Chapter Five
Narada Muni Cursed by Prajapati Daksa
This chapter relates how all the sons of Daksa were delivered from the clutches of the material energy by following the advice of Narada, who was therefore cursed by Daksa.
Influenced by the external energy of Lord Visnu, Prajapati Daksa begot ten thousand sons in the womb of his wife, Pancajani. These sons, who were all of the same character and mentality, were known as the Haryasvas. Ordered by their father to create more and more population, the Haryasvas went west to the place where the River Sindhu (now the Indus) meets the Arabian Sea. In those days this was the site of a holy lake named Narayana-saras, where there were many saintly persons. The Haryasvas began practicing austerities, penances and meditation, which are the engagements of the highly exalted renounced order of life. However, when Srila Narada Muni saw these boys engaged in such commendable austerities simply for material creation, he thought it better to release them from this tendency. Narada Muni described to the boys their ultimate goal of life and advised them not to become ordinary karmis to beget children. Thus all the sons of Daksa became enlightened and left, never to return.
Prajapati Daksa, who was very sad at the loss of his sons, begot one thousand more sons in the womb of his wife, Pancajani, and ordered them to increase progeny. These sons, who were named the Savalasvas, also engaged in worshiping Lord Visnu to beget children, but Narada Muni convinced them to become mendicants and not beget children. Foiled twice in his attempts to increase population, Prajapati Daksa became most angry at Narada Muni and cursed him, saying that in the future he would not be able to stay anywhere. Since Narada Muni, being fully qualified, was fixed in tolerance, he accepted Daksa's curse.
TEXT 1
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
tasyam sa pancajanyam vai
visnu-mayopabrmhitah
haryasva-samjnan ayutam
putran ajanayad vibhuh
SYNONYMS
sri-sukah uvaca--Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; tasyam--in her; sah--Prajapati Daksa; pancajanyam--his wife named Pancajani; vai--indeed; visnu-maya-upabrmhitah--being made capable by the illusory energy of Lord Visnu; haryasva-samjnan--named the Haryasvas; ayutam--ten thousand; putran--sons; ajanayat--begot; vibhuh--being powerful.
TRANSLATION
Srila Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Impelled by the illusory energy of Lord Visnu, Prajapati Daksa begot ten thousand sons in the womb of Pancajani [Asikni]. My dear King, these sons were called the Haryasvas.
TEXT 2
TEXT
aprthag-dharma-silas te
sarve daksayana nrpa
pitra proktah praja-sarge
praticim prayayur disam
SYNONYMS
aprthak--alike in; dharma-silah--good character and behavior; te--they; sarve--all; daksayanah--the sons of Daksa; nrpa--O King; pitra--by their father; proktah--ordered; praja-sarge--to increase the population; praticim--we stern; prayayuh--they went to; disam--the direction.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, all the sons of Prajapati Daksa were alike in being very gentle and obedient to the orders of their father. When their father ordered them to beget children, they all went in the western direction.
TEXT 3
TEXT
tatra narayana-saras
tirtham sindhu-samudrayoh
sangamo yatra sumahan
muni-siddha-nisevitam
SYNONYMS
tatra--in that direction; narayana-sarah--the lake named Narayana-saras; tirtham--very holy place; sindhu-samudrayoh--of the River Sindhu and the sea; sangamah--confluence; yatra--where; su-mahat--very great; muni--by sages; siddha--and perfected human beings; nisevitam--frequented.
TRANSLATION
In the west, where the River Sindhu meets the sea, there is a great place of pilgrimage known as Narayana-saras. Many sages and others advanced in spiritual consciousness live there.
TEXTS 4-5
TEXT
tad-upasparsanad eva
vinirdhuta-malasayah
dharme paramahamsye ca
protpanna-matayo 'py uta
tepire tapa evogram
pitradesena yantritah
praja-vivrddhaye yattan
devarsis tan dadarsa ha
SYNONYMS
tat--of that holy place; upasparsanat--from bathing in that water or touching it; eva--only; vinirdhuta--completely washed away; mala-asayah--whose impure desires; dharme--to the practices; paramahamsye--executed by the topmost class of sannyasis; ca--also; protpanna--highly inclined; matayah--whose minds; api uta--although; tepire--they executed; tapah--penances; eva--certainly; ugram--severe; pitr-adesena--by the order of their father; yantritah--engaged; praja-vivrddhaye--for the purpose of increasing the population; yattan--ready; devarsih--the great sage Narada; tan--them; dadarsa--visited; ha--indeed.
TRANSLATION
In that holy place, the Haryasvas began regularly touching the lake's waters and bathing in them. Gradually becoming very much purified, they became inclined toward the activities of paramahamsas. Nevertheless, because their father had ordered them to increase the population, they performed severe austerities to fulfill his desires. One day, when the great sage Narada saw those boys performing such fine austerities to increase the population, Narada approached them.
TEXTS 6-8
TEXT
uvaca catha haryasvah
katham sraksyatha vai prajah
adrstvantam bhuvo yuyam
balisa bata palakah
tathaika-purusam rastram
bilam cadrsta-nirgamam
bahu-rupam striyam capi
pumamsam pumscali-patim
nadim ubhayato vaham
panca-pancadbhutam grham
kvacid dhamsam citra-katham
ksaura-pavyam svayam bhrami
SYNONYMS
uvaca--he said; ca--also; atha--thus; haryasvah--O Haryasvas, sons of Prajapati Daksa; katham--why; sraksyatha--you will beget; vai--indeed; prajah--progeny; adrstva--having not seen; antam--the end; bhuvah--of this earth; yuyam--all of you; balisah--inexperienced; bata--alas; palakah--although ruling princes; tatha--so also; eka--one; purusam--man; rastram--kingdom; bilam--the hole; ca--also; adrsta-nirgamam--from which there is no coming out; bahu-rupam--taking many forms; striyam--the woman; ca--and; api--even; pumamsam--the man; pumscali-patim--the husband of a prostitute; nadim--a river; ubhayatah--in both ways; vaham--which flows; panca-panca--of five multiplied by five (twenty-five); adbhutam--a wonder; grham--the house; kvacit--somewhere; hamsam--a swan; citra-katham--whose story is wonderful; ksaura-pavyam--made of sharp razors and thunderbolts; svayam--itself; bhrami--revolving.
TRANSLATION
The great sage Narada said: My dear Haryasvas, you have not seen the extremities of the earth. There is a kingdom where only one man lives and where there is a hole from which, having entered, no one emerges. A woman there who is extremely unchaste adorns herself with various attractive dresses, and the man who lives there is her husband. In that kingdom, there is a river flowing in both directions, a wonderful home made of twenty-five materials, a swan that vibrates various sounds, and an automatically revolving object made of sharp razors and thunderbolts. You have not seen all this, and therefore you are inexperienced boys without advanced knowledge. How, then, will you create progeny?
PURPORT
Narada Muni saw that the boys known as the Haryasvas were already purified because of living in that holy place and were practically ready for liberation. Why then should they be encouraged to become entangled in family life, which is so dark that once having entered it one cannot leave it? Through this analogy, Narada Muni asked them to consider why they should follow their father's order to be entangled in family life. Indirectly, he asked them to find within the cores of their hearts the situation of the Supersoul, Lord Visnu, for then they would truly be experienced. In other words, one who is too involved in his material environment and does not look within the core of his heart is increasingly entangled in the illusory energy. Narada Muni's purpose was to get the sons of Prajapati Daksa to divert their attention toward spiritual realization instead of involving themselves in the ordinary but complicated affairs of propagation. The same advice was given by Prahlada Maharaja to his father (Bhag. 7.5.5):
tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam
sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat
hitvatma-patam grham andha-kupam
vanam gato yad dharim asrayeta
In the dark well of family life, one is always full of anxiety because of having accepted a temporary body. If one wants to free himself from this anxiety, one should immediately leave family life and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in Vrndavana. Narada Muni advised the Haryasvas not to enter household life. Since they were already advanced in spiritual knowledge, why should they be entangled in that way?
TEXT 9
TEXT
katham sva-pitur adesam
avidvamso vipascitah
anurupam avijnaya
aho sargam karisyatha
SYNONYMS
katham--how; sva-pituh--of your own father; adesam--the order; avidvamsah--ignorant; vipascitah--who knows everything; anurupam--suitable for you; avijnaya--without knowing; aho--alas; sargam--the creation; karisyatha--you will perform.
TRANSLATION
Alas, your father is omniscient, but you do not know his actual order. Without knowing the actual purpose of your father, how will you create progeny?
TEXT 10
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
tan nisamyatha haryasva
autpattika-manisaya
vacah kutam tu devarseh
svayam vimamrsur dhiya
SYNONYMS
sri-sukah uvaca--Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; tat--that; nisamya--hearing; atha--thereafter; haryasvah--all the sons of Prajapati Daksa; autpattika--naturally awakened; manisaya--by possessing the power to consider; vacah--of the speech; kutam--the enigma; tu--but; devarseh--of Narada Muni; svayam--themselves; vimamrsuh--reflected upon; dhiya--with full intelligence.
TRANSLATION
Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: Hearing these enigmatic words of Narada Muni, the Haryasvas considered them with their natural intelligence, without help from others.
TEXT 11
TEXT
bhuh ksetram jiva-samjnam yad
anadi nija-bandhanam
adrstva tasya nirvanam
kim asat-karmabhir bhavet
SYNONYMS
bhuh--the earth; ksetram--the field of activities; jiva-samjnam--the designation of the spiritual living being who is bound by different results of activity; yat--which; anadi--existing since time immemorial; nija-bandhanam--causing his own bondage; adrstva--without seeing; tasya--of this; nirvanam--the cessation; kim--what benefit; asat-karmabhih--with temporary fruitive activities; bhavet--there can be.
TRANSLATION
[The Haryasvas understood the meaning of Narada's words as follows.] The word "bhuh" ["the earth"] refers to the field of activities. The material body, which is a result of the living being's actions, is his field of activities, and it gives him false designations. Since time immemorial, he has received various types of material bodies, which are the roots of bondage to the material world. If one foolishly engages in temporary fruitive activities and does not look toward the cessation of this bondage, what will be the benefit of his actions?
