S'RÎMAD BHÂGAVATAM

'The story of the fortunate one'

 
Canto 4b

The Creation of the Fourth Order, the Lord's Protection

Chapter 20 Lord Vishnu's Appearance in the Sacrificial Arena of Mahârâja Prithu

Chapter 21 Instructions by Mahârâja Prithu

Chapter 22 Prithu Mahârâja's Meeting with the Four Kumâras

Chapter 23 Mahârâja Prithu's Going Back Home

Chapter 24 The Song Sung by Lord S'iva

Chapter 25 About the Character of King Purañjana

Chapter 26 King Purañjana Goes Hunting and Finds His Morose Wife.

Chapter 27 Attack by Candavega on the City of King Purañjana; the Character of Kâlakanyâ.

Chapter 28 Purañjana Becomes a Woman in his Next Life.

Chapter 29 The Conversation of Nârada and King Prâcînabarhi

Chapter 30 The Activities of the Pracetâs

Chapter 31 Nârada Instructs the Pracetâs

Chapter 20 

 Lord Vishnu's Appearance in the Sacrificial Arena of Mahârâja Prithu

(1) Maitreya said: 'The Supreme Lord, the Lord of Vaikunthha, along with the mighty Indra satisfied by the sacrifices unto Him, the Lord of Sacrifice, spoke, as the enjoyer of all sacrifices, to king Prithu. (2) The Supreme Lord said: 'This Lord Indra, who indeed formed a disturbance with the hundredth horse sacrifice you performed, begs your soul to pardon him; you should forgive him. (3) The most intelligent of favor to others in this world, o God of man, belong to the best human beings; they never resort to malice in relating to other living beings, as they never forget the soul within this vehicle of time. (4) If people like you, for long in service of the superiors, become bewildered by the external energy of God, is for sure the only thing that is produced the being sick of it. (5) Therefore does he in full knowledge, who knows that this body is derived from nescience, desires and karma, certainly never become the slave of it. (6) In other words, what learned person would, being unattached, be of affinity for the wealth, house and children produced from such a bodily concept? (7) Being one, pure, self-effulgent and immaterial is that all pervading reservoir of good qualities, unmoved by the material world, the selfless witness, transcendental to the body and the mind. (8) Anyone who thus knows of the soul existing within this body, is, although he is situated within the material nature, as a person never affected by its modes; such a person is situated in Me. (9) He who always doing his duty worships Me, having faith and devotion without any ulterior motive, will, o King, find his mind gradually become very satisfied. (10) Free from the modes of nature and with an equal vision will he, who within is uncontaminated and of peace, achieve the evenness of My spirit of emancipation. (11) Any person who knows this fixed soul as simply being the indifferent superintendent of the physical elements, the knowing and working senses and the mind, will find all good fortune. (12) Those bound to Me in friendship and enlightenment will never become disturbed with the experience of happiness or distress to the different qualities and constant change of the material body consisting of the physical elements, the active senses, its intentions and the mind. (13) Equipoised in happiness and distress, equal to all who are greater, lower or in between and with the senses and mind controlled: be, o hero, the protector of all citizens; by all people being accompanied it is as arranged by Me. (14) Ruling the populace in goodness it is certain for a king to be in his next life the collector of a sixth of results of the pious activities, otherwise he will have to do without them as only collecting taxes he will, from the citizens that he does not protect, suffer the sins. (15) Thus being the protector of the earth as one whose chief interest is to be unattached after the principles as approved by and handed down by the foremost of the twice-born, you will in a short time see yourself being loved by the citizens and have your home visited by the perfected ones personally. (16) Please request, as I've been captivated by your excellent qualities *, any benediction from Me that you desire, o chief of the humans; I certainly cannot easily be obtained by mere sacrifices, austerities or the single practice of Yoga - I am present in the one who is of an even consciousness.'

(17) Maitreya said: 'The conqueror of the world thus being lead by the supreme master of all, the Personality of Vishnu, accepted the instructions of the Lord on his head. (18) King Indra, ashamed of his own actions then lovingly touched his feet; embracing him he [Prithu] of course gave up his anger. (19) The Supreme Lord, the Supersoul, received from Prithu worship with all the paraphernalia and having taken to the lotusfeet his devotion gradually increased. (20) Although ready to leave him was the Lord with the lotus eyes, the well-wisher of the devotees, detained by kindness, not able to depart. (21) He, the ideal king, with folded hands before the Lord, was, with his eyes full of tears not able to look at Him, nor could he speak, his voice was choked up and with his heart embracing Him he remained standing there before Him. (22) Thereupon wiping the tears from his eyes and not being satisfied with seeing Him visible with his naked eyes, he spoke to the Original Personality who with His lotus feet barely touched the ground and with His raised hand was resting on the shoulder of Garuda, the enemy of the snakes.

(23) Prithu said: 'How could a learned man ask from You, o Almighty One, who is the Supreme ruler of it, for benedictions that are there also for all those embodied living beings who are bewildered by the modes of nature, even when they are in hell? Nor do I ask, o Supreme One, for You as the Enlightenment. (24) Not even that I do desire o master, when it is then so that I always have to miss the nectar that from the core of the heart is delivered by the mouths of the devotees at Your lotusfeet; just give me these one million ears, that is for me the benediction. (25) That soothing breeze of the nectarean [saffron-] particles of Your lotusfeet o Lord, who is praised in the scriptures as delivered by the mouths of the great, restores of those who strayed from the path of devotional service, the remembrance of the forgotten truth and makes other benedictions unnecessary. (26) When someone somehow or other even only once, in the association of the advanced, listens to the all-auspicious glorification of You, o honored one, how can one in favor of the qualities, unless he is an animal, then ever cease with that what the Goddess of Fortune with her desire to receive has accepted as Your quality? (27) Therefore I shall engage in the service unto You, the all inclusive Supreme and Original Personality [Pûrusottama] and reservoir of all transcendental qualities; let, as desirous indeed as the goddess with the lotus in her hand with the both of us competing to the one Master, there not be any quarrel in the one attention of acting in respect at Your feet. (28) The mother of the universe o Ruler of the Cosmic Reality, might be angry with my certain desire to her activities; but why would that with her unto You, who considers even the most insignificant service as very great and with Your inclination as a loving parent, be so, to the undoubtedly full satisfaction in Your own opulence? (29) They who therefore worship You are thus all saints that dispel the misconceptions originating from the operating modes of nature; I don't understand what other persons than the holy, o Supreme Lord, would find a reason for constantly remembering Your lotusfeet! (30) I consider Your words as a bewildering benediction to the material world; If one just accepts what You spoke of this way to your devotees, then how can the people in general, because they are surely not bound by the ropes of Your statements in the Veda's, not be captivated in the repetition of the performance of fruitive activities? (31) The people in general are, o Lord, in rebellion by Your illusory energy because of ignorantly desiring everything other than the real of the self; please, alike a father would do personally for the welfare of a child, bestow that what You deem to be desirable.

(32) Maitreya said: 'Thus being worshiped by the original king did He, the seer of the whole universe, say to him: 'My dear King let there be Your devotion for Me; by the good fortune of an intelligence of having acted unto Me like this, will certainly My illusory energy, that is so difficult to give up, be overcome. (33) Do therefore what I ordered You to do without being mistaken, o master of the citizens, anyone wherever who acts according My injunctions achieves all good fortune.'

(34) Maitreya said: 'Thus appreciating the meaningful words of the wise king, the son of Vena, did He, the Infallible One, being worshiped and sufficiently having blessed him, decide to leave from there. (35-36) The godly ones, the sages, the forefathers, the artisans, the perfected ones, the heavenly singers, the ones living with the snakes, the superhuman beings, the nymphs, and the ones of the earth, the birds and all the many living beings (compare 3-10: 28-29), were by the king, with the wealth of an intelligence of perfect sacrifice to the Lord, with folded hands in the spirit of devotional service properly respected, after which all the followers of the Lord of Vaikunthha, departed. (37) The protector of the dynamic creation and infallible Lord, indeed having captivated the mind of him, the saintly king and all his priests, returned to His abode. (38) Although not materially visible for him received the king, offering his respects unto the God of the godly, unto the Supersoul beyond the manifestation, His vision and did he return to his own home.

*: The twenty-six qualities of a devotee: (1) kind to everyone, (2) does not quarrel with anyone, (3) fixed in the Absolute Truth, (4) equal to everyone, (5) faultless, (6) charitable, (7) mild, (8) clean, (9) simple, (10) benevolent, (11) peaceful, (12) completely attached to Krishna, (13) has no material hankering, (14) meek, (15) steady, (16) self-controlled, (17) does not eat more than required, (18) sane, (19) respectful, (20) humble, (21) grave, (22) compassionate, (23) friendly, (24) poetic, (25) expert, (26) silent.

Chapter 21

Instructions by Mahârâja Prithu

(1) Maitreya said: ' [He, Prithu returning to his city found that] At the golden gates and everywhere around there was the decoration of pearls, flower garlands, cloth and highly fragrant incense. (2) The pathway for his chariot, the parks and the lanes were sprinkled with water scented with sandalwood and aguru [a fragrant herb] and were decorated with flowers, fruits in their peel, precious stones, soaked grains and lamps. (3) Everything cleansed, with young life-stock, elephants for the procession and young plants and mango leaves, garlands of flowers and fruits hanging down from pillars of babana trees, it all looked very nice. (4) The citizens and many a beautiful radiating virgin with tinkling earrings, came to meet him equipped with lamps and countless articles of worship as a welcome. (5) Though the king entering the palace was honored with the sounds of kettledrums, conchshells and vedic chanting by the priests, did he take no pride in it. (6) Against the backdrop of the great show of reverence everywhere and that way pleased by the nobles and the commoners, did also he wish them all the best. (7) He had been so from the beginning: magnanimous in all his actions, doing great works regularly; he had become the greatest of the great and so ruling with the achievement of a repute spread the world all over, was he elevated to the Supreme of the lotus feet'."

(8) Sûta said: "O greatest of the devotees, leader of the sages [S'aunaka], after Maitreya had so befittingly expounded on the high reputation of that ideal king qualified by his countless qualities, did Vidura, proving his great respect for him, address him. (9) Vidura said: 'When he, Prithu, was enthroned by the great ones of learning, did he realize the support of the enlightened community and could he expand by the grace of Vishnu to the strength of rule by which he managed to exploit the entire earth. (10) Who wouldn't enjoy to hear about the glories of him, about his intelligence and his chivalry to the example of which so many kings and their local rulers proceeded in procuring what they desired for their livelihood; please speak [again] to me about those good deeds.'

(11) Maitreya proceeded: 'Living in the land between the two rivers the Ganges and the Yamunâ, it appeared that his enjoying the fortune of his pious deeds was destined to go at the cost of them. (12) For everyone in the seven continents, except for the brahmins of culture and the lineage of the ones devoted to the Infallible One, there was his irrevocable order as the one ruler holding the scepter. (13) So, once upon a time, taking a vow, he started a great sacrifice and in that function there was a great assembly of the authorities of the divine, the brahmin sages, the wise kings and greatest of devotees. (14) In that great meeting he offered his obeisances to all those respectable, deserving it according their respective positions, standing in their midst like the moon does between the stars. (15) He was a tall man, well built with strong arms and a lotus like fair complexion, eyes as bright as a sunrise, a straight nose and a beautiful face with a grave expression, high shoulders and teeth brilliant at the smile, (16) a broad chest, a firm waist with beautiful folds of skin in his abdomen like the leaf of a banana tree, a coiled navel, thighs of a golden hue and an arched instep. (17) He had fine, curly, slick black hair on his head, a neck like a conch and he was dressed in a very valuable dhotî with over his upper body a wrapper worn like a sacred thread. (18) With all the beauty of his physique he was the appointed one that to the regulations had to give up his garments; put on a black deerskin, with a ring of kus'agras around his finger, he then performed as was required. (19) With starry eyes moist like the dew, he glanced over all the ones around him and began to speak the following high discourse in front of them to cater to their greater pleasure. (20) The like of what he reminded them of was of great beauty, flowery and very clear, of a great import and without a doubt spoken to the benefit of all.

