Deity of Lord Hari, especially the narration of the king of the demons, Prahlada Maharaja?" (Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda 22.115)
Again, in the Padma Purana, in the section glorifying the vow of Vyanjuli Mahadvadasi, Gautama instructs King Ambarisa, "One should stay awake (on the night of Vyanjuli Mahadvadasi) and hear the scriptures that narrate the stories of Lord Visnu and His devotees, especially the Bhagavad-gita, the thousand names of Lord Visnu, and the Purana narrated by Suka (Srimad Bhagavatam). These should be recited with care since they are pleasing to Lord Hari."
And in the same section of the Padma Purana he says: "O Ambarisa, if you desire an end to your material existence, then everyday hear Srimad Bhagavatam narrated by Suka, and also recite it yourself." (nityam bhagavatam srnu suka proktam ambarisa)
In the Prahlada Samhita of the Skanda Purana, in the section describing the glory of Dvaraka is this statement, "A person who stays up (on the night of Ekadasi) and recites the Srimad Bhagavatam with devotion in front of the Deity of Lord Hari goes to the abode of Lord Hari with all his family members."
The Padma Purana, Uttara khanda (190.3), states:
puranesu tu sarvesu srimad bhagavatam param
yatra pratipadam krsnam giyate bahudarsibhih
"Among all the Puranas, the Srimad Bhagavatam, in which Lord Krsna is glorified at every step by various great sages, is supreme."
The Skanda Purana (2.6.4.3) states:
srimadbhagavatasyatha srimadbhagavatah sada
svarupam ekamevasti saccidanandalaksanam
"The nature of the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Personality of Godhead is always the same - full knowledge, bliss, and eternal existence." And the Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda (198.30) says: srimadbhagavatakhyo'yam pratyaksah krsna eva hi, "Without any doubt, Srimad Bhagavatam is directly Lord Krsna."
The Skanda Purana states, "In Kali-yuga, of what value are collections of hundreds of thousands of other scriptures, if one does not keep the Srimad Bhagavatam in his house? In Kali-yuga, how can a person be considered a Vaisnava if the Srimad Bhagavatam does not find a place in his house? Even if he is a brahmana, he is to be considered lower than a dog-eater. O Vipra, Narada, wherever is the Srimad Bhagavatam in Kali-yuga, the Lord goes there along with the demigods. O muni, a person who faithfully recites a verse of Srimad Bhagavatam every day attains the fruit of reading the eighteen Puranas". (Skanda Purana, 2.5.16.40-42,44,33)
Quote from Garuda Purana in Hari-bhakti-vilasa 10.394-395:
artho'yam brahma sutranam bharatartha-vinirnayah gayatri bhasya rupo'sau vedartha paribrmhitah purananam sama rupah saksad bhagavatoditah dvadasa skandha yukto'yam sata viccheda samyutah grantho'stadasa sahasrah srimad bhagavatabhidam
"The Srimad Bhagavatam is the explanation of the Vedanta Sutra. It is the complete settlement of the Mahabharata. It is the complete commentary on the Gayatri mantra. It strengthens the explanation of the Vedas and is the topmost Purana, written by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It has twelve cantos, one hundred sections and eighteen thousand slokas."
padau yadiyau prathama dvitiyau tritiyaturyau kathitau yaduru nabhistatha pancama eva sasto bhujantaram doryugalam yathanyau mukharavindam dasamam praphullam ekadasau yasya lalatha pathakam siro pi yad dvadasa eva bati tamadidevam karuna nidhanam tamala varnam suhitavataram aparasamsara samudra setum bhajamehe bhagavata svarupam
"I worship Him, the Original Lord, the reservoir of mercy, who is of the color of a tamala tree, who has descended to benefit all (suhitavataram). He is the Personality of the Bhagavatam, a bridge to cross over the ocean of the endless material existence. The First and Second Cantos are His two feet (padau); the Third and Fourth are said to be His thighs (uru); the Fifth Canto is His navel (nabhih); the Sixth Canto is His chest (bhujantaram); the other two [Seventh and Eighth] Cantos are His two arms (dor-yugalam); O King, the Ninth Canto is His neck (kanthah); the Tenth C anto is His blossomed lotus face (mukharavindam praphullam); the Eleventh Canto is His forehead (lalata-pattakam); and the Twelfth Canto shines as His crown (sirah)." (Padma Purana)
Supremacy of SB is established in SB itself (1.1.2-3, 12.13.15-16). Analogy about supremacy of SB: Vedas teach as a king (by orders), Puranas as a friend (by promises and blessings), Vedic poetry sweetly as a lover but SB contains all three aspects: all Vedic laws and principles, gives blessings and is poetic.
Srila Prabhupada instructs in SB 2.2.12 p. that those who still have sexual desires should hold lectures only from 1. and 2. Canto. This refers to criticism of professional reciters who hold so-called Bhagavata saptahas (seven-day recitation) for material profit, focusing only on Krsna's rasa-lila pastimes in Tenth Canto to indulge the paying audience.
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Enumeration of the subjects in the Srimad Bhagavatam
(SB 2.10.1)
By Sri Sukadeva Gosvami
1. Sarga (primary creation)
2. Visarga (secondary creation)
3. Sthanam (maintenance)
4. Posana (nourishment)
5. Uti (material desires)
6. Manvantara (reign of a Manu)
7. Isanukatha
(activities of Lord and His devotees)
8. Nirodha (annihilation)
9. Mukti (liberation)
10. Asraya (supreme shelter) By Sri Suta Gosvami
Sarga
Visarga
Vrtti
Raksa
Hetu
Antara
Vamsa,
Vamsanucarita
Samstha
Samstha
Apasraya
These ten characteristics are found in a Maha Purana but a Purana has only five characteristics (Amarakosa dictionary):
sargas ca pratisarga ca
vamsa manvantarani ca
vamsanu caritam capi
puranam panca laksanam
Sarga, or creation; pratisarga, or dissolution; vamsa, or the genealogies of kings or sages; manvantaras, a duration of a reign of a Manu; vamsanucarita, the description of various sages, kings, and incarnations.
These five include the ten characteristics of a Maha Purana, but in a Purana more stress is laid on these five topics and this gives the distinction between a Purana and a Maha Purana. How the ten characteristics of a Maha Purana is included in the five found in a lesser Purana is as follows:
1. Sarga
2. Pratisarga
3. Vamsa
4. Manvantara
5. Vamsanucaritam Sarga, Visarga, Asraya
Nirodha, Mukti
Isanukatha
Manvantara, Sthanam
Isanukatha, Posana, Uti, Asraya
The Srimad Bhagavatam is in twelve cantos, but the list of the characteristics of a Maha-Purana are in the Second Canto. Some scholars conclude therefore that these ten topics are explained successively in each canto from the Third Canto onwards. Srila Jiva Gosvami has complete disregard for such an explanation. If a Maha Purana has ten characteristics and if the first two cantos of Bhagavatam had none of these, then the Bhagavatam proper would have ten cantos. Analysis shows, however, that the First and Second Cantos discuss sarga, visarga, and raksa.
In Sarvasamvadini Srila Jiva Gosvami gives the following breakdown of the topics covered in each canto:
Topic Discussed
1. Sarga
2. Visarga
3. Vrtti
4. Raksa
5. Manvantara
6. Vamsa
7. Vamsanucarita
8. Samstha
9. Hetu
10. Apasraya Cantos primarily
Second and Third
Second, Third, Fourth
Third, Seventh, Eleventh
Throughout
Eighth
Fourth, Ninth
Fourth, Ninth
Eleventh, Twelfth
Third, Eleventh
Tenth
The ultimate purpose of the Srimad Bhagavatam is to explain the tenth item, Asraya, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Glories of Srimad Bhagavatam in various Puranas
Enumeration of the subjects in the Srimad Bhagavatam
Glories of Srimad Bhagavatam in various Puranas
History of Srimad Bhagavatam is described in the beginning and at the end (SB 12.13.19).
After compiling the Vedic literature, Puranas, etc., Vyasadeva was still feeling unsatisfied. While thinking in this way Narada Muni reached the cottage of Vyasadeva and was asked about the cause of dissatisfaction. Narada Muni explained that because he (Vyasadeva) did not directly describe Krsna's pastimes, and instead gave a license to enjoy sense gratification under religious principles, he was remaining unsatisfied. Narada then instructed Vyasadeva in the catur sloka, or catuhsloki (SB 2.9.33-36) the essence of the Veda. Vyasadeva took these four verses and expanded them to compile the Srimad Bhagavatam, which is known as the ripened fruit of Vedic literature because it directly describes Krsna's transcendental pastimes. Vyasadeva has written SB in his spiritual maturity (SB 1.5.13: samadhi nanusmara tad-vicestitam - "In the trance you are thinking about Lord's pastimes and describing them").
krsne sva-dhamopagate
dharma-jnanadibhih saha
kalau nasta-drsam esa
puranarko 'dhunoditah
This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krsna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purana. (SB 1.3.43)
As stated in the Matsya Purana (53.65,68,69):
A Purana has five characteristics as opposed to an Akhyana. (The scriptures are divided into three classes - sattvika, rajasika, and tamasika.) The glory of Lord Hari is greater in the sattvika Puranas; the glory of Lord Brahma is more in the rajasika Puranas; the glory of Lord Siva and Agni is more in the tamasika Puranas. In the mixed scriptures the glory of Sarasvati and the Pitrs is explained."
The verse cited from the Matsya Purana refers to the five characteristics of a Purana. These characteristics are given in another verse of the Matsya Purana, 53.65 and Garuda Purana 1.223.14:
sargasca pratisargasca vamso manvantarani ca
vamsyanucaritaccaiva puranam pancalaksanam
"Creation, dissolution, genealogy, manvantaras and descriptions of the activities of famous kings, these are the five characteristics of a Purana."
Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda (236.18-21), which explicitly state that the eighteen Puranas are divided according to the three modes of nature.:
vaisnavam naradiyanca tathabhagavatam subham garudanca tathapadmam varaham subhadarsane sattvikanipuranani vijneyani subhani vai brahmandam brahmavaivartam markandeyam tathaiva ca bhavisyam vamanam brahmam rajasani nibodhame matsyam kaurmam tathalaingam saivam skandam tathaiva ca agneyam ca sadetani tamasani nibodhame
"Lord Siva said: O beautiful lady, know that the Visnu, Narada, Bhagavata, Garuda, Padma and Varaha Puranas are sattvika; the Brahmanda, Brahma-vaivarta, Markandeya, Bhavisya, Vamana and Brahma Puranas are rajasika; and the Matsya, Kurma, Linga, Siva, Skanda and Agni Puranas are tamasika."
The characteristics of Srimad Bhagavatam are given in the Matsya Purana (53.20-22), "That which explains the topmost principles of religion, basing it on Gayatri, and which has the incident of the killing of Vrtrasura is to be known as the Srimad Bhagavatam. This Purana has eighteen thousand verses. Whoever makes a copy of the Srimad Bhagavatam and, placing it on a golden lion throne, donates it on the full moon day in the month of Bhadra (August-September), will attain the supreme goal".
Skanda Purana, Prabhasa Khanda (7.1.2.39-42) also describes Srimad Bhagavatam: "That which gives accounts of the humans and demigods in the Sarasvata Kalpa, explains the supreme religion, basing itself on Gayatri, and narrates the slaying of Vrtrasura is to be known as the Srimad Bhagavatam. It has eighteen thousand verses. Whoever makes a copy of the Bhagavatam and donates it, on a golden lion throne, on the full moon day in the month of Bhadra, will attain the supreme destination".
These verses are also found in the Agni Purana (272.6,7).
Padma Purana, "Gautama said: O Lord of the Earth, do you recite the Bhagavata Purana in front of the Deity of Lord Hari, especially the narration of the king of the demons, Prahlada Maharaja?" (Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda 22.115)
Again, in the Padma Purana, in the section glorifying the vow of Vyanjuli Mahadvadasi, Gautama instructs King Ambarisa, "One should stay awake (on the night of Vyanjuli Mahadvadasi) and hear the scriptures that narrate the stories of Lord Visnu and His devotees, especially the Bhagavad-gita, the thousand names of Lord Visnu, and the Purana narrated by Suka (Srimad Bhagavatam). These should be recited with care since they are pleasing to Lord Hari."
And in the same section of the Padma Purana he says: "O Ambarisa, if you desire an end to your material existence, then everyday hear Srimad Bhagavatam narrated by Suka, and also recite it yourself." (nityam bhagavatam srnu suka proktam ambarisa)
In the Prahlada Samhita of the Skanda Purana, in the section describing the glory of Dvaraka is this statement, "A person who stays up (on the night of Ekadasi) and recites the Srimad Bhagavatam with devotion in front of the Deity of Lord Hari goes to the abode of Lord Hari with all his family members."
The Padma Purana, Uttara khanda (190.3), states:
puranesu tu sarvesu srimad bhagavatam param
yatra pratipadam krsnam giyate bahudarsibhih
"Among all the Puranas, the Srimad Bhagavatam, in which Lord Krsna is glorified at every step by various great sages, is supreme."
The Skanda Purana (2.6.4.3) states:
srimadbhagavatasyatha srimadbhagavatah sada
svarupam ekamevasti saccidanandalaksanam
"The nature of the Srimad Bhagavatam and the Personality of Godhead is always the same - full knowledge, bliss, and eternal existence." And the Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda (198.30) says: srimadbhagavatakhyo'yam pratyaksah krsna eva hi, "Without any doubt, Srimad Bhagavatam is directly Lord Krsna."
The Skanda Purana states, "In Kali-yuga, of what value are collections of hundreds of thousands of other scriptures, if one does not keep the Srimad Bhagavatam in his house? In Kali-yuga, how can a person be considered a Vaisnava if the Srimad Bhagavatam does not find a place in his house? Even if he is a brahmana, he is to be considered lower than a dog-eater. O Vipra, Narada, wherever is the Srimad Bhagavatam in Kali-yuga, the Lord goes there along with the demigods. O muni, a person who faithfully recites a verse of Srimad Bhagavatam every day attains the fruit of reading the eighteen Puranas". (Skanda Purana, 2.5.16.40-42,44,33)
Quote from Garuda Purana in Hari-bhakti-vilasa 10.394-395:
artho'yam brahma sutranam bharatartha-vinirnayah gayatri bhasya rupo'sau vedartha paribrmhitah purananam sama rupah saksad bhagavatoditah dvadasa skandha yukto'yam sata viccheda samyutah grantho'stadasa sahasrah srimad bhagavatabhidam
"The Srimad Bhagavatam is the explanation of the Vedanta Sutra. It is the complete settlement of the Mahabharata. It is the complete commentary on the Gayatri mantra. It strengthens the explanation of the Vedas and is the topmost Purana, written by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It has twelve cantos, one hundred sections and eighteen thousand slokas."
padau yadiyau prathama dvitiyau tritiyaturyau kathitau yaduru nabhistatha pancama eva sasto bhujantaram doryugalam yathanyau mukharavindam dasamam praphullam ekadasau yasya lalatha pathakam siro pi yad dvadasa eva bati tamadidevam karuna nidhanam tamala varnam suhitavataram aparasamsara samudra setum bhajamehe bhagavata svarupam
"I worship Him, the Original Lord, the reservoir of mercy, who is of the color of a tamala tree, who has descended to benefit all (suhitavataram). He is the Personality of the Bhagavatam, a bridge to cross over the ocean of the endless material existence. The First and Second Cantos are His two feet (padau); the Third and Fourth are said to be His thighs (uru); the Fifth Canto is His navel (nabhih); the Sixth Canto is His chest (bhujantaram); the other two [Seventh and Eighth] Cantos are His two arms (dor-yugalam); O King, the Ninth Canto is His neck (kanthah); the Tenth C anto is His blossomed lotus face (mukharavindam praphullam); the Eleventh Canto is His forehead (lalata-pattakam); and the Twelfth Canto shines as His crown (sirah)." (Padma Purana)
Supremacy of SB is established in SB itself (1.1.2-3, 12.13.15-16). Analogy about supremacy of SB: Vedas teach as a king (by orders), Puranas as a friend (by promises and blessings), Vedic poetry sweetly as a lover but SB contains all three aspects: all Vedic laws and principles, gives blessings and is poetic.
Srila Prabhupada instructs in SB 2.2.12 p. that those who still have sexual desires should hold lectures only from 1. and 2. Canto. This refers to criticism of professional reciters who hold so-called Bhagavata saptahas (seven-day recitation) for material profit, focusing only on Krsna's rasa-lila pastimes in Tenth Canto to indulge the paying audience.
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Enumeration of the subjects in the Srimad Bhagavatam
(SB 2.10.1)
By Sri Sukadeva Gosvami
1. Sarga (primary creation)
2. Visarga (secondary creation)
3. Sthanam (maintenance)
4. Posana (nourishment)
5. Uti (material desires)
6. Manvantara (reign of a Manu)
7. Isanukatha
(activities of Lord and His devotees)
8. Nirodha (annihilation)
9. Mukti (liberation)
10. Asraya (supreme shelter) By Sri Suta Gosvami
Sarga
Visarga
Vrtti
Raksa
Hetu
Antara
Vamsa,
Vamsanucarita
Samstha
Samstha
Apasraya
These ten characteristics are found in a Maha Purana but a Purana has only five characteristics (Amarakosa dictionary):
sargas ca pratisarga ca
vamsa manvantarani ca
vamsanu caritam capi
puranam panca laksanam
Sarga, or creation; pratisarga, or dissolution; vamsa, or the genealogies of kings or sages; manvantaras, a duration of a reign of a Manu; vamsanucarita, the description of various sages, kings, and incarnations.
These five include the ten characteristics of a Maha Purana, but in a Purana more stress is laid on these five topics and this gives the distinction between a Purana and a Maha Purana. How the ten characteristics of a Maha Purana is included in the five found in a lesser Purana is as follows:
1. Sarga
2. Pratisarga
3. Vamsa
4. Manvantara
5. Vamsanucaritam Sarga, Visarga, Asraya
Nirodha, Mukti
Isanukatha
Manvantara, Sthanam
Isanukatha, Posana, Uti, Asraya
The Srimad Bhagavatam is in twelve cantos, but the list of the characteristics of a Maha-Purana are in the Second Canto. Some scholars conclude therefore that these ten topics are explained successively in each canto from the Third Canto onwards. Srila Jiva Gosvami has complete disregard for such an explanation. If a Maha Purana has ten characteristics and if the first two cantos of Bhagavatam had none of these, then the Bhagavatam proper would have ten cantos. Analysis shows, however, that the First and Second Cantos discuss sarga, visarga, and raksa.
