The Prayers Offered to the Lord by the Residents of Jambūdvīpa

The worship of Hayagrīva and other deities in six varṣas starting with Bhadrāśva are described in the Eighteenth Chapter. Bhadraśravā is the name of the leader of this varṣa. Kula-patayaḥ means the chief descendents.

Bhadraśravasa means Bhadraśravā’s followers. The Lord is called a purifier because he removes the contamination of ignorance from the jīvas.

Though he sees death, he does not see it. Burning his dead father who produced him and son whom he produced, who have died, he, positioned between them, even though produced by one and producing the other, desires to live off of their wealth. He does not bother to ask, “Can death take me away?” Someone may say, “But to live fifty years for the service of the Lord is not to be criticized.” But this person meditates on how to get himself married, to get some material happiness (vikarma sevitum). Not only is he not aware of death, but he enjoys after burning his son. This is most astonishing. Another version has jijīviṣan. Since that version keeps the meter, it is acceptable. “In Bhadrāśva and other heavenly planets on earth, a person would not see the death of his father and son at the same time.” That is true. In their descriptions, they are speaking of the inhabitants of Bhārata. “We are unfortunate. We are enjoying the results of our good karmas. In Bhadrāśva we live like animals. Those who are most fortunate have taken birth in Bhārata for attaining practices to get out of this world. There, even the low-born easily attain Vaikuṇṭha. How can they become bewildered?” This is how they thinking.

What is surprising about an ignorant person not seeing death? Even the wise are bewildered. This is your astonishing action. Giving up study of scripture, I offer respects to you. Those who are really in knowledge worship you.

“You say that even the learned men are bewildered by my māyā. This implies a fault in me (by my close association with māyā).” Though māyā belongs to you, you are separate from her. The Lord is actually called the non-doer of creation because he only activates the guṇas. Accepting the action of creation is only metaphorical. You do not have a sense of being a doer like the jīva. You are not covered by the guṇas. This is reasonable for you, and not astonishing. Because you are the possessor of māyā, you are the cause of all its effects. You are the form of everything (sarvātmani). Because māyā is not part of your svarūpa-śakti, you are said to be separate.

This verse describes a pastime of the avatāra related to the topic. Hayagrīva returned to Brahmā (kavaye) the Vedas which were take away by a demon (tamasā). He has the form of a man and horse. I offer respect to he whose desires comes true (avitatha-īhitāya).

In the Seventh Canto Narasiṁha will be described. Prahlāda’s character purified the demon family. His bhakti is called uninterrupted because it was unmixed with karma or jñāna. It is called pure because he did not worship any devatās.

You are the power of power itself. Burn up the impressions (aśayān) of karma. Appear in my mind so there is fearlessness.

Chanting the mantra, he prays with this verse. In praying for auspiciousness of the universe, there should be auspiciousness even for the sinful. Then affliction of devotees should be absent. Thus he prays that the demon because devoid of anger (prasīdatām). Even if the devotees are not afflicted, there can still be mutual animosity between other beings. With that, there can be no auspiciousness. Therefore he says “May all beings meditate on auspiciousness!” Auspiciousness cannot exist with attachment to material enjoyment. Therefore he prays that the mind partake of auspiciousness. Bhadram here means “without attachment.” Without bhakti, auspiciousness is inauspicious. May our niṣkāma (ahaitukī) minds be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. Since no words like “today” or “right now” are mentioned in his prayer, the Lord will fulfill his desires over a period of time. One should not say however that all the jīvas will be liberated eventually, and then the universes will all be empty, since the jīva-śakti and māyā-śakti are eternal. The jīva-śakti will manifest countless other jīvas for the material world.

