oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya (1.1.1)
janmādy asya yato ’nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ
tene brahma hṛdā
ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ
tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ yathā vinimayo yatra
tri-sargo ’mṛṣā
dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakaṁ
satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi
om — O my Lord; namaḥ — offering my obeisances; bhagavate —
unto the Personality of Godhead; vāsudevāya — unto Vāsudeva (the son of
Vasudeva), or Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the
primeval Lord; janma-ādi — creation, sustenance and destruction; asya
— of the manifested universes; yataḥ
— from whom; anvayāt — directly; itarataḥ — indirectly; ca —
and; artheṣu — purposes; abhijñaḥ
— fully cognizant; sva-rāṭ
— fully independent; tene — imparted; brahma — the Vedic
knowledge; hṛdā
— consciousness of the heart; yaḥ
— one who; ādi-kavaye — unto the original created being; muhyanti
— are illusioned; yat — about whom; sūrayaḥ — great sages and
demigods; tejaḥ
— fire; vāri — water; mṛdām
— earth; yathā — as much as; vinimayaḥ — action and reaction; yatra —
whereupon; tri-sargaḥ
— three modes of creation, creative faculties; amṛṣā —
almost factual; dhāmnā — along with all transcendental paraphernalia; svena
— self-sufficiently; sadā — always; nirasta — negation by
absence; kuhakam — illusion; satyam — truth; param —
absolute; dhīmahi — I do meditate upon.
O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa,
son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful
obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute
Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and
destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly
conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other
cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the
heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and
demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory
representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of
Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the
three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore
meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa,
who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free
from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him,
for He is the Absolute Truth.
dharmaḥ
projjhita-kaitavo ’tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ
vedyaṁ vāstavam
atra vastu śivadaṁ
tāpa-trayonmūlanam
śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte
kiṁ vā parair
īśvaraḥ
sadyo hṛdy
avarudhyate ’tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tat-kṣaṇāt
dharmaḥ
— religiosity; projjhita — completely rejected; kaitavaḥ — covered by fruitive
intention; atra — herein; paramaḥ
— the highest; nirmatsarāṇām
— of the one-hundred-percent pure in heart; satām — devotees; vedyam
— understandable; vāstavam — factual; atra — herein; vastu
— substance; śivadam — well-being; tāpa-traya — threefold
miseries; unmūlanam — causing uprooting of; śrīmat — beautiful; bhāgavate
— the Bhāgavata Purāṇa;
mahā-muni — the great sage (Vyāsadeva); kṛte — having compiled; kim
— what is; vā — the need; paraiḥ
— others; īśvaraḥ
— the Supreme Lord; sadyaḥ
— at once; hṛdi
— within the heart; avarudhyate — becomes compact; atra — herein;
kṛtibhiḥ — by the pious men; śuśrūṣubhiḥ — by culture; tat-kṣaṇāt — without delay.
Completely rejecting all religious activities which are
materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṇa
propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are
fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion
for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This
beautiful Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyāsadeva [in his maturity],
is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other
scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of
Bhāgavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within
his heart.
nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ
śuka-mukhād amṛta-drava-saṁyutam
pibata bhāgavataṁ
rasam ālayam
muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ
nigama — the Vedic literatures; kalpa-taroḥ — the desire tree; galitam
— fully matured; phalam — fruit; śuka — Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī,
the original speaker of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; mukhāt — from the lips
of; amṛta —
nectar; drava — semisolid and soft and therefore easily swallowable; saṁyutam — perfect in all
respects; pibata — do relish it; bhāgavatam — the book dealing in
the science of the eternal relation with the Lord; rasam — juice (that
which is relishable); ālayam — until liberation, or even in a liberated
condition; muhuḥ
— always; aho — O; rasikāḥ
— those who are full in the knowledge of mellows; bhuvi — on the earth; bhāvukāḥ — expert and thoughtful.
