| Srimad Bhagavatam
Canto Ten. Volume
8 Chapter 39 |
| | TRANSLATION AND PURPORT BY
Mahamandaleshwar Mahant Sri Krsna Balaram Swamiji |
Text 40
akruras tav upamantrya nivesya ca rathopari
kalindya hradam agatya snanam vidhivad acarat
Translation
After seating the brothers upon the chariot, Akrura took Their (Lord
Krsna and Balaram) permission and following the scriptural rules, took
his bath in a pool formed in the Yamuna River.
Purport
There is a chapter in the Padma Purana where the glories of the Yamuna
are described. It states that before touching Yamuna water, one should
first pay obeisance to the river and touch the water to their head three
times using their right hand. And while praying for forgiveness for
being about to touch her with their feet, the person should humbly enter
the river and dip him or herself. It is also not allowed to urinate,
spit, gargle, blow one’s nose etc. or swim in the Yamuna River. And
after taking bath, one should humbly offer her some of her water in
their cupped hands and beg her forgiveness for washing their sins off in
her waters. These are some of the Vedic rules for bathing in the Ganges,
Yamuna, Radhakunda and other holy rivers of India.
Text 41
nimajjya tasmin salile japan brahma sanatanam
tav eva dadrse ’kruro rama-krsnau samanvitau
Translation
Akrura dipped himself in that water and while under water he chanted the
Lord’s eternal names, where he saw Lord Krsna and Balaram together
before him.
Purport
Normally certain mantras are chanted after bathing, but according to the
Rgveda, the aghamarsana hymn (sin removing hymn) is chanted while still
submerged under water. The Rgveda states, sarvaisam aghdhvamsi japyam
trisv aghamarsanam, “Anyone who chants the aghamarsana hymn three times
while still under water becomes free from all committed sins.” The
aghamarsana mantra is a secret mantra and can only be transferred
through word of mouth to a learned traditional Brahmana by an authentic
teacher, therefore this mantra is omitted here to avoid offense. The
result of chanting this mantra is also stated in the Amarakosa
Dictionary thus:
yathasvamedhah krturat sarva papapanodanah
tathaghamarsanam suktam sarva papa pranasanam
“Just as performing a horse sacrifice frees one from all categories of
sin, similarly chanting the aghamarsana hymn under water destroys all
the sins of the chanter.”
Srila Sanatana Goswami also confirms this above statement in the Dasama
Tippani. But, Akrura being the Lord’s devotee regularly chants the names
of the Lord because chanting the Lord’s names can be performed anywhere
at any time, including while under water. The significance of Akrura’s
seeing Lord Krsna together with Balaram under water is that it indicates
Krsna’s omnipresence.
Text 42-43
tau ratha-sthau katham iha sutav anakadundubheh
tarhi svit syandane na sta ity unmajjya vyacasta sah
tatrapi ca yatha-purvam asinau punar eva sah
nyamajjad darsanam yan me mrsa kim salile tayoh
Translation
(Akrura thought) ‘I just had left Vasudeva’s two sons seated on the
chariot, therefore how could They be here under water? And if They are
here, They must not be on the chariot.’ Thinking this he came up to the
surface where he saw both Krsna and Balaram sitting upon the chariot as
before. Then Akrura thought, ‘what I saw under water may have been a
mistake,’ so he again dipped beneath the water to solve this dilemma.
Purport
Sometimes a devotee desires to know how the Lord’s potency works and
thus examines His supernatural acts. When a devotee realizes the Lord’s
acts are uncommon feats, the devotee’s faith in the Lord intensifies.
Akrura soon realizes Lord Krsna’s being the all-pervading Lord.
Text 44-45
bhuyas tatrapi so ’draksit stuyamanam ahisvaram
siddha-carana-gandharvair asurair nata-kandharaih
sahasra sirasam devam sahasra-phana-maulinam
nilambaram bias-svetam srngaih svetam iva sthitam
Translation
There he saw Ananta Sesa, an incarnation of the Lord resembl-ing a
serpent, being praised with bowed head by siddhas, caranas, gan-dharvas
and asuras. That Sesa had thousands of heads that looked like serpents
hoods and each hood was adorned with a crown. He wore blue garments, had
a fair complexion like a lotus stem and was as huge as Mount Kailasa
with its peaks.
