Mother Pārvatī Curses Citraketu

The Seventeenth Chapter describes how Citraketu, as leader of the Vidyādharas, laughed at Śiva and received a curse from Śiva’s wife to become Vṛtrāsura. Yataḥ ṁeans “in the direction.”

Praised by great sages and by the inhabitants of Siddhaloka and Cāraṇaloka, Citraketu, the most powerful yogī, with bodily strength and senses free from deterioration, chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord, enjoyed life with the women of Vidyādhara-loka for a hundred thousand years within the valleys of Sumeru Mountain, which is the place of perfection for various kinds of mystic power.

He gave up all vows for various powers which were available there and glorified the Lord. He was absorbed in hearing about and chanting about the qualities of the Lord.

One time while King Citraketu was traveling in outer space on a brilliant airplane given to him by Lord Viṣṇu, he saw Lord Śiva, surrounded by Siddhas and Cāraṇas, embracing Pārvatī on his lap with his arm in an assembly of sages. Citraketu laughed loudly and spoke, within the hearing of Pārvatī.

The Lord feeling separation from Citraketu, after giving him wealth along with bhakti, gave him the body of Vṛtrāsura by the curse of Pārvatī and brought him to his side.

Aḍgīkṛtam means “being half his body.”

Śiva is not a mortal being since he is the Lord. However, one should not think that Citraketu was an offender like Dakṣa.

Mahā-vrata-dharaḥ means a brahmacārī from birth, a leader of yogīs. That he was embracing his wife shows his inconceivable power.

Why did Śiva smile? “Citraketu wants to establish the truth about my conduct in this world.” Because he had fathomless knowledge, not understood by anyone, he understood Citraketu’s intention. Citraketu’s intention was as follows. “Śiva is the Lord. There is no harm if he performs acts which appear wrong. Those who are ignorant will criticize him, and for their offense will be destroyed, like Dakṣa. If today I can establish that he has proper conduct, it will be beneficial for the world. Viṣṇu benefits the world because he follows proper conduct. But Śiva is inauspicious because of his apparent misconduct. He should not have infamy.” Śiva thought, “I will not become angry at his harsh words which are beneficial for the world.” The assembly, understanding Śiva’s intention, also remained silent and did not become angry. If his attention had been to criticize Śiva, the assembly would have blocked their ears and left. It is said:

bhagavan-nindanaṁ śrutvā duḥsahaṁ tat sabhā-sadaḥ

karṇau pidhāya nirjagmuḥ śapantaś cedi-paṁ ruṣā

Upon hearing such intolerable blasphemy of the Lord, several members of the assembly covered their ears and walked out, angrily cursing the King of Cedi. SB 10.74.39

Citraketu did not know Śiva’s powers. “The independent Lord will not be affected by anyone’s teachings.” The words were not auspicious because one should not give teachings to the Lord. He was considered proud because he spoke fearlessly. He had false identity, thinking “I have brought Paramātmā, Saḍkarṣaṇa, under control.” One should not think that Pārvatī became angry because she did not know the intentions of Śiva and the assembly. “I cannot accept these beneficial words because he does not criticize once, three or four times, but many times.” That is the reason for her anger.

He makes himself superior to others. Viprakṛt means “one who gives benefit by punishing.”

“He surpassed the devatāṣ” means that by his constant criticism he considered the devatās in the assembly to be ignorant. He chastises the guru of the world.

Sambhāvita-matiḥ ṁeans “he considers himself a great devotee.’’

After cursing him she thought “I have cursed an innocent devotee!” Thus repentant, she says “O son!” Jut as a mother beats a misbehaving son with her own hand and has natural affection for him, I punish you. That is the meaning. She acts as a mother should. “Do not do this again.” When a child misbehaves in someone else’s house, she punishes the child and says, “Uncontrollable child! Do not do this again!” However her curse did not affect Citraketu. Rather being born as Vṛtrāsura increased his prema, since the devotees at the level of prema do not consider any difference between obtaining a body of a devotee or demon.