For a person attached to the Lord, association with devotees is favorable and bad association is an obstacle. However, by the strength of good association, bad association will on its own disappear. If we have association of devotees, attachment to house, wife, children and wealth should not arise. This means that gradually attachment to these things will be destroyed. “Without house and wealth, without enjoyment, the body will suffer. How can one survive?” One is satisfied with filling the stomach by some begged food (prāṇa-vṛttyā), because he is fully determined (ātmavān). One who satisfies his senses reaches perfection slowly. Or, if one has association with devotees, one should not have attachment to house and wife, because if both types of association coexist, one cannot attain the Lord quickly. One who is controlled, satisfied with begged food, reaches perfection. Or, let us not have attachment to house and wife! If there is association with devotees, even when association is absent, by perfection of bhakti, knowledge produced by bad association becomes powerless. “Then let us give up bad association. Let us pray only for good association.” True, association with devotees devoid of bad association quickly brings results. One who is satisfied with begged food and who has attained association with devotees reaches perfection.

One should not explain the verse to mean “If there is association, let it not be bad association, but association with devotees.” This suggests that no association is preferable to good association. Thus the philosophy of bhakti becomes nullified. This will be contrary to the meaning of the next verse. It will also be contrary to verses like the following:

tulayāma lavenāpi na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam |

bhagavat-saḍgi-saḍgasya martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ ||

Let us not compare even a particle of association with devotees to Svarga or liberation, what to speak of any blessings in this world. (SB 1.18.13)

This is a glorification of devotee association. The power of the Lord’s pastimes like lifting Govardhana attained by association with devotees is a holy place which purifies even sattva. Kṛṣṇa (ajaḥ) removes the impressions of desire (aḍgajam) related to the mind (mānasam) of men sipping (saṁspṛśatām) through the ear the holy waters of the Lord’s pastimes heard from the devotees. A second meaning is “Kṛṣṇa attracts the mind.” How? He enters through the ears. Who would not hear the pastimes of Mukunda, such as lifting Govardhana? His pastimes are outstanding because without devotee association they are rarely understood.

This verse praises the devotee, who attains his position by bhakti attained through association, mentioned in the previous verse with “who would not hear the pastimes of Mukunda?” Where there is niṣkāma (akiñcanā) bhakti to the Lord, the devatās live in that place completely with all qualities like dharma, jñāna and vairāgya. He becomes filled with all the devatās. This means that by service to the Lord all the devatās are served. Or, the presiding deities of the senses such as Rudra (ego) reside there with all good qualities, and no bad qualities. Thus the bad qualities of pride arising from ahaḍkāra do not arise. How can the qualities without fault, the great qualities arising from bhakti (mahad-guṇāḥ,) reside with the non-devotee? If good qualities such as knowledge of scripture are present in a non-devotee, they coexist with bad qualities like envy and hatred. Such a person chases material pleasure or what is non-existent (asati) with the desire for happiness gained through position etc. (bahiḥ).

Or, the presiding deities of the senses in the material world live with bad qualities in material people, since the devatās must deal with saṁsāra. But they do not dwell constantly with the jñānīs absorbed in contemplating oneness of the ātmā. They tremble in fear, thinking “We will die today or tomorrow in the company of these ungrateful people who want to destroy us after getting knowledge from us.” They dwell constantly in the devotees who distribute spiritual knowledge, relishing the sweetness of the Lord, with all good qualities. We are like crude iron, being material, but becoming spiritual. By contact with Kṛṣṇa, we become followers of Kṛṣṇa. Having attained knowledge of the Lord’s form and qualities, they continually relish the sweetness of the Lord. “With that devotee’s association we can cross over death at least.” This is what they conclude with bliss and astonishment. The rest of the verse would be explained as before.

“Does one see any greatness in persons in household life who have scriptural knowledge, good family, but devoid of bhakti?” Yes, but they are the object of laughter. The reason is given. Some type of fish gives up the water and wanders on the bank looking for pleasure. He ends up half-dead. Similarly, the person who rejects the Lord wanders around in this world and is half-dead. He is not great. If he is known as great in this world, it is the greatness of youth seen in a young couple. The attraction between the youthful couple is not there in a elderly couple or in two babies. Because of youth, they two persons worship each other with cloth and ornaments. This is not so for old people.

Rajas means thirst. Rāga means absorption. Saṁsāra is a circle and resides in the house. This is an instruction to the demons.