(21) The king addressing the ones present said: 'Kindly hear, to the good fortune of all you great souls here present, how as an inquisitive man, I, as one would expect unto you dear nobles, have to commemorate the principles of religion. (22) I, carrying the scepter as the king of all the citizens are engaged in this world as the protector and employer of each one born in the context of his own established separate social order. (23) By executing that of Him, the seer of all destiny, what is spoken of by the experts in vedic knowledge, I expect to fulfill all the objectives desired everywhere. (24) Anyone who as a king exacts taxes from the citizens, without reminding them of their respective [varna-âs'rama] duties - that one will also, to the impious of his citizens, have to give up the enjoyment of his own fortune. (25) Therefore dearest citizens, for the interest of your own welfare as well as that of your master after his death, it suffers no doubt that whatever you do not grumbling in the thought of Him who is beyond the senses, you do in service of me. (26) Please, all you present here, as people after the forefathers, after the gods, after the sages and after the sinless, take this at heart: in the hereafter does the performer share in the results which he had with the ones who ordered for them as well as the ones who were in support. (27) O respectable ones, in this material world there must, as one says, be the grace of the Lord of Sacrifice, as one evidently sees the power and beauty thereafter embodied also. (28-29) Manu, Uttânapâda [Dhruva's father], Dhruva, and no doubt the great king Pryavrata and my grandfather Anga; these great and saintly personalities and also other ones of the Supreme Immortal like Prahlâda and Bali Mahârâja, acknowledge the existence of the One holding the Club. (30) Except for descendants like my father, abominable like death personified and bewildered on the path of religion, one as good as always ascribes the elevation to higher worlds and class [of economy, to the experience of pleasure and with liberation] to the One Supreme Soul. (31) By the inclination of service to the lotus feet do persons of penance instantly destroy the dirt of the mind acquired by countless births; as like with the [Ganges]water emanating from His toes they, day after day, see their gain increasing. (32) The very cleansing of the endless speculations, will the person disgusted with it, in particular find, in time and again acquiring the strength by taking scientifically to shelter at the root of His lotusfeet, never in taking to the material existence that is full of hindrances. (33) All you citizens, to be satisfied, be sure to be of devotion at His lotusfeet according your own duty, in mind, words and in the body, by the particular qualities of your own type of work, with an open mind to fulfill all that is wanted as far as your ability reaches in the full of your conviction. (34) He is in this world worshiped for His various qualities and transcendental nature with different kinds of sacrifices with the physical ingredients of performances of chanting the different mantra's, but for the purpose of that interest there are the names and forms on which one concentrates in the science of being without contamination to His own form. (35) To the primary nature [see also 3-26-10], of time, desires and duties, does this body because of the Almighty manifest in accepting consciousness as a result of actions, as much as fire does in wood, after form and quality. (36) O all of you, who unto me abide by the Lord, the Supreme Spiritual Master His distribution of mercy, and who by dint of the demigods of sacrifice, the Supreme Controller Himself and the occupational duties are on the surface of the globe incessantly, with firm determination, of worship, do thus relate to me. (37) Never at any time should those who are great in opulence exercise their power over those blessed ones who are of devotion to God, nor over the ones of tolerance, penance and education; they, the twice-born, are personally greater in society than the nobles of rule. (38) The original person, the oldest and eternal one God of the brahmin culture, the Lord by whose lotus feet and opulences though perpetual worship the reputation of purifying the entire universe was won, also purified the great and foremost of the Supreme. (39) He, the unlimited and self-sufficient one in each his heart, is very dear to the ones of learning and surely is in all respects the humble following in His footsteps of that brahmin school to the satisfaction of the Controller. (40) Thanks to the regularity of his service can someone as by nature personally achieve without delay the satisfaction of the greatest peace of his soul by relating to Him following after that superior happiness that one drinks in with the oblations in the fire. (41) Although Ananta, the Lord of the Snakebed, eats through the mouths of those in knowledge of the Absolute who in faith sacrifice into the fire, does He surely not take as much pleasure in that, as when one does not withhold Him the life-force derived from sacrifices to the devotees, as then He will never leave. (42) What the brahmin culture of the eternal, uncontaminated and beginningless illumines with faith, austerity, the auspicious and with silence, in absorption controlling the mind and the senses, is done to reflect this vedic virtue as clear as everything that is shown in a mirror. (43) O people of culture, I shall keep the dust of the lotusfeet of all of them on my helmet till the end of my life; of all those who always so carry on will, glorifying with all qualities, very soon all sin be vanquished. (44) He who acquired all the brahmin qualities, he whose wealth is good conduct, he who is grateful, he who takes shelter of the learned, will without fail achieve all the wealth of God; may the Maintainer of the three worlds along with His devotee be pleased with the brahmin class, the cows and with me.'

(45) Maitreya said: 'The king speaking thus was congratulated by all the saintly people present: the elderly, the godly and the twice-born, as they were satisfied and gladdened in mind. Along with the words 'Sâdhu, sâdhu!' they said: (46) 'By one's son one becomes victorious in all the worlds and thus do the teachings become true through the fact that, to the chastising of the brahmins that put and end to the life of the most sinful father of Prithu, Vena, he has now greatly been delivered from the darkness. (47) Hiranyakas'ipu, who by repeatedly blaspheming the Supreme Lord entered the darkest regions, was also delivered because of what his son Prahlâda did. (48) May the life last for an eternity of the best of the warriors, the father of the earth, whose devotion unto the Infallible One, the one Maintainer of all the worlds, is so exemplary. (49) O, we no doubt are today, o Supreme of Purity, because of you, certain of the Lord of Liberation Mukunda, the one who is glorified in the scripture expressed in the words of Vishnu, as the worshipable Lord of the brahmins. (50) It is not so greatly wonderful o Lord, to rule over citizens for one's income; it is the nature of your affection and mercy with the living that is of greatness. (51) Today, it is because of you more likely for us, who by the will of God are wandering and have lost their goal of life because of our past deeds, to reach the other side of the darkness of material existence. (52) Our obeisances unto the existence, the person highly elevated, the one so glorified, who, accepting his duties as a ruler, is maintaining this brahmin culture by his own prowess.'

Chapter 22

Prithu Mahârâja's Meeting with the Four Kumâras

(1) Maitreya said: 'As the citizens were thus praying to the high and mighty King Prithu, there arrived four sages as bright as the sun. (2) But as the masters of yogîc perfection were coming down from the ethereal, could the king and his associates recognize them [as the four Kumâra's] by their glaring effulgence of an all-embracing sinlessness. (3) With him seeing the so very desired life of peaceful conduct, jumped King Prithu with his followers to their feet alike ones ruled by their senses under the influence of the modes of nature. (4) After they [the sages] accepted that and had taken their places, did he, humble by the highly civilized of their full glory, bow down and perform worship as prescribed with all that belongs to it. (5) The water from the washing of their feet he sprinkled on the bunch of his hair and thus he behaved like men of respect are supposed to behave. (6) The brothers elder than S'iva [see 3-12: 4-7 ], seated on the golden throne, were like fire on the altar and pleased with them, he respectfully and with restraint addressed them. (7) Prithu said: 'What have I done that makes the grace possible of the audience of you, fortune in person; an encounter that even for the greatest yogî's is difficult to achieve. (8) He with whom the ones of learning [the brahmins and the vaishnava's] are pleased, can achieve whatever that is difficult to achieve in this world or the hereafter as well as the all auspicious Lord S'iva and Lord Vishnu coming along with it. (9) Although you are traveling all the worlds, can the people not see you, as much as they can't see the All-knowing witness residing within everyone, nor as even can the ones causal to the creation [S'iva and Brahmâ, compare 1-1: 1]. (10) Even not so very rich, are they, who are attached to family life, glorious, whose house, its master, servants and land with water and a place to sit are certain of the exalted of saintly persons. (11) But a tree with venomous serpents are no doubt those houses abundant with all wealth, that are without the water that washed from the feet of the great saints. (12) I welcome you, o best of the twice-born; with great faith you are steady in your vows as people after liberation behaving like boys too. (13) O masters, is it, for persons fallen into this material existence with the illness of living after their senses, possible to find by themselves any good fortune? (14) As for you, always in spiritual bliss, there is no need to question your good fortune as to that there is no inauspiciousness or mental concoction. (15) Therefore would I, fully convinced that you are our friend in our suffering the pangs of matter, like to know by which means directly the Ultimate Reality in this material world can be achieved. (16) Always wishing to elevate the living beings, being clear about the goal of life of the transcendentalists, is the Supreme Lord, the Unborn One, just to show mercy, for His own sake traveling the world embodied by the perfected ones.'

(17) Maitreya said: 'Hearing that very substantial, appropriate, concise and sweet conclusion of Prithu replied the Kumâra, the celibate one, smiling, as follows. (18) Sanat-kumâra said: 'How holy your question is, my dear King! From you, with your desiring the good for all and being so well-learned, there is nevertheless this questioning; it proves that your intelligence roots in that of the saintly. (19) An association of devotees in which there is discussion, questioning and answering is no doubt conclusive for both the parties and real happiness for all will expand from it. (20) Evidently, o King, you are attached to the high glory of the Lord His lotus feet; difficult as that is, it, in an unflinching practice, washes away the dirt of lusty passion from the core of the heart. (21) For the ultimate welfare of human society, one can only arrive perfectly at a positive conclusion by the full consideration of the cause, described in the scriptures, of detachment from the bodily concept of life and a strong attachment to the Supreme Soul that is above the modes. (22) One does that with faith and devotion as a dutiful devotee, by discussion and inquiry, being spiritual and united in understanding, with respect for the Lord of Yoga and in regular attendance hearing the stories of the pious. (23) Reluctant to the company of the rich and the ones after sense gratification and of a likewise attitude to the acquiring of goods approved by them, one gets rid of the bad taste of the happiness that goes without drinking the nectar of the qualities of the Self of the Supreme Personality. (24) With nonviolence [as a vegetarian], following in the footsteps of the teachers of example, by remembering the Lord of Liberation, by testifying of His activities, by the nectar of following the principles without a material motive [Yama] and by practicing according precept [Niyama] will one be so, without offenses,living a simple life in tolerance of the duality. (25) Having the discussions, relating to the transcendental qualities of the Lord, constantly in one's ear, one increases with devotion no doubt in consciousness to be uncontaminated in the world that is opposed to spiritual understanding, as then, in the Spirit of Transcendence, it should be easy to be of the attraction. (26) When the person after the ones of example is fixed in attachment to the Spiritual, will by the force of the detachment and knowledge the impotence of the heart [characterized by the five klesa's or hindrances: ignorance, egoism, attachment, dislike and death-fear], within the cover of the individual soul that consists of the five elements, be burned, like fire does to its own fuel. (27) With what burnt before one's eyes, being freed from all the qualities of matter, there is no certainty any longer about what would be the inner action of the Supersoul or the outer action of the self; for such a person that difference is finished like it is with waking up from a dream. (28) The soul is after sense gratification as well as after the transcendental - of the both of them is the person in truth in the position of being faced with designations that are not seen as strange. (29) From the divine cause that is reflected everywhere in the waters and all else, there is to the [original] person no reason to see himself as being different from others. (30) Because the mind is agitated by always following the senses that are attracted by the sense-objects, is the consciousness of the intelligence easily lost, like rush covering the water of a lake. (31) Learned scholars in consideration of the soul pose that in the destructive choking of the remembrance and the constant mindfulness, the consciousness is bereft of real knowledge, so that what is of the soul is destroyed. (32) To this interest of the living beings in this world there is no greater obstruction for the soul its own interest than the obstruction of thinking other things to be of a greater importance. (33) Constantly thinking for the sake of riches and sense-gratification is destructive to the four virtues of human society; from all that being bereft of the knowledge and devotional service, one falls into the inertia of matter. (34) Persons who want to cross over that ocean quickly, should not at any time act to that which belongs to the association of ignorance, as that is very much the stumbling block for the justice, economic development, pleasure and salvation [dharma, artha, kâma, moksa; the purushârtha's]. (35) Seeing it this way is for that matter for sure liberation likely to be there as the most important one, as in the interest of the other three paths one regularly finds oneself caught in the finite of things and in fear. (36) All those ideas of a higher or lower status of life follow the interaction of the material modes; never is there of that, what is destroyed by the blessings of the Lord, any security. (37) Therefore, o best of kings, try to understand that, unto Him the Supreme Lord, who by controlling as the knower of the field, within the heart everywhere manifests Himself as shining in every hair follicle, I am someone who, of all those who moving or nonmoving are covered by a body with senses and a life-air, exists by the consideration of self-realization. (38) Surrender yourself unto Him, who manifests as the truth within the untruth, the root cause; by the deliberate consideration is one freed from the illusions of the intelligence that wonders whether it deals with a rope or a snake and is one situated in the eternal liberation of the uncontaminated, pure truth of the spiritual that is transcendental to the impurities of fruitive actions. (39) Be of devotion like the devotees; unto Him,Vâsudeva, who is worthy to take shelter of and whose lotus toes give the enjoyment, is by devotional service the hard knot of karmic desire uprooted, while that is never so with people devoid of that respect, however hard they try to stop the waves of sense-enjoyment. (40) Great is the hardship of the non-devotees in this material ocean with the sharks of the six senses; because they only with great difficulty can cross it over, you should therefore make the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead your boat for passing that unconquerable expanse.'

(41) Maitreya said: 'He, the king, thus by the son of Brahmâ, the Kumâra so well versed in spiritual knowledge, in full being shown what the realization of soul all meant, spoke to them.' (42) The king said: 'As what the Lord, from His causeless mercy so compassionate for the ones in distress, said He would, have you all, to confirm that, o brahmins, o powerful ones, arrived here. (43) As also you did what could be expected from the most compassionate representatives of the Lord, is everything I from my part have to offer, the remnants of the offerings to the saints! What, by all goodness, shall I give? (44) My life, wife [or wealth] and children, o brahmins, my home with everything belonging to it, my kingdom, power, land and treasury, I thus all offer you. (45) The post as the commander in chief and ruler over the kingdom, the scepter of authority and the complete dominion over the planet are no doubt only deserved by those who know the purport of the Veda's. (46) By the mercy of the brahmins their own delight, clothing, and giving in charity do the other divisions of society headed by the kshatriya's [the ones of rule], no doubt eat their food. (47) There is no one who, but by their own actions of offering water with cupped hands, in all of eternity is able to repay those for the unlimited mercy of such a kind of progress of relating to the Supreme Lord, in the complete understanding of the spiritual realization that is conclusively established by vedic evidence.'