I accept the curse. There is no harm in accepting this curse, since I have not offended you or Śiva. And there is no fault in your cursing me though I am innocent. I am simply receiving my karma. The devotee should feel like this out of humility. Actually however the devotee who has developed prema has no trace of karma at all, for even from the stage previous to prema all karmas are destroyed.

bhidyate hṛdaya-granthiś chidyante sarva-saṁśayāḥ |

kṣīyante cāsya karmāṇi dṛṣṭa evātmanīśvare ||

Ignorance is cut and all doubts are destroyed. On seeing the Lord in the mind and with the eyes, all karmas are destroyed. SB 1.2.21

The Lord could not be controlled by bhakti, if the devotees still had karma. One who is under the control of karma does not control the Lord. In order to announce the great strength of the devotee’s seeing equally curses, blessings, Svarga, liberation and hell; in order to remove the improper life of Citraketu as the leader of the Vidyādharas; in order to increase Citraketu’s hunger for prema by the fire of separation; in order to bestow the enjoyment of great sweetness of direct service to his lotus feet in Vaikuṇṭha, Saḍkarṣaṇa inspired Devī to curse him, out of affection as a father. That is the conclusion. This will be understood from seeing the results.

This is the nature of the wheel of saṁsāra. It is not surprising.

Aprajñaḥ means “with no discrimination.”1

It has been said that one should accept happiness and distress. Everything that falls into a salt mine becomes salty. Thus, everything that falls into saṁsāra becomes saṁsāra. One should not make distinctions of happiness and suffering at all. As long as person who has fallen into a bottomless river does not reach the shore, he cannot attain real happiness. Thus curses, blessings, are all suffering as long as we are in this world.

“Who throws a person into the river of guṇas, and who delivers him?” The Lord does this. By his māyā, by rajas, the Lord creates, by sattva he maintains and by tamas he destroys. By avidyā he creates bondage and by vidyā he gives liberation. By sattva he creates happiness and by tamas he creates suffering. The Lord is devoid of māyā (niṣkalaḥ).

“The Lord then favors some jīvas and hates other jīvas because he binds up some, liberates others and gives others happiness.” That is not so. He does not have favorites or enemies because he regards all equally at all times, because he is not affected by māyā (nirañjanasya). He has no attachment to material happiness, what then to speak of hatred for anything opposing material happiness. It is said:

indriyasyendriyasyārthe rāga-dveṣau vyavasthitau |

tayor na vaśam āgacchet tau hy asya paripanthinau ||34||

Attachment and repulsion are firmly fixed in each of the sense objects. One should not come under control of attachment and repulsion. They are the two obstacles. BG 3.34

Thus he does not have favorites or enemies caused by attachment or repulsion.

“But if the Lord is equal, why does he make one person happy and cause grief to another?” Even though he is equal in all circumstances, by the transformations of his māyā-śakti, the sequence of beginningless karmas arising from piety and sin creates happiness and distress. The meaning is this. Even though the Lord creates happiness and distress since the māyā-śakti belongs to him, and in that sense he shows inequality, he does not create happiness and distress since māyā is not his svarūpa-śakti. Thus the Lord is actually equal to all. Similarly, the universe of māyā is a form of the Lord, but because it does not arise from his svarūpa, it is different from him. Though the sun appears to be unequal because he gives sorrow to the owl and the night lotus by its rays, and gives happiness to the cakravāka bird and the day lotus, no one says the sun is partial.

Therefore I do not please you just to get free from the curse. O angry woman! You have become angry without considering properly. “Then why do you please me?” What you consider improper words, let them be improper, but please forgive me for that. During the curse and after the curse, I have no distress or happiness. Therefore being satisfied, do not withdraw the curse.

Smayatoḥ means they were astonished.