PURPORT
Narada Muni spoke to the Haryasvas, the sons of Prajapati Daksa, about ten allegorical subjects--the king, the kingdom, the river, the house, the physical elements and so forth. After considering these by themselves, the Haryasvas could understand that the living entity encaged in his body seeks happiness, but takes no interest in how to become free from his encagement. This is a very important verse, since all the living entities in the material world are very active, having obtained their particular types of bodies. A man works all day and night for sense gratification, and animals like hogs and dogs also work for sense gratification all day and night. Birds, beasts and all other conditioned living entities engage in various activities without knowledge of the soul encaged within the body. Especially in the human form of body, one's duty is to act in such a way that he can release himself from his encagement, but without the instructions of Narada or his representative in the disciplic succession, people blindly engage in bodily activities to enjoy maya-sukha--flickering, temporary happiness. They do not know how to become free from their material encagement. Rsabhadeva therefore said that such activity is not at all good, since it encages the soul again and again in a body subjected to the threefold miseries of the material condition.
The Haryasvas, the sons of Prajapati Daksa, could immediately understand the purport of Narada's instructions. Our Krsna consciousness movement is especially meant for such enlightenment. We are trying to enlighten humanity so that people may come to the understanding that they should work hard in tapasya for self-realization and freedom from the continuous bondage of birth, death, old age and disease in one body after another. Maya, however, is very strong; she is expert in putting impediments in the way of this understanding. Therefore sometimes one comes to the Krsna consciousness movement but again falls into the clutches of maya, not understanding the importance of this movement.
TEXT 12
TEXT
eka evesvaras turyo
bhagavan svasrayah parah
tam adrstvabhavam pumsah
kim asat-karmabhir bhavet
SYNONYMS
ekah--one; eva--indeed; isvarah--supreme controller; turyah--the fourth transcendental category; bhagavan--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sva-asrayah--independent, being His own shelter; parah--beyond this material creation; tam--Him; adrstva--not seeing; abhavam--who is not born or created; pumsah--of a man; kim--what benefit; asat-karmabhih--with temporary fruitive activities; bhavet--there can be.
TRANSLATION
[Narada Muni had said that there is a kingdom where there is only one male. The Haryasvas realized the purport of this statement.] The only enjoyer is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who observes everything, everywhere. He is full of six opulences and fully independent of everyone else. He is never subject to the three modes of material nature, for He is always transcendental to this material creation. If the members of human society do not understand Him, the Supreme, through their advancement in knowledge and activities, but simply work very hard like cats and dogs all day and night for temporary happiness, what will be the benefit of their activities?
PURPORT
Narada Muni had mentioned a kingdom where there is only one king with no competitor. The complete spiritual world, and specifically the cosmic manifestation, has only one proprietor or enjoyer--the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond this material manifestation. The Lord has therefore been described as turya, existing on the fourth platform. He has also been described as abhava. The word bhava, which means "takes birth," comes from the word bhu, "to be." As stated in Bhagavad-gita (8.19), bhutva bhutva praliyate: the living entities in the material world must be repeatedly born and destroyed. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, is neither bhutva nor praliyate; He is eternal. In other words, He is not obliged to take birth like human beings or animals, which repeatedly take birth and die because of ignorance of the soul. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is not subjected to such changes of body, and one who thinks otherwise is considered a fool (avajananti mam mudha manusim tanum asritam). Narada Muni advises that human beings not waste their time simply jumping like cats and monkeys, without real benefit. The duty of the human being is to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 13
TEXT
puman naivaiti yad gatva
bila-svargam gato yatha
pratyag-dhamavida iha
kim asat-karmabhir bhavet
SYNONYMS
puman--a human being; na--not; eva--indeed; eti--comes back; yat--to which; gatva--having gone; bila-svargam--to the region of the lower planetary system known as Patala; gatah--gone; yatha--like; pratyak-dhama--the effulgent spiritual world; avidah--of the unintelligent man; iha--in this material world; kim--what benefit; asat-karmabhih--with temporary fruitive activities; bhavet--there can be.
TRANSLATION
[Narada Muni had described that there is a bila, or hole, from which, having entered, one does not return. The Haryasvas understood the meaning of this allegory.] Hardly once has a person who has entered the lower planetary system called Patala been seen to return. Similarly, if one enters the Vaikuntha-dhama [pratyag-dhama], he does not return to this material world. If there is such a place, from which, having gone, one does not return to the miserable material condition of life, what is the use of jumping like monkeys in the temporary material world and not seeing or understanding that place? What will be the profit?
PURPORT
As stated in Bhagavad-gita (15.6), yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama: there is a region from which, having gone, one does not return to the material world. This region has been repeatedly described. Elsewhere in Bhagavad-gita (4.9), Krsna says:
janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so 'rjuna
"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna."
If one can properly understand Krsna, who has already been described as the Supreme King, he does not return here after giving up his material body. This fact has been described in this verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Puman naivaiti yad gatva: he does not return to this material world, but returns home, back to Godhead, to live an eternally blissful life of knowledge. Why do people not care about this? What will be the benefit of taking birth again in this material world, sometimes as a human being, sometimes a demigod and sometimes a cat or dog? What is the benefit of wasting time in this way? Krsna has very definitely asserted in Bhagavad-gita (8.15):
mam upetya punar janma
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
"After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection." One's real concern should be to free himself from the repetition of birth and death and attain the topmost perfection of life by living with the Supreme King in the spiritual world. In these verses the sons of Daksa repeatedly say, kim asat-karmabhir bhavet: "What is the use of impermanent fruitive activities?"
TEXT 14
TEXT
nana-rupatmano buddhih
svairiniva gunanvita
tan-nistham agatasyeha
kim asat-karmabhir bhavet
SYNONYMS
nana--various; rupa--who has forms or dresses; atmanah--of the living entity; buddhih--the intelligence; svairini--a prostitute who freely decorates herself with different types of cloths and ornaments; iva--like; guna-anvita--endowed with the mode of passion, and so on; tat-nistham--the cessation of that; agatasya--of one who has not obtained; iha--in this material world; kim asat-karmabhih bhavet--what is the use of performing temporary fruitive activities.
TRANSLATION
[Narada Muni had described a woman who is a professional prostitute. The Haryasvas understood the identity of this woman.] Mixed with the mode of passion, the unsteady intelligence of every living entity is like a prostitute who changes dresses just to attract one's attention. If one fully engages in temporary fruitive activities, not understanding how this is taking place, what does he actually gain?
PURPORT
A woman who has no husband declares herself independent, which means that she becomes a prostitute. A prostitute generally dresses herself in various fashions intended to attract a man's attention to the lower part of her body. Today it has become a much advertised fashion for a woman to go almost naked, covering the lower part of her body only slightly, in order to draw the attention of a man to her private parts for sexual enjoyment. The intelligence engaged to attract a man to the lower part of the body is the intelligence of a professional prostitute. Similarly, the intelligence of a living entity who does not turn his attention toward Krsna or the Krsna consciousness movement simply changes dresses like a prostitute. What is the benefit of such foolish intelligence? One should be intelligently conscious in such a way that he need no longer change from one body to another.
Karmis change their professions at any moment, but a Krsna conscious person does not change his profession, for his only profession is to attract the attention of Krsna by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra and living a very simple life, without following daily changes of fashion. In our Krsna consciousness movement, fashionable persons are taught to adopt one fashion--the dress of a Vaisnava with a shaved head and tilaka. They are taught to be always clean in mind, dress and eating in order to be fixed in Krsna consciousness. What is the use of changing one's dress, sometimes wearing long hair and a long beard and sometimes dressing otherwise? This is not good. One should not waste his time in such frivolous activities. One should always be fixed in Krsna consciousness and take the cure of devotional service with firm determination.
TEXT 15
TEXT
tat-sanga-bhramsitaisvaryam
samsarantam kubharyavat
tad-gatir abudhasyeha
kim asat-karmabhir bhavet
SYNONYMS
tat-sanga--by association with the prostitute of intelligence; bhramsita--taken away; aisvaryam--the opulence of independence; samsarantam--undergoing the material way of life; ku-bharya-vat--exactly like a person who has a polluted wife; tat-gatih--the movements of the polluted intelligence; abudhasya--of one who does not know; iha--in this world; kim asat-karmabhih bhavet--what can be the benefit of performing temporary fruitive activities.
TRANSLATION
[Narada Muni had also spoken of a man who is the husband of the prostitute. The Haryasvas understood this as follows.] If one becomes the husband of a prostitute, he loses all independence. Similarly, if a living entity has polluted intelligence, he prolongs his materialistic life. Frustrated by material nature, he must follow the movements of the intelligence, which brings various conditions of happiness and distress. If one performs fruitive activities under such conditions, what will be the benefit?
PURPORT
Polluted intelligence has been compared to a prostitute. One who has not purified his intelligence is said to be controlled by that prostitute. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (2.41), vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana: those who are actually serious are conducted by one kind of intelligence, namely, intelligence in Krsna consciousness. Bahu-sakha hy anantas ca buddhayo 'vyavasayinam: one who is not fixed in proper intelligence discovers many modes of life. Thus involved in material activities, he is exposed to the different modes of material nature and subjected to varieties of so-called happiness and distress. If a man becomes the husband of a prostitute, he cannot be happy, and similarly one who follows the dictations of material intelligence and material consciousness will never be happy.
One must judiciously understand the activities of material nature. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (3.27):
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
"The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature." Although one follows the dictations of material nature, he happily thinks himself the master or husband of material nature. Scientists, for example, try to be the masters of material nature, life after life, not caring to understand the Supreme Person, under whose direction everything within this material world is moving. Trying to be the masters of material nature, they are imitation gods who declare to the public that scientific advancement will one day be able to avoid the so-called control of God. In fact, however, the living being, unable to control the rulings of God, is forced to associate with the prostitute of polluted intelligence and accept various material bodies. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (13.22):
purusah prakrti-stho hi
bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan
karanam guna-sango 'sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
"The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species." If one fully engages in temporary fruitive activities and does not solve this real problem, what profit will he gain?