In Sarvasamvadini Srila Jiva Gosvami gives the following breakdown of the topics covered in each canto:
Topic Discussed
1. Sarga
2. Visarga
3. Vrtti
4. Raksa
5. Manvantara
6. Vamsa
7. Vamsanucarita
8. Samstha
9. Hetu
10. Apasraya Cantos primarily
Second and Third
Second, Third, Fourth
Third, Seventh, Eleventh
Throughout
Eighth
Fourth, Ninth
Fourth, Ninth
Eleventh, Twelfth
Third, Eleventh
Tenth
The ultimate purpose of the Srimad Bhagavatam is to explain the tenth item, Asraya, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
सिमद भागवतम चंतो ६ बाब 2
Srimad Bhagavatam - Canto 6 (Bab 2)
Chapter Two: Ajâmila Delivered by the Visnudûtas
TEXT 1
srî-bâdarâyanir uvâca
evam te bhagavad-dûtâ
yamadûtâbhibhâsitam
upadhâryâtha tân râjan
pratyâhur naya-kovidâh
srî-bâdarâyanih uvâca--Sukadeva Gosvâmî, the son of Vyâsadeva, said; evam--thus; te--they; bhagavat-dûtâh--the servants of Lord Visnu; yamadûta--by the servants of Yamarâja; abhibhâsitam--what was spoken; upadhârya--hearing; atha--then; tân--unto them; râjan--O King; pratyâhuh--replied properly; naya-kovidâh--being conversant in good arguments or good logic.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami said: My dear King, the servants of Lord Visnu are always very expert in logic and arguments. After hearing the statements of the Yamadutas, they replied as follows.
*******
TEXT 2
srî-visnudûtâ ûcuh
aho kastam dharma-drsâm
adharmah sprsate sabhâm
yatrâdandyesv apâpesu
dando yair dhriyate vrthâ
srî-visnudûtâh ûcuh--the Visnudûtas said; aho--alas; kastam--how painful it is; dharma-drsâm--of persons interested in maintaining religion; adharmah--irreligion; sprsate--is affecting; sabhâm--the assembly; yatra--wherein; adandyesu--upon persons not to be punished; apâpesu--who are sinless; dandah--punishment; yaih--by whom; dhriyate--is being allotted; vrthâ--unnecessarily.
TRANSLATION
The Visnudutas said: Alas, how painful it is that irreligion is being introduced into an assembly where religion should be maintained. Indeed, those in charge of maintaining the religious principles are needlessly punishing a sinless, unpunishable person.
*******
TEXT 3
prajânâm pitaro ye ca
sâstârah sâdhavah samâh
yadi syât tesu va isamyam
kam yânti saranam prajâh
prajânam--of the citizens; pitarah--protectors, guardians (kings or government servants); ye--they who; ca--and; sâstârah--give instructions concerning law and order; sâdhavah--endowed with all good qualities; samâh--equal to everyone; yadi--if; syât--there is; tesu--among them; vaisamyam--partiality; kam--what; yânti--will go to; saranam--shelter; prajâh--the citizens.
TRANSLATION
A king or governmental official should be so well qualified that he acts as a father, maintainer and protector of the citizens because of affection and love. He should give the citizens good advice and instructions according to the standard scriptures and should be equal to everyone. Yamaraja does this, for he is the supreme master of justice, and so do those who follow in his footsteps. However, if such persons become polluted and exhibit partiality by punishing an innocent, blameless person, where will the citizens go to take shelter for their maintenance and security?
*******
TEXT 4
yad yad âcarati sreyân
itaras tat tad îhate
sa yat pramânam kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
yatyat--whatever; âcarati--executes; sreyân--a first-class man with full knowledge of religious principles; itarah--the subordinate man; tat tat--that; îhate--performs; sah--he (the great man); yat--whatever; pramânam--as evidence or as the right thing; kurute--accepts; lokah--the general public; tat--that; anuvartate--follows.
TRANSLATION
The mass of people follow the example of a leader in society and imitate his behavior. They accept as evidence whatever the leader accepts.
PURPORT
Although Ajamila was not punishable, the Yamadutas were insisting on taking him away to Yamaraja for punishment. This was adharma, contrary to religious principles. The Visnudutas feared that if such irreligious acts were allowed, the management of human society would be spoiled. In modern times, the Krsna consciousness movement is trying to introduce the right principles of management for human society, but unfortunately the governments of Kali-yuga do not properly support the Hare Krsna movement because they do not appreciate its valuable service. The Hare Krsna movement is the right movement for ameliorating the fallen condition of human society, and therefore governments and public leaders in every part of the world should support this movement to completely rectify humanity's sinful condition.
*******
TEXT 5-6
yasyânke sira âdhâya
lokah svapiti nirvrtah
svayam dharmam adharmam vâ
na hi veda yathâ pasuh
sa katham nyarpitâtmânam
krta-maitram acetanam
visrambhanîyo bhûtânâm
saghrno dogdhum arhati
yasya--of whom; anke--on the lap; sirah--the head; âdhâya--placing; lokah--the general mass of people; svapiti--sleep; nirvrtah--in peace; svayam--personally; dharmam--religious principles or the goal of life; adharmam--irreligious principles; vâ--or; na--not; hi--indeed; veda--know; yathâ--exactly like; pasuh--an animal; sah--such a person; katham--how; nyarpita-âtmânam--unto the living entity who has fully surrendered; krta-maitram--endowed with good faith and friendship; acetanam--with undeveloped consciousness, foolish; visrambhanîyah--deserving to be the object of faith; bhûtânâm--of the living entities; sa-ghrnah--who has a soft heart for the good of all people; dogdhum--to give pain; arhati--is able.
TRANSLATION
People in general are not very advanced in knowledge by which to discriminate between religion and irreligion. The innocent, unenlightened citizen is like an ignorant animal sleeping in peace with its head on the lap of its master, faithfully believing in the master's protection. If a leader is actually kindhearted and deserves to be the object of a living entity's faith, how can he punish or kill a foolish person who has fully surrendered in good faith and friendship?
*******
TEXT 7
ayam hi krta-nirveso
janma-koty-amhasâm api
yad vyâjahâra vivaso
nâma svasty-ayanam hareh
ayam--this person (Ajâmila); hi--indeed; krta-nirvesah--has undergone all kinds of atonement; janma--of births; koti--of millions; amhasâm--for the sinful activities; api--even; yat--because; vyâjahâra--he has chanted; vivasah--in a helpless condition; nâma--the holy name; svasti-ayanam--the means of liberation; hareh--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Ajamila has already atoned for all his sinful actions. Indeed, he has atoned not only for sins performed in one life but for those performed in millions of lives, for in a helpless condition he chanted the holy name of Narayana. Even though he did not chant purely, he chanted without offense, and therefore he is now pure and eligible for liberation.
*******
TEXT 8
etenaiva hy aghono 'sya
krtam syâd agha-niskrtam
yadâ nârâyanâyeti
jagâda catur-aksaram
etena--by this (chanting); eva--indeed; hi--certainly; aghonah--who possesses sinful reactions; asya--of this (Ajâmila); krtam--performed; syât--is; agha--of sins; niskrtam--complete atonement; yadâ--when; nârâyana--O Nârâyana (the name of his son); âya--please come; iti--thus; jagâda--he chanted; catuh-aksaram--the four syllables (nâ-râ-ya-na).
TRANSLATION
The Visnudutas continued: Even previously, while eating and at other times, this Ajamila would call his son, saying, "My dear Narayana, please come here." Although calling the name of his son, he nevertheless uttered the four syllables na-ra-ya-na. Simply by chanting the name of Narayana in this way, he sufficiently atoned for the sinful reactions of millions of lives.
*******
TEXT 9-10
stenah surâ-po mitra-dhrug
brahma-hâ guru-talpa-gah
strî-râja-pitr-go-hantâ
ye ca pâtakino 'pare
sarvesâm apy aghavatâm
idam eva suniskrtam
nâma-vyâharanam visnor
yatas tad-visayâ matih
stenah--one who steals; surâ-pah--a drunkard; mitra-dhruk--one who turns against a friend or relative; brahma-hâ--one who kills a brâhmana; guru-talpa-gah--one who indulges in sex with the wife of his teacher or guru; strî--women; râja--king; pitr--father; go--of cows; hantâ--the killer; ye--those who; ca--also; pâtakinah--committed sinful activities; apare--many others; sarvesâm--of all of them; api--although; agha-vatâm--persons who have committed many sins; idam--this; eva--certainly; su-niskrtam--perfect atonement; nâma-vyâharanam--chanting of the holy name; visnoh--of Lord Visnu; yatah--because of which; tat-visayâ--on the person who chants the holy name; matih--His attention.
TRANSLATION
The chanting of the holy name of Lord Visnu is the best process of atonement for a thief of gold or other valuables, for a drunkard, for one who betrays a friend or relative, for one who kills a brahmana, or for one who indulges in sex with the wife of his guru or another superior. It is also the best method of atonement for one who murders women, the king or his father, for one who slaughters cows, and for all other sinful men. Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Visnu, such sinful persons may attract the attention of the Supreme Lord, who therefore considers, "Because this man has chanted My holy name, My duty is to give him protection."
*******
TEXT 11
na niskrtair uditair brahma-vâdibhis
tathâ visuddhyaty aghavân vratâdibhih
yathâ harer nâma-padair udâhrtais
tad uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam
na--not; niskrtaih--by the processes of atonement; uditaih--prescribed; brahma-vâdibhih--by learned scholars such as Manu; tathâ--to that extent; visuddhyati--becomes purified; agha-vân--a sinful man; vrata-âdibhih--by observing the vows and regulative principles; yathâ--as; hareh--of Lord Hari; nâma-padaih--by the syllables of the holy name; udâhrtaih--chanted; tat--that; uttamasloka--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guna--of the transcendental qualities; upalambhakam--reminding one.
TRANSLATION
By following the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or undergoing atonement, sinful men do not become as purified as by chanting once the holy name of Lord Hari. Although ritualistic atonement may free one from sinful reactions, it does not awaken devotional service, unlike the chanting of the Lord's names, which reminds one of the Lord's fame, qualities, attributes, pastimes and paraphernalia.
*******
TEXT 12
naikântikam tad dhi krte 'pi niskrte
manah punar dhâvati ced asat-pathe
tat karma-nirhâram abhîpsatâm harer
gunânuvâdah khalu sattva-bhâvanah
na--not; aikântikam--absolutely cleansed; tat--the heart; hi--because; krte--very nicely performed; api--although; niskrte--atonement; manah--the mind; punah--again; dhâvati--runs; cet--if; asat-pathe--on the path of material activities; tat--therefore; karma-nirhâram--cessation of the fruitive reactions of material activities; abhîpsatam--for those who seriously want; hareh--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guna-anuvâdah--constant chanting of the glories; khalu--indeed; sattva-bhâvanah--actually purifying one's existence.
TRANSLATION
The ritualistic ceremonies of atonement recommended in the religious scriptures are insufficient to cleanse the heart absolutely because after atonement one's mind again runs toward material activities. Consequently, for one who wants liberation from the fruitive reactions of material activities, the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra, or glorification of the name, fame and pastimes of the Lord, is recommended as the most perfect process of atonement because such chanting eradicates the dirt from one's heart completely.
*******
TEXT 13
athainam mâpanayata
krtâsesâgha-niskrtam
yad asau bhagavan-nâma
mriyamânah samagrahît
atha--therefore; enam--him (Ajâmila); mâ--do not; apanayata--try to take; krta--already done; asesa--unlimited; agha-niskrtam--atonement for his sinful actions; yat--because; asau--he; bhagavat-nâma--the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mriyamânah--while dying; samagrahît--perfectly chanted.
TRANSLATION
At the time of death, this Ajamila helplessly and very loudly chanted the holy name of the Lord, Narayana. That chanting alone has already freed him from the reactions of all sinful life. Therefore, O servants of Yamaraja, do not try to take him to your master for punishment in hellish conditions.
*******
TEXT 14
sânketyam pârihâsyam vâ
stobham helanam eva vâ
vaikuntha-nâma-grahanam
asesâgha-haram viduh
sânketyam--as an assignation; pârihâsyam--jokingly; vâ--or; stobham--as musical entertainment; helanam--neglectfully; eva--certainly; vâ--or; vaikuntha--of the Lord; nâma-grahanam--chanting the holy name; asesa--unlimited; agha-haram--neutralizing the effect of sinful life; viduh--advanced transcendentalists know.
TRANSLATION
One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly [to indicate something else], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures.
*******
TEXT 15
patitah skhalito bhagnah
sandastas tapta âhatah
harir ity avasenâha
pumân nârhati yâtanâh
patitah--fallen down; skhalitah--slipped; bhagnah--having broken his bones; sandastah--bitten; taptah--severely attacked by fever or similar painful conditions; âhatah--injured; harih--Lord Krsna; iti--thus; avasena--accidentally; aha--chants; pumân--a person; na--not; arhati--deserves; yâtanâh--hellish conditions.
TRANSLATION
If one chants the holy name of Hari and then dies because of an accidental misfortune, such as falling from the top of a house, slipping and suffering broken bones while traveling on the road, being bitten by a serpent, being afflicted with pain and high fever, or being injured by a weapon, one is immediately absolved from having to enter hellish life, even though he is sinful.
*******
TEXT 16
gurûnâm ca laghûnâm ca
gurûni ca laghûni ca
prâyascittâni pâpânâm
jnâtvoktâni maharsibhih
gurûnâm--heavy; ca--and; laghûnâm--light; ca--also; gurûni--heavy; ca--and; laghûni--light; ca--also; prâyascittâni--the processes of atonement; pâpânâm--of sinful activities; jnâtvâ--knowing perfectly well; uktâni--have been prescribed; mahâ-rsibhih--by great sages.
TRANSLATION
Authorities who are learned scholars and sages have carefully ascertained that one should atone for the heaviest sins by undergoing a heavy process of atonement and one should atone for lighter sins by undergoing lighter atonement. Chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, however, vanquishes all the effects of sinful activities, regardless of whether heavy or light.
*******
TEXT 17
tais tâny aghâni pûyante
tapo-dâna-vratâdibhih
nâdharmajam tad-dhrdayam
tad apîsânghri-sevayâ
taih--by those; tâni--all those; aghâni--sinful activities and their results; pûyante--become vanquished; tapah--austerity; dâna--charity; vrata-âdibhih--by vows and other such activities; na--not; adharma jam--produced from irreligious actions; tat--of that; hrdayam--the heart; tat--that; api--also; îsa-anghri--of the lotus feet of the Lord; sevayâ--by service.
TRANSLATION
Although one may neutralize the reactions of sinful life through austerity, charity, vows and other such methods, these pious activities cannot uproot the material desires in one's heart. However, if one serves the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, he is immediately freed from all such contaminations.
*******
TEXT 18
ajnânâd athavâ jnânâd
uttamasloka-nâma yat
sankîrtitam agham pumso
dahed edho yathânalah
ajnânât--out of ignorance; athavâ--or; jnânât--with knowledge; uttamasloka--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nâma--the holy name; yat--that which; sankîrtitam--chanted; agham--sin; pumsah--of a person; dahet--burns to ashes; edhah--dry grass; yathâ--just as; analah--fire.
TRANSLATION
As a fire burns dry grass to ashes, so the holy name of the Lord, whether chanted knowingly or unknowingly, burns to ashes, without fail, all the reactions of one's sinful activities.
*******
TEXT 19
yathâgadam vîryatamam
upayuktam yadrcchayâ
ajânato 'py âtma-gunam
kuryân mantro 'py udâhrtah
yathâ--just like; agadam--medicine; vîrya-tamam--very powerful; upayuktam--properly taken; yadrcchayâ--somehow or other; ajânatah--by a person without knowledge; api--even; âtma-gunam--its own potency; kuryât--manifests; mantrah--the Hare Krsna mantra; api--also; udâhrtah--chanted.
TRANSLATION
If a person unaware of the effective potency of a certain medicine takes that medicine or is forced to take it, it will act even without his knowledge because its potency does not depend on the patient's understanding. Similarly, even though one does not know the value of chanting the holy name of the Lord, if one chants knowingly or unknowingly, the chanting will be very effective.
*******
TEXT 20
srî-suka uvâca
ta evam suvinirnîya
dharmam bhâgavatam nrpa
tam yâmya-pâsân nirmucya
vipram mrtyor amûmucan
srî-sukah uvâca--Srî Sukadeva Gosvâmî said; te--they (the order carriers of Lord Visnu); evam--thus; su-vinirnîya--perfectly ascertaining; dharmam--real religion; bhâgavatam--in terms of devotional service; nrpa--O King; tam--him (Ajâmila); yâmya-pâsât--from the bondage of the order carriers of Yamarâja; nirmucya--releasing; vipram--the brâhmana; mrtyoh--from death; amûmucan--rescued.
TRANSLATION
Sri Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King, having thus perfectly judged the principles of devotional service with reasoning and arguments, the order carriers of Lord Visnu released the brahmana Ajamila from the bondage of the Yamadutas and saved him from imminent death.
*******
TEXT 21
iti pratyuditâ yâmyâ
dûtâ yâtvâ yamântikam
yama-râjne yathâ sarvam
âcacaksur arindama
iti--thus; pratyuditâh--having been replied to (by the order carriers of Visnu); yâmyâh--the servants of Yamarâja; dûtâh--the messengers; yâtvâ--going; yama-antikam--to the abode of Lord Yamarâja; yama-râjne--unto King Yamarâja; yathâ--duly; sarvam--everything; âcacaksuh--informed in full detail; arindama--O subduer of the enemies.
TRANSLATION
My dear Maharaja Pariksit, O subduer of all enemies, after the servants of Yamaraja had been answered by the order carriers of Lord Visnu, they went to Yamaraja and explained to him everything that had happened.
*******
TEXT 22
dvijah pâsâd vinirmukto
gata-bhîh prakrtim gatah
vavande sirasâ visnoh
kinkarân darsanotsavah
dvijah--the brâhmana (Ajâmila); pâsât--from the noose; vinirmuktah--being released; gata-bhîh--freed from fear; prakrtim gatah--came to his senses; vavande--offered his respectful obeisances; sirasâ--by bowing his head; visnoh--of Lord Visnu; kinkarân--unto the servants; darsana-utsavah--very pleased by seeing them.
TRANSLATION
Having been released from the nooses of Yamaraja's servants, the brahmana Ajamila, now free from fear, came to his senses and immediately offered obeisances to the Visnudutas by bowing his head at their lotus feet. He was extremely pleased by their presence, for he had seen them save his life from the hands of the servants of Yamaraja.
*******
TEXT 23
tam vivaksum abhipretya
mahâpurusa-kinkarâh
sahasâ pasyatas tasya
tatrântardadhire 'nagha
tam--him (Ajâmila); vivaksum--desiring to speak; abhipretya--understanding; mahâpurusa-kinkarâh--the order carriers of Lord Visnu; sahasâ--suddenly; pasyatah tasya--while he looked on; tatra--there; antardadhire--disappeared; anagha--O sinless Mahârâja Parîksit.
