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rmad-Bhgavatam
Canto 12 - The Age of Deterioration
Then the power of rulership in the countries of Magadha and so forth will
fall to kings who are no better than dras and mlecchas and are totally
absorbed in irreligion.
TEXTS 1-2
r-uka uvca
yo 'ntya purajayo nma
bhaviyo brahadratha
tasymtyas tu unako
hatv svminam tma-jam
pradyota-saja rjna
kart yat-plaka suta
vikhaypas tat-putro
bhavit rjakas tata
r uka uvcar ukadeva Gosvm said; yawho; antyathe final
member (of the lineage described in the Ninth Canto); purajaya
Purajaya (Ripujaya); nmanamed; bhaviyawill live in the future;
brahadrathathe descendant of Bhadratha; tasyahis; amtya
minister; tubut; unakaunaka; hatvkilling; svminamhis
master; tma-jamhis own son; pradyota-sajamnamed Pradyota;
rjnamthe king; kartwill make; yatwhose; plakanamed
Plaka; sutathe son; vikhaypaVikhaypa; tat-putrathe son
of Plaka; bhavitwill be; rjakaRjaka; tatathen (coming as the
son of Vikhaypa).
ukadeva Gosvm said: The last king mentioned in our previous
enumeration of the future rulers of the Mgadha dynasty was Purajaya,
who will take birth as the descendant of Bhadratha. Purajaya's
minister unaka will assassinate the king and install his own son,
Pradyota, on the throne. The son of Pradyota will be Plaka, his son will
be Vikhaypa, and his son will be Rjaka.
The vicious political intrigue described here is symptomatic of the age of
Kali. In the Ninth Canto of this work, ukadeva Gosvm describes how
the great rulers of men descended from two royal dynasties, that of the
sun and that of the moon. The Ninth Canto's description of Lord
Rmacandra, a most famous incarnation of God, occurs in this
TEXT 9
sa eka-cchatr pthivm
anullaghita-sana
siyati mahpadmo
dvitya iva bhrgava
sahe (Nanda); eka-chatrmunder a single leadership; pthivmthe
entire earth; anullaghitaundefied; sanahis rulership; siyatihe
will have sovereignty over; mahpadmathe lord of Mahpadma;
dvityaa second; iva-as if; bhrgavaParaurma.
That lord of Mahpadma, King Nanda, will rule over the entire earth
just like a second Paraurma, and no one will challenge his authority.
In the eighth verse of this chapter it was mentioned that King Nanda
would destroy the remnants of the katriya order. Therefore he is here
compared to Lord Paraurma, who annihilated the katriya class twentyone times in a previous age.
TEXT 10
tasya cau bhaviyanti
sumlya-pramukh sut
ya im bhokyanti mah
rjna ca ata sam
tasyaof him (Nanda); caand; aaueight; bhaviyantiwill take
birth; sumlya-pramukhheaded by Sumlya; sutsons; yewho;
immthis; bhokyantiwill enjoy; mahmthe earth; rjnakings;
caand; atamone hundred; samyears.
He will have eight sons, headed by Sumlya, who will control the earth
as powerful kings for one hundred years.
TEXT 11
nava nandn dvija kacit
prapannn uddhariyati
te abhve jagat
maury bhokyanti vai kalau
bhavit tad-bhadratha
suyaSuya; bhavitwill be born; tasyaof him (Aokavardhana);
sagataSagata; suyaa-sutathe son of Suya; lika
lika; tatanext; tasyaof him (lika); somaarmSomaarm;
bhaviyatiwill be; atadhanvatadhanv; tatanext; tasyaof him
(Somaarm); bhavitwill be; tatof him (atadhanv); bhadratha
Bhadratha.
Aokavardhana will be followed by Suya, whose son will be Sagata.
His son will be lika, lika's son will be Somaarm, and
Somaarm's son will be atadhanv. His son will be known as
Brhadratha.
TEXT 14
maury hy ete daa np
sapta-triac-chatottaram
sam bhokyanti pthiv
kalau kuru-kulodvaha
maurythe Mauryas; hiindeed; etethese; daaten; npkings;
sapta-triatthirty-seven; ataone hundred; uttarammore than;
samyears; bhokyantithey will rule; pthivmthe earth; kalauin
Kali-yuga; kuru-kulaof the Kuru dynasty; udvahaO most eminent
hero.
O best of the Kurus, these ten Maurya kings will rule the earth for 137
years of the Kali-yuga.
Although nine kings are mentioned by name, Daaratha appeared after
Sujyeha, before the rule of Sagata, and thus there are ten Maurya kings.
TEXTS 15-17
agnimitras tatas tasmt
sujyeho bhavit tata
vasumitro bhadraka ca
pulindo bhavit suta
tato ghoa sutas tasmd
vajramitro bhaviyati
tato bhgavatas tasmd
devabhti kurdvaha
ug daaite bhokyanti
bhmi vara-atdhikam
tata kvn iya bhmir
ysyaty alpa-gun npa
agnimitraAgnimitra; tatafrom Pupamitra, the general who will
murder Bhadratha; tasmtfrom him (Agnimitra); sujyeha
Sujyeha; bhavitwill be; tatafrom him; vasumitraVasumitra;
bhadrakaBhadraka; caand; pulindaPulinda; bhavitwill be;
sutathe son; tatafrom him (Pulinda); ghoaGhoa; sutathe
son; tasmtfrom him; vajramitraVajramitra; bhaviyatiwill be;
tatafrom him; bhgavataBhgavata; tasmtfrom him; devabhti
Devabhti; kuru-udvahaO most eminent of the Kurus; ugthe
ugas; daaten; etethese; bhokyantiwill enjoy; bhmimthe
earth; varayears; ataone hundred; adhikammore than; tata
then; kvnthe Kva dynasty; iyamthis; bhmithe earth;
ysyatiwill come under the domain; alpa-gunof few good qualities;
npaO King Parkit.
My dear King Parkit, Agnimitra will follow as king, and then
Sujyeha. Sujyeha will be followed by Vasumitra, Bhadraka, and the
son of Bhadraka, Pulinda. Then the son of Pulinda, named Ghoa, will
rule, followed by Vajramitra, Bhgavata and Devabhti. In this way, O
most eminent of the Kuru heroes, ten uga kings will rule over the
earth for more than one hundred years. Then the earth will come under
the subjugation of the kings of the Kva dynasty, who will manifest
very few good qualities.
According to rla rdhara Svm, the uga dynasty began when General
Pupamitra killed his king, Bhadratha, and assumed power. After
Pupamitra came Agnimitra and the rest of the uga dynasty, which
lasted for 112 years.
TEXT 18
uga hatv devabhti
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11
g bhokyaty andhra-jtya
kacit klam asattama
hatvkilling; kvamthe Kva king; suarmamnamed Suarm;
tat-bhtyahis own servant; valaa low-class dra; balnamed
Bal; gmthe earth; bhokyatiwill rule; andhra-jtyaof the Andhra
race; kacitfor some; klamtime; asattamamost degraded.
The last of the Kvas, Suarm, will be murdered by his own servant,
Bal a low-class dra of the Andhra race. This most degraded Mahrja
Bal will have control over the earth for some time.
Here is a further description of how uncultured men infiltrated
government administration. The so-called king named Bal is described as
asattama, a most impious, uncultured man.
TEXTS 21-26
ka-nmtha tad-bhrt
bhavit pthiv-pati
r-ntakaras tat-putra
pauramsas tu tat-suta
lambodaras tu tat-putras
tasmc cibilako npa
meghasvti cibilakd
aamnas tu tasya ca
aniakarm hleyas
talakas tasya ctma-ja
purabhrus tat-putras
tato rj sunandana
cakoro bahavo yatra
ivasvtir arin-dama
tasypi gomat putra
purmn bhavit tata
medair ivaskando
yajars tat-sutas tata
vijayas tat-suto bhvya
candravija sa-lomadhi
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Lomadhi. These thirty kings will enjoy sovereignty over the earth for a
total of 456 years, O favorite son of the Kurus.
TEXT 27
saptbhr vabhty
daa gardabhino np
kak oaa bh-pl
bhaviyanty ati-lolup
saptaseven; bhrbhras; vabhtyof the city of Avabhti;
daaten; gardabhinaGardabhs; npkings; kakKakas;
oaasixteen; bh-plrulers of the earth; bhaviyantiwill be; atilolupvery greedy.
Then will follow seven kings of the bhra race from the ciq of
Avabhti, and then ten Gardabhs. After them, sixteen kings of the
Kakas will rule and will be known for their excessive greed.
TEXT 28
tato 'au yavan bhvy
caturdaa turukak
bhyo daa guru ca
maul ekdaaiva tu
tatathen; aaueight; yavanYavanas; bhvywill be; catudaafourteen; turukakTurukas; bhyafurthermore; daaten;
guruGuruas; caand; maulMaulas; ekdaaeleven; eva
indeed; tuand.
Eight Yavanas will then take power, followed by fourteen Turukas, ten
Guruas and eleven kings of the Maula dynasty.
TEXTS 29-31
ete bhokyanti pthiv
daa vara-atni ca
navdhik ca navati
maul ekdaa kitim
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temof them (Bhtananda and the other kings of the Kilakil dynasty);
trayodaathirteen; sutsons; bhavitrawill be; caand;
bhlikcalled the Bhlikas; pupamitraPupamitra; athathen;
rjanyathe king; durmitraDurmitra; asyahis (son); tathalso;
evaindeed; caand; eka-klruling at the same time; imethese;
bh-pkings;
saptaseven;
andhrAndhras;
saptaseven;
kaualkings of Kauala-dea; vidra-patayarulers of Vidra;
bhvywill be; niadhNiadhas; tatathen (after the Bhlikas);
eva hiindeed.
The Kilakils will be followed by their thirteen sons, the Bhlikas, and
after them King Pupamitra, his son Durmitra, seven Andhras, seven
Kaualas and also kings of the Vidra and Niadha provinces will
separately rule in different parts of the world.
TEXT 34
mgadhn tu bhavit
vivasphrji purajaya
kariyaty aparo varn
pulinda-yadu-madrakn
mgadhnmof the Magadha province; tuand; bhavitthere will be;
vivasphrjiVivasphrji; purajayaKing Purajaya; kariyatihe
will make; aparabeing the replica of; varnall the civilized classes
of men; pulinda-yadu-madrakninto outcastes such as the Pulindas,
Yadus and Madrakas.
There will then appear a king of the Mgadhas named Vivasphrji,
who will be like another Purajaya. He will turn all the civilized classes
into low-class, uncivilized men in the same category as the Pulindas,
Yadus and Madrakas.
TEXT 35
praj cbrahma-bhyih
sthpayiyati durmati
vryavn katram utsdya
padmavaty sa vai puri
anu-gagam -prayga
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his rule about one thousand years after the time of Lord Ka. Since Lord
Ka appeared approximately five thousand years ago, Purajaya must
have appeared about four thousand years ago. That would mean that
Vivasphrji, the last king mentioned, would have appeared
approximately in the twelfth century of the Christian era.
Modern Western scholars have made the false accusation that Indian
religious literature has no sense of chronological history. But the elaborate
historical chronology described in this chapter certainly refutes that naive
assessment.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda to the Twelfth Canto, First Chapter, of the
rmad-Bhgavatam, entitled "The Degraded Dynasties of Kali-yuga."
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This chapter relates that, when the bad qualities of the age of Kali will
increase to an intolerable level, the Supreme Personality of Godhead will
descend as Kalki to destroy those who are fixed in irreligion. After that, a
new Satya-yuga will begin.
As the age of Kali progresses, all good qualities of men diminish and all
impure qualities increase. Atheistic systems of so-called religion become
predominant, replacing the codes of Vedic law. The kings become just
like highway bandits, the people in general become dedicated to low
occupations, and all the social classes become just like dras. All cows
become like goats, all spiritual hermitages become like materialistic
homes, and family ties extend no further than the immediate relationship
of marriage.
When the age of Kali has almost ended, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead will incarnate. He will appear in the village ambhala, in the
home of the exalted brhmaa Viuya, and will take the name Kalki.
He will mount His horse Devadatta and, taking His sword in hand, will
roam about the earth killing millions of bandits in the guise of kings.
Then the signs of the next Satya-yuga will begin to appear. When the
moon, sun and the planet Bhaspati enter simultaneously into one
constellation and conjoin in the lunar mansion Puy, Satya-yuga will
begin. In the order of Satya, Tret, Dvpara and Kali, the cycle of four ages
rotates in the society of living entities in this universe.
The chapter ends with a brief description of the future dynasties of the
sun and moon coming from Vaivasvata Manu in the next Satya-yuga.
Even now two saintly katriyas are living who at the end of this Kali-yuga
will reinitiate the pious dynasties of the sun-god, Vivasvn, and the moongod, Candra. One of these kings is Devpi, a brother of Mahrja antanu,
and the other is Maru, a descendant of Ikvku. They are biding their time
incognito in a village named Kalpa.
TEXT 1
r-uka uvca
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at theology and religion. Thus dharma, or true religion, which is strict and
conscious obedience to God's law, is diminishing.
Satyam, truthfulness, is also diminishing, simply because people do not
know what the truth is. Without knowing the Absolute Truth, one cannot
clearly understand the real significance or purpose of life merely by
amassing huge quantities of relative or hypothetical truths.
Kam, tolerance or forgiveness, is diminishing as well, because there is
no practical method by which people can purify themselves and thus
become free of envy. Unless one is purified by chanting the holy names of
the Lord in an authorized program of spiritual improvement, the mind
will be overwhelmed by anger, envy and all sorts of small-mindedness.
Thus day, mercy, is also decreasing. All living beings are eternally
connected by their common participation in the divine existence of God.
When this existential oneness is obscured through atheism and
agnosticism, people are not inclined to be merciful to one another; they
cannot recognize their self-interest in promoting the welfare of other
living beings. In fact, people are no longer even merciful to themselves:
they systematically destroy themselves through liquor, drugs, tobacco,
meat-eating, sexual promiscuity and whatever other cheap gratificatory
processes are available to them.
Because of all these self-destructive practices and the powerful influence
of time, the average life span (yur) is decreasing. Modern scientists,
seeking to gain credibility among the mass of people, often publish
statistics supposedly showing that science has increased the average
duration of life. But these statistics do not take into account the number
of people killed through the cruel practice of abortion. When we figure
aborted children into the life expectancy of the total population, we find
that the average duration of life has not at all increased in the age of Kali
but is rather decreasing drastically.
Balam, bodily strength, is also decreasing. The Vedic literature states that
five thousand years ago, in the previous age, human beingsand even
animals and plantswere larger and stronger. With the progress of the
age of Kali, physical stature and strength will gradually diminish.
Certainly smti, memory, is weakening. In former ages human beings
possessed superior memory, and they also did not encumber themselves
with a terrible bureaucratic and technical society, as we have done. Thus
essential information and abiding wisdom were preserved without
recourse to writing. Of course, in the age of Kali things are dramatically
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different.
TEXT 2
vittam eva kalau n
janmcra-guodaya
dharma-nyya-vyavasthy
kraa balam eva hi
vittamwealth; evaalone; kalauin the age of Kali; nmamong
men; janmaof good birth; cragood behavior; guaand good
qualities; udayathe cause of manifestation; dharmaof religious duty;
nyyaand reason; vyavasthymin the establishment; kraamthe
cause; balamstrength; evaonly; hiindeed.
In Kali-yuga, wealth alone will be considered the sign of a man's good
birth, proper behavior and fine qualities. And law and justice will be
applied only on the basis of one's power.
In the age of Kali, a man is considered high class, middle class or low
class merely according to his financial status, regardless of his knowledge,
culture and behavior. In this age there are many great industrial and
commercial cities with luxurious neighborhoods reserved for the wealthy.
On beautiful tree-lined roads, within apparently aristocratic homes, it is
not unusual to find many perverted, dishonest and sinful activities taking
place. According to Vedic criteria, a man is considered high class if his
behavior is enlightened, and his behavior is considered enlightened if his
activities are dedicated to promoting the happiness of all creatures. Every
living being is originally happy, because in all living bodies there is an
eternal spiritual spark that partakes of the divine conscious nature of God.
When our original spiritual awareness is revived, we become naturally
blissful and satisfied in knowledge and peace. An enlightened, or
educated, man should endeavor to revive his own spiritual understanding,
and he should help others experience the same sublime consciousness.
The great Western philosopher Socrates stated that if a man is enlightened
he will automatically act virtuously, and rla Prabhupda confirmed this
fact. But in the Kali-yuga this obvious truth is disregarded, and the search
for knowledge and virtue has been replaced by a vicious, animalistic
competition for money. Those who prevail become the "top dogs" of
modern society, and their consumer power grants them a reputation as
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questioned if he does not earn a good living. And one who is very clever
at juggling words will be considered a learned scholar.
The previous verse stated that in the age of Kali the priestly class will be
recognized by external symbols alone, and this verse extends the same
principle to the other orders of society, namely the political or military
class, the business or productive class, and finally the laborer or artisan
class.
Modern sociologists have demonstrated that in those societies chiefly
governed by the Protestant ethic, poverty is considered a sign of
indolence, dirtiness, stupidity, immorality and worthlessness. In a Godconscious society, however, many persons voluntarily decide to dedicate
their lives not to material acquisition but rather to the pursuit of
knowledge and spirituality. Thus a preference for the simple and the
austere may indicate intelligence, self-control and sensitivity to the higher
purpose of life. Of course, in itself poverty does not establish these
virtues, but it may sometimes be the result of them. In the Kali-yuga,
however, this possibility is often forgotten.
Intellectuality is another casualty of the bewildering age of Kali. Modern
so-called philosophers and scientists have created a technical, esoteric
terminology for each branch of learning, and when they give lectures
people consider them learned simply because of their ability to speak that
which no one else can understand. In Western culture, the Greek Sophists
were among the first to systematically argue for rhetoric and "efficiency"
above wisdom and purity, and sophistry certainly flourishes in the
twentieth century. Modern universities have very little wisdom, though
they do possess a virtual infinity of technical data. Although many
modern thinkers are fundamentally ignorant of the higher, spiritual
reality, they are, so to speak, "good talkers," and most people simply don't
notice their ignorance.
TEXT 5
anhyataivsdhutve
sdhutve dambha eva tu
svkra eva codvhe
snnam eva prasdhanam
anhyatpoverty; evasimply; asdhutvein one's being unholy;
sdhutvein virtue, or success; dambhahypocrisy; evaalone; tu
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rulers, who will behave no better than ordinary thieves, the citizens will
flee to the mountains and forests.
TEXT 9
ka-mlmia-kaudraphala-pupi-bhojan
anvy vinakyanti
durbhika-kara-pit
kaleaves; mlaroots; miameat; kaudrawild honey; phala
fruits; pupaflowers; aiand seeds; bhojaneating; anvy
because of drought; vinakyantithey will become ruined; durbhika
by famine; karaand taxation; pittormented.
Harassed by famine and excessive taxes, people will resort to eating
leaves, roots, flesh, wild honey, fruits, flowers and seeds. Struck by
drought, they will become completely ruined.
rmad-Bhgavatam authoritatively describes the future of our planet. Just
as a leaf disconnected from a plant or tree dries up, withers and
disintegrates, when human society is disconnected from the Supreme
Lord it withers up and disintegrates in violence and chaos. Despite our
computers and rockets, if the Supreme Lord does not send rain we shall
all starve.
TEXT 10
ta-vttapa-prvhimair anyonyata praj
kut-tbhy vydhibhi caiva
santapsyante ca cintay
taby cold; vtawind; tapathe heat of the sun; prvttorrential
rain; himaiand snow; anyonyataby quarrel; prajthe citizens;
kutby hunger; tbhymand thirst; vydhibhiby diseases; ca
also; evaindeed; santapsyantethey will suffer great distress; caand;
cintayby anxiety.
The citizens will suffer greatly from cold, wind, heat, rain and snow.
They will be further tormented by quarrels, hunger, thirst, disease and
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severe anxiety.
TEXT 11
triad viati vari
paramyu kalau nm
triatthirty; viatiplus twenty; variyears; parama-yuthe
maximum duration of life; kalauin Kali-yuga; nmof men.
The maximum duration of life for human beings in Kali-yuga will
become fifty years.
TEXTS 12-16
kyameu deheu
dehin kali-doata
varramavat dharme
nae veda-pathe nm
paa-pracure dharme
dasyu-pryeu rjasu
caurynta-vth-hisnn-vttiu vai nu
dra-pryeu vareu
cchga-prysu dhenuu
gha-pryev rameu
yauna-pryeu bandhuu
au-prysv oadhu
am-pryeu sthsnuu
vidyut-pryeu megheu
nya-pryeu sadmasu
ittha kalau gata-prye
janeu khara-dharmiu
dharma-trya sattvena
bhagavn avatariyati
kyameuhaving become smaller; deheuthe bodies; dehinmof
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Lord Kalki will appear in the home of the most eminent brhmaa of
ambhala village, the great soul Viuya.
TEXTS 19-20
avam u-gam ruhya
devadatta jagat-pati
asinsdhu-damanam
aaivarya-gunvita
vicarann un kauy
hayenpratima-dyuti
npa-liga-cchado dasyn
koio nihaniyati
avamHis
horse;
u-gamswift-traveling;
ruhyamounting;
devadattamnamed Devadatta; jagat-patithe Lord of the universe;
asinwith His sword; asdhu-damanam(the horse who) subdues the
unholy; aawith eight; aivaryamystic opulences; guaand
transcendental qualities of the Personality of Godhead; anvita
endowed; vicarantraveling about; unswift; kauymupon the
earth; hayenaby His horse; apratimaunrivaled; dyutiwhose
effulgence; npa-ligawith the dress of kings; chadadisguising
themselves; dasynthieves; koiaby the millions; nihaniyatiHe
will slaughter.
Lord Kalki, the Lord of the universe, will mount His swift horse
Devadatta and, sword in hand, travel over the earth exhibiting His eight
mystic opulences and eight special qualities of Godhead. Displaying His
unequaled effulgence and riding with great speed, He will kill by the
millions those thieves who have dared dress as kings.
