prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya (1.1.10)
kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ
mandāḥ sumanda-matayo
manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ
prāyeṇa — almost always; alpa — meager; āyuṣaḥ — duration of life; sabhya — member of a learned society; kalau — in this Age of Kali (quarrel); asmin — herein; yuge — age; janāḥ — the public; mandāḥ — lazy; sumanda-matayaḥ — misguided; manda-bhāgyāḥ — unlucky; hi — and above all; upadrutāḥ — disturbed.
O learned one, in this iron Age of Kali men almost always have
but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all,
always disturbed.
āpannaḥ saṁsṛtiṁ ghorāṁ (1.1.14)
yan-nāma vivaśo gṛṇan
tataḥ sadyo vimucyeta
yad bibheti svayaṁ bhayam
āpannaḥ — being entangled; saṁsṛtim — in the hurdle of
birth and death; ghorām — too complicated; yat — what; nāma
— the absolute name; vivaśaḥ — unconsciously; gṛṇan — chanting; tataḥ — from that; sadyaḥ — at once; vimucyeta — gets freedom; yat — that
which; bibheti — fears; svayam — personally; bhayam — fear
itself.
Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of
birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the
holy name of Kṛṣṇa, which is feared by fear personified.
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo (1.2.6)
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
saḥ — that; vai —
certainly; puṁsām — for mankind; paraḥ — sublime; dharmaḥ — occupation; yataḥ — by which; bhaktiḥ — devotional service; adhokṣaje
— unto the Transcendence; ahaitukī — causeless; apratihatā —
unbroken; yayā — by which; ātmā — the self; suprasīdati —
completely satisfied.
The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by
which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord.
Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely
satisfy the self.
vāsudeve bhagavati (1.2.7)
bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
vāsudeve — unto Kṛṣṇa; bhagavati — unto the Personality of Godhead; bhakti-yogaḥ — contact of devotional service; prayojitaḥ — being applied; janayati — does produce; āśu —
very soon; vairāgyam — detachment; jñānam — knowledge; ca
— and; yat — that which; ahaitukam — causeless.
By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead,
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment
from the world.
dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ (1.2.8)
viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
śrama eva hi kevalam
dharmaḥ — occupation; svanuṣṭhitaḥ — executed in terms of
one’s own position; puṁsām — of humankind; viṣvaksena
— the Personality of Godhead (plenary portion); kathāsu — in the message
of; yaḥ — what is; na —
not; utpādayet — does produce; yadi — if; ratim —
attraction; śramaḥ — useless labor; eva
— only; hi — certainly; kevalam — entirely.
The occupational activities a man performs according to his own
position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for
the message of the Personality of Godhead.
dharmasya hy āpavargyasya (1.2.9)
nārtho ’rthāyopakalpate
nārthasya dharmaikāntasya
kāmo lābhāya hi smṛtaḥ
dharmasya — occupational engagement; hi — certainly; āpavargyasya
— ultimate liberation; na — not; arthaḥ — end; arthāya — for material gain; upakalpate —
is meant for; na — neither; arthasya — of material gain; dharma-eka-antasya
— for one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service; kāmaḥ — sense gratification; lābhāya — attainment of; hi
— exactly; smṛtaḥ — is described by the great sages.
All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate
liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore,
according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service
should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.
kāmasya nendriya-prītir (1.2.10)
lābho jīveta yāvatā
jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā
nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ
kāmasya — of desires; na — not; indriya — senses; prītiḥ — satisfaction; lābhaḥ — gain; jīveta
— self-preservation; yāvatā — so much so; jīvasya — of the living
being; tattva — the Absolute Truth; jijñāsā — inquiries; na
— not; arthaḥ — end; yaḥ ca iha — whatsoever else; karmabhiḥ — by occupational activities.