TEXT 16
TEXT
srsty-apyaya-karim mayam
vela-kulanta-vegitam
mattasya tam avijnasya
kim asat-karmabhir bhavet
SYNONYMS
srsti--creation; apyaya--dissolution; karim--one who causes; mayam--the illusory energy; vela-kula-anta--near the banks; vegitam--being very rapid; mattasya--of one who is mad; tam--that material nature; avijnasya--who does not know; kim asat-karmabhih bhavet--what benefit can there be by performing temporary fruitive activities.
TRANSLATION
[Narada Muni had said that there is a river flowing in both directions. The Haryasvas understood the purport of this statement.] Material nature functions in two ways--by creation and dissolution. Thus the river of material nature flows both ways. A living entity who unknowingly falls in this river is submerged in its waves, and since the current is swifter near the banks of the river, he is unable to get out. What will be the benefit of performing fruitive activities in that river of maya?
PURPORT
One may be submerged in the waves of the river of maya, but one may also get free from the waves by coming to the banks of knowledge and austerity. Near these banks, however, the waves are very strong. If one does not understand how he is being tossed by the waves, but simply engages in temporary fruitive activities, what benefit will he derive?
In the Brahma-samhita (5.44) there is this statement:
srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka
chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durga
The maya-sakti, Durga, is in charge of srsti-sthiti-pralaya, creation and dissolution, and she acts under the direction of the Supreme Lord (mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram). When one falls in the river of nescience, he is always tossed here and there by the waves, but the same maya can also save him when be surrenders to Krsna, or becomes Krsna conscious. Krsna consciousness is knowledge and austerity. A Krsna conscious person takes knowledge from the Vedic literature, and at the same time he must practice austerities.
To attain freedom from material life, one must take to Krsna consciousness. Otherwise, if one very busily engages in the so-called advancement of science, what benefit will he derive? If one is carried away by the waves of nature, what is the meaning of being a great scientist or philosopher? Mundane science and philosophy are also material creations. One must understand how maya works and how one can be released from the tossing waves of the river of nescience. That is one's first duty.
TEXT 17
TEXT
panca-vimsati-tattvanam
puruso 'dbhuta-darpanah
adhyatmam abudhasyeha
kim asat-karmabhir bhavet
SYNONYMS
panca-vimsati--twenty-five; tattvanam--of the elements; purusah--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; adbhuta-darpanah--the wonderful manifester; adhyatmam--the overseer of all causes and effects; abudhasya--of one who does not know; iha--in this world; kim asat-karmabhih bhavet--what can be the benefit of engaging in temporary fruitive activities.
TRANSLATION
[Narada Muni had said that there is a house made of twenty-five elements. The Haryasvas understood this analogy.] The Supreme Lord is the reservoir of the twenty-five elements, and as the Supreme Being, the conductor of cause and effect, He causes their manifestation. If one engages in temporary fruitive activities, not knowing that Supreme Person, what benefit will he derive?
PURPORT
Philosophers and scientists conduct scholarly research to find the original cause, but they should do so scientifically, not whimsically or through fantastic theories. The science of the original cause is explained in various Vedic literatures. Athato brahma jijnasa.janmady asya yatah. The Vedanta-sutra explains that one should inquire about the Supreme Soul. Such inquiry about the Supreme is called brahma jijnasa. The Absolute Truth, tattva, is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.11):
vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvam yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate
"Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan." The Absolute Truth appears to neophytes as impersonal Brahman and to advanced mystic yogis as Paramatma, the Supersoul, but devotees, who are further advanced, understand the Absolute Truth as the Supreme Lord, Visnu.
This material cosmic manifestation is an expansion of the energy of Lord Krsna, or Lord Visnu.
eka-desa-sthitasyagner
jyotsna vistarini yatha
parasya brahmanah saktis
tathedam akhilam jagat
"Whatever we see in this world is but an expansion of various energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is like a fire that spreads illumination for a long distance although it is situated in one place." (Visnu Purana) The entire cosmic manifestation is an expansion of the Supreme Lord. Therefore if one does not conduct research to find the supreme cause, but instead falsely engages in frivolous, temporary activities, what is the use of demanding recognition as an important scientist or philosopher? If one does not know the ultimate cause, what is the use of his scientific and philosophical research?
The purusa, the original person--Bhagavan, Visnu--can be understood only by devotional service. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah: only by devotional service can one understand the Supreme Person, who is behind everything. One must try to understand that the material elements are the separated, inferior energy of the Lord and that the living entity is the Lord's spiritual energy. Whatever we experience, including matter and the spirit soul, the living force, is but a combination of two energies of Lord Visnu--the inferior energy and the superior energy. One should seriously study the facts concerning creation, maintenance and devastation, as well as the permanent place from which one never need return (yad gatva na nivartante). Human society should study this, but instead of culturing such knowledge, people are attracted to temporary happiness and sense gratification, culminating in bottomless, topless passion. There is no profit in such activities; one must engage himself in the Krsna consciousness movement.
TEXT 18
TEXT
aisvaram sastram utsrjya
bandha-moksanudarsanam
vivikta-padam ajnaya
kim asat-karmabhir bhavet
SYNONYMS
aisvaram--bringing understanding of God, or Krsna consciousness; sastram--the Vedic literature; utsrjya--giving up; bandha--of bondage; moksa--and of liberation; anudarsanam--informing about the ways; vivikta-padam--distinguishing spirit from matter; ajnaya--not knowing; kim asat-karmabhih bhavet--what can be the use of temporary fruitive activities.
TRANSLATION
[Narada Muni had spoken of a swan. That swan is explained in this verse.] The Vedic literatures [sastras] vividly describe how to understand the Supreme Lord, the source of all material and spiritual energy. Indeed, they elaborately explain these two energies. The swan [hamsa] is one who discriminates between matter and spirit, who accepts the essence of everything, and who explains the means of bondage and the means of liberation. The words of scriptures consist of variegated vibrations. If a foolish rascal leaves aside the study of these sastras to engage in temporary activities, what will be the result?
PURPORT
The Krsna consciousness movement is very eager to present Vedic literature in modern languages, especially Western languages such as English, French and German. The leaders of the Western world, the Americans and Europeans, have become the idols of modern civilization because the Western people are very sophisticated in temporary activities for the advancement of material civilization. A sane man, however, can see that all such grand activities, although perhaps very important for temporary life, have nothing to do with eternal life. The entire world is imitating the materialistic civilization of the West, and therefore the Krsna consciousness movement is very much interested in giving the Western people knowledge by translating the original Sanskrit Vedic literatures into Western languages.
The word vivikta-padam refers to the path of logical discourses concerning the aim of life. If one does not discuss that which is important in life, one is put into darkness and must struggle for existence. What, then, is the benefit of his advancement in knowledge? The people of the West are seeing their students becoming hippies, despite gorgeous arrangements for university education. The Krsna consciousness movement, however, is trying to convert misguided, drug-addicted students to the service of Krsna and engage them in the best welfare activities for human society.
TEXT 19
TEXT
kala-cakram bhrami tiksnam
sarvam niskarsayaj jagat
svatantram abudhasyeha
kim asat-karmabhir bhavet
SYNONYMS
kala-cakram--the wheel of eternal time; bhrami--revolving automatically; tiksnam--very sharp; sarvam--all; niskarsayat--driving; jagat--the world; sva-tantram--independent, not caring for the so-called scientists and philosophers; abudhasya--of one who does not know (this principle of time); iha--in this material world; kim asat-karmabhih bhavet--what is the use of engaging in temporary fruitive activities.
TRANSLATION
[Narada Muni had spoken of a physical object made of sharp blades and thunderbolts. The Haryasvas understood this allegory as follows.] Eternal time moves very sharply, as if made of razors and thunderbolts. Uninterrupted and fully independent, it drives the activities of the entire world. If one does not try to study the eternal element of time, what benefit can he derive from performing temporary material activities?
PURPORT
This verse explains the words ksaura-pavyam svayam bhrami, which especially refer to the orbit of eternal time. It is said that time and tide wait for no man. According to the moral instructions of the great politician Canakya Pandita:
ayusah ksana eko 'pi
na labhyah svarna-kotibhih
na cen nirarthakam nitih
ka ca hanis tato 'dhika
Even a moment of one's lifetime could not be returned in exchange for millions of dollars. Therefore one should consider how much loss one suffers if he wastes even a moment of his life for nothing. Living like an animal, not understanding the goal of life, one foolishly thinks that there is no eternity and that his life span of fifty, sixty, or, at the most, one hundred years, is everything. This is the greatest foolishness. Time is eternal, and in the material world one passes through different phases of his eternal life. Time is compared herein to a sharp razor. A razor is meant to shave the hair from one's face, but if not carefully handled, the razor will cause disaster. One is advised not to create a disaster by misusing his lifetime. One should be extremely careful to utilize the span of his life for spiritual realization, or Krsna consciousness.
TEXT 20
TEXT
sastrasya pitur adesam
yo na veda nivartakam
katham tad-anurupaya
guna-visrambhy upakramet
SYNONYMS
sastrasya--of the scriptures; pituh--of the father; adesam--the instruction; yah--one who; na--not; veda--understands; nivartakam--which brings about the cessation of the material way of life; katham--how; tat-anurupaya--to follow the instruction of the sastras; guna-visrambhi--a person entangled in the three modes of material nature; upakramet--can engage in the creation of progeny.
TRANSLATION
[Narada Muni had asked how one could ignorantly defy one's own father. The Haryasvas understood the meaning of this question.] One must accept the original instructions of the sastra. According to Vedic civilization, one is offered a sacred thread as a sign of second birth. One takes his second birth by dint of having received instructions in the sastra from a bona fide spiritual master. Therefore, sastra, scripture, is the real father. All the sastras instruct that one should end his material way of life. If one does not know the purpose of the father's orders, the sastras, he is ignorant. The words of a material father who endeavors to engage his son in material activities are not the real instructions of the father.