(48) Maitreya said: 'As they, the masters of selfrealization, were thus being worshiped by the original king, was their eulogizing of the king his character, in the witnessing of all, not of the sky. (49) The son of Vena, the natural leader of the great, fully concentrated in the matter of self-realization, had achieved what he wanted like one who is situated in the self-satisfaction of a more feminine consideration of the soul. (50) In his activities as good as possible befitting the time, place, circumstances and the capacity did he as far as his means reached for the Absolute Truth, whatever he could do. (51) In the Absolute Truth giving up on the fruits, he, uncontaminated in his activities and fully dedicated to the One Superintendent, always thought of the Supersoul transcendental to material nature. (52) Although living at home He was never absorbed by all the opulence of the vast empire as an attraction for the pleasure of his senses, just as one wouldn't in considering the sun. (53) Thus by always doing everything in the yoga of devotion he, begot five sons in his wife Arci, the way he wanted it. (54) Named Vijitâs'va, Dhûmrakes'a, Haryaksha, Dravina and Vrika did the one Prithu manage to incorporate all qualities of all the local deities. (55) In defense of the Supreme Creator he in due course of time pleased the citizens by the qualification of his own dedication to the Infallible One, in engaging his words and mind most gently. (56) The King thus became as celebrated as the King of the Moon while at the other hand he was like the Sungod in distributing, exacting and ruling over the world its wealth. (57) He was unconquerable in his might like fire, insuperable like the King of Heaven, as tolerant as the earth itself and like heaven in fulfilling all desires of human society. (58) Like the rain pouring as much as one would like he used to please, like the sea as unfathomable and like the King of hills [mount Meru] he was in taking his position. (59) Like the King of Justice [Yamarâja] he was in his educating, in opulence he was like the Himalaya's [for their minerals and jewels], like Kuvera he was in his keeping of the wealth and like Varuna [of the waters] he was in secrecy. (60) Like the all-embracing wind he was in his physical strength of courage and power and like the divine of the most powerful Rudra he was unforbidding. (61) In beauty he was as Cupid, in consideration he was like the King of the animals, the lion, in affection he was alike Svâyambhuva Manu and in matters of controlling the people he resembled the Unborn Lord, Brahmâ. (62) Spiritual matters he understood like Brihaspati, in his personal self-control he was alike the Supreme Personality, in devotion to the cows the spiritual master and the brahmins he was as the Vaishnava's, the followers of Vishnu, in his shyness he was the most gentle one and in matters of philanthropy as for himself. (63) The general public loudly declared all over the three worlds - and it was sure that all who were of the truth and the women from everywhere came to hear about it - that his reputation was as high as that of Râmacandra [the Vishnu-avatâra].

Chapter 23

Mahârâja Prithu's Going Back Home

(1-3) Maitreya said: 'One day king Prithu, who by his full knowledge, with the soul, as the protector of the people unlimitedly had increased [the general well-being] after his own opulences, saw that he was physically getting old. In coordination with the Supreme Ruler, he had in this world of the moving and nonmoving in full executed His order, giving pensions in observance of the principles of the devotees. He left the earth to his sons and with pity towards the aggrieved citizens, he went alone with his wife into the forest for his austerity. (4) There he perfectly recognized, as much as he did formerly also in conquering the earth, to make a start with the severe austerity of seriously practicing according the rules and regulations of a retired life. (5) At first he ate so now and then bulbs, roots, fruits and leaves at hand, then drank water for several fortnights, after which he only breathed the air. (6) Like the great sages took the hero the five austerities of the summerheat [from the sun above and from the fires from four directions], the downpour of rains in the rainy season, to be up to his neck submerged in the water in winter and the sleeping on the bare earth. (7) Tolerating it to control his words and his senses, not to discharge his semen and to check the life-air, he simply desired Lord Krishna, of all practices thus having the best austerity. (8) Thus gradually, constantly and by perfection he got rid of all the dirt and desires of his workload, his karma, and by the exercise of his breath fully stopping his mind and senses, he broke with all that bound him. (9) To what the fortunate Sanat Kumâra had said about the ultimate goal of yoga of relating to the soul, was he, as the best of all human beings, sure to be of worship for the Supreme Person. (10) Endeavoring with faith on the path of devotion of the devotee, he, always in service unto the Supreme Lord, the origin of the Spirit of the Absolute, became firmly fixed without any deviation. (11) By these devotional activities unto the Supreme Lord in the constant remembrance of the mind of pure goodness, he perfectly alert managed the spiritual knowledge and non-attachment to possessing and thus became free from doubt and the being covered of his own soul. (12) Free from all other concepts of life, desireless and firmly convinced about the ultimate goal of the soul, he had given all that up, cutting by means of that knowledge in which for long a practitioner of the yoga-system is not without illusion for the time that he is not of the attraction for the stories about the elder brother of Gada [meaning Krishna, Gada was another son of Vasudeva younger than Krishna]. (13) Thus as the best of the heroes setting his mind to the Supersoul he, thoroughly spiritually purified, in due course of time gave up his vehicle of time. (14) By blocking his anus with his ankle he pushed up his life air gradually from the navel to the heart and throat upwards to fix himself between the eyebrows. (15) Thus, freed from all material desires, putting gradually his vitality nowhere else but in the head, he merged his life air in the totality of it, his body in the full of the earth and the fire within himself in that of the complete. (16) Merging the different openings of his body with the sky and his fluids with the waters, was thus according to each division, that way the earth with the water, that with the fire, the fire with the air and that air merged with the sky [compare 2-5: 25-29]. (17) He united the mind with the senses, the sense organs with their objects and from there compacting the objects with the five elements, he took the material ego out into the mahat-tattva, the total material energy. (18) Unto Him, the reservoir of all qualities, he put his individuality and the designations belonging to it in the reservoir of all potencies and thus did he as the prabhu or master, the controller of the senses, the living entity and the enjoyer, return home by the power of his own insight in that spiritual knowledge of selfrealization and renunciation.

(19) The queen named Arci, his wife, who, with her delicate body had not deserved that, yet put the touch of her feet to the earth following him in the forest. (20) Although her body would turn lean and thin saw she, very determined in her vow to serve her husband, no difficulty in living in conditions like those of the great saints and engaged with pleasure happy to be near him. (21) Seeing that the body of her husband, so of mercy for the world and for her, failed in the symptoms of life, did she, the chaste woman, after weeping a little, cremate him on the top of a hill. (22) After performing the funeral rites she took a bath in the river, offering oblations of water in worship of her so liberal husband now in heaven with the thirty million demigods. Three times circ umambulating the fire she then, thinking of the feet of her husband, entered it.

(23) Observing this dying after the husband, offered the godly and their wives by the thousands prayers to the chaste wife of the great warrior king Prithu. (24) Showering flowers on top of the Mandara Hill they to that, vibrating the drums of devotion, spoke among themselves as follows. (25) The wives said: 'Alas, what has happened to this most glorious wife, who with all her soul was of worship unto her husband, the king of all kings of the world, alike the Goddess is unto the Lord of Sacrifice [Vishnu]. (26) Just see how she factually follows the chaste husband, the son of Vena, in this going upward and how thus she, who is named Arci, surpasses us by the greatness of her actions. (27) For those on the path of liberation doing their best for the Kingdom of God there is, of all of them who only for a while are living in the human world, nothing too difficult to obtain. (28) He, who, by achieving the human form of life, the path of liberation, gets involved with the great difficulties of all action in the matter of sense-gratification in this world, is no doubt cheated in envy with the truth.'

(29) Maitreya said: 'While the wives of the denizens of heaven were thus in praise, reached the wife the place where the husband had gone to; it was the topmost position of the self-realized that the son of Vena under the protection of the Infallible One had obtained. (30) Thus of him, Prithu, the best of the lords, who was so high and mighty, I described his character to you as being one of all qualities and the very best. (31) Anyone who with faith and great attention reads and explains or hears about that very great and pious person of King Prithu, attains where he reached. (32) The brahmin will attain the power of spiritual success, the royal one will be the king of the world, the trader will to the path become the master of the trade and the laborer will develop into a great devotee. (33) When a man listens to this with great respect three times over, whether he's a man or a woman, when he is without children he will be surrounded by the best of them and when he is penniless he will be the richest. (34) Unrecognized he will become famous, illiterate he will become learned; this story so auspicious will drive away all bad luck of man. (35) By those who desire wealth, a good repute, an increased life span, the attainment of heaven, the defeat of the influence of the Age of Quarrel and who are after the higher cause of the complete perfection of the four of religion, the economy, the pleasure of the senses and the liberation, must this narration be heard with great respect. (36) To that king who, on the chariot starting out for his victory, hears of this, will the other kings render taxes alike one did to king Prithu. (37) Freed from all material association, carrying out unalloyed devotional service unto the Supreme Lord, one must hear, make others listen to and continue to read about the pious character of the son of Vena. (38) O son of Vicitravîrya [Vidura], I explained to what extend of greatness one can awaken and should advance when one, in relation to the extraordinary of this sacred text, does this. (39) He who repeatedly hears this narration about Prithu with great reverence and also recites it liberated in association unto the Supreme Lord - that person will in full realize the attachment to His feet that are the boat for the ocean of nescience.

Chapter 24

The Song Sung by Lord S'iva

(1) Maitreya said: 'The son of Prithu who became known as Vijitâs'va because of his great actions, offered, because he cared a lot about his younger brothers, them the different directions of the world. (2) He, the master, offered Haryaksha the eastern part, the south to Dhûmrakes'a, the western side to his brother called Vrika and the northern part to Dravina. (3) From his achievement to the disappearance because of what Indra did he had his name [see 4.19:18] and was honored with the title Antardhâna [meaning disappearance]. In S'ikhandinî, his wife he begot three children that were approved by everyone. (4) They were named Pâvaka, Pavamâna and S'uci and, being the gods of fire, had become so because of being cursed by the sage Vasishthha in the past; now reborn as such they again attained the goal of yoga. (5) He who was called Antardhâna begot in his wife named Nabhasvatî a son called Havirdhâna ['the offering won'] as the father had not killed Indra although he knew that he had stolen the horse. (6) The realization of taxes, punishments and fines and such, that make up the livelihood of kings, he all the time thought to be very severe and abolished them in favor of sacrifices that in the past had been given up. (7) Despite of this engagement as one who had put the distress of his kinsmen to an end, he achieved as a realized soul by the worship unto the Original Personality, the so beloved Supersoul, the reality of His abode easily by always keeping to his ecstasy. (8) Havirdhânî, the name of the wife of Havirdhâna, o Vidura, gave birth to six sons named Barhishat, Gaya, S'ukla, Krishna, Satya and Jitavrata. (9) He who by Havirdhâna was named Barhishat was so fortunate in his fruitive actions and refraining in yoga that he was considered the Prajâpati [the founding father], o best of the Kuru's. (10) With this practice of continually pleasing the gods of sacrifice he, spread all over the world, kept the Kusagrass [of the ceremonial sitting places] facing the east. (11) On the advise of the God of Gods [Brahmâ] married he the daughter of the ocean named S'atadruti to whom he [the fire-god...], seeing her circumambulating during the marriage ceremony, charming in all her limbs, youthful and richly decorated, was drawn as much as Agni was to S'ukî. (12) The learned, the ones of desire, the ones of heaven, the sages and the perfect ones, the ones of the earth and of the snakes, were all captivated by the tinkling alone of the new bride her ankle bells heard everywhere. (13) From [Prâcîna]Barhi there appeared ten sons in the womb of S'atadruti, who, all deeply vowed to the religion, together were called the Pracetâ's [prâcîna: being turned eastward]. (14) Ordered by their father to beget children they for their austerity for the time of ten thousands of years escaped from home and worshiped by their tapas the Master of Penance. (15) On that path they met with Lord S'iva who, very much pleased with their great command of meditation, mantra practice and worship, spoke to them.'

(16) Vidura asked: ' O brahmin, the way it happened that the Pracetâ's met with Lord S'iva on their way, please tell us all about what the Lordship being satisfied did tell them, (17) O best among the learned, it certainly rarely happens that in respect of Lord S'iva in this world sages, caught in their bodies, who engage themselves in meditation in detachment desiring Him, attain his association. (18) Although he is satisfied within himself is he, the great Lord S'iva, when he has manifested within this world and for the sake of its existence is engaged with its forces, horrible to experience in his actions [through Kâlî or Durgâ or Virabâdhra, see 4:5].'

(19) Maitreya said: 'All the sons of father Prâcînabarhi had accepted the words of their father all piously on their heads [meaning in full surrender], leaving in the direction of the west serious in their heart about the austerities. (20) They encountered a very large expanse of water as vast as the nearby ocean, harboring a great soul and mind as clear and joyful as its water was. (21) Living on the water there was a true mine of red and blue lotuses, Kahlâra's and Indîvara's, and vibrated swans, cranes, ducks [cakrâhva's] and other birds [kârandava] their sounds. (22) Mad bumblebees joyfully hummed loudly with their little hairy bodies; it was a festival of creepers, trees and lotuses whirling their saffron in all directions out into the air. (23) All the sons of the king were amazed about the harmonious sounds of the music of all the heavenly drums and kettle drums together that one continually could hear there.

(24-25) At that time they were sure to see the chief of the demigods [S'iva], followed by the company of an association of great souls glorifying him, coming out of the water. Seeing the golden shine, his bodily features, his blue throat, three eyes and merciful beautiful face they, aroused in their amazement, offered their obeisances. (26) He who dispels all dangers, the Great Lord and caretaker of the religion, pleased with the past of their observance of the principles and their good and gentle manners, then talked to them. (27) Rudra said: 'All you sons of Barhi, I wish you all good fortune! For me to be of mercy to you, knowing what it is that you desire to do, you thus have realized my audience. (28) Whichever living beings, known as individual souls, that surrender to Vâsudeva the Supreme Lord, to the transcendental of His control over the three modes directly, are no doubt very dear to me. (29) A person fixed on his own duty for the time of a hundred lives gets the position of Brahmâ [brahmâloka] and above that being without fail unto the Supreme Lord is one sure to attain therefore to me [S'ivaloka] thereafter. Devotees of Lord Vishnu attain a post like that of me and the other demigods [Vaikunthaloka], when the time of the world has come to an end. (30) That is why all of you devotees are as dear to me as is the Supreme Lord Himself; at all time is therefore no one else of the devotees thus also as much loved as I am. (31) This in particular what I am going to tell you now is, as it is very pure, auspicious, transcendental and beneficial, what you should listen to and always should pray.'