Life’s desires should never be directed toward sense
gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation,
since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else
should be the goal of one’s works.
vadanti tat tattva-vidas (1.2.11)
tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam
brahmeti paramātmeti
bhagavān iti śabdyate
vadanti — they say; tat — that; tattva-vidaḥ — the learned souls; tattvam — the Absolute Truth; yat
— which; jñānam — knowledge; advayam — nondual; brahma iti
— known as Brahman; paramātmā iti — known as Paramātmā; bhagavān
iti — known as Bhagavān; śabdyate — it so sounded.
Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this
nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.
tac chraddadhānā munayo
jñāna-vairāgya-yuktayā
paśyanty ātmani cātmānaṁ
bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā
tat — that; śraddadhānāḥ — seriously
inquisitive; munayaḥ — sages; jñāna
— knowledge; vairāgya — detachment; yuktayā — well equipped with;
paśyanti — see; ātmani — within himself; ca — and; ātmānam
— the Paramātmā; bhaktyā — in devotional service; śruta — the Vedas;
gṛhītayā — well received.
The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with
knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional
service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedānta-śruti.
ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā (1.2.13)
varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ
svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya
saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam
ataḥ — so; pumbhiḥ — by the human being; dvija-śreṣṭhāḥ — O best among the
twice-born; varṇa-āśrama — the
institution of four castes and four orders of life; vibhāgaśaḥ — by the division of; svanuṣṭhitasya — of one’s own prescribed duties; dharmasya —
occupational; saṁsiddhiḥ — the highest perfection; hari — the Personality of
Godhead; toṣaṇam — pleasing.
O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the
highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for
one’s own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to
please the Personality of Godhead.
tasmād ekena manasā (1.2.14)
bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ
śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca
dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā
tasmāt — therefore; ekena — by one; manasā — attention
of the mind; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; sātvatām — of
the devotees; patiḥ — protector; śrotavyaḥ — is to be heard; kīrtitavyaḥ — to be glorified; ca — and; dhyeyaḥ — to be remembered; pūjyaḥ — to be worshiped; ca — and; nityadā —
constantly.
Therefore, with one-pointed attention, one should constantly
hear about, glorify, remember and worship the Personality of Godhead, who is
the protector of the devotees.
yad-anudhyāsinā yuktāḥ (1.2.15)
karma-granthi-nibandhanam
chindanti kovidās tasya
ko na kuryāt kathā-ratim
yat — which; anudhyā — remembrance; asinā — sword; yuktāḥ — being equipped with; karma — reactionary work; granthi
— knot; nibandhanam — interknit; chindanti — cut; kovidāḥ — intelligent; tasya — His; kaḥ — who; na — not; kuryāt — shall do; kathā
— messages; ratim — attention.
With sword in hand, intelligent men cut through the binding
knots of reactionary work [karma] by remembering the Personality of Godhead.
Therefore, who will not pay attention to His message?
śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya (1.2.16)
vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ
syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ
puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt
śuśrūṣoḥ — one who is engaged
in hearing; śraddadhānasya — with care and attention; vāsudeva —
in respect to Vāsudeva; kathā — the message; ruciḥ — affinity; syāt — is made possible; mahat-sevayā
— by service rendered to pure devotees; viprāḥ — O twice-born; puṇya-tīrtha — those
who are cleansed of all vice; niṣevaṇāt — by service.
O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva.
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (1.2.17)
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt satām
śṛṇvatām — those who have
developed the urge to hear the message of; sva-kathāḥ — His own words; kṛṣṇaḥ — the Personality of
Godhead; puṇya — virtues; śravaṇa — hearing; kīrtanaḥ — chanting; hṛdi antaḥ sthaḥ — within one’s heart; hi — certainly; abhadrāṇi — desire to enjoy matter; vidhunoti — cleanses; suhṛt — benefactor; satām — of the truthful.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul]
in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire
for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge
to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and
chanted.
naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu
(1.2.18)
nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
bhagavaty uttama-śloke
bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī
naṣṭa — destroyed; prāyeṣu
— almost to nil; abhadreṣu — all that is inauspicious; nityam —
regularly; bhāgavata — Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or the pure devotee; sevayā
— by serving; bhagavati — unto the Personality of Godhead; uttama
— transcendental; śloke — prayers; bhaktiḥ — loving service; bhavati — comes into being; naiṣṭhikī — irrevocable.