PURPORT
Bhagavad-gita (16.7) says, pravrttim ca nivrttim ca jana na vidur asurah: demons, who are less than human beings but are not called animals, do not know the meaning of pravrtti and nivrtti, work to be done and work not to be done. In the material world, every living entity has a desire to lord it over the material world as much as possible. This is called pravrtti-marga. All the sastras, however, advise nivrtti-marga, or release from the materialistic way of life. Apart from the sastras of the Vedic civilization, which is the oldest of the world, other sastras agree on this point. For example, in the Buddhist sastras Lord Buddha advises that one achieve nirvana by giving up the materialistic way of life. In the Bible, which is also sastra, one will find the same advice: one should cease materialistic life and return to the kingdom of God. In any sastra one may examine, especially the Vedic sastra, the same advice is given: one should give up his materialistic life and return to his original, spiritual life. Sankaracarya also propounds the same conclusion. Brahma satyam jagan mithya: this material world or materialistic life is simply illusion, and therefore one should stop his illusory activities and come to the platform of Brahman.
The word sastra refers to the scriptures, particularly the Vedic books of knowledge. The Vedas--Sama, Yajur, Rg and Atharva--and any other books deriving knowledge from these Vedas are considered Vedic literatures. Bhagavad-gita is the essence of all Vedic knowledge, and therefore it is the scripture whose instructions should be especially accepted. In this essence of all sastras, Krsna personally advises that one give up all other duties and surrender unto Him (sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja).
One should be initiated into following the principles of sastra. In offering initiation, our Krsna consciousness movement asks one to come to the conclusion of sastra by taking the advice of the supreme speaker of the sastra, Krsna, forgetting the principles of the materialistic way of life. Therefore the principles we advise are no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling and no meat-eating. These four types of engagement will enable an intelligent person to get free from the materialistic life and return home, back to Godhead.
In regard to the instructions of the father and mother, it may be said that every living entity, including even the insignificant cats, dogs and serpents, takes birth of a father and mother. Therefore, getting a material father and mother is not a problem. In every form of life, birth after birth, the living entity gets a father and mother. In human society, however, if one is satisfied with his material father and mother and their instructions and does not make further progress by accepting a spiritual master and being educated in the sastras, he certainly remains in darkness. The material father and mother are important only if they are interested in educating their son to become free from the clutches of death. As instructed by Rsabhadeva (Bhag. 5.5.18): pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat. na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum. One should not strive to become a mother or father if one cannot save one's dependent son from the impending danger of death. A parent who does not know how to save his son has no value because such fathers and mothers may be had in any form of life, even among the cats, dogs and so on. Only a father and mother who can elevate their son to the spiritual platform are bona fide parents. Therefore according to the Vedic system it is said, janmana jayate sudrah: one is born of a material father and mother as a sudra. The purpose of life, however, is to become a brahmana, a first-class man.
A first-class intelligent man is called a brahmana because he knows the Supreme Brahman, the Absolute Truth. According to the Vedic instructions, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: to know this science, one must approach a bona fide guru, a spiritual master who will initiate the disciple with the sacred thread so that he may understand the Vedic knowledge. Janmana jayate sudrah samskarad dhi bhaved dvijah. Becoming a brahmana through the endeavor of a bona fide spiritual master is called samskara. After initiation, one is engaged in study of the sastra, which teaches the student how to gain release from materialistic life and return home, back to Godhead.
The Krsna consciousness movement is teaching this higher knowledge of retiring from materialistic life to return to Godhead, but unfortunately many parents are not very satisfied with this movement. Aside from the parents of our students, many businessmen are also dissatisfied because we teach our students to abandon intoxication, meat-eating, illicit sex and gambling. If the Krsna consciousness movement spreads, the so-called businessmen will have to close their slaughterhouses, breweries and cigarette factories. Therefore they are also very much afraid. However, we have no alternative than to teach our disciples to free themselves from materialistic life. We must instruct them in the opposite of material life to save them from the repetition of birth and death.
Narada Muni, therefore, advised the Haryasvas, the sons of Prajapati Daksa, that instead of begetting progeny, it would be better to leave and achieve the perfection of spiritual understanding according to the instructions of the sastras. The importance of the sastras is mentioned in Bhagavad-gita (16.23):
yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya
vartate kama-karatah
na sa siddhim avapnoti
na sukham na param gatim
"One who disregards the injunctions of the sastras and acts whimsically, as he likes, never achieves the perfection of life, not to speak of happiness. Nor does he return home to the spiritual world."
TEXT 21
TEXT
iti vyavasita rajan
haryasva eka-cetasah
prayayus tam parikramya
panthanam anivartanam
SYNONYMS
iti--thus; vyavasitah--being fully convinced by the instructions of Narada Muni; rajan--O King; haryasvah--the sons of Prajapati Daksa; eka-cetasah--all being of the same opinion; prayayuh--left; tam--Narada Muni; parikramya--circumambulating; panthanam--on the path; anivartanam--which does not bring one back again to this material world.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King, after hearing the instructions of Narada, the Haryasvas, the sons of Prajapati Daksa, were firmly convinced. They all believed in his instructions and reached the same conclusion. Having accepted him as their spiritual master, they circumambulated that great sage and followed the path by which one never returns to this world.
PURPORT
From this verse we can understand the meaning of initiation and the duties of a disciple and spiritual master. The spiritual master never instructs his disciple, "Take a mantra from me, pay me some money, and by practicing this yoga system you will become very expert in materialistic life." This is not the duty of a spiritual master. Rather, the spiritual master teaches the disciple how to give up materialistic life, and the disciple's duty is to assimilate his instructions and ultimately follow the path back home, back to Godhead, from whence no one returns to this material world.
After hearing the instructions of Narada Muni, the Haryasvas, the sons of Prajapati Daksa, decided not to be entangled in materialistic life by begetting hundreds of children and having to take care of them. This would have been unnecessarily entangling. The Haryasvas did not consider pious and impious activities. Their materialistic father had instructed them to increase the population, but because of the words of Narada Muni, they could not heed that instruction. Narada Muni, as their spiritual master, gave them the sastric instructions that they should give up this material world, and as bona fide disciples they followed his instructions. One should not endeavor to wander to different planetary systems within this universe, for even if one goes to the topmost planetary system, Brahmaloka, one must return again (ksine punye martya-lokam visanti). The endeavors of karmis are a useless waste of time. One should endeavor to return home, back to Godhead. This is the perfection of life. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (8.16):
abrahma-bhuvanal lokah
punar avartino 'rjuna
mam upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate
"From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again."
TEXT 22
TEXT
svara-brahmani nirbhata-
hrsikesa-padambuje
akhandam cittam avesya
lokan anucaran munih
SYNONYMS
svara-brahmani--in spiritual sound; nirbhata--placing clearly before the mind; hrsikesa--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, the master of the senses; padambuje--the lotus feet; akhandam--unbroken; cittam--consciousness; avesya--engaging; lokan--all the planetary systems; anucarat--traveled around; munih--the great sage Narada Muni.
TRANSLATION
The seven musical notes--sa, r, ga, ma, pa, dha and ni--are used in musical instruments, but originally they come from the Sama Veda. The great sage Narada vibrates sounds describing the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. By such transcendental vibrations, such as Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, he fixes his mind at the lotus feet of the Lord. Thus he directly perceives Hrsikesa, the master of the senses. After delivering the Haryasvas, Narada Muni continued traveling throughout the planetary systems, his mind always fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord.
PURPORT
The goodness of the great sage Narada Muni is described herewith. He always chants about the pastimes of the Lord and delivers the fallen souls back to Godhead. In this regard, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has sung:
narada-muni, bajaya vina,
'radhika-ramana'-name
nama amani, udita haya,
bhakata-gita-same
amiya-dhara, varise ghana,
sravana-yugale giya
bhakata-jana, saghane nace,
bhariya apana hiya
madhuri-pura, asaba pasi',
mataya jagata-jane
keha va kande, keha va nace,
keha mate mane mane
panca-vadana, narade dhari',
premera saghana rola
kamalasana, naciya bale,
'bola bola hari bola'
sahasranana, parama-sukhe,
'hari hari' bali' gaya
nama-prabhave, matila visva,
nama-rasa sabe paya
sri-krsna-nama, rasane sphuri',
pura'la amara asa
sri-rupa-pade, yacaye iha,
bhakativinoda dasa
The purport of this song is that Narada Muni, the great soul, plays a stringed instrument called a vina, vibrating the sound radhika-ramana, which is another name for Krsna. As soon as he strokes the strings, all the devotees begin responding, making a very beautiful vibration. Accompanied by the stringed instrument, the singing seems like a shower of nectar, and all the devotees dance in ecstasy to the fullest extent of their satisfaction. While dancing, they appear madly intoxicated with ecstasy, as if drinking the beverage called madhuri-pura. Some of them cry, some of them dance, and some of them, although unable to dance publicly, dance within their hearts. Lord Siva embraces Narada Muni and begins talking in an ecstatic voice, and seeing Lord Siva dancing with Narada, Lord Brahma also joins, saying, "All of you kindly chant 'Hari bol! Hari bol!' " The King of heaven, Indra, also gradually joins with great satisfaction and begins dancing and chanting "Hari bol! Hari bol!" In this way, by the influence of the transcendental vibration of the holy name of God, the whole universe becomes ecstatic. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, "When the universe becomes ecstatic, my desire is satisfied. I therefore pray unto the lotus feet of Rupa Gosvami that this chanting of harer nama may go on nicely like this."