These verses describe the thrilling pastimes of Lord Kalki. Anyone would
be attracted by the sight of a powerful, beautiful man riding on a
wonderful horse at lightning speed, chastising and devastating cruel,
demonic people with the sword in His hand.
Of course, fanatical materialists may argue that this picture of Lord Kalki
is a mere anthropomorphic creation of the human minda mythological
deity created by people who need to believe in some superior being. But
this argument is not logical, nor does it prove anything. It is merely the
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opinion of certain people. We need water, but that does not mean man
creates water. We also need food, oxygen and many other things that we
do not create. Since our general experience is that our needs correspond
to available objects existing in the external world, that we appear to need
a Supreme Lord would tend to indicate that in fact there is a Supreme
Lord. In other words, nature endows us with a sense of need for things
that actually exist and that are in fact necessary for our well-being.
Similarly, we experience a need for God because we are in fact part of God
and cannot live without Him. At the end of Kali-yuga this same God will
appear as the mighty Kalki avatra and beat the pollution out of the
demons.
TEXT 21
atha te bhaviyanti
mansi viadni vai
vsudevga-rgtipuya-gandhnila-spm
paura-jnapadn vai
hatev akhila-dasyuu
athathen; temof them; bhaviyantiwill become; mansithe
minds; viadniclear; vaiindeed; vsudevaof Lord Vsudeva; aga
of the body; rgafrom the cosmetic decorations; ati-puyamost
sacred; gandhahaving the fragrance; anilaby the wind; spmof
those who have been touched; pauraof the city-dwellers; janapadnmand the residents of the smaller towns and villages; vai
indeed; hateuwhen they have been killed; akhilaall; dasyuuthe
rascal kings.
After all the impostor kings have been killed, the residents of the cities
and towns will feel the breezes carrying the most sacred fragrance of
the sandalwood paste and other decorations of Lord Vsudeva, and
their minds will thereby become transcendentally pure.
Nothing can surpass the sublime experience of being dramatically rescued
by a great hero who happens to be the Supreme Lord. The death of the
demons at the end of Kali-yuga is accompanied by fragrant spiritual
breezes, and thus the atmosphere becomes most enchanting.
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TEXT 22
te praj-visarga ca
sthaviha sambhaviyati
vsudeve bhagavati
sattva-mrtau hdi sthite
temof them; prajof progeny; visargathe creation; caand;
sthavihaabundant; sambhaviyatiwill be; vsudeveLord Vsudeva;
bhagavatithe Supreme Personality of Godhead; sattva-mrtauin His
transcendental form of pure goodness; hdiin their hearts; sthitewhen
He is situated.
When Lord Vsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears in
their hearts in His transcendental form of goodness, the remaining
citizens will abundantly repopulate the earth.
TEXT 23
yadvatro bhagavn
kalkir dharma-patir hari
kta bhaviyati tad
praj-sti ca sttvik
yadwhen; avatraincarnates; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord;
kalkiKalki; dharma-patithe master of religion; harithe Supreme
Personality of Godhead; ktamSatya-yuga; bhaviyatiwill begin;
tadthen; praj-stithe creation of progeny; caand; sttvikin
the mode of goodness.
When the Supreme Lord has appeared on earth as Kalki, the maintainer
of religion, Satya-yuga will begin, and human society will bring forth
progeny in the mode of goodness.
TEXT 24
yad candra ca srya ca
tath tiya-bhaspat
eka-rau sameyanti
bhaviyati tad ktam
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39
pass.
Although ukadeva Gosvm previously described approximately fifteen
hundred years of royal dynasties, it is understood that some overlapping
occurred between kings. Therefore the present chronological calculation
should be taken as authoritative.
TEXTS 27-28
saptar tu yau prvau
dyete uditau divi
tayos tu madhye nakatra
dyate yat sama nii
tenaiva ayo yukts
tihanty abda-ata nm
te tvadye dvij kla
adhun crit magh
sapta-mof the constellation of the seven sages (the constellation
known to Westerners as Ursa Major); tuand; yauwhich two stars;
prvaufirst; dyeteare seen; uditaurisen; diviin the sky; tayoof
the two (named Pulaha and Kratu); tuand; madhyebetween;
nakatramthe lunar mansion; dyateis seen; yatwhich; samamon
the same line of celestial longitude, as their midpoint; niiin the night
sky; tenawith that lunar mansion; evaindeed; ayathe seven
sages; yuktare connected; tihantithey remain; abda-atamone
hundred years; nmof human beings; tethese seven sages; tvadye
in your; dvijthe elevated brhmaas; klein the time; adhunnow;
caand; ritare situated; maghin the asterism Magh.
Of the seven stars forming the constellation of the seven sages, Pulaha
and Kratu are the first to rise in the night sky. If a line running north
and south were drawn through their midpoint, whichever of the lunar
mansions this line passes through is said to be the ruling asterism of
the constellation for that time. The Seven Sages will remain connected
with that particular lunar mansion for one hundred human years.
Currently, during your lifetime, they are situated in the nakatra called
Magh.
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TEXT 29
vior bhagavato bhnu
kkhyo 'sau diva gata
tadviat kalir loka
ppe yad ramate jana
vioof Viu; bhagavatathe Supreme Personality of Godhead;
bhnuthe sun; ka-khyaknown as Ka; asauHe; divamto
the spiritual sky; gatahaving returned; tadthen; aviatentered;
kalithe age of Kali; lokamthis world; ppein sin; yatin which
age; ramatetake pleasure; janathe people.
The Supreme Lord, Viu, is brilliant like the sun and is known as
Ka. When He returned to the spiritual sky, Kali entered this world,
and people then began to take pleasure in sinful activities.
TEXT 30
yvat sa pda-padmbhy
span ste ram-pati
tvat kalir vai pthiv
parkrantu na cakat
yvatas long as; saHe, Lord r Ka; pda-padmbhymwith His
lotus feet; spantouching; steremained; ram-patithe husband of
the goddess of fortune; tvatfor that long; kalithe age of Kali; vai
indeed; pthivmthe earth; parkrantumto overcome; nanot; ca
and; aakatwas able.
As long us Lord r Ka, the husband of the goddess of fortune,
touched the earth with His lotus feet, Kali was powerless to subdue this
planet.
Although even during the time of Lord Ka's presence on earth Kali had
entered the earth to a slight extent through the impious activities of
Duryodhana and his allies, Lord Ka consistently suppressed Kali's
influence. Kali could not flourish until Lord Ka had left the earth.
TEXT 31
yad devaraya sapta
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maghsu vicaranti hi
tad pravttas tu kalir
dvdabda-attmaka
yadwhen; deva-aya saptathe seven sages among the demigods;
maghsuin the lunar mansion Magh; vicarantiare traveling; hi
indeed; tadthen; pravttabegins; tuand; kalithe age of Kali;
dvdaatwelve; abda-atacenturies [These twelve hundred years of
the demigods equal 432,000 earth years]; tmakaconsisting of.
When the constellation of the seven sages is passing through the lunar
mansion Magh, the age of Kali begins. It comprises twelve hundred
years of the demigods.
TEXT 32
yad maghbhyo ysyanti
prvh maharaya
tad nandt prabhty ea
kalir vddhi gamiyati
yadwhen; maghbhyafrom Magh; ysyantithey will go; prvahmto the next lunar mansion, Prvh; mah-ayathe
seven great sages; tadthen; nandtbeginning from Nanda; prabhti
and his descendants; eathis; kaliage of Kali; vddhimmaturity;
gamiyatiwill attain.
When the great sages of the Saptari constellation pass from Magh to
Prvsh, Kali will have his full strength, beginning from King Nanda
and his dynasty.
TEXT 33
yasmin ko diva ytas
tasminn eva tadhani
pratipanna kali-yugam
iti prhu pur-vida
yasminon which; kaLord r Ka; divamto the spiritual
world; ytagone; tasminon that; evasame; tadthen; ahaniday;
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44
Ikvku, both possess great mystic strength and are living even now in
the village of Kalpa.
TEXT 38
tv ihaitya kaler ante
vsudevnuikitau
varrama-yuta dharma
prva-vat prathayiyata
tauthey (Maru and Devpi); ihato human society; etyareturning;
kaleof the age of Kali; anteat the end; vsudevaby the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Vsudeva; anuikitauinstructed; vararamathe divine system of occupational and spiritual orders of society;
yutamcomprising; dharmamthe code of eternal religion; prva-vat
just as previously; prathayiyatathey will promulgate.
At the end of the age of Kali, these two kings, having received
instruction directly from the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Vsudeva, will return to human society and reestablish the eternal
religion of man, characterized by the divisions of vara and rama, just
as it was before.
According to this and the previous verse, the two great kings who will
reestablish human culture after the end of Kali-yuga have already
descended to the earth, where they are patiently waiting to render their
devotional service to Lord Viu.
TEXT 39
kta tret dvpara ca
kali ceti catur-yugam
anena krama-yogena
bhuvi priu vartate
ktamSatya-yuga; tretTret-yuga; dvparamDvpara-yuga; ca
and; kaliKali-yuga; caand; itithus; catu-yugamthe cycle of four
ages; anenaby this; kramasequential; yogenapattern; bhuviin this
world; priuamong living beings; vartategoes on continuously.
The cycle of four agesSatya, Tret, Dvpara and Kalicontinues
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After death, the body may be buried and eaten by worms, or it may be
thrown in the street or forest to be eaten by animals who will pass out its
remnants as stool, or it may be burned and converted into ashes.
Therefore one should not pave his way to hell by using his temporary
body to injure the bodies of other living beings. In this verse the word
bhta includes nonhuman life forms, who are also creatures of God. One
should give up all envious violence and learn to see God in everything by
the process of Ka consciousness.
TEXT 42
katha seyam akha bh
prvair me puruair dht
mat-putrasya ca pautrasya
mat-prv vaa-jasya v
kathamhow; s iyamthis same; akhaunbounded; bhearth;
prvaiby the predecessors; memy; puruaiby the personalities;
dhtheld in control; mat-putrasyaof my son; caand; pautrasyaof
the grandson; mat-prvnow under my sway; vaa-jasyaof the
descendant; vor.
[The materialistic king thinks:] "This unbounded earth was held by my
predecessors and is now under my sovereignty. How can I arrange for it
to remain in the hands of my sons, grandsons and other descendants?"
This is an example of foolish possessiveness.
TEXT 43
tejo-'b-anna-maya kya
ghtvtmataybudh
mah mamatay cobhau
hitvnte 'darana gat
tejafire; apwater; annaand earth; mayamcomposed of; kyam
this body; ghtvaccepting; tmataywith the sense of "I"; abudh
the unintelligent; mahmthis earth; mamataywith the sense of "my";
caand; ubhauboth; hitvgiving up; anteultimately; adaranam
disappearance; gatthey have obtained.
Although the foolish accept the body made of earth, water and fire as
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"me" and this earth as "mine," in every case they have ultimately
abandoned both their body and the earth and passed away into
oblivion.
Although the soul is eternal, our so-called family tradition and earthly
fame will certainly pass into oblivion.
TEXT 44
ye ye bh-patayo rjan
bhujate bhuvam ojas
klena te kt sarve
kath-mtr kathsu ca
ye yewhatever; bh-patayakings; rjanO King Parkit; bhujate
enjoy; bhuvamthe world; ojaswith their power; klenaby the force
of time; tethey; kthave been made; sarveall; kath-mtr
mere accounts; kathsuin various histories; caand.
My dear King Parkit, all these kings who tried to enjoy the earth by
their strength were reduced by the force of time to nothing more than
historical accounts.
The word rjan, "O King," is significant in this verse. Parkit Mahrja
was preparing to give up his body and go back home, back to Godhead,
and ukadeva Gosvm, his most merciful spiritual master, devastated any
possible attachment that he might have to the position of king by showing
the ultimate insignificance of such a position. By the causeless mercy of
the spiritual master one is prepared to go back home, back to Godhead.
The spiritual master teaches one to relax one's strong grip on material
illusion and leave the kingdom of my behind. Although ukadeva
Gosvm speaks very bluntly within this chapter about the so-called glory
of the material world, he is exhibiting the causeless mercy of the spiritual
master, who takes his surrendered disciple back to the kingdom of
Godhead, Vaikuha.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda to the Twelfth Canto, Second Chapter, of
the rmad-Bhgavatam, entitled "The Symptoms of Kali-yuga."
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3. The Bhmi-gt
This chapter describes how the earth took note of the foolishness of the
many kings bent on conquering her. It also describes how even though
the age of Kali is full of faults, the glorification of the name of Lord Hari
destroys them all.
Great kings, who are actually just playthings of death, desire to subdue
their six internal enemies-the five senses and the mind-and afterward they
imagine they will go on to conquer the earth and all its oceans. Seeing
their false hopes, the earth simply laughs, for eventually they all must
leave this planet and go elsewhere, as have all the great kings and
monarchs of the past. Moreover, after usurping the earth or some part of
it-which is actually unconquerable and must in every case be given upfathers, sons, brothers, friends and relatives quarrel over it.
Thus the study of history naturally leads to the conclusion that all worldly
achievements are temporary, and this conclusion should give rise to a
sense of renunciation. Ultimately, the highest goal of life for any living
entity is pure devotion to Lord Ka, which annihilates all
inauspiciousness. In the age of Satya, religion was complete, still
possessing its four legs of truth, mercy, austerity and charity. With the
coming of each succeeding age, starting with Tret, these religious
qualities each diminish by one quarter. In Kali-yuga the legs of religion
retain only one fourth of their power, and even that will be lost with the
progress of the age. The mode of goodness is predominant during Satyayuga, and the mode of passion is predominant during the Tret-yuga. The
mixed modes of passion and ignorance are predominant during Dvparayuga, and in the age of Kali the mode of ignorance is predominant.
Atheism, the smallness and inferiority of all things, and devotion to the
genitals and belly are very much evident in the age of Kali. Living entities
contaminated by the influence of Kali do not worship the Supreme Lord,
r Hari, even though they can be freed from all bondage and easily
achieve the supreme destination simply by chanting the glories of His
name and taking shelter of Him. But if somehow or other the Supreme
Personality of Godhead becomes manifest within the hearts of the
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50
"Great rulers of men, even those who are learned, meet frustration and
failure because of material lust. Driven by lust, these kings place great
hope and faith in the dead lump of flesh called the body, even though
the material frame is as fleeting as bubbles of foam on water.
TEXTS 3-4
prva nirjitya a-varga
jeymo rja-mantria
tata saciva-paurptakarndrn asya kaakn
eva kramea jeyma
pthv sgara-mekhalm
ity -baddha-hday
na payanty antike 'ntakam
prvamfirst of all; nirjityaconquering; a-vargamthe five senses
and the mind; jeymawe will conquer; rja-mantriathe royal
ministers; tatathen; sacivathe personal secretaries; paurathe
citizens of the capital; ptathe friends; kari-indrnthe elephant
keepers; asyaridding ourselves of; kaaknthe thorns; evamin this
way; krameagradually; jeymawe shall conquer; pthvmthe
earth; sgarathe ocean; mekhalmwhose girdle; itithus thinking;
by hopes; baddhabound up; hdaytheir hearts; na payanti
they do not see; antikenearby; antakamtheir own end.
"Kings and politicians imagine: 'First I will conquer my senses and
mind; then I will subdue my chief ministers and rid myself of the thornpricks of my advisors, citizens, friends and relatives, as well as the
keepers of my elephants. In this way I will gradually conquer the entire
earth.' Because the hearts of these leaders are bound by great
expectations, they fail to see death waiting nearby.
To satisfy their greed for power, determined politicians, dictators and
military leaders undergo severe austerities and sacrifice, with much selfdiscipline. Then they lead their great nations in a struggle to control the
sea, land, air and space. Although the politicians and their followers will
soon be deadsince birth and death are all inevitable in this worldthey
persist in their frenetic struggle for ephemeral glory.
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TEXT 5
samudrvara jitv
m vianty abdhim ojas
kiyad tma-jayasyaitan
muktir tma-jaye phalam
samudra-varambounded by the ocean; jitvhaving conquered;
mmme; viantithey enter; abdhimthe ocean; ojasby their
strength; kiyathow much; tma-jayasyaof victory over the self; etat
this; muktiliberation; tma-jayeof victory over the self; phalamthe
fruit.
"After conquering all the land on my surface, these proud kings forcibly
enter the ocean to conquer the sea itself. What is the use of their selfcontrol, which is aimed at political exploitation? The actual goal of selfcontrol is spiritual liberation."
TEXT 6
y visjyaiva manavas
tat-sut ca kurdvaha
gat yathgata yuddhe
t m jeyanty abuddhaya
ymwhom; visjyagiving up; evaindeed; manavahuman beings;
tat-suttheir sons; caalso; kuru-udvahaO best of the Kurus;
gatgone away; yath-gatamjust as they had originally come;
yuddhein battle; tmthat; mmme, the earth; jeyantithey try to
conquer; abuddhayaunintelligent.
O best of the Kurus, the earth continued as follows: "Although in the
past great men and their descendants have left me, departing from this
world in the same helpless way they came into it, even today foolish
men are trying to conquer me.
TEXT 7
mat-kte pit-putr
bhrt cpi vigraha
jyate hy asat rjye
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mamat-baddha-cetasm
mat-ktefor the sake of me; pit-putrmbetween fathers and sons;
bhrtmamong brothers; caand; apialso; vigrahaconflict;
jyatearises; hiindeed; asatmamong the materialistic; rjyefor
political rule; mamatby the sense of possession; baddhabound up;
cetasmwhose hearts.
"For the sake of conquering me, materialistic persons fight one another.
Fathers oppose their sons, and brothers fight one another, because their
hearts are bound to possessing political power.
TEXT 8
mamaiveya mah ktsn
na te mheti vdina
spardhamn mitho ghnanti
mriyante mat-kte np
mamamine; evaindeed; iyamthis; mahland; ktsnentire; na
not; teyours; mhayou fool; iti vdinathus speaking;
spardhamnquarreling; mithaeach other; ghnantithey kill;
mriyantethey are killed; mat-ktefor my sake; npkings.
"Political leaders challenge one another: 'All this land is mine! It's not
yours, you fool!' Thus they attack one another and die.
This verse describes with brilliant clarity the mundane political mentality
that provokes innumerable conflicts in the world. For example, as we
prepare this translation of rmad-Bhgavatam, British and Argentine
military forces are bitterly fighting over the tiny Falkland Islands.
The fact is that the Supreme Lord is the proprietor of all land. Of course,
even in a God-conscious world political boundaries exist. But in such a
God-conscious atmosphere political tensions are greatly eased, and people
of all lands welcome each other and respect each other's right to live in
peace.
TEXTS 9-13
pthu purrav gdhir
nahuo bharato 'rjuna
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55
56
57
58
religious principles are not different from the Supreme Lord Himself and
ultimately lead one to His kingdom. The qualities mentioned here
truthfulness, mercy, austerity and charityare universal, nonsectarian
aspects of pious life.
In the First Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam, the fourth leg of religion is
listed as cleanliness. According to rla Vivantha Cakravart hkura,
this is an alternative definition of the word dnam in the present context.
TEXT 19
santu karu maitr
nt dnts titikava
tmrm sama-da
pryaa rama jan
santuself-satisfied; karumerciful; maitrfriendly; nt
pacified; dntself-controlled; titikavatolerant; tma-rm
enthused from within; sama-dapossessed of equal vision; pryaa
for the most part; ramaendeavoring diligently (for self-realization);
janthe people.
The people of Satya-yuga are for the most part self-satisfied, merciful,
friendly to all, peaceful, sober and tolerant. They take their pleasure
from within, see all things equally and always endeavor diligently for
spiritual perfection.
Sama-darana, equal vision, is based on the perception of the Supreme
Spirit behind all material variety and within all living entities.
TEXT 20
trety dharma-pdn
turyo hyate anai
adharma-pdair antahisantoa-vigrahai
tretymin the second age; dharma-pdnmof the legs of religion;
turyaone fourth; aapart; hyateis lost; anaigradually;
adharma-pdaiby the legs of irreligion; antaby falsity; his
violence; asantoadissatisfaction; vigrahaiand quarrel.
In Tret-yuga each leg of religion is gradually reduced by one quarter by
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irreligion.
In Dvpara-yuga the religious qualities of austerity, truth, mercy and
charity are reduced to one half by their irreligious counterparts
dissatisfaction, untruth, violence and enmity.
TEXT 23
yaasvino mah-l
svdhyydhyayane rat
dhy kuumbino h
var katra-dvijottar
yaasvinaeager for glory; mah-lnoble; svdhyya-adhyayanein
study of the Vedic literature; ratabsorbed; hyendowed with
opulence; kuumbinahaving large families; hjoyful; varthe
four classes of society; katra-dvija-uttarrepresented mostly by the
katriyas and brhmaas.
In the Dvpara age people are interested in glory and are very noble.
They devote themselves to the study of the Vedas, possess great
opulence, support large families and enjoy life with vigor. Of the four
classes, the katriyas and brhmaas are most numerous.
TEXT 24
kalau tu dharma-pdn
turyo 'dharma-hetubhi
edhamnai kyamo
hy ante so 'pi vinakyati
kalauin the age of Kali; tuand; dharma-pdnmof the legs of
religion; turya-aaone fourth; adharmaof irreligion; hetubhiby
the principles; edhamnaiwhich are increasing; kyama
decreasing; hiindeed; antein the end; sathat one quarter; api
also; vinakyatiwill be destroyed.
In the age of Kali only one fourth of the religious principles remains.
That last remnant will continuously be decreased by the ever-increasing
principles of irreligion and will finally be destroyed.
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TEXT 25
tasmin lubdh durcr
nirday uka-vairia
durbhag bhri-tar ca
dra-dsottar praj
tasminin that age; lubdhgreedy; durcrill-behaved; nirday
merciless; uka-vairiaprone to useless quarrel; durbhag
unfortunate; bhri-tarobsessed by many kinds of hankering; ca
and; dra-dsa-uttarpredominantly low-class laborers and
barbarians; prajthe people.
In the Kali age people tend to be greedy, ill-behaved and merciless, and
they fight one another without good reason. Unfortunate and obsessed
with material desires, the people of Kali-yuga are almost all dras and
barbarians.
In this age, we can already observe that most people are laborers, clerks,
fishermen, artisans or other kinds of workers within the dra category.