TRANSLATION
O sinless Maharaja Pariksit, the order carriers of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Visnudutas, saw that Ajamila was attempting to say something, and thus they suddenly disappeared from his presence.
*******
TEXT 24-25
ajâmilo 'py athâkarnya
dûtânâm yama-krsnayoh
dharmam bhâgavatam suddham
trai-vedyam ca gunâsrayam
bhaktimân bhagavaty âsu
mâhâtmya-sravanâd dhareh
anutâpo mahân âsit
smarato 'subham âtmanah
ajâmilah--Ajâmila; api--also; atha--thereafter; âkarnya--hearing; dûtânâm--of the order carriers; yama-krsnayoh--of Yamarâja and Lord Krsna; dharmam--actual religious principles; bhâgavatam--as described in Srîmad-Bhâgavatam, or concerning the relationship between the living being and the Supreme Personality of Godhead; suddham--pure; trai-vedyam--mentioned in three Vedas; ca--also; guna-asrayam--material religion, under the modes of material nature;
bhakti-mân--a pure devotee (cleansed of the modes of material nature); bhagavati--unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; âsu--immediately; mâhâtmya--glorification of the name, fame, etc.; sravanât--because of hearing; hareh--of Lord Hari; anutâpah--regret; mahân--very great; âsît--there was; smaratah--remembering; asubham--all the inglorious activities; âtmanah--done by himself.
TRANSLATION
After hearing the discourses between the Yamadutas and the Visnudutas, Ajamila could understand the religious principles that act under the three modes of material nature. These principles are mentioned in the three Vedas. He could also understand the transcendental religious principles, which are above the modes of material nature and which concern the relationship between the living being and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Furthermore, Ajamila heard glorification of the name, fame, qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He thus became a perfectly pure devotee. He could then remember his past sinful activities, which he greatly regretted having performed.
*******
TEXT 26
aho me paramam kastam
abhûd avijitâtmanah
yena viplâvitam brahma
vrsalyâm jâyatâtmanâ
aho--alas; me--my; paramam--extreme; kastam--miserable condition; abhût--became; avijita-âtmanah--because my senses were uncontrolled; yena--by which; viplâvitam--destroyed; brahma--all my brahminical qualifications; vrsalyâm--through a sûdrânî, a maidservant; jâyatâ--being born; âtmanâ--by me.
TRANSLATION
Ajamila said: Alas, being a servant of my senses, how degraded I became! I fell down from my position as a duly qualified brahmana and begot children in the womb of a prostitute.
*******
TEXT 27
dhin mâm vigarhitam sadbhir
duskrtam kula-kajjalam
hitvâ bâlâm satîm yo 'ham
surâ-pîm asatîm agâm
dhik mâm--all condemnation upon me; vigarhitam--condemned; sadbhih--by honest men; duskrtam--who has committed sinful acts; kula-kajjalam--who has defamed the family tradition; hitvâ--giving up; bâlâm--a young wife; satîm--chaste; yah--who; aham--I; surâpîm--with a woman accustomed to drinking wine; asatîm--unchaste; agâm--I had sexual intercourse.
TRANSLATION
Alas, all condemnation upon me! I acted so sinfully that I degraded my family tradition. Indeed, I gave up my chaste and beautiful young wife to have sexual intercourse with a fallen prostitute accustomed to drinking wine. All condemnation upon me!
*******
TEXT 28
vrddhâv anâthau pitarau
nânya-bandhû tapasvinau
aho mayâdhunâ tyaktâv
akrtajnena nîcavat
vrddhau--old; anâthau--who had no other person to look after their comforts; pitarau--my father and mother; na anya-bandhû--who had no other friend; tapasvinau--who underwent great difficulties; aho--alas; mayâ--by me; adhunâ--at that moment; tyaktau--were given up; akrta jnena--ungrateful; nîcavat--like the most abominable low-class person.
TRANSLATION
My father and mother were old and had no other son or friend to look after them. Because I did not take care of them, they lived with great difficulty. Alas, like an abominable lower-class man, I ungratefully left them in that condition.
*******
TEXT 29
so 'ham vyaktam patisyâmi
narake bhrsa-dârune
dharma-ghnâh kâmino yatra
vindanti yama-yâtanâh
sah--such a person; aham--I; vyaktam--it is now clear; patisyâmi--will fall down; narake--in hell; bhrsa-dârune--most miserable; dharma-ghnâh--they who break the principles of religion; kâminah--who are too lusty; yatra--where; vindanti--undergo; yama-yâtanâh--the miserable conditions imposed by Yamarâja.
TRANSLATION
It is now clear that as a consequence of such activities, a sinful person like me must be thrown into hellish conditions meant for those who have broken religious principles and must there suffer extreme miseries.
*******
TEXT 30
kim idam svapna âho svit
sâksâd drstam ihâdbhutam
kva yâtâ adya te ye mâm
vyakarsan pâsa-pânayah
kim--whether; idam--this; svapne--in a dream; âho svit--or; sâksât--directly; drstam--seen; iha--here; adbhutam--wonderful; kva--where; yâtâh--have gone; adya--now; te--all of them; ye--who; mâm--me; vyakarsan--were dragging; pâsa-pânayah--with ropes in their hands.
TRANSLATION
Was this a dream I saw, or was it reality? I saw fearsome men with ropes in their hands coming to arrest me and drag me away. Where have they gone?
*******
TEXT 31
atha te kva gatâh siddhâs
catvâras câru-darsanâh
vyâmocayan nîyamânam
baddhvâ pâsair adho bhuvah
atha--thereafter; te--those persons; kva--where; gatâh--went; siddhâh--liberated; catvârah--four personalities; câru-darsanâh--extremely beautiful to see; vyâmocayan--they released; nîyamânam--me, who was being carried away; baddhvâ--being arrested; pâsaih--by ropes; adhah bhuvah--downward to the hellish region.
TRANSLATION
And where have those four liberated and very beautiful persons gone who released me from arrest and saved me from being dragged down to the hellish regions?
*******
TEXT 32
athâpi me durbhagasya
vibudhottama-darsane
bhavitavyam mangalena
yenâtmâ me prasîdati
atha--therefore; api--although; me--of me; durbhagasya--so unfortunate; vibudha-uttama--exalted devotees; darsane--because of seeing; bhavitavyam--there must be; mangalena--auspicious activities; yena--by which; âtmâ--self; me--my; prasîdati--actually becomes happy.
TRANSLATION
I am certainly most abominable and unfortunate to have merged in an ocean of sinful activities, but nevertheless, because of my previous spiritual activities, I could see those four exalted personalities who came to rescue me. Now I feel exceedingly happy because of their visit.
*******
TEXT 33
anyathâ mriyamânasya
nâsucer vrsalî-pateh
vaikuntha-nâma-grahanam
jihvâ vaktum ihârhati
anyathâ--otherwise; mriyamânasya--of a person who is just ready for death; na--not; asuceh--most unclean; vrsalî-pateh--the keeper of a prostitute; vaikuntha--of the Lord of Vaikuntha; nâma-grahanam--the chanting of the holy name; jihvâ--the tongue; vaktum--to speak; iha--in this situation; arhati--is able.
TRANSLATION
Were it not for my past devotional service, how could I, a most unclean keeper of a prostitute, have gotten an opportunity to chant the holy name of Vaikunthapati when I was just ready to die? Certainly it could not have been possible.
*******
TEXT 34
kva câham kitavah pâpo
brahma-ghno nirapatrapah
kva ca nârâyanety etad
bhagavan-nâma mangalam
kva--where; ca--also; aham--I; kitavah--a cheater; pâpah--all sins personified; brahma-ghnah--the killer of my brahminical culture; nirapatrapah--shameless; kva--where; ca--also; nârâyana--Nârâyana; iti--thus; etat--this; bhagavat-nâma--the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mangalam--all-auspicious.
TRANSLATION
Ajamila continued: I am a shameless cheater who has killed his brahminical culture. Indeed, I am sin personified. Where am I in comparison to the all-auspicious chanting of the holy name of Lord Narayana?
*******
TEXT 35
so 'ham tathâ yatisyâmi
yata-cittendriyânilah
yathâ na bhûya âtmânam
andhe tamasi majjaye
sah--such a person; aham--I; tathâ--in that way; yatisyâmi--I shall endeavor; yata-citta-indriya--controlling the mind and senses; anilah--and the internal airs; yathâ--so that; na--not; bhûyah--again; âtmânam--my soul; andhe--in darkness; tamasi--in ignorance; majjaye--I drown.
TRANSLATION
I am such a sinful person, but since I have now gotten this opportunity, I must completely control my mind, life and senses and always engage in devotional service so that I may not fall again into the deep darkness and ignorance of material life.
*******
TEXT 36-37
vimucya tam imam bandham
avidyâ-kâma-karmajam
sarva-bhûta-suhrc chânto
maitrah karuna âtmavân
mocaye grastam âtmânam
yosin-mayyâtma-mâyayâ
vikrîdito yayaivâham
krîdâ-mrga ivâdhamah
vimucya--having become free from; tam--that; imam--this; bandham--bondage; avidyâ--due to ignorance; kâma--due to lusty desire; karma jam--caused by activities; sarva-bhûta--of all living entities; suhrt--friend; sântah--very peaceful; maitrah--friendly; karunah--merciful; âtma-vân--self-realized;
mocaye--I shall disentangle; grastam--encaged; âtmânam--my soul; yosit-mayyâ--in the form of woman; âtma-mâyayâ--by the illusory energy of the Lord; vikrîditah--played with; yayâ--by which; eva--certainly; aham--I; krîdâ-mrgah--a controlled animal; iva--like; adhamah--so fallen.
TRANSLATION
Because of identifying oneself with the body, one is subjected to desires for sense gratification, and thus one engages in many different types of pious and impious action. This is what constitutes material bondage. Now I shall disentangle myself from my material bondage, which has been caused by the Supreme Personality of Godhead's illusory energy in the form of a woman. Being a most fallen soul, I was victimized by the illusory energy and have become like a dancing dog led around by a woman's hand. Now I shall give up all lusty desires and free myself from this illusion. I shall become a merciful, well-wishing friend to all living entities and always absorb myself in Krsna consciousness.
*******
TEXT 38
mamâham iti dehâdau
hitvâmithyârtha-dhîr matim
dhâsye mano bhagavati
suddham tat-kîrtanâdibhih
mama--my; aham--I; iti--thus; deha-âdau--in the body and things related to the body; hitvâ--giving up; amithyâ--not false; artha--on values; dhîh--with my consciousness; matim--the attitude; dhâsye--I shall engage; manah--my mind; bhagavati--on the Supreme Personality of Godhead; suddham--pure; tat--His name; kîrtana-âdibhih--by chanting, hearing and so on.
TRANSLATION
Simply because I chanted the holy name of the Lord in the association of devotees, my heart is now becoming purified. Therefore I shall not fall victim again to the false lures of material sense gratification. Now that I have become fixed in the Absolute Truth, henceforward I shall not identify myself with the body. I shall give up false conceptions of "I" and "mine" and fix my mind on the lotus feet of Krsna.
*******
TEXT 39
iti jâta-sunirvedah
ksana-sangena sâdhusu
gangâ-dvâram upeyâya
mukta-sarvânubandhanah
iti--thus; jâta-sunirvedah--(Ajâmila) who had become detached from the material conception of life; ksana-sangena--by a moment's association; sâdhusu--with devotees; gangâ-dvâram--to Hardwar (haridvâra), the doorway to Hari (because the Ganges begins there, Hardwar is also called gangâ-dvâra); upeyâya--went; mukta--being freed from; sarva-anubandhanah--all kinds of material bondage.
TRANSLATION
Because of a moment's association with devotees [the Visnudutas], Ajamila detached himself from the material conception of life with determination. Thus freed from all material attraction, he immediately started for Hardwar.
*******
TEXT 40
sa tasmin deva-sadana
âsîno yogam âsthitah
pratyâhrtendriya-grâmo
yuyoja mana âtmani
sah--he (Ajâmila); tasmin--at that place (Hardwar); deva-sadane--in one Visnu temple; âsînah--being situated; yogam âsthitah--performed bhakti-yoga; pratyâhrta--withdrawn from all activities of sense gratification; indriya-grâmah--his senses; yuyoja--he fixed; manah--the mind; âtmani--on the self or the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
In Hardwar, Ajamila took shelter at a Visnu temple, where he executed the process of bhakti-yoga. He controlled his senses and fully applied his mind in the service of the Lord.
*******
TEXT 41
tato gunebhya âtmânam
viyujyâtma-samâdhinâ
yuyuje bhagavad-dhâmni
brahmany anubhavâtmani
tatah--thereafter; gunebhyah--from the modes of material nature; âtmânam--the mind; viyujya--detaching; âtma-samâdhinâ--by being fully engaged in devotional service; yuyuje--engaged; bhagavat-dhâmni--in the form of the Lord; brahmani--which is Parabrahman (not idol worship); anubhava-âtmani--which is always thought of (beginning from the lotus feet and gradually progressing upward).
TRANSLATION
Ajamila fully engaged in devotional service. Thus he detached his mind from the process of sense gratification and became fully absorbed in thinking of the form of the Lord.
*******
TEXT 42
yarhy upârata-dhîs tasmin
adrâksît purusân purah
upalabhyopalabdhân prâg
vavande sirasâ dvijah
yarhi--when; upârata-dhîh--his mind and intelligence were fixed; tasmin--at that time; adrâksît--had seen; purusân--the persons (the order carriers of Lord Visnu); purah--before him; upalabhya--getting; upalabdhân--who were gotten; prâk--previously; vavande--offered obeisances; sirasâ--by the head; dvijah--the brâhmana.
TRANSLATION
When his intelligence and mind were fixed upon the form of the Lord, the brahmana Ajamila once again saw before him four celestial persons. He could understand that they were those he had seen previously, and thus he offered them his obeisances by bowing down before them.
*******
TEXT 43
hitvâ kalevaram tîrthe
gangâyâm darsanâd anu
sadyah svarûpam jagrhe
bhagavat-pârsva-vartinâm
hitvâ--giving up; kalevaram--the material body; tîrthe--in the holy place; gangâyâm--on the bank of the Ganges; darsanât anu--after seeing; sadyah--immediately; sva-rûpam--his original spiritual form; jagrhe--he assumed; bhagavat-pârsva-vartinâm--which is fit for an associate of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
Upon seeing the Visnudutas, Ajamila gave up his material body at Hardwar on the bank of the Ganges. He regained his original spiritual body, which was a body appropriate for an associate of the Lord.
*******
TEXT 44
sâkam vihâyasâ vipro
mahâpurusa-kinkaraih
haimam vimânam âruhya
yayau yatra sriyah patih
sâkam--along; vihâyasâ--by the path in the sky, or the airways; viprah--the brâhmana (Ajâmila); mahâpurusa-kinkaraih--with the order carriers of Lord Visnu; haimam--made of gold; vimânam--an airplane; âruhya--boarding; yayau--went; yatra--where; sriyah patih--Lord Visnu, the husband of the goddess of fortune.
TRANSLATION
Accompanied by the order carriers of Lord Visnu, Ajamila boarded an airplane made of gold. Passing through the airways, he went directly to the abode of Lord Visnu, the husband of the goddess of fortune.
*******
TEXT 45
evam sa viplâvita-sarva-dharmâ
dâsyâh patih patito garhya-karmanâ
nipâtyamâno niraye hata-vratah
sadyo vimukto bhagavan-nâma grhnan
evam--in this way; sah--he (Ajâmila); viplâvita-sarva-dharmâh--who gave up all religious principles; dâsyâh patih--the husband of a prostitute; patitah--fallen; garhya-karmanâ--by being engaged in abominable activities; nipâtyamânah--falling; niraye--in hellish life; hata-vratah--who broke all his vows; sadyah--immediately; vimuktah--liberated; bhagavat-nâma--the holy name of the Lord; grhnan--chanting.
TRANSLATION
Ajamila was a brahmana who because of bad association had given up all brahminical culture and religious principles. Becoming most fallen, he stole, drank and performed other abominable acts. He even kept a prostitute. Thus he was destined to be carried away to hell by the order carriers of Yamaraja, but he was immediately rescued simply by a glimpse of the chanting of the holy name Narayana.
*******
TEXT 46
nâtah param karma-nibandha-krntanam
mumuksatâm tîrtha-padânukîrtanât
na yat punah karmasu sajjate mano
rajas-tamobhyâm kalilam tato 'nyathâ
na--not; atah--therefore; param--better means; karma-nibandha--the obligation to suffer or undergo tribulations as a result of fruitive activities; krntanam--that which can completely cut off; mumuksatâm--of persons desiring to get out of the clutches of material bondage; tîrtha-pada--about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at whose feet all the holy places stand; anukîrtanât--than constantly chanting under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master; na--not; yat--because; punah--again; karmasu--in fruitive activities; sajjate--becomes attached; manah--the mind; rajah-tamobhyâm--by the modes of passion and ignorance; kalilam--contaminated; tatah--thereafter; anyathâ--by any other means.
TRANSLATION
Therefore one who desires freedom from material bondage should adopt the process of chanting and glorifying the name, fame, form and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at whose feet all the holy places stand. One cannot derive the proper benefit from other methods, such as pious atonement, speculative knowledge and meditation in mystic yoga, because even after following such methods one takes to fruitive activities again, unable to control his mind, which is contaminated by the base qualities of nature, namely passion and ignorance.
*******
TEXT 47-48
ya etam paramam guhyam
itihâsam aghâpaham
srnuyâc chraddhayâ yukto
yas ca bhaktyânukîrtayet
na vai sa narakam yâti
neksito yama-kinkaraih
yady apy amangalo martyo
visnu-loke mahîyate
yah--anyone who; etam--this; paramam--very; guhyam--confidential; itihâsam--historical narration; agha-apaham--which frees one from all reactions to sins; srnuyât--hears; sraddhayâ--with faith; yuktah--endowed; yah--one who; ca--also; bhaktyâ--with great devotion; anukîrtayet--repeats; na--not; vai--indeed; sah--such a person; narakam--to hell; yâti--goes; na--not; îksitah--is observed; yama-kinkaraih--by the order carriers of Yamarâja; yadi api--although; amangalah--inauspicious; martyah--a living entity with a material body; visnu-loke--in the spiritual world; mahîyate--is welcomed and respectfully received.
TRANSLATION
Because this very confidential historical narration has the potency to vanquish all sinful reactions, one who hears or describes it with faith and devotion is no longer doomed to hellish life, regardless of his having a material body and regardless of how sinful he may have been. Indeed, the Yamadutas, who carry out the orders of Yamaraja, do not approach him even to see him. After giving up his body, he returns home, back to Godhead, where he is very respectfully received and worshiped.