Lord Brahma is the guru of Narada Muni, who is the guru of Vyasadeva, and Vyasadeva is the guru of Madhvacarya. Thus the Gaudiya-Madhva-sampradaya is in the disciplic succession from Narada Muni. The members of this disciplic succession--in other words, the members of the Krsna consciousness movement--should follow in the footsteps of Narada Muni by chanting the transcendental vibration Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. They should go everywhere to deliver the fallen souls by vibrating the Hare Krsna mantra and the instructions of Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta. That will please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One can spiritually advance if one actually follows the instructions of Narada Muni. If one pleases Narada Muni, then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hrsikesa, is also pleased (yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah). The immediate spiritual master is the representative of Narada Muni; there is no difference between the instructions of Narada Muni and those of the present spiritual master. Both Narada Muni and the present spiritual master speak the same teachings of Krsna, who says in Bhagavad-gita (18.65-66):
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo 'si me
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
"Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear."
TEXT 23
TEXT
nasam nisamya putranam
naradac chila-salinam
anvatapyata kah socan
suprajastvam sucam padam
SYNONYMS
nasam--the loss; nisamya--hearing of; putranam--of his sons; naradat--from Narada; sila-salinam--who were the best of well-behaved persons; anvatapyata--suffered; kah--Prajapati Daksa; socan--lamenting; su-prajastvam--having ten thousand well-behaved sons; sucam--of lamentation; padam--position.
TRANSLATION
The Haryasvas, the sons of Prajapati Daksa, were very well behaved, cultured sons, but unfortunately, because of the instructions of Narada Muni, they deviated from the order of their father. When Daksa heard this news, which was brought to him by Narada Muni, he began to lament. Although he was the father of such good sons, he had lost them all. Certainly this was lamentable.
PURPORT
The Haryasvas, the sons of Prajapati Daksa, were certainly Hell behaved, learned and advanced, and in accordance with the order of their father they went to perform austerities to beget good sons for their family. But Narada Muni took advantage of their good behavior and culture to properly direct them not to be involved with this material world, but to use their culture and knowledge to end their material affairs. The Haryasvas abided by the order of Narada Muni, but when news of this was brought to Prajapati Daksa, the prajapati, instead of being happy with the actions of Narada Muni, was extremely sorrowful. Similarly, we are trying to bring as many young men as possible to the Krsna consciousness movement for their ultimate benefit, but the parents of the young men joining this movement, being very sorry, are lamenting and making counterpropaganda. Of course, Prajapati Daksa did not make propaganda against Narada Muni, but later, as we shall see, Daksa cursed Narada Muni for his benevolent activities. This is the way of materialistic life. A materialistic father and mother want to engage their sons in begetting children, striving for improved economic conditions and rotting in materialistic life. They are not unhappy when their children become spoiled, useless citizens, but they lament when they join the Krsna consciousness movement to achieve the ultimate goal of life. This animosity between parents and the Krsna consciousness movement has existed since time immemorial. Even Narada Muni was condemned, not to speak of others. Nevertheless, Narada Muni never gives up his mission. To deliver as many fallen souls as possible, he continues playing his musical instrument and vibrating the transcendental sound Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
TEXT 24
TEXT
sa bhuyah pancajanyayam
ajena parisantvitah
putran ajanayad daksah
savalasvan sahasrinah
SYNONYMS
sah--Prajapati Daksa; bhuyah--again; pancajanyayam--in the womb of his wife Asikni, or Pancajani; ajena--by Lord Brahma; parisantvitah--being pacified; putran--sons; ajanayat--begot; daksah--Prajapati Daksa; savalasvan--named the Savalasvas; sahasrinah--numbering one thousand.
TRANSLATION
When Prajapati Daksa was lamenting for his lost children, Lord Brahma pacified him with instructions, and thereafter Daksa begot one thousand more children in the womb of his wife, Pancajani. This time his sons were known as the Savalasvas.
PURPORT
Prajapati Daksa was so named because he was very expert in begetting children. (The word daksa means "expert.") First he begot ten thousand children in the womb of his wife, and when the children were lost--when they returned home, back to Godhead--he begot another set of children, known as the Savalasvas. Prajapati Daksa is very expert in begetting children, and Narada Muni is very expert in delivering all the conditioned souls back home, back to Godhead. Therefore the materialistic experts do not agree with the spiritual expert Narada Muni. but this does not mean that Narada Muni will give up his engagement of chanting the Hare Krsna mantra.
TEXT 25
TEXT
te ca pitra samadistah
praja-sarge dhrta-vratah
narayana-saro jagmur
yatra siddhah sva-purvajah
SYNONYMS
te--these sons (the Savalasvas); ca--and; pitra--by their father; samadistah--being ordered; praja-sarge--in increasing progeny or population; dhrta-vratah--accepted vows; narayana-sarah--the holy lake named Narayana-saras; jagmuh--went to; yatra--where; siddhah--perfected; sva-purva-jah--their older brothers, who had previously gone there.
TRANSLATION
In accordance with their father's order to beget children, the second group of sons also went to Narayana-saras, the same place where their brothers had previously attained perfection by following the instructions of Narada. Undertaking great vows of austerity, the Savalasvas remained at that holy place.
PURPORT
Prajapati Daksa sent his second group of sons to the same place where his previous sons had attained perfection. He did not hesitate to send his second group of sons to the same place, although they too might become victims of Narada's instructions. According to the Vedic culture, one should be trained in spiritual understanding as a brahmacari before entering household life to beget children. This is the Vedic system. Thus Prajapati Daksa sent his second group of sons for cultural improvement, despite the risk that because of the instructions of Narada they might become as intelligent as their older brothers. As a dutiful father, he did not hesitate to allow his sons to receive cultural instructions concerning the perfection of life; he depended upon them to choose whether to return home, back to Godhead, or to rot in this material world in various species of life. In all circumstances, the duty of the father is to give cultural education to his sons, who must later decide which way to go. Responsible fathers should not hinder their sons who are making cultural advancement in association with the Krsna consciousness movement. This is not a father's duty. The duty of a father is to give his son complete freedom to make his choice after becoming spiritually advanced by following the instructions of the spiritual master.
TEXT 26
TEXT
tad-upasparsanad eva
vinirdhuta-malasayah
japanto brahma paramam
tepus tatra mahat tapah
SYNONYMS
tat--of that holy place; upasparsanat--by bathing regularly in the water; eva--indeed; vinirdhuta--completely purified; mala-asayah--of all the dirt within the heart; japantah--chanting or murmuring; brahma--mantras beginning with om (such as om tad visnoh paramam padam sada pasyanti surayah); paramam--the ultimate goal; tepuh--performed; tatra--there; mahat--great; tapah--penances.
TRANSLATION
At Narayana-saras, the second group of sons performed penances in the same way as the first. They bathed in the holy water, and by its touch all the dirty material desires in their hearts were cleansed away. They murmured mantras beginning with omkara and underwent a severe course of austerities.
PURPORT
Every Vedic mantra is called brahma because each mantra is preceded by the brahmaksara (aum or omkara). For example, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Lord Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (7. 8), pranavah sarva-vedesu: "In all the Vedic mantras, I am represented by pranava, or omkara." Thus chanting of the Vedic mantras beginning with omkara is directly chanting of Krsna's name. There is no difference. Whether one chants omkara or addresses the Lord as "Krsna," the meaning is the same, but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended that in this age one chant the Hare Krsna mantra (harer nama eva kevalam). Although there is no difference between Hare Krsna and the Vedic mantras beginning with omkara, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the leader of the spiritual movement for this age, has recommended that one chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
TEXTS 27-28
TEXT
ab-bhaksah katicin masan
katicid vayu-bhojanah
aradhayan mantram imam
abhyasyanta idaspatim
om namo narayanaya
purusaya mahatmane
visuddha-sattva-dhisnyaya
maha-hamsaya dhimahi
SYNONYMS
ap-bhaksah--drinking only water; katicit masan--for some months; katicit--for some; vayu-bhojanah--merely breathing, or eating air; aradhayan--worshiped; mantram imam--this mantra, which is nondifferent from Narayana; abhyasyantah--practicing; idah-patim--the master of all mantras, Lord Visnu; om--O Lord; namah--respectful obeisances; narayanaya--unto Lord Narayana; purusaya--the Supreme Person; maha-atmane--the exalted Supersoul; visuddha-sattva-dhisnyaya--who is always situated in the transcendental abode; maha-hamsaya--the great swanlike Personality of Godhead; dhimahi--we always offer.
TRANSLATION
For a few months the sons of Prajapati Daksa drank only water and ate only air. Thus undergoing great austerities, they recited this mantra: "Let us offer our respectful obeisances unto Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is always situated in His transcendental abode. Since He is the Supreme Person [paramahamsa], let us offer our respectful obeisances unto Him."
PURPORT
From these verses it is apparent that the chanting of the maha-mantra or the Vedic mantras must be accompanied by severe austerities. In Kali-yuga, people cannot undergo severe austerities like those mentioned herein--drinking only water and eating only air for many months. One cannot imitate such a process. But at least one must undergo some austerity by giving up four unwanted principles, namely illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Anyone can easily practice this tapasya, and then the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra will be effective without delay. One should not give up the process of austerity. If possible, one should bathe in the waters of the Ganges or Yamuna, or in the absence of the Ganges and Yamuna one may bathe in the water of the sea. This is an item of austerity. Our Krsna consciousness movement has therefore established two very large centers, one in Vrndavana and another in Mayapur, Navadvipa. There one may bathe in the Ganges or Yamuna, chant the Hare Krsna mantra and thus become perfect and return home, back to Godhead.
TEXT 29
TEXT
iti tan api rajendra
praja-sarga-dhiyo munih
upetya naradah praha
vacah kutani purvavat
SYNONYMS
iti--thus; tan--them (the sons of Prajapati Daksa known as the Savalasvas); api--also; rajendra--O King Pariksit; praja-sarga-dhiyah--who were under the impression that begetting children was the most important duty; munih--the great sage; upetya--approaching; naradah--Narada; praha--said; vacah--words; kutani--enigmatic; purva-vat--as he had done previously.
TRANSLATION
O King Pariksit, Narada Muni approached these sons of Prajapati Daksa, who were engaged in tapasya to beget children, and spoke enigmatic words to them just as he had spoken to their elder brothers.
