CHAPTER THREE
The Exposition of Bhagavata (bhagavat-vivritti)
(Continued)
12.12.45 Suta Gosvami to Shaunaka Rishi
deha-tyagash ca rajarsher
vishnu-ratasya dhimatah
shakha-pranayanam risher
markandeyasya sat-katha
maha-purusha-vinyasah
suryasya jagad-atmanah
deha-tyagah—the relinquishing of his body; ca—and; raja-risheh—by the saintly king; vishnu-ratasya—Parikshit; dhi-matah—the intelligent; shakha—of the branches of the Vedas; pranayanam—the dissemination; risheh—from the great sage Vyasadeva; markandeyasya—of Markandeya Rishi; sat-katha—the pious narration; maha-purusha—of the universal form of the Lord; vinyasah—the detailed arrangement; suryasya—of the sun; jagat-atmanah—who is the soul of the universe.
There are also an account of the passing away of the wise and saintly King Vishnurata [Parikshit], an explanation of how Shrila Vyasadeva disseminated the branches of the Vedas, a pious narration concerning Markandeya Rishi, and a description of the detailed arrangement of the Lord's universal form and His form as the sun, the soul of the universe.
12.12.47 Suta Gosvami to Shaunaka Rishi
patitah skhalitash cartah
kshuttva va vivasho grinan
haraye nama ity uccair
mucyate sarva-patakat
patitah—falling; skhalitah—tripping; ca—and; artah—feeling pain; kshuttva—sneezing; va—or; vivashah—involuntarily; grinan—chanting; haraye namah—"obeisances to Lord Hari"; iti—thus; uccaih—loudly; mucyate—one is freed; sarva-patakat—from all sinful reactions.
If when falling, slipping, feeling pain or sneezing one involuntarily cries out in a loud voice, "Obeisances to Lord Hari!" one will be automatically freed from all his sinful reactions.
12.12.50-52 Suta Gosvami to Shaunaka Rishi
tad eva ramyