43 verses
The brāhmaṇa said: O King! The embodied living entity automatically experiences unhappiness and happiness in heaven or hell. Therefore a person of intelligent discrimination does not make any endeavor to obtain such material happiness.
Following the example of the python which does not endeavor, one should accept for ones maintenance food that comes of its own accord, whether such food be delicious or tasteless, ample or meager.
One should take food as the python does, without much action.
If at any time food does not come, then a saintly person should fast for many days without making endeavor, accepting what comes by fate, just like a huge python.
A saintly person should remain peaceful but alert, maintaining his inactive body possessed of full sensual, mental and physical strength, without much endeavor, though he possesses all his senses.
Vīta-nidraḥ means that he should remain constantly alert, thinking of the Supreme Lord as his goal, since he has taken shelter of living like a python, thinking My time should not be wasted in endeavoring for maintenance of my body. Such things are not my goal.
A sage is happy but inscrutable, impossible to understand and impossible to surpass. He does not reveal his inner nature and is without agitation, like the calm ocean.
He explains what he learned from the ocean in two verses. He is inscrutable. Even the intelligent person cannot understand him. The yogīs mind cannot be understood by anyone (durvigāhyaḥ). He cannot be surpassed because of his great power. Though sick or in difficult circumstances, he does not lose control of himself and reveal his inner nature (ananta-paraḥ). He is unagitated because he has conquered lust.
The sage dedicated to Nārāyaṇa does not swell up when flourishing or dwindle when destitute, just as the ocean does not increase by rivers or dry up without them.
Just as the ocean does not rise up because of monsoon rivers, nor does it dry up in the summer without rivers, the sage, though attaining many objects, does not rejoice because of attaining his desire, and when without anything he does not lament because of poverty. The devotees of Nārāyaṇa will have joy and sorrow by attaining or not attaining the sweetness of realization of the Lord.
A man, lured by his uncontrolled senses, seeing a women created by the Lords māyā, falls into the greatest darkness, just as a moth falls into fire.
The moth teaches that attachment to form is the cause of destruction. This is explained in two verses.
A foolish person, lured by a woman, gold, ornaments or fine clothing made by māyā, with a desire for enjoyment, loses his vision and is destroyed, just like the moth which rushes into a fire.
Though the five sense objects are involved in being attracted to a woman, among all enjoyable objects, first sight falls victim to women or other desired objects. Thus form is the chief sense object.
A saintly person should accept only enough food to keep his body alive. He should go from door to door accepting just a little bit of food from each family. Thus he should practice the occupation of the honeybee.
He learns from the bee in two verses. Just as the bee stays in one lotus because of greed for its special fragrance, and becomes trapped inside when the petals close at night, the sage, taking shelter of one house because of greed for its good qualities, becomes trapped there by that illusion. Therefore, one should accept a little from each house and eat only to keep the body alive. One commits violence against the householders by taking too much or too little.
Just as the honeybee takes nectar from all flowers, big and small, an intelligent human being should take the essence from all religious scriptures.
He learns from the bee to take the essence of dharma from scriptures.
The sage should not collect food, storing it for the evening or the next day, but rather uses his hands as his plate and his belly as his storage vessel. He should not collect and store food as the bee collects honey and stores it.
He should not collect food thinking, I will eat this tonight or tomorrow. What to speak of thinking of food from the previous day, the previous month or previous full moon. One should not make plans for food one sees, and should also not accept invitations for the evening or next day, according to some authorities. With what vessel should one beg from house to house? One should use ones hands as a vessel. Having obtained food where should one place it? One should put it in the belly. He has his belly as his storage vessel (amatraḥ).
A saintly mendicant should not collect foodstuffs to eat later in the same day or the next day. If he disregards this injunction and like the honeybee collects food, he will be destroyed along with the food.
If he hoards food, what happens? That is explained in this verse.
A saintly person should never touch a young girl even with his foot. In fact, he should not even let his foot touch a wooden doll in the shape of a woman. He will be captured by illusion, just as the elephant is captured by desire to touch the she-elephants body.
Attachment to touch is a cause of destruction. This he learned from the elephant. This is explained in two verses. One should not touch a young woman even with ones foot, and should not even touch a wooden form of a woman. The elephant, seeing the female elephant, falls into a hole covered with grass and is trapped.
An intelligent man should not at any time exploit a woman who is death itself, because he will be killed by stronger lovers, just as an elephant trying to enjoy a she-elephant is killed by other stronger bull elephants
One should not boldly approach a woman, while thinking, I will enjoy her. He will be killed by stronger lovers brought by her.
What wealth greedy persons collect with great difficulty, but neither enjoy or spend, is enjoyed by another person, just as the collector of honey, knowing how to attain his goal, takes honey collected by the bees.
Wealth accumulated without giving or enjoying is taken by others. The bee keeper teaches this. Another person who is stronger enjoys what is collected by another person, just as a person enjoys honey gathered by the bees. How can another person understand one has wealth if one hides it? Some persons understand wealth by certain symptoms in another person and know how to get it (arthavit). The honey collector knows where to get the honey in the hollow of the tree by following the bees.
Just as a hunter takes away the honey laboriously produced by the honeybees, similarly, saintly mendicants such as brahmacārīs and sannyāsīs are entitled to enjoy the property painstakingly accumulated by householders dedicated to family enjoyment.
One should enjoy without endeavor. The honey collector is the teacher for this. Āśāsānām should be āśāsānānām.
yatiś ca brahmacārī ca pakvān na svāmināv ubhau |
tayor annam adattvā tu bhuktvā cāndrāyaṇaṁ caret ||
The sannyāsī and brahmacārī should take the food cooked by the householder. If a housholder does not give them food, and eats it himself, he should peform atonement by observing the cāndrāyaṇa vow. Parāśara Smṛti 1.51
A saintly person dwelling in the forest in the renounced order of life should never listen to songs or music promoting material enjoyment. Rather, he should carefully study the example of the deer, which is bewildered by the sweet music of the hunters horn and is thus captured and killed.
He learned from the deer that attachment to material songs causes obstacles. One should instead hear Bhagavad-gītā.
Becoming attracted to the worldly singing, dancing and musical entertainment of beautiful women, even the great sage Ṛṣyaśṛḍga, the son of Mṛgī, fell totally under their control, just like a pet animal.
An example of attachment to material songs is given.
Just as a fish, incited by the desire to enjoy his tongue, is fatally trapped on the fishermans hook, similarly, a foolish person is bewildered by the extremely disturbing urges of the tongue and thus meets his death.
Attraction to material taste is a cause of obstacles. This he learned from the fish. Man, bewildered by his tongue which is agitating and difficult to control (atipramāthinyā) attains death. The fish attains death by the hook with tasty bait.
By fasting, learned men quickly bring all of the senses except the tongue under control, because by abstaining from eating such men are afflicted with an increased desire to gratify the sense of taste.
The moth is destroyed by attraction to form. The bee is destroyed by attraction to smell. The elephant is destroyed by attraction to touch. The deer is destroyed by attraction to sound. The fish is destroyed by attraction to taste. It has been said:
kuraḍga-mātaḍga-pataḍga-bhṛḍga-
mīnā hatāḥ pañcabhir eva pañca |
ekaḥ pramādī sa kathaṁ na hanyate
yaḥ sevate pañcabhir eva pañca ||
The deer, elephant, moth, bee and fish are destroyed by the five sense objects. How can an insane person who engages all senses in the five sense objects not be destroyed? Garuòa Purāṇa 1.115.21
The tongue which endows the other senses with their functions (by eating food) is the cause of obstacles. Therefore one should make efforts to control it. This is explained in two verses. If one gives up eating, one conquers all the senses except the tongue. The urge of the tongue increases by fasting. If one eats, all senses become agitated by the attachment to taste. Therefore, one must conquer the tongue. Then all the senses following it will be conquered. One can control the tongue by developing a taste for chanting loudly the name of the Lord. It is said
viṣayā vinivartante nirāhārasya dehinaḥ |
rasa-varjaṁ raso py asya paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate ||
One who refrains from eating also stops the sense objects from functioning, but the desire for tasting remains. Having experienced the highest taste, one can stop the desire for material taste. BG 2.59
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Although one may conquer all of the other senses, as long as the tongue is not conquered it cannot be said that one has controlled his senses. However, if one is able to control the tongue, then one is understood to be in full control of all the senses.
O son of kings! Previously in the city of Videha there dwelled a prostitute named Piḍgalā. Now please hear what I have learned from that lady.
From Piḍgalā he learned distaste for material enjoyment. Her story is now told.
Once, that prostitute, desiring to bring a lover into her house, stood outside in the doorway at night showing her beautiful form.
Saṇkete means in the place for enjoyment. She stood there to attract someone.
O best among men! This prostitute was very anxious to get money, and as she stood on the street at night she studied all the men who were passing by, thinking, Oh, this one surely has money. I know he can pay the price.
Paying the price the men would enjoy sex.
evaṁ durāśayā dhvasta- nidrā dvāry avalambatī nirgacchantī praviśatī niśīthaṁ samapadyata
As many men passed by her house, Piḍgalā, who lived by prostitution, thought, Maybe this rich one will come and give me lots of money. Thus, with vain hope, she remained leaning against the doorway, and could not go to sleep. Out of anxiety she would sometimes walk out in the street, and sometimes she went back into her house. In this way, the midnight arrived.
Midnight (niśītham) arrived.
The prostitute, who intensely desired money, gradually became morose, and her face dried up. Because of that worry for money, she began to feel a great detachment from her situation, and happiness arose in her mind.
Worrying about money was the cause of her detachment.
Detachment acts like a sword, cutting to pieces the bondage caused by aspirations. Now please hear from me exactly the song sung by the disgusted prostitute.
Śṛnu yathā mama means hear from me as it is. Detachment is the sword for cutting the ropes produced by hopes for material enjoyment.
O King! Just as a human being who is bereft of spiritual knowledge never desires to give up his false sense of proprietorship over many material things, similarly, a person who has developed detachment never desires to give up the bondage of the material body.
This verse describes the necessity of detachment.