TEXT 30
TEXT
daksayanah samsrnuta
gadato nigamam mama
anvicchatanupadavim
bhratrnam bhratr-vatsalah
SYNONYMS
daksayanah--O sons of Prajapati Daksa; samsrnuta--please hear with attention; gadatah--who am speaking; nigamam--instruction; mama--my; anvicchata--follow; anupadavim--the path; bhratrnam--of your brothers; bhratr-vatsalah--O you who are very much affectionate to your brothers.
TRANSLATION
O sons of Daksa, please hear my words of instruction attentively. You are all very affectionate to your elder brothers, the Haryasvas. Therefore you should follow their path.
PURPORT
Narada Muni encouraged Prajapati Daksa's second group of sons by awakening their natural affinity for their brothers. He urged them to follow their older brothers if they were at all affectionate toward them. Family affection is very strong, and therefore Narada Muni followed this tactic of reminding them of their family relationship with the Haryasvas. Generally the word nigama refers to the Vedas, but here nigama refers to the instructions contained in the Vedas. Srimad-Bhagavatam says, nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam: the Vedic instructions are like a tree, of which Srimad-Bhagavatam is the ripened fruit. Narada Muni is engaged in distributing this fruit, and therefore he instructed Vyasadeva to write this Maha-purana, Srimad-Bhagavatam, for the benefit of ignorant human society.
anarthopasamam saksad
bhakti-yogam adhoksaje
lokasyajanato vidvams
cakre satvata-samhitam
"The material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous to him, can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service. But the mass of people do not know this, and therefore the learned Vyasadeva compiled this Vedic literature, which is in relation to the Supreme Truth." (Bhag. 1.7.6) People are suffering because of ignorance and are following a wrong path for happiness. This is called anartha. These material activities will never make them happy, and therefore Narada instructed Vyasadeva to record the instructions of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Vyasadeva actually followed Narada and did this. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the supreme instruction of the Vedas. Galitam phalam: the ripened fruit of the Vedas is Srimad-Bhagavatam.
TEXT 31
TEXT
bhratrnam prayanam bhrata
yo 'nutisthati dharmavit
sa punya-bandhuh puruso
marudbhih saha modate
SYNONYMS
bhratrnam--of elder brothers; prayanam--the path; bhrata--a faithful brother; yah--one who; anutisthati--follows; dharma-vit--knowing the religious principles; sah--that; punya-bandhuh--highly pious; purusah--person; marudbhih--the demigods of the winds; saha--with; modate--enjoys life.
TRANSLATION
A brother aware of the principles of religion follows in the footsteps of his elder brothers. Because of being highly elevated, such a pious brother gets the opportunity to associate and enjoy with demigods like the Maruts, who are all affectionate to their brothers.
PURPORT
According to their belief in various material relationships, people are promoted to various planets. Here it is said that one who is very faithful to his brothers should follow a path similar to theirs and get the opportunity for promotion to Marudloka. Narada Muni advised Prajapati Daksa's second group of sons to follow their elder brothers and be promoted to the spiritual world.
TEXT 32
TEXT
etavad uktva prayayau
narado 'mogha-darsanah
te 'pi canvagaman margam
bhratrnam eva marisa
SYNONYMS
etavat--this much; uktva--speaking; prayayau--departed from that place; naradah--the great sage Narada; amogha-darsanah--whose glance is all-auspicious; te--they; api--also; ca--and; anvagaman--followed; margam--the path; bhratrnam--of their previous brothers; eva--indeed; marisa--O great Aryan king.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami continued: O best of the advanced Aryans, after saying this much to the sons of Prajapati Daksa, Narada Muni, whose merciful glance never goes in vain, left as he had planned. The sons of Daksa followed their elder brothers. Not attempting to produce children, they engaged themselves in Krsna consciousness.
TEXT 33
TEXT
sadhricinam praticinam
parasyanupatham gatah
nadyapi te nivartante
pascima yaminir iva
SYNONYMS
sadhricinam--completely correct; praticinam--obtainable by adopting a mode of life aimed at the highest goal, devotional service; parasya--of the Supreme Lord; anupatham--the pathway; gatah--taking to; na--not; adya api--even until today; te--they (the sons of Prajapati Daksa); nivartante--have come back; pascimah--western (those that have past); yaminih--nights; iva--like.
TRANSLATION
The Savalasvas took to the correct path, which is obtainable by a mode of life meant to achieve devotional service, or the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Like nights that have gone to the west, they have not returned even until now.
TEXT 34
TEXT
etasmin kala utpatan
bahun pasyan prajapatih
purvavan narada-krtam
putra-nasam upasrnot
SYNONYMS
etasmin--at this; kale--time; utpatan--disturbances; bahun--many; pasyan--seeing; prajapatih--Prajapati Daksa; purva-vat--like before; narada--by the great sage Narada Muni; krtam--done; putra-nasam--the loss of his children; upasrnot--he heard of.
TRANSLATION
At this time, Prajapati Daksa observed many inauspicious signs, and he heard from various sources that his second group of sons, the Savalasvas, had followed the path of their elder brothers in accordance with the instructions of Narada.
TEXT 35
TEXT
cukrodha naradayasau
putra-soka-vimurcchitah
devarsim upalabhyaha
rosad visphuritadharah
SYNONYMS
cukrodha--became very angry; naradaya--at the great sage Narada Muni; asau--that one (Daksa); putra-soka--due to lamentation for the loss of his children; vimurcchitah--almost fainting; devarsim--the great sage Devarsi Narada; upalabhya--seeing; aha--he said; rosat--out of great anger; visphurita--trembling; adharah--whose lips.
TRANSLATION
When he heard that the Savalasvas had also left this world to engage in devotional service, Daksa was angry at Narada, and he almost fainted due to lamentation. When Daksa met Narada, Daksa's lips began trembling in anger, and he spoke as follows.
PURPORT
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura comments that Narada Muni had delivered the entire family of Svayambhuva Manu, beginning with Priyavrata and Uttanapada. He had delivered Uttanapada's son Dhruva and had even delivered Pracinabarhi, who was engaged in fruitive activities. Nevertheless, he could not deliver Prajapati Daksa. Prajapati Daksa saw Narada before him because Narada had personally come to deliver him. Narada Muni took the opportunity to approach Prajapati Daksa in his bereavement because the time of bereavement is a suitable time for appreciating bhakti-yoga. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (7.16), four kinds of men--arta (one who is distressed), artharthi (one in need of money), jijnasu (one who is inquisitive) and jnani (a person in knowledge)--try to understand devotional service. Prajapati Daksa was in great distress because of the loss of his sons, and therefore Narada took the opportunity to instruct him regarding liberation from material bondage.
TEXT 36
TEXT
sri-daksa uvaca
aho asadho sadhunam
sadhu-lingena nas tvaya
asadhv akary arbhakanam
bhiksor margah pradarsitah
SYNONYMS
sri-daksah uvaca--Prajapati Daksa said; aho asadho--O greatly dishonest nondevotee; sadhunam--of the society of devotees and great sages; sadhu-lingena--wearing the dress of a saintly person; nah--unto us; tvaya--by you; asadhu--a dishonesty; akari--has been done; arbhakanam--of poor boys who were very inexperienced; bhiksoh margah--the path of a beggar or mendicant sannyasi; pradarsitah--shown.
TRANSLATION
Prajapati Daksa said: Alas, Narada Muni, you wear the dress of a saintly person, but you are not actually a saint. Indeed, although I am now in grhastha life, I am a saintly person. By showing my sons the path of renunciation, you have done me an abominable injustice.
PURPORT
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, sannyasira alpa chidra sarva-loke gaya (Cc. Madhya 12. 51). In society one will find many sannyasis, vanaprasthas, grhasthas and brahmacaris, but if all of them properly live in accordance with their duties, they are understood to be sadhus. Prajapati Daksa was certainly a sadhu because he had executed such great austerities that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, had appeared before him. Nevertheless, he had a fault-finding mentality. He improperly thought Narada Muni to be asadhu, or nonsaintly, because Narada had foiled his intentions. Desiring to train his sons to become grhasthas fully equipped with knowledge, Daksa had sent them to execute austerities by Narayana-saras. Narada Muni, however, taking advantage of their highly elevated position in austerity, instructed them to become Vaisnavas in the renounced order. This is the duty of Narada Muni and his followers. They must show everyone the path of renouncing this material world and returning home, back to Godhead. Prajapati Daksa, however, could not see the exaltedness of the duties Narada Muni performed in relation to his sons. Unable to appreciate Narada Muni's behavior, Daksa accused Narada of being asadhu.
The words bhiksor marga, "the path of the renounced order," are very significant in this regard. A sannyasi is called tridandi-bhiksu because his duty is to beg alms from the homes of grhasthas and to give the grhasthas spiritual instructions. A sannyasi is allowed to beg from door to door, but a grhastha cannot do so. Grhasthas may earn their living according to the four divisions of spiritual life. A brahmana grhastha may earn his livelihood by becoming a learned scholar and teaching people in general how to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He may also assume the duty of worship himself. Therefore it is said that only brahmanas may engage in Deity worship, and they may accept as prasada whatever people offer the Deity. Although a brahmana may sometimes accept charity, it is not for his personal maintenance but for the worship of the Deity. Thus a brahmana does not stock anything for his future use. Similarly, ksatriyas may collect taxes from the citizens, and they must also protect the citizens, enforce rules and regulations, and maintain law and order. Vaisyas should earn their livelihood through agriculture and cow protection, and sudras should maintain their livelihood by serving the three higher classes. Unless one becomes a brahmana, one cannot take sannyasa. Sannyasis and brahmacaris may beg alms door to door, but a grhastha cannot.
Prajapati Daksa condemned Narada Muni because Narada, a brahmacari who could beg from door to door, had made sannyasis of Daksa's sons, who were being trained to be grhasthas. Daksa was extremely angry at Narada because he thought that Narada had done him a great injustice. According to Daksa's opinion, Narada Muni had misled Daksa's inexperienced sons (asadhv akary arbhakanam). Daksa regarded his sons as innocent boys who had been misled when Narada showed them the renounced order of life. Because of all these considerations, Prajapati Daksa charged that Narada Muni was asadhu and should not have adopted the dress of a sadhu.