Enlightened devotees of God and noble political leaders are extremely
scarce, and even independent businessmen and farmers are a vanishing
breed as huge business conglomerates increasingly convert them into
subservient employees. Vast regions of the earth are already populated by
barbarians and semibarbarous peoples, making the entire situation
dangerous and bleak. The Ka consciousness movement is empowered
to rectify the current dismal state of affairs. It is the only hope for the
ghastly age called Kali-yuga.
TEXT 26
sattva rajas tama iti
dyante purue gu
kla-sacodits te vai
parivartanta tmani
sattvamgoodness; rajapassion; tamaignorance; itithus;
dyanteare seen; puruein a person; guthe modes of material
nature; kla-sacoditimpelled by time; tethey; vaiindeed;
parivartanteundergo permutation; tmaniwithin the mind.
The
material
modesgoodness,
passion
and
ignorancewhose
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permutations are observed within a person's mind, are set into motion
by the power of time.
The four ages described in these verses are manifestations of various
modes of material nature. The age of truth, Satya-yuga, manifests the
predominance of material goodness, and Kali-yuga manifests the
predominance of ignorance. According to rla Vivantha Cakravart
hkura, within each age the other three ages occasionally manifest as
sub-ages. Thus even within Satya-yuga a demon in the mode of ignorance
may appear, and within the age of Kali the highest religious principles
may flourish for some time. As described in rmad-Bhgavatam, the three
modes of nature are present everywhere and in everything, but the
predominant mode, or combination of modes, determines the general
character of any material phenomenon. In each age, therefore, the three
modes are present in varying proportions. The particular age represented
by goodness (Satya), passion (Tret), passion and ignorance (Dvpara) or
ignorance (Kali) exists within each of the other ages as a subfactor.
TEXT 27
prabhavanti yad sattve
mano-buddhndriyi ca
tad kta-yuga vidyj
jne tapasi yad ruci
prabhavantithey are predominantly manifest; yadwhen; sattvein
the mode of goodness; manathe mind; buddhiintelligence;
indriyisenses; caand; tadthen; kta-yugamthe age of Kta;
vidytshould be understood; jnein knowledge; tapasiand
austerity; yatwhen; rucipleasure.
When the mind, intelligence and senses are solidly fixed in the mode of
goodness, that time should be understood as Satya-yuga, the age of
truth. People then take pleasure in knowledge and austerity.
The word kta means "performed" or "executed." Thus in the age of truth
all religious duties are duly performed, and people take great pleasure in
spiritual knowledge and austerity. Even in the Kali-yuga, those who are
situated in the mode of goodness take pleasure in the cultivation of
spiritual knowledge and the regulated performance of austerity. This
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sublime state of existence is possible for one who has conquered sex
desire.
TEXT 28
yad karmasu kmyeu
bhaktir yaasi dehinm
tad tret rajo-vttir
iti jnhi buddhiman
yadwhen; karmasuin duties; kmyeubased on selfish desire;
bhaktidevotion; yaasiin honor; dehinmof the embodied souls;
tadthen; tretthe age of Tret; raja-vttipredominated by
activities in the mode of passion; itithus; jnhiyou should
understand; buddhi-manO intelligent King Parkit.
O most intelligent one, when the conditioned souls are devoted to their
duties but have ulterior motives and seek personal prestige, you should
understand such a situation to be the age of Tret, in which the
functions of passion are prominent.
TEXT 29
yad lobhas tv asantoo
mno dambho 'tha matsara
karma cpi kmyn
dvpara tad rajas-tama
yadwhen; lobhagreed; tuindeed; asantoadissatisfaction;
mnafalse pride; dambhahypocrisy; athaand; matsaraenvy;
karmamof activities; caand; apialso; kmynmselfish;
dvparamthe age of Dvpara; tatthat; raja-tamapredominated by
a mixture of the modes of passion and ignorance.
When greed, dissatisfaction, false pride, hypocrisy and envy become
prominent, along with attraction for selfish activities, such a time is the
age of Dvpara, dominated by the mixed modes of passion and
ignorance.
TEXT 30
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retirement cities have been constructed wherein elderly people can make
fools of themselves by wasting the last years of their lives playing golf,
ping-pong and shuffleboard and by engaging in pathetic attempts at love
affairs even while their bodies are horribly rotting and their minds are
growing senile. This shameless abuse of the venerable last years of life
denotes a stubborn unwillingness to acknowledge the actual purpose of
human life and is certainly an offense against God.
The words nysino 'tyartha-lolup indicate that charismatic religious
leaders, and even those who are not charismatic, will proclaim themselves
prophets, saints and incarnations to cheat the innocent public and fatten
their bank accounts. Therefore the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness is working arduously to establish bona fide celibate
student life, religious householder life, dignified and progressive
retirement, and genuine spiritual leadership for the entire world. Today,
May 9, 1982, in the sensual city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, we have awarded
sannysa, the renounced order of life, to three young men, two Brazilians
and one American, with the sincere hope that they will faithfully execute
the rigid vows of renounced life and provide authentic spiritual leadership
in South America.
TEXT 34
hrasva-ky mahhr
bhry-apaty gata-hriya
avat kauka-bhiya
caurya-myoru-shas
hrasva-kyhaving dwarfed bodies; mah-hreating too much;
bhri-apatyhaving many children; gata-hriyalosing their shyness;
avatconstantly; kaukaharshly; bhiyaspeaking; caurya
exhibiting the tendencies of thievery; mydeceit; uru-shasand
great audacity.
Women will become much smaller in size, and they will eat too much,
have more children than they can properly take care of, and lose all
shyness. They will always speak harshly and will exhibit qualities of
thievery, deceit and unrestrained audacity.
TEXT 35
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mendicant's dress. Those who know nothing about religion will mount
a high seat and presume to speak on religious principles.
The epidemic of bogus gurus, swamis, priests and so forth is explicitly
described here.
TEXTS 39-40
nitya udvigna-manaso
durbhika-kara-karit
niranne bh-tale rjan
anvi-bhaytur
vso-'nna-pna-ayanavyavya-snna-bhaai
hn pica-sandar
bhaviyanti kalau praj
nityamconstantly; udvignaagitated; manasatheir minds; durbhikaby famine; karaand taxes; karitaemaciated; nirannewhen there is
no food to be found; bh-taleupon the surface of the earth; rjanO
King Parkit; anviof drought; bhayabecause of fear; tur
anxious; vsaclothing; annafood; pnadrink; ayanarest;
vyavyasex; snnabathing; bhaaiand personal ornaments;
hnlacking; pica-sandarappearing just like ghostly demons;
bhaviyantithey will become; kalauin the age of Kali; prajthe
people.
In the age of Kali, people's minds will always be agitated. They will
become emaciated by famine and taxation, my dear King, and will
always be disturbed by fear of drought. They will lack adequate
clothing, food and drink, will be unable to properly rest, have sex or
bathe themselves, and will have no ornaments to decorate their bodies.
In fact, the people of Kali-yuga will gradually come to appear like
ghostly, haunted creatures.
The symptoms described here are already prevalent in many countries of
the world and will gradually spread to other places engulfed by impiety
and materialism.
TEXT 41
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of any rational man that the sun, the source of the rays, is certainly not a
dark, cold globe but rather a reservoir of almost unlimited heat and light.
Similarly, the innumerable instances of personality and personal
consciousness within creation are more than adequate to demonstrate the
existence, somewhere, of an unlimited reservoir of consciousness and
personal behavior. In his dialogue Philebus, the Greek philosopher Plato
argued that just as the material elements in our body are derived from a
vast reservoir of material elements existing within the universe, our
rational intelligence is also derived from a great cosmic intelligence
existing within the universe, and this supreme intelligence is God, the
creator. Unfortunately, in Kali-yuga many leading thinkers cannot
understand this and instead deny that the Absolute Truth, the source of
our personal consciousness, has consciousness and personality. This is as
reasonable as saying that the sun is cold and dark.
In Kali-yuga, many people present cheap, stereotyped arguments, such as
"If God had a body or personality, He would be limited." In this
inadequate attempt at logic, a qualified term is falsely presented in a
universal sense. What really should be said is, "If God had a material body
or a material personality like those we have experienced, He would be
limited." But we leave out the qualifying adjective material and make a
pseudouniversal assertion, as if we understood the full range, within total
reality, of bodies and personality.
Bhagavad-gt, rmad-Bhgavatam and other Vedic literatures teach that
the transcendental form and personality of the Absolute Truth are
unlimited. Clearly, to be truly infinite God must be not only
quantitatively but also qualitatively infinite. Unfortunately, in our
mechanistic, industrial age we tend to define infinity only in its
quantitative sense, and thus we fail to notice that an infinity of personal
qualities is a necessary aspect of infinity. In other words, God must have
infinite beauty, infinite wealth, infinite intelligence, infinite humor,
infinite kindness, infinite anger and so on. Infinite is an absolute, and if
anything we observe in this world is not contained, somehow or other,
within our conception of the Absolute, then that conception is of
something limited and not of the Absolute at all.
Only in Kali-yuga are there philosophers foolish enough to proudly define
the most absolute of all termsGodin materialistic, relative ways and
then declare themselves enlightened thinkers. No matter how big our
brain may be, we should have the common sense to place it at the feet of
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TEXT 46
ruta sakrtito dhyta
pjita cdto 'pi v
n dhunoti bhagavn
ht-stho janmyutubham
rutaheard; sakrtitaglorified; dhytameditated upon; pjita
worshiped; caand; dtavenerated; apieven; vor; nmof
men; dhunoticleanses away; bhagavnthe Supreme Personality of
Godhead; ht-sthaseated within their hearts; janma-ayutaof
thousands of births; aubhamthe inauspicious contamination.
If a person hears about, glorifies, meditates upon, worships or simply
offers great respect to the Supreme Lord, who is situated within the
heart, the Lord will remove from his mind the contamination
accumulated during many thousands of lifetimes.
TEXT 47
yath hemni sthito vahnir
durvara hanti dhtu-jam
evam tma-gato viur
yoginm aubhayam
yathjust as; hemniin gold; sthitasituated; vahnifire;
durvaramthe discoloration; hantidestroys; dhtu-jamdue to the
taint of other metals; evamin the same way; tma-gatahaving entered
the soul; viuLord Viu; yoginmof the yogs; aubha-ayamthe
dirty mind.
Just as fire applied to gold removes any discoloration caused by traces
of other metals, Lord Viu within the heart purifies the minds of the
yogs.
Although one may practice the mystic yoga system, his actual spiritual
advancement is due to the mercy of the Supreme Lord within the heart; it
is not directly the result of his austerity and meditation. If one becomes
foolishly proud in the name of yoga, his spiritual position becomes
ridiculous.
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TEXT 48
vidy-tapa-pra-nirodha-maitrtrthbhieka-vrata-dna-japyai
ntyanta-uddhi labhate 'ntartm
yath hdi-sthe bhagavaty anante
vidyby worship of demigods; tapaausterities; pra-nirodha
exercise of breath control; maitrcompassion; trtha-abhiekabathing
in holy places; vratastrict vows; dnacharity; japyaiand chanting
of various mantras; nanot; atyantacomplete; uddhimpurification;
labhatecan achieve; anta-tmthe mind; yathas; hdi-sthewhen
He is present within the heart; bhagavatithe Personality of Godhead;
anantethe unlimited Lord.
By one's engaging in the processes of demigod worship, austerities,
breath control, compassion, bathing in holy places, strict vows, charity
and chanting of various mantras, one's mind cannot attain the same
absolute purification as that achieved when the unlimited Personality of
Godhead appears within one's heart.
TEXT 49
tasmt sarvtman rjan
hdi-stha kuru keavam
mriyamo hy avahitas
tato ysi par gatim
tasmttherefore; sarva-tmanwith all endeavor; rjanO King; hdisthamwithin your heart; kurumake; keavamLord Keava;
mriyamadying; hiindeed; avahitaconcentrated; tatathen;
ysiyou will go; paramto the supreme; gatimdestination.
Therefore, O King, endeavor with all your might to fix the Supreme
Lord Keava within your heart. Maintain this concentration upon the
Lord, and at the time of death you will certainly attain the supreme
destination.
Although the Supreme Lord is always in the heart of every living being,
the words hdi-stha kuru keavam indicate that one should endeavor to
realize the Lord's presence there and maintain this awareness at every
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rla Jva Gosvm has further quoted from the Brahma-vaivarta Pura
concerning the degraded condition of people in Kali-yuga:
ata kalau tapo-yogavidy-yajdik kriy
sg bhavanti na kt
kualair api dehibhi
"Thus in the age of Kali the practices of austerity, yoga meditation, Deity
worship, sacrifice and so on, along with their various subsidiary
functions, are not properly carried out, even by the most expert embodied
souls.
rla Jva Gosvm has also cited the Cturmsya-mhtmya of the Skanda
Pura concerning the necessity of chanting Hare Ka in this age:
tath caivottama loke
tapa r-hari-krtanam
kalau yuge vieea
viu-prtyai samcaret
"In this way the most perfect penance to be executed in this world is the
chanting of the name of Lord r Hari. Especially in the age of Kali, one
can satisfy the Supreme Lord Viu by performing sakrtana.''
In conclusion, massive propaganda should be made all over the world to
induce people to chant the Hare Ka mantra, by which human society
can be rescued from the dangerous ocean of the age of Kali.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda to the Twelfth Canto, Third Chapter, of
the rmad-Bhgavatam, entitled "The Bhmi-gt."
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annihilated.
TEXT 6
ea prktiko rjan
pralayo yatra lyate
aa-koas tu saghto
vigha upasdite
eathis; prktikaof the elements of material nature; rjanO King
Parkit; pralayathe annihilation; yatrain which; lyateis
dissolved; aa-koathe egg of the universe; tuand; saghathe
amalgamation; vightethe cause of its disruption; upasditebeing
encountered.
O King, upon the annihilation of the material elements, the universal
egg, comprising the elemental amalgamation of creation, is confronted
with destruction.
It is significant that ukadeva Gosvm, the spiritual master of King
Parkit, is broadly discussing cosmic annihilation just before the death of
his disciple. By attentively hearing the story of universal destruction, one
can easily understand one's personal departure from this temporary world
to be an insignificant incident within the gigantic scope of the total
material manifestation. By his deep and relevant discussions of the
creation of God, ukadeva Gosvm, as an ideal spiritual master, is
preparing his disciple for the moment of death.
TEXT 7
parjanya ata-vari
bhmau rjan na varati
tad niranne hy anyonya
bhakyam kudhrdit
kaya ysyanti anakai
klenopadrut praj
parjanyathe clouds; ata-varifor one hundred years; bhmau
upon the earth; rjanmy dear King; na varatiwill not give rain;
tadthen; nirannewith the coming of famine; hiindeed; anyonyam
one another; bhakyameating; kudhby hunger; ardit
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possesses sound, touch, form, flavor and aroma. As each element loses its
unique distinguishing quality, it naturally becomes indistinguishable from
the more subtle elements and is thus effectively dissolved as a unique
entity.
TEXTS 15-19
ap rasam atho tejas
t lyante 'tha nras
grasate tejaso rpa
vyus tad-rahita tad
lyate cnile tejo
vyo kha grasate guam
sa vai viati kha rjas
tata ca nabhaso guam
abda grasati bhtdir
nabhas tam anu lyate
taijasa cendriyy aga
devn vaikriko guai
mahn grasaty ahakra
gu sattvdaya ca tam
grasate 'vykta rjan
gun klena coditam
na tasya klvayavai
parimdayo gu
andy anantam avyakta
nitya kraam avyayam
apmof water; rasamthe taste; athathen; tejafire; tthat
water; lyantedissolves; athaafter this; nrasdeprived of its quality
of taste; grasatetakes away; tejasaof fire; rpam-the form; vyu
the air; tat-rahitamdeprived of that form; tadthen; lyatemerges;
caand; anilein wind; tejafire; vyoof the air; khamthe ether;
grasatitakes away; guamthe perceptible quality (touch); sathat
air; vaiindeed; viatienters; khamthe ether; rjanO King Parkit;
tatathereupon; caand; nabhasaof the ether; guamthe quality;
abdamsound; grasatetakes away; bhta-dithe element of false
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na syur anyatamd tt
dpaa lamp; cakua perceiving eye; caand; rpama perceived
form; caand; jyotiafrom the original element fire; nanot;
pthakdistinct; bhavetare; evamin the same way; dhintelligence;
khnithe senses; mtrthe perceptions; caand; na syuthey are
not; anyatamtwhich is itself completely distinct; ttfrom the reality.
A lamp, the eye that views by the light of that lamp, and the visible
form that is viewed are all basically nondifferent from the element fire.
In the same way, intelligence, the senses and sense perceptions have no
existence separate from the supreme reality, although that Absolute
Truth remains totally distinct from them.
TEXT 25
buddher jgaraa svapna
suuptir iti cocyate
my-mtram ida rjan
nntva pratyag-tmani
buddheof intelligence; jgaraamwaking consciousness; svapna
sleep; suuptideep sleep; itithus; caand; ucyateare called; mymtrammerely illusion; idamthis; rjanO King; nntvamthe
duality; pratyak-tmaniexperienced by the pure soul.
The three states of intelligence are called waking consciousness, sleep
and deep sleep. But, my dear King, the variegated experiences created
for the pure living entity by these different states are nothing more than
illusion.
Pure Ka consciousness exists beyond the various stages of material
awareness. Just as darkness vanishes in the presence of light, so illusory
material intelligence, which is experienced as normal perception,
dreaming and deep sleep, completely vanishes in the brilliant presence of
pure Ka consciousness, the constitutional condition of every living
entity.
TEXT 26
yath jala-dhar vyomni
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bhavanti na bhavanti ca
brahmada tath vivam
avayavy udaypyayt
yathjust as; jala-dharthe clouds; vyomniin the sky; bhavanti
are; na bhavantiare not; caand; brahmaiwithin the Absolute Truth;
idamthis; tathsimilarly; vivamuniverse; avayavihaving parts;
udayabecause of generation; apyaytand dissolution.
Just as clouds in the sky come into being and are then dispersed by the
amalgamation and dissolution of their constituent elements, this
material universe is created and destroyed within the Absolute Truth by
the amalgamation and dissolution of its elemental, constituent parts.
TEXT 27
satya hy avayava prokta
sarvvayavinm iha
vinrthena pratyeran
paasyevga tantava
satyamreal; hibecause; avayavathe ingredient cause; proktais
said to be; sarva-avayavinmof all constituted entities; ihain this
created world; vinapart from; arthenatheir manifest product;
pratyeranthey can be perceived; paasyaof a cloth; ivaas; aga
my dear King; tantavathe threads.
My dear King, it is stated [in the Vednta-stra] that the ingredient
cause that constitutes any manifested product in this universe can be
perceived as a separate reality, just as the threads that make up a cloth
can be perceived separately from their product.
TEXT 28
yat smnya-viebhym
upalabhyeta sa bhrama
anyonyprayt sarvam
dy-antavad avastu yat
yatwhatever; smnyain terms of general cause; viebhymand
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klenevara-mrtin
avasth naiva dyante
viyati jyoti iva
andi-anta-vatwithout beginning or end; anenaby this; klena
time; varaof the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mrtinthe
representation; avasththe different stages; nanot; evaindeed;
dyanteare seen; viyatiin outer space; jyotimof the moving
planets; ivajust as.
These stages of existence created by beginningless and endless time, the
impersonal representative of the Supreme Lord, are not visible, just as
the infinitesimal momentary changes of position of the planets in the
sky cannot be directly seen.
Although everyone knows that the sun is constantly moving in the sky,
one cannot normally see the sun moving. Similarly, no one can directly
perceive his hair or nails growing, although with the passing of time we
perceive the fact of growth. Time, the potency of the Lord, is very subtle
and powerful and is an insurmountable barrier to fools who are trying to
exploit the material creation.
TEXT 38
nityo naimittika caiva
tath prktiko laya
tyantika ca kathita
klasya gatir d
nityacontinuous; naimittikaoccasional; caand; evaindeed;
tathalso; prktikanatural; layaannihilation; tyantikafinal;
caand; kathitaare described; klasyaof time; gatithe progress;
dlike this.
In this way the progress of time is described in terms of the four kinds
of annihilationcontinuous, occasional, elemental and final.
TEXT 39
et kuru-reha jagad-vidhtur
nryaasykhila-sattva-dhmna
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drgha-satre kuru-reha
sampa aunakdibhi
imamthis; vakyatiwill speak; asaupresent before us; staSta
Gosvm; ibhyato the sages; naimia-layein the forest of Naimia;
drgha-satreat the lengthy sacrificial performance; kuru-rehaO best
of the Kurus; sampaquestioned; aunaka-dibhiby the assembly
led by aunaka.
O best of the Kurus, the same Sta Gosvm who is sitting before us
will speak this Bhgavatam to the sages assembled in the great sacrifice
at Naimiraya. This he will do when questioned by the members of
the assembly, headed by aunaka.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda to the Twelfth Canto, Fourth Chapter, of
the rmad-Bhgavatam, entitled "The Four Categories of Universal
Annihilation."
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This chapter explains how King Parkit's fear of death from the snakebird
Takaka was averted by ukadeva Gosvm's brief instructions on the
Absolute Truth.
Having in the last chapter described the four processes of annihilation
that act in this material world, rla ukadeva Gosvm now reminds
Parkit Mahrja how he had previously, in the Third Canto, discussed
the measurement of time and of the various millennia of universal history.
During a single day of Lord Brahm, constituting one thousand cycles of
four ages, fourteen different Manus rule and die. Thus death is
unavoidable for every embodied being, but the soul itself never dies, being
entirely distinct from the material body. r ukadeva Gosvm then states
that in rmad-Bhgavatam he has repeatedly chanted the glories of the
Supreme Soul, Lord r Hari, from whose satisfaction Brahm takes birth
and from whose anger Rudra is born. The idea "I will die" is simply the
mentality of animals, because the soul does not undergo the bodily phases
of previous nonexistence, birth, existence and death. When the body's
subtle mental covering is destroyed by transcendental knowledge, the soul
within the body again exhibits his original identity. Just as the temporal
existence of a lamp comes about by the combination of oil, the vessel, the
wick and the fire, the material body comes about by the amalgamation of
the three modes of nature. The material body appears at birth and
displays life for some time. Finally, the combination of material modes
dissolves, and the body undergoes death, a phenomenon similar to the
extinguishing of a lamp. ukadeva addresses the king, saying, "You
should fix yourself in meditation upon Lord Vsudeva, and thus the bite
of the snake-bird will not affect you."