O woman with beautiful hips! You excel in beauty, but not in bhakti, jñāna and vairāgya. In this way he jokes suggestively. The Lord performs astonishing acts. I have seen this astonishing act of the Lord just now. He has caused you to be offended and utter a curse. He has shown the greatness of his devotee whose prema did not decrease at all, by showing the devotee’s power to remain indifferent when cursed by Pārvatī. The word mahātmanām (of great devotees) has significance. If the curse you uttered in anger cannot give the slightest unhappiness to him then that curse is powerless. It has become useless! You should not treat the great devotees having prema-bhakti like this, from this day on! This lesson is hinted.

“What is the reason that devotees have such greatness?” They are fixed in Nārāyaṇa. That is the only reason. Not only Citraketu and others, but all devotees have no fear. Svarga, liberation and hell are all equal because they are tasteless, since they do not have the happiness of bhakti.

If one does not surrender to Nārāyaṇa he ends up in this position. Īśvara-līlayā means “by māyā, who receives her capacity through the playful glance of the Lord.”

One should know that temporary creations of māyā, happiness and distress, are all unreal because they are temporary. A sleeping person thinks he is eating food or having a son die. Similarly in the waking state, he thinks he experiences happiness and distress (guṇa-doṣa-vikalpaḥ). An example is given. One mistakes a garland for something else—for a rope or a snake. Vat means “like this.” The dictionary says that iva and vat have the same meaning: similarly. Another version has sraji tat. The meaning is “like seeing differently where there is a real garland.” Bhit is in the neuter gender. Another version has bhidā in the instrumental case.

Attaining realization of the unreality of objects seen in duality by practice of jñāna is difficult for the jñānī. The devotees however do not seek jñāna and vairāgya by practice of jñana because bhakti itself produces jñāna and vairāgya. The devotees have no other shelter in this world. Nothing attracts them. By pursuing only bhakti, they do not make distinctions of good or bad material objects. Please understand the nature of devotees.

Hear about our natures. We do not know the intentions of the Lord or his pastimes (īhitam) since we think our selves independent controllers.

Hear about the nature of the Lord. The Lord is affectionate to all beings. Still he favors no one nor hates no one. The cause of difference in treatment is māyā. Therefore one should know the nature of māyā.

This fortunate, obedient Citraketu, dear to the Lord, sees all living entities equally and is peaceful. Similarly, I am also very dear to Lord Nārāyaṇa. Therefore, no one should be astonished to see the activities of the most exalted devotees of Nārāyaṇa, who are peaceful, and equal to everyone.

Hear about the nature of Citraketu and myself.

samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ |

ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu cāpy aham ||29||

I am equal to all living beings. I do not hate anyone nor do I favor anyone. To whatever extent a person worships me with devotion, I am attached to them in a similar way. BG 9.29

Though Citraketu is equal to all, the cause of being dear to the Lord is the fact that he is a devotee (anugaḥ). Because I am a devotee, I am also dear to the Lord. Therefore because we have internal friendship with each other, the harsh words he uttered only nourished the happiness of our friendship. You have uselessly become angry.

“I am like this in truth. O Citraketu! You show yourself to be detached through pure bhakti but you enjoy with the women Vidyādharas in private places. You are deceptive. I also show myself to be controlled by women, and also act deceptively. But whereas you show bhakti and hide your material enjoyment, I show a material face and hide my bhakti. Let the assembly witness our inner friendship.” In this way the two had exchanged words in a joking way. If you had not interrupted us by your angry words in bad taste, he would not have been cursed. In this way he scolds Pārvatī.

She becomes astonished. “Oh! You are the Lord, a great devotee from beginningless time. You have such love for the immature, fallen kṣatriya, who now ascends to the path of bhakti! I offer respects to you.” In answer to her mood of astonishment, he says, “No one should be astonished to see the activities of the most exalted devotees of Nārāyaṇa, who are peaceful, and equal to everyone.”

Śānta-dhīḥ (peaceful intelligence) indicates that, remembering her previous mood, she became ashamed and covered her face with her cloth.

Do not think that Citraketu had meager power because he was a new devotee. That is explained in this verse. He was able to the curse Devī in response. Devyāh should be devyai.

Yonim means family.

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