Sometimes a saintly person is misunderstood by grhasthas, especially when he instructs their young sons to accept Krsna consciousness. Generally a grhastha thinks that unless one enters grhastha life he cannot properly enter the renounced order. If a young man immediately adopts the path of the renounced order in accordance with the instructions of Narada or a member of his disciplic succession, his parents become very angry. This same phenomenon is occurring in our Krsna consciousness movement because we are instructing all the young boys in the Western countries to follow the path of renunciation. We allow grhastha life, but a grhastha also follows the path of renunciation. Even a grhastha has to give up so many bad habits that his parents think his life has been practically destroyed. We allow no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling and no intoxication, and consequently the parents wonder how, if there are so many no's, one's life can be positive. In the Western countries especially, these four prohibited activities practically constitute the life and soul of the modern population. Therefore parents sometimes dislike our movement, just as Prajapati Daksa disliked the activities of Narada and accused Narada of dishonesty. Nevertheless, although parents may be angry at us, we must perform our duty without hesitation because we are in the disciplic succession from Narada Muni.
People addicted to householder life wonder how one can give up the enjoyment of grhastha life, which is a concession for sex enjoyment, simply to become a mendicant in Krsna consciousness. They do not know that the householder's concession for sex life cannot be regulated unless one accepts the life of a mendicant. The Vedic civilization therefore enjoins that at the end of one's fiftieth year one must give up household life. This is compulsory. However, because modern civilization is misled, householders want to remain in family life until death, and therefore they are suffering. In such cases, the disciples of Narada Muni advise all the members of the younger generation to join the Krsna consciousness movement immediately. There is nothing wrong in this.
TEXT 37
TEXT
rnais tribhir amuktanam
amimamsita-karmanam
vighatah sreyasah papa
lokayor ubhayoh krtah
SYNONYMS
rnaih--from the debts; tribhih--three; amuktanam--of persons not freed; amimamsita--not considering; karmanam--the path of duty; vighatah--ruin; sreyasah--of the path of good fortune; papa--O most sinful (Narada Muni); lokayoh--of the worlds; ubhayoh--both; krtah--done.
TRANSLATION
Prajapati Daksa said: My sons were not at all freed from their three debts. Indeed, they did not properly consider their obligations. O Narada Muni, O personality of sinful action, you have obstructed their progress toward good fortune in this world and the next because they are still indebted to the saintly persons, the demigods and their father.
PURPORT
As soon as a brahmana takes birth, he assumes three kinds of debts--debts to great saints, debts to the demigods and debts to his father. The son of a brahmana must undergo celibacy (brahmacarya) to clear his debts to the saintly persons, he must perform ritualistic ceremonies to clear his debts to the demigods, and he must beget children to become free from his debts to his father. Prajapati Daksa argued that although the renounced order is recommended for liberation, one cannot attain liberation unless one fulfills his obligations to the demigods, the saints and his father. Since Daksa's sons had not liberated themselves from these three debts, how could Narada Muni have led them to the renounced order of life? Apparently, Prajapati Daksa did not know the final decision of the sastras. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.41):
devarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnam
na kinkaro nayam rni ca rajan
sarvatmana yah saranam saranyam
gato mukundam parihrtya kartam
Everyone is indebted to the demigods, to living entities in general, to his family, to the pitas and so on, but if one fully surrenders to Krsna, Mukunda, who can give one liberation, even if one performs no yajnas, one is freed from all debts. Even if one does not repay his debts, he is freed from all debts if he renounces the material world for the sake of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose lotus feet are the shelter of everyone. This is the verdict of the sastra. Therefore Narada Muni was completely right in instructing the sons of Prajapati Daksa to renounce this material world immediately and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unfortunately, Prajapati Daksa, the father of the Haryasvas and Savalasvas, did not understand the great service rendered by Narada Muni. Daksa therefore addressed him as papa (the personality of sinful activities) and asadhu (a nonsaintly person). Since Narada Muni was a great saint and Vaisnava, he tolerated all such accusations from Prajapati Daksa. He merely performed his duty as a Vaisnava by delivering all the sons of Prajapati Daksa, enabling them to return home, back to Godhead.
TEXT 38
TEXT
evam tvam niranukroso
balanam mati-bhid dhareh
parsada-madhye carasi
yaso-ha nirapatrapah
SYNONYMS
evam--thus; tvam--you (Narada); niranukrosah--without compassion; balanam--of innocent, inexperienced boys; mati-bhit--contaminating the consciousness; hareh--of the Supreme personality of Godhead; parsada-madhye--among the personal associates; carasi--travel; yasah-ha--defaming the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nirapatrapah--(although you do not know what you are doing, you are executing sinful activities) without shame.
TRANSLATION
Prajapati Daksa continued: Thus committing violence against other living entities and yet claiming to be an associate of Lord Visnu, you are defaming the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You needlessly created a mentality of renunciation in innocent boys, and therefore you are shameless and devoid of compassion. How could you travel with the personal associates of the Supreme Lord ?
PURPORT
This mentality of Prajapati Daksa still continues even today. When young boys join the Krsna consciousness movement, their fathers and so-called guardians are very angry at the propounder of the Krsna consciousness movement because they think that their sons have been unnecessarily induced to deprive themselves of the material enjoyments of eating, drinking and merrymaking. Karmis, fruitive workers, think that one should fully enjoy his present life in this material world and also perform some pious activities to be promoted to higher planetary systems for further enjoyment in the next life. A yogi, however, especially a bhakti-yogi, is callous to the opinions of this material world. He is not interested in traveling to the higher planetary systems of the demigods to enjoy a long life in an advanced materialistic civilization. As stated by Prabodhananda Sarasvati, kaivalyam narakayate tridasa-pur akasa-puspayate: for a devotee, merging into the Brahman existence is hellish, and life in the higher planetary systems of the demigods is a will-o'-the-wisp, a phantasmagoria with no real existence at all. A pure devotee is not interested in yogic perfection, travel to higher planetary systems, or oneness with Brahman. He is interested only in rendering service to the Personality of Godhead. Since Prajapati Daksa was a karmi, he could not appreciate the great service Narada Muni had rendered his eleven thousand sons. Instead, he accused Narada Muni of being sinful and charged that because Narada Muni was associated with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord would also be defamed. Thus Daksa criticized that Narada Muni was an offender to the Lord although he was known as an associate of the Lord.
TEXT 39
TEXT
nanu bhagavata nityam
bhutanugraha-katarah
rte tvam sauhrda-ghnam vai
vairan-karam avairinam
SYNONYMS
nanu--now; bhagavatah--devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nityam--eternally; bhuta-anugraha-katarah--very much anxious to bestow benedictions upon the fallen conditioned souls; rte--except; tvam--yourself; sauhrda-ghnam--a breaker of friendship (therefore not countable among the bhagavatas, or devotees of the Lord); vai--indeed; vairam-karam--you create enmity; avairinam--toward persons who are not enemies.
TRANSLATION
All the devotees of the Lord but you are very kind to the conditioned souls and are eager to benefit others. Although you wear the dress of a devotee, you create enmity with people who are not your enemies, or you break friendship and create enmity between friends. Are you not ashamed of posing as a devotee while performing these abominable actions?
PURPORT
Such are the criticisms that must be borne by the servants of Narada Muni in the disciplic succession. Through the Krsna consciousness movement, we are trying to train young people to become devotees and return home, back to Godhead, by following rigid regulative principles, but our service is appreciated neither in India nor abroad in the Western countries where we are endeavoring to spread this Krsna consciousness movement. In India the caste brahmanas have become enemies of the Krsna consciousness movement because we elevate foreigners, who are supposed to be mlecchas and yavanas, to the position of brahmanas. We train them in austerities and penances and recognize them as brahmanas by awarding them sacred threads. Thus the caste brahmanas of India are very displeased by our activities in the Western world. In the West also, the parents of the young people who join this movement have also become enemies. We have no business creating enemies, but the process is such that nondevotees will always be inimical toward us. Nevertheless, as stated in the sastras, a devotee should be both tolerant and merciful. Devotees engaged in preaching should be prepared to be accused by ignorant persons, and yet they must be very merciful to the fallen conditioned souls. If one can execute his duty in the disciplic succession of Narada Muni, his service will surely be recognized. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (18.68-69):
ya idam paramam guhyam
mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati
bhaktim mayi param krtva
mam evaisyaty asamsayah
na ca tasman manusyesu
kascin me priya-krttamah
bhavita na ca me tasmad
anyah priyataro bhuvi
"For one who explains the supreme secret to the devotees, devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me. There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there ever be one more dear." Let us continue preaching the message of Lord Krsna and not be afraid of enemies. Our only duty is to satisfy the Lord by this preaching, which will be accepted as service by Lord Caitanya and Lord Krsna. We must sincerely serve the Lord and not be deterred by so-called enemies.
In this verse the word sauhrda-ghnam ("a breaker of friendship") is used. Because Narada Muni and the members of his disciplic succession disrupt friendships and family life, they are sometimes accused of being sauhrda-ghnam, creators of enmity between relatives. Actually such devotees are friends of every living entity (suhrdam sarva-bhutanam), but they are misunderstood to be enemies. Preaching can be a difficult, thankless task, but a preacher must follow the orders of the Supreme Lord and be unafraid of materialistic persons.
TEXT 40
TEXT
nettham pumsam viragah syat
tvaya kevalina mrsa
manyase yady upasamam
sneha-pasa-nikrntanam
SYNONYMS
na--not; ittham--in this way; pumsam--of persons; viragah--renunciation; syat--is possible; tvaya--by you; kevalina mrsa--possessing knowledge falsely; manyase--you think; yadi--if; upasamam--renunciation of material enjoyment; sneha-pasa--the bonds of affection; nikrntanam--cutting.
