Krishna Blesses the Liberated Kings

In the seventy third chapter Krsna frees the kings imprisoned by Jarasandha and, seeing him, they praise him Satisfied with the kings, Krsna returns to the city of Yudhisthira.

The kings who wee defeated by Jrasandha and imprisoned came out of Giri droni. Around his neck Krsna was wearing the kaustubha jewel (varamani).

The kings seemed to be embracing Krsn with their arms (rambhantah).

Devadeva indicates Krsna’s supreme position as the Lord. Prapanna arti hara (remover of the pains of the surrendered) indicates his affection for his devotees. Avaya (inexhaustible) indicates his unchanging nature.

We do not find fault with him (na anusuyamah). From Jarasandha we lost our kingdoms, and from losing the kingdom we have obtained your mercy.

In three verse he shows how losing a kingdom is a cause of the mercy of the Lord.

With unrestrained (unnada) pride in his wealth and power, the king thinks the impermanent wealth to be permanent.

Furthermore the wealth of kingdom and other things is not really wealth. The unintelligent persons (ayukta) see the illusory (mayam) enjoyments arising from sense objects such as sound, form etc.(vaikariniam) as real. Just as a fool sees the light in a mirage to be water, so the kings see the distress arising in objects of enjoyment as happiness.

Examples of this are ourselves. Wanting to conquer the earth (asyah) we competed with each other, not seeing you as death situated in front of us. Previously we were intoxicated with pride, and now, today, we have lost our power by the influence yourself as time. Receiving your mercy, may we remember your lotus feet. We realize that the cause of losing our kingdoms was your mercy.

Therefore (atha) we do not desire the kingdom made beautiful by men under the spell of illusions. The accusative case is poetic license. They are kingdoms served by bodies which are residences of sickness, and very temporary. Such kingdoms only give sorrow. Moreover it is then necessary to perform sacrifices like asvamedha using huge amounts of wealth obtained in the kingdom. We have no desire for svarga loka (kriyaphalam). Such results are pleasurable only to the ears, for having gone there one finds no happiness because of continued competition there.

“Then I should give you sayujya mukti?”

“ No, not at all.” This they express in this verse.

“Please show us the exact method (sam) so we can understand and execute it, by which we will not forget your lotus feet. Though we are wandering in various bodies, we do not ask that you stop that wandering, nor do we even have desire for prema bhakti, more worthy of hankering.” This is said out of an appearance of extreme humility. “Nor do we desire even remembrance of you, which is an anga of bhakti. We only desire the means for remembrance. And we do not ask that you give it to us, but rather that you indicate it, and clearly (sam) so that we can practice.”

This shows the highest degree of qualities like desirelessness, humility and sense control which are necessary qualification for bhakti.

Laying down on the ground with eight limbs touching, and singing the names of the Lord, they offered respects with the request to teach them out of mercy though they were unqualified.

“We offer respects to Krsna, svayam bhagavan, to Vasudeva, who appears from Vasudeva giving mercy to all jivas, to Hari, who delivers even the demons from the suffering of the material world, to Paramatma, who appears as the supersoul for the devotees of santa rasa, and as the source of supreme prema for the devotees of dasya and other rasas, to the remover of suffering which create obstacles to bhakti for the sadhaka bhaktas (pranata), to Govinda, who reaches out to our senses such as the eyes, ears and nose, in order to give the nectar of his beauty, sweet sounding voice, and fragrance.”

18.”O kings nourishers and protectors of the earth (bhu pa), by revealing the true nature of my devotee through your statements above you are nourishing the earth by spreading upon it the nectar of the practice of bhakti. I promise (badham) that steady bhakti by the means that you desired (asamsitam) will appear. The means is this: I will instruct, you will understand, practice, and then attain firm remembrance; and from the remembrance appears prema bhakti (drdha bhakti). Firmness in the practice and goal appears (jayate) at this moment, and the realization will come gradually, in ever newness from today (adya prabhrti).’

That you have decided to take up bhakti which is a necessity, is truly fortunate, for I see the madness and bondage of kings. From wealth (sri) comes concept of power (aisvarya), from aisvarya comes pride (ada) and from pride comes bondage (unnaham).

Pasye is used for pasyami.

Many fell from their posts (sthanat) because of intoxication with wealth.

But by my instruction you should do this, according to the customs.

You should spend your time, producing offspring (prajatantun), serving birth and death (bhava abhava), happiness and distress, which are met with (praptam). Praptam is not in the dual form because of abundance of terms only one form remains (eka sesa).

Krsna engaged men and women in rubbing oil on their bodies, bathing them and other services.

Relieved of their distress the kings appeared resplendent like the moon and other planets (grahah) after the rainy season.

Stunned by bliss, Yudhisthira could not speak.