(32) Maitreya said: 'Thus there were the words that the kindhearted Lord spoke to them, the sons of the king, who were standing with folded hands before Lord S'iva, the greatest devotee of Nârâyana. (33) Rudra said: 'All glories unto You the One of Selfrealization, the best, the auspicious of the auspicious. Let there by You, the all perfect and worshipable soul of all, the Supersoul, be of me, my obeisances. (34) All my respects unto You Vâsudeva, from whose navel the lotus sprouted, who art the origin of the senses and the sense-objects and the supreme and constant enlightenment of eternal peace. (35) My obeisances unto Sankarsan [the master of ego and integration], the origin of the subtle unmanifest and the unsurpassable master of disintegration; unto the master of evolution, unto Pradyumna [the master of intelligence] and the soul in the beyond. (36) All glories to you, my respects again unto You as Aniruddha [Lord of the mind, of whom the sungod is an expansion see also 3-1-34], the master and director of the senses; my obeisances unto the Supreme of the perfection and the complete, who stands apart from this material creation *, (37) unto the heavenly abode, the path of liberation, the gateway of the eternal, the purest of the pure - my obeisances unto You. All honor to the golden of the semen, the vedic sacrifices [câtur-hotra] and the one of expansion. (38) All praise to the one providing the ancestors and the godly, the master of the three Veda's and the sacrifices, the predominating deity of the moon who pleases everyone; all my respects unto the Supersoul pervading all living beings. (39) Unto the strength and power of all existence, the body and the self of the diversity of the material world [the virât rupa] and the maintainer of the three worlds, my obeisances. (40) All glories to the sky revealing the meaning, the within and without of the self, the supreme effulgence; my obeisances unto the beyond of death and the purpose of all pious action. (41) Unto the inclining as well as disinclining God of the forefathers, the final outcome of all fruitive action and unto You as death itself, the cause of all sorts of misery resulting from irreligion, I offer my respects. (42) Because You are the topmost bestower of benediction, the mastermind [of all mantra's], the causal its self , I offer You my respects; all glory to You as the greatest of all religious principles, unto You Krishna whose judgment is fully independent, You are the oldest of the old, the Original Personality and master of yogîc analysis [sânkya-yoga]. (43) Unto the reservoir of the three energies [of the doer, the sense-activities and the resultant workload see B.G.. 18a-18], unto the reason of the material identification of the soul [egotism] named Rudra and unto the embodiment of knowledge and zeal and the voice of all powers, my obeisances. (44) Please show us, desirous for your presence, the form that as the dearmost is worshiped by the devotees, which is the form that pleases them in every respect of their senses. (45-46) Glistening as the rain from the dense clouds during the rainy season You are the summit of all beauty: beautiful are the features of Your fourhanded form, of the greatest is Your pleasant face, Your eyes are as beautiful as the petals in the whorl of a lotusflower, beautiful are Your eyebrows, straight nose, shining teeth, high forehead, and the full decoration of Your face and perfect ears. (47-48) The beauty of Your merciful smile and sidelong glances, Your curly hair and the clothing of the saffroncolor of the lotus, is supported by the glittering earrings and shiny helmet, the bangles, necklace, ankle bells, belt, conchshell disc, club, and lotus flower, garland and the best of pearls that make You look even more beautiful. (49) The shoulders under Your coils of hair that are like that of a lion and Your neck, fortunate of bearing the jewel glittering on Your chest named Kaustubha, give You a never decreasing beauty that defeats all tests of gold. (50) Your inhaling and exhaling stirs, the folds in Your belly that looks like a banana leaf, beautifully and the whirling deep of Your navel is as the spiraling of the galaxy. (51) The darkness of Your skin below Your waist is extra pleasing with the beauty of Your dress, a symmetrical golden belt and lower, with Your lotus feet, calves and thighs that are of a great beauty. (52) By the so very pleasing lotus feet that are like the petals of a lotus flower in autumn, by the effulgence of Your nails, You drive away all things temporary; just show us the path of those two Lotus Feet [also the name for the first two cantos of this Bhâgavatam] that reduce the trouble of the material world, o teacher, o spiritual master of all who suffer the darkness. (53) Yours is the form one must meditate upon; it purifies the self of all who desire that what of devotional service is the factual fearlessness in the performance of one's own duty. (54) Your Grace at hand for the devotee is very difficult to obtain for all other embodied ones, even for the ones belonging to the King of Heaven Indra or for the selfrealized for whom the goal of oneness is the ultimate to be reached. (55) To be of worship unto You is very difficult, even for the most exalted [jñânî, yogî and bhakta] it is hard to win; what outsider would desire that what by single devotion is so difficult to attain without Your lotus feet? (56) The end of all action from where a completely surrendered soul does not engage again, is so simple by the prowess and influence of the raising of Your eyebrows that can instantly vanquish the entire universe. (57) He, who in the company of the Supreme Lord, but even for the shortest while associates, enjoys the advantage that doesn't compare to the lead of light nor to the indistinct of love; what would be the blessing of the materially conditioned ones? (58) Let there therefore for us, who dip in and step out of the Ganges again to wash out the ruminations of sin, be the mercy and grace of this association that glorifies Your feet of defeat that for the normal living beings are the benediction of the fullest of goodness. (59) He whose heart, bewildered in the pit of darkness by the external influence, got purified by entering the favor of that bhakti yoga, I dare say will be very happy to see the thoughtfulness there of Your way. (60) That impersonal of transcendence within and without, that alike the sky of light, everywhere is spread out, manifested as the apparent of the universe of Your cosmic creation - that is the manifestation of You Yourself. (61) I can understand that being alike You, as the one who by this manifestation of the manifold of the energies [internal, external and marginal], creates, maintains and again dissolves, as that unchanged sense for the diversity which is the eternal, gives one trouble to relate to You who art so independent, o my sweet Lord. (62) Transcendentalists with faith and conviction properly worship this for sure to their own courses of action for the perfecting to the material energy of the senses and the heart; in the Veda's and also the scriptures thereto is Your Lordship thus for sure as such identified by those who are expert in it. (63) You are the One Original Person, from whom of the dormant energy the complete has originated, by which passion, goodness and ignorance are diversified and the total energy of the ego, sky, air, fire, water, earth and the virtuous, the sages and all the living beings is found. (64) In this creation, out of Your own potency, You afterwards enter in the form of the four kinds of bodies [as born from embryo's, eggs, perspiration and seeds, see also 2.10: 40], thus by Your own parts and parcels knowing him, the person, existing within enjoying through his senses, like a one who relishes the sweetness of honey. (65) However, Your Lordship, seeing how in due course of time that very great force does destroy all the planetary systems, and how all beings are finished by others, one can only guess about the Absolute Reality that is alike the wind that scatters the clouds in the sky. (66) The mad cry out loudly what all should be done, but the greed heavily developed of such desire in hankering for material enjoyment is by the complete of Your Transcendence as the Destroyer in an instant devoured like a mouse is by the hunger of the greedy tongue of a snake. (67) Whatever man of wisdom would avoid your Lotus feet deriding You? No doubt he would only waste his life; wasn't it our spiritual teacher and father [Brahmâ] who worshiped You without hesitation in the past just like the fourteen Manu's did [after him, see Canto 2: 3:9, 6:30, 10:4]? (68) Therefore are You for us, the ones who learned, the Supreme Brahman, the Soul of the Soul, the Supersoul, the destination of those who are undoubtedly without fear for the Destroyer Rudra who is feared by the entire universe.'

(69) 'Praying this way, all fortune will be there for all of you, o purified sons of the king that have given up in respect of the Supreme Lord, doing your own job with all faith that is in you. (70) Unto Him, being sure of the Supreme Soul situated within your hearts as well as the hearts of all other living beings, just be of worship always extolling and meditating the Lord. (71) All of you, over and over read this instruction of yoga keeping it in your heart; take to the vow of silence of always with intelligence being fixed within, practicing with the greatest reverence. (72) This has been said to us by the Supreme Lord, the master of the creators of the universe and the great sages headed by Bhrigu, of whom the sons desiring to create took their responsibility [compare 4-1:12-15]. (73) All of us controllers of man, were, when the population was created, on His order this way freed from all kinds of ignorance and thus we brought about the different forms of life. (74) Thus repeating to oneself this regularly with great attention, does a fully alert person achieve without delay the auspiciousness of the devotee of Vâsudeva [Krishna as the Lord of Consciousness]. (75) Of all benedictions in this world is knowledge the supreme transcendental benefit of happiness of every person, as it is the boat of knowledge with which one crosses over the insurmountable ocean of danger. (76) Anyone who devoutly attached and with faith regularly studies this song of me, this prayer offered to the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality that is so difficult to respect, such a person will be able to be of worship. (77) A person can from the Soul of Power achieve whatever he desires when he is fixed on the song as sung by me; thus pleased is He of all benediction the dearmost. (78) He who in the early morning after getting up does this, folding his hands in faith and thus absorbed personally chants and hears and gets others to hear, such a human being will be freed from all kinds of reactions from his workload. (79) O sons of the king, by the intelligence of the one-pointed praying and chanting of this song of the Supreme Person, the Supersoul, that was sung by me, you will, concluding that practice, that is alike the greatest austerities, achieve the results you desired.'

*: Lord Krishna, by His quadruple expansion of Vâsudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha, is the Lord of psychic action--namely thinking, feeling, willing and acting.    

Chapter 25

About the Character of King Purañjana

(1) Maitreya said: 'The great Lord, thus giving instruction, by the sons of Barhishat being worshiped, verily vanished from there before the princes their eyes. (2) At that water did all of the Pracetâ's, executing austerities, recite the prayer sung by Lord S'iva, for a ten thousand years. (3) O Vidura, king Prâcînabarhi, with a mind of attachment to fruitive activities, received [meanwhile] instruction from a compassionate Nârada well versed in the spiritual truth: (4) 'O King, what is that ultimate blessing for the soul you expect from acting for an outcome? That benediction of the disappearance of all distress and the attainment of happiness, you can never get in this connection.'

(5) The king replied: 'I do not know, o great transcendental soul, my intelligence is taken by my desiring the fruits, please tell me of the spotless spiritual knowledge that will relieve me of my workload. (6) In the superficial duties of the family life with sons, a wife and wealth is the goal of life not considered to be that of transcendence, and thus one comes to realize that one is a fool wandering around on all paths of material existence.'

(7) Nârada said: 'Wait a minute, o Ruler of the Citizens, o King, please think of the whole lot of the thousands of animals that you without pity have killed in the sacrifices. (8) They are all, remembering the harm you did to them, waiting for you boiling with anger to pierce you with horns of iron after you've died. (9) To this I will relate to you the very old story of Purañjana ['he who is after the city that is the body']; just try to understand this character as I am speaking. (10) Once there was a king of great renown named Purañjana, o Ruler, who had a friend called Avijñâta ['the unknown one'] of whom nobody knew. (11) He restlessly traveled the planet all over to become his own man, but when he could never find himself that way, he got morose. (12) Nobody on this earth thought anything good of him, wherever that king stayed or whatever he desired to enjoy for his purpose. (13) When he was once south of the Himalaya's he spotted on its ridges a city with nine gates [compare B.G. 5:13] that offered him all facility. (14) Surrounded by walls it, being packed with houses, had towers, gates, parks, canals, places to see and domes made of gold and silver. (15) The floors of the palaces were bedecked with sapphires, crystal, diamonds, pearls, emeralds and rubies and were in their beauty as lustrous as the celestial town called Bhogavatî. (16) There were assembly houses, squares and streets with gambling houses, shops and places to repose, that were decorated with flags and festoons and hanging gardens. (17) The outskirts of that town had very nice trees with creepers and a lake, vibrating with the sounds of chirping birds and colonies of humming bees. (18) From the cold waterfall of a mountain stream did the treasury of trees with their branches on the bank of the lotus-filled lake receive a springtime mist of water. (19) The different groups of forest animals were as tame as the wisest sages and all its cooing of cuckoos would make any passenger feel invited. (20) As he arrived there, he all of a sudden saw a very beautiful woman surrounded by ten servants who each led a hundred of them, coming towards him. (21) She was at all sides protected by a guarding five-hooded snake and being not old at all arousing a man's desire, she appeared to be looking for a husband. (22) With a beautiful nose and beautiful teeth had the young woman a nice forehead and, equally arranged to her beautiful face, beautiful ears with dazzling earrings. (23) She wore a yellow garment and had a beautiful waist with a dark skin, a golden belt and at her feet anklebells tinkling as she walked; she appeared just like a denizen of heaven. (24) With the end of her sârî she, timidly, tried to cover her youthful, equally round and full breasts, pacing as graceful as an elephant. (25) Pierced by the sex-appeal of the arrows of her looks, the exciting love of her eyebrows and the great beauty of her coy smiles, did the hero very gently address her.

(26) 'Who are you, you with your beautiful lotus petals of eyes; are you from near this city, o chaste one - please be so kind to tell me what you are after, o timid girl. (27) Who are all these followers, the eleven of your guards and all these women, o beautiful eyes and who is this snake of yours preparing your way? (28) In your shyness you are as the wife of S'iva [Uma] or rather Sarasvatî [of Brahmâ] or even better the goddess of Fortune [Laxmî belonging to Vishnu]. Where is the lotus flower that must have fallen from the palm of your hand looking after your husband, alone in this forest, on those feet from which one achieves all things that one desires? (29) And if you are none of these, o fortunate one, as your feet are touching the ground, then you, who art so much alike the transcendental goddess with the enjoyer of the sacrifices, deserve to walk for the better of this city along with this great hero, who is of the greatest glory in this world! (30) By your shy looks, affectionate smiles and bewildering eyebrows you have upset me, bringing up the most powerful Cupid in me; be therefore of mercy unto me, my dearest beauty. (31) Your face, with such nice eyebrows and warm eyes, surrounded by the locks of your bluish hair hanging loose, you haven't even in your shyness raised up to show it me looking at me to speak the sweetest words, o woman of the lovely smile.'

