18 verses
The ministers, citizens, brāhmaṇas, and devatās desired that this son, who displayed qualities of the Supreme Lord when he was born, who increased day by day in great qualities, powers, detachment, sense control and equal vision, rule the earth.
Because of his excellent body, praised by many poets, his mental and physical strength, his beauty, fame, influence and courage, he is father called him Ṛṣabha.
The word varṣmaṇā (body) is modified by varīyaṣa and bṛhad-ślokena. Vīrya means influence and śaurya means fortitude.
Powerful Indra, in envy, stopped the rain from falling on the earth. Understanding this, Ṛṣabhadeva, master of yoga, smiled and poured rain on his state named Ajanābha by his power of yoga.
The country was called Ajanābha after Ṛṣabhadeva (aja) and his father King Nābhi. Though grammatically is should be called Ājanābha, by poetic license it was called Ajanābha.
Having attained his desire for an excellent son, overwhelmed with great joy, thinking of the Supreme Lord who accepted the ways of an ordinary human as his son, King Nābhi addressed him with faltering words as his son and, raising him with affection, attained great bliss.
Avaruddhya means attaining. He thought of the Lord as his son (māyā-vilasita-matiḥ). Māyā can mean illusion or intelligence according to Amara-koṣa-trikāṇòa-śeṣah.
King Nābhi, who took into consideration the opinion of the population and ministers, enthroned his son, for whom the citizens had affection, as the king, in order to protect the laws of proper conduct. Nābhi then worshiped the Lord in the form of Nara-nārāyaṇa in Badarikāśrama by austerities and concentration which were capable of attaining results for the happiness of all beings. In time he attained Vaikuṇṭha, the glory of the Lord.
Āpaura-prakṛti-janapadaḥ means Nābhi who took everyone from the population up to the ministers into consideration for enthroning his son. He enthroned his son for whom the people had great affection in order to protect the laws of good conduct (samaya-setu). Nābhi worshipped the Lord in Badarikāśrama (viśālāyām) with austerities capable of bringing results for the happiness of all beings (prasanna-nipunena). He attained Vaikuṇṭha, the glory of the Lord.
O Parīkṣit! The citizens recited verses to praise Nābhi. What man could follow King Nābhi, for whom the Lord became his son by execution of pure bhakti?
Śuddhena karmaṇā means by pure bhakti.
Who other than King Nābhi was affectionate to the brāhmaṇas? The brāhmaṇas pleased with his charity, revealed to him the Lord by the power of their bhakti during the sacrifice.
The brāhmaṇas were pleased by his donations and other acts so that auspiciousness was created. Or they were worshipped by auspiciousness, since the King was a devotee. By the power of bhakti, they revealed the Lord to him.
Ṛṣabhadeva, knowing his kingdom to be the place to perform karma, lived in the gurukula to show others that they should also do this. Taking the permission of his teachers who received gifts, he then taught the path of household life and, engaging in activities according to śruti and smṛti, practiced as instructed by the brāhmaṇas. H begot in his wife Jayantī, given by Indra, a hundred sons similar to himself.
Anumanyamānaḥ means knowing. He showed others that they should accept gurukula life. He taught dharma after taking permission from teachers who received gifts. Performing karmas of the śruti and smṛti (ubhaya-lakṣaṇam), he practiced as instructed by the brāhmaṇas (samyagāmnāya āmnatām). Medinī nays āmnāya means scripture and teaching.
Among his sons Bharata, the eldest, was a great yogī, having excellent qualities. Because of him this planet is called Bhārata.
Younger than Bharata, but older than the others, were the sons named Kuśāvarta, Ilāvarta, Brahmāvarta, Malaya, Ketu, Bhadrasena, Indraspṛk, Vidarbha and Kīkaṭa.
Younger than Bharata (tam anu), were nine sons older than the others (pradhānāḥ). Using the masculine instead of the neuter in the word pradhānāḥ is poetic license.
iti bhāgavata-dharma-darśanā nava-mahā-bhāgavatāḥ teṣām sucaritam bhagavatmahimā-upabṛṁhitam vasudeva-nārada-saṁvādam upaśamāyanam upariṣṭād varṇayiṣyāmaḥ.
In addition to these sons were Kavi, Havi, Antarikṣa, Prabuddha, Pippalāyana, Avirhotra, Drumila, Camasa and Karabhājana, who were all very exalted, advanced devotees. I shall hereafter describe the characteristics of these nine devotees in the conversation between Nārada and Vasudeva in the Eleventh Canto, which is filled with the glories of the Lord and satisfies the mind.
Upariṣṭāt means later, in the Eleventh Canto.
The eighty-one younger sons of Jayantī, who followed the order of their father, were humble, learned and dedicated to performing sacrifice.
Mahāśālināḥ means very humble or well-behaved.
The Supreme Lord named Ṛṣabhadeva was independent, eternally free from the succession of material changes, full of bliss, and the sole controller, but like the jīva, performed prescribed activities and taught dharma which had been destroyed by showing an example to persons ignorant of dharma (atadvidām). He was equal to all, was in control of his senses, was friendly to all and compassionate. He regulated the people in household life by having them attain morality, wealth, fame, offspring and bliss.
Viparītvat means like the jīva, who is not independent. The accusative case should be substituted for the genitive case. By attainment of dharma etc. he regulated the people. Another version has nyaramayat (made blissful).
Whatever is performed by the best person is followed by the people.
Śīrṣaṇyaḥ means the best.
Though he knew the secret of Vedic knowledge which contains all dharmas he ruled the people by the path shown by the brāhmaṇas with sense control and tolerance.
Though he knew the secret explained in the Vedas which included all, he taught the path shown by the brāhmaṇas.
He worshipped by performing sacrifices dedicated to various devatās one hundred times with abundant ingredients, proper place and time, youth, faith and priests.
He worshipped by sacrifices filled with (upacita) abundant ingredients etc. Age refers to youth because it is said yuvaiva dharmam anvicchet: one should execute dharma during ones youth. He worshipped with various devatās as the object.
When Ṛṣabhadeva ruled the planet no one ever desired false objects by taking from others. Everyone constantly accepted Ṛṣabhadeva as the greatest object of affection with their whole self.
While the planet was protected by Ṛṣabhadeva, no one had any desire for anything non-existent (avidyamānam) like a flower in the sky of himself, by taking from others. Everyone had only great affection with their total selves (antarena) for Ṛṣabhadeva. According to Amara-koṣa the word antara means opportunity, space, period, cloth, disappearance, difference, in reference to, an opening, ones own, except, outside, occasion, within and the inner soul.
Once, while traveling, Ṛṣabha, the Supreme Lord arriving at Brahmāvarta and there taught his attentive sons who were self-controlled and filled with obedience and devotion in an assembly of the best brāhmaṇas and sages, while the citizens listened. He spoke as follows.
Thus ends the commentary on the Fourth Chapter of the Fifth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
The Fourth Chapter describes how Ṛṣabhadeva produced a hundred sons headed by Bharata and satisfied all the desires of the citizens. Jagṛdhuḥ means they desired.