Piḍgalā said: See the extent of my illusion! Because I cannot control my mind, I desire love from an insignificant man. By this I have become a fool.
I desire love. Because of that love I have become a fool.
Giving up the eternal Lord situated within me, who accepts love, gives love and gives wealth, foolishly I serve insignificant men who give dissatisfaction, sorrow, fear, worry, lamentation and illusion.
The Lord is in my heart, the enjoyer (ramaṇam). Why do I not give love to him? He gives love. Why would he not give love to me? What is the use of other men, who are full of sin? He gives wealth. Being pleased with my love, he will give the greatest wealth. Others are not capable of giving full satisfaction (akāmadam). In this way she thought of the Lord. Some authorities say that she thought in this way by the great mercy of Dattātreya who happened to rest in her yard that night.1
Oh, how I have uselessly tortured my own soul by the profession of despicable prostitution! I desired pleasure and wealth from pitiable, greedy, lusty men by selling my body.
I desired pleasure and wealth from lusty men by selling my body.
Who except me accepts this body full of stool and urine, which is like a house made of bones, with nine doors oozing with filth, with the spine as the main beam and the bones of the hands and feet as the secondary beams, covered by skin, hair and nails?
How astonishing that I thought that this disgusting body was enjoyable for love making? The body is a house made of bones. The spine (vaṁśa) is the main beam and the bones of the hands and feet (vaṁśya) are its secondary beams. Who except me is dedicated to this body?
Certainly in this city of Videha I alone am completely foolish. I neglected the Supreme Lord who gives himself and instead I desired to enjoy with other men.
I am unchaste, desiring enjoyment with men other than the Lord.
The Supreme Lord is the dearest for all living beings because he is everyones well-wisher, and the soul situated in everyones heart. Therefore I will now pay the price of complete surrender, and thus purchasing the Lord, I will enjoy with him just like Lakṣmī.
What then do you desire to do? Purchasing him by giving my body to him, I will enjoy with him, having attained the Lord who is most dear.
Sense objects, men who provide sense gratification for women, and even the devatās, have a beginning and an end, and are destroyed by time. Therefore how much actual pleasure could any of them ever give to their wives?
Sense objects (kāmāḥ), men who give pleasure, and devatās as well, are all destroyed by time. What pleasure can they give their wife? None at all. Thus, in this world and the next, no one except the Lord should be served.
Viṣṇu is pleased with me for some action of mine. Although I most stubbornly hoped to enjoy the material world, detachment has arisen in my heart, and it is making me happy.
Discerning in this way, she glorifies her good fortune. O best of detached persons! Today make my yard successful by your mercy. Come here and rest. Eat and drink! Having addressed Dattātreya who had arrived own his own, she began to clean and decorate the place at night. This is the explanation of some authorities.
The suffering of an unfortunate woman could not be the cause of detachment, by a person gives up bondage and attains peace.
How can Viṣṇu be pleased with you, if you have not obtained wealth? If Viṣṇu was not pleased with me, the sufferings of the unfortunate prostitute would be no reason for becoming detached. By this detachment, a person gives up bondage to house and family, and attains peace.
With devotion I accept the great benefit that the Lord has bestowed upon me. Having given up my sinful desires for ordinary sense gratification, I now take shelter of the Supreme Lord.
Accepting the help give by the Lord, in the form of detachment, taking it on my head, giving up all collections of sense objects (grāmya-saḍgatāḥ), I surrender to the Lord.
Satisfied, having faith in the Lord, and maintaining myself with whatever comes of its own accord, I shall enjoy life with only the Lord, because he is the real source of love and happiness.
What does she desire to do after surrendering? That is explained. What does she has faith in? She has faith that she will enjoy with the Lord.
Who else but the Supreme Lord can save the living entity who has fallen in the well of saṁsāra, blind by sense objects, devoured by the snake of time?
Why are you so eager to give up worshipping the devatās for Viṣṇu? This verse answers.
When the living entity sees that the entire universe has been seized by the serpent of time, and becoming sober, detaches himself from all material enjoyment, he is qualified to protect himself from saṁsāra.
Will you worship the Lord with the idea of getting deliverance? No. When the jīva becomes detached from all material enjoyment (akhilāt), since he sees the world devoured by time, at that time ātmā is his own protection from saṁsāra. My ātmā has this very nature. Thus I have been delivered from saṁsāra automatically. I will then worship the Lord in prema alone.
The avadhūta said: Thus, with determined mind, Piḍgalā, cutting off all her sinful desires arising from thirst for lovers, became situated in perfect peace and lay down on her bed.
Material desire is undoubtedly the cause of the greatest unhappiness, and freedom from such desire is the cause of the greatest happiness. Therefore, completely cutting off her desire to enjoy lovers, Piḍgalā happily went to sleep.
Thus ends the commentary on Eighth Chapter of the Eleventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
In the Eighth Chapter, nine gurus such as the python are described and as well as the story of Piḍgalā, which produces distaste for material pleasure. One should not over-endeavor for maintaining the material body. This is taught through the example of the python in four verses. Just as suffering comes without desiring it, happiness also comes. What is the use of such desires?