TEXT 1
r-uka uvca
atrnuvaryate 'bhka
vivtm bhagavn hari
yasya prasda-jo brahm
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rudra krodha-samudbhava
r-uka uvcar ukadeva Gosvm said; atrain this rmadBhgavatam; anuvaryateis elaborately described; abhkam
repeatedly; viva-tmthe soul of the entire universe; bhagavnthe
Supreme Personality of Godhead; hariLord Hari; yasyaof whom;
prasdafrom the satisfaction; jaborn; brahmLord Brahm;
rudraLord iva; krodhafrom the anger; samudbhavawhose birth.
ukadeva Gosvm said: This rmad-Bhgavatam has elaborately
described in various narrations the Supreme Soul of all that bethe
Personality of Godhead, Harifrom whose satisfaction Brahm is born
and from whose anger Rudra takes birth.
rla Vivantha Cakravart hkura has given a very elaborate summary
of rmad-Bhgavatam in his commentary on this verse. The essence of
the great crya's statement is that unconditional loving surrender to the
Supreme Lord, Ka, as described by ukadeva Gosvm, is the highest
perfection of life. The exclusive purpose of rmad-Bhgavatam is to
convince the conditioned soul to execute such surrender to the Lord and
go back home, back to Godhead.
TEXT 2
tva tu rjan mariyeti
pau-buddhim im jahi
na jta prg abhto 'dya
deha-vat tva na nakyasi
tvamyou; tubut; rjanO King; mariyeI am about to die; itithus
thinking; pau-buddhimanimalistic mentality; immthis; jahigive
up; nanot; jtaborn; prkpreviously; abhtanonexistent;
adyatoday; deha-vatlike the body; tvamyou; na nakyasiwill not
be destroyed.
O King, give up the animalistic mentality of thinking, "I am going lo
die." Unlike the body, you have not taken birth. There was not a time in
the past when you did not exist, and you are not about to be destroyed.
At the end of the First Canto (1.19.15) King Parkit stated:
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TEXT 4
svapne yath ira-cheda
pacatvdy tmana svayam
yasmt payati dehasya
tata tm hy ajo 'mara
svapnein a dream; yathas; iraof one's head; chedamthe cutting
off; pacatva-dithe condition of being composed of the five material
elements, and other material conditions; tmanaone's own; svayam
oneself; yasmtbecause; payatione sees; dehasyaof the body;
tatatherefore; tmthe soul; hicertainly; ajaunborn; amara
immortal.
In a dream one can see his own head being cut off and thus understand
that his actual self is standing apart from the dream experience.
Similarly, while awake one can see that his body is a product of the five
material elements. Therefore it is to be understood that the actual self,
the soul, is distinct from the body it observes and is unborn and
immortal.
TEXT 5
ghae bhinne ghaka
ka syd yath pur
eva dehe mte jvo
brahma sampadyate puna
ghaea pot; bhinnewhen it is broken; gha-kathe sky within
the pot; kasky; sytremains; yathas; purpreviously;
evamsimilarly; dehethe body; mtewhen it is given up, in the
liberated condition; jvathe individual soul; brahmahis spiritual
status; sampadyateattains; punaonce again.
When a pot is broken, the portion of sky within the pot remains as the
element sky, just as before. In the same way, when the gross and subtle
bodies die, the living entity within resumes his spiritual identity.
TEXT 6
mana sjati vai dehn
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na tatrtm svaya-jyotir
yo vyaktvyaktayo para
ka iva cdhro
dhruvo 'nantopamas tata
nanot; tatrathere; tmthe soul; svayam-jyotiself-luminous;
yawho; vyakta-avyaktayofrom the manifest and the unmanifest
(the gross and subtle bodies); paradifferent; kathe sky; ivaas;
caand; dhrathe basis; dhruvafixed; anantawithout end;
upamaor comparison; tatathus.
The soul within the body is self-luminous and is separate from the
visible gross body and invisible subtle body. It remains as the fixed
basis of changing bodily existence, just as the ethereal sky is the
unchanging background of material transformation. Therefore the soul
is endless and without material comparison.
TEXT 9
evam tmnam tma-stham
tmanaivma prabho
buddhynumna-garbhiy
vsudevnucintay
evamin this way; tmnamyour true self; tma-sthamsituated within
the bodily covering; tmanwith your mind; evaindeed; ma
consider carefully; prabhoO master of the self (King Parkit);
buddhywith intelligence; anumna-garbhiyconceived by logic;
vsudeva-anucintaywith meditation upon Lord Vsudeva.
My dear King, by constantly meditating upon the Supreme Lord,
Vsudeva, and by applying clear and logical intelligence, you should
carefully consider your true self and how it is situated within the
material body.
TEXT 10
codito vipra-vkyena
na tv dhakyati takaka
mtyavo nopadhakyanti
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You should consider, "I am nondifferent from the Absolute Truth, the
supreme abode, and that Absolute Truth, the supreme destination, is
nondifferent from me." Thus resigning yourself to the Supreme Soul,
who is free from all material misidentifications, you will not even notice
the snake-bird Takaka when he approaches with his poison-filled fangs
and bites your foot. Nor will you see your dying body or the material
world around you, because you will have realized yourself to be
separate from them.
TEXT 13
etat te kathita tta
yad tm pavn npa
harer vivtmana ce
ki bhya rotum icchasi
etatthis; teto you; kathitamnarrated; ttamy dear Parkit; yat
which; tmyou; pavninquired; npaO King; hare-of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead; viva-tmanaof the Soul of the
universe; cemthe pastimes; kimwhat; bhyafurther; rotumto
hear; icchasido you wish.
Beloved King Parkit, I have narrated to you the topics you originally
inquired aboutthe pastimes of Lord Hari, the Supreme Soul of the
universe. Now, what more do you wish to hear?
In his commentary on this text, rla Jva Gosvm has elaborately
demonstrated, by citing many Bhgavatam verses, the exalted devotional
position of King Parkit, who was fully determined to fix his mind upon
Lord Ka and go back home, back to Godhead.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda to the Twelfth Canto, Fifth Chapter, of the
rmad-Bhgavatam, entitled "ukadeva Gosvm's Final Instructions to
Mahrja Parkit."
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luminous. Using this okra, Lord Brahm created the original Vedas and
taught them to his sons, Marci and others, who were all saintly leaders of
the brhmaa community. This body of Vedic knowledge was handed
down through the disciplic succession of spiritual masters until the end of
Dvpara-yuga, when Lord Vysadeva divided it into four parts and
instructed various schools of sages in these four sahits. When the sage
Yjavalkya was rejected by his spiritual master, he had to give up all the
Vedic mantras he had received from him. To obtain new mantras of the
Yajur Veda, Yjavalkya worshiped the Supreme Lord in the form of the
sun-god. r Sryadeva subsequently fulfilled his prayer.
TEXT 1
sta uvca
etan niamya muninbhihita parkid
vystmajena nikhiltma-d samena
tat-pda-mlam upastya natena mrdhn
baddhjalis tam idam ha sa viurta
sta uvcaSta Gosvm said; etatthis; niamyahearing; munin
by the sage (ukadeva); abhihitamnarrated; parkitMahrja Parkit;
vysa-tma-jenaby the son of Vysadeva; nikhilaof all living beings;
tmathe Supreme Lord; dwho sees; samenawho is perfectly
equipoised; tatof him (ukadeva); pda-mlamto the lotus feet;
upastyagoing up; natenabowed down; mrdhnwith his head;
baddha-ajalihis arms folded in supplication; tamto him; idam
this; hasaid; sahe; viu-rtaParkit, who while still in the
womb had been protected by Lord Ka Himself.
Sta Gosvm said: After hearing all that was narrated to him by the
self-realized and equipoised ukadeva, the son of Vysadeva, Mahrja
Parkit humbly approached his lotus feet. Bowing his head down upon
the sage's feet, the King, who had lived his entire life under the
protection of Lord Viu, folded his hands in supplication and spoke as
follows.
According to rla Vivantha Cakravart hkura, some of the sages
present while ukadeva was instructing King Parkit were impersonalist
philosophers. Thus the word samena indicates that in the previous
chapter ukadeva Gosvm had spoken the philosophy of self-realization
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TEXT 4
pura-sahitm etm
arauma bhavato vayam
yasy khalttama-loko
bhagavn anavaryate
pura-sahitmessential summary of all the Puras; etm-this;
araumahave heard; bhavatafrom you; vayamwe; yasymin
which; khaluindeed; uttama-lokawho is always described in choice
poetry; bhagavnthe Personality of Godhead; anuvaryateis fittingly
described.
I have heard from you this rmad-Bhgavatam, which is the perfect
summary of all the Puras and which perfectly describes the Supreme
Lord, Uttamaloka.
TEXT 5
bhagavas takakdibhyo
mtyubhyo na bibhemy aham
pravio brahma nirvam
abhaya darita tvay
bhagavanmy lord; takakafrom the snake-bird Takaka; dibhyaor
other living entities; mtyubhyafrom repeated deaths; na bibhemido
not fear; ahamI; praviahaving entered; brahmathe Absolute
Truth; nirvamexclusive of everything material; abhayam
fearlessness; daritamshown; tvayby you.
My lord, I now have no fear of Takaka or any other living being, or
even of repeated deaths, because I have absorbed myself in that purely
spiritual Absolute Truth, which you have revealed and which destroys
all fear.
TEXT 6
anujnhi m brahman
vca yacchmy adhokaje
mukta-kmaya ceta
praveya visjmy asn
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as a tree.
TEXT 11
takaka prahito vipr
kruddhena dvija-snun
hantu-kmo npa gacchan
dadara pathi kayapam
takakathe snake-bird Takaka; prahitasent; viprO learned
brhmaas; kruddhenawho had been angered; dvijaof the sage
Samka; snunby the son; hantu-kmadesirous of killing; npam
the King; gacchanwhile going; dadarahe saw; pathiupon the road;
kayapamKayapa Muni.
O learned brhmaas, the snake-bird Takaka, who had been sent by
the angry son of a brhmaa, was going toward the King to kill him
when he saw Kayapa Muni on the path.
TEXT 12
ta tarpayitv draviair
nivartya via-hriam
dvija-rpa-praticchanna
kma-rpo 'daan npam
tamhim (Kayapa); tarpayitvgratifying; draviaiwith valuable
offerings; nivartyastopping; via-hriaman expert in counteracting
poison; dvija-rpain the form of a brhmaa; praticchannadisguising
himself; kma-rpaTakaka, who could assume any form he wished;
adaatbit; npamKing Parkit.
Takaka flattered Kayapa by presenting him with valuable offerings
and thereby stopped the sage, who was expert in counteracting poison,
from protecting Mahrja Parkit. Then the snakebird, who could
assume any form he wished, disguised himself as a brhmaa,
approached the King and bit him.
Kayapa could counteract the poison of Takaka and demonstrated this
power by bringing a palm tree back to life after Takaka had burned it to
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vavu pupa-vari
vibudh sdhu-vdina
devaof the demigods; dundubhayathe kettledrums; nedu
resounded; gandharva-apsarasathe Gandharvas and Apsars; jagu
sang; vavuthey showered down; pupa-varirains of flowers;
vibudhthe demigods; sdhu-vdinaspeaking praise.
Kettledrums sounded in the regions of the demigods, and the celestial
Gandharvas and Apsars sang. The demigods showered flowers and
spoke words of praise.
Although lamenting at first, all learned persons, including the demigods,
soon realized that a great soul had gone back home, back to Godhead.
This was certainly a cause for celebration.
TEXT 16
janmejaya sva-pitara
rutv takaka-bhakitam
yathjuhva sankruddho
ngn satre saha dvijai
janmejayaKing Janamejaya, the son of Parkit; sva-pitaramhis own
father; rutvhearing; takakaby Takaka, the snake-bird;
bhakitambitten; yathproperly; juhvaoffered as oblations;
sakruddhaextremely angry; ngnthe snakes; satrein a great
sacrifice; sahaalong with; dvijaibrhmaas.
Hearing that his father had been fatally bitten by the snakebird,
Mahrja Janamejaya became extremely angry and had brhmaas
perform a mighty sacrifice in which he offered all the snakes in the
world into the sacrificial fire.
TEXT 17
sarpa-satre samiddhgnau
dahyamnn mahoragn
dvendra bhaya-savignas
takaka araa yayau
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TEXT 20
prkita iti rutv
prhartvija udra-dh
sahendras takako vipr
ngnau kim iti ptyate
prkitaKing Janamejaya; itithese words; rutvhearing; prha
replied; tvijato the priests; udrabroad; dhwhose intelligence;
sahaalong with; indraIndra; takakaTakaka; viprO
brhmaas; nanot; agnauinto the fire; kimwhy; itiindeed;
ptyateis made to fall.
The intelligent King Janamejaya, hearing these words, replied to the
priests: Then, my dear brhmaas, why not make Takaka fall into the
fire, along with his protector, Indra?
TEXT 21
tac chrutvjuhuvur vipr
sahendra takaka makhe
takaku patasveha
sahendrea marutvat
tatthat; rutvhearing; juhuvuthey performed the ritual of
offering oblation; viprthe brhmaa priests; sahaalong with;
indramKing Indra; takakamthe snake-bird Takaka; makheinto the
sacrificial fire; takakaO Takaka; uquickly; patasvayou should
fall; ihahere; saha indreatogether with Indra; marut-vatwho is
accompanied by all the demigods.
Hearing this, the priests then chanted this mantra for offering Takaka
together with Indra as an oblation into the sacrificial fire: O Takaka,
fall immediately into this fire, together with Indra and his entire host of
demigods!
TEXT 22
iti brahmoditkepai
sthnd indra praclita
babhva sambhrnta-mati
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sa-vimna sa-takaka
itithus; brahmaby the brhmaas; uditaspoken; kepaiby the
insulting words; sthntfrom his place; indraLord Indra;
praclitathrown; babhvabecame; sambhrntadisturbed; matiin
his mind; sa-vimnaalong with his heavenly airplane; sa-takaka
along with Takaka.
When Lord Indra, along with his airplane and Takaka, was suddenly
thrown from his position by these insulting words of the brhmaas, he
became very disturbed.
TEXT 23
ta patanta vimnena
saha-takakam ambart
vilokygirasa prha
rjna ta bhaspati
tamhim; patantamfalling; vimnenain his airplane; saha-takakam
with Takaka; ambartfrom the sky; vilokyaobserving; girasathe
son of Agir; prhaspoke; rjnamto the King (Janamejaya); tam
to him; bhaspatiBhaspati.
Bhaspati, the son of Agir Muni, seeing Indra falling from the sky in
his airplane along with Takaka, approached King Janamejaya and
spoke to him as follows.
TEXT 24
naia tvay manuyendra
vadham arhati sarpa-r
anena ptam amtam
atha v ajarmara
nanot; eathis snake-bird; tvayby you; manuya-indraO great
ruler of men; vadhammurder; arhatideserves; sarpa-rthe king of
snakes; anenaby him; ptamhas been drunk; amtamthe nectar of
the demigods; athatherefore; vaicertainly; ajarafree from the effects
of old age; amaravirtually immortal.
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O King among men, it is not fitting that this king of snakes meet death
at your hands, for he has drunk the nectar of the immortal demigods.
Consequently he is not subject to the ordinary symptoms of old age and
death.
TEXT 25
jvita maraa jantor
gati svenaiva karma
rjas tato 'nyo nsty asya
pradt sukha-dukhayo
jvitamthe living; maraamthe dying; jantoof a living being;
gatithe destination in his next life; svenaby his own; evaonly;
karmawork; rjanO King; tatathan that; anyaanother; na
astithere is not; asyafor him; pradtbestower; sukha-dukhayo
of happiness and distress.
The life and death of an embodied soul and his destination in the next
life are all caused by himself through his own activity. Therefore, O
King, no other agent is actually responsible for creating one's happiness
and distress.
Although King Parkit apparently died by the bite of Takaka, it was Lord
Ka Himself who brought the King back to the kingdom of God.
Bhaspati wanted young King Janamejaya to see things from the spiritual
point of view.
TEXT 26
sarpa-caurgni-vidyudbhya
kut-td-vydhy-dibhir npa
pacatvam cchate jantur
bhukta rabdha-karma tat
sarpafrom snakes; caurathieves; agnifire; vidyudbhyaand
lightning; kutfrom hunger; tthirst; vydhidisease; dibhiand
other agents; npaO King; pacatvamdeath; cchateobtains;
jantuthe conditioned living entity; bhuktehe enjoys; rabdha
already created by his past work; karmathe fruitive reaction; tatthat.
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nvamanyeta kacana
na cema deham ritya
vaira kurvta kenacit
ati-vdninsulting words; titiketaone should tolerate; nanever;
avamanyetaone should disrespect; kacanaanyone; na canor;
imamthis; dehammaterial body; rityaidentifying with; vairam
enmity; kurvtaone should have; kenacitwith anyone.
One should tolerate all insults and never fail to show proper respect to
any person. Avoiding identification with the material body, one should
not create enmity with anyone.
TEXT 35
namo bhagavate tasmai
kykuha-medhase
yat-pdmburuha-dhynt
sahitm adhyagm imm
namaobeisances; bhagavateto the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
tasmaito Him; kyaLord r Ka; akuha-medhasewhose
power is never impeded; yatwhose; pda-ambu-ruhaupon the lotus
feet; dhyntby meditation; sahitmthe scripture; adhyagmI have
assimilated; immthis.
I offer my obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the
invincible Lord r Ka. Simply by meditating upon His lotus feet I
have been able to study and appreciate this great literature.
TEXT 36
r-aunaka uvca
paildibhir vysa-iyair
vedcryair mahtmabhi
ved ca kathit vyast
etat saumybhidhehi na
r-aunaka uvcar aunaka i said; paila-dibhiby Paila and
others; vysa-iyaithe disciples of rla Vysadeva; veda-cryaithe
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brahmanO
brhmaa;
yoginamystic
sages;
malamthe
contamination; tmanaof the heart; dravyasubstance; kriy
activity; krakaand performer; khyamdesignated as such; dhtv
cleansing away; yntithey achieve; apuna-bhavamfreedom from
rebirth.
By worship of this subtle form of the Vedas, O brhmaa, mystic sages
cleanse their hearts of all contamination caused by impurity of
substance, activity and doer, and thus they attain freedom from
repeated birth and death.
TEXT 39
tato 'bht tri-vd okro
yo 'vyakta-prabhava sva-r
yat tal liga bhagavato
brahmaa paramtmana
tatafrom that; abhtcame into being; tri-vtthreefold; okra
the syllable o; ya-which; avyaktanot apparent; prabhavaits
influence; sva-rself-manifesting; yatwhich; tatthat; ligamthe
representation; bhagavataof the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
brahmaaof the Absolute Truth in His impersonal aspect; paramatmanaand of the Supersoul.
From that transcendental subtle vibration arose the okra composed
of three sounds. The okra has unseen potencies and manifests
automatically within a purified heart. It is the representation of the
Absolute Truth in all three of His phasesthe Supreme Personality, the
Supreme Soul and the supreme impersonal truth.
TEXTS 40-41
oti ya ima sphoa
supta-rotre ca nya-dk
yena vg vyajyate yasya
vyaktir ka tmana
sva-dhmno brhmaa skd
vcaka paramtmana
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sa sarva-mantropaniad
veda-bja santanam
otihears; yawho; imamthis; sphoamunmanifest and eternal
subtle sound; supta-rotrewhen the sense of hearing is asleep; caand;
nya-dkdevoid of material sight and other sensory functions; yena
by which; vkthe expanse of Vedic sound; vyajyateis elaborated;
yasyaof which; vyaktithe manifestation; kein the sky (of the
heart); tmanafrom the soul; sva-dhmnawho is His own origin;
brahmaaof the Absolute Truth; sktdirectly; vcakathe
designating term; parama-tmanaof the Supersoul; sathat; sarva
of all; mantraVedic hymns; upaniatthe secret; vedaof the Vedas;
bjamthe seed; santanameternal.
This okra, ultimately nonmaterial and imperceptible, is heard by the
Supersoul without His possessing material ears or any other material
senses. The entire expanse of Vedic sound is elaborated from okra,
which appears from the soul, within the sky of the heart. It is the direct
designation of the self-originating Absolute Truth, the Supersoul, and is
the secret essence and eternal seed of all Vedic hymns.
The senses of a sleeping person do not function until he has awakened.
Therefore, when a sleeping person is awakened by a noise, one may ask,
"Who heard the noise?" The words supta-rotre in this verse indicate that
the Supreme Lord within the heart hears the sound and awakens the
sleeping living entities. The Lord's sensory activities always function on a
superior level. Ultimately, all sounds vibrate within the sky, and in the
internal region of the heart there is a type of sky meant for the vibration
of Vedic sounds. The seed, or source, of all Vedic sounds is the okra.
This is confirmed by the Vedic statement o ity etad brahmao nediham
nma. The full elaboration of the Vedic seed sound is rmad-Bhgavatam,
the greatest Vedic literature.
TEXT 42
tasya hy sas trayo var
a-krdy bhgdvaha
dhryante yais trayo bhv
gua-nmrtha-vttaya
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137
Sma Vedas.
TEXT 51
ts sa catura iyn
uphya mah-mati
ekaik sahit brahmann
ekaikasmai dadau vibhu
tsmof those four collections; sahe; caturafour; iyn
disciples; uphyacalling near; mah-matithe powerfully intelligent
sage; eka-ekmone by one; sahitma collection; brahmanO
brhmaa; eka-ekasmaito each of them; dadauhe gave; vibhuthe
powerful Vysadeva.
The most powerful and intelligent Vysadeva called four of his
disciples, O brhmaa, and entrusted to each of them one of these four
sahits.