Kāmadeva means “one who plays (dīvyati for deva), using the pastimes of Cupid.” The Lord resides (verb should be added to the sanskṛt sentence) in Ketumāla with this form to please Prajāpati’s sons and daughters, the devatās presiding over the day and night. The śruti says samvatsaro vai prajāpatiḥ: Prajāpati is the year. Prajāpati is made of the year, or is the devatā presiding over the year. In mentioning the lifespan of man as a hundred years, the speaker of that time is speaking in anticipation of the lifespan of humans in Kali-yuga. By calculating a hundred years of days and nights, one attains a total of 360,000 days and nights. The fetuses of these 360,000 married daughters (which means nights along with the days of human life) are destroyed by the power of the kāla-cakra (mahā astra) of the Lord. The fetuses refer to the time with its minutes and seconds, or to the prārabdha-karma results of the inhabitants enjoying in that land. Because the nights act as the cause of enjoyment of karmas, they are called the fetuses of the daughters. At the end of gross time in the form of a year, with the end of enjoyment, they are aborted. These presiding deities of days and nights, the ordinary inhabitants of Ketumāla, by worshipping the Lord, will attain forms of the Lord’s devotees for serving the Lord in prema in Vaikuṇṭha. That should be understood to be the result of their worship.

He pleases Lakṣmī with the beauty of his auspicious with its beautiful brows slightly raised by the play of his glances endowed with a slight attractive smile, pleasing with its graceful movements. He enjoys his senses by these actions related to Lakṣmī.

Māyāmayam means merciful. Or it can mean the Lord who produces disease (āmaya) through ignorance (māyā) of the jīva. She worships with the daughters of Prajāpati, presiding deities of the night during the night, and with their husbands, the sons of Prajāpati, the presiding deities of the day during the day.

She chants this mantra to show the merciful nature of Kāmadeva. She offers respects, indicating that another worshipper should meditate on the meaning of the mantra according to his own relationship with the Lord. I offer my respects to my husband (kāntāya), Kāmadeva. She does not use the word deva with Kāma since it would be improper to mention the full name of her husband. Another person should meditate on herself as the maidservant of Lakṣmī and chant this mantra. That is the tradition. O Hṛṣīkeśa, attract my senses with your beauty. Or you are the enjoyer of the sweetness of my senses. This indicates her qualification for the Lord. Your body, mind and intelligence (ātmane) are made special by all spiritual qualities. This is an elaboration of the word hṛṣīkeśa. You are the master of the functions (viśeṣāṇam) of the action senses (ākūṭīnām), knowledge senses (cittīṇām) and citta, ahaḍkāra, buddhi and manas (cetasām). This means that you are the taster of the sweetness manifested in these items. Even for the worshipper other than Lakṣmī, the ordinary senses devatās are not indicated for their senses. The Lord himself is the deity for their senses, since they refer to spiritual senses. “Sixteen parts” indicates the Lord is complete, like the full moon with sixteen phases. The Lord is form of the Vedas (chandomayāya), instructing about bhakti to the Lord. He is the form of food, by which he maintains the sādhaka devotee. He is the form of nectar, whose form, qualities and pastimes are tasty like nectar. Amṛtamayāya also means that he is the form of liberation. He is all forms (sarvamayāya). You enable my citta (sahase), senses (ojase) and body (balāya) to operate.

Lakṣmī has pure bhakti. Other women, with mixed bhakti, lament. They worship you, the Lord, who is also their husband, but ask for a different husband.

These women do not know the meaning of the word husband (pati). How can a person who cannot protect himself protect (pāti) another person (wife)? First of all, he should have no fear of anything. You alone are that person. They take another meaning of husband (itarathā). Or itarathā can have a locative sense, meaning “in another case.” In another case, all the leaders, protectors of citizens have fear of each other. Thus the citizens have fear. That actually is not protection. Those learned in scriptures consider that there is no greater object that attaining Paramātmā, you (ātma-lābhāt). All other attainments are not as great as attaining you. You actually are worthy of the word husband or protector.

However, if one worships without material desires, all those desires are all fulfilled. If one worships with desire, one attains only that one result, which is temporary. The woman who especially (ni) desires worship of you, with the qualities just described (tasya), without other desires, receives all desirable objects. She becomes niṣkāma. The woman who worships you to attain other results is given only one result, because after enjoying the result, when the result is finished, she will experience suffering. Though she later becomes niṣkāma, she is called sakāma. Thus the devotees who desire the Lord are not called sakāma. This is the conclusion. Those who desire other things suffer. It is said that Lakṣmī, seeing something unfavorable to that person’s nature, scolds such a person. However, it will be explained later that even the person who performs sakāma-bhakti should be considered successful.