(32) Nârada said: 'O hero, the woman by the impatient begging of Purañjana being attracted smiled and addressed the staunch one: (33) 'I don't know for sure who put me on this world, o best among men, of whom would be the lineage and name of myself and the others. (34) All I know is that we all souls are there today; I do not know more, o great hero, of who created this city where all beings have their residence. (35) All these males and females with me are my boy- and girlfriends, o respectable one and the snake wakes over me when I am asleep, to protect this city. (36) Fortunately for me, all good to you, you have come here - all of us, I and my friends , o killer of the enemy, will supply you the joy for your senses that you desire. (37) Just be so good to stay in this city with the nine gates, o mighty one, that I have arranged for your taking pleasure in things for a hundred years. (38) Unto whom other than you would I be permissive to enjoy! Without the certainty of your wisdom about it and your knowledge, it would be as foolish as with animals that don't see what's next, to look forward to an afterlife. (39) Here with religious ritual, economic development and regulated pleasures one can enjoy having offspring, the nectar of the sacrifices, repute and a world without lamentation and disease beyond the ken of the transcendentalists. (40) The forefathers, the gods, man in general, all living beings and each person for himself are sure to defend that this householder life is that which is the blessed shelter in the material world. (41) Who indeed, my great hero, would not accept such a magnanimous, beautiful and famous husband that is as readily available as I am? (42) Which woman's mind in this world would not be drawn to your agile body with its strong arms, o mighty one, just traveling around to dissipate with your utmost effort and alluring smiles the distress of poor women like me?'

(43) Nârada continued: 'Thus having fallen in love with one another, they as husband and wife entered that place and lived in the city enjoying, o King, their life for a hundred years. (44) Many a singer very nicely sang about it and surrounded by women he entered the river to play when it was too hot. (45) At the city there were seven gates above the ground and two below that lead to different places and were all used by its governor. (46) Five of the doors faced the east, one was at the south, one to the north and similarly two where at the western side; I will now describe you their names, o King. (47) Two gates facing eastward were named Khadyotâ ['glowworm'] en Âvirmukhî ['torchlight']; they were constructed at the same place and the king used to go through them to the city of Vibhrâjita ['to see clearly'] with his friend Dyumân ['of the sun']. (48) Also constructed at a location at the east there were the gates called Nalinî and Nâlinî [mystical names for the nostrils] and by those gates he used to go with his friend named Avadhûta ['the one who got rid'] to a place called Saurabha ['aroma']. (49) The fifth gate on the eastern side called Mukhyâ [the chief] led the King of the City, accompanied by Rasajña ['the taster'] and Vipana ['the commercial one'], to two places called Bahûdana ['many a gift'] and Âpana ['the market']. (50) Through the city gate named Pitrihû ['the ancestral one'] at the south, o King, did Purañjana visit the southern country side named Dakshina-pañcâla ['the southern fivefold'], together with his friend S'rutadhara ['the listener']. (51) The city gate called Devahû ['the one to God'] in the north did Purañjana use to visit with S'rutadhara the northern countryside Uttara-pancâla ['the northern fivefold']. (52) The gate on the western side called Âsurî ['the one void of light'] was used by Purañjana to go to the city of pleasure called Grâmaka ['a great number'] in the company of Durmada ['the one mad after']. (53) The western gate called Nirriti ['the bottom, dissolution'] was used by Purañjana to go to the place called Vais'asa ['without the sleeping'] accompanied by his friend Lubdhaka [' the covetous one']. (54) Of all who had eyes among the inhabitants did the ruler used to go out and do things with two blind men called Nirvâk ['the speechless one'] and Pes'askrit ['he who crushes']. (55) When he, as he was used to, went to his private residence, he did so accompanied by Visûcîna ['the one of the mind'] and then enjoyed from the love of his wife and children either illusion, satisfaction or happiness. (56) Thus overly attached in his fruitive actions was he, lusty and less intelligent, cheated in following after everything that she the queen, for sure would want from him. (57-61) When she drank liquor, he drank and got drunk. When she ate, he ate, chewing what she chewed with her. When his wife sang he used to sing and when she at times broke down, he also broke. When she had to laugh he laughed also, when she talked chit chat, he babbled after her. Where she went for a walk, he followed her the same way and when she laid herself on her bed, he also used to lie down following her. He also had the habit of sitting down when she sat and at times listened to what she was listening at. When she saw something he looked for the same and when she smelled something, he used to smell it too. When she touched, he touched and when she was lamenting did he like a poor men follow her. He enjoyed it when she was enjoying and when she was satisfied, so was he after her. (62) Thus captivated by the queen he was cheated in all he did and was he, unwise in his blind following her after, perforce just like a pet animal.

Chapter 26 

King Purañjana Goes Hunting and Finds His Morose Wife.

(1-3) Nârada said: 'Once upon a time he [King Purañjana] went to the forest called Pancha Prashta ['the five destinations'] carrying his bow, golden armor and inexhaustible quiver, going very swiftly there on the two wheels and one axle of a golden chariot drawn by five horses, carrying two special arrows and three flags. Together with his eleven commanders and his one chariot driver who held one rein, he, from his one sitting place and two posts for his harnesses, met with five obstacles as he was holding his five weapons, with his seven coverings and five styles of approach. (4) But inspired by the evil thought of hunting he, having taken up his bow and arrows went there to kill animals very proud of having left his wife behind, which was next to impossible for him. (5) With the darkness of the unenlightened in his heart he had taken to the horrible practice of merciless killing the forest animals out there with sharp arrows. (6) Going to the forest can a king driven by greed, as it is regulated, according to the directions of the Veda's, kill as many animals as are required for sacrifices in holy places and not more than that. (7) Any man of learning who does his work as regulated [in the nyama of yoga] will, following the spiritual knowledge, never be involved in such activities. (8) Otherwise will one, engaged in fruitive action, become entangled under the influence of false prestige and, fallen under the influence of the modes of nature and being bereft of all knowledge, thus be going down.

(9) From the destruction of the bodies of the different species that got pierced by the arrows there was great sadness, unbearable as that was for compassionate souls. (10) From killing the animals of game like rabbits, buffalo's, bisons, black deer, porcupines and various others he got very tired. (11) After having stopped he came thirsty and exhausted back home to take a bath, have a proper meal and take rest to find his peace back. (12) When he as it should had perfumed and smeared his body with sandalwood pulp, he saintly garlanded and beautifully ornamented all over, wanted to pay attention to his queen. (13) Satisfied, joyous and very proud as well he had his mind on Cupid and did not try for a higher consciousness with the wife that kept him in her household. (14) O dear King, the maids of the household he asked a little concerned: 'O my beauties, is everything as it was with you and your mistress? (15) All the things at home are not as attractive to me as they were before. To have no mother or wife at home meeting her husband as her god is like having a chariot without wheels; what man of learning indeed would ride such a poor thing? (16) Where now is she, that woman of good intelligence, enlightening at every step, who would deliver me from drowning in that ocean of danger?'

(17) The woman answered: 'O King we have no idea why she has taken to this behavior, just go and see how your beloved lies on the floor without bedding, o killer of the enemies!'

(18) Nârada said: 'After seeing his queen lying on the ground as if she were a mendicant, got Purañjana, from the scene paining his thought, highly bewildered. (19) Pacifying her with sweet words and a heart full of regret, he could from his affection not arouse any symptom of anger from the part of his beloved. (20) Slowly, as an expert in flattery, the hero began to compliment her, touching both her feet and spoke he, embracing her on his lap. (21) Purañjana said: 'It is surely so that, unto those impious servants that are in offense and by their master, o auspicious one, have been accepted and instructed as his own, then punishment cannot be forgotten. (22) The punishment awarded by the master upon the servants is supreme mercy; foolish one does not know that, o slender maiden, to be angry is the duty of a friend! (23) That face of yours with its beautiful teeth and eyebrows, which fills me with attachment and that is now hanging down so covert, you should, like a bee, lift up to me shining, smiling, glancing from under its bluish hair so beautiful with your straight nose; I am all yours, please prove me, o thoughtful one, your sweetest word. (24) He who, apart from the school of duty on this earth, wronged you I am prepared to punish, o wife of this hero; he in my eyes, will not live without fear and anxiety in the three worlds or elsewhere as for sure at the other hand I am the servant of Murari [Krishna as the enemy of Mura]. (25) Never was your face without its decorations and have I seen you that morose, with anger and without your luster and affection; nor did I ever see your nice breasts wet with tears and your lips without the red of kunkum. (26) Therefore my most intimate friend, be kind to this sinner who on his own went out to hunt; what woman with the control of her great beauty over the lusty desires of her husband who is lost in impatience and is pierced by the arrows of Cupid, would not dutifully embrace him?

Chapter 27

Attack by Candavega on the City of King Purañjana; the Character of Kâlakanyâ

(1) Nârada said: 'Thus was King Purañjana completely brought under the control of the charms of his wife, o King, and did he enjoy all the satisfaction she gave her husband. (2) He, the king welcomed the Queen, o King, being perfectly satisfied by her approaching him with her attractive face, having bathed properly and being fully dressed up and ornamented. (3) She embraced him and he held her shoulders, privately, making fun, and thus being captivated by the woman degrading in consciousness, he was not aware of the day and night passing of insurmountable time. (4) Lying down on the precious bedstead of the Queen, did the hero, although advanced in consciousness, for certain become increasingly illusioned having his wife's arms for his pillow and did he, overwhelmed by ignorance considering it the highest, not realize what selfrealization and the Supreme really meant. (5) O best of Kings, this way with her enjoying an impure sexlife expired his newly won life in a thrice. (6) Purañjana, o King, spending half his life that way, begot in his wife eleven sons and hundreds of grandsons. (7) He also had over ten daughters and a hundred granddaughters, and all those daughters of Purañjana, o founding father, were as famous as their parents for their good conduct, magnanimity and qualities. (8) He the King of Pancâla ['the five sense-objects'] for expanding his line married his sons with the best of wives and his daughters to equally qualified husbands. (9) Also the hundreds of sons of the sons produced all of them hundreds and hundreds of other descendants of which no doubt Purañjana's family immensely increased in the land of Pancâla. (10) They and their entourage heavily plundered his home and treasury and from his deep rooted attachment to them he became completely bound to the objects of his senses. (11) He, so full of desires, alike you also had sacrifices out of respect for the forefathers, the gods and the great of the society; and they were ghastly as they were inspired by the killing of poor animals. (12) Thus inattentively involved and attached to kith and kin his consciousness arrived some day at that point that is not very loved by those who are fond of women.

(13) O King, Candavega ['the very swiftly passing by'] the king belonging to the heavenly abode, thus celebrated, has threehundred and sixty very powerful other men of heaven [as days in a year] under him. (14) Similarly there were of Candavega as many black and white [referring to the white and black periods of the month, see 3-11:10] female inhabitants of heaven surrounding who for their sensual pleasure exhausted all the desirable things manufactured. (15) All those followers of Candavega, as they began to plunder the city of Purañjana, met with the big serpent that was there for its defense [its five hoods stand for the five kinds of life-air: prâna, apâna, vyâna, udâna and samâna see: 4-25-35]. (16) It all by itself valiantly fought with the sevenhundred and twenty indwellers of heaven for the hundred years that King Purañjana had as the superintendent of the city. (17) Growing weak alone fighting so many warriors became his intimate friend the king of the kingdom along with all the friends and relatives in the city, very anxious and sad. (18) He within the city of Pancâla was sure to relish the sweetness together with his followers conjuring up the means for it, but he did not understand the fear having submitted himself to the control of women.

(19) At that time was the daughter of the Almighty Time [called Kâlakanyâ, referring to Jarâ or old age] traveling the three worlds desiring someone for her husband, o King Prâcînabarhi, but there was never anyone to accept her proposal. (20) Being so unfortunate she was known in the world as Durbhagâ ['ill-fated'], but once having pleased and being accepted by a wise king [called Jayâti who had been cursed with premature old age by Sukrâcârya], had she granted Pûru [the loyal one of his sons] a boon [to have the kingdom]. (21) When I was once traveling around did she come down to earth from the highest abode and proposed she, illusioned by lust, to me while I was an avowed celibate. (22) Saying: 'Having turned down my request thou sage, you will never be able to remain at one place', she, having become very angry with me, out of illusion, cursed me. (23) Thereafter being disappointed in her determination, she on my instigation approached the ruler of the Yavana's [the untouchables also called mleccha's or meat-eaters] named Bhaya [fear] to accept him for her husband. (24) She said to him: 'You as the best of the Untouchables I accept, o great hero, as the husband of my desire; all the ones who in their plans are certain towards you will never become baffled. (25) It is these two kinds of people that are of lamentation: it are the foolish that follow the path of customs that are never presented in the scriptures and the ignorant living by desires who never follow either. (26) Therefore accept me o gentle one, I am willing to serve, have mercy upon me; to do such a thing as being compassionate to the distressed is for any gentleman a matter of principle.'

(27) When the king of the Yavana's heard the daughter of Time express these words, did he, prepared to do his duty to the will of God, address her smilingly: (28) 'I have decided upon a husband for you, as you are never welcome to the considerate soul; to the people here is the inauspicious of you unacceptable. (29) You, as one whose movement cannot be perceived, may, assured of the help of my soldiers, enjoy this world build on fruitive action; unhindered you may put all beings to an end. (30) I give you this brother Prajvâra ['the fever of Vishnu'] of mine and thus become also my sister; by the both of you I shall, with my dangerous soldiers, go about unseen in this world.'

