Arjuna Kidnaps Subhadra, and Krishna Blesses His Devotees

In the eight ysixth chapter, Arjuna, dressed as a sannyasi, steals Subhadra. Krsna goes to Mithila to see his devotees, the king and the brahmana.

Seeing signs of the conclusion of the pastimes, Pariksit said, “O master, I have heard about the marriages of Baladeva down to Aniruddha, but did not hear about the marriage of Subhadra.” Therefore he speaks this verse. “How did Arjuna marry her? I should ask that because she is my grandmother.”

Arjuna heard that Balarama wanted to marry his cousin Subhadra to Duryodhana. However, Vasudeva and others did not what to give her to Duryodhana.

Arjuna, desiring to marry her (tam lipsuh), dressed himself as a most worshipful sannyasi to fool Balarama, with the help of his friend Krsna.

Once, at the end of the caturmasya vrata, Balarama invited him to his house, and Arjuna ate the food offered by Balarama.

Arjuna saw the maiden, attractive even to men of controlled senses (dhira manoharam). In some texts “vira manoharam” is seen. In that case it means, “attractive to warriors.”

Subhadra, seeing Arjuna, attractive to all women, confirmed in her mind that he was not a sannyasi, but her lover, by his characteristics, and developed strong desire for him.

Desiring an opportunity to take her away (antaram), he had no peace (sam).

He stole her at the festival of chariots commemorating the rising the Lord from sleep after the caturmasya vrata was completed. This reason is given: he did this with the permission of Krsna and her parents.

He stole her, ignoring the wailing of her friends.

Balarama offered him many gifts as a sign of affection (paibarhani).

Here, Sukadeva tells a special story that he spontaneously recollected, without being asked, which he personally witnessed. The brahmana was a devotee of Krsna, who took Krsna as his master (krsnasya).

He lived in Mithila in the province of Videha, and maintained himself by accepting whatever food came of its own accord, while absorbed in his service to the lord (nija kriyah).

By the will of the Lord, only as much as was necessary to support his body and that of his family, came to him, and not more.

There was also a king coming in the line of Janaka of Mithila, or the king of Mithila, called Bahulasva, who did not identify himself falsely as a king (nirahammanah).

Being pleased with them, seeing that they were unable to come to him because of obligation to serve his deity, he went to see those two eager devotees himself. Seeing the sages tired through going on foot, he forcibly put them on his own chariot and rode with them to Mithila.

Vyasadeva (krsna), Parasurama (rama), and Sukadeva (aham) were among the sages.

Those who were on the path, from Anarta and other places, and others (anye) who were far from the path but came and gathered along the route, drank with their eyes the lotus of his face, tasting its sweetness.

How could they relish the sweetness of the Lord’s form? It was by his glance. This is explained in this verse. He destroyed the ignorance in their eyes by his merciful glance, and bestowed upon them realization of the supreme object (artha drsam) and devotion to himself, the only means of realizing his sweetness (ksemam). As he himself says, “I am only attainable by bhakti.” (Bhakyaham ekaya grahyah) sb 11.14.21.

They went out (abhiyuh) of the city to meet Krsna.

Placing their hands above their heads they offered their respects to Krsna and the sages.

The form of the verb nyamantrayetam (atmanepada) is poetic license. The form nyamantrayatam (parasmaipada), as the invitation was for Krsna, not themselves.

Understanding that both Srutadeva and Bahulasva wanted him to come to their houses, he expanded himself and the sages into two forms and entered both houses, without the other person seeing it. The king thought “Merciful Krsna has accepted my invitation and is coming to my house, and Srutadeva is going home alone.” And Srutadeva thought, “Krsna is accepting my invitation and the king is going home alone.”

So they also had developed two forms, one joyful with Krsna and one despondent without Krsna. The neighbors of the king who was with Krsna, on going to Srutadeva’s house, saw him there alone and despondent without Krsna; and the assistants of Srutadeva who were with Krsna, going to the king’s house saw him there alone and despondent without Krsna.

Bahulasva’s eyes were filled with tears (asru vileksana).

He worshipped Krsna and the sages who were equal to Krsna (isvaran).

O Supreme atma, you are the producer of all consciousness. Therefore by mercy, make me, an unconscious object, conscious, and make me your devotee. O witness (saksi)! As you see all good and bad activities, you see the devotional actions I have performed for you daily. You see all (svadrk), so there is no need to inform you of anything. Therefore (atha), I can get your audience only if you yourself come by your free will. I am not fortunate to be able to come and see you, since it is impossible for me to give up even for a second serving your deity form in my house. Always thinking of you (smaratam) in this way, you have come here.

As you yourself say that your brother Balarama (Ananta), your wife (sri), your son (Brahma), are not as dear to as your unalloyed devotee, by your coming from Dvaraka, so far away, with no other purpose than to show yourself to me, my doubt as to whether I am truly your unconditional devotee has been cut.

Or it can mean: you have come because you want to make me your pure devotee by your appearance before me.

How can he who knows in this way (evam vit) give up your lotus feet?

Appearing in the Yadu dynasty, You spread your fame which destroys all sin of the three worlds in order to stop the repeated cycles of birth and death of mankind (tat santyai).

35.He praises the lord in order to make him stay at his house for some days.