Some persons desiring material benefit give up you and worship me, Lakṣmī. They however obtain only dust. She criticizes them. To attain me, Brahmā and others, with intelligence focused on senses objects, perform severe austerities. Aindriye dhiyaḥ is an unresolved compound. Without surrendering to you, they do not attain wealth, manifested by my glance. But Prahlāda, Dhruva and others who surrendered to the Lord attain all wealth. The wealth seen with persons who are not devotees is the result of their karma, or is given by the mercy of Durgā, māyā-śakti. Such bestowal is occasional, arising from the waves of lust. It is not given by me, born of the Lord’s svarūpa-śakti. Wealth arising from my mercy is not given if the person does not worship you. The reason is given. I meditate on you. I will glance upon those who fix their minds on you.

Though worshiped by Brahmā and others, I am your wife. I do not attain the good fortune that the devotee without no material desires attains from you. I am unfortunate! Though you reside in my heart eternally, please put your lotus hand on my head, which you place on the heads of your devotees. This hand is praised by the sages as the bestower of fortunate mercy. “But you have good fortune which is greater than that of all others, because I hold you eternally on my heart as a mark.” Ashamed, putting her cloth over her face, she says defiantly in a low voice, “You hold me on your chest as a golden line. But that is by deception. You do this only because you think ‘Seeing the good fortune of my devotees, may unintelligent Lakṣmī not show hatred to me.’ Therefore you allowed me on your chest.” This was done without sincerity. “But no one says this.” But who can speculate about your desires?

na tathā me priyatama ātma-yonir na śaḍkaraḥ

na ca saḍkarṣaṇo na śrīr naivātmā ca yathā bhavān

My dear Uddhava, neither Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Lord Saḍkarṣaṇa, the goddess of fortune, nor indeed my own self, is as dear to me as you are. SB 11.14.15

I have heard this secret utterance to your devotee.

He revealed himself at the end of the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara when there was a flood. Saḥ refers to Vaivasvata Manu.

Muykhyatamāya sattvāya means śuddha-sattva. Because he is the controller of prāṇa, ojas, sahas and bala he is called by these names.

You move everywhere inside and outside. You are unseen by the protectors of the directions (devatās), what to speak of others. “Does that mean I do not exist?” You are the sound composed of the Vedas (uru). The Vedas proclaim your existence in every word. You are the Lord who controls the universe (idam) by being the shelter of rules and forbiddances with the name of the brāhmaṇas and others. Śruti says tasya vāk tantrir nāmāni dāmāni: the Vedas, like a rope, bind the universe with names such as brāhmaṇa. One can infer that you are independent because of the dependence of the universe on you, just like a man controlling a female puppet made of wood.

“But Indra and others also control since they are protectors of the universe. They are also independent controllers. What is my significance?” Their control over planets is honorific only. Giving you up, either singly or together, they cannot protect the two legged or four legged creatures, the snakes, or the non-moving beings which are seen here, because they are sick with envy. Śruti says tā ahiṁ santāham u kam asmy aham u kam asmi: the devatās are full of envy; I give shelter to all, and give shelter to no one. You, as life itself, are the protector and Lord.

Your visible form manifests by bhakti. I, a dim likeness of a devotee, am the witness to this. Holding (this verb should be supplied) the earth along with me, you move about. O unborn Lord (aja)! At the end of the Manvantara you roam about. I offer respects to you who control the living beings of the universe.

He worships that form, which is most beloved (tat-priyatamām).

I offer respects to the turtle (akūpārāya), who has a form (viśeṣanāya) of perfect (sarva) sattva, a form of śuddha-sattva, who has a Vaikuṇṭha abode invisible to all, who has a huge body (varṣmaṇe), who is all-pervading (bhūmne), who is the support (avasthānāya).