By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by
rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart
is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of
Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an
irrevocable fact.
tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (1.2.19)
kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye
ceta etair anāviddhaṁ
sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati
tadā — at that time; rajaḥ — in the mode of
passion; tamaḥ — the mode of
ignorance; bhāvāḥ — the situation; kāma
— lust and desire; lobha — hankering; ādayaḥ — others; ca — and; ye — whatever they are; cetaḥ — the mind; etaiḥ — by these; anāviddham
— without being affected; sthitam — being fixed; sattve — in the
mode of goodness; prasīdati — thus becomes fully satisfied.
As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the
heart, the effects of nature’s modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust,
desire and hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established
in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.
evaṁ prasanna-manaso
(1.2.20)
bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ
bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ
mukta-saṅgasya jāyate
evam — thus; prasanna — enlivened; manasaḥ — of the mind; bhagavat-bhakti — the devotional
service of the Lord; yogataḥ — by contact of; bhagavat
— regarding the Personality of Godhead; tattva — knowledge; vijñānam
— scientific; mukta — liberated; saṅgasya — of the association; jāyate — becomes effective.
Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man
whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord
gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage
of liberation from all material association.
bhidyate hṛdaya-granthiś (1.2.21)
chidyante sarva-saṁśayāḥ
kṣīyante cāsya karmāṇi
dṛṣṭa evātmanīśvare
bhidyate — pierced; hṛdaya — heart; granthiḥ — knots; chidyante — cut to pieces; sarva — all; saṁśayāḥ — misgivings; kṣīyante
— terminated; ca — and; asya — his; karmāṇi — chain of fruitive actions; dṛṣṭe — having seen; eva
— certainly; ātmani — unto the self; īśvare — dominating.
Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are
cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the
self as master.
vāsudeva-parā vedā (1.2.28-29)
vāsudeva-parā makhāḥ
vāsudeva-parā yogā
vāsudeva-parāḥ kriyāḥ
vāsudeva-paraṁ jñānaṁ
vāsudeva-paraṁ tapaḥ
vāsudeva-paro dharmo
vāsudeva-parā gatiḥ
vāsudeva
— the Personality of Godhead; parāḥ — the ultimate goal;
vedāḥ — revealed scriptures; vāsudeva — the Personality of Godhead;
parāḥ — for worshiping; makhāḥ — sacrifices; vāsudeva
— the Personality of Godhead; parāḥ — the means of
attaining; yogāḥ — mystic paraphernalia; vāsudeva — the
Personality of Godhead; parāḥ — under His control;
kriyāḥ — fruitive activities; vāsudeva — the Personality of Godhead;
param — the supreme; jñānam — knowledge; vāsudeva — the Personality of Godhead;
param — best; tapaḥ — austerity; vāsudeva — the Personality
of Godhead; paraḥ — superior quality; dharmaḥ — religion; vāsudeva — the Personality of Godhead; parāḥ — ultimate; gatiḥ — goal of life.
In the revealed scriptures, the ultimate object of knowledge is
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. The purpose of performing
sacrifice is to please Him. Yoga is for realizing Him. All fruitive activities
are ultimately rewarded by Him only. He is supreme knowledge, and all severe
austerities are performed to know Him. Religion [dharma] is rendering loving
service unto Him. He is the supreme goal of life.
ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ (1.3.28)
kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam
indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ
mṛḍayanti yuge yuge
ete — all these; ca — and; aṁśa — plenary portions; kalāḥ — portions of the plenary portions; puṁsaḥ — of the Supreme; kṛṣṇaḥ — Lord Kṛṣṇa; tu — but; bhagavān
— the Personality of Godhead; svayam — in person; indra-ari
— the enemies of Indra; vyākulam — disturbed; lokam — all the
planets; mṛḍayanti — gives protection; yuge
yuge — in different ages.
All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary
portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original
Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a
disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the
theists.