Chapter 28

Purañjana Becomes a Woman in his Next Life

(1) Nârada said: 'O King Prâcînabarhishat, all of them, the soldiers, the order carriers of death of Bhaya [that are like the troubles of old age] and Prajvâra and Kâlakanyâ, together roamed this earth. (2) When they once then laid siege on the city of Purañjana that, o King, was so full of sensual pleasure, they found it protected by the old serpent. (3) The daughter of Kâla then also took possession of the city of Purañjana that was by force overwhelmed, and by her does a person immediately find his uselessness. (4) With her taking hold and the Yavana's from all sides entering the gates, was severe trouble caused all over the city. (5) The city being put in all kinds of difficulties made him Purañjana, as an all to eager family man overly attached, run into a great variety of pains. (6) Embraced by the daughter of Time was he bereft of all beauty; of his addiction to sensual pleasure being a miser lacking in intelligence was he by force bereft of his opulence by the Gandharva's and Yavana's [the indwellers of heaven and the meat-eaters]. (7) He saw his own town scattered in opposing elements, that he had disrespectful sons and grandsons, servants and ministers, and that his wife had become indifferent. (8) With himself being taken by Kâlakanyâ and with Pancâla infested with insurmountable enemies, he grew very anxious and so it was not possible for him, to take any counteraction. (9) The things he always lusted after became all stale to the poor man who also because of Kalâkanya had lost the real purpose of life in the affectionate defense of his attachment to his sons and wife. (10) The King had to give up the city that was smashed by the Daughter of Time and had been overrun by the Gandharva's and Yavana's and was against his will driven out of it. (11) Prajvâra, the elder brother of Bhaya present at the spot, set fire to that city [as fever to the body] for the sole purpose of pleasing his brother [called fear]. (12) When the city along with all the citizens, servants and followers was ablaze had he, Purañjana, the head of the big family along with his wife and descendants, to suffer from its heat.

(13) In his abode attacked by the Yavana's, being seized by Kâlakanyâ and now also thus being approached by Prajvâra, became also the guardian of the city [the snake] very aggrieved. (14) It was not able to do much for its protection and suffered great difficulties in its desire to get out of there, as like it had to escape from a hollow tree that is thrown into the flames. (15) Its parts were slackened as its bodily strength was defeated by the Gandharva's and the enemy Yavana's, o King, and frustrated it [by the voice of Purañjana] cried out loudly indeed: (16) 'O my daughters, sons, grandsons and daughters- and sons-in-law, o my associates, what all has become of my property, my home with all its wealth and goods?'

(17) At his separation did the householder turn his attention to the 'I' and 'mine' of his home and thus happened it to be that he, with a mind full of obnoxious thoughts, was very poor of with his wife. (18) 'When I have left for another life, how then will this woman, bereft of a husband, lamenting with all those children of the family around her, exist?' (19) Never I ate when she did not eat, never I missed a bath when she would bathe; she always remained loyal fearfully keeping silent when I was angry, however afraid she was with me chastising her. (20) She gave me good counsel when I was a fool, she was saddened and put off when I was away. Will she, despite of being the mother of such great heroes, be able to hold on to the path of her household duties? (21) How indeed will my poor sons and daughters, who have no one else to depend on, live when I have disappeared from this world like a boat broken in the ocean?'

(22) Thus of his miserly intelligence lamenting what should not be lamented, drew the master of the show called Fear near to arrest him without delay. (23) Restrained like an animal was Purañjana by the Yavana's taken to their own abode followed by the stream of his attendants that greatly distressed were lamenting. (24) As soon as the serpent that had to give up and leave was arrested, was the city sure to fall apart. (25) Forcibly dragged by the Yavana that was so powerful, he could, covered by the darkness of his ignorance, not manage to remember his friend and well-wisher that had been there from the beginning. (26) All the animals of sacrifice by him most unkind killed with axes and cut to pieces, very angrily remembered that sinful activity of him. (27) Contaminated by attachment to women, without an end living on in the midst of darkness and being bereft of all intelligence, one has to experience for many years if not for an eternity the pain. (28) With keeping her constantly in his mind became he, after his death, a well situated woman [a daughter] in the house of the most powerful king Vidharbha. (29) As the prize of valor was that daughter of Vidarbha married to Malayadhvaja ['as firm as the Malaya hill'] who as the best of the learned in the fight, after conquering many other princes, had won the supreme city. (30) From her he got a daughter with dark eyes and seven younger mighty sons* who became the kings over the seven provinces of the South of India [Dravida]. (31) Of each of them, o King, there became millions and millions of descendants by whom the world up to the time of a Manu and longer was ruled [see 3-11-24].(32) Âgastya [the sage; 'he who's senses are not independent'] married the avowed first daughter and from her was born a son called Drdhacyuta ['the infallible fortress'] who on his turn got the great sage Idhmavâha ['he who carries the sacrificial wood'] as a son.

(33) Having divided the entire world among his sons, went the pious King called Malayadhvaja to Kulâcala desiring to worship Lord Krishna. (34) Giving up his home children and material happiness followed the daughter of Vidarbha with the enchanting eyes, her Lord of Wisdom like the moonshine accompanying the moon. (35-36) There at the rivers named the Candravasâ, the Tâmraparnî and the Vathodakâ he cleansed himself daily both inside and outside with the holy waters and feeding on bulbs, seeds, roots and fruits, flowers, leaves, grasses and water, became his body gradually lean undergoing the austerity. (37) Equipoised he thus conquered the duality's of cold and heat, wind and rain, hunger and thirst, the pleasant and the unpleasant and happiness and distress. (38) By austerity and discipline he burnt up all the impurities; through the regulative principles [niyama] and selfcontrol [yama] he, in complete control over the senses, his life and his consciousness, fixed himself in spiritual realization [compare: 4-22-24, 3-29-17]. (39) Remaining as immovable as having the same place for a hundred years of the demigods [see 3-11-12] did he, steady unto Vâsudeva, the Supreme Lord, not know of anything else but to be of that attraction. (40) He, by the all-pervasiveness of the Supersoul could distinguish himself in perfect knowledge like being in a dream: as the deliberate witness that was sure to have become indifferent ['the glad hero']. (41) Under the direct prompting of the Supreme Lord, by the spiritual master Hari [the so called caitya guru or the guru from within], o King, he found the pure light of spiritual knowledge enlightening all angles of vision. (42) Thus observing himself in the transcendental Absolute and the Supersoul of the Absolute also within himself, he, from this process, gave up his reservation and decidedly withdrew himself.

(43) Accepting her husband as her God, the supreme knower of the principles, did Vaidarbhî the daughter of Vidarbha serve her husband Malayadhvaja, with love and devotion and gave she up on her sense enjoyment. (44) In old rags, lean and thin and with her hair matted, she shone next to her husband as peaceful as a flame of a fire. (45) She, as she was used to, went on serving him, who sat there fixed in his sitting posture, until she couldn't detect any sign of life anymore from her beloved husband as he had passed away. (46) When she no longer felt the warmth of his feet serving him, she became as anxious at heart as a deer on being separated from its partner. (47) Lamenting to herself how wretched it is to be without a friend she, brokenhearted, began to cry out aloud, wetting her breasts with tears. (48) 'Get up, please, get up!, o saintly King. This world in the middle of the ocean so very much afraid of rogues and rulers full of attachment, you ought to protect!' (49) Thus lamenting did the innocent woman fall down in that solitary place at the feet of her husband, shedding tears crying. (50) On top of the body of her man she piled up a funeral pyre of wood and after igniting it she, with her mind fixed in the lamentation, died [saha-marana] along with him.

(51) Before that happened there did some friend, a brahmin, a very learned scholar, pacify her very nicely with mitigating words, speaking to her about her master as she was crying. (52) The brahmin said: 'Who are you? To whom do you belong and who is this man lying here over whom you are lamenting? don't you recognize Me as the friend whom you before so sure were consulting? (53) Do you remember how, o friend, unfamiliar with the Supersoul, you gave up on Me as being your friend, in attachment to a position of desire for material enjoyment? (54) Me and you are, o great soul, two swans, two friends that became separated from their original home and who for thousands of years in succession together are living in the Mânasa lake [a holy reservoir in the Himalaya's representing the pure mind]. (55) You as that swan having left me, o friend, moved as someone of a material consciousness toward the earth, going there to find yourself in positions as a one that is created by a woman. (56) With five gardens, nine gates, one protector, three apartments, six families, five stores and five material elements does it [that material position of having a body] have one woman as its master. (57) The gardens are the five objects of the senses, the gates o protector are the nine apertures of the senses, the vital power [fire], water and food [earth] are the three apartments and the families are the five senses themselves and the mind. (58) The five stores make for the power of action [the five working senses] by which man is the [feminine] controller of the energy of the eternal of the five elements of gross matter to which having entered its domain one is devoid of knowledge. (59) You in that situation being in contact with the splendor enjoying it are then, associated with her, without the remembrance of the inexhaustible [of your spiritual existence], and this way you have attained a state that is full of sin, my dear. (60) In fact you are not Vidarbha's daughter, nor is this hero of yours [Malayadhvaja] your well-wishing husband, nor were you Purañjana the husband; you've been captured by the material energy in the body with its nine gates. (61) Just see our factual position; from this illusory energy of Mine you were assuredly created thinking yourself to be a male, a female or a non-sexual one, forgetting about the both of us as joined in the pure of the spiritual swanlike. (62) You and I are not different [in quality] for you as you are, are for sure as I am. My friend, the imaginary distinction between the two of us is by the advanced scholars not even in the smallest degree acknowledged whenever. (63) The way a person by the eyes sees his one body in a mirror existing as two, similar is for sure the difference between us [compare 3-28-40]. (64) Like a swan living together in the heart instructed by the other swan that is in its constitutional position [of selfrealization], is thus he [the protector] reminded of his being separated from the reality that he has forgotten and that has to be regained in remembering the true.'

(65)  'O Prâcînabarhi, I gave you this analogy of selfrealization, to raise your interest in the Supreme Lord our God, the cause of all causes, in an indirect manner.'

*: These seven sons would stand for the initial seven processes of vidhi marga devotional service of hearing, chanting, remembering, offering worship, offering prayers, rendering transcendental loving service and serving the lotus feet of the Lord. Later on were added the raga marga processes of the balance--friendship and surrendering of everything.  

Chapter 29 

The conversation of Nârada and King Prâcînabarhi

(1) King Prâcînabarhi said: 'O my Lord, your words never perfectly arrive in our minds; those who are expert can understand what they really mean, but we who are enchanted by fruitive activities never come to the full understanding of them.

(2) Nârada said: 'The person of Purañjana ['he who enjoys the city that is the body'] should be seen as the creator of his own situation of dwelling in a one- [a ghost], two-, three- [ as with having a stick] or four legged body or a body with many legs or no legs at all. (3) The eternal friend and master of the person is He, who I described as unknown because by the living entities He is never understood by names or activities and qualities [compare Adhoksaja]. (4) As the person desired to enjoy the modes of material nature in their totality, he then thought that having nine gates, two legs and two hands would thus be very good. (5) The intelligence then one should know as the young woman [pramadâ or Purañjanî] that is responsible for the 'I' and 'Mine' of its operation in taking to the shelter of the body that this living being, by the senses to the modes of material nature, suffers and enjoys. (6) Her male friends are what is done by the senses of knowledge and action, the female friends are what the senses are engaged in [form, taste, sound, smell and touch], while the life-air in its five forms [upgoing air (udana), downgoing (apâna), expanding (vyâna), balanced (samâna) and the breath held high (prânavâyu)] is like the serpent. (7) The mind should be known as the very powerful leader of the both groups of the senses and the kingdom of Pancâla as the five realms of the senses in the midst of which the city with the nine apertures is found. (8) The two eyes, two nostrils, two ears, the mouth, the genitals and rectum are thus the two by two gates leading outside that one accompanied by the senses passes. (9) The two eyes, the nostrils and the mouth are thus understood as the five gates at the front [the east], with the right ear as the gate at the south and the left ear as the gate at the north while downward at the west there are said to be the two gates of the rectum and the genital. (10) The ones named Khadyotâ and Âvirmukhî that were created at one place are the eyes by which the master can perceive with his sense of sight the form called Vibhrâjita ['the clearly seen', see 25-47]. (11) The ones named Nalinî and Nâlinî represent the two nostrils to the aroma of what was called Saurabha. The Avadhûta was the sense of smell. Mukhyâ was the mouth with the faculty of speech named Vipana and the sense of taste that was named Rasajña [see 25: 48-49]. (12) Âpana was the business of the tongue and Bahûdana the variety of eatables, with the right ear having the name Pitrihû and the left being called Devahû [see 25: 49-51]. (13) By going to [the southern and northern of] Pañcâla with the companion of hearing called S'rutadhara, can one be elevated to Pitriloka and to Devaloka by [respectively] the process of sense-enjoyment and detachment according the scriptures. (14) With the gate of the rectum called Nirriti is the genital called Âsurî as the gate for the nonsense and lust-minded common men [living in Grâmaka] who with the one called Durmada are attracted to the procreative [see 25: 52-53]. (15) Vais'asa means hell with the one named Lubdhaka and the blind then you heard of from me are the legs and hands with which the people go to and do their work [see 25: 53-54]. (16) So, following, is the private residence the heart and the servant named Visûcîna the mind with which there is, to the material of nature, said to be the illusion, satisfaction or jubilation obtained by it. (17) Just as the thinking is agitated, acting in connection to the modes, does it [like Purañjana following his queen see 25: 56] in order to be alike, imitate the occupations of the intelligence of the soul that is the observer.