TEXTS 52-53
pailya sahitm dy
bahvckhy uvca ha
vaiampyana-sajya
nigadkhya yajur-gaam
smn jaiminaye prha
tath chandoga-sahitm
atharvgiras nma
sva-iyya sumantave
pailyato Paila; sahitmthe collection; dymfirst (of the g
Veda); bahu-ca-khyamcalled Bahvca; uvca-he spoke; haindeed;
vaiampyana-sajyato the sage named Vaiampyana; nigadakhyamknown as Nigada; yaju-gaam-the collection of Yajur mantras;
smnmthe mantras of the Sma Veda; jaiminayeto Jaimini; prhahe
spoke; tathand; chandoga-sahitmthe sahit named Chandoga;
atharva-agirasm-the Veda ascribed to the sages Atharva and Agir;
nmaindeed; sva-iyyato his disciple; sumantaveSumantu.
rla Vysadeva taught the first sahit, the g Veda, to Paila and gave
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vlakhilykhya-sahitm
cakre vlyanir bhajya
kra caiva t dadhu
bkaliBkali, the son of Bkala; prati-khbhyafrom all the
different branches; vlakhilya-khyaentitled Vlakhilya; sahitm-the
collection; cakrehe made; vlyaniVlyani; bhajyaBhajya;
kraKra; caand; evaindeed; tmthat; dadhuthey
accepted.
Bkali assembled the Vlakhilya-sahit, a collection from all the
branches of the g Veda. This collection was received by Vlyani,
Bhajya and Kra.
According to rla rdhara Svm, Vlyani, Bhajya and Kra belonged
to the Daitya community.
TEXT 60
bahvc sahit hy et
ebhir brahmaribhir dht
rutvaitac-chandas vysa
sarva-ppai pramucyate
bahu-cof the g Veda; sahit-the collections; hiindeed; et
these; ebhiby these; brahma-ibhisaintly brhmaas; dht
maintained through disciplic succession; rutvhearing; etattheir;
chandasmof the sacred verses; vysamthe process of division; sarvappaifrom all sins; pramucyateone becomes delivered.
Thus these various sahits of the g Veda were maintained through
disciplic succession by these saintly brhmaas. Simply by hearing of
this distribution of the Vedic hymns, one will be freed from all sins.
TEXT 61
vaiampyana-iy vai
carakdhvaryavo 'bhavan
yac cerur brahma-hatyha
kapaa sva-guror vratam
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mercifully glancing upon the sleeping people of the world, you raise
them up with the gift of sight. Thus you are most magnanimous. At the
three sacred junctures of each day, you engage the pious in the path of
ultimate good, inducing them to perform religious duties that situate
them in their spiritual position.
According to Vedic culture, the three higher classes of society (the
intellectual, political and mercantile sections) are formally connected with
the spiritual master by initiation and receive the Gyatr mantra. This
purifying mantra is chanted three times dailyat sunrise, noon and
sunset. Auspicious moments for the performance of spiritual duties are
calculated according to the sun's path in the sky, and this systematic
scheduling of spiritual duties is here attributed to the sun as the
representative of God.
TEXT 71
avani-patir ivsdhn bhayam udrayann aati parita -plais
tatra tatra kamala-kojalibhir upahtrhaa.
avani-patia king; ivaas; asdhnmof the unholy; bhayamfear;
udrayancreating; aatitravels about; paritaall around; -plaiby the controlling deities of the directions; tatra tatrahere and there;
kamala-koaholding lotus flowers; ajalibhiwith folded palms;
upahtaoffered; arhaahonorable presentations.
Just like an earthly king, you travel about everywhere spreading fear
among the unholy as the powerful deities of the directions offer you in
their folded palms lotus flowers and other respectful presentations.
TEXT 72
atha ha bhagavas tava caraa-nalina-yugala tri-bhuvana-gurubhir
abhivanditam aham ayta-yma-yaju-kma upasarmti.
athathus; haindeed; bhagavanO lord; tavayour; caraa-nalinayugalamtwo lotus feet; tri-bhuvanaof the three worlds; gurubhiby
the spiritual masters; abhivanditamhonored; ahamI; ayta-yma
unknown to anyone else; yaju-kmadesiring to have the yajurmantras; upasarmi-am approaching with worship; itithus.
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kto hirayanbhasya
catur-viati sahit
iya ce sva-iyebhya
e vantya tmavn
ktaKta; hirayanbhasyaof Hirayanbha; catu-viatitwentyfour; sahitcollections; iyathe disciple; cespoke; svaiyebhyato his own disciples; ethe remaining (collections);
vantyavantya; tma-vnthe self-controlled.
Kta, the disciple of Hirayanbha, spoke twenty four sahits to his
own disciples, and the remaining collections were passed down by the
self-realized sage vantya.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda to the Twelfth Canto, Sixth Chapter, of the
rmad-Bhgavatam, entitled "Mahrja Parkit Passes Away."
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disciples.
Babhru and Saindhavyana, disciples of unaka, studied the two
divisions of their spiritual master's compilation of the Atharva Veda.
Saindhavyana's disciple Svara and disciples of other great sages also
studied this edition of the Atharva Veda.
TEXT 4
nakatrakalpa nti ca
kayapgirasdaya
ete tharvacry
u paurikn mune
nakatrakalpaNakatrakalpa; ntintikalpa; caalso; kayapagirasa-dayaKayapa, girasa and others; etethese; tharvaacryspiritual masters of the Atharva Veda; unow hear;
pauriknthe authorities of the Puras; mune-O sage, aunaka.
Nakatrakalpa, ntikalpa, Kayapa, girasa and others were also
among the cryas of the Atharva Veda. Now, O sage, listen as I name
the authorities on Puric literature.
TEXT 5
trayyrui kayapa ca
svarir aktavrana
vaiampyana-hrtau
a vai paurik ime
trayyrui kayapa caTrayyrui and Kayapa; svari aktavraaSvari and Aktavraa; vaiampyana-hrtauVaiampyana
and Hrta; asix; vaiindeed; paurikspiritual masters of the
Puras; ime-these.
Trayyrui, Kayapa, Svari, Aktavrana, Vaiampyana and Hrta are
the six masters of the Puras.
TEXT 6
adhyanta vysa-iyt
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ascertained; uvaplease hear; buddhimintelligence; rityaresorting to; veda-strathe Vedic scriptures; anusratain accordance
with.
O aunaka, please hear with attention the characteristics of a Pura,
which have been defined by the most eminent learned brhmaas in
accordance with Vedic literature.
TEXTS 9-10
sargo 'sytha visarga ca
vtti-rakntari ca
vao vanucarta
sasth hetur apraya
daabhir lakaair yukta
pura tad-vido vidu
kecit paca-vidha brahman
mahad-alpa-vyavasthay
sargathe creation; asyaof this universe; athathen; visargathe
secondary creation; caand; vttimaintenance; rakprotection by
sustenance; antarithe reigns of the Manus; caand; vaathe
dynasties of great kings; vaa-anucaritamthe narrations of their
activities; sasththe annihilation; hetuthe motivation (for the living
entities' involvement in material activities); aprayathe supreme
shelter; daabhiwith the ten; lakaaicharacteristics; yuktam
endowed; purama Pura; tat-of this matter; vidathose who know;
viduthey know; kecitsome authorities; paca-vidhamfivefold;
brahmanO brhmaa; mahatof great; alpaand lesser; vyavasthay
according to the distinction.
O brhmaa, authorities on the matter understand a Pura to contain
ten characteristic topics: the creation of this universe, the subsequent
creation of worlds and beings, the maintenance of all living beings, their
sustenance, the rule of various Manus, the dynasties of great kings, the
activities of such kings, annihilation, motivation and the supreme
shelter. Other scholars state that the great Puras deal with these ten
topics, while lesser Puras may deal with five.
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The ten subjects of a great Pura are also described in the Second Canto
of rmad-Bhgavatam (2.10.1):
r-uka uvca
atra sargo visarga ca
sthna poaam taya
manvantarenukath
nirodho muktir raya
"r ukadeva Gosvm said: In the rmad-Bhgavatam there are ten
divisions of statements regarding the following: the creation of the
universe, subcreation, planetary systems, protection by the Lord, the
creative impetus, the change of Manus, the science of God, returning
home (back to Godhead), liberation and the summum bonum."
According to rla Jva Gosvm, Puras such as rmad-Bhgavatam deal
with these ten topics, whereas lesser Puras deal with only five. As stated
in Vedic literature:
sarga ca pratisarga ca
vao manvantari ca
vanucarita ceti
pura paca-lakaam
"Creation, secondary creation, the dynasties of kings, the reigns of Manus
and the activities of various dynasties are the five characteristics of a
Pura." Puras covering five categories of knowledge are understood to
be secondary Puric literature.
rla Jva Gosvm has explained that the ten principal topics of rmadBhgavatam are found within each of the twelve cantos. One should not
try to assign each of the ten topics to a particular canto. Nor should the
rmad-Bhgavatam be artificially interpreted to show that it deals with
the topics successively. The simple fact is that all aspects of knowledge
important to human beings, summarized in the ten categories mentioned
above, are described with various degrees of emphasis and analysis
throughout the rmad-Bhgavatam.
TEXT 11
avykta-gua-kobhn
mahatas tri-vto 'hama
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bhta-skmendriyrthn
sambhava sarga ucyate
avyktaof the unmanifest stage of nature; gua-kobhtby the
agitation of the modes; mahatafrom the basic mahat-tattva; tri-vtathreefold; ahamafrom the false ego; bhta-skmaof the subtle forms
of perception; indriyaof the senses; arthnmand the objects of sense
perception; sambhavathe generation; sargacreation; ucyateis
called.
From the agitation of the original modes within the unmanifest material
nature, the mahat-tattva arises. From the mahat-tattva comes the
element false ego, which divides into three aspects. This threefold false
ego further manifests as the subtle forms of perception, as the senses
and as the gross sense objects. The generation of all these is called
creation.
TEXT 12
purunughtnm
ete vsan-maya
visargo 'ya samhro
bjd bja carcaram
puruaof the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His pastime role of
creation; anughtnmwhich have received the mercy; etemof these
elements; vsan-mayaconsisting predominantly of the remnants of
past desires of the living entities; visargathe secondary creation;
ayamthis; samhramanifest amalgamation; bjtfrom a seed;
bjamanother seed; caramoving beings; acaramand nonmoving
beings.
The secondary creation, which exists by the mercy of the Lord, is the
manifest amalgamation of the desires of the living entities. Just as a
seed produces additional seeds, activities that promote material desires
in the performer produce moving and nonmoving life forms.
Just as a seed grows into a tree that produces thousands of new seeds,
material desire develops into fruitive activity that stimulates thousands of
new desires within the heart of the conditioned soul. The word
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TEXT 17
naimittika prktiko
nitya tyantiko laya
sastheti kavibhi prokta
caturdhsya svabhvata
naimittikaoccasional; prktikaelemental; nityacontinuous;
tyantikaultimate; layaannihilation; sasththe dissolution; iti
thus; kavibhiby learned scholars; proktadescribed; caturdhin
four aspects; asyaof this universe; svabhvataby the inherent energy
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
There are four types of cosmic annihilationoccasional, elemental,
continuous and ultimateall of which are effected by the inherent
potency of the Supreme Lord. Learned scholars have designated this
topic dissolution.
TEXT 18
hetur jvo 'sya sargder
avidy-karma-kraka
ya cnuyina prhur
avyktam utpare
hetuthe cause; jvathe living being; asyaof this universe; sargadeof the creation, maintenance and destruction; avidyout of
ignorance; karma-krakathe performer of material activities; yam
whom; caand; anuyinamthe underlying personality; prhuthey
call; avyktamthe unmanifest; utaindeed; apareothers.
Out of ignorance the living being performs material activities and
thereby becomes in one sense the cause of the creation, maintenance
and destruction of the universe. Some authorities call the living being
the personality underlying the material creation, while others say he is
the unmanifest self.
The Supreme Lord Himself creates, maintains and annihilates the cosmos.
However, such activities are performed in response to the desires of
conditioned souls, who are described herein as hetu, or the cause of
cosmic activity. The Lord creates this world to facilitate the conditioned
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Although a material object may assume various forms and names, its
essential ingredient is always present as the basis of its existence.
Similarly, both conjointly and separately, the Supreme Absolute Truth
is always present with the created material body throughout its phases
of existence, beginning with conception and ending with death.
Moist clay can be molded into various shapes and named "waterpot,"
"flowerpot" or "storage pot." Despite the various names and forms, the
essential ingredient, earth, is constantly present. Similarly, the Supreme
Lord is present throughout a material body's stages of bodily existence.
The Lord is identical with material nature, being its ultimate generating
source. At the same time, the unique Supreme Being exists separately,
aloof in His own abode.
TEXT 21
virameta yad citta
hitv vtti-traya svayam
yogerla v tadtmna
vedehy nivartate
virametadesists; yadwhen; cittamthe mind; hitvgiving up; vttitrayamthe functions of material life in the three phases of waking, sleep
and deep sleep; svayamautomatically; yogenaby regulated spiritual
practice; vor; tadthen; tmnamthe Supreme Soul; vedahe
knows; hyfrom material endeavor; nivartatehe ceases.
Either automatically or because of one's regulated spiritual practice,
one's mind may stop functioning on the material platform of waking
consciousness, sleep and deep sleep. Then one understands the
Supreme Soul and withdraws from material endeavor.
As stated in rmad-Bhgavatam (3.25.33), jarayaty u y koa nigram
analo yath: "Bhakti, devotional service, dissolves the subtle body of the
living entity without separate endeavor, just as fire in the stomach digests
all that we eat." The subtle material body is inclined to exploit nature
through sex, greed, false pride and madness. Loving service to the Lord,
however, dissolves the stubborn false ego and lifts one to pure blissful
consciousness, Ka consciousness, the sublime perfection of existence.
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TEXT 22
eva lakaa-lakyi
purni pur-vida
munayo 'daa prhu
kullakni mahnti ca
evamin this way; lakaa-lakyisymptomized by their
characteristics; purnithe Puras; pur-vida-those who are expert in
such ancient histories; munayathe sages; adaaeighteen; prhu
say; kullakniminor; mahntigreat; caalso.
Sages expert in ancient histories have declared that the Puras,
according to their various characteristics, can be divided into eighteen
major Puras and eighteen secondary Puras.
TEXTS 23-24
brhma pdma vaiava ca
aiva laiga sa-grua
nradya bhgavatam
gneya sknda-sajitam
bhaviya brahma-vaivarta
mrkaeya sa-vmanam
vrha mtsya kaurma ca
brahmkhyam iti tri-a
brhmamthe Brahm Pura; pdmamthe Padma Pura; vaiavam
the Viu Pura; caand; aivamthe iva Pura; laigamthe Liga
Pura; sa-gruam-along with the Garua Pura; nradyamthe
Nrada Pura; bhgavatam-the Bhgavata Pura; gneyamthe Agni
Pura; sknda-the Skanda Pura; sajitam-known as; bhaviyamthe
Bhaviya Pura; brahma-vaivartam-the Brahma-vaivarta Pura;
mrkaeyamthe Mrkaeya Pura; sa-vmanamtogether with the
Vmana Pura; vrhamthe Varha Pura; mtsyamthe Matsya
Pura; kaurmamthe Krma Pura; caand; brahma-khyam
known as the Brahma Pura; iti-thus; tri-athree times six.
The eighteen major Puras are the Brahm, Padma, Viu, iva, Liga,
Garua, Nrada, Bhgavata, Agni, Skanda, Bhaviya, Brahma-vaivarta,
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Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda to the Twelfth Canto, Seventh Chapter, of
the rmad-Bhgavatam, entitled "The Puric Literatures."
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Brahm are simply bewildered when they try to understand Your identity
by struggling on the path of skhya-yoga. You Yourself manifest the
proponents of Skhya and other philosophies, and thus Your true
personal identity remains hidden beneath the designative covering of the
jva soul. I offer my homage to You, the Mahpurua."
TEXT 1
r-aunaka uvca
sta jva cira sdho
vada no vadat vara
tamasy apre bhramat
n tva pra-darana
r-aunaka uvcar aunaka said; staO Sta Gosvm; jvamay
you live; ciramfor a long time; sdhoO saint; vadaplease speak;
nato us; vadatmof speakers; varaO you who are the best;
tamasiin darkness; apreunbounded; bhramatmwho are
wandering; nmfor men; tvamyou; pra-daranathe seer of the
opposite shore.
r aunaka said: O Sta, may you live a long life! O saintly one, best of
speakers, please continue speaking to us. Indeed, only you can show
men the path out of the ignorance in which they are wandering.
According to rla Jva Gosvm, the sages saw that Sta Gosvm was
about to end his narration of rmad-Bhgavatam, and thus they urged
him to first tell the story of Mrkaeya i.
TEXTS 2-5
hu ciryuam i
mkau-tanaya jan
ya kalpnte hy urvarito
yena grastam ida jagat
sa v asmat-kulotpanna
kalpe 'smin bhrgavarabha
naivdhunpi bhtn
samplava ko 'pi jyate
eka evrave bhrmyan
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upavta sa-mekhalam
kjina ska-stra
ku ca niyamarddhaye
agny-arka-guru-viprtmasv
arcayan sandhyayor harim
sya prta sa gurave
bhaikyam htya vg-yata
bubhuje gurv-anujta
sakn no ced upoita
eva tapa-svdhyya-paro
varm ayutyutam
rdhayan hkea
jigye mtyu su-durjayam
prptahaving received; dvi-jtiof second birth; saskrathe
purificatory rituals; mrkaeyaMrkaeya; pitufrom his father;
kramtbv proper sequence; chandsithe Vedic hymns; adhtya
studying; dharmeaalong with regulative principles; tapain
austerities; svdhyyaand study; sayutafull; bhat-vratathe great
vow of lifelong celibacy; dharamaintaining; ntapeaceful; jaila
with matted hair; valkala-ambarawearing bark as his clothing;
bibhratcarrying; kamaaluma waterpot; daama mendicant's
staff; upavtamthe sacred thread; sa-mekhalamalong with the ritual
belt of a brahmacr; ka-ajinamthe skin of a black deer; sa-akastramand prayer beads made of lotus seeds; kunkua grass; ca
also; niyama-ddhayeto facilitate his spiritual progress; agniin the
form of fire; arkathe sun; guruthe spiritual master; viprathe
brhmaas; tmasuand the Supersoul; arcayanworshiping;
sandhyayoat the beginning and the end of the day; harimthe
Supreme Personality of Godhead; syamin the evening; prtain the
early morning; sahe; guraveunto his spiritual master; bhaikyam
alms obtained by begging; htyabringing; vk-yatawith controlled
speech; bubhujehe partook; guru-anujtainvited by his spiritual
master; saktonce; nanot (invited); uindeed; cetif; upoita
fasting; evamin this way; tapa-svdhyya-paradedicated to
austerities and studies of the Vedic literature; varmyears; ayutaayutamten thousand times ten thousand; rdhayanworshiping;
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TEXT 13
ittha bhad-vrata-dharas
tapa-svdhyya-sayamai
dadhyv adhokaja yog
dhvasta-klentartman
itthamin this manner; bhat-vrata-dharamaintaining the vow of
celibacy, brahmacarya; tapa-svdhyya-sayamai-by his austerities,
studies of the Vedas and regulative principles; dadhyauhe meditated;
adhokajamupon the transcendental Lord; yogthe yog; dhvasta
destroyed; kleaall troubles; anta-tmanawith his introspective
mind.
In this way the devotional mystic Mrkaeya maintained rigid celibacy
through penance, study of the Vedas and self-discipline. With his mind
thus free of all disturbances, he turned it inward and meditated on the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who lies beyond the material senses.
TEXT 14
tasyaiva yujata citta
mah-yogena yogina
vyatyya mahn klo
manvantara-a-tmaka
tasyahe; evamthus; yujatawhile fixing; cittamhis mind; mahyogenaby powerful practice of yoga; yoginathe mystic sage;
vyatyyapassed by; mahna great; klaperiod of time; manuantaralifetimes of Manu; asix; tmakaconsisting of.
While the mystic sage thus concentrated his mind by powerful yoga
practice, the tremendous period of six lifetimes of Manu passed by.
TEXT 15
etat purandaro jtv
saptame 'smin kilntare
tapo-viakito brahmann
rebhe tad-vightanam
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bees and the cooing of excited cuckoos, while jubilant peacocks danced
about. Indeed, many families of maddened birds crowded that
hermitage. The springtime breeze sent by Lord Indra entered there,
carrying cooling drops of spray from nearby waterfalls. Fragrant from
the embrace of forest flowers, that breeze entered the hermitage and
began evoking the lusty spirit of Cupid.
TEXT 21
udyac-candra-ni-vaktra
pravla-stabaklibhi
gopa-druma-lat-jlais
tatrst kusumkara
udyatrising; candrawith the moon; ninighttime; vaktrawhose
face; pravlaof new sprouts; stabakaand blossoms; libhiwith
rows; gopabeing hidden; drumaof the trees; latand creepers;
jlaialong with the multitude; tatrathere; stappeared; kusumakarathe spring season.
Springtime then appeared in Mrkaeya's rama. Indeed, the evening
sky, glowing with the light of the rising moon, became the very face of
spring, and sprouts and fresh blossoms virtually covered the multitude
of trees and creepers.
TEXT 22
anvyamno gandharvair
gta-vditra-ythakai
adyattta-cpeu
sva-str-ytha-pati smara
anvyamnabeing followed; gandharvaiby Gandharvas; gtaof
singers; vditraand players of musical instruments; ythakaiby
companies; adyatawas seen; ttaholding up; cpa-iuhis bow
and arrows; sva-str-ythaof hoardes of heavenly women; patithe
master; smaraCupid.
Cupid, the master of many heavenly women, then came there holding
his bow and arrows. He was followed by groups of Gandharvas playing
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visasarja tad ba
matv ta sva-jita smara
sarva tatrbhavan mogham
anasya yathodyama
visasarjashot; tadthen; bamthe arrow; matvthinking; tam
him; svaby himself; jitamconquered; smaraCupid; sarvamall
this; tatradirected at the sage; abhavatbecame; moghamfutile;
anasyaof an atheist disbeliever; yathjust as; udyamathe
endeavors.