O expert and thoughtful men, relish Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the
lips of Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Therefore this fruit has become even more
tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all,
including liberated souls.
na yad vacaś citra-padaṁ harer yaśo (1.5.10)
jagat-pavitraṁ
pragṛṇīta karhicit
tad vāyasaṁ
tīrtham uśanti mānasā
na yatra haṁsā
niramanty uśik-kṣayāḥ
na — not; yat — that; vacaḥ — vocabulary; citra-padam
— decorative; hareḥ
— of the Lord; yaśaḥ
— glories; jagat — universe; pavitram — sanctified; pragṛṇīta — described; karhicit
— hardly; tat — that; vāyasam — crows; tīrtham — place of
pilgrimage; uśanti — think; mānasāḥ — saintly persons; na — not; yatra
— where; haṁsāḥ — all-perfect beings; niramanti
— take pleasure; uśik-kṣayāḥ
— those who reside in the transcendental abode.
Those words which do not describe the glories of the
Lord, who alone can sanctify the atmosphere of the whole universe, are
considered by saintly persons to be like unto a place of pilgrimage for crows.
Since the all-perfect persons are inhabitants of the transcendental abode, they
do not derive any pleasure there.
tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo (1.5.11)
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo ’ṅkitāni
yat
śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ
tat — that; vāk — vocabulary; visargaḥ — creation; janatā
— the people in general; agha — sins; viplavaḥ — revolutionary; yasmin
— in which; prati-ślokam — each and every stanza; abaddhavati
— irregularly composed; api — in spite of; nāmāni —
transcendental names, etc.; anantasya — of the unlimited Lord; yaśaḥ — glories; aṅkitāni — depicted; yat
— what; śṛṇvanti
— do hear; gāyanti — do sing; gṛṇanti
— do accept; sādhavaḥ
— the purified men who are honest.
On the other hand, that literature which is full of
descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes,
etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of
transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious
lives of this world’s misdirected civilization. Such transcendental
literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by
purified men who are thoroughly honest.
naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ (1.5.12)
na śobhate jñānam alaṁ
nirañjanam
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare
na cārpitaṁ karma
yad apy akāraṇam
naiṣkarmyam — self-realization, being freed from the
reactions of fruitive work; api — in spite of; acyuta — the
infallible Lord; bhāva — conception; varjitam — devoid of; na
— does not; śobhate — look well; jñānam — transcendental
knowledge; alam — by and by; nirañjanam — free from designations;
kutaḥ —
where is; punaḥ
— again; śaśvat — always; abhadram — uncongenial; īśvare —
unto the Lord; na — not; ca — and; arpitam — offered; karma
— fruitive work; yat api — what is; akāraṇam — not fruitive.
Knowledge of self-realization, even though free from all
material affinity, does not look well if devoid of a conception of the
Infallible [God]. What, then, is the use of fruitive activities, which are
naturally painful from the very beginning and transient by nature, if they are
not utilized for the devotional service of the Lord?
tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ
caraṇāmbujaṁ harer (1.5.17)
bhajann apakvo ’tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
ko vārtha āpto ’bhajatāṁ
sva-dharmataḥ
tyaktvā — having forsaken; sva-dharmam
— one’s own occupational engagement; caraṇa-ambujam — the lotus feet; hareḥ — of Hari (the Lord); bhajan
— in the course of devotional service; apakvaḥ — immature; atha — for the matter of;
patet — falls down; tataḥ
— from that place; yadi — if; yatra — whereupon; kva —
what sort of; vā — or (used sarcastically); abhadram —
unfavorable; abhūt — shall happen; amuṣya — of him; kim —
nothing; kaḥ
vā arthaḥ
— what interest; āptaḥ
— obtained; abhajatām — of the nondevotee; sva-dharmataḥ — being engaged in
occupational service.
One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage
in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an
immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other
hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain
anything.
tasyaiva hetoḥ
prayateta kovido (1.5.18)
na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ
tal labhyate duḥkhavad
anyataḥ sukhaṁ
kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā
tasya — for that purpose; eva — only; hetoḥ — reason; prayateta
— should endeavor; kovidaḥ
— one who is philosophically inclined; na labhyate — is not
obtained; yat — what; bhramatām — wandering; upari adhaḥ — from top to bottom; tat
— that; labhyate — can be obtained; duḥkhavat — like the miseries; anyataḥ — as a result of previous
work; sukham — sense enjoyment; kālena — in course of time; sarvatra
— everywhere; gabhīra — subtle; raṁhasā — progress.