(18-20) The body is but the chariot, the senses are for the years of one's life the horses that in fact do not advance, the two wheels are the activities of profit and piety, the flags the three modes of nature and the five airs are the bondage. The rein is the mind, the intelligence the chariot driver, the sitting place is the heart, the duality is formed by the posts for the harnesses, the five sense-objects are the weapons and the seven covering are the physical elements [of nails, skin, fat, flesh, blood, bone and marrow]. The five intentions are the external processes after which the eleven soldiers of the senses [the mind and the five organs of action and perception] are running in false aspiration and envy of going for the pleasurable [see again: 26: 1-3]. (21) The time of a year was called Candavega, to which the days and nights of this life are understood to be taken away as symbolized by the roaming of the three hundred and sixty men and women from heaven above. [see 27: 13] (22) The old age of all living beings was directly the daughter of Time who was welcome to no one and whom the king of the Yavana's, who was for death and destruction, accepted as his sister-in-law. [see 27: 19-30]. (23-25) His followers, the Yavana soldiers represent the disturbances of the mind and body that at times of distress of the living beings very quickly rise to power with Prajvâra in the form of two kinds of fever [hot and cold, physical and mental conflict]. Thus is the one residing in the body, that is moved by the material world, for a hundred years subject to different sorts of tribulations caused by nature, other living beings and himself. Wrongly attributing to the soul the characteristics of the life-force, the senses and the mind, does he, although transcendental of nature, abide by the fragmentary of sense enjoyment, meditating on the 'I' and 'Mine' of himself as being the actor. (26-27) When the person forgets the Supreme Soul, the Almighty Lord that is the highest teacher, he next surrenders himself to the modes of matter to find therein his well-being. Driven by the modes is he thereupon taking to lives according his karma thereby naturally occupied in the performance of fruitive activities that are of a white [a-karma or service in goodness], black [vi-karma or ill deeds in ignorance] or red nature [regular karma or work passionate after the profit] [compare B.G. 13-22 and 4-17] (28) Sometimes characterized by the light of goodness one reaches better worlds, sometimes one ends up in distress with the passion for labor and sometimes indulging in darkness one finds oneself in lamentation [see B.G. 18a: 37-39]. (29) Sometimes male and sometimes female and sometimes neither of both; sometimes blind of intelligence, a human being, sometimes a God and sometimes an animal, exists one of one's activities to the modes of nature, born according one's karma. (30-31) Like a poor dog overcome by hunger that wanders from one house to the other to either be rewarded or for sure be punished according its destiny, does similarly the living entity in pursuing different types of high and low desires wander high or low, or the middle of the road, reaching according his destiny that what is pleasing or not so pleasing. (32) Although counteracting, being faced with certain kinds of misery as caused by nature, others or oneself, is it for the living being not possible to stop them. (33-34) As one can see with a man who, carrying a heavy burden on his head, is shifting it to his shoulder, is that all he really does because one, o sinless one, in illusion thinks that one can place a dream against a dream. There is no single solution in counteracting one activity with the other, only by counter acting the both of them. (35) Although existing in the material world is, by the subtle form of the mind, the cause perceived not really there, like with things happening in a dream. (36-37) It is therefore in the real interest of the living entity of stopping the train of unwanted things in one's material life, to be of unalloyed devotion to that what is of the spiritual teacher; practicing bhakti-yoga towards the Supreme Lord Vâsudeva will result in the complete of knowledge and detachment. (38) That, o best of kings, will come about depending on the cultivation of one's constant and faithful listening to the narrations of the Infallible One.

(39-40) O King, there where the great devotees, the broad-minded saintly people are who's consciousness is after the regular reciting of and hearing about the qualities of the Supreme Lord, at that very place does, with the nectar of the qualities of the killer of Madhu, emanating from the mouths of the great, from all around flow a surplus of rivers from all of them, who drink there without ever getting satisfied, o King. With the attentive of their ears is one never plagued by hunger, thirst, fear, lamentation or illusion [compare 3-25: 25]. (41) But, the soul, disturbed by those things in the conditioning to its natural place in the world, does in this ocean not get attached to the nectarean words of the Lord. (42-44) The father of fathers Brahmâ and directly the most powerful ones like Lord S'iva, Manu, and the rulers of mankind headed by Daksha, and the strong celibates led by Sanaka, Marîci, Atri and Angirâ, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrigu and Vasishthha with me closing the row, are so all led by the Knowledge of the Absolute. Although we till this day by meditation are masters of speaking, observing the austerities and the knowledge, do we not see the Seer Himself, the Controller in the beyond. (45) Engaged in listening to the unlimited of the spiritual knowledge and with mantra's singing the glories of the greatly extended of the partial powers [the demigods] does one not know the Supreme. (1a, 1b) [see footnote 1] What then would the difference be between animals and human beings when the intelligence of all for sure is resting on the animal maintenance of the body? After so many births having attained a human life here, will, after giving up the incorrect perception of being a gross or subtle body, on the path of spiritual knowledge having forsaken that physicality, then the individual soul become prominent. (46) When He who favors by causeless mercy, the Supreme Lord, by a soul is realized does such a one, thus also fixed on the vedic, give up his intentions towards the world.

(47) O dear Prâcînabarhishat, do therefore never ignorantly give in to the harmful advantage of fruitive action thinking that to be the aim of life and never just try to please the ear without touching the real interest [compare B.G. 2.42-43]. (48) Not in touch with the Reality do the less intelligent speak of the four Veda's that are full of ritual and ceremony; such people never know for sure where their home, God, Janârdhana [Vishnu, Krishna as the conqueror of wealth] is. (49) With your [you and your sons the Pracetâ's] altogether having covered the face of the world with the Kusa grass pointing eastward [see 24:10], do you take great pride in all the killing [of the sacrificial animals] and do you think of yourself as being very important, but you do not know what work to perform, what labor would be satisfying that Supreme Personality of God, the reality by which one finds the guidance that brings sense. (50) The Supreme Personality is Himself the Supersoul of all who adopted a material appearance; He is the controller of the material nature; His feet form the shelter from which all men in this world find their fortune. (51) He to whom the Supreme Soul is the most dear, the One from whom one has not even the smallest fear, is thus someone who is certain to be educated; he who is thus formed is a spiritual master as good as the Lord.'

(52) Nârada said: 'Thus I am sure to have answered your questions, o man of wisdom, now listen to the perfect realization that I am going to confide to you. (53) Think of a deer safely grazing grass in a field of flowers attached in being united with its wife. In its ears it has the charm of the song of bumblebees, but it is negligent of the fact that in front of it there are tigers living at the cost of others and that behind there is a hunter that threatens to pierce the deer with arrows. (54) The flowers are just like women in general to which the sweet aroma of the flowers is like the shelter of a household life that is most salient for its fragmentary of sense gratification. One thus has, beginning with one's wife and always absorbed in thoughts of one's appetite for sex, one's desires fulfilled. The gentle sounds of the lots of bumblebees that are so very attractive to its ears are alike the talks one hears from others starting with the wife again. The group of tigers in front of it are like all the moments of the days and nights that, unnoticed in one's enjoying the household, take away one's span of life. And from the back sure not to be seen follows behind the hunter, the superintendent of death whose arrow in this world pierces one's heart. You should in this see yourself as the one whose heart is pierced, o King. (55) Think of yourselves in the consciousness of that deer in action and give it up to be fixed in what you attend to in your heart. Give up that idea of a household life that is so abominably full of sexual concerns and go only for the swanlike shelter [of the self-realized], gradually becoming detached.

(56) The king said: 'O greatest brahmin, considering that what I heard you speaking about, I must say I had no knowledge of; why is it so that my preceptors, if they understood it, did not tell me about this? (57) But my doubts about this, o brahmin, you have cleared so doing. Even the experienced are indeed bewildered about things not concerning the activities of the senses. (58) The work done for its profit that in this life is undertaken by a person - the results of that must he, with a body given up to enjoy another one in a next life, face. (59) Thus one hears the thesis of the ones of learning that, of whatever one is all so sure about to do, it is said that one doesn't immediately see and know the consequence.'

(60) Nârada said: 'That by which one so sure begins to operate for the sake of results, is assuredly by the living entity in the next life also enjoyed, because one is, by that subtle body and its mind, personally without any change. (61) Lying this body down on a bed does the person itself after giving up its breath enjoy by means of a similar or different body the karma entertained by the soul. (62) Whatever all this 'My' of the mind might be, in acceptance of an 'I', does the entity take along with him for the workload achieved, by which it again enters the material existence. (63) The way one can have an idea of one's mental condition to the twofold of the active senses [of knowing them and working them] is it similarly possible to get an idea of the activities previously performed by the karma that the consciousness is in to. (64) At any time one can experience things by this body never heard or experienced before, sometimes seeing within one's mind forms of whatever kind. (65) Therefore believe me as I say that, o King, by the living entity in its subtle form, this way produced by its previous body, not a thing can be perceived that has not manifested itself [before that] in the mind. (66) For sure does the mind of a man indicate what forms he had in the past as well as, wishing you all the best, what birth he will next take and thus with certainty also what he will not be born into. (67) According the vision one has at times in the mind, of things never seen and heard of in this life, can one's action depending on place and time [in the past and future] be understood. (68) All things that in the mind by the senses are experienced in a chronological order show themselves with all living beings in many ways when one's pursuit is over [as when one dreams e.g. ]. (69) With a mind of being of single goodness with the Supreme Lord, one has a constant association, like still having a moon while it is eclipsed, and thus being connected does one see this universe as it is. (70) Thus is the person not separated from the consciousness of 'I' and 'Mine', as long as the intelligence, mind, senses, the objects and the qualities of nature are there, that no doubt have existed since time immemorial. (71) In deep sleep, when one faints or is in great shock with the arrest of one's breathing one does not think of an 'I'; thus is there either knowledge thereof when one has a high fever or when one dies. (72) Also in the womb and during one's childhood is, because of immaturity, the ego [subtle body] in the form of the ten senses and the mind not witnessed by that youngster, just like the moon isn't when it is new. (73) Sure enough does, with the sense objects not known by the mind, the material universe not cease to exist when a living being is meditating them in a dream as an appearance of unwanted things. (74) The conditioned [individual] soul is with the life force understood as a combination of the in sixteen expanded subtle body of the five forms [the five objects of the senses, the five working and knowing senses and the mind] that is under the influence of the three modes. (75) So being does the person, acquiring material bodies and giving them up again, by the gross of the form, find as well enjoyment, lamentation, fear, misery as happiness [compare B.G. 2:13]. (76-77) Like with a caterpillar, that does not leave finding its end when it even has to give up its identification with the body [to become a butterfly], does a man not get another mind by the termination of his fruitive activities, as it is the ruler of man, the cause of the material existence of all living beings. (78) When one thinks of the pleasures enjoyed by the senses, are, with the continuation of material affairs, the activities performed always subject to the illusion of the bondage in karma of the material body [see B.G. 3:9]. (79) Therefore counteract that by engaging in devotional service unto the Lord with all that is in you, seeing the cosmic manifestation as being under the control of the One from whom one has maintenance, creation and annihilation. [see footnote 2] (1a) In devotion unto Krishna, of mercy towards others and in perfect knowledge of the True Self, will it be so that then the liberation from the bondage of material life will sprout. (1b) The great mystery of it all is that, with what is directly seen and remains to be seen the material existence is vanquished like during one's sleep; in other words, that what has happened, the present and the future is a dream itself.

(80) Maitreya said: 'After the most powerful, chief devotee Nârada had expounded on the position of the Pure and the life about it, was he sure to take leave of him [the King] and depart for the world of the perfected [Siddhaloka]. (81) Prâcînabarhi, the wise king, after leaving orders that his sons should protect the common people, then departed for the spiritual resort of Kapila [Ganga-sagara, where the Ganges flows into the bay of Bengal, see for Kapila Canto 3: ch 24-33] for his austerities. (82) There, with a one-pointed mind living sober at the lotus feet of Govinda he freed himself from his attachments continuously chanting, by his devotion achieving sameness in the Reality. (83) O spotless one, anyone who hears or might describe this authoritative spiritual discourse as narrated by Nârada, will be delivered from the bodily concept of life. (84) It, taken from the mouth of the chief divinity of wisdom, will, once uttered purify the heart of anyone, as it sanctifies this world with the fame of the Lord of Liberation Mukunda. He who chants it will return to the spiritual world and, freed from all bondage, being liberated no longer wander around in this material world. (85) The wonderful spiritual of this by me described and heard by authority, thus also dealing about a person, Purañjana, who took shelter of his wife, does put an end to all doubts about a life after death.

 *: According to Vijayadhvaja Tîrtha, who belongs to the Madhvâcârya-sampradâya, the first two of the following verses appear after verse 45 of this chapter. 

* * According to Vijayadhvaja Tîrtha, who belongs to the Madhvâcârya-sampradâya do the two following verses appear after verse 79.

Chapter 30

The Activities of the Pracetâs

 (1) Vidura said: 'The sons of Prâcînabarhi you before spoke about, o brahmin, all successfully satisfied the Lord by chanting the song of Lord S'iva [see 4: 24]; what did they achieve that way? (2) What, o disciple of Brihaspati, was it that the Pracetâ's, dear to the bestower of liberation, after meeting the God of the Kailâsa mountain, apart from achieving for sure the Supreme, therefore here at different places by providence realized?' 

(3) Maitreya said: 'The Pracetâ's who at the lake carried out the orders of their father, satisfied by chanting mantra's with their austerity the Indweller [the Supreme Lord]. (4) After the ten thousand years of severe austerity of them [see also 24:14] appeared then the Original Person of the Eternal, satisfying and soothing them with His beauty. (5) Sitting on the back of his carrier bird [Garuda], He looked like a cloud on the summit of Mount Meru, dissipating all darkness around, wearing yellow garments and the jewel around his neck. (6) Shining with the gold colored ornaments He with His helmet radiated by His dazzling forehead and face, His eight weapons and the entourage of sages and demigods as Garuda served Him singing His glories like a superhuman being [a Kinnara]. (7) With in the midst of His eight stout arms hanging a flower garland, the beauty of which contended with the Goddess of Fortune, did the Original Personality of Godhead address the surrendered sons of Prâcînabarhi with a voice resounding like thunder as He mercifully looked down upon them. (8) The Supreme Lord said: 'I am very pleased with the friendship of you all, being so dutiful in the same friendliness, o Sons of the King; therefore, to your good fortune, You may ask for a boon from Me. (9) The human being who always remembers you every day in the evening will, with his brothers, find friendship and equality with all living beings. (10) Those persons, who unto Me in the morning and the evening by means of the song of S'iva are attentive in offering prayers, I shall award all requests in what they desired for the better of the divine of their intelligence. (11) The fine of your glory will be known the world all over, because you so very gladly accepted the order of your father. (12) There will be a very famous son [called Visruta], in his qualities no way inferior to Lord Brahmâ, that will populate the three worlds with his progeny. (13) The lotus-eyed daughter sage Kandu got from the heavenly girl named Pramlocâ, was left to the [divinity of the] trees to care for her, o sons of Prâcînabarhi. (14) When she was distressed by hunger and cried did Soma, the King of the Moon by means of his forefinger pour the nectar compassionately in her mouth. (15) On My direction, create offspring in following what was ordered by your father and marry without delay her, that daughter so highly qualified and beautiful. (16) May this wife, this well-behaved girl so slender, be full in her surrender; in her character and sense of duty she does not differ from all of you, her ways are the same. (17) By My mercy, will your power for millions of heavenly years [one year on earth is one day in heaven see 3:11] be undefeated in this world and will you for sure enjoy all the pleasures of heaven as well. (18) Be therefore steadfast unto Me by means of devotional service; with your mind free from being contaminated by the modes, you will attain My abode and thus no longer be concerned, freed from material existence. (19) Household life is not considered to be there for living in bondage; even for persons who have entered family life there is the auspicious agent of My ointment, spending every moment of one's time. (20) This [ointment] is by the ones of the Absolute Truth known as the All Knowing Spirit that is ever-new in the heart; they, never lamenting and never jubilant, are never bewildered on having attained.' 