Cupid, thinking he had conquered the sage, then shot his arrow. But all
these attempts to seduce Mrkaeya proved futile, just like the useless
endeavors of an atheist.
TEXT 29
ta ittham apakurvanto
munes tat-tejas mune
dahyamn nivavtu
prabodhyhim ivrbhak
tethey; itthamin this way; apakurvantatrying to do harm; mune
to the sage; tathis; tejasby the potency; muneO sage (aunaka);
dahyamnfeeling burned; nivavtuthey desisted; prabodhya
having awakened; ahima snake; ivaas if; arbhakchildren.
O learned aunaka, while Cupid and his followers tried to harm the
sage, they felt themselves being burned alive by his potency. Thus they
stopped their mischief, just like children who have aroused a sleeping
snake.
TEXT 30
itndrnucarair brahman
dharito 'pi mah-muni
yan ngd ahamo bhva
na tac citra mahatsu hi
itithus; indra-anucaraiby the followers of Indra; brahmanO
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TEXT 37
utthya prjali prahva
autsukyd liann iva
namo nama itnau
babhe gadgadkaram
utthyastanding up; prjaliwith folded hands; prahvahumble;
autsukytout of eagerness; lianembracing; ivaas if; nama
obeisances; namaobeisances; itithus; nauto the two Lords;
babhehe spoke; gadgadachoking with ecstasy; akaramthe
syllables.
Standing with his hands folded in supplication and his head bowed in
humility, Mrkaeya felt such eagerness that he imagined he was
embracing the two Lords. In a voice choked with ecstasy, he repeatedly
said, "I offer You my humble obeisances."
TEXT 38
tayor sanam dya
pdayor avanijya ca
arhaennulepena
dhpa-mlyair apjayat
tayoto Them; sanamsitting places; dyaoffering; pdayo
Their feet; avanijyahathing; caand; arhaenawith suitable
respectful offerings; anulepenaby anointing Them with sandalwood
pulp and other fragrant substances; dhpawith incense; mlyaiand
flower garlands; apjayathe worshiped.
He gave Them sitting places and washed Their feet, and then he
worshiped Them with presentations of arghya, sandalwood pulp,
fragrant oils, incense and flower garlands.
TEXT 39
sukham sanam snau
prasdbhimukhau mun
punar namya pdbhy
garihv idam abravt
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iva represents ignorance, and demigods such as Indra also represent the
modes of material nature. But Lord Viu, or Nryaa, represents pure
spiritual goodness, which brings one realization of the spiritual world,
freedom from fear, and spiritual bliss. Such benefits can never be derived
from impure, material goodness, for it is always mixed with the modes of
passion and ignorance. As clearly indicated in this verse, the
transcendental form of God is fully constituted of eternal spiritual
goodness and thus has no tinge of the material mode of goodness, passion
or ignorance.
TEXT 47
tasmai namo bhagavate puruya bhmne
vivya viva-gurave para-daivatya
nryaya aye ca narottamya
hasya sayata-gire nigamevarya
tasmaito Him; namamy obeisances; bhagavateto the Godhead;
puruyathe Supreme Person; bhmnethe all-pervading one;
vivyathe all-inclusive manifestation of the universe; viva-guravethe
spiritual master of the universe; para-daivatyathe supremely
worshipable Deity; nryayato Lord Nryaa; ayethe sage; ca
and; nara-uttamyato the best of human beings; hasyasituated in
perfect purity; sayata-girewho has controlled his speech; nigamavaryathe master of the Vedic scriptures.
I offer my humble obeisances to Him, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. He is the all-pervading and all-inclusive form of the universe,
as well as its spiritual master. I bow down to Lord Nryaa, the
supremely worshipable Deity appearing as a sage, and also to the
saintly Nara, the best of human beings, who is fixed in perfect
goodness, fully in control of his speech, and the propagator of the Vedic
literatures.
TEXT 48
ya vai na veda vitathka-pathair bhramad-dh
santa svakev asuu hdy api dk-patheu
tan-myayvta-mati sa u eva skd
dyas tavkhila-guror upasdya vedam
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TEXT 7
sta uvca
itito 'rcita kmam
i bhagavn mune
tatheti sa smayan prgd
badary-ramam vara
sta uvcaSta Gosvm said; itiin these words; itaglorified;
arcitaworshiped; kmamsatisfactorily; iby the sage
Mrkaeya; bhagavnthe Personality of Godhead; muneO wise
aunaka; tath iti"so be it"; saHe; smayansmiling; prgt
departed; badar-ramamfor the hermitage Badarikrama; vara
the Supreme Lord.
Sta Gosvm said: O wise aunaka, thus satisfied by Mrkaeya's
praise and worship, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, smiling,
replied, "So be it," and then departed for His hermitage at
Badarikrama.
The words bhagavn and vara in this verse refer to the Supreme Lord in
His incarnation as the twin sages Nara and Nryaa. According to rla
Vivantha Cakravart hkura, the Supreme Lord smiled ruefully,
because He prefers that His pure devotees stay away from His illusory
energy. Curiosity to see the illusory energy of the Lord sometimes
develops into sinful material desire. Nonetheless, to please His devotee
Mrkaeya, the Lord granted his request, just as a father who cannot
convince his son to give up pursuing a harmful desire may let him
experience some painful reaction so that he will then voluntarily desist.
Thus, understanding what would soon happen to Mrkaeya, the Lord
smiled as He prepared to display the illusory potency to him.
TEXTS 8-9
tam eva cintayann artham
i svrama eva sa
vasann agny-arka-sommbubh-vyu-viyad-tmasu
dhyyan sarvatra ca hari
bhva-dravyair apjayat
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kvacit pj visasmra
prema-prasara-sampluta
tamthat; evaindeed; cintayanthinking of; arthamthe goal; i
the sage Mrkaeya; sva-rameat his own hermitage; evaindeed;
sahe; vasanremaining; agniin the fire; arkathe sun; somathe
moon; ambuthe water; bhthe earth; vyuthe wind; viyatthe
lightning; tmasuand in his own heart; dhyyanmeditating;
sarvatrain all circumstances; caand; harimupon Lord Hari; bhvadravyaiwith paraphernalia conceived in his mind; apjayathe
offered worship; kvacitsometimes; pjmthe worship; visasmrahe
forgot; premaof pure love of God; prasarain the flood; sampluta
being drowned.
Thinking always of his desire to see the Lord's illusory energy, the sage
remained in his rama, meditating constantly upon the Lord within
fire, the sun, the moon, water, the earth, air, lightning and his own
heart and worshiping Him with paraphernalia conceived in his mind.
But sometimes, overwhelmed by waves of love for the Lord,
Mrkaeya would forget to perform his regular worship.
It is apparent from these verses that Mrkaeya i was a great devotee
of Lord Ka; therefore he wanted to see the illusory energy of the Lord
not to fulfill some material ambition but to learn how His potency is
working.
TEXT 10
tasyaikad bhgu-reha
pupabhadr-tae mune
upsnasya sandhyy
brahman vyur abhn mahn
tasyawhile he; ekadone day; bhgu-rehaO best of the
descendants of Bhgu; pupabhadr-taeon the bank of the river
Pupabhadr; munethe sage; upsnasyawas performing worship;
sandhyymat the juncture of the day; brahmanO brhmaa; vyu
a wind; abhtarose; mahngreat.
O brhmaa aunaka, best of the Bhgus, one day while Mrkaeya
was performing his evening worship on the bank of the Pupabhadr, a
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TEXT 13
antar bahi cdbhir ati-dyubhi kharai
atahradbhir upatpita jagat
catur-vidha vkya sahtman munir
jalplut km viman samatrasat
antainternally; bahiexternally; caand; adbhiby the water; atidyubhirising higher than the sky; kharaiby the fierce (winds); atahradbhiby lightning bolts; upatpitamgreatly distressed; jagatall
the inhabitants of the universe; catu-vidhamof four varieties (those
who have taken birth from embryos, from eggs, from seeds and from
perspiration); vkyaseeing; sahaalong with; tmanhimself;
munithe sage; jalaby the water; plutmflooded; kmmthe
earth; vimanperplexed; samatrasathe became fearful.
The sage saw all the inhabitants of the universe, including himself,
tormented within and without by the harsh winds, the bolts of
lightning, and the great waves rising beyond the sky. As the whole earth
flooded, he grew perplexed and fearful.
Here the word catur-vidham refers to the four sources of birth for
conditioned souls: embryos, eggs, seeds and perspiration.
TEXT 14
tasyaivam udvkata rmi-bhaa
prabhajanghrita-vr mahrava
pryamo varaadbhir ambudai
kmm apyadhd dvpa-vardribhi samam
tasyawhile he; evamin this way; udvkatawas looking on; rmi
with its waves; bhaafrightening; prabhajanaby hurricane winds;
ghritaswirled around; vits water; mah-aravathe great
ocean; pryamnabecoming filled; varaadbhiwith rain; ambudaiby the clouds; kmmthe earth; apyadhtcovered over; dvpa
with its islands; varacontinents; adribhiand mountains; samam
together.
Even as Mrkaeya looked on, the rain pouring down from the clouds
filled the ocean more and more until that great sea, its waters violently
whipped into terrifying waves by hurricanes, covered up all the earth's
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darkness.
TEXTS 22-25
mah-marakata-yma
rmad-vadana-pakajam
kambu-grva mahoraska
su-nasa sundara-bhruvam
vsaijad-alakbhta
kambu-r-kara-dimam
vidrumdhara-bhseacchoyita-sudh-smitam
padma-garbhrupga
hdya-hsvalokanam
vsaijad-vali-savignanimna-nbhi-dalodaram
crv-agulibhy pibhym
unnya carambujam
mukhe nidhya viprendro
dhayanta vkya vismita
mah-marakatalike a great emerald; ymamdark blue; rmat
beautiful; vadana-pakajamwhose lotus face; kambulike a conchshell;
grvamwhose throat; mahbroad; uraskamwhose chest; su-nasam
having a beautiful nose; sundara-bhruvamhaving beautiful eyebrows;
vsaby His breath; ejattrembling; alakawith the hair; bhtam
splendid; kambulike a conchshell; rbeautiful; karaHis ears;
dimamresembling pomegranate flowers; vidrumalike coral;
adharaof His lips; bhsby the effulgence; atslightly; oyita
reddened; sudhnectarean; smitamHis smile; padma-garbhalike the
whorl of a lotus; aruareddish; apgamthe corners of His eyes;
hdyacharming; hsawith a smile; avalokanamHis countenance;
vsaby His breath; ejatmade to move; valiby the lines; savigna
contorted; nimnadeep; nbhiwith His navel; dalalike a leaf;
udaramwhose abdomen; cruattractive; agulibhymhaving fingers;
pibhymby His two hands; unnyapicking up; caraa-ambujam
His lotus foot; mukhein His mouth; nidhyaplacing; vipra-indrathe
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infant exhaled, expelling the sage from His body and casting him back
into the ocean of dissolution.
TEXTS 31-32
tasmin pthivy kakudi prarha
vaa ca tat-para-pue aynam
toka ca tat-prema-sudh-smitena
nirkito 'pga-nirkaena
atha ta blaka vkya
netrbhy dhihita hdi
abhyayd ati-saklia
parivaktum adhokajam
tasminin that water; pthivyof land; kakudion the raised place;
prarhamgrowing up; vaamthe banyan tree; caand; tatof it;
para-puewithin the slight depression of the leaf; aynamlying;
tokamthe child; caand; tatfor himself; premaof love; sudhlike
nectar; smitenawith a smile; nirkitabeing looked upon; apgaof
the corner of His eyes; nirkaenaby the glance; athathen; tamthat;
blakaminfant; vkyalooking upon; netrbhymby his eyes;
dhihitamplaced; hdiwithin his heart; abhyaytran forward; atisakliagreatly agitated; parivaktumto embrace; adhokajamthe
transcendental Supreme Lord.
In that vast sea he again saw the banyan tree growing on the tiny island
and the infant boy lying within the leaf. The child glanced at him from
the corner of His eyes with a smile imbued with the nectar of love, and
Mrkaeya took Him into his heart through his eyes. Greatly agitated,
the sage ran to embrace the transcendental Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 33
tvat sa bhagavn skd
yogdho guh-aya
antardadha e sadyo
yathehna-nirmit
tvatjust then; saHe; bhagavnthe Personality of Godhead;
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sktdirectly; yoga-adhathe supreme master of yoga; guhayawho is hidden within the heart of all living beings; antardadhe
disappeared; ein front of the sage; sadyasuddenly; yathin the
same way as; hthe object of endeavor; anaby an incompetent
person; nirmitcreated.
At that moment the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the
original master of all mysticism and who is hidden within everyone's
heart, became invisible to the sage, just as the achievements of an
incompetent person can suddenly vanish.
TEXT 34
tam anv atha vao brahman
salila loka-samplava
tirodhyi kad asya
svrame prva-vat sthita
tamHim; anufollowing; athathen; vaathe banyan tree;
brahmanO brhmaa, aunaka; salilamthe water; loka-samplava
the annihilation of the universe; tirodhyithey disappeared; kat
immediately; asyain front of him; sva-ramein his own hermitage;
prva-vatas previously; sthitahe was present.
After the Lord disappeared, O brhmaa, the banyan tree, the great
water and the dissolution of the universe all vanished as well, and in an
instant Mrkaeya found himself back in his own hermitage, just as
before.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda to the Twelfth Canto, Ninth Chapter, of
the rmad-Bhgavatam, entitled "Mrkaeya i Sees the Illusory
Potency of the Lord."
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the performers of austerity, please award this sage the perfection that is
obviously due him.
TEXT 6
r-bhagavn uvca
naivecchaty ia kvpi
brahmarir mokam apy uta
bhakti par bhagavati
labdhavn purue 'vyaye
r-bhagavn uvcathe powerful lord said; nanot; evaindeed;
icchatidesires; iabenedictions; kva apiin any realm; brahmaithe saintly brhmaa; mokamliberation; api utaeven;
bhaktimdevotional service; parmtranscendental; bhagavatifor the
Supreme Lord; labdhavnhe has achieved; puruefor the Personality
of Godhead; avyayewho is inexhaustible.
Lord iva replied: Surely this saintly brhmaa does not desire any
benediction, not even liberation itself, for he has attained pure
devotional service unto the inexhaustible Personality of Godhead.
The words naivecchaty ia kvpi indicate that Mrkaeya i was
uninterested in any reward available on any planet within the universe.
Nor did he want liberation, for he had achieved the Supreme Lord
Himself.
TEXT 7
athpi savadiymo
bhavny etena sdhun
aya hi paramo lbho
n sdhu-samgama
atha apinevertheless; savadiymawe shall converse; bhavnimy
dear Bhavn; etenawith this; sdhunpure devotee; ayamthis; hi
indeed; paramathe best; lbhagain; nmfor men; sdhusamgamathe association of saintly devotees.
Still, my dear Bhavn, let us talk with this saintly personality. After all,
association with saintly devotees is man's highest achievement.
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TEXT 8
sta uvca
ity uktv tam upeyya
bhagavn sa sat gati
na sarva-vidynm
vara sarva-dehinm
sta uvcaSta Gosvm said; itithus; uktvhaving said; tamto
the sage; upeyyagoing; bhagavnthe exalted demigod; sahe;
satmof the pure souls; gatithe shelter; nathe master; sarvavidynmof all branches of knowledge; varathe controller; sarvadehinmof all embodied living beings.
Sta Gosvm said: Having spoken thus, Lord akarathe shelter of
pure souls, master of all spiritual sciences and controller of all
embodied living beingsapproached the sage.
TEXT 9
tayor gamana skd
ayor jagad-tmano
na veda ruddha-dh-vttir
tmna vivam eva ca
tayoof the two of them; gamanamthe arrival; sktin person;
ayoof the powerful personalities; jagat-tmanothe controllers of
the universe; na vedahe did not notice; ruddhachecked; dh-vtti
the functioning of his mind; tmnamhimself; vivamthe external
universe; evaindeed; caalso.
Because Mrkaeya's material mind had stopped functioning, the sage
failed to notice that Lord iva and his wife, the controllers of the
universe, had personally come to see him. Mrkaeya was so absorbed
in meditation that he was unaware of either himself or the external
world.
TEXT 10
bhagavs tad abhijya
girio yoga-myay
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viat tad-guhka
vyu chidram ivevara
bhagavnthe great personality; tatthat; abhijyaunderstanding;
giriaLord Giria; yoga-myayby his mystic power; viat
entered; tatof Mrkaeya; guh-kamthe hidden sky of the heart;
vyuthe air; chidrama hole; ivaas if; varathe lord.
Understanding the situation very well, the powerful Lord iva
employed his mystic power to enter within the sky of Mrkaeya's
heart, just as the wind passes through an opening.
TEXTS 11-13
tmany api iva prpta
tait-piga-ja-dharam
try-aka daa-bhuja prum
udyantam iva bhskaram
vyghra-carmmbara ladhanur-iv-asi-carmabhi
aka-ml-amarukakapla parau saha
bibhra sahas bhta
vicakya hdi vismita
kim ida kuta eveti
samdher virato muni
tmaniwithin himself; apialso; ivamLord iva; prptamarrived;
taitlike lightning; pigayellowish; jalocks of hair; dharam
carrying; tri-akamwith three eyes; daa-bhujamand ten arms;
prumvery tall; udyantamrising; ivaas; bhskaramthe sun;
vyghraof a tiger; carmathe fur; ambaramas his garment; la
with his trident; dhanabow; iuarrows; asisword; carmabhiand
shield; aka-mlhis prayer beads; amarukasmall drum; kaplam
and skull; paraumax; sahatogether with; bibhramexhibiting;
sahassuddenly; bhtammanifest; vicakyaseeing; hdiin his
heart; vismitasurprised; kimwhat; idamthis; kutafrom where;
evaindeed; itithus; samdhefrom his trance; viratadesisted;
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munithe sage.
r Mrkaeya saw Lord iva suddenly appear within his heart. Lord
iva's golden hair resembled lightning, and he had three eyes, ten arms
and a tall body that shone like the rising sun. He wore a tiger skin, and
he carried a trident, a bow, arrows, a sword and a shield, along with
prayer beads, a amaru drum, a skull and an ax. Astonished, the sage
came out of his trance and thought, "Who is this, and where has he
come from?"
TEXT 14
netre unmlya dade
sa-gaa somaygatam
rudra tri-lokaika-guru
nanma iras muni
netrehis eyes; unmlyaopening; dadehe saw; sa-gaamwith his
associates; sa-umayand with Um; gatamhaving arrived; rudram
Lord Rudra; tri-lokaof the three worlds; eka-gurumthe one spiritual
master; nanmahe offered his obeisances; iraswith his head;
munithe sage.
Opening his eyes, the sage saw Lord Rudra, the spiritual master of the
three worlds, together with Um and Rudra's followers. Mrkaeya
then offered his respectful obeisances by bowing his head.
When Mrkaeya i saw Lord iva and Um within his heart, he
immediately became aware of them and thus also of his own individual
self. During his trance, on the other hand, he had simply been absorbed in
awareness of the Supreme Lord and had thus forgotten himself as the
conscious perceiver.
TEXT 15
tasmai sapary vyadadht
sa-gaya sahomay
svgatsana-pdyrghyagandha-srag-dhpa-dpakai
tasmaito him; saparymworship; vyadadhthe offered; sa-gaya
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yan namantitavyni
stuvanti jagad-var
r-mrkaeya uvcar Mrkaeya said; ahoah; varaof the
great lords; llthe pastime; iyamthis; durvibhvyinconceivable;
arrimfor embodied souls; yatsince; namantithey offer
obeisances; itavynito those who are controlled by them; stuvanti
they praise; jagat-varthe rulers of the universe.
r Mrkaeya said: It is indeed most difficult for embodied souls to
understand the pastimes of the universal controllers, for such lords bow
down to and offer praise to the very living beings they rule.
In the material world, conditioned souls strive to lord it over one another.
Therefore they cannot understand the pastimes of the actual lords of the
universe. Such bona fide lords have a wonderfully magnanimous
mentality and thus sometimes bow down to the most qualified and saintly
among their own subjects.
TEXT 29
dharma grhayitu prya
pravaktra ca dehinm
caranty anumodante
kriyama stuvanti ca
dharmamreligion; grhayitumto cause the acceptance of; pryafor
the most part; pravaktrathe authorized speakers; caand; dehinm
for ordinary embodied souls; carantithey act; anumodantethey
encourage; kriyamamone who is executing; stuvantithey praise;
caalso.
Generally it is to induce embodied souls to accept religious principles
that the authorized teachers of religion exhibit ideal behavior while
encouraging and praising the proper behavior of others.
TEXT 30
naitvat bhagavata
sva-my-maya-vttibhi
na duyetnubhvas tair
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TEXT 36
kmo mahare sarvo 'ya
bhaktims tvam adhokaje
-kalpntd yaa puyam
ajarmarat tath
kmadesire; mah-eO great sage; sarvaall; ayamthis; bhaktimnfull of devotion; tvamyou; adhokajefor the transcendental
Personality of Godhead; kalpa-antt-up until the end of the day of
Brahm; yaafame; puyampious; ajara-amaratfreedom from old
age and death; tathalso.
O great sage, because you are devoted to Lord Adhokaja, all your
desires will be fulfilled. Until the very end of this creation cycle, you
will enjoy pious fame and freedom from old age and death.
TEXT 37
jna trai-klika brahman
vijna ca viraktimat
brahma-varcasvino bhyt
purcryatstu te
jnamknowledge; trai-klikamof all three phases of time (past,
present and future); brahmanO brhmaa; vijnamtranscendental
realization; caalso; virakti-matincluding renunciation; brahmavarcasvinaof him who is endowed with brahminical potency; bhyt
let there be; pura-cryatthe status of being a teacher of the Puras;
astu-may there be; teof you.
O brhmaa, may you have perfect knowledge of past, present and
future, along with transcendental realization of the Supreme, enriched
by renunciation. You have the brilliance of an ideal brhmaa, and thus
may you achieve the post of spiritual master of the Puras.
TEXT 38
sta uvca
eva varn sa munaye
dattvgt try-aka vara
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Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda to the Twelfth Canto, Tenth Chapter of the
rmad-Bhgavatam, entitled "Lord iva and Um Glorify Mrkaeya
i."