*******
TEXT 49
mriyamâno harer nâma
grnan putropacâritam
ajâmilo 'py agâd dhâma
kim uta sraddhayâ grnan
mriyamânah--at the time of death; hareh nâma--the holy name of Hari; grnan--chanting; putra-upacâritam--indicating his son; ajâmilah--Ajâmila; api--even; agât--went; dhâma--to the spiritual world; kim uta--what to speak of; sraddhayâ--with faith and love; grnan--chanting.
TRANSLATION
While suffering at the time of death, Ajamila chanted the holy name of the Lord, and although the chanting was directed toward his son, he nevertheless returned home, back to Godhead. Therefore if one faithfully and inoffensively chants the holy name of the Lord, where is the doubt that he will return to Godhead?
Chapter Two: Ajâmila Delivered by the Visnudûtas
TEXT 1
srî-bâdarâyanir uvâca
evam te bhagavad-dûtâ
yamadûtâbhibhâsitam
upadhâryâtha tân râjan
pratyâhur naya-kovidâh
srî-bâdarâyanih uvâca--Sukadeva Gosvâmî, the son of Vyâsadeva, said; evam--thus; te--they; bhagavat-dûtâh--the servants of Lord Visnu; yamadûta--by the servants of Yamarâja; abhibhâsitam--what was spoken; upadhârya--hearing; atha--then; tân--unto them; râjan--O King; pratyâhuh--replied properly; naya-kovidâh--being conversant in good arguments or good logic.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami said: My dear King, the servants of Lord Visnu are always very expert in logic and arguments. After hearing the statements of the Yamadutas, they replied as follows.
*******
TEXT 2
srî-visnudûtâ ûcuh
aho kastam dharma-drsâm
adharmah sprsate sabhâm
yatrâdandyesv apâpesu
dando yair dhriyate vrthâ
srî-visnudûtâh ûcuh--the Visnudûtas said; aho--alas; kastam--how painful it is; dharma-drsâm--of persons interested in maintaining religion; adharmah--irreligion; sprsate--is affecting; sabhâm--the assembly; yatra--wherein; adandyesu--upon persons not to be punished; apâpesu--who are sinless; dandah--punishment; yaih--by whom; dhriyate--is being allotted; vrthâ--unnecessarily.
TRANSLATION
The Visnudutas said: Alas, how painful it is that irreligion is being introduced into an assembly where religion should be maintained. Indeed, those in charge of maintaining the religious principles are needlessly punishing a sinless, unpunishable person.
*******
TEXT 3
prajânâm pitaro ye ca
sâstârah sâdhavah samâh
yadi syât tesu va isamyam
kam yânti saranam prajâh
prajânam--of the citizens; pitarah--protectors, guardians (kings or government servants); ye--they who; ca--and; sâstârah--give instructions concerning law and order; sâdhavah--endowed with all good qualities; samâh--equal to everyone; yadi--if; syât--there is; tesu--among them; vaisamyam--partiality; kam--what; yânti--will go to; saranam--shelter; prajâh--the citizens.
TRANSLATION
A king or governmental official should be so well qualified that he acts as a father, maintainer and protector of the citizens because of affection and love. He should give the citizens good advice and instructions according to the standard scriptures and should be equal to everyone. Yamaraja does this, for he is the supreme master of justice, and so do those who follow in his footsteps. However, if such persons become polluted and exhibit partiality by punishing an innocent, blameless person, where will the citizens go to take shelter for their maintenance and security?
*******
TEXT 4
yad yad âcarati sreyân
itaras tat tad îhate
sa yat pramânam kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
yatyat--whatever; âcarati--executes; sreyân--a first-class man with full knowledge of religious principles; itarah--the subordinate man; tat tat--that; îhate--performs; sah--he (the great man); yat--whatever; pramânam--as evidence or as the right thing; kurute--accepts; lokah--the general public; tat--that; anuvartate--follows.
TRANSLATION
The mass of people follow the example of a leader in society and imitate his behavior. They accept as evidence whatever the leader accepts.
PURPORT
Although Ajamila was not punishable, the Yamadutas were insisting on taking him away to Yamaraja for punishment. This was adharma, contrary to religious principles. The Visnudutas feared that if such irreligious acts were allowed, the management of human society would be spoiled. In modern times, the Krsna consciousness movement is trying to introduce the right principles of management for human society, but unfortunately the governments of Kali-yuga do not properly support the Hare Krsna movement because they do not appreciate its valuable service. The Hare Krsna movement is the right movement for ameliorating the fallen condition of human society, and therefore governments and public leaders in every part of the world should support this movement to completely rectify humanity's sinful condition.
*******
TEXT 5-6
yasyânke sira âdhâya
lokah svapiti nirvrtah
svayam dharmam adharmam vâ
na hi veda yathâ pasuh
sa katham nyarpitâtmânam
krta-maitram acetanam
visrambhanîyo bhûtânâm
saghrno dogdhum arhati
yasya--of whom; anke--on the lap; sirah--the head; âdhâya--placing; lokah--the general mass of people; svapiti--sleep; nirvrtah--in peace; svayam--personally; dharmam--religious principles or the goal of life; adharmam--irreligious principles; vâ--or; na--not; hi--indeed; veda--know; yathâ--exactly like; pasuh--an animal; sah--such a person; katham--how; nyarpita-âtmânam--unto the living entity who has fully surrendered; krta-maitram--endowed with good faith and friendship; acetanam--with undeveloped consciousness, foolish; visrambhanîyah--deserving to be the object of faith; bhûtânâm--of the living entities; sa-ghrnah--who has a soft heart for the good of all people; dogdhum--to give pain; arhati--is able.
TRANSLATION
People in general are not very advanced in knowledge by which to discriminate between religion and irreligion. The innocent, unenlightened citizen is like an ignorant animal sleeping in peace with its head on the lap of its master, faithfully believing in the master's protection. If a leader is actually kindhearted and deserves to be the object of a living entity's faith, how can he punish or kill a foolish person who has fully surrendered in good faith and friendship?
*******
TEXT 7
ayam hi krta-nirveso
janma-koty-amhasâm api
yad vyâjahâra vivaso
nâma svasty-ayanam hareh
ayam--this person (Ajâmila); hi--indeed; krta-nirvesah--has undergone all kinds of atonement; janma--of births; koti--of millions; amhasâm--for the sinful activities; api--even; yat--because; vyâjahâra--he has chanted; vivasah--in a helpless condition; nâma--the holy name; svasti-ayanam--the means of liberation; hareh--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
Ajamila has already atoned for all his sinful actions. Indeed, he has atoned not only for sins performed in one life but for those performed in millions of lives, for in a helpless condition he chanted the holy name of Narayana. Even though he did not chant purely, he chanted without offense, and therefore he is now pure and eligible for liberation.
*******
TEXT 8
etenaiva hy aghono 'sya
krtam syâd agha-niskrtam
yadâ nârâyanâyeti
jagâda catur-aksaram
etena--by this (chanting); eva--indeed; hi--certainly; aghonah--who possesses sinful reactions; asya--of this (Ajâmila); krtam--performed; syât--is; agha--of sins; niskrtam--complete atonement; yadâ--when; nârâyana--O Nârâyana (the name of his son); âya--please come; iti--thus; jagâda--he chanted; catuh-aksaram--the four syllables (nâ-râ-ya-na).
TRANSLATION
The Visnudutas continued: Even previously, while eating and at other times, this Ajamila would call his son, saying, "My dear Narayana, please come here." Although calling the name of his son, he nevertheless uttered the four syllables na-ra-ya-na. Simply by chanting the name of Narayana in this way, he sufficiently atoned for the sinful reactions of millions of lives.
*******
TEXT 9-10
stenah surâ-po mitra-dhrug
brahma-hâ guru-talpa-gah
strî-râja-pitr-go-hantâ
ye ca pâtakino 'pare
sarvesâm apy aghavatâm
idam eva suniskrtam
nâma-vyâharanam visnor
yatas tad-visayâ matih
stenah--one who steals; surâ-pah--a drunkard; mitra-dhruk--one who turns against a friend or relative; brahma-hâ--one who kills a brâhmana; guru-talpa-gah--one who indulges in sex with the wife of his teacher or guru; strî--women; râja--king; pitr--father; go--of cows; hantâ--the killer; ye--those who; ca--also; pâtakinah--committed sinful activities; apare--many others; sarvesâm--of all of them; api--although; agha-vatâm--persons who have committed many sins; idam--this; eva--certainly; su-niskrtam--perfect atonement; nâma-vyâharanam--chanting of the holy name; visnoh--of Lord Visnu; yatah--because of which; tat-visayâ--on the person who chants the holy name; matih--His attention.
TRANSLATION
The chanting of the holy name of Lord Visnu is the best process of atonement for a thief of gold or other valuables, for a drunkard, for one who betrays a friend or relative, for one who kills a brahmana, or for one who indulges in sex with the wife of his guru or another superior. It is also the best method of atonement for one who murders women, the king or his father, for one who slaughters cows, and for all other sinful men. Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Visnu, such sinful persons may attract the attention of the Supreme Lord, who therefore considers, "Because this man has chanted My holy name, My duty is to give him protection."
*******
TEXT 11
na niskrtair uditair brahma-vâdibhis
tathâ visuddhyaty aghavân vratâdibhih
yathâ harer nâma-padair udâhrtais
tad uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam
na--not; niskrtaih--by the processes of atonement; uditaih--prescribed; brahma-vâdibhih--by learned scholars such as Manu; tathâ--to that extent; visuddhyati--becomes purified; agha-vân--a sinful man; vrata-âdibhih--by observing the vows and regulative principles; yathâ--as; hareh--of Lord Hari; nâma-padaih--by the syllables of the holy name; udâhrtaih--chanted; tat--that; uttamasloka--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guna--of the transcendental qualities; upalambhakam--reminding one.
TRANSLATION
By following the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or undergoing atonement, sinful men do not become as purified as by chanting once the holy name of Lord Hari. Although ritualistic atonement may free one from sinful reactions, it does not awaken devotional service, unlike the chanting of the Lord's names, which reminds one of the Lord's fame, qualities, attributes, pastimes and paraphernalia.
*******
TEXT 12
naikântikam tad dhi krte 'pi niskrte
manah punar dhâvati ced asat-pathe
tat karma-nirhâram abhîpsatâm harer
gunânuvâdah khalu sattva-bhâvanah
na--not; aikântikam--absolutely cleansed; tat--the heart; hi--because; krte--very nicely performed; api--although; niskrte--atonement; manah--the mind; punah--again; dhâvati--runs; cet--if; asat-pathe--on the path of material activities; tat--therefore; karma-nirhâram--cessation of the fruitive reactions of material activities; abhîpsatam--for those who seriously want; hareh--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; guna-anuvâdah--constant chanting of the glories; khalu--indeed; sattva-bhâvanah--actually purifying one's existence.
TRANSLATION
The ritualistic ceremonies of atonement recommended in the religious scriptures are insufficient to cleanse the heart absolutely because after atonement one's mind again runs toward material activities. Consequently, for one who wants liberation from the fruitive reactions of material activities, the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra, or glorification of the name, fame and pastimes of the Lord, is recommended as the most perfect process of atonement because such chanting eradicates the dirt from one's heart completely.
*******
TEXT 13
athainam mâpanayata
krtâsesâgha-niskrtam
yad asau bhagavan-nâma
mriyamânah samagrahît
atha--therefore; enam--him (Ajâmila); mâ--do not; apanayata--try to take; krta--already done; asesa--unlimited; agha-niskrtam--atonement for his sinful actions; yat--because; asau--he; bhagavat-nâma--the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mriyamânah--while dying; samagrahît--perfectly chanted.
TRANSLATION
At the time of death, this Ajamila helplessly and very loudly chanted the holy name of the Lord, Narayana. That chanting alone has already freed him from the reactions of all sinful life. Therefore, O servants of Yamaraja, do not try to take him to your master for punishment in hellish conditions.
*******
TEXT 14
sânketyam pârihâsyam vâ
stobham helanam eva vâ
vaikuntha-nâma-grahanam
asesâgha-haram viduh
sânketyam--as an assignation; pârihâsyam--jokingly; vâ--or; stobham--as musical entertainment; helanam--neglectfully; eva--certainly; vâ--or; vaikuntha--of the Lord; nâma-grahanam--chanting the holy name; asesa--unlimited; agha-haram--neutralizing the effect of sinful life; viduh--advanced transcendentalists know.
TRANSLATION
One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly [to indicate something else], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures.
*******
TEXT 15
patitah skhalito bhagnah
sandastas tapta âhatah
harir ity avasenâha
pumân nârhati yâtanâh
patitah--fallen down; skhalitah--slipped; bhagnah--having broken his bones; sandastah--bitten; taptah--severely attacked by fever or similar painful conditions; âhatah--injured; harih--Lord Krsna; iti--thus; avasena--accidentally; aha--chants; pumân--a person; na--not; arhati--deserves; yâtanâh--hellish conditions.
TRANSLATION
If one chants the holy name of Hari and then dies because of an accidental misfortune, such as falling from the top of a house, slipping and suffering broken bones while traveling on the road, being bitten by a serpent, being afflicted with pain and high fever, or being injured by a weapon, one is immediately absolved from having to enter hellish life, even though he is sinful.
*******
TEXT 16
gurûnâm ca laghûnâm ca
gurûni ca laghûni ca
prâyascittâni pâpânâm
jnâtvoktâni maharsibhih
gurûnâm--heavy; ca--and; laghûnâm--light; ca--also; gurûni--heavy; ca--and; laghûni--light; ca--also; prâyascittâni--the processes of atonement; pâpânâm--of sinful activities; jnâtvâ--knowing perfectly well; uktâni--have been prescribed; mahâ-rsibhih--by great sages.
TRANSLATION
Authorities who are learned scholars and sages have carefully ascertained that one should atone for the heaviest sins by undergoing a heavy process of atonement and one should atone for lighter sins by undergoing lighter atonement. Chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, however, vanquishes all the effects of sinful activities, regardless of whether heavy or light.
*******
TEXT 17
tais tâny aghâni pûyante
tapo-dâna-vratâdibhih
nâdharmajam tad-dhrdayam
tad apîsânghri-sevayâ
taih--by those; tâni--all those; aghâni--sinful activities and their results; pûyante--become vanquished; tapah--austerity; dâna--charity; vrata-âdibhih--by vows and other such activities; na--not; adharma jam--produced from irreligious actions; tat--of that; hrdayam--the heart; tat--that; api--also; îsa-anghri--of the lotus feet of the Lord; sevayâ--by service.
TRANSLATION
Although one may neutralize the reactions of sinful life through austerity, charity, vows and other such methods, these pious activities cannot uproot the material desires in one's heart. However, if one serves the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, he is immediately freed from all such contaminations.
*******
TEXT 18
ajnânâd athavâ jnânâd
uttamasloka-nâma yat
sankîrtitam agham pumso
dahed edho yathânalah
ajnânât--out of ignorance; athavâ--or; jnânât--with knowledge; uttamasloka--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nâma--the holy name; yat--that which; sankîrtitam--chanted; agham--sin; pumsah--of a person; dahet--burns to ashes; edhah--dry grass; yathâ--just as; analah--fire.
TRANSLATION
As a fire burns dry grass to ashes, so the holy name of the Lord, whether chanted knowingly or unknowingly, burns to ashes, without fail, all the reactions of one's sinful activities.
*******
TEXT 19
yathâgadam vîryatamam
upayuktam yadrcchayâ
ajânato 'py âtma-gunam
kuryân mantro 'py udâhrtah
yathâ--just like; agadam--medicine; vîrya-tamam--very powerful; upayuktam--properly taken; yadrcchayâ--somehow or other; ajânatah--by a person without knowledge; api--even; âtma-gunam--its own potency; kuryât--manifests; mantrah--the Hare Krsna mantra; api--also; udâhrtah--chanted.
TRANSLATION
If a person unaware of the effective potency of a certain medicine takes that medicine or is forced to take it, it will act even without his knowledge because its potency does not depend on the patient's understanding. Similarly, even though one does not know the value of chanting the holy name of the Lord, if one chants knowingly or unknowingly, the chanting will be very effective.
*******
TEXT 20
srî-suka uvâca
ta evam suvinirnîya
dharmam bhâgavatam nrpa
tam yâmya-pâsân nirmucya
vipram mrtyor amûmucan
srî-sukah uvâca--Srî Sukadeva Gosvâmî said; te--they (the order carriers of Lord Visnu); evam--thus; su-vinirnîya--perfectly ascertaining; dharmam--real religion; bhâgavatam--in terms of devotional service; nrpa--O King; tam--him (Ajâmila); yâmya-pâsât--from the bondage of the order carriers of Yamarâja; nirmucya--releasing; vipram--the brâhmana; mrtyoh--from death; amûmucan--rescued.
TRANSLATION
Sri Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King, having thus perfectly judged the principles of devotional service with reasoning and arguments, the order carriers of Lord Visnu released the brahmana Ajamila from the bondage of the Yamadutas and saved him from imminent death.
*******
TEXT 21
iti pratyuditâ yâmyâ
dûtâ yâtvâ yamântikam
yama-râjne yathâ sarvam
âcacaksur arindama
iti--thus; pratyuditâh--having been replied to (by the order carriers of Visnu); yâmyâh--the servants of Yamarâja; dûtâh--the messengers; yâtvâ--going; yama-antikam--to the abode of Lord Yamarâja; yama-râjne--unto King Yamarâja; yathâ--duly; sarvam--everything; âcacaksuh--informed in full detail; arindama--O subduer of the enemies.
TRANSLATION
My dear Maharaja Pariksit, O subduer of all enemies, after the servants of Yamaraja had been answered by the order carriers of Lord Visnu, they went to Yamaraja and explained to him everything that had happened.
*******
TEXT 22
dvijah pâsâd vinirmukto
gata-bhîh prakrtim gatah
vavande sirasâ visnoh
kinkarân darsanotsavah
dvijah--the brâhmana (Ajâmila); pâsât--from the noose; vinirmuktah--being released; gata-bhîh--freed from fear; prakrtim gatah--came to his senses; vavande--offered his respectful obeisances; sirasâ--by bowing his head; visnoh--of Lord Visnu; kinkarân--unto the servants; darsana-utsavah--very pleased by seeing them.
TRANSLATION
Having been released from the nooses of Yamaraja's servants, the brahmana Ajamila, now free from fear, came to his senses and immediately offered obeisances to the Visnudutas by bowing his head at their lotus feet. He was extremely pleased by their presence, for he had seen them save his life from the hands of the servants of Yamaraja.