This universe (etat) is your form alone, but arises by māyā-śakti, not by your svarūpa-śakti. It is a real form (artha-svarūpam), not something unreal. Your form is displayed in many forms—humans, cows, animals, birds and fish. But they cannot be counted, because it is impossible to realize the full extent of these forms, whose varieties give rise to this universe. It is impossible to know unlimited numbers of types within one type of gross human because of differences in caste, nature, pitch of voice and other qualities. What to speak then of smaller beings, born of perspiration or seeds. You are unlimited but there are unlimited varieties within the effects of your śakti. What then to speak of your spiritual form which is unknown to all. I offer respects to the form impossible to describe (avyapadeśa-rūpine).

Because you are the one cause of the universe with many forms in it, everything is one. The form graharkṣa is poetic license. All these should be called you alone. The śruti says sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma: everything is Brahman. (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.1)

Since this universe is temporary, it is not considered valuable by the jñānīs. The sages have counted many forms in you, having unlimited types of names, forms and kinds. I offer respects of the form of knowledge (saḍkhya-nidarśanāya), by which knowledge of tattva, the numerous manufactured forms are removed.

I offer respects to the Lord who is known (liḍgāya) in truth by mantras. Yajña refers to sacrifices without animal killing. Kratave refers to sacrifices with animal killing. I offer respects to the Lord who is the form of these two sacrifices (yajña-kratave), who is the limbs of great sacrifices (mahā adhvara avayavāya). I offer respects to the form who is śuddha-sattva (śuklāya) in his behavior (karma), and to the form who appears in the first three yugas visibly (triyugāya), and in Kali-yuga in a covered form. Or tri-yugāya can mean “to the form which has three pairs of qualities, or six opulences.

Learned people (kavayaḥ) and devotees (vipaścitaḥ), by the mind which is like a churning rod, desiring to see your form in your names such as Kṛṣṇa and Rāma and your blackish or green manifestations, make you appear. Just as fire (jāta-vedasam) appears by repeated friction, they make you appear by repeatedly fixing your name and form in their minds. This form remains hidden by performing karma and enjoying its results (kriyārthaiḥ), but can be seen by bhakti, if it is not mixed with karma. I offer respects to the Lord whose nature (ātmane) has been described (īrita), or to the Lord in whom there is effort (ātmane) for his form to manifest.

Or, they churn your form in their senses (guṇeṣu) such as ear and voice using the mind which hears and chants about the Lord’s name, qualities and pastimes. They make the Lord appear by determined practice of hearing and chanting using the mind. The rest of the verse would be interpreted as above.

It is possible to make you appear even though a person has the gross and subtle material bodies. If one churns (practices) one can see the Lord’s form. I offer respects to you whose form is seen in truth (vastu) by intelligence and great effort (ātma) in the aḍgas of bhakti such as hearing and chanting, and by repeated contemplation (anvīkṣaya) of the mind on practices of hearing, chanting, and serving, along with the effects of māyā—the sense objects (dravya), the senses (kriya), the sense devatās (hetu), the body (ayana), time (īśa) and ahaḍkāra (kartṛbhiḥ). Your form is spiritual. I offer respects to you whose form is devoid of māyā. Or I offer respects to you who make the devotee’s form free of māyā.

“Since it is my effect, the universe, though material, is my form also.” This universe is actually not your effect, but the effect of māya, just as a pot is made of clay. By māyā (guṇaiḥ) the Lord carries out the creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe, though not desired for himself, just by applying his glance (īkṣituḥ), but desired by the jīvas. Though māyā is inert, by association with the Lord it operates. An example is given. Iron moves because of a magnet (grāvnaḥ) and comes near the magnet. I offer respects to you, the witness of the gunās and the karmas of the jīvas.

Narrating the pastime of the boar, the earth shows the Lord’s great mercy to her. Prativāraṇam means a worthy opponent, like an elephant. The Lord was also like an elephant (ibhaḥ) playing. Rasāyāḥ here does not mean Rasātala but the Garbhodaka Ocean. Jagad-ādi-śukaraḥ means the boar who is the cause of the universe. Udanvati means in the ocean of pralaya.

Thus ends the commentary on the Eighteenth Chapter of the Fifth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.