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In the context of worship, this chapter describes the Mahpurua and the
various expansions of the sun in each month. r Sta first tells aunaka
i about the material objects through which one can understand the
major limbs, the secondary limbs, the weapons and the garments of Lord
r Hari. Then he outlines the process of practical service by which a
mortal soul can attain immortality. When aunaka shows further interest
in learning about the expansion of Lord Hari in the form of the sungod,
Sta replies that Lord r Hari-the indwelling controller of the universe
and its original creator-manifests Himself in the form of the demigod of
the sun. Sages describe this sun-god in many features according to his
different material designations. To sustain the world, the Personality of
Godhead manifests His potency of time as the sun and travels throughout
the twelve months, beginning with Caitra, along with twelve sets of
personal associates. One who remembers the opulences of the Personality
of Godhead r Hari in His form as the sun will become free of his sinful
reactions.
TEXT 1
r-aunaka uvca
athemam artha pcchmo
bhavanta bahu-vittamam
samasta-tantra-rddhnte
bhavn bhgavata tattva-vit
r-aunaka uvcar aunaka said; athanow; imamthis; artham
matter; pcchmawe are inquiring about; bhavantamfrom you; bahuvit-tamamthe possessor of the broadest knowledge; samastaof all;
tantrathe scriptures prescribing practical methods of worship; rddhaantein the definitive conclusions; bhavnyou; bhagavataO great
devotee of the Supreme Lord; tattva-vitthe knower of the essential facts.
r aunaka said: O Sta, you are the best of learned men and a great
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devotee of the Supreme Lord. Therefore we now inquire from you about
the definitive conclusion of all tantra scriptures.
TEXTS 2-3
tntrik paricaryy
kevalasya riya pate
agopgyudhkalpa
kalpayanti yath ca yai
tan no varaya bhadra te
kriy-yoga bubhutsatm
yena kriy-naipuena
martyo yyd amartyatm
tntrikthe followers of the methods of the tantric literatures;
paricaryymin regulated worship; kevalasyawho is pure spirit;
rya-of the goddess of fortune; pateof the master; agaHis limbs,
such as His feet; upgaHis secondary limbs, such as associates like
Garua; yudhaHis weapons, such as the Sudarana disc; kalpamand
His ornaments, such as the Kaustubha gem; kalpayantithey conceive of;
yathhow; caand; yaiby which (material representations); tat
that; nato us; varayaplease describe; bhadramall-auspiciousness;
teunto you; kriy-yogamthe practical method of cultivation;
bubhutsatmwho are eager to learn; yenaby which; kriyin the
systematic practice; naipuenaexpertise; martyaa mortal being;
yytmay attain; amartyatmimmortality.
All good fortune to you! Please explain to us, who are very eager to
learn, the process of kriy-yoga practiced through regulated worship of
the transcendental Lord, the husband of the goddess of fortune. Please
also explain how the Lord's devotees conceive of His limbs, associates,
weapons and ornaments in terms of particular material representations.
By expertly worshiping the Supreme Lord, a mortal can attain
immortality.
TEXT 4
sta uvca
namasktya gurn vakye
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TEXTS 6-8
etad vai paurua rpa
bh pdau dyau iro nabha
nbhi sryo 'ki nse
vyu karau dia prabho
prajpati prajananam
apno mtyur itu
tad-bhavo loka-pl
mana candro bhruvau yama
lajjottaro 'dharo lobho
dant jyotsn smayo bhrama
romi bhruh bhmno
megh purua-mrdhaj
etatthis; vaiindeed; pauruamof the Vir-purua; rpamthe form;
bhthe earth; pdauHis feet; dyauheaven; iraHis head;
nabhathe sky; nbhiHis navel; sryathe sun; akiHis eyes;
nseHis nostrils; vyuthe air; karauHis ears; diathe
directions; prabhoof the Supreme Lord; praj-patithe demigod of
procreation; prajananamHis genital; apnaHis anus; mtyudeath;
ituof the absolute controller; tat-bhavaHis many arms; lokaplthe presiding demigods of the various planets; manaHis mind;
candrathe moon; bhruvauHis eyebrows; yamathe god of death;
lajjshame; uttaraHis upper lip; adharaHis lower lip; lobha
greed; dantHis teeth; jyotsnthe light of the moon; smayaHis
smile; bhramadelusion; romithe hairs of the body; bh-ruhthe
trees; bhmnaof the almighty Lord; meghthe clouds; puruaof
the Vir-purua; mrdha-jthe hairs upon the head.
This is the representation of the Supreme Lord as the universal person,
in which the earth is His feet, the sky His navel, the sun His eyes, the
wind His nostrils, the demigod of procreation His genitals, death His
anus and the moon His mind. The heavenly planets are His head, the
directions His ears, and the demigods protecting the various planets His
many arms. The god of death is His eyebrows, shame His lower lip,
greed His upper lip, delusion His smile, and moonshine His teeth, while
the trees are the almighty Purua's bodily hairs, and the clouds the hair
on His head.
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Various aspects of material creation, such as the earth, the sun and the
trees, are sustained by various limbs of the universal body of the Lord.
Thus they are considered nondifferent from Him, as described in this
verse, which is meant for meditation.
TEXT 9
yvn aya vai puruo
yvaty sasthay mita
tvn asv api mahpuruo loka-sasthay
yvnto which extent; ayamthis; vaiindeed; puruaordinary
individual person; yvatyextending to which dimensions; sasthay
by the position of his limbs; mitameasured; tvnto that extent;
asauHe; apialso; mah-puruathe transcendental personality; lokasasthayaccording to the positions of the planetary systems.
Just as one can determine the dimensions of an ordinary person of this
world by measuring his various limbs, one can determine the
dimensions of the Mahpurua by measuring the arrangement of the
planetary systems within His universal form.
TEXT 10
kaustubha-vyapadeena
svtma-jyotir bibharty aja
tat-prabh vypin skt
rvatsam uras vibhu
kaustubha-vyapadeenarepresented by the Kaustubha gem; sva-tmaof
the pure jva soul; jyotithe spiritual light; bibharticarries; ajathe
unborn Lord; tat-prabhthe effulgence of this (Kaustubha); vypin
expansive; sktdirectly; rvatsamof the rvatsa mark; urasupon
His chest; vibhuthe almighty.
Upon His chest the almighty, unborn Personality of Godhead bears the
Kaustubha gem, which represents the pure spirit soul, along with the
rvatsa mark, which is the direct manifestation of this gem's expansive
effulgence.
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TEXTS 11-12
sva-my vana-mlkhy
nn-gua-may dadhat
vsa chando-maya pta
brahma-stra tri-vt svaram
bibharti skhya yoga ca
devo makara-kuale
mauli pada pramehya
sarva-lokbhaya-karam
sva-mymHis own material energy; vana-ml-khymrepresented as
His flower garland; nn-guavarious combinations of the modes of
nature; maymcomposed of; dadhatwearing; vsaHis garment;
chanda-mayamconsisting of the Vedic meters; ptamyellow; brahmastramHis sacred thread; tri-vtthreefold; svaramthe sacred sound
okra; bibharti-He carries; skhyamthe process of Skhya; yogam
the process of yoga; caand; devathe Lord; makara-kualeHis
shark-shaped earrings; maulimHis crown; padamthe position;
pramehyamsupreme (of Lord Brahm); sarva-lokato all the worlds;
abhayamfearlessness; karamwhich gives.
His flower garland is His material energy, comprising various
combinations of the modes of nature. His yellow garment is the Vedic
meters, and His sacred thread the syllable o composed of three
sounds. In the form of His two shark-shaped earrings, the Lord carries
the processes of Skhya and yoga, and His crown, bestowing
fearlessness on the inhabitants of all the worlds, is the supreme
position of Brahmaloka.
TEXT 13
avyktam anantkhyam
sana yad-adhihita
dharma-jndibhir yukta
sattva padmam ihocyate
avyktamthe unmanifest phase of material creation; ananta-khyam
known as Lord Ananta; sanamHis personal seat; yat-adhihitaupon
which He is sitting; dharma-jna-dibhitogether with religion,
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infallible entity who is greater than the greatest is Lord Hari Himself, the
original possessor of all transcendental qualities. In this way, three
distinct infallible entities are described."
Thus, although the inferior energy of the Lord is infallible in her function,
her power to manifest temporary illusory opulences exists by the grace of
the internal energy, the goddess of fortune, who is the personal consort of
the Supreme Lord.
The Padma Pura (256.9-21) lists eighteen doorkeepers of the Lord:
Nanda, Sunanda, Jaya, Vijaya, Caa, Pracaa, Bhadra, Subhadra, Dht,
Vidht, Kumuda, Kumudka, Pundarka, Vmana, akukara,
Sarvanetra, Sumukha and Supratihita.
TEXT 21
vsudeva sakaraa
pradyumna purua svayam
aniruddha iti brahman
mrti-vyho 'bhidhyate
vsudeva sakaraa pradyumnaVsudeva, Sakaraa and
Pradyumna; puruathe Supreme Personality of Godhead; svayam
Himself; aniruddhaAniruddha; itithus; brahmanO brhmaa,
aunaka; mrti-vyhathe expansion of personal forms; abhidhyateis
designated.
Vsudeva, Sakaraa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha are the names of the
direct personal expansions of the Supreme Godhead, O brhmaa
aunaka.
TEXT 22
sa vivas taijasa prjas
turya iti vttibhi
arthendriyaya-jnair
bhagavn paribhvyate
saHe; viva taijasa prjathe manifestations of waking
consciousness, sleep and deep sleep; turyathe fourth, transcendental
stage; itithus termed; vttibhiby the functions; arthaby the
external objects of perception; indriyathe mind; ayacovered
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bhagavnthe
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TEXT 34
aryam pulaho 'thauj
praheti pujikasthal
nrada kacchanra ca
nayanty ete sma mdhavam
aryam pulaha athaujAryam, Pulaha and Athauj; praheti
pujikasthalPraheti and Pujikasthal; nrada kacchanraNrada
and Kacchanra; caalso; nayantirule; etethese; smaindeed;
mdhavamthe month of Mdhava (Vaikha).
Aryam as the sun-god, Pulaha as the sage, Athauj as the Yaka,
Praheti as the Rkasa, Pujikasthal as the Apsar, Nrada as the
Gandharva and Kacchanra as the Nga rule the month of Mdhava.
TEXT 35
mitro 'tri paurueyo 'tha
takako menak hah
rathasvana iti hy ete
ukra-msa nayanty am
mitra atri paurueyaMitra, Atri and Paurueya; athaas well;
takaka menak hahTakaka, Menak and Hh; rathasvana
Rathasvana; itithus; hiindeed; etethese; ukra-msamthe month
of ukra (Jyaiha); nayantirule; amthese.
Mitra as the sun-god, Atri as the sage, Paurueya as the Rkasa,
Takaka as the Nga, Menak as the Apsar, Hh as the Gandharva and
Rathasvana as the Yaka rule the month of ukra.
TEXT 36
vasiho varuo rambh
sahajanyas tath huh
ukra citrasvana caiva
uci-msa nayanty am
vasiha varua rambhVasiha, Varua and Rambh; sahajanya
Sahajanya; tathalso; huhHh; ukra citrasvanaukra and
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p dhanajayo vta
suea surucis tath
ghtc gautama ceti
tapo-msa nayanty am
p dhanajaya vtaP, Dhanajaya and Vta; suea suruci
Suea and Suruci; tathalso; ghtc gautamaGhtc and Gautama;
caas well; itithus; tapa-msamthe month of Tapas (Mgha);
nayantirule; amthese.
P as the sun-god, Dhanajaya as the Nga, Vta as the Rkasa,
Suea as the Gandharva, Suruci as the Yaka, Ghtc as the Apsar
and Gautama as the sage rule the month of Tapas.
TEXT 40
tur varc bharadvja
parjanya senajit tath
viva airvata caiva
tapasykhya nayanty am
tu varc bharadvjatu, Varc and Bharadvja; parjanya senajit
Parjanya and Senajit; tathalso; viva airvataViva and Airvata; ca
evaalso; tapasya-khyamthe month known as Tapasya (Phlguna);
nayantirule; amthese.
tu as the Yaka, Varc as the Rkasa, Bharadvja as the sage, Parjanya
as the sun-god, Senajit as the Apsar, Viva as the Gandharva and
Airvata as the Nga rule the month known as Tapasya.
TEXT 41
athu kayapas trkya
tasenas tathorva
vidyucchatrur mahakha
saho-msa nayanty am
athathen; au kayapa trkyaAu, Kayapa and Trkya;
tasenatasena;
tathand;
urvaUrva;
vidyucchatru
mahakhaVidyucchatru and Mahakha; saha-msamthe month
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TEXTS 47-48
smarg-yajurbhis tal-ligair
aya sastuvanty amum
gandharvs ta pragyanti
ntyanty apsaraso 'grata
unnahyanti ratha ng
grmayo ratha-yojak
codayanti ratha phe
nairt bala-lina
sma-k-yajurbhiwith the hymns of the Sma, g and Yajur Vedas; tatligaiwhich reveal the sun; ayathe sages; sastuvantiglorify;
amumhim;
gandharvthe
Gandharvas;
tamabout
him;
pragyantising loudly; ntyantidance; apsarasathe Apsars;
agratain front; unnahyantibind up; rathamthe chariot; ngthe
Ngas; grmayathe Yakas; ratha-yojakthose who harness the
horses to the chariot; codayantidrive; rathamthe chariot; phefrom
the rear; nairtthe Rkasas; bala-linastrong.
While the sages glorify the sun-god with the hymns of the Sma, g and
Yajur Vedas, which reveal his identity, the Gandharvas also sing his
praises and the Apsars dance before his chariot. The Ngas arrange the
chariot ropes and the Yakas harness the horses to the chariot, while
the powerful Rkasas push from behind.
TEXT 49
vlakhily sahasri
air brahmarayo 'mal
purato 'bhimukha ynti
stuvanti stutibhir vibhum
vlakhilythe Vlakhilyas; sahasrithousands; aisixty;
brahma-ayagreat sages among the brhmaas; amalpure;
puratain front; abhimukhamfacing the chariot; yntithey go;
stuvantithey offer praise; stutibhiwith Vedic prayers; vibhumto the
almighty lord.
Facing the chariot, the sixty thousand brhmaa sages known as
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Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda to the Twelfth Canto, Eleventh Chapter, of
the rmad-Bhgavatam, entitled "Summary Description of the
Mahpurua."
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TEXT 1
sta uvca
namo dharmya mahate
nama kya vedhase
brahmaebhyo namasktya
dharmn vakye santann
sta uvcaSta Gosvm said; namaobeisances; dharmyato the
principle of religion; mahategreatest; namaobeisances; kyato
Lord Ka; vedhasethe creator; brahmaebhyato the brhmaas;
namasktyaoffering my obeisances; dharmnthe principles of religion;
vakyeI shall speak; santanneternal.
Sta Gosvm said: Offering my obeisances to the supreme religious
principle, devotional service; to Lord Ka, the supreme creator; and to
all the brhmaas, I shall now describe the eternal principles of
religion.
In this Twelfth Chapter of the Twelfth Canto, Sta Gosvm will
summarize all the topics of rmad-Bhgavatam, beginning from the First
Canto.
TEXT 2
etad va kathita vipr
vio caritam adbhutam
bhavadbhir yad aha po
nar puruocitam
etatthese; vato you; kathitamnarrated; viprO sages; vio
of Lord Viu; caritamthe pastimes; adbhutamwonderful;
bhavadbhiby your good selves; yatwhich; ahamI; pawas
asked about; narmamong men; puruafor an actual human being;
ucitamsuitable.
O great sages, I have narrated to you the wonderful pastimes of Lord
Viu, as you inquired about them from me. Hearing such narrations is
the suitable engagement for a person who is actually a human being.
The words nar puruocitam indicate that men and women who
actually come to the standard of human life hear and chant the glories of
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TEXT 7
yoga-dhraayotkrnti
savdo nradjayo
avatrnugta ca
sarga prdhniko 'grata
yoga-dhraayby fixed meditation in yoga; utkrntithe attainment
of liberation at the time of passing away; savdathe conversation;
nrada-ajayobetween Nrada and Brahm; avatra-anugtamthe
listing of the incarnations of the Supreme Lord; caand; sargathe
process of creation; prdhnikafrom the unmanifest material nature;
agratain progressive order.
The Bhgavatam explains how one can attain liberation at the time of
death by practicing fixed meditation in yoga. It also contains a
discussion between Nrada and Brahm, an enumeration of the
incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and a description
of how the universe was created in progressive sequence, beginning
from the unmanifest stage of material nature.
rla Vivantha Cakravart hkura explains that it would be difficult to
give a complete list of the numerous accounts and topics contained in the
rmad-Bhgavatam. Therefore it is understood that Sta Gosvm is
merely summarizing the topics. We should not consider the topics he fails
to mention here less important or superfluous, since every letter and word
of rmad-Bhgavatam is absolute, Ka conscious sound vibration.
TEXT 8
viduroddhava-savda
katt-maitreyayos tata
pura-sahit-prano
mah-purua-sasthiti
vidura-uddhavabetween Vidura and Uddhava; savdathe
discussion; katt-maitreyayobetween Vidura and Maitreya; tata
then; pura-sahitconcerning this Puric compilation; prana
inquiries; mah-puruawithin the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
sasthitithe winding up of creation.
This scripture also relates the discussions Vidura had with Uddhava
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and with Maitreya, inquiries about the subject matter of this Pura,
and the winding up of creation within the body of the Supreme Lord at
the time of annihilation.
TEXT 9
tata prktika sarga
sapta vaiktik ca ye
tato brahma-sambhtir
vairja puruo yata
tatathen; prktikafrom material nature; sargathe creation;
saptathe seven; vaiktikstages of creation derived by
transformation; caand; yewhich; tatathen; brahma-aaof the
universal egg; sambhtithe construction; vairja puruathe
universal form of the Lord; yatafrom which.
The creation effected by the agitation of the modes of material nature,
the seven stages of evolution by elemental transformation, and the
construction of the universal egg, from which arises the universal form
of the Supreme Lordall these are thoroughly described.
TEXT 10
klasya sthla-skmasya
gati padma-samudbhava
bhuva uddharae 'mbhodher
hirayka-vadho yath
klasyaof time; sthla-skmasyagross and subtle; gatithe
movement; padmaof the lotus; samudbhavathe generation; bhuva
of the earth; uddharaein connection with the deliverance;
ambhodhefrom the ocean; hirayka-vadhathe killing of the
demon Hirayka; yathas it occurred.
Other topics include the subtle and gross movements of time, the
generation of the lotus from the navel of Garbhodakay Viu, and the
killing of the demon Hirayka when the earth was delivered from the
Garbhodaka Ocean.
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TEXT 11
rdhva-tiryag-avk-sargo
rudra-sargas tathaiva ca
ardha-nrvarasytha
yata svyambhuvo manu
rdhvaof the higher species, the demigods; tiryakof the animals;
avkand of lower species; sargathe creation; rudraof Lord iva;
sargathe creation; tathand; evaindeed; caalso; ardha-nras a
half man, half woman; varasyaof the lord; athathen; yatafrom
whom; svyambhuva manuSvyambhuva Manu.
The Bhgavatam also describes the creation of demigods, animals and
demoniac species of life; the birth of Lord Rudra; and the appearance of
Svyambhuva Manu from the half-man, half-woman vara.
TEXT 12
atarp ca y strm
dy praktir uttam
santno dharma-patnn
kardamasya prajpate
atarpatarp; caand; ywho; strmof women; dythe
first; praktithe consort; uttambest; santnathe progeny;
dharma-patnnmof the pious wives; kardamasyaof the sage Kardama;
prajpatethe progenitor.
Also related are the appearance of the first woman, atarp, who was
the excellent consort of Manu, and the offspring of the pious wives of
Prajpati Kardama.
TEXT 13
avatro bhagavata
kapilasya mahtmana
devahty ca savda
kapilena ca dhmat
avatrathe descent; bhagavataof the Supreme Personality of
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giri-nady-upavaranam
jyoti-cakrasya sasthna
ptla-naraka-sthiti
dvpa-vara-samudrmof the continents, great islands and oceans;
giri-nadof the mountains and rivers; upavaranamthe detailed
description; jyoti-cakrasyaof the celestial sphere; sasthnamthe
arrangement; ptlaof the subterranean regions; narakaand of hell;
sthitithe situation.
The Bhgavatam gives an elaborate description of the earth's continents,
regions, oceans, mountains and rivers. Also described are the
arrangement of the celestial sphere and the conditions found in the
subterranean regions and in hell.
TEXT 17
daka-janma pracetobhyas
tat-putr ca santati
yato devsura-nars
tirya-naga-khagdaya
daka-janmathe birth of Daka; pracetobhyafrom the Pracets; tatputrmof his daughters; caand; santatithe progeny; yatafrom
which; deva-asura-narthe demigods, demons and human beings;
tiryak-naga-khaga-dayathe animals, serpents, birds and other species.
The rebirth of Prajpati Daka as the son of the Pracets, and the
progeny of Daka's daughters, who initiated the races of demigods,
demons, human beings, animals, serpents, birds and so onall this is
described.
TEXT 18
tvrasya janma-nidhana
putrayo ca diter dvij
daityevarasya carita
prahrdasya mahtmana
tvrasyaof the son of Tva (Vtra); janma-nidhanamthe birth and
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khavgasya ca mndhtu
saubhare sagarasya ca
saukanyamthe story of Sukany; caand; athathen; arytethat of
aryti; kakutsthasyaof Kakutstha; caand; dh-matawho was an
intelligent king; khavgasyaof Khavga; caand; mndhtuof
Mndht; saubhareof Saubhari; sagarasyaof Sagara; caand.
The histories of Sukany, aryti, the intelligent Kakutstha, Khavga,
Mndht, Saubhari and Sagara are narrated.
TEXT 24
rmasya koalendrasya
carita kilbipaham
nimer aga-paritygo
janakn ca sambhava
rmasyaof Lord Rmacandra; koala-indrasyathe King of Koala;
caritamthe pastimes; kilbia-apahamwhich drive away all sins;
nimeof King Nimi; aga-paritygathe giving up of his body;
janaknmof the descendants of Janaka; caand; sambhavathe
appearance.