*******
TEXT 23
tam vivaksum abhipretya
mahâpurusa-kinkarâh
sahasâ pasyatas tasya
tatrântardadhire 'nagha
tam--him (Ajâmila); vivaksum--desiring to speak; abhipretya--understanding; mahâpurusa-kinkarâh--the order carriers of Lord Visnu; sahasâ--suddenly; pasyatah tasya--while he looked on; tatra--there; antardadhire--disappeared; anagha--O sinless Mahârâja Parîksit.
TRANSLATION
O sinless Maharaja Pariksit, the order carriers of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Visnudutas, saw that Ajamila was attempting to say something, and thus they suddenly disappeared from his presence.
*******
TEXT 24-25
ajâmilo 'py athâkarnya
dûtânâm yama-krsnayoh
dharmam bhâgavatam suddham
trai-vedyam ca gunâsrayam
bhaktimân bhagavaty âsu
mâhâtmya-sravanâd dhareh
anutâpo mahân âsit
smarato 'subham âtmanah
ajâmilah--Ajâmila; api--also; atha--thereafter; âkarnya--hearing; dûtânâm--of the order carriers; yama-krsnayoh--of Yamarâja and Lord Krsna; dharmam--actual religious principles; bhâgavatam--as described in Srîmad-Bhâgavatam, or concerning the relationship between the living being and the Supreme Personality of Godhead; suddham--pure; trai-vedyam--mentioned in three Vedas; ca--also; guna-asrayam--material religion, under the modes of material nature;
bhakti-mân--a pure devotee (cleansed of the modes of material nature); bhagavati--unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; âsu--immediately; mâhâtmya--glorification of the name, fame, etc.; sravanât--because of hearing; hareh--of Lord Hari; anutâpah--regret; mahân--very great; âsît--there was; smaratah--remembering; asubham--all the inglorious activities; âtmanah--done by himself.
TRANSLATION
After hearing the discourses between the Yamadutas and the Visnudutas, Ajamila could understand the religious principles that act under the three modes of material nature. These principles are mentioned in the three Vedas. He could also understand the transcendental religious principles, which are above the modes of material nature and which concern the relationship between the living being and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Furthermore, Ajamila heard glorification of the name, fame, qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He thus became a perfectly pure devotee. He could then remember his past sinful activities, which he greatly regretted having performed.
*******
TEXT 26
aho me paramam kastam
abhûd avijitâtmanah
yena viplâvitam brahma
vrsalyâm jâyatâtmanâ
aho--alas; me--my; paramam--extreme; kastam--miserable condition; abhût--became; avijita-âtmanah--because my senses were uncontrolled; yena--by which; viplâvitam--destroyed; brahma--all my brahminical qualifications; vrsalyâm--through a sûdrânî, a maidservant; jâyatâ--being born; âtmanâ--by me.
TRANSLATION
Ajamila said: Alas, being a servant of my senses, how degraded I became! I fell down from my position as a duly qualified brahmana and begot children in the womb of a prostitute.
*******
TEXT 27
dhin mâm vigarhitam sadbhir
duskrtam kula-kajjalam
hitvâ bâlâm satîm yo 'ham
surâ-pîm asatîm agâm
dhik mâm--all condemnation upon me; vigarhitam--condemned; sadbhih--by honest men; duskrtam--who has committed sinful acts; kula-kajjalam--who has defamed the family tradition; hitvâ--giving up; bâlâm--a young wife; satîm--chaste; yah--who; aham--I; surâpîm--with a woman accustomed to drinking wine; asatîm--unchaste; agâm--I had sexual intercourse.
TRANSLATION
Alas, all condemnation upon me! I acted so sinfully that I degraded my family tradition. Indeed, I gave up my chaste and beautiful young wife to have sexual intercourse with a fallen prostitute accustomed to drinking wine. All condemnation upon me!
*******
TEXT 28
vrddhâv anâthau pitarau
nânya-bandhû tapasvinau
aho mayâdhunâ tyaktâv
akrtajnena nîcavat
vrddhau--old; anâthau--who had no other person to look after their comforts; pitarau--my father and mother; na anya-bandhû--who had no other friend; tapasvinau--who underwent great difficulties; aho--alas; mayâ--by me; adhunâ--at that moment; tyaktau--were given up; akrta jnena--ungrateful; nîcavat--like the most abominable low-class person.
TRANSLATION
My father and mother were old and had no other son or friend to look after them. Because I did not take care of them, they lived with great difficulty. Alas, like an abominable lower-class man, I ungratefully left them in that condition.
*******
TEXT 29
so 'ham vyaktam patisyâmi
narake bhrsa-dârune
dharma-ghnâh kâmino yatra
vindanti yama-yâtanâh
sah--such a person; aham--I; vyaktam--it is now clear; patisyâmi--will fall down; narake--in hell; bhrsa-dârune--most miserable; dharma-ghnâh--they who break the principles of religion; kâminah--who are too lusty; yatra--where; vindanti--undergo; yama-yâtanâh--the miserable conditions imposed by Yamarâja.
TRANSLATION
It is now clear that as a consequence of such activities, a sinful person like me must be thrown into hellish conditions meant for those who have broken religious principles and must there suffer extreme miseries.
*******
TEXT 30
kim idam svapna âho svit
sâksâd drstam ihâdbhutam
kva yâtâ adya te ye mâm
vyakarsan pâsa-pânayah
kim--whether; idam--this; svapne--in a dream; âho svit--or; sâksât--directly; drstam--seen; iha--here; adbhutam--wonderful; kva--where; yâtâh--have gone; adya--now; te--all of them; ye--who; mâm--me; vyakarsan--were dragging; pâsa-pânayah--with ropes in their hands.
TRANSLATION
Was this a dream I saw, or was it reality? I saw fearsome men with ropes in their hands coming to arrest me and drag me away. Where have they gone?
*******
TEXT 31
atha te kva gatâh siddhâs
catvâras câru-darsanâh
vyâmocayan nîyamânam
baddhvâ pâsair adho bhuvah
atha--thereafter; te--those persons; kva--where; gatâh--went; siddhâh--liberated; catvârah--four personalities; câru-darsanâh--extremely beautiful to see; vyâmocayan--they released; nîyamânam--me, who was being carried away; baddhvâ--being arrested; pâsaih--by ropes; adhah bhuvah--downward to the hellish region.
TRANSLATION
And where have those four liberated and very beautiful persons gone who released me from arrest and saved me from being dragged down to the hellish regions?
*******
TEXT 32
athâpi me durbhagasya
vibudhottama-darsane
bhavitavyam mangalena
yenâtmâ me prasîdati
atha--therefore; api--although; me--of me; durbhagasya--so unfortunate; vibudha-uttama--exalted devotees; darsane--because of seeing; bhavitavyam--there must be; mangalena--auspicious activities; yena--by which; âtmâ--self; me--my; prasîdati--actually becomes happy.
TRANSLATION
I am certainly most abominable and unfortunate to have merged in an ocean of sinful activities, but nevertheless, because of my previous spiritual activities, I could see those four exalted personalities who came to rescue me. Now I feel exceedingly happy because of their visit.
*******
TEXT 33
anyathâ mriyamânasya
nâsucer vrsalî-pateh
vaikuntha-nâma-grahanam
jihvâ vaktum ihârhati
anyathâ--otherwise; mriyamânasya--of a person who is just ready for death; na--not; asuceh--most unclean; vrsalî-pateh--the keeper of a prostitute; vaikuntha--of the Lord of Vaikuntha; nâma-grahanam--the chanting of the holy name; jihvâ--the tongue; vaktum--to speak; iha--in this situation; arhati--is able.
TRANSLATION
Were it not for my past devotional service, how could I, a most unclean keeper of a prostitute, have gotten an opportunity to chant the holy name of Vaikunthapati when I was just ready to die? Certainly it could not have been possible.
*******
TEXT 34
kva câham kitavah pâpo
brahma-ghno nirapatrapah
kva ca nârâyanety etad
bhagavan-nâma mangalam
kva--where; ca--also; aham--I; kitavah--a cheater; pâpah--all sins personified; brahma-ghnah--the killer of my brahminical culture; nirapatrapah--shameless; kva--where; ca--also; nârâyana--Nârâyana; iti--thus; etat--this; bhagavat-nâma--the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mangalam--all-auspicious.
TRANSLATION
Ajamila continued: I am a shameless cheater who has killed his brahminical culture. Indeed, I am sin personified. Where am I in comparison to the all-auspicious chanting of the holy name of Lord Narayana?
*******
TEXT 35
so 'ham tathâ yatisyâmi
yata-cittendriyânilah
yathâ na bhûya âtmânam
andhe tamasi majjaye
sah--such a person; aham--I; tathâ--in that way; yatisyâmi--I shall endeavor; yata-citta-indriya--controlling the mind and senses; anilah--and the internal airs; yathâ--so that; na--not; bhûyah--again; âtmânam--my soul; andhe--in darkness; tamasi--in ignorance; majjaye--I drown.
TRANSLATION
I am such a sinful person, but since I have now gotten this opportunity, I must completely control my mind, life and senses and always engage in devotional service so that I may not fall again into the deep darkness and ignorance of material life.
*******
TEXT 36-37
vimucya tam imam bandham
avidyâ-kâma-karmajam
sarva-bhûta-suhrc chânto
maitrah karuna âtmavân
mocaye grastam âtmânam
yosin-mayyâtma-mâyayâ
vikrîdito yayaivâham
krîdâ-mrga ivâdhamah
vimucya--having become free from; tam--that; imam--this; bandham--bondage; avidyâ--due to ignorance; kâma--due to lusty desire; karma jam--caused by activities; sarva-bhûta--of all living entities; suhrt--friend; sântah--very peaceful; maitrah--friendly; karunah--merciful; âtma-vân--self-realized;
mocaye--I shall disentangle; grastam--encaged; âtmânam--my soul; yosit-mayyâ--in the form of woman; âtma-mâyayâ--by the illusory energy of the Lord; vikrîditah--played with; yayâ--by which; eva--certainly; aham--I; krîdâ-mrgah--a controlled animal; iva--like; adhamah--so fallen.
TRANSLATION
Because of identifying oneself with the body, one is subjected to desires for sense gratification, and thus one engages in many different types of pious and impious action. This is what constitutes material bondage. Now I shall disentangle myself from my material bondage, which has been caused by the Supreme Personality of Godhead's illusory energy in the form of a woman. Being a most fallen soul, I was victimized by the illusory energy and have become like a dancing dog led around by a woman's hand. Now I shall give up all lusty desires and free myself from this illusion. I shall become a merciful, well-wishing friend to all living entities and always absorb myself in Krsna consciousness.
*******
TEXT 38
mamâham iti dehâdau
hitvâmithyârtha-dhîr matim
dhâsye mano bhagavati
suddham tat-kîrtanâdibhih
mama--my; aham--I; iti--thus; deha-âdau--in the body and things related to the body; hitvâ--giving up; amithyâ--not false; artha--on values; dhîh--with my consciousness; matim--the attitude; dhâsye--I shall engage; manah--my mind; bhagavati--on the Supreme Personality of Godhead; suddham--pure; tat--His name; kîrtana-âdibhih--by chanting, hearing and so on.
TRANSLATION
Simply because I chanted the holy name of the Lord in the association of devotees, my heart is now becoming purified. Therefore I shall not fall victim again to the false lures of material sense gratification. Now that I have become fixed in the Absolute Truth, henceforward I shall not identify myself with the body. I shall give up false conceptions of "I" and "mine" and fix my mind on the lotus feet of Krsna.
*******
TEXT 39
iti jâta-sunirvedah
ksana-sangena sâdhusu
gangâ-dvâram upeyâya
mukta-sarvânubandhanah
iti--thus; jâta-sunirvedah--(Ajâmila) who had become detached from the material conception of life; ksana-sangena--by a moment's association; sâdhusu--with devotees; gangâ-dvâram--to Hardwar (haridvâra), the doorway to Hari (because the Ganges begins there, Hardwar is also called gangâ-dvâra); upeyâya--went; mukta--being freed from; sarva-anubandhanah--all kinds of material bondage.
TRANSLATION
Because of a moment's association with devotees [the Visnudutas], Ajamila detached himself from the material conception of life with determination. Thus freed from all material attraction, he immediately started for Hardwar.
*******
TEXT 40
sa tasmin deva-sadana
âsîno yogam âsthitah
pratyâhrtendriya-grâmo
yuyoja mana âtmani
sah--he (Ajâmila); tasmin--at that place (Hardwar); deva-sadane--in one Visnu temple; âsînah--being situated; yogam âsthitah--performed bhakti-yoga; pratyâhrta--withdrawn from all activities of sense gratification; indriya-grâmah--his senses; yuyoja--he fixed; manah--the mind; âtmani--on the self or the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
In Hardwar, Ajamila took shelter at a Visnu temple, where he executed the process of bhakti-yoga. He controlled his senses and fully applied his mind in the service of the Lord.
*******
TEXT 41
tato gunebhya âtmânam
viyujyâtma-samâdhinâ
yuyuje bhagavad-dhâmni
brahmany anubhavâtmani
tatah--thereafter; gunebhyah--from the modes of material nature; âtmânam--the mind; viyujya--detaching; âtma-samâdhinâ--by being fully engaged in devotional service; yuyuje--engaged; bhagavat-dhâmni--in the form of the Lord; brahmani--which is Parabrahman (not idol worship); anubhava-âtmani--which is always thought of (beginning from the lotus feet and gradually progressing upward).
TRANSLATION
Ajamila fully engaged in devotional service. Thus he detached his mind from the process of sense gratification and became fully absorbed in thinking of the form of the Lord.
*******
TEXT 42
yarhy upârata-dhîs tasmin
adrâksît purusân purah
upalabhyopalabdhân prâg
vavande sirasâ dvijah
yarhi--when; upârata-dhîh--his mind and intelligence were fixed; tasmin--at that time; adrâksît--had seen; purusân--the persons (the order carriers of Lord Visnu); purah--before him; upalabhya--getting; upalabdhân--who were gotten; prâk--previously; vavande--offered obeisances; sirasâ--by the head; dvijah--the brâhmana.
TRANSLATION
When his intelligence and mind were fixed upon the form of the Lord, the brahmana Ajamila once again saw before him four celestial persons. He could understand that they were those he had seen previously, and thus he offered them his obeisances by bowing down before them.
*******
TEXT 43
hitvâ kalevaram tîrthe
gangâyâm darsanâd anu
sadyah svarûpam jagrhe
bhagavat-pârsva-vartinâm
hitvâ--giving up; kalevaram--the material body; tîrthe--in the holy place; gangâyâm--on the bank of the Ganges; darsanât anu--after seeing; sadyah--immediately; sva-rûpam--his original spiritual form; jagrhe--he assumed; bhagavat-pârsva-vartinâm--which is fit for an associate of the Lord.
TRANSLATION
Upon seeing the Visnudutas, Ajamila gave up his material body at Hardwar on the bank of the Ganges. He regained his original spiritual body, which was a body appropriate for an associate of the Lord.
*******
TEXT 44
sâkam vihâyasâ vipro
mahâpurusa-kinkaraih
haimam vimânam âruhya
yayau yatra sriyah patih
sâkam--along; vihâyasâ--by the path in the sky, or the airways; viprah--the brâhmana (Ajâmila); mahâpurusa-kinkaraih--with the order carriers of Lord Visnu; haimam--made of gold; vimânam--an airplane; âruhya--boarding; yayau--went; yatra--where; sriyah patih--Lord Visnu, the husband of the goddess of fortune.
TRANSLATION
Accompanied by the order carriers of Lord Visnu, Ajamila boarded an airplane made of gold. Passing through the airways, he went directly to the abode of Lord Visnu, the husband of the goddess of fortune.
*******
TEXT 45
evam sa viplâvita-sarva-dharmâ
dâsyâh patih patito garhya-karmanâ
nipâtyamâno niraye hata-vratah
sadyo vimukto bhagavan-nâma grhnan
evam--in this way; sah--he (Ajâmila); viplâvita-sarva-dharmâh--who gave up all religious principles; dâsyâh patih--the husband of a prostitute; patitah--fallen; garhya-karmanâ--by being engaged in abominable activities; nipâtyamânah--falling; niraye--in hellish life; hata-vratah--who broke all his vows; sadyah--immediately; vimuktah--liberated; bhagavat-nâma--the holy name of the Lord; grhnan--chanting.
TRANSLATION
Ajamila was a brahmana who because of bad association had given up all brahminical culture and religious principles. Becoming most fallen, he stole, drank and performed other abominable acts. He even kept a prostitute. Thus he was destined to be carried away to hell by the order carriers of Yamaraja, but he was immediately rescued simply by a glimpse of the chanting of the holy name Narayana.
*******
TEXT 46
nâtah param karma-nibandha-krntanam
mumuksatâm tîrtha-padânukîrtanât
na yat punah karmasu sajjate mano
rajas-tamobhyâm kalilam tato 'nyathâ
na--not; atah--therefore; param--better means; karma-nibandha--the obligation to suffer or undergo tribulations as a result of fruitive activities; krntanam--that which can completely cut off; mumuksatâm--of persons desiring to get out of the clutches of material bondage; tîrtha-pada--about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at whose feet all the holy places stand; anukîrtanât--than constantly chanting under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master; na--not; yat--because; punah--again; karmasu--in fruitive activities; sajjate--becomes attached; manah--the mind; rajah-tamobhyâm--by the modes of passion and ignorance; kalilam--contaminated; tatah--thereafter; anyathâ--by any other means.
TRANSLATION
Therefore one who desires freedom from material bondage should adopt the process of chanting and glorifying the name, fame, form and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at whose feet all the holy places stand. One cannot derive the proper benefit from other methods, such as pious atonement, speculative knowledge and meditation in mystic yoga, because even after following such methods one takes to fruitive activities again, unable to control his mind, which is contaminated by the base qualities of nature, namely passion and ignorance.
*******
TEXT 47-48
ya etam paramam guhyam
itihâsam aghâpaham
srnuyâc chraddhayâ yukto
yas ca bhaktyânukîrtayet
na vai sa narakam yâti
neksito yama-kinkaraih
yady apy amangalo martyo
visnu-loke mahîyate
yah--anyone who; etam--this; paramam--very; guhyam--confidential; itihâsam--historical narration; agha-apaham--which frees one from all reactions to sins; srnuyât--hears; sraddhayâ--with faith; yuktah--endowed; yah--one who; ca--also; bhaktyâ--with great devotion; anukîrtayet--repeats; na--not; vai--indeed; sah--such a person; narakam--to hell; yâti--goes; na--not; îksitah--is observed; yama-kinkaraih--by the order carriers of Yamarâja; yadi api--although; amangalah--inauspicious; martyah--a living entity with a material body; visnu-loke--in the spiritual world; mahîyate--is welcomed and respectfully received.