Persons who are actually intelligent and philosophically
inclined should endeavor only for that purposeful end which is not obtainable
even by wandering from the topmost planet [Brahmaloka] down to the lowest
planet [Pātāla]. As far as happiness derived from sense enjoyment is concerned,
it can be obtained automatically in course of time, just as in course of time
we obtain miseries even though we do not desire them.
idaṁ
hi puṁsas tapasaḥ śrutasya vā (1.5.22)
sviṣṭasya sūktasya
ca buddhi-dattayoḥ
avicyuto ’rthaḥ
kavibhir nirūpito
yad-uttamaśloka-guṇānuvarṇanam
idam — this; hi — certainly; puṁsaḥ — of everyone; tapasaḥ — by dint of austerities;
śrutasya — by dint of study of the Vedas; vā — or; sviṣṭasya — sacrifice; sūktasya
— spiritual education; ca — and; buddhi — culture of knowledge; dattayoḥ — charity; avicyutaḥ — infallible; arthaḥ — interest; kavibhiḥ — by the recognized
learned person; nirūpitaḥ
— concluded; yat — what; uttamaśloka — the Lord, who is described
by choice poetry; guṇa-anuvarṇanam — description of the
transcendental qualities of.
Learned circles have positively concluded that the
infallible purpose of the advancement of knowledge, namely austerities, study
of the Vedas, sacrifice, chanting of hymns and charity, culminates in the
transcendental descriptions of the Lord, who is defined in choice poetry.
sat-sevayādīrghayāpi (1.6.23)
jātā mayi dṛḍhā matiḥ
hitvāvadyam imaṁ lokaṁ
gantā maj-janatām asi
sat-sevayā — by service of the Absolute
Truth; adīrghayā — for some days; api — even; jātā — having attained; mayi — unto Me; dṛḍhā — firm; matiḥ — intelligence; hitvā — having given up; avadyam — deplorable; imam — this; lokam — material worlds; gantā — going to; mat-janatām — My associates; asi — become.
By service of the Absolute
Truth, even for a few days, a devotee attains firm and fixed intelligence in
Me. Consequently he goes on to become My associate in the transcendental world
after giving up the present deplorable material worlds.
anarthopaśamaṁ
sākṣād (1.7.6)
bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje
lokasyājānato vidvāṁś
cakre sātvata-saṁhitām
anartha — things which are
superfluous; upaśamam — mitigation; sākṣāt — directly; bhakti-yogam — the linking process of
devotional service; adhokṣaje — unto the Transcendence; lokasya — of the general mass of
men; ajānataḥ — those who are unaware
of; vidvān — the supremely learned; cakre — compiled; sātvata — in relation with the Supreme
Truth; saṁhitām — Vedic literature.
The material miseries of
the living entity, which are superfluous to him, can be directly mitigated by
the linking process of devotional service. But the mass of people do not know
this, and therefore the learned Vyāsadeva compiled this Vedic literature, which
is in relation to the Supreme Truth.
yasyāṁ
vai śrūyamāṇāyāṁ (1.7.7)
kṛṣṇe parama-pūruṣe
bhaktir utpadyate puṁsaḥ
śoka-moha-bhayāpahā
yasyām — this Vedic literature; vai — certainly; śrūyamāṇāyām — simply by giving aural
reception; kṛṣṇe — unto Lord Kṛṣṇa; parama — supreme; pūruṣe — unto the Personality of
Godhead; bhaktiḥ — feelings of devotional
service; utpadyate — sprout up; puṁsaḥ — of the living being; śoka — lamentation; moha — illusion; bhaya — fearfulness; apahā — that which extinguishes.
Simply by giving aural
reception to this Vedic literature, the feeling for loving devotional service
to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sprouts up at once to
extinguish the fire of lamentation, illusion and fearfulness.
sūta
uvāca (1.7.10)
ātmārāmāś ca munayo
nirgranthā apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaitukīṁ bhaktim
ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ
sūtaḥ uvāca — Sūta Gosvāmī said; ātmārāmāḥ — those who take pleasure in
the ātmā (generally,
spirit self); ca — also; munayaḥ — sages; nirgranthāḥ — freed from all bondage; api — in spite of; urukrame — unto the great
adventurer; kurvanti — do; ahaitukīm — unalloyed; bhaktim — devotional service; ittham-bhūta — such wonderful; guṇaḥ — qualities; hariḥ — of the Lord.