“I pay my respects to Krsna, who has sharp intelligence (akuntha medhase). By your staying in my house, may I also develop such sharp intelligence which cannot be pierced by the arrows of material enjoyment. I offer my respects to Narayana Rsi. Just as you reside in Badarika asrama for the good fortune of the land of Bharata, you should reside in my house for some days for the good fortune of Mithila. I offer my respects to you who practice peaceful austerity (susantam tapah issue). Staying in my house which is devoid of the enjoyments of Dvaraka, you will perform austerity.”

You, with (sametah) the sages should stay in my house and purify it with your feet.

Srutadeva, holding his cloth in his hands above his head and waving it in joy began to dance when Krsna arrived at his house.

He sat them down on kusa asanas, some from his own house and some brought from neighboring houses, and washed their feet.

He worshipped them by offering fruit such as amalaki, by arghya (arahana), by usira root, by fragrant camphor (sita), by water sweet as nectar, and other items which could easily be obtained (yatha upapannaya), and by pure food (andhasa) which increased sattva guna.

Srutadeva then began to wonder for what reason he was able to meet with Krsna (kutah mama aa nu abhut). AA indicates his thinking process, and nu indicates his astonishment. “How did I, fallen in the well of household life, get to meet Krsna and these sages who are the abode of his form (asya atma niketana bhu suraih), and whose footdust is the abode of all tirthas?”

Being present along with his wife, his sons (sva jana), and others of the same house (apatya), he massaged the Lord’s feet.

“O best of the brahmanas, Srutadeva, how is it that I have the good fortune of meeting you today?” When the Lord says this, Srutadeva replies with clever use of words.

“O Supreme Lord, not only today did you get to see us. When you create the universe and enter it by your own presence, starting from that time, up until today, we, your tastha sakti, enjoying the fruits of our karma, have been observed by you. But only today do we see you.” This is an example of uttara alankara, where a statement infers the question.

“O Lord, you created the universe just by you mind and enter into it. I am an example of jivas mentioned above. You should therefore see me.” He speaks again using clever words. The meanng is as follows.

“Just as a sleeping person by his mind, immersed in its ignorance (atma mayaya), creates villages and cities, enters into them and experiences seeing and sensing them, so you also, starting from the beginning of your creation through your mind, up till today, have been seeing me. I, however, staring from the creation till today have not seen even a trace of you. But now, today, by your mercy, I have seen you.”

“But person like you who are engaged in hearing and singing about me certainly attain my presence.” Srutadeva answers in this verse.

“You appear within those persons who discuss among the devotees about you (samvadatam). But they are also devoid of all contamination such as envy (amala atmanam). But I am full of contamination. That you have appeared in person here is a show of your wonderful quality of mercy.”

“Moreover, you display other wonderful qualities. Though you reside in the hearts of both the non devotees and the devotees, you are not visible to the non devotees and are visible to the devotees.”

“How is it possible for me to be in their hearts and to be far away from them?”

“You are not visible because of the action of ignorance (atma saktibhih), with its covering pride and envy. Though separate from those people (atidurasthah), you are in the heart (anti) of those who in their hearts think of your qualities (upeta guna atmanam); you are perceived by them.”

Elaborating the meaning, he offers his respects.

“I offer respects to the Lord who possesses a form (atma) beyond maya (para), which is the object of meditation for the santa bhatas who are knowers of the atma (adhyatma vidam). I offer my respects to the Lord who is without form (anatmane) for the jnanis, and to the Lord who gives out death (vibhakta) through his form of time (sva atma) to the asuras. I offer my respects the Lord who assumes the material form of the virat (sa karanam) and the spiritual form of eternity, knowledge and bliss. I offer my respects to the Lord who appear uncovered by his maya to his devotees and covered to the non devotees.”

“Please instruct me (sadhi).”

He took Srutadeva’s hand in his, indicating that he would drown him in sakhya rasa when he would hear the Lord’s clever words. The Lord laughed. “You have clearly understood all about me. What should I, knowing all about you, teach you?”

“I have heard you praise me, but not the brahmanas accompanying me. Being the worshiper of the brahmanas, I will praise the brahmanas myself, to teach devotion to brahmanas. But you should praise me, while I should praise the brahmanas.” This is Krsna’s intention. Addressing Srutadeva as a brahmana he indicates that Srutadeva being of the same caste as the sages does not have to give as much respect as he does.

“Moreover, the brahmana is superior to the devatas. Those things gradually purify but the brahmanas purify immediately. That purification takes place simply by the glance of the worshipful brahmanas. If people obtain that glance they immediately become purified.”

As is said, "Dear Lord, Your personal associates, devotees, wander all over the world to purify even the holy places of pilgrimage. " sb4.30.37

The brahmana is best of all living entities by birth, austerity, knowledge, peace and even more because he directly see me through worship (mat kalaya).

54.The brahmana is called sarva devamaya or composed of all the devas because he knows the Vedas which point out Krsna as the Supreme Lord, since he has the power of all the devatas combined.

Those who find fault with the brahmanas (asuyavah) and think that deities are worthy of worship but not the brahmanas, do not know this.

This verse describes the qualities of the brahmana. The special brahmana endowed with direct realization of me (mad iskaya), such as Narada, knows that this universe and its causes (hetavah), the objects (bhava) such as mahat tattva, are forms of me.

Srutadeva then worshiped Krsna and the sages with undivided attention (ekatma bhavena). Or another meaning is: he worshipped Krsna and the sages with the understanding that they were non different.

Having resided at the homes of his two devotees and taught the process of devotion (margam) practiced by the devotees (sat), Krsna returned to Dvaraka.