TRANSLATION
Because this very confidential historical narration has the potency to vanquish all sinful reactions, one who hears or describes it with faith and devotion is no longer doomed to hellish life, regardless of his having a material body and regardless of how sinful he may have been. Indeed, the Yamadutas, who carry out the orders of Yamaraja, do not approach him even to see him. After giving up his body, he returns home, back to Godhead, where he is very respectfully received and worshiped.
*******
TEXT 49
mriyamâno harer nâma
grnan putropacâritam
ajâmilo 'py agâd dhâma
kim uta sraddhayâ grnan
mriyamânah--at the time of death; hareh nâma--the holy name of Hari; grnan--chanting; putra-upacâritam--indicating his son; ajâmilah--Ajâmila; api--even; agât--went; dhâma--to the spiritual world; kim uta--what to speak of; sraddhayâ--with faith and love; grnan--chanting.
TRANSLATION
While suffering at the time of death, Ajamila chanted the holy name of the Lord, and although the chanting was directed toward his son, he nevertheless returned home, back to Godhead. Therefore if one faithfully and inoffensively chants the holy name of the Lord, where is the doubt that he will return to Godhead?
bhagavatam canto 6.1
Chapter One: The History of the Life of Ajamila
TEXT 1
srî-parîksit uvâca
nivrtti-mârgah kathita
âdau bhagavatâ yathâ
krama-yogopalabdhena
brahmanâ yad asamsrtih
srî-parîksit uvâca--Mahârâja Parîksit said; nivrtti-margâh--the path of liberation; kathitah--described; âdau--in the beginning; bhagavatâ--by Your Holiness; yathâ--duly; krama--gradually; yoga-upalabdhena--obtained by the yoga process; brahmanâ--along with Lord Brahmâ (after reaching Brahmaloka); yat--by which way; asamsrtih--cessation of the repetition of birth and death.
TRANSLATION
Maharaja Pariksit said: O my lord, O Sukadeva Gosvami, you have already described [in the Second Canto] the path of liberation [nivrtti-marga]. By following that path, one is certainly elevated gradually to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, from which one is promoted to the spiritual world along with Lord Brahma. Thus one's repetition of birth and death in the material world ceases.
*******
TEXT 2
pravrtti-laksanas caiva
traigunya-visayo mune
yo 'sâv alîna-prakrter
guna-sargah punah punah
pravrtti--by inclination; laksanah--symptomized; ca--also; eva--indeed; trai-gunya--the three modes of nature; visayah--possessing as objectives; mune--O great sage; yah--which; asau--that; alîna-prakrteh--of one who is not freed from the clutches of mâyâ; guna-sargah--in which there is a creation of material bodies; punah punah--again and again.
TRANSLATION
O great sage Sukadeva Gosvami, unless the living entity is freed from the infection of the material modes of nature, he receives different types of bodies in which to enjoy or suffer, and according to the body, he is understood to have various inclinations. By following these inclinations he traverses the path called pravrtti-marga, by which one may be elevated to the heavenly planets, as you have already described [in the Third Canto].
*******
TEXT 3
adharma-laksanâ-nânâ
narakâs cânuvarnitâh
manvantaras ca vyâkhyâta
âdyah svâyambhuvo yatah
adharma-laksanâh--symptomized by impious activities; nânâ--various; narakâh--hells; ca--also; anuvarnitâh--have been described; manu-antarah--the change of Manus [in one day of Brahmâ there are fourteen Manus]; ca--also; vyakhyâtah--has been described; âdyah--the original; svâyambhuvah--directly the son of Lord Brahmâ; yatah--wherein.
TRANSLATION
You have also described [at the end of the Fifth Canto] the varieties of hellish life that result from impious activities, and you have described [in the Fourth Canto] the first manvantara, which was presided over by Svayambhuva Manu, the son of Lord Brahma.
*******
TEXT 4-5
priyavratottânapador
vamsas tac-caritâni ca
dvîpa-varsa-samudrâdri-
nady-udyâna-vanaspatîn
dharâ-mandala-samsthânam
bhâga-laksana-mânatah
jyotisâm vivarânâm ca
yathedam asrjad vibhuh
priyavrata--of Priyavrata; uttânapadoh--and of Uttânapâda; vamsah--the dynasty; tat-caritâni--their characteristics; ca--also; dvîpa--different planets; varsa--lands; samudra--oceans and seas; adri--mountains; nadî--rivers; udyâna--gardens; vanaspatîn--and trees; dharâ-mandala--of the planet earth; samsthânam--situation; bhâga--according to divisions; laksana--different symptoms; mânatah--and measurements; jyotisâm--of the sun and other luminaries; vivarânâm--of the lower planetary systems; ca--and; yathâ--as; idam--this; asrjat--created; vibhuh--the Supreme personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
My dear lord, you have described the dynasties and characteristics of King Priyavrata and King Uttanapada. The Supreme Personality of Godhead created this material world with various universes, planetary systems, planets and stars, with varied lands, seas, oceans, mountains, rivers, gardens and trees, all with different characteristics. These are divided among this planet earth, the luminaries in the sky and the lower planetary systems. You have very clearly described these planets and the living entities who live on them.
*******
TEXT 6
adhuneha mahâ-bhâga
yathaiva narakân narah
nânogra-yâtanân neyât
tan me vyâkhyâtum arhasi
adhunâ--right now; iha--in this material world; mahâ-bhâga--O greatly opulent and fortunate Sukadeva Gosvâmî; yathâ--so that; eva--indeed; narakân--all the hellish conditions into which the impious are put; narah--human beings; nânâ--varieties of; ugra--terrible; yâtanân--conditions of suffering; na îyât--may not undergo; tat--that; me--to me; vyâkhyâtum arhasi--please describe.
TRANSLATION
O greatly fortunate and opulent Sukadeva Gosvami, now kindly tell me how human beings may be saved from having to enter hellish conditions in which they suffer terrible pains.
*******
TEXT 7
srî-suka uvâca
na ced ihaivâpacitim yathâmhasah
krtasya kuryân mana-ukta-pânibhih
dhruvam sa vai pretya narakân upaiti
ye kîrtitâ me bhavatas tigma-yâtanâh
srî-sukah uvâca--Srîla Sukadeva Gosvâmî said; na--not; cet--if; iha--within this life; eva--certainly; apacitim--counteraction, atonement; yathâ--duly; amhasah krtasya--when one has performed sinful activities; kuryât--performs; manah--with the mind; ukta--words; pânibhih--and with the senses; dhruvam--undoubtedly; sah--that person; vai--indeed; pretya--after death; narakân--different varieties of hellish conditions; upaiti--attains; ye--which; kîrtitâh--were already described; me--by me; bhavatah--unto you; tigma-yâtanâh--in which there is very terrible suffering.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami replied: My dear King, if before one's next death whatever impious acts one has performed in this life with his mind, words and body are not counteracted through proper atonement according to the description of the Manu-samhita and other dharma-sastras, one will certainly enter the hellish planets after death and undergo terrible suffering, as I have previously described to you.
*******
TEXT 8
tasmât puraivâsv iha pâpa-niskrtau
yateta mrtyor avipadyatâtmanâ
dosasya drstvâ guru-lâghavam yathâ
bhisak cikitseta rujâm nidânavit
tasmât--therefore; purâ--before; eva--indeed; âsu--very quickly; iha--in this life; pâpa-niskrtau--to become free from the reaction of sinful activities; yateta--one should endeavor; mrtyoh--death; avipadyata--not troubled by disease and old age; âtmanâ--with a body; dosasya--of the sinful activities; drstvâ--estimating; guru-lâghavam--the heaviness or lightness; yathâ--just like; bhisak--a physician; cikitseta--would treat; rujâm--of disease; nidâna-vit--one who is expert in diagnosis.
TRANSLATION
Therefore, before one's next death comes, as long as one's body is strong enough, one should quickly adopt the process of atonement according to sastra; otherwise one's time will be lost, and the reactions of his sins will increase. As an expert physician diagnoses and treats a disease according to its gravity, one should undergo atonement according to the severity of one's sins.
*******
TEXT 9
srî-râjovâca
drsta-srutâbhyâm yat pâpam
jânann apy âtmano 'hitam
karoti bhûyo vivasah
prâyascittam atho katham
srî-râjâ uvâca--Parîksit Mahârâja replied; drsta--by seeing; srutâbhyâm--also by hearing (from the scriptures or lawbooks); yat--since; pâpam--sinful, criminal action; jânan--knowing; api--although; âtmanah--of his self; ahitam--injurious; karoti--he acts; bhûyah--again and again; vivasah--unable to control himself; prâyascittam--atonement; atho--therefore; katham--what is the value of.
TRANSLATION
Maharaja Pariksit said: One may know that sinful activity is injurious for him because he actually sees that a criminal is punished by the government and rebuked by people in general and because he hears from scriptures and learned scholars that one is thrown into hellish conditions in the next life for committing sinful acts. Nevertheless, in spite of such knowledge, one is forced to commit sins again and again, even after performing acts of atonement. Therefore, what is the value of such atonement?
*******
TEXT 10
kvacin nivartate 'bhadrât
kvacic carati tat punah
prâyascittam atho 'pârtham
manye kunjara-saucavat
kvacit--sometimes; nivartate--ceases; abhadrât--from sinful activity; kvacit--sometimes; carati--commits; tat--that (sinful activity); punah--again; prâyascittam--the process of atonement; atho--therefore; apârtham--useless; manye--I consider; kunjara-saucavat--exactly like the bathing of an elephant.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes one who is very alert so as not to commit sinful acts is victimized by sinful life again. I therefore consider this process of repeated sinning and atoning to be useless. It is like the bathing of an elephant, for an elephant cleanses itself by taking a full bath, but then throws dust over its head and body as soon as it returns to the land.
*******
TEXT 11
srî-bâdarâyanir uvâca
karmanâ-karma-nirhâro
na hy âtyantika isyate
avidvad-adhikâritvât
prâyascittam vimarsanam
srî-bâdarâyanih uvâca--Sukadeva Gosvâmî, the son of Vyâsadeva, replied; karmanâ--by fruitive activities; karma-nirhârah--counteraction of fruitive activities; na--not; hi--indeed; âtyantikah--final; isyate--becomes possible; avidvat-adhikâritvât--from being without knowledge; prâyascittam--real atonement; vimarsanam--full knowledge of Vedânta.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami, the son of Vedavyasa, answered: My dear King, since acts meant to neutralize impious actions are also fruitive, they will not release one from the tendency to act fruitively. Persons who subject themselves to the rules and regulations of atonement are not at all intelligent. Indeed, they are in the mode of darkness. Unless one is freed from the mode of ignorance, trying to counteract one action through another is useless because this will not uproot one's desires. Thus even though one may superficially seem pious, he will undoubtedly be prone to act impiously. Therefore real atonement is enlightenment in perfect knowledge, Vedanta, by which one understands the Supreme Absolute Truth.
*******
TEXT 12
nâsnatah pathyam evânnam
vyâdhayo 'bhibhavanti hi
evam niyamakrd râjan
sanaih ksemâya kalpate
na--not; asnatah--those who eat; pathyam--suitable; eva--indeed; annam--food; vyâdhayah--different types of disease; abhibhavanti--overcome; hi--indeed; evam--similarly; niyama-krt--one following regulative principles; râjan--O King; sanaih--gradually; ksemâya--for well-being; kalpate--becomes fit.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, if a diseased person eats the pure, uncontaminated food prescribed by a physician, he is gradually cured, and the infection of disease can no longer touch him. Similarly, if one follows the regulative principles of knowledge, he gradually progresses toward liberation from material contamination.
*******
TEXT 13-14
tapasâ brahmacaryena
samena ca damena ca
tyâgena satya-saucâbhyâm
yamena niyamena vâ
deha-vâg-buddhijam dhîrâ
dharmajnâh sraddhayânvitâh
ksipanty agham mahad api
venu-gulmam ivânalah
tapasâ--by austerity or voluntary rejection of material enjoyment; brahmacaryena--by celibacy (the first austerity); samena--by controlling the mind; ca--and; damena--by fully controlling the senses; ca--also; tyâgena--by voluntarily giving charity to good causes; satya--by truthfulness; saucâbhyâm--and by following regulative principles to keep oneself internally and externally clean; yamena--by avoiding cursing and violence; niyamena--by regularly chanting the holy name of the Lord; vâ--and;
deha-vâk-buddhi jam--performed by the body, words and intelligence; dhîrâh--those who are sober; dharma jnâh--fully imbued with knowledge of religious principles; sraddhayâ anvitâh--endowed with faith; ksipanti--destroy; agham--all kinds of sinful activities; mahat api--although very great and abominable; venu-gulmam--the dried creepers beneath a bamboo tree; iva--like; analah--fire.
TRANSLATION
To concentrate the mind, one must observe a life of celibacy and not fall down. One must undergo the austerity of voluntarily giving up sense enjoyment. One must then control the mind and senses, give charity, be truthful, clean and nonviolent, follow the regulative principles and regularly chant the holy name of the Lord. Thus a sober and faithful person who knows the religious principles is temporarily purified of all sins performed with his body, words and mind. These sins are like the dried leaves of creepers beneath a bamboo tree, which may be burned by fire although their roots remain to grow again at the first opportunity.
*******
TEXT 15
kecit kevalayâ bhaktyâ
vâsudeva-parâyanâh
agham dhunvanti kârtsnyena
nîhâram iva bhâskarah
kecit--some people; kevalayâ bhaktyâ--by executing unalloyed devotional service; vâsudeva--to Lord Krsna, the all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead; parâyanâh--completely attached (only to such service, without dependence on austerity, penance, cultivation of knowledge or pious activities); agham--all kinds of sinful reactions; dhunvanti--destroy; kârtsnyena--completely (with no possibility that sinful desires will revive); nîhâram--fog; iva--like; bhâskarah--the sun.
TRANSLATION
Only a rare person who has adopted complete, unalloyed devotional service to Krsna can uproot the weeds of sinful actions with no possibility that they will revive. He can do this simply by discharging devotional service, just as the sun can immediately dissipate fog by its rays.
*******
TEXT 16
na tathâ hy aghavân râjan
pûyeta tapa-âdibhih
yathâ krsnârpita-prânas
tat-purusa-nisevayâ
na--not; tathâ--so much; hi--certainly; agha-vân--a man full of sinful activities; râjan--O King; pûyeta--can become purified; tapah-âdibhih--by executing the principles of austerity, penance, brahmacarya and other purifying processes; yathâ--as much as; krsna-arpita-prânah--the devotee whose life is fully Krsna conscious; tat-purusa-nisevayâ--by engaging his life in the service of Krsna's representative.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, if a sinful person engages in the service of a bona fide devotee of the Lord and thus learns how to dedicate his life unto the lotus feet of Krsna, he can be completely purified. One cannot be purified merely by undergoing austerity, penance, brahmacarya and the other methods of atonement I have previously described.
*******
TEXT 17
sadhrîcîno hy ayam loke
panthâh ksemo 'kuto-bhayah
susîlâh sâdhavo yatra
nârâyana-parâyanâh
sadhrîcînah--just appropriate; hi--certainly; ayam--this; loke--in the world; panthâh--path; ksemah--auspicious; akutah-bhayah--without fear; su-sîlâh--well-behaved; sâdhavah--saintly persons; yatra--wherein; nârâyana-parâyanâh--those who have taken the path of Nârâyana, devotional service, as their life and soul.
TRANSLATION
The path followed by pure devotees, who are well behaved and fully endowed with the best qualifications, is certainly the most auspicious path in this material world. It is free from fear, and it is authorized by the sastras.
*******
TEXT 18
prâyascittâni cîrnâni
nârâyana-parânmukham
na nispunanti râjendra
surâ-kumbham ivâpagâh
prâyascittâni--processes of atonement; cîrnâni--very nicely performed; nârâyana-parânmukham--a nondevotee; na nispunanti--cannot purify; râjendra--O King; surâ-kumbham--a pot containing liquor; iva--like; âpa-gâh--the waters of the rivers.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, as a pot containing liquor cannot be purified even if washed in the waters of many rivers, nondevotees cannot be purified by processes of atonement even if they perform them very well.
PURPORT
To take advantage of the methods of atonement, one must be at least somewhat devoted; otherwise there is no chance of one's being purified. It is clear from this verse that even those who take advantage of karma-kanda and jnana-kanda, but are not at least slightly devoted cannot be purified simply by following these other paths. The word prayascittani is plural in number to indicate both karma-kanda and jnana-kanda. Narottama dasa Thakura therefore says, karma-kanda, jnana-kanda, kevala visera bhanda. Thus Narottama dasa Thakura compares the paths of karma-kanda and jnana-kanda to pots of poison. Liquor and poison are in the same category. According to this verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam, a person who has heard a good deal about the path of devotional service, but who is not attached to it, who is not Krsna conscious, is like a pot of liquor. Such a person cannot be purified without at least a slight touch of devotional service.
*******
TEXT 19
sakrn manah krsna-padâravindayor
nivesitam tad-guna-râgi yair iha
na te yamam pâsa-bhrtas ca tad-bhatân
svapne 'pi pasyanti hi cîrna-niskrtâh
sakrt--once only; manah--the mind; krsna-pada-aravindayoh--unto the two lotus feet of Lord Krsna; nivesitam--completely surrendered; tat--of Krsna; guna-râgi--which is somewhat attached to the qualities, name, fame and paraphernalia; yaih--by whom; iha--in this world; na--not; te--such persons; yamam--Yamarâja, the superintendent of death; pâsa-bhrtah--those who carry ropes (to catch sinful persons); ca--and; tat--his; bhatân--order carriers; svapne api--even in dreams; pasyanti--see; hi--indeed; cirna-niskrtâh--who have performed the right type of atonement.
TRANSLATION
Although not having fully realized Krsna, persons who have even once surrendered completely unto His lotus feet and who have become attracted to His name, form, qualities and pastimes are completely freed of all sinful reactions, for they have thus accepted the true method of atonement. Even in dreams, such surrendered souls do not see Yamaraja or his order carriers, who are equipped with ropes to bind the sinful.
*******
TEXT 20
atra codâaharantîmam
itihâsam purâtanam
dûtânâm visnu-yamayoh
samvâdas tam nibodha me
atra--in this connection; ca--also; udâharanti--they give as an example; imam--this; itihâsam--the history (of Ajâmila); purâtanam--which is very old; dûtânâm--of the order carriers; visnu--of Lord Visnu; yamayoh--and of Yamarâja; samvâdah--the discussion; tam--that; nibodha--try to understand; me--from me.
TRANSLATION
In this regard, learned scholars and saintly persons describe a very old historical incident involving a discussion between the order carriers of Lord Visnu and those of Yamaraja. Please hear of this from me.