Purport
This time when Akrura dipped beneath the water he did not see Lord Krsna,
but saw His incarnation that looks like a serpent with thousands of
hoods being praised by many celestial beings. According to the
Bhagavatamrta, Lord Sesa is situated in the spiritual world, but His
serpent form praised by siddhas like Kumaras and Kapiladeva; gandharvas
like Visvavasu and Citraratha; caranas such as Rambhä; and asuras such
as Prahlada, is under the universe, where he rests the universe upon his
hoods.
Text 46
tasyotsange ghanasyamam pita-kauseya-vasasam
purusam caturbhujam santam padma-patraruneksanam
Translation
Akrura saw the Supreme Lord, whose complexion resembles that of a dark
rain filled cloud, lying upon the lap of that Sesa serpent. The Lord was
wearing yellow silken garments. His form was peaceful, He had four arms
and His eyes were reddish like lotus petals.
Purport
The Supreme Lord is unlimited therefore no limited material bed could be
sufficient for Him to take rest. Therefore, when He wishes to take rest
He manifests into the Sesa serpent and takes His rest upon his body. One
may wonder why He chooses to take rest upon a hooded serpent? The reason
is, by nature a serpent’s body is very soft, therefore the Lord chose a
serpent’s body because upon such a soft bed He feels peaceful. When a
serpent rests in a coiled position, it creates a soft bed, upon which
when the Lord decides, takes rest.
Text 47-48
caru-prasanna-vadanam caru-hasa-niriksanam
subhrunnasam caru-karnam sukapolarunadharam
pralamba-pivara-bhujam tungamsorah-sthala-sriyam
kambu-kantham nimna-nabhim valimat-pallavodaram
Translation
His face was very attractive and pleasant, as well as His smile and
glance. His beautiful eyebrows, raised nose, beautiful ears, beautiful
cheeks and red lips made Him look incomparably attractive. He had long
stout arms and raised shoulders and the Goddess of Fortune was living on
His chest. His neck resembled a conch, His naval was very deep and His
abdomen had three lines across it, like on a banyan leaf.
Purport
The description of beauty given in these verses is of Lord Mahavisnu,
who functions as the Supersoul of this universe. He is not even a direct
manifestation of Lord Krsna, He is one of the manifestations, of Lord
Krsna’s manifestations. Lord Krsna is showing Akrura His transcendental
opulence because He wants Akrura to realize who Krsna actually is. The
lines across His abdomen are small thin folds.
Text 49-50
brhat katitata sroni karambhoru-dvayanvitam
caru-janu-yugam caru-jangha-yugala samyutam
tunga-gulpharuna nakha vrata-didhitibhir vrtam
navanguly angustha-dalair vilasat pada-pankajam
Translation
His loins and hips were stout and His thighs were as strong as an
elephant’s trunk. His knees and shanks were rightly shaped and His
ankle-bones protruded distinguishably. His toenails were red and
emanated brilliant effulgence and His toes decorated His lotus feet as
do fresh lotus petals decorate a lotus.
Purport
How Akrura saw the Lord’s beautiful form, from His face to His toes is
described here. The Lord’s form is neither anyone’s speculation nor
anyone’s imagination, but an emphatic truth that He has a beautiful and
attractive form. Even though He is the original personality, He retains
His ever fresh and youthful features. The word, nava, meaning fresh,
tender or soft, indicates that although He is the oldest, He remains
ever fresh and youthful.
Text 51-52
sumaharha-mani-vrata kirita katakangadaih
kati-sutra brahma-sutra hara-nupura kundalaih
bhrajamanam padma-karam sankha-cakra gada-dharam
srivatsa-vaksasam bhrajat kaustubham vana-malinam
Translation
His bright body was decorated with a crown bedecked with many kinds of
very precious gems, as were His bracelets, armlets, waistband, necklace,
ankle bells and earrings, and He wore a sacred-thread. He held a lotus
in one hand, and in His others hands He held a conch, a disc and a club.
His chest had the Srivatsa mark and around His neck hung a brilliant
Kaustubha gem and a garland of forest flowers.
Purport
The four handed form of the Lord holds four different weapons, of which
the lotus is never used as a weapon and that is why the lotus is singled
out here. Usually the Lord uses the conch and lotus to handle His
devotees and uses the disk and club to deal with demons. One may wonder
which hands does Mahavisnu use to hold His weapons? In answer the Dasama
Tippani states, padmam kare daksinadhatale sankhadin kara kramena vama
gatya dharati iti, “While standing, Mahavisnu holds a lotus in His lower
right hand and going clockwise holds a conch, disc and club in His other
hands.”