The Bhgavatam narrates the sanctifying pastimes of Lord Rmacandra,
the King of Kosala, and also explains how King Nimi abandoned his
material body. The appearance of the descendants of King Janaka is also
mentioned.
TEXTS 25-26
rmasya bhrgavendrasya
nikat-karaa bhuva
ailasya soma-vaasya
yayter nahuasya ca
daumanter bharatasypi
ntanos tat-sutasya ca
yayter jyeha-putrasya
yador vao 'nukrtita
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ptansu-paya-pna
akaoccana io
tvartasya nipeas
tathaiva baka-vatsayo
aghsura-vadho dhtr
vatsa-plvaghanam
tasyaHis; karmactivities; apriinnumerable; krtitniare
glorified; asura-dviaof the enemy of the demons; ptanof the witch
Ptan; asualong with her life air; payaof the milk; pnamthe
drinking; akataof the cart; uccanamthe breaking; ioby the
child; tvartasyaof Tvarta; nipeathe trampling; tathand;
evaindeed; baka-vatsayoof the demons named Baka and Vatsa; aghaasuraof the demon Agha; vadhathe killing; dhtrby Lord Brahm;
vatsa-plaof the calves and cowherd boys; avaghanamthe hiding
away.
Also glorified are the innumerable pastimes of r Ka, the enemy of
the demons, including His childhood pastimes of sucking out Ptan's
life air along with her breast-milk, breaking the cart, trampling down
Tvarta, killing Baksura, Vatssura and Aghsura, and the pastimes
He enacted when Lord Brahm hid His calves and cowherd boyfriends
in a cave.
TEXT 30
dhenukasya saha-bhrtu
pralambasya ca sakaya
gopn ca paritra
dvgne parisarpata
dhenukasyaof Dhenuka; saha-bhrtualong with his companions;
pralambasyaof Pralamba; caand; sakayathe destruction;
gopnmof the cowherd boys; caand; paritramthe saving; dvaagnefrom the forest fire; parisarpatawhich was encircling.
The rmad-Bhgavatam tells how Lord Ka and Lord Balarma killed
the demon Dhenuksura and his companions, how Lord Balarma
destroyed Pralambsura, and also how Ka saved the cowherd boys
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mathury nivasat
yadu-cakrasya yat priyam
ktam uddhava-rmbhy
yutena hari dvij
mathurymin Mathur; nivasatby Him who was residing; yaducakrasyafor the circle of Yadus; yatwhich; priyamgratifying;
ktamwas done; uddhava-rmbhymwith Uddhava and Balarma;
yutenajoined; hariby Lord Hari; dvijO brhmaas.
Then, O brhmaas, this scripture recounts how Lord Hari, while
residing in Mathur in the company of Uddhava and Balarma,
performed pastimes for the satisfaction of the Yadu dynasty.
TEXT 37
jarsandha-samntasainyasya bahuo vadha
ghtana yavanendrasya
kuasthaly niveanam
jarsandhabv King Jarsandha; samntaassembled; sainyasyaof the
army; bahuamany times; vadhathe annihilation; ghtanamthe
killing; yavana-indrasyaof the king of the barbarians; kuasthalyof
Dvrak; niveanamthe founding.
Also described are the annihilation of each of the many armies brought
by Jarsandha, the killing of the barbarian king Klayavana and the
establishment of Dvrak City.
TEXT 38
dna prijtasya
sudharmy surlayt
rukmiy haraa yuddhe
pramathya dviato hare
dnamthe receiving; prijtasyaof the prijta tree; sudharmy
of the Sudharm assembly hall; sura-laytfrom the abode of the
demigods; rukmiyof Rukmi; haraamthe kidnapping; yuddhe
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TEXT 59
ya etat rvayen nitya
yma-kaam ananya-dh
lokam eka tad-ardha v
pda pdrdham eva v
raddhvn yo 'nuuyt
punty tmnam eva sa
yawho; etatthis; rvayetmakes others hear; nityamalways;
yma-kaamevery hour and every minute; ananya-dhwith
undeviated attention; lokamverse; ekamone; tat-ardhamhalf of
that; vor; pdama single line; pda-ardhamhalf a line; eva
indeed; vor; raddh-vnwith faith; yawho; anuuythears
from the proper source; puntipurifies; tmnamhis very self; eva
indeed; sahe.
One who with undeviating attention constantly recites this literature at
every moment of every hour, as well as one who faithfully hears even
one verse or half a verse or a single line or even half a line, certainly
purifies his very self.
TEXT 60
dvdaym ekday v
vann yuyavn bhavet
pahaty ananan prayata
pto bhavati ptakt
dvdaymon the twelfth day of either fortnight of the month;
ekdaym-on the auspicious eleventh day; vor; vanhearing;
yuya-vn-possessed of long life; bhavetone becomes; pahatiif one
recites; anananwhile refraining from eating; prayatawith careful
attention; ptapurified; bhavatione becomes; ptaktfrom sinful
reactions.
One who hears this Bhgavatam on the Ekda or Dvda day is
assured of long life, and one who recites it with careful attention while
fasting is purified of all sinful reactions.
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TEXT 61
pukare mathuray ca
dvravaty yattmavn
upoya sahitm et
pahitv mucyate bhayt
pukareat the holy place Pukara; mathurymat Mathur; caand;
dvravatymat Dvrak; yata-tma-vnself-controlled; upoya
fasting; sahitmliterature; etmthis; pahitvreciting; mucyate
one becomes freed; bhaytfrom fear.
One who controls his mind, fasts at the holy places Pukara, Mathur or
Dvrak, and studies this scripture will be freed from all fear.
TEXT 62
devat munaya siddh
pitaro manavo np
yacchanti kmn gata
vato yasya krtant
devatthe demigods; munayathe sages; siddhthe perfected
yogs; pitarathe forefathers; manavathe progenitors of mankind;
npathe kings of the earth; yacchantibestow; kmndesires;
gatato one who is chanting; vataor who is hearing; yasyaof
which; krtantbecause of the glorification.
Upon the person who glorifies this Pura by chanting or hearing it, the
demigods, sages, Siddhas, Pits, Manus and kings of the earth bestow
all desirable things.
TEXT 63
co yaji smni
dvijo 'dhtynuvindate
madhu-kuly ghta-kuly
paya-kuly ca tat phalam
cathe mantras of the g Veda; yajithose of the Yajur Veda;
smniand those of the Sma Veda; dvijaa brhmaa; adhtya
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studying; anuvindateobtains; madhu-kulyrivers of honey; ghtakulyrivers of ghee; paya-kulyrivers of milk; caand; tatthat;
phalamfruit.
By studying this Bhgavatam, a brhmaa can enjoy the same rivers of
honey, ghee and milk he enjoys by studying the hymns of the g, Yajur
and Sma Vedas.
TEXT 64
pura-sahitm etm
adhtya prayato dvija
prokta bhagavat yat tu
tat pada parama vrajet
pura-sahitmessential compilation of all the Puras; etm-this;
adhtyastudying; prayatacarefully; dvijaa brhmaa; proktam
described; bhagavatby the Personality of Godhead; yatwhich; tu
indeed; tatthat; padamposition; paramamsupreme; vrajethe
attains.
A brhmaa who diligently reads this essential compilation of all the
Puras will go to the supreme destination, which the Supreme Lord
Himself has herein described.
TEXT 65
vipro 'dhtypnuyt praj
rjanyodadhi-mekhalm
vaiyo nidhi-patitva ca
dra udhyeta ptakt
vipraa brhmaa; adhtyastudying; pnuytachieves; prajm
intelligence in devotional service; rjanyaa king; udadhi-mekhalm
(the earth) bounded by the seas; vaiyaa businessman; nidhiof
treasures; patitvamlordship; caand; draa worker; udhyeta
becomes purified; ptaktfrom sinful reactions.
A brhmaa who studies the rmad-Bhgavatam achieves firm
intelligence in devotional service, a king who studies it gains
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sovereignty over the earth, a vaiya acquires great treasure and a dra
is freed from sinful reactions.
TEXT 66
kali-mala-sahati-klano 'khileo
harir itaratra na gyate hy abhkam
iha tu punar bhagavn aea-mrti
paripahito 'nu-pada kath-prasagai
kaliof the age of quarrel; mala-sahatiof all the contamination;
klanathe annihilator; akhila-athe supreme controller of all
beings; hariLord Hari; itaratraelsewhere; na gyateis not
described; hiindeed; abhkamconstantly; ihahere; tuhowever;
punaon the other hand; bhagavnthe Personality of Godhead; aeamrtiwho expands in unlimited personal forms; paripahitais
openly described in narration; anu-padamin each and every verse;
kath-prasagaion the pretext of stories.
Lord Hari, the supreme controller of all beings, annihilates the
accumulated sins of the Kali age, yet other literatures do not constantly
glorify Him. But that Supreme Personality of Godhead, appearing in His
innumerable personal expansions, is abundantly and constantly
described throughout the various narrations of this rmad-Bhgavatam.
TEXT 67
tam aham ajam anantam tma-tattva
jagad-udaya-sthiti-sayamtma-aktim
dyu-patibhir aja-akra-akardyair
duravasita-stavam acyuta nato 'smi
tamto Him; ahamI; ajamto the unborn; anantamthe unlimited;
tma-tattvamthe original Supersoul; jagatof the material universe;
udayathe creation; sthitimaintenance; sayamaand destruction;
tma-aktimby whose personal energies; dyu-patibhiby the masters
of heaven; aja-akra-akara-dyaiheaded by Brahm, Indra and iva;
duravasitaincomprehensible; stavamwhose praises; acyutamto the
infallible Supreme Lord; natabowed down; asmiI am.
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I bow down to that unborn and infinite Supreme Soul, whose personal
energies effect the creation, maintenance and destruction of the
material universe. Even Brahm, Indra, akara and the other lords of
the heavenly planets cannot fathom the glories of that infallible
Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 68
upacita-nava-aktibhi sva tmany
uparacita-sthira-jagamlayya
bhagavata upalabdhi-mtra-dhamne
sura-abhya nama santanya
upacitafully developed; nava-aktibhiby His nine energies (prakti,
purua, mahat, false ego and the five subtle forms of perception); sve
tmaniwithin Himself; uparacitaarranged in proximity; sthira
jagamaof both the nonmoving and the moving living beings;
layyathe abode; bhagavateto the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
upalabhdhi-mtrapure consciousness; dhmnewhose manifestation;
suraof deities; abhyathe chief; namamy obeisances;
santanyato the eternal Lord.
I offer my obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is
the eternal Lord and the leader of all other deities, who by evolving His
nine material energies has arranged within Himself the abode of all
moving and nonmoving creatures, and who is always situated in pure,
transcendental consciousness.
TEXT 69
sva-sukha-nibhta-cets tad-vyudastnya-bhvo
'py ajita-rucira-llka-sras tadyam
vyatanuta kpay yas tattva-dpa pura
tam akhila-vjina-ghna vysa-snu nato 'smi
sva-sukhain the happiness of the self; nibhtasolitary; cetwhose
consciousness; tatbecause of that; vyudastagiven up; anya-bhva
any other type of consciousness; apialthough; ajitaof r Ka, the
unconquerable Lord; rucirapleasing; llby the pastimes; ka
attracted; srawhose heart; tadyamconsisting of the activities of the
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In this final chapter r Sta Gosvm describes the length of each of the
Puras, along with the subject matter of rmad-Bhgavatam, its purpose,
how to give it as a gift, the glories of such gift-giving and the glories of
chanting and hearing it.
The total corpus of the Puras includes four hundred thousand verses,
eighteen thousand of which constitute rmad-Bhgavatam. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Nryaa, instructed Brahm in this rmadBhgavatam, whose narrations produce detachment from matter and
which contains the essence of all the Vednta. One who gives the rmadBhgavata Pura as a gift will attain the highest destination. Among all
the Puras, rmad-Bhgavatam is the best, and it is the most dear thing
to the Vaiavas. It reveals that spotless, supreme knowledge accessible to
the paramahasas, and it also reveals the process by which one can
become free from the reactions of material work-a process enriched with
knowledge, renunciation and devotion.
Having thus glorified the Bhgavatam, Sta Gosvm meditates upon Lord
r Nryaa as the original Absolute Truth, who is perfectly pure, free
from all contamination, devoid of sorrow and immortal. Then he offers
obeisances to the greatest yog, r ukadeva, who is nondifferent from the
Absolute Truth. Finally, praying with true devotion, Sta Gosvm offers
respects to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord r Hari, who takes
away all misery.
TEXT 1
sta uvca
ya brahm varuendra-rudra-maruta stunvanti divyai stavair
vedai sga-pada-kramopaniadair gyanti ya sma-g
dhynvasthita-tad-gatena manas payanti ya yogino
yasynta na vidu sursura-ga devya tasmai nama
sta uvcaSta Gosvm said; yamwhom; brahmLord Brahm;
varua-indra-rudra-marutaas well as Varua, Indra, Rudra and the
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kruyt samprakitam
idamthis; bhagavatby the Supreme Personality of Godhead;
prvamfirst; brahmaeto Brahm; nbhi-pakajeupon the lotus
growing from the navel; sthityawho was situated; bhavaof material
existence; bhtyawho was fearful; kruytout of mercy;
samprakitamwas fully revealed.
It was to Lord Brahm that the Supreme Personality of Godhead first
revealed the rmad-Bhgavatam in full. At the time, Brahm, frightened
by material existence, was sitting on the lotus flower that had grown
from the Lord's navel.
Lord Ka enlightened Brahm with the knowledge of rmadBhgavatam before the creation of this universe, as indicated here by the
word prvam. Also, the first verse of the Bhgavatam states, tene brahma
hd ya di-kavaye: [SB 1.1.1] "Lord Ka expanded perfect knowledge
into the heart of Lord Brahm." Because conditioned souls can experience
only temporary objects, which are created, maintained and destroyed,
they cannot readily understand that rmad-Bhgavatam is an eternal,
transcendental literature nondifferent from the Absolute Truth.
As stated in the Muaka Upaniad (1.1.1):
brahm devn prathama sambabhva
vivasya kart bhuvanasya gopt
sa brahma-vidy sarva-vidy-pratihm
atharvya jyeha-putrya prha
"Among all the demigods, Brahm was the first to take birth. He is the
creator of this universe and also its protector. To his eldest son, Atharv,
He instructed the spiritual science of the self, which is the basis of all
other branches of knowledge." Despite his exalted position, however,
Brahm still fears the influence of the Lord's illusory potency. Thus this
energy seems virtually insurmountable. But Lord Caitanya is so kind that
during His missionary activities in eastern and southern India, He freely
distributed Ka consciousness to everyone, urging them to become
teachers of Bhagavad-gt. Lord Caitanya, who is Ka Himself,
encouraged the people by saying, "By My order just become a teacher of
Lord Ka's message and save this country. I assure you that the waves of
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the nectar of the Lord's spiritual pastimes, which are the essence of all
Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge elaborately negates the ultimate
reality of material things by emphasizing their temporary, fleeting
existence. The ultimate goal is vastu, the factual substance, which is
advityam, one without a second. That unique Absolute Truth is a
transcendental person far beyond the mundane categories and
characteristics of personality found in our pale material world. Thus the
ultimate goal of rmad-Bhgavatam is to train the sincere reader in love
of Godhead. Lord Ka is supremely lovable because of His eternal,
transcendental qualities. The beauty of this world is a dim reflection of
the unlimited beauty of the Lord. Without compromise, rmadBhgavatam persistently declares the glories of the Absolute Truth and is
therefore the supreme spiritual literature, awarding a full taste of the
nectar of love of Ka in full Ka consciousness.
TEXT 13
prauhapady pauramsy
hema-siha-samanvitam
dadti yo bhgavata
sa yti param gatim
prauhapadymin the month of Bhdra; pauramsymon the fullmoon day; hema-sihaupon a golden throne; samanvitamseated;
dadtigives as a gift; yawho; bhgavatamrmad-Bhgavatam;
sahe; ytigoes; parammto the supreme; gatimdestination.
If on the full moon day of the month of Bhdra one places rmadBhgavatam on a golden throne and gives it as a gift, he will attain the
supreme transcendental destination.
One should place rmad-Bhgavatam on a golden throne because it is the
king of all literature. On the full-moon day of the month of Bhdra, the
sun, which is compared to this king of literatures, is present in the
constellation Leo and looks as if raised up on a royal throne. (According
to astrology, the sun is said to be exalted in the sign of Leo). Thus one
may unreservedly worship rmad-Bhgavatam, the supreme divine
scripture.
TEXT 14
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knowledge; paramsupreme; gyateis sung; tatrathere; jna-virgabhakti-sahitamtogether with knowledge, renunciation and devotion;
naikarmyamfreedom from all material work; viktamis revealed;
tatthat; vanhearing; su-pahanproperly chanting; vicraaparawho is serious about understanding; bhaktywith devotion;
vimucyetbecomes totally liberated; naraa person.
rmad-Bhgavatam is the spotless Pura. It is most dear to the
Vaiavas because it describes the pure and supreme knowledge of the
paramahasas. This Bhgavatam reveals the means for becoming free
from all material work, together with the processes of transcendental
knowledge, renunciation and devotion. Anyone who seriously tries to
understand rmad-Bhgavatam, who properly hears and chants it with
devotion, becomes completely liberated.
Because rmad-Bhgavatam is completely free of contamination by the
modes of nature, it is endowed with extraordinary spiritual beauty and is
therefore dear to the pure devotees of the Lord. The word
pramahasyam indicates that even completely liberated souls are eager
to hear and narrate rmad-Bhgavatam. Those who are trying to be
liberated should faithfully serve this literature by hearing and reciting it
with faith and devotion.
TEXT 19
kasmai yena vibhsito 'yam atulo jna-pradpa pur
tad-rpea ca nradya munaye kya tad-rpi
yogndrya tad-tmantha bhagavad-rtya kruyatas
tac chuddha vimala viokam amta satya para dhmahi
kasmaiunto Brahm; yenaby whom; vibhsitathoroughly revealed;
ayamthis; atulaincomparable; jnaof transcendental knowledge;
pradpathe torchlight; purlong ago; tat-rpeain the form of
Brahm; caand; nradyato Nrada; munayethe great sage;
kyato Ka-dvaipyana Vysa; tat-rpiin the form of Nrada;
yogi-indryato the best of yogs, ukadeva; tat-tmanas Nrada;
athathen; bhagavat-rtyato Parkit Mahrja; kruyataout of
mercy; tatthat; uddhampure; vimalamuncontaminated; viokam
free from misery; amtamimmortal; satyamupon the truth; param
supreme; dhmahiI meditate.
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I meditate upon that pure and spotless Supreme Absolute Truth, who is
free from suffering and death and who in the beginning personally
revealed this incomparable torchlight of knowledge to Brahm. Brahm
then spoke it to the sage Nrada, who narrated it to Ka-dvaipyana
Vysa. rla Vysa revealed this Bhgavatam to the greatest of sages,
ukadeva Gosvm, and ukadeva mercifully spoke it to Mahrja
Parkit.
The first verse of rmad-Bhgavatam states, satya para dhmahi [SB
1.1.1]"I meditate upon the Supreme Truth"and now at the
conclusion of this magnificent transcendental literature, the same
auspicious sounds are vibrated. The words tad-rpea, tad-rpi and tadtman in this verse clearly indicate that Lord Ka Himself originally
spoke rmad-Bhgavatam to Brahm and then continued to speak this
literature through the agency of Nrada Muni, Dvaipyana Vysa,
ukadeva Gosvm and other great sages. In other words, whenever
saintly devotees vibrate rmad-Bhgavatam, it is to be understood that
Lord Ka Himself is speaking the Absolute Truth through the agency of
His pure representatives. Anyone who submissively hears this literature
from the Lord's bona fide devotees transcends his conditioned state and
becomes qualified to meditate upon the Absolute Truth and serve Him.
TEXT 20
namas tasmai bhagavate
vsudevya skie
ya idam kpay kasmai
vycacake mumukave
namaobeisances; tasmaito Him; bhagavatethe Supreme Personality
of Godhead; vsudevyaLord Vsudeva; skiethe supreme witness;
yawho; idamthis; kpayout of mercy; kasmaito Brahm;
vycacakeexplained; mumukavewho was desiring liberation.
We offer our obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord
Vsudeva, the all-pervading witness, who mercifully explained this
science to Brahm when he anxiously desired salvation.
TEXT 21
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TEXT 23
nma-sakrtana yasya
sarva-ppa praanam
pramo dukha-amanas
ta nammi hari param
nma-sakrtanamthe congregational chanting of the holy name;
yasyaof whom; sarva-ppaall sins; praanamwhich destroys;
pramathe bowing down; dukhamisery; amanawhich
subdues; tamto Him; nammiI offer my obeisances; harimto Lord
Hari; paramthe Supreme.
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Hari, the
congregational chanting of whose holy names destroys all sinful
reactions, and the offering of obeisances unto whom relieves all
material suffering.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda to the Twelfth Canto, Thirteenth Chapter,
of the rmad-Bhgavatam, entitled "The Glories of rmad-Bhgavatam."
The Twelfth Canto was completed at Gainesville, Florida, on Sunday, July 18,
1982.
END OF THE TWELFTH CANTO
CONCLUSION
We offer our most respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of His Divine
Grace O Viupda Paramahasa Parivrjakcrya Aottara-ata r
rmad Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupda and, by his mercy, to the six
Gosvms of Vndvana, to Lord Caitanya and His eternal associates, to
r r Rdh-Ka and to the supreme transcendental literature, rmadBhgavatam. By the causeless mercy of rla Prabhupda we have been
able to approach the lotus feet of rla Bhaktisiddhnta Sarasvat hkura,
rla Jva Gosvm, rla Vivantha Cakravart hkura, rla rdhara
Svm, and other great Vaiava cryas, and by carefully studying their
liberated commentaries we have humbly tried to complete the rmadBhgavatam. We are the insignificant servants of our spiritual master, rla
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Prabhupda, and by his mercy we have been allowed to serve him through
the presentation of rmad-Bhgavatam.