Sūta Gosvāmī said: All
different varieties of ātmārāmas [those who take pleasure in the ātmā, or
spirit self], especially those established on the path of self-realization,
though freed from all kinds of material bondage, desire to render unalloyed
devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead. This means that the Lord
possesses transcendental qualities and therefore can attract everyone,
including liberated souls.
sarvaṁ
kāla-kṛtaṁ manye (1.9.14)
bhavatāṁ ca yad-apriyam
sapālo yad-vaśe loko
vāyor iva ghanāvaliḥ
sarvam — all this; kāla-kṛtam — done by inevitable
time; manye — I think; bhavatām ca — for you also; yat — whatever; apriyam — detestable; sa-pālaḥ — with the rulers; yat-vaśe — under the control of that
time; lokaḥ — everyone in every
planet; vāyoḥ — the wind carries; iva — as; ghana-āvaliḥ — a line of clouds.
In my opinion, this is all
due to inevitable time, under whose control everyone in every planet is
carried, just as the clouds are carried by the wind.
na
hy asya karhicid rājan (1.9.16)
pumān veda vidhitsitam
yad vijijñāsayā yuktā
muhyanti kavayo ’pi hi
na — never; hi — certainly; asya — His; karhicit — whatsoever; rājan — O King; pumān — anyone; veda — knows; vidhitsitam — plan; yat — which; vijijñāsayā — with exhaustive
inquiries; yuktāḥ — being engaged; muhyanti — bewildered; kavayaḥ — great philosophers; api — even; hi — certainly.
O King, no one can know
the plan of the Lord [Śrī Kṛṣṇa]. Even though great philosophers inquire
exhaustively, they are bewildered.
anyonyam
āsīt sañjalpa (1.10.20)
uttama-śloka-cetasām
kauravendra-pura-strīṇāṁ
sarva-śruti-mano-haraḥ
anyonyam — among each other; āsīt — there was; sañjalpaḥ — talking; uttama-śloka — the Supreme, who is praised
by selected poetry; cetasām — of those whose hearts are
absorbed in that way; kaurava-indra — the king of the Kurus; pura — capital; strīṇām — all the ladies; sarva — all; śruti — the Vedas; manaḥ-haraḥ — attractive to the mind.
Absorbed in the thought of
the transcendental qualities of the Lord, who is sung in select poetry, the
ladies on the roofs of all the houses of Hastināpura began to talk of Him. This
talk was more attractive than the hymns of the Vedas.
aṅguṣṭha-mātram
amalaṁ (1.12.8)
sphurat-puraṭa-maulinam
apīvya-darśanaṁ śyāmaṁ
taḍid vāsasam acyutam
aṅguṣṭha — by the measure of a
thumb; mātram — only; amalam — transcendental; sphurat — blazing; puraṭa — gold; maulinam — helmet; apīvya — very beautiful; darśanam — to look at; śyāmam — blackish; taḍit — lightning; vāsasam — clothing; acyutam — the Infallible (the Lord).
He [the Lord] was only
thumb high, but He was all transcendental. He had a very beautiful, blackish,
infallible body, and He wore a dress of lightning yellow and a helmet of
blazing gold. Thus He was seen by the child.
bhavad-vidhā
bhāgavatās (1.13.10)
tīrtha-bhūtāḥ svayaṁ vibho
tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni
svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā
bhavat — your good self; vidhāḥ — like; bhāgavatāḥ — devotees; tīrtha — the holy places of
pilgrimage; bhūtāḥ — converted into; svayam — personally; vibho — O powerful one; tīrthī-kurvanti — make into a holy place of
pilgrimage; tīrthāni — the holy places; sva-antaḥ-sthena — having been situated in the
heart; gadā-bhṛtā — the Personality of Godhead.