TRANSLATION
Prajapati Daksa continued: If you think that simply awakening the sense of renunciation will detach one from the material world, I must say that unless full knowledge is awakened, simply changing dresses as you have done cannot possibly bring detachment.
PURPORT
Prajapati Daksa was correct in stating that changing one's dress cannot detach one from this material world. The sannyasis of Kali-yuga who change their robes from white to saffron and then think they can do whatever they like are more abominable than materialistic grhasthas. This is not recommended anywhere. Prajapati Daksa was right in pointing out this defect, but he did not know that Narada Muni had aroused the spirit of renunciation in the Haryasvas and Savalasvas through full knowledge. Such enlightened renunciation is desirable. One should enter the renounced order with full knowledge (jnana-vairagya), for the perfection of life is possible for one who renounces this material world in that way. This elevated stage can be reached very easily, as supported by the statements of Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.7):
vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogah prayojitah
janayaty asu vairagyam
jnanam ca yad ahaitukam
"By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world." If one seriously engages in devotional service to Lord Vasudeva, jnana and vairagya are automatically manifest in one's person. There is no doubt of this. Prajapati Daksa's accusation that Narada had not actually elevated his sons to the platform of knowledge was not factual. All the sons of Prajapati Daksa had first been raised to the platform of jnana and had then automatically renounced this world. In summary, unless one's knowledge is awakened, renunciation cannot take place, for without elevated knowledge one cannot give up attachment for material enjoyment.
TEXT 41
TEXT
nanubhuya na janati
puman visaya-tiksnatam
nirvidyate svayam tasman
na tatha bhinna-dhih paraih
SYNONYMS
na--not; anubhuya--experiencing; na--not; janati--knows; puman--a person; visaya-tiksnatam--the sharpness of material enjoyment; nirvidyate--becomes aloof; svayam--himself; tasmat--from that; na tatha--not like that; bhinna-dhih--whose intelligence is changed; paraih--by others.
TRANSLATION
Material enjoyment is indeed the cause of all unhappiness, but one cannot give it up unless one has personally experienced how much suffering it is. Therefore one should be allowed to remain in so-called material enjoyment while simultaneously advancing in knowledge to experience the misery of this false material happiness. Then, without help from others, one will find material enjoyment detestful. Those whose minds are changed by others do not become as renounced as those who have personal experience.
PURPORT
It is said that unless a woman becomes pregnant, she cannot understand the trouble of giving birth to a child. Bandhya ki bujhibe prasava-vedana. The word bandhya means a sterile woman. Such a woman cannot give birth to a child. How, then, can she perceive the pain of delivery? According to the philosophy of Prajapati Daksa, a woman should first become pregnant and then experience the pain of childbirth. Then, if she is intelligent, she will not want to be pregnant again. Actually. however. this is not a fact. Sex enjoyment is so strong that a woman becomes pregnant and suffers at the time of childbirth. but she becomes pregnant again, despite her experience. According to Daksa's philosophy. one should become implicated in material enjoyment so that after experiencing the distress of such enjoyment. one will automatically renounce. Material nature, however. is so strong that although a man suffers at every step, he will not cease his attempts to enjoy (trpyanti neha krpana-bahu-duhkha-bhajah). Under the circumstances, unless one gets the association of a devotee like Narada Muni or his servant in the disciplic succession, one's dormant spirit of renunciation cannot be awakened. It is not a fact that because material enjoyment involves so many painful conditions one will automatically become detached. One needs the blessings of a devotee like Narada Muni. Then one can renounce his attachment for the material world. The young boys and girls of the Krsna consciousness movement have given up the spirit of material enjoyment not because of practice but by the mercy of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His servants.
TEXT 42
TEXT
yan nas tvam karma-sandhanam
sadhunam grhamedhinam
krtavan asi durmarsam
vipriyam tava marsitam
SYNONYMS
yat--which; nah--unto us; tvam--you; karma-sandhanam--who strictly follow the fruitive ritualistic ceremonies according to Vedic injunctions; sadhunam--who are honest (because we honestly seek elevated social standards and bodily comfort); grha-medhinam--although situated with a wife and children; krtavan asi--have created; durmarsam--unbearable; vipriyam--wrong; tava--your; marsitam--forgiven.
TRANSLATION
Although I live in household life with my wife and children, I honestly follow the Vedic injunctions by engaging in fruitive activities to enjoy life without sinful reactions. I have performed all kinds of yajnas, including the deva-yajna, rsi-yajna, pitr-yajna and nr-yajna. Because these yajnas are called vratas [vows], I am known as a grhavrata. Unfortunately, you have given me great displeasure by misguiding my sons, for no reason, to the path of renunciation. This can be tolerated once.
PURPORT
Prajapati Daksa wanted to prove that he had been most tolerant in not having said anything when Narada Muni, for no reason, induced his ten thousand innocent sons to adopt the path of renunciation. Sometimes householders are accused of being grhamedhis, for grhamedhis are satisfied with family life without spiritual advancement. Grhasthas, however, are different because although grhasthas live in householder life with their wives and children, they are eager for spiritual advancement. Wanting to prove that he had been magnanimous to Narada Muni, Prajapati Daksa stressed that when Narada had misled his first sons, Daksa had taken no action; he had been kind and tolerant. He was aggrieved, however, because Narada Muni had misled his sons for a second time. Therefore he wanted to prove that Narada Muni, although dressed like a sadhu, was not actually a sadhu; he himself, although a householder, was a greater sadhu than Narada Muni.
TEXT 43
TEXT
tantu-krntana yan nas tvam
abhadram acarah punah
tasmal lokesu te mudha
na bhaved bhramatah padam
SYNONYMS
tantu-krntana--O mischief-monger who have mercilessly separated my sons from me; yat--which; nah--unto us; tvam--you; abhadram--an inauspicious thing; acarah--have done; punah--again; tasmat--therefore; lokesu--in all the planetary systems within the universe; te--of you; mudha--O rascal not knowing how to act; na--not; bhavet--there may be; bhramatah--who are wandering; padam--an abode.
TRANSLATION
You have made me lose my sons once, and now you have again done the same inauspicious thing. Therefore you are a rascal who does not know how to behave toward others. You may travel all over the universe, but I curse you to have no residence anywhere.
PURPORT
Because Prajapati Daksa was a grhamedhi who wanted to remain in household life, he thought that if Narada Muni could not remain in one place, but had to travel all over the world, that would be a great punishment for him. Actually, however, such a punishment is a boon for a preacher. A preacher is known as parivrajakacarya--an acarya, or teacher, who always travels for the benefit of human society. Prajapati Daksa cursed Narada Muni by saying that although he had the facility to travel all over the universe, he would never be able to stay in one place. In the parampara system from Narada Muni, I have also been cursed. Although I have many centers that would be suitable places of residence, I cannot stay anywhere, for I have been cursed by the parents of my young disciples. Since the Krsna consciousness movement was started, I have traveled all over the world two or three times a year, and although I am provided comfortable places to stay wherever I go, I cannot stay anywhere for more than three days or a week. I do not mind this curse by the parents of my disciples, but now it is necessary that I stay in one place to finish another task--this translation of Srimad-Bhagavatam. If my young disciples, especially those who have taken sannyasa, take charge of traveling all over the world, it may be possible for me to transfer the curse of the parents to these young preachers. Then I may sit down conveniently in one place for the work of translation.
TEXT 44
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
pratijagraha tad badham
naradah sadhu-sammatah
etavan sadhu-vado hi
titiksetesvarah svayam
SYNONYMS
sri-sukah uvaca--Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; pratijagraha--accepted; tat--that; badham--so be it; naradah--Narada Muni; sadhu-sammatah--who is an approved sadhu; etavan--this much; sadhu-vadah--appropriate for a saintly person; hi--indeed; titikseta--he may tolerate; isvarah--although able to curse Prajapati Daksa; svayam--himself.
TRANSLATION
Sri Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King, since Narada Muni is an approved saintly person, when cursed by Prajapati Daksa he replied, "tad badham: Yes, what you have said is good. I accept this curse." He could have cursed Prajapati Daksa in return, but because he is a tolerant and merciful sadhu, he took no action.
PURPORT
As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.25.21):
titiksavah karunikah
suhrdah sarva-dehinam
ajata-satravah santah
sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah
"The symptoms of a sadhu are that he is tolerant, merciful and friendly to all living entities. He has no enemies, he is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his characteristics are sublime." Because Narada Muni is the most elevated of sadhus, devotees, to deliver Prajapati Daksa he silently tolerated the curse. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught this principle to all His devotees:
trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
"One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and should be ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly." Following the orders of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, one who preaches the glories of the Lord all over the world or all over the universe should be humbler than grass and more tolerant than a tree because a preacher cannot live an easygoing life. Indeed, a preacher must face many impediments. Not only is he sometimes cursed, but sometimes he must also suffer personal injury. For example, when Nityananda Prabhu went to preach Krsna consciousness to the two roguish brothers Jagai and Madhai, they injured Him and made His head bleed, but nevertheless, He tolerantly delivered the two rogues, who became perfect Vaisnavas. This is the duty of a preacher. Lord Jesus Christ even tolerated crucifixion. Therefore the curse against Narada was not very astonishing, and he tolerated it.
Now, it may be asked why Narada Muni stayed in the presence of Prajapati Daksa and tolerated all his accusations and curses. Was that for Daksa's deliverance? The answer is yes. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that after being insulted by Prajapati Daksa, Narada Muni should have left immediately, but he purposely stayed to hear all Daksa's strong words so that Daksa might be relieved of his anger. Prajapati Daksa was not an ordinary man; he had accumulated the results of many pious activities. Therefore Narada Muni expected that after delivering his curse, Daksa, satisfied and freed from anger, would repent his misbehavior and thus get a chance to become a Vaisnava and be delivered. When Jagai and Madhai offended Lord Nityananda, Lord Nityananda stood tolerantly, and therefore both brothers fell at His lotus feet and repented. Consequently they later became perfect Vaisnavas.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Sixth Canto, Fifth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. entitled "Narada Muni Cursed by Prajapati Daksa."