Text 53-54
sunanda nanda pramukhaih parsadaih sanakadibhih
suresair-brahma-rudradyair navabhis ca dvijottamaih
prahlada narada vasu pramukhair bhagavatottamaih
stuyamanam prthak-bhavair vacobhir amalatmabhih
Translation
Surrounding the Lord, Akrura also saw the Lord’s personal attendants
headed by Nanda and Sunanda, the four renounced person-alities headed by
Sanaka, all the leading demigods headed by Lord Brahma and Lord Siva,
the nine leading Brahmanas, the best among devotees like Prahlada and
Narada and the eight Vasus, who were all looking at the Lord and praying
unto Him with sanctified Vedic hymns while in their respective moods and
feelings.
Purport
The personal attendants, Nanda and Sunanda, were standing beside the
Lord and before the Lord were the renounced personalities Sanaka,
Sananda, Sanatana and Sanat Kumar and behind them were the leading
demigods headed by Lord Brahma and Lord Siva. Standing at His right side
were the leading nine Brahmanas, namely Marici, Atri, Angira, Pulastya,
Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrugu, Vasistha and Kasyapa, and on His left side stood
Narada Muni, Prahlada and the eight Vasus namely, Apa, Dhruva, Soma,
Dhara, Dhava, Anala, Pratyusa and Prabhasa. They were all humbly praying
to the Lord with folded hands and bowed heads in their respective
melodies, moods and attitudes.
Text 55
sriya pustya gira kantya kirtya tustyelayorjaya
vidyayavidyaya saktya mayaya ca nisevitam
Translation
The Lord was also being served by His internal potencies such as Sri,
Pusti, Gira, Kanti, Kirti, Tusti, Ila and Urja, and by His external
potencies such as Vidya, Avidya, and Maya.
Purport
The Supreme Lord possesses unlimited potencies, which are divided into
two categories--internal and external—and of them His main potencies
consist of six internal potencies and three external potencies. Of the
internal potencies, Sri, represents His opulence; Pusti, represents His
strength; Gira, represents His knowledge; Kanti, represents His beauty;
Kirti, represents His fame; and Tusti, represents His renunciation; and
the potency of Ila and Urja create many categories of suitable
arrangements so the Lord can perform His pastimes comfortably. Of the
external potencies, Vidya, represents transcendental knowledge, with
which all the living entities can use to march towards liberation from
this world. Avidya, represents nescience or ignorance, by whose
influence the living entities remain entangled in the cycle of rebirth
and death, and Maya is the source and origin of the Vidya and Avidya
potencies. The word “ca” in the Sanskrit text, indicates there is
another energy called Tatastha, or marginal potency, which represents
the living entities that occupy material bodies and function in this
world.
Akrura saw all this while under water, including these personified
energies mentioned here serving the Lord.
Text 56
vilokya subhrsam prito bhaktya paramaya yutah
hrsyat-tanuruho bhava-pariklinnatma locanah
Translation
Seeing the Lord’s great opulence, Akrura became very pleased and became
so enthusiastic and ecstatic to engage in the Lord’s devotion that his
bodily hairs stood on end and tears of ecstasy flowed from his eyes,
that drenched his body.
Purport
The mentality of people who procrastinate thinking they will become the
Lord’s devotee when He compels and permits them, are indicated here to
be ignorant of a real devotees mentality and this attitude is defeated
in this text. The Isopanisad states, “One has to first take a step first
towards the Lord to receive and experience His transcendental
realizations.” Thus, one must first become a sincere devotee and
honestly engage in His devotional service per their capacity, then the
Lord manifests in the form of daily new realizations. Such glimpses of
transcendence come and are experienced per the rate of an advancing
devotee, as we see in this case with Akrura. Akrura was a sincere
devotee and thus while performing devotional service by driving the Lord
on a chariot, he realized and visualized glimpses of transcendence and
thus ecstatic symptoms took place in his body.
Text 57
gira gadgadayastausit satvam alambya satvatah
pranamya murdhnavahitah krtanjali-puhah sanaih
Translation
Somehow Akrura regained his composure and managed to reach the Lord, and
while keeping his head at the Lord’s lotus feet, he paid his obeisance.
Then with folded hands in supplication and with a choked voice, he
slowly and attentively began praying to the Lord.
Purport
Devotees situated in knowledge and receiving realizations and glimpses
of the Supreme Lord keep their emotions and ecstasies in check, so as to
better serve the Lord. Devotees like Akrura do not act half hazardously
in any way.
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Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
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