My lord, devotees like
your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you carry the
Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of
pilgrimage.
ahastāni
sahastānām (1.13.47)
apadāni catuṣ-padām
phalgūni tatra mahatāṁ
jīvo jīvasya jīvanam
ahastāni — those who are devoid of
hands; sa-hastānām — of those who are endowed with
hands; apadāni — those who are devoid of
legs; catuḥ-padām — of those who have four
legs; phalgūni — those who are weak; tatra — there; mahatām — of the powerful; jīvaḥ — the living being; jīvasya — of the living being; jīvanam — subsistence.
Those who are devoid of
hands are prey for those who have hands; those devoid of legs are prey for the
four-legged. The weak are the subsistence of the strong, and the general rule
holds that one living being is food for another.
bhagavān
api govindo (1.14.34)
brahmaṇyo bhakta-vatsalaḥ
kaccit pure sudharmāyāṁ
sukham āste suhṛd-vṛtaḥ
bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa; api — also; govindaḥ — one who enlivens the cows and
the senses; brahmaṇyaḥ — devoted to the devotees or
the brāhmaṇas; bhakta-vatsalaḥ — affectionate to the
devotees; kaccit — whether; pure — in Dvārakā Purī; sudharmāyām — pious assembly; sukham — happiness; āste — does enjoy; suhṛt-vṛtaḥ — surrounded by friends.
Is Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who gives pleasure to the cows, the senses and the
brāhmaṇas, who is very affectionate towards His devotees, enjoying the pious
assembly at Dvārakā Purī surrounded by friends?
arjuna
uvāca (1.15.5)
vañcito ’haṁ mahā-rāja
hariṇā bandhu-rūpiṇā
yena me ’pahṛtaṁ tejo
deva-vismāpanaṁ mahat
arjunaḥ uvāca — Arjuna said; vañcitaḥ — left by Him; aham — myself; mahā-rāja — O King; hariṇā — by the Personality of
Godhead; bandhu-rūpiṇā — as if an intimate
friend; yena — by whom; me — my; apahṛtam — I have been bereft; tejaḥ — power; deva — the demigods; vismāpanam — astonishing; mahat — astounding.
Arjuna said: O King! The
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, who treated me exactly like an intimate
friend, has left me alone. Thus my astounding power, which astonished even the
demigods, is no longer with me.
yasya
kṣaṇa-viyogena (1.15.6)
loko hy apriya-darśanaḥ
ukthena rahito hy eṣa
mṛtakaḥ procyate yathā
yasya — whose; kṣaṇa — a moment; viyogena — by separation; lokaḥ — all the universes; hi — certainly; apriya-darśanaḥ — everything appears
unfavorable; ukthena — by life; rahitaḥ — being devoid of; hi — certainly; eṣaḥ — all these bodies; mṛtakaḥ — dead bodies; procyate — are designated; yathā — as it were.
I have just lost Him whose
separation for a moment would render all the universes unfavorable and void,
like bodies without life.
tad
vai dhanus ta iṣavaḥ sa ratho hayās te (1.15.21)
so ’haṁ rathī nṛpatayo yata ānamanti
sarvaṁ kṣaṇena tad abhūd asad īśa-riktaṁ
bhasman hutaṁ kuhaka-rāddham ivoptam ūṣyām
tat — the same; vai — certainly; dhanuḥ te — the same bow; iṣavaḥ — arrows; saḥ — the very same; rathaḥ — chariot; hayāḥ te — the very same horses; saḥ aham — I am the same Arjuna; rathī — the chariot-fighter; nṛpatayaḥ — all the kings; yataḥ — whom; ānamanti — offered their respects; sarvam — all; kṣaṇena — at a moment’s notice; tat — all those; abhūt — became; asat — useless; īśa — because of the Lord; riktam — being void; bhasman — ashes; hutam — offering butter; kuhaka-rāddham — money created by magical
feats; iva — like that; uptam — sown; ūṣyām — in barren land.