*******
TEXT 21
kânyakubje dvijah kascid
dâsî-patir ajâmilah
nâmnâ nasta-sadâcâro
dâsyâh samsarga-dûsitah
kânya-kubje--in the city of Kânyakubja (Kanauj, a town near Kanpur); dvijah--brâhmana; kascit--some; dâsî-patih--the husband of a low-class woman or prostitute; ajâmilah--Ajâmila; nâmnâ--by name; nasta-sat-âcârah--who lost all brahminical qualities; dâsyâh--of the prostitute or maidservant; samsarga-dûsitah--contaminated by the association.
TRANSLATION
In the city known as Kanyakubja there was a brahmana named Ajamila who married a prostitute maidservant and lost all his brahminical qualities because of the association of that low-class woman.
*******
TEXT 22
bandy-aksaih kaitavais cauryair
garhitâm vrttim âsthitah
bibhrat kutumbam asucir
yâtayâm âsa dehinah
bandî-aksaih--by unnecessarily arresting someone; kaitavaih--by cheating in gambling or throwing dice; cauryaih--by committing theft; garhitâm--condemned; vrttim--professions; âsthitah--who has undertaken (because of association with a prostitute); bibhrat--maintaining; kutumbam--his dependent wife and children; asucih--being most sinful; yâtayâm âsa--he gave trouble; dehinah--to other living entities.
TRANSLATION
This fallen brahmana, Ajamila, gave trouble to others by arresting them, by cheating them in gambling or by directly plundering them. This was the way he earned his livelihood and maintained his wife and children.
*******
TEXT 23
evam nivasatas tasya
lâlayânasya tat-sutân
kâlo 'tyagân mahân râjann
astâsîtyâyusah samâh
evam--in this way; nivasatah--living; tasya--of him (Ajâmila); lâlayânasya--maintaining; tat--of her (the sûdrânî); sutân--sons; kâlah--time; atyagât--passed away; mahân--a great amount; râjan--O King; astâsîtyâ--eighty-eight; âyusah--of the duration of life; samâh--years.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, while he thus spent his time in abominable, sinful activities to maintain his family of many sons, eighty-eight years of his life passed by.
*******
TEXT 24
tasya pravayasah putrâ
dasa tesâm tu yo 'vamah
bâlo nârâyano nâmnâ
pitros ca dayito bhrsam
tasya--of him (Ajâmila); pravayasah--who was very old; putrâh--sons; dasa--ten; tesâm--of all of them; tu--but; yah--the one who; avamah--the youngest; bâlah--child; nârâyanah--Nârâyana; nâmnâ--by name; pitroh--of the father and mother; ca--and; dayitah--dear; bhrsam--very.
TRANSLATION
That old man Ajamila had ten sons, of whom the youngest was a baby named Narayana. Since Narayana was the youngest of all the sons, he was naturally very dear to both his father and his mother.
*******
TEXT 25
sa baddha-hrdayas tasminn
arbhake kala-bhâsini
nirîksamânas tal-lîlâm
mumude jaratho bhrsam
sah--he; baddha-hrdayah--being very attached; tasmin--to that; arbhake--small child; kala-bhâsini--who could not talk clearly but talked in broken language; nirîksamânah--seeing; tat--his; lîlâm--pastimes (such as walking and talking to his father); mumude--enjoyed; jarathah--the old man; bhrsam--very much.
TRANSLATION
Because of the child's broken language and awkward movements, old Ajamila was very much attached to him. He always took care of the child and enjoyed the child's activities.
*******
TEXT 26
bhunjânah prapiban khâdan
bâlakam sneha-yantritah
bhojayan pâyayan mûdho
na vedâgatam antakam
bhunjânah--while eating; prapiban--while drinking; khâdan--while chewing; bâlakam--unto the child; sneha-yantritah--being attached by affection; bhojayan--feeding; pâyayan--giving something to drink; mûdhah--the foolish man; na--not; veda--understood; âgatam--had arrived; antakam--death.
TRANSLATION
When Ajamila chewed food and ate it, he called the child to chew and eat, and when he drank he called the child to drink also. Always engaged in taking care of the child and calling his name, Narayana, Ajamila could not understand that his own time was now exhausted and that death was upon him.
*******
TEXT 27
sa evam vartamâno jno
mrtyu-kâla upasthite
matim cakâra tanaye
bâle nârâyanâhvaye
sah--that Ajâmila; evam--thus; vartamânah--living; ajnah--foolish; mrtyu-kâle--when the time of death; upasthite--arrived; matim cakâra--concentrated his mind; tanaye--on his son; bâle--the child; nârâyana-âhvaye--whose name was Nârâyana.
TRANSLATION
When the time of death arrived for the foolish Ajamila, he began thinking exclusively of his son Narayana.
*******
TEXT 28-29
sa pâsa-hastâms trîn drstvâ
purusân ati-dârunân
vakra-tundân ûrdhva-romna
âtmânam netum âgatân
dûre krîdanakâsaktam
putram nârâyanâhvayam
plâvitena svarenoccair
âjuhâvâkulendriyah
sah--that person (Ajâmila); pâsa-hastân--having ropes in their hands; trîn--three; drstvâ--seeing; purusân--persons; ati-dârunân--very fearful in their features; vakra-tundân--with twisted faces; ûrdhva-romnah--with hair standing on the body; âtmânam--the self; netum--to take away; âgatân--arrived; dûre--a short distance away; krîdanaka-âsaktam--engaged in his play; putram--his child; nârâyana-âhvayam--named Nârâyana; plâvitena--with tearful eyes; svarena--with his voice; uccaih--very loudly; âjuhâva--called; âkula-indriyah--being full of anxiety.
TRANSLATION
Ajamila then saw three awkward persons with deformed bodily features, fierce, twisted faces, and hair standing erect on their bodies. With ropes in their hands, they had come to take him away to the abode of Yamaraja. When he saw them he was extremely bewildered, and because of attachment to his child, who was playing a short distance away, Ajamila began to call him loudly by his name. Thus with tears in his eyes he somehow or other chanted the holy name of Narayana.
*******
TEXT 30
nisamya mriyamânasya
mukhato hari-kîrtanam
bhartur nâma mahârâja
pârsadâh sahasâpatan
nisamya--hearing; mriyamânasya--of the dying man; mukhatah--from the mouth; hari-kîrtanam--chanting of the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhartuh nâma--the holy name of their master; mahâ-râja--O King; pârsadâh--the order carriers of Visnu; sahasâ--immediately; âpatan--arrived.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, the order carriers of Visnu, the Visnudutas, immediately arrived when they heard the holy name of their master from the mouth of the dying Ajamila, who had certainly chanted without offense because he had chanted in complete anxiety.
*******
TEXT 31
vikarsato 'ntar hrdayâd
dâsî-patim ajâmilam
yama-presyân visnudûtâ
vârayâm âsur ojasâ
vikarsatah--snatching; antah hrdayât--from within the heart; dâsî-patim--the husband of the prostitute; ajâmilam--Ajâmila; yama-presyân--the messengers of Yamarâja; visnu-dûtâh--the order carriers of Lord Visnu; vârayâm âsuh--forbade; ojasâ--with resounding voices.
TRANSLATION
The order carriers of Yamaraja were snatching the soul from the core of the heart of Ajamila, the husband of the prostitute, but with resounding voices the messengers of Lord Visnu, the Visnudutas, forbade them to do so.
*******
TEXT 32
ûcur nisedhitâs tâms te
vaivasvata-purahsarâh
ke yûyam pratiseddhâro
dharma-râjasya sâsanam
ûcuh--replied; nisedhitâh--being forbidden; tân--to the order carriers of Lord Visnu; te--they; vaivasvata--of Yamarâja; purah-sarâh--the assistants or messengers; ke--who; yûyam--all of you; pratised-dhârah--who are opposing; dharma-râjasya--of the king of religious principles, Yamarâja; sâsanam--the ruling jurisdiction.
TRANSLATION
When the order carriers of Yamaraja, the son of the sun-god, were thus forbidden, they replied: Who are you, sirs, that have the audacity to challenge the jurisdiction of Yamaraja?
*******
TEXT 33
kasya vâ kuta âyâtâh
kasmâd asya nisedhatha
him devâ upadevâ yâ
yûyam kim siddha-sattamâh
kasya--whose servants; vâ--or; kutah--from where; âyâtâh--have you come; kasmât--what is the reason; asya--(the taking away) of this Ajâmila; nisedhatha--are you forbidding; kim--whether; devâh--demigods; upadevâh--sub-demigods; yâh--who; yûyam--all of you; kim--whether; siddha-sat-tamâh--the best of the perfect beings, the pure devotees.
TRANSLATION
Dear sirs, whose servants are you, where have you come from, and why are you forbidding us to touch the body of Ajamila? Are you demigods from the heavenly planets, are you sub-demigods, or are you the best of devotees?
*******
TEXT 34-36
sarve padma-palâsâksâh
pîta-kauseya-vâsasah
kirîtinah kundalino
lasat-puskara-mâlinah
sarve ca nûtna-vayasah
sarve câru-caturbhujâh
dhanur-nisangâsi-gadâ-
sankha-cakrâmbuja-sriyah
diso vitimirâlokâh
kurvantah svena tejasâ
kim artham dharma-pâlasya
kinkarân no nisedhatha
sarve--all of you; padma-palâsa-aksâh--with eyes like the petals of a lotus flower; pîta--yellow; kauseya--silk; vâsasah--wearing garments; kirîtinah--with helmets; kundalinah--with earrings; lasat--glittering; puskara-mâlinah--with a garland of lotus flowers; sarve--all of you; ca--also; nûtna-vayasah--very youthful; sarve--all of you; câru--very beautiful; catuh-bhujâh--with four arms; dhanuh--bow; nisanga--quiver of arrows; asi--sword; gadâ--club; sankha--conchshell; cakra--disc; ambuja--lotus flower; sriyah--decorated with; disah--all directions; vitimira--without darkness; âlokâh--extraordinary illumination; kurvantah--exhibiting; svena--by your own; tejasâ--effulgence; kim artham--what is the purpose; dharma-pâlasya--of Yamarâja, the maintainer of religious principles; kinkarân--servants; nah--us; nisedhatha--you are forbidding.
TRANSLATION
The order carriers of Yamaraja said: Your eyes are just like the petals of lotus flowers. Dressed in yellow silken garments, decorated with garlands of lotuses, and wearing very attractive helmets on your heads and earrings on your ears, you all appear fresh and youthful. Your four long arms are decorated with bows and quivers of arrows and with swords, clubs, conchshells, discs and lotus flowers. Your effulgence has dissipated the darkness of this place with extraordinary illumination. Now, sirs, why are you obstructing us?
*******
TEXT 37
srî-suka uvâca
ity ukte yamadûtais te
vâsudevokta-kârinah
tân pratyûcuh prahasyedam
megha-nirhrâdayâ girâ
srî-sukah uvâca--Srî Sukadeva Gosvâmî said; iti--thus; ukte--being addressed; yamadûtaih--by the messengers of Yamarâja; te--they; vâsudeva-ukta-kârinah--who are always ready to execute the orders of Lord Vâsudeva (being personal associates of Lord Visnu who have obtained the liberation of sâlokya); tân--unto them; pratyûcuh--replied; prahasya--smiling; idam--this; megha-nirhrâdayâ--resounding like a rumbling cloud; girâ--with voices.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Being thus addressed by the messengers of Yamaraja, the servants of Vasudeva smiled and spoke the following words in voices as deep as the sound of rumbling clouds.
*******
TEXT 38
srî-visnudûtâ ûcuh
yûyam vai dharma-râjasya
yadi nirdesa-kârinah
brûta dharmasya nas tattvam
yac câdharmasya laksanam
srî-visnudûtâh ûcuh--the blessed messengers of Lord Visnu spoke; yûyam--all of you; vai--indeed; dharma-râjasya--of King Yamarâja, who knows the religious principles; yadi--if; nirdesa-kârinah--order carriers; brûta--just speak; dharmasya--of religious principles; nah--unto us; tattvam--the truth; yat--that which; ca--also; adharmasya--of impious activities; laksanam--symptoms.
TRANSLATION
The blessed messengers of Lord Visnu, the Visnudutas, said: If you are actually servants of Yamaraja, you must explain to us the meaning of religious principles and the symptoms of irreligion.
*******
TEXT 39
katham svid dhriyate dandah
kim vâsya sthânam îpsitam
dandyâh kim kârinah sarve
âho svit katicin nrnâm
katham svit--by which means; dhriyate--is imposed; dandah--punishment; kim--what; vâ--or; asya--of this; sthânam--the place; îpsitam--desirable; dandyâh--punishable; kim--whether; kârinah--fruitive actors; sarve--all; âho svit--or whether; katicit--some; nrnâm--of the human beings.
TRANSLATION
What is the process of punishing others? Who are the actual candidates for punishment? Are all karmis engaged in fruitive activities punishable, or only some of them?
*******
TEXT 40
yamadûtâ ûcuh
veda-pranihito dharmo
hy adhamaas tad-viparyayah
vedo nârâyanah sâksât
svayambhûr iti susruma
yamadûtâh ûcuh--the order carriers of Yamarâja said; veda--by the four Vedas (Sâma, Yajur, Rg and Atharva); pranihitah--prescribed; dharmah--religious principles; hi--indeed; adharmah--irreligious principles; tat-viparyayah--the opposite of that (that which is not supported by Vedic injunctions); vedah--the Vedas, books of knowledge; nârâyanah sâksât--directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead (being the words of Nârâyana); svayam-bhûh--self-born, self-sufficient (appearing only from the breath of Nârâyana and not being learned from anyone else); iti--thus; susruma--we have heard.
TRANSLATION
The Yamadutas replied: That which is prescribed in the Vedas constitutes dharma, the religious principles, and the opposite of that is irreligion. The Vedas are directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, and are self-born. This we have heard from Yamaraja.
*******
TEXT 41
yena sva-dhâmny amî bhâvâ
rajah-sattva-tamomayâh
guna-nâma-kriyâ-rûpair
vibhâvyante yathâ-tatham
yena--by whom (Nârâyana); sva-dhâmni--although in His own place, the spiritual world; amî--all these; bhâvâh--manifestations; rajah-sattva-tamah-mayâh--created by the three modes of material nature (passion, goodness and ignorance); guna--qualities; nâma--names; kriyâ--activities; rûpaih--and with forms; vibhâvyante--are variously manifested; yathâ-tatham--exactly to the right point.
TRANSLATION
The supreme cause of all causes, Narayana, is situated in His own abode in the spiritual world, but nevertheless He controls the entire cosmic manifestation according to the three modes of material nature--sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna. In this way all living entities are awarded different qualities, different names [such as brahmana, ksatriya and vaisya], different duties according to the varnasrama institution, and different forms. Thus Narayana is the cause of the entire cosmic manifestation.
*******
TEXT 42
sûryo 'gnih kham marud devah
somah sandhyâhanî disah
kam kuh svayam dharma iti
hy ete daihyasya sâksinah
sûryah--the sun-god; agnih--the fire; kham--the sky; marut--the air; devah--the demigods; somah--the moon; sandhyâ--evening; ahanî--the day and night; disah--the directions; kam--the water; kuh--the land; svayam--personally; dharmah--Yamarâja or the Supersoul; iti--thus; hi--indeed; ete--all of these; daihyasya--of a living entity embodied in the material elements; sâksinah--witnesses.
TRANSLATION
The sun, fire, sky, air, demigods, moon, evening, day, night, directions, water, land and Supersoul Himself all witness the activities of the living entity.
*******
TEXT 43
etair adharmo vijnâtah
sthânam dandasya yujyate
sarve karmânurodhena
dandam arhanti kârinah
etaih--by all these (witnesses, beginning from the sun-god); adharmah--deviation from the regulative principles; vijnâtah--is known; sthânam--the proper place; dandasya--of punishment; yujyate--is accepted as; sarve--all; karma-anurodhena--with consideration of the activities performed; dandam--punishment; arhanti--deserve; kârinah--the performers of sinful activities.
TRANSLATION
The candidates for punishment are those who are confirmed by these many witnesses to have deviated from their prescribed regulative duties. Everyone engaged in fruitive activities is suitable to be subjected to punishment according to his sinful acts.
*******
TEXT 44
sambhavanti hi bhadrâni
viparîtâni cânaghâh
kârinâm guna-sango 'sti
dehavân na hy akamaa-krt
sambhavanti--there are; hi--indeed; bhadrâni--auspicious, pious activities; viparîtâni--just the opposite (inauspicious, sinful activities); ca--also; anaghâh--O sinless inhabitants of Vaikuntha; kârinâm--of the fruitive workers; guna-sangah--contamination of the three modes of nature; asti--there is; deha-vân--anyone who has accepted this material body; na--not; hi--indeed; akarma-krt--without performing action.
TRANSLATION
O inhabitants of Vaikuntha, you are sinless, but those within this material world are all karmis, whether acting piously or impiously. Both kinds of action are possible for them because they are contaminated by the three modes of nature and must act accordingly. One who has accepted a material body cannot be inactive, and sinful action is inevitable for one acting under the modes of material nature. Therefore all the living entities within this material world are punishable.
*******
TEXT 45
yena yâvân yathâdharmo
dhamao veha samîhitah
sa eva tat-phalam bhunkte
tathâ tâvad amutra vai
yena--by which person; yâvân--to which extent; yathâ--in which manner; adharmah--irreligious activities; dharmah--religious activities; vâ--or; iha--in this life; samîhitah--performed; sah--that person; eva--indeed; tat-phalam--the particular result of that; bhunkte--enjoys or suffers; tathâ--in that way; tâvat--to that extent; amutra--in the next life; vai--indeed.
TRANSLATION
In proportion to the extent of one's religious or irreligious actions in this life, one must enjoy or suffer the corresponding reactions of his karma in the next.
PURPORT
As stated in Bhagavad-gita (14.18):
urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha
adho gacchanti tamasah
Those who act in the mode of goodness are promoted to higher planetary systems to become demigods, those who act in an ordinary way and do not commit excessively sinful acts remain within this middle planetary system, and those who perform abominable sinful actions must go down to hellish life.
*******
TEXT 46
yatheha deva-pravarâs
trai-vidhyam upalabhyate
bhûtesu guna-vaicitryât
tathânyatrânumîyate
yathâ--just as; iha--in this life; deva-pravarâh--O best of the demigods; trai-vidhyam--three kinds of attributes; upalabhyate--are achieved; bhûtesu--among all living entities; guna-vaicitryât--because of the diversity of the contamination by the three modes of nature; tathâ--similarly; anyatra--in other places; anumîyate--it is inferred.
TRANSLATION
O best of the demigods, we can see three different varieties of life, which are due to the contamination of the three modes of nature. The living entities are thus known as peaceful, restless and foolish; as happy, unhappy or in-between; or as religious, irreligious and semireligious. We can deduce that in the next life these three kinds of material nature will similarly act.