(21) Maitreya said: 'By seeing Him, the Lord, the remover of all obstacles thus speaking of the virtues of life was the darkness of the contamination of passion of the Pracetâ's driven away and did they, with faltering voices and folded hands, offer prayers to the greatest of all friends. (22) The Pracetâ's said: 'Our obeisances again and again unto the destroyer of all distress who made His name as the magnanimous of the qualities speeding ahead of the fast mind and speech; all glories to Him whose course by the ways of the senses cannot be perceived. (23) Unto the Unadulterated, the Most Peaceful we offer our respects; the dual world appears as having no meaning with one's mind fixed on what is His; our obeisances unto Him who, to the modes of matter, assumed the forms for the maintenance, creation and annihilation of the universe. (24) Our reverence is for You, whose existence is free from the material influence, who takes away the misery, who is always after the deliverance of the conditioned souls and who is the all-pervading Lord of consciousness Vâsudeva, Krishna, the promoter of all devotees. (25) Our respects for the One with the lotus navel, the One with the lotus garland, the One of the lotusfeet and for Him who has the lotus eyes. (26) Let us unto Him whose garment is spotless with the color of the yellow saffron of a lotus flower, unto the Supreme Witness, the shelter of all living beings, offer our obeisances. (27) If only the form that You revealed to us, sufferers of the material, o Lord, dissipates the unlimited miseries, then what would that mean to those who are always in Your favor? (28) You compassionate, thus so surely by Your expansions visible to the humble devotees, are with the necessary respect of time always remembered by one's devotional service, o destroyer of all inauspiciousness. (29) In the course of that, You quiet all desires of the living beings, however so very much fallen they are, desiring many things; why would You, hidden in our hearts, not know all that we long for? (30) That for sure is the boon of our desire; that You, O Father of the Universe, are satisfied, You as the Supreme Lord and spiritual master with whom one on the path of liberation reaches the ultimate goal. (31) Therefore we pray for that benediction from You, o Lord above all of transcendence; of the end of Your opulence one cannot be sure and thus You are celebrated as Ananta [the unlimited]. (32) A bee complete in its achieving the Pârijâta [the honey-dripping celestial wish-fulfilling tree or kalpa-vrksa] does not resort to another; having approached Your lotusfeet, the root of everything, what, o what would we further ask for? (33) As long as we are contaminated by Your illusory energy [mâyâ], we have to wander around in this world according our workload [our karma], let us for that time have the association of Your loving devotees, whatever life we may find. (34) A moments association in the company of the ones attached to the Supreme Lord compares not even to the attainment of heaven, nor to the love of not being born again; what greater benediction is there for a mortal being? (35) Where there is the pure of Your words in worship and discussion is all material hankering appeased and is there no envy between the living beings, nor any fear. (36) Where there is the worship of Lord Nârâyana, the ultimate goal of the renounced ones, is the Supreme Lord personally present by the ever repeated talks of truth of those who are free from attachment. (37) Why should meeting those devotees, who, intent on purification, set their feet to travel to the holy places, not become the pleasure of the ones living in fear? (38) We who for a moment were in the presence of Lord S'iva, your dearest friend o Lord, are today certain of having achieved the destination of You, the expert physician to cure us by association from death, the most difficult to cure disease of material existence. (39-40) What else would we, who studied the scriptures, who pleased the teachers, the brahmins and the elderly and were nice to all the ones of culture [the advanced, the Aryans] and who without any envy offered their respects to friends, brothers and all living beings, want? What other boon would we, who in this for the satisfaction of the most exalted Original Person were of all that severe penance, o Lord and for a long time by the water abstained from food, desire from You? (41) Manu, Brahmâ, the mighty Lord S'iva as also others who by austerity and knowledge purified their existence could, in the end though, not see You, offering prayers in Your honor, but nevertheless have we according our own capacity offered You our prayers. (42) Our obeisances to You, the Supreme transcendental Person equal for everyone and always pure, the Supreme omnipresent Lord of eternal goodness.' 

(43) Maitreya said: 'Thus being praised by the Pracetâ's expressed the Lord, pleased that way, His affection and care for the surrendered souls, but with Him leaving for His own abode did they not wish to part from Him, as they had not seen enough of Him, the non-material prowess. (44) Thereafter did all of the Pracetâ's leave the water of the lake, but seeing that the world had been covered by trees that had grown very tall as if they wanted to obstruct the way to heaven, they became frantic. (45) Like with the fire of devastation at the end of time, they then out of their bitterness, o King [Vidura as a ruler over the senses], set with the help of the wind all directions afire to make the earth treeless.  (46) Seeing that they had turned all of the trees into ashes, came the Great Father [Brahmâ] to pacify the sons of Barhismân with reason. (47) The remaining trees there, who were very afraid [they or their deity], at that time, on the advise of Brahmâ, delivered their daughter to the Pracetâ's [see text 13]. (48) By the order of Brahmâ, they all married her, Mârisâ, from whom, because of being of disrespect for the Great One [S'iva see 4:2], the son of the Instigator [that is Brahmâ] took birth again. (49) He was no other than Daksha, the one who inspired by God brought forth all the life that was wished and whom in his previous existence during his time happened to be destroyed at the time of the manvantara [period of Manu ] called Sâksusa [the present one being called Vaivasvata*]. (50-51) Because he was one who just after his birth covered with the brilliance of his luster the brilliance of all, was he, being such an expert in fruitive activity, called Daksha ['the very expert']. He, appointed by the First One, Brahmâ, to generate all the living so as to maintain, was also sure to engage also all other founding fathers.

 *: The various Manus existing in one day of Lord Brahmâ are as follows: (1) Svâyambhuva, (2) Svârocisa, (3) Uttama, (4) Tâmasa, (5) Raivata, (6) Câksusa, (7) Vaivasvata, (8) Sâvarni, (9) Dakshasâvarni, (10) Brahma-sâvarni, ( 11) Dharma-sâvarni, (12) Rudrasâvarni, (13) Deva-sâvarni and (14) Indra-sâvarni [see also 3 : 11].

Chapter 31 

 Nârada Instructs the Pracetâs

(1) Maitreya said: 'Remembering what the Lord in the Beyond had enunciated, did they following [the marriage with Mârisâ], leaving their home to their wife and son, very soon come to perfect wisdom. (2) Heading in the western direction for the seashore where sage Jâlali resided, did they, determined in the cultivation of spiritual knowledge, considering all living beings like themselves, find perfection. (3) They, conquering the sitting postures, all came to the full control over their breath, mind, words and vision and, pacified in keeping their bodies straight with their minds freed from impurities engaged in the transcendental, they saw Nârada who always had been worshiped by as well the enlightened as the unenlightened. (4) On his appearance they all got up offering their obeisances in welcome respecting him as was prescribed and after having him seated comfortably they addressed him. (5) The Pracetâ's said: 'Welcome, o sage of the enlightened! Today we have the great fortune of your audience; your coming is like the movement of the sun, o great brahmin, it dispels all fear. (6) By our overly being attached to family matters we almost forgot, o master, what was instructed by the Supreme Lord S'iva and the One in the Beyond [Vishnu]. (7) Therefore, for the purpose of your vision, kindly awaken in us the transcendental knowledge of the Absolute Truth by which we can easily cross over the formidable ocean of nescience. '

(8) Maitreya said: 'Thus petitioned by the Pracetâ's did the great Nârada, who to the mind was the wisest in always being absorbed in thoughts about the Supreme Lord, answer the kings. (9) Nârada said: 'Of that birth of man by which in one's fruitive labor, one's lifetime, one's mind and words, the Supersoul is served is the Lord for certain the Controller. (10) What is the use of the three births in this world of being born from semen, by initiation, or by the labor of sacrifice; whether one acts according to what is human or what the Veda's say or whether one lives as long as a demigod? (11) What is the use of austerities to the teachings, or the meaning of the words of consciousness one engages in by intelligence, or the expertise of physical strength or sense-control? (12) Of what use is the yoga-practice, the analytic study, the acceptance of the renounced order, reading the scriptures or all the other auspicious activities, when there is never the satisfaction of the soul that is the Lord? (13) No doubt is the soul factually the sure destination of all auspicious activities - is the Lord the Supersoul to give us our original cherished identity. (14) As by watering the root of a tree its trunk, branches, and twigs are satisfied and by the feeding of the life-air similarly the sensory is sustained, so too are all [the others, the demigods] honored by the worship of the Infallible One. (15) As for sure from the sun the water generated is again in time evaporated and all living, moving and nonmoving, entities return again to the earth, likewise is it unfailing so with the emanated material nature unto the Lord. (16) This place of habitation is the reality of the transcendental soul, the Lord that is the universe, just like the sunshine that at times manifests of the sun, the senses that became manifest to the forces of inert matter and the spiritual knowledge that appears from the passing away of the differences of misunderstanding. (17) As there is the consecutive existence and absence of clouds, darkness and illumination in the sky, o Kings, so is there thus in the Supreme Absolute likewise the appearance of the energies of passion, lowness and goodness. (18) Because the One Supreme Soul of the unlimited number of individual souls, as the material cause of time, is the Original Person himself, the transcendental controller *, who by His spiritual power is aloof from all emanations of the self, you should, accepting all as being one in quality, directly engage yourself in devotional service. (19) This or that way being contented with all the senses under control, showing mercy to all existing, will also very soon Janârdhana, the Lord of all beings [a name of Lord Krishna], be satisfied. (20) With all desires vanquished spotless, the mind ever engaged and intensifying in feelings, is the Unchanging One, being called for by His devotees, to their want; His knowing will never fail or leave them as, to the devotee, He is just alike the sky. (21) Never He accepts the union of persons who have a polluted heart, while those who do not depend on wealth but on the soul are dear to Him; all those who with false pride try to relate to God and be of education, wealth, nobility and fruitive labor, are factually being disgraceful to the devotees who are without possessions. (22) The Goddess after Him and those aspiring her favor, as well as the rulers of man and the demigods, He never cares for because He is there for His own; how [then] can a grateful person give up on Him, whose main focus are the servants of His own path?'

(23) Maitreya said: 'O King, the great sage, the son of Brahmâ thus instructing the Pracetâ's on the topics of relating to the Lord then returned to the abode of the Absolute [Brahmâ-loka]. (24) Also they, from the mouth of Nârada having heard about the glorification of the Lord that destroys the sins of the world, advanced meditating on His feet towards their ultimate destination. (25) O Vidura, this is, about the conversation of Nârada and the Pracetâ's, in response to what you asked me, all I had to tell you, describing the glories of the Lord'.

(26) S'rî S'ukadeva said: 'O best of kings [Parîkchit], after the loyal description of this dynasty of the son of Svâyambhuva Manu, Uttânapada, now also try to understand the dynasty of Priyavrata [the other son of Svâyambhuva, see 3.12:56, 4.1 and 4.8:7]. (27) As one who learned about the knowledge of the soul from Nârada, did he, after enjoying again [a righteous rule], achieve the transcendental position, having divided the earth among his sons. (28) All this then described by Maitreya strengthened with Vidura, hearing about the ways with the Invincible One, his ecstasy, bringing tears to his eyes; overwhelmed with the Lord in his heart he brought down his head and captured the feet of the sage. (29) Vidura said: 'By that what you today so mercifully have shown me of the opposite side of darkness, o great master of yoga, can the ones who are free from the material motive, approach the Lord.'

(30) S'uka said: 'Thus reverencing him took Vidura, desiring to see his own family, permission to depart for the city of Hastinâpura, leaving that place with a mind in peace. (31) O King, he who hears this story about kings who gave their life and soul to the Lord, will achieve the good fortune of a long life, wealth, material opulence and reputation and the ultimate goal of life.

*: Time, the ingredient and the creator combined, are called tritayâtmaka, the three causes by which everything in this material world is created.  

Thus ends the fourth Canto of the S'rîmad Bhâgavatam named 'The Creation of the Fourth Order, the Lord's Protection'. 

Translation: Anand Aadhar Prabhu, http://bhagavata.org/c/8/AnandAadhar.html

Production: the Filognostic Association of The Order of Time, with special thanks to Sakhya Devi Dasi for proofreading and correcting the manuscript. http://theorderoftime.com/info/guests-friends.html

The sourcetexts, illustrations and music to this translation one can find following the links from: http://bhagavata.org/ 

For this original translation next to the Sanskrit dictionary a one-volume printed copy has been used with an extensive commentary by A.C. Bhaktivedânta Swami Prabhupâda. ISBN: o-91277-27-7 . See the S'rîmad Bhâgavatam treasury: http://bhagavata.org/treasury/links.html for links to other sites concerning the subject.