I have the very same Gāṇḍīva
bow, the same arrows, the same chariot drawn by the same horses, and I use them
as the same Arjuna to whom all the kings offered their due respects. But in the
absence of Lord Kṛṣṇa, all of them, at a moment’s notice, have become null and
void. It is exactly like offering clarified butter on ashes, accumulating money
with a magic wand or sowing seeds on barren land.
sārathya-pāraṣada-sevana-sakhya-dautya-
(1.16.16)
vīrāsanānugamana-stavana-praṇāmān
snigdheṣu pāṇḍuṣu jagat-praṇatiṁ ca viṣṇor
bhaktiṁ karoti nṛ-patiś caraṇāravinde
sārathya — acceptance of the post of a
chariot driver; pāraṣada — acceptance of the presidency in the assembly of the
Rājasūya sacrifice; sevana — engaging the mind constantly in the service of the
Lord; sakhya — to think of the Lord as a friend; dautya — acceptance of the
post of a messenger; vīra-āsana — acceptance of the post of a watchman with a
drawn sword at night; anugamana — following in the footsteps; stavana —
offering of prayers; praṇāmān — offering obeisances; snigdheṣu — unto them who
are malleable to the will of the Lord; pāṇḍuṣu — unto the sons of Pāṇḍu; jagat
— the universal; praṇatim — one who is obeyed; ca — and; viṣṇoḥ — of Viṣṇu;
bhaktim — devotion; karoti — does; nṛ-patiḥ — the King; caraṇa-aravinde — unto
His lotus feet.
Mahārāja Parīkṣit heard that out of His causeless mercy Lord Kṛṣṇa [Viṣṇu], who
is universally obeyed, rendered all kinds of service to the malleable sons of
Pāṇḍu by accepting posts ranging from chariot driver to president to messenger,
friend, night watchman, etc., according to the will of the Pāṇḍavas, obeying
them like a servant and offering obeisances like one younger in years. When he
heard this, Mahārāja Parīkṣit became overwhelmed with devotion to the lotus
feet of the Lord.
kā
vā saheta virahaṁ puruṣottamasya (1.16.35)
premāvaloka-rucira-smita-valgu-jalpaiḥ
sthairyaṁ samānam aharan madhu-māninīnāṁ
romotsavo mama yad-aṅghri-viṭaṅkitāyāḥ
kā — who; vā — either; saheta — can
tolerate; viraham — separation; puruṣa-uttamasya — of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead; prema — loving; avaloka — glancing; rucira-smita — pleasing smile;
valgu-jalpaiḥ — hearty appeals; sthairyam — gravity; sa-mānam — along with
passionate wrath; aharat — conquered; madhu — sweethearts; māninīnām — women
such as Satyabhāmā; roma-utsavaḥ — hair standing on end out of pleasure; mama —
mine; yat — whose; aṅghri — feet; viṭaṅkitāyāḥ — imprinted with.
Who, therefore, can tolerate the pangs of separation from that Supreme
Personality of Godhead? He could conquer the gravity and passionate wrath of
His sweethearts like Satyabhāmā by His sweet smile of love, pleasing glance and
hearty appeals. When He traversed my [earth’s] surface, I would be immersed in
the dust of His lotus feet and thus would be sumptuously covered with grass
which appeared like hairs standing on me out of pleasure.
tapaḥ
śaucaṁ dayā satyam (1.17.24)
iti pādāḥ kṛte kṛtāḥ
adharmāṁśais trayo bhagnāḥ
smaya-saṅga-madais tava
tapaḥ — austerity; śaucam — cleanliness; dayā — mercy; satyam —
truthfulness; iti — thus; pādāḥ — legs; kṛte — in the age of Satya; kṛtāḥ —
established; adharma — irreligiosity; aṁśaiḥ — by the parts; trayaḥ — three
combined; bhagnāḥ — broken; smaya — pride; saṅga — too much association with
women; madaiḥ — intoxication; tava — your.
In the age of Satya [truthfulness] your four legs were established by the four
principles of austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness. But it appears
that three of your legs are broken due to rampant irreligion in the form of
pride, lust for women, and intoxication.