*******
TEXT 47
vartamâno 'nyayoh kâlo
gunâbhijnâpako yathâ
evam janmânyayor etad
dharmâdharma-nidarsanam
vartamânah--the present; anyayoh--of the past and future; kâlah--time; guna-abhijnâpakah--making known the qualities; yathâ--just as; evam--thus; janma--birth; anyayoh--of the past and future births; etat--this; dharma--religious principles; adharma--irreligious principles; nidarsanam--indicating.
TRANSLATION
Just as springtime in the present indicates the nature of springtimes in the past and future, so this life of happiness, distress or a mixture of both gives evidence concerning the religious and irreligious activities of one's past and future lives.
*******
TEXT 48
manasaiva pure devah
pûrva-rûpam vipasyati
anumîmâmsate 'pûrvam
manasâ bhagavân ajah
manasâ--by the mind; eva--indeed; pure--in his abode, or within everyone's heart like the Supersoul; devah--the demigod Yamarâja (dîvyatîti devah, one who is always brilliant and illuminated is called deva); pûrva-rûpam--the past religious or irreligious condition; vipasyati--completely observes; anumîmâmsate--he considers; apûrvam--the future condition; manasâ--with his mind; bhagavân--who is omnipotent; ajah--as good as Lord Brahmâ.
TRANSLATION
The omnipotent Yamaraja is as good as Lord Brahma, for while situated in his own abode or in everyone's heart like the Paramatma, he mentally observes the past activities of a living entity and thus understands how the living entity will act in future lives.
PURPORT
One should not consider Yamaraja an ordinary living being. He is as good as Lord Brahma. He has the complete cooperation of the Supreme Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart, and therefore, by the grace of the Supersoul, he can see the past, present and future of a living being from within. The word anumimamsate means that he can decide in consultation with the Supersoul. Anu means "following." The actual decisions concerning the next lives of the living entities are made by the Supersoul, and they are carried out by Yamaraja.
*******
TEXT 49
yathâjnas tamasâ yukta
upâste vyaktam eva hi
na veda pûrvam aparam
nasta janma-smrtis tathâ
yathâ--just as; ajnah--an ignorant living being; tamasâ--in sleep; yuktah--engaged; upâste--acts according to; vyaktam--a body manifested in a dream; eva--certainly; hi--indeed; na veda--does not know; pûrvam--the past body; aparam--the next body; nasta--lost; janma-smrtih--the remembrance of birth; tathâ--similarly.
TRANSLATION
As a sleeping person acts according to the body manifested in his dreams and accepts it to be himself, so one identifies with his present body, which he acquired because of his past religious or irreligious actions, and is unable to know his past or future lives.
*******
TEXT 50
pancabhih kurute svârthân
panca vedâtha pancabhih
ekas tu sodasena trîn
svayam saptadaso 'snute
pancabhih--with the five working senses (voice, arms, legs, anus and genitals); kurute--performs; sva-arthân--his desired interests; panca--the five objects of the senses (sound, form, touch, aroma and taste); veda--knows; atha--thus; pancabhih--by the five senses of perception (hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting and feeling); ekah--the one; tu--but; sodasena--by these fifteen items and the mind; trîn--the three categories of experience (happiness, distress and a mixture of both); svayam--he, the living entity himself; saptadasah--the seventeenth item; asnute--enjoys.
TRANSLATION
Above the five senses of perception, the five working senses and the five objects of the senses is the mind, which is the sixteenth element. Above the mind is the seventeenth element, the soul, the living being himself, who, in cooperation with the other sixteen, enjoys the material world alone. The living being enjoys three kinds of situations, namely happy, distressful and mixed.
*******
TEXT 51
tad etat sodasa-kalam
lingam sakti-trayam mahat
dhatte 'nusamsrtim pumsi
harsa-soka-bhayârtidâm
tat--therefore; etat--this; sodasa-kalam--made of sixteen parts (namely the ten senses, the mind and the five sense objects); lingam--the subtle body; sakti-trayam--the effect of the three modes of material nature; mahat--insurmountable; dhatte--gives; anusamsrtim--almost perpetual rotation and transmigration in different types of bodies; pumsi--unto the living entity; harsa--jubilation; soka--lamentation; bhaya--fear; ârti--misery; dâm--which gives.
TRANSLATION
The subtle body is endowed with sixteen parts--the five knowledge-acquiring senses, the five working senses, the five objects of sense gratification, and the mind. This subtle body is an effect of the three modes of material nature. It is composed of insurmountably strong desires, and therefore it causes the living entity to transmigrate from one body to another in human life, animal life and life as a demigod. When the living entity gets the body of a demigod, he is certainly very jubilant, when he gets a human body he is always in lamentation, and when he gets the body of an animal, he is always afraid. In all conditions, however, he is actually miserable. His miserable condition is called samsrti, or transmigration in material life.
*******
TEXT 52
dehy ajno 'jita-sad-vargo
necchan karmâni kâryate
kosakâra ivâtmânam
karmanâcchâdya muhyati
dehî--the embodied soul; ajnah--without perfect knowledge; ajita-sat-vargah--who has not controlled the senses of perception and the mind; na icchan--without desiring; karmâni--activities for material benefit; kâryate--is caused to perform; kosakârah--the silkworm; iva--like; âtmânam--himself; karmanâ--by fruitive activities; âcchâdya--covering; muhyati--becomes bewildered.
TRANSLATION
The foolish embodied living entity, inept at controlling his senses and mind, is forced to act according to the influence of the modes of material nature, against his desires. He is like a silkworm that uses its own saliva to create a cocoon and then becomes trapped in it, with no possibility of getting out. The living entity traps himself in a network of his own fruitive activities and then can find no way to release himself. Thus he is always bewildered, and repeatedly he dies.
PURPORT
As already explained, the influence of the modes of nature is very strong. The living entity entangled in different types of fruitive activity is like a silkworm trapped in a cocoon. Getting free is very difficult unless he is helped by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
*******
TEXT 53
na hi kascit ksanam api
jâtu tisthaty akarma-krt
kâryate hy avasah karma
gunaih svâbhâvikair balât
na--not; hi--indeed; kascit--anyone; ksanam api--even for a moment; jâtu--at any time; tisthati--remains; akarma-krt--without doing anything; kâryate--he is caused to perform; hi--indeed; avasah--automatically; karma--fruitive activities; gunaih--by the three modes of nature; svâbhâvikaih--which are produced by his own tendencies in previous lives; balât--by force.
TRANSLATION
Not a single living entity can remain unengaged even for a moment. One must act by his natural tendency according to the three modes of material nature because this natural tendency forcibly makes him work in a particular way.
*******
TEXT 54
labdhvâ nimittam avyaktam
vyaktâvyaktam bhavaty uta
yathâ-yoni yathâ-bîjam
svabhâvena balîyasâ
labdhvâ--having gotten; nimittam--the cause; avyaktam--unseen or unknown to the person; vyakta-avyaktam--manifested and unmanifested, or the gross body and the subtle body; bhavati--come into being; uta--certainly; yathâ-yoni--exactly like the mother; yathâ-bîjam--exactly like the father; sva-bhâvena--by the natural tendency; balîyasâ--which is very powerful.
TRANSLATION
The fruitive activities a living being performs, whether pious or impious, are the unseen cause for the fulfillment of his desires. This unseen cause is the root for the living entity's different bodies. Because of his intense desire, the living entity takes birth in a particular family and receives a body which is either like that of his mother or like that of his father. The gross and subtle bodies are created according to his desire.
PURPORT
The gross body is a product of the subtle body. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (8.6):
yam yam vapi smaran bhavam
tyajaty ante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya
sada tad-bhava-bhavitah
"Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail." The atmosphere of the subtle body at the time of death is created by the activities of the gross body. Thus the gross body acts during one's lifetime, and the subtle body acts at the time of death. The subtle body, which is called linga, the body of desire, is the background for the development of a particular type of gross body, which is either like that of one's mother or like that of one's father. According to the Rg Veda, if at the time of sex the secretions of the mother are more profuse than those of the father, the child will receive a female body, and if the secretions of the father are more profuse than those of the mother, the child will receive a male body. These are the subtle laws of nature, which act according to the desire of the living entity. If a human being is taught to change his subtle body by developing a consciousness of Krsna, at the time of death the subtle body will create a gross body in which he will be a devotee of Krsna, or if he is still more perfect, he will not take another material body but will immediately get a spiritual body and thus return home, back to Godhead. This is the process of the transmigration of the soul. Therefore instead of trying to unite human society through pacts for sense gratification that can never be achieved, it is clearly desirable to teach people how to become Krsna conscious and return home, back to Godhead. This is true now and, indeed, at any time.
*******
TEXT 55
esa prakrti-sangena
purusasya viparyayah
âsît sa eva na cirâd
îsa-sangâd vilîyate
esah--this; prakrti-sangena--because of association with the material nature; purusasya--of the living entity; viparyayah--a situation of forgetfulness or an awkward position; âsît--came to be; sah--that position; eva--indeed; ma--not; cirât--taking a long time; îsa-sangât--from the association of the Supreme Lord; vilîyate--is vanquished.
TRANSLATION
Since the living entity is associated with material nature, he is in an awkward position, but if in the human form of life he is taught how to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His devotee, this position can be overcome.
*******
TEXT 56-57
ayam hi sruta-sampannah
sîla-vrtta-gunâlayah
dhrta-vrato mrdur dântah
satya-vân mantra-vic chucih
gurv-agny-atithi-vrddhânâm
susrûsur anahankrtah
sarva-bhûta-suhrt sâdhur
mita-vâg anasûyakah
ayam--this person (known as Ajâmila); hi--indeed; sruta-sampannah--well educated in Vedic knowledge; sîla--of good character; vrtta--good conduct; guna--and good qualities; âlayah--the reservoir; dhrta-vratah--fixed in the execution of the Vedic injunctions; mrduh--very mild; dântah--completely controlling the mind and senses; satya-vâk--always truthful; mantra-vit--knowing how to chant the Vedic hymns; sucih--always very neat and clean; guru--the spiritual master; agni--the fire-god; atithi--guests; vrddhânâm--and of the old household members; susrûsuh--very respectfully engaged in the service; anahankrtah--without pride or false prestige; sarva-bhûta-suhrt--friendly to all living entities; sâdhuh--well behaved (no one could find any fault in his character); mita-vâk--talking with great care not to speak nonsense; anasûyakah--not envious.
TRANSLATION
In the beginning this brahmana named Ajamila studied all the Vedic literatures. He was a reservoir of good character, good conduct and good qualities. Firmly established in executing all the Vedic injunctions, he was very mild and gentle, and he kept his mind and senses under control. Furthermore, he was always truthful, he knew how to chant the Vedic mantras, and he was also very pure. Ajamila was very respectful to his spiritual master, the fire-god, guests, and the elderly members of his household. Indeed, he was free from false prestige. He was upright, benevolent to all living entities, and well behaved. He would never speak nonsense or envy anyone.
*******
TEXT 58-60
ekadâsau vanam yâtah
pitr-sandesa-krd dvijah
âdâya tata âvrttah
phala-puspa-samit-kusân
dadarsa kâminam kancic
chûdram saha bhujisyayâ
pîtvâ ca madhu maireyam
madâghûrnita-netrayâ
mattayâ vislathan-nîvyâ
vyapetam nirapatrapam
krîdantam anugâyantam
hasantam anayântike
ekadâ--once upon a time; asau--this Ajâmila; vanam yâtah--went to the forest; pitr--of his father; sandesa--the order; krt--carrying out; dvijah--the brâhmana; âdâya--collecting; tatah--from the forest; âvrttah--returning; phala-puspa--fruits and flowers; samit-kusân--two kinds of grass, known as samit and kusa;
dadarsa--saw; kâminam--very lusty; kancit--someone; sûdram--a fourth-class man, a sûdra; saha--along with; bhujisyayâ--an ordinary maidservant or prostitute; pîtvâ--after drinking; ca--also; madhu--nectar; maireyam--made of the soma flower; mada--by intoxication; âghûrnita--moving; netrayâ--her eyes;
mattayâ--intoxicated; vislathat-nîvyâ--whose dress was slackened; vyapetam--fallen from proper behavior; nirapatrapam--without fear of public opinion; krîdantam--engaged in enjoyment; anugâyantam--singing; hasantam--smiling; anayâ--with her; antike--close by.
TRANSLATION
Once this brahmana Ajamila, following the order of his father, went to the forest to collect fruit, flowers and two kinds of grass, called samit and kusa. On the way home, he came upon a sudra, a very lusty, fourth-class man, who was shamelessly embracing and kissing a prostitute. The sudra was smiling, singing and enjoying as if this were proper behavior. Both the sudra and the prostitute were drunk. The prostitute's eyes were rolling in intoxication, and her dress had become loose. Such was the condition in which Ajamila saw them.
*******
TEXT 61
drstvâ tâm kâma-liptena
bâhunâ parirambhitâm
jagâma hrc-chaya-vasam
sahasaiva vimohitah
drstvâ--by seeing; tâm--her (the prostitute); kâma-liptena--decorated with turmeric to incite lusty desires; bâhunâ--with the arm; parirambhitâm--embraced; jagâma--went; hrt-saya--of lusty desires within the heart; vasam--under the control; sahasâ--suddenly; eva--indeed; vimohitah--being illusioned.
TRANSLATION
The sudra, his arm decorated with turmeric powder, was embracing the prostitute. When Ajamila saw her, the dormant lusty desires in his heart awakened, and in illusion he fell under their control.
PURPORT
It is said that if one's body is smeared with turmeric, it attracts the lusty desires of the opposite sex. The word kama-liptena indicates that the sudra was decorated with turmeric smeared on his body.
*******
TEXT 62
stambhayann âtmanâtmânam
yâvat sattvam yathâ-srutam
na sasâka samâdhâtum
mano madana-vepitam
stambhayan--trying to control; âtmanâ--by the intelligence; âtmânam--the mind; yâvat sattvam--as far as possible for him; yathâ-srutam--by remembering the instruction (of celibacy, brahmacarya, not even to see a woman); na--not; sasâka--was able; samâdhâtum--to restrain; manah--the mind; madana-vepitam--agitated by Cupid or lusty desire.
TRANSLATION
As far as possible he patiently tried to remember the instructions of the sastras not even to see a woman. With the help of this knowledge and his intellect, he tried to control his lusty desires, but because of the force of Cupid within his heart, he failed to control his mind.
*******
TEXT 63
tan-nimitta-smara-vyâja-
graha-grasto vicetanah
tâm eva manasâ dhyâyan
sva-dharmâd virarâma ha
tat-nimitta--caused by the sight of her; smara-vyâja--taking advantage of his thinking of her always; graha-grastah--being caught by an eclipse; vicetanah--having completely forgotten his real position; tâm--her; eva--certainly; manasâ--by the mind; dhyâyan--meditating upon; sva-dharmât--from the regulative principles executed by a brâhmana; virarâma ha--he completely ceased.
TRANSLATION
In the same way that the sun and moon are eclipsed by a low planet, the brahmana lost all his good sense. Taking advantage of this situation, he always thought of the prostitute, and within a short time he took her as a servant in his house and abandoned all the regulative principles of a brahmana.
*******
TEXT 64
tâm eva tosayâm âsa
pitryenârthena yâvatâ
grâmyair manoramaih kâmaih
prasîdeta yathâ tathâ
tâm--her (the prostitute); eva--indeed; tosayâm âsa--he tried to please; pitryena--he got from his father's hard labor; arthena--by the money; yâvatâ--as long as possible; grâmyaih--material; manah-ramaih--pleasing to her mind; kâmaih--by presentations for sense enjoyment; prasîdeta--she would be satisfied; yathâ--so that; tathâ--in that way.
TRANSLATION
Thus Ajamila began spending whatever money he had inherited from his father to satisfy the prostitute with various material presentations so that she would remain pleased with him. He gave up all his brahminical activities to satisfy the prostitute.
*******
TEXT 65
viprâm sva-bhâryâm apraudhâm
kule mahati lambhitâm
visasarjâcirât pâpah
svairinyâpânga-viddha-dhîh
viprâm--the daughter of a brâhmana; sva-bhâryâm--his wife; apraudhâm--not very old (youthful); kule--from a family; mahati--very respectable; lambhitâm--married; visasarja--he gave up; acirât--very soon; pâpah--being sinful; svairinyâ--of the prostitute; apânga-viddha-dhîh--his intelligence pierced by the lustful glance.
TRANSLATION
Because his intelligence was pierced by the lustful glance of the prostitute, the victimized brahmana Ajamila engaged in sinful acts in her association. He even gave up the company of his very beautiful young wife, who came from a very respectable brahmana family.
*******
TEXT 66
yatas tatas copaninye
nyâyato 'nyâyato dhanam
babhârâsyâh kutumbinyâh
kutumbam manda-dhîr ayam
yatah tatah--wherever possible, however possible; ca--and; upaninye--he got; nyâyatah--properly; anyâyatah--improperly; dhanam--money; babhâra--he maintained; asyâh--of her; kutum-binyâh--possessing many sons and daughters; kutumbam--the family; manda-dhîh--bereft of all intelligence; ayam--this person (Ajâmila).
TRANSLATION
Although born of a brahmana family, this rascal, bereft of intelligence because of the prostitute's association, earned money somehow or other, regardless of whether properly or improperly, and used it to maintain the prostitute's sons and daughters.
*******
TEXT 67
yad asau sâstram ulanghya
svaira-câry ati-garhitah
avartata ciram kâlam
aghâyur asucir malât
yat--because; asau--this brâhmana; sâstram ullanghya--transgressing the laws of sâstra; svaira-cârî--acting irresponsibly; ati-garhitah--very much condemned; avartata--passed; ciram kâlam--a long time; agha-âyuh--whose life was full of sinful activities; asucih--unclean; malât--because of impurity.
TRANSLATION
This brahmana irresponsibly spent his long lifetime transgressing all the rules and regulations of the holy scripture, living extravagantly and eating food prepared by a prostitute. Therefore he is full of sins. He is unclean and is addicted to forbidden activities.
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TEXT 68
tata enam danda-pâneh
sakâsam krta-kilbisam
nesyâmo 'krta-nirvesam
yatra dandena suddhyati
tatah--therefore; enam--him; danda-pâneh--of Yamarâja, who is authorized to punish; sakâsam--in the presence; krta-kilbisam--who has regularly committed all sinful activities; nesyâmah--we shall take; akrta-nirvesam--who has not undergone atonement; yatra--where; dandena--by punishment; suddhyati--he will be purified.
TRANSLATION
This man Ajamila did not undergo atonement. Therefore because of his sinful life, we must take him into the presence of Yamaraja for punishment. There, according to the extent of his sinful acts, he will be punished and thus purified.
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