Key for Glorious death
nottamaśloka-vārtānāṁ (1.18.4)
juṣatāṁ tat-kathāmṛtam
syāt sambhramo ’nta-kāle ’pi
smaratāṁ tat-padāmbujam
na
— never; uttama-śloka — the Personality of Godhead, of whom the Vedic hymns
sing; vārtānām — of those who live on them; juṣatām — of those who are engaged
in; tat — His; kathā-amṛtam — transcendental topics about Him; syāt — it so
happens; sambhramaḥ — misconception; anta — at the end; kāle — in time; api —
also; smaratām — remembering; tat — His; pada-ambujam — lotus feet.
This was so because those who have dedicated their lives to the transcendental
topics of the Personality of Godhead, of whom the Vedic hymns sing, and who are
constantly engaged in remembering the lotus feet of the Lord, do not run the
risk of having misconceptions even at the last moment of their lives.
The eagerness of sages to hear Hari katha
tulayāma lavenāpi (1.18.13)
na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam
bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya
martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ
tulayāma
— to be balanced with; lavena — by a moment; api — even; na — never; svargam —
heavenly planets; na — nor; apunaḥ-bhavam — liberation from matter; bhagavat-saṅgi
— devotee of the Lord; saṅgasya — of the association; martyānām — those who are
meant for death; kim — what is there; uta — to speak of; āśiṣaḥ — worldly
benediction.
The value of a moment’s association with the devotee of the Lord cannot even be
compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and
what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which
are for those who are meant for death.
ko nāma tṛpyed rasavit kathāyāṁ (1.18.14)
mahattamaikānta-parāyaṇasya
nāntaṁ guṇānām aguṇasya jagmur
yogeśvarā ye bhava-pādma-mukhyāḥ
kaḥ
— who is he; nāma — specifically; tṛpyet — get full satisfaction; rasa-vit —
expert in relishing mellow nectar; kathāyām — in the topics of; mahat-tama —
the greatest amongst the living beings; ekānta — exclusively; parāyaṇasya — of
one who is the shelter of; na — never; antam — end; guṇānām — of attributes;
aguṇasya — of the Transcendence; jagmuḥ — could ascertain; yoga-īśvarāḥ — the
lords of mystic power; ye — all they; bhava — Lord Śiva; pādma — Lord Brahmā;
mukhyāḥ — heads.
The Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa [Govinda], is the exclusive shelter for
all great living beings, and His transcendental attributes cannot even be
measured by such masters of mystic powers as Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. Can
anyone who is expert in relishing nectar [rasa] ever be fully satiated by
hearing topics about Him?
tan no bhavān vai
bhagavat-pradhāno (1.18.15)
mahattamaikānta-parāyaṇasya
harer udāraṁ caritaṁ viśuddhaṁ
śuśrūṣatāṁ no vitanotu vidvan
tat
— therefore; naḥ — of us; bhavān — your good self; vai — certainly; bhagavat —
in relation with the Personality of Godhead; pradhānaḥ — chiefly; mahat-tama —
the greatest of all greats; ekānta — exclusively; parāyaṇasya — of the shelter;
hareḥ — of the Lord; udāram — impartial; caritam — activities; viśuddham —
transcendental; śuśrūṣatām — those who are receptive; naḥ — ourselves; vitanotu
— kindly describe; vidvan — O learned one.
O Sūta Gosvāmī, you are a learned and pure devotee of the Lord because the
Personality of Godhead is your chief object of service. Therefore please
describe to us the pastimes of the Lord, which are above all material
conception, for we are anxious to receive such messages.
tiraskṛtā vipralabdhāḥ (1.18.48)
śaptāḥ kṣiptā hatā api
nāsya tat pratikurvanti
tad-bhaktāḥ prabhavo ’pi hi
tiraḥ-kṛtāḥ
— being defamed; vipralabdhāḥ — being cheated; śaptāḥ — being cursed; kṣiptāḥ —
disturbed by negligence; hatāḥ — or even being killed; api — also; na — never;
asya — for all these acts; tat — them; pratikurvanti — counteract; tat — the
Lord’s; bhaktāḥ — devotees; prabhavaḥ — powerful; api — although; hi —
certainly.
The devotees of the Lord are so forbearing that even though they are defamed,
cheated, cursed, disturbed, neglected or even killed, they are never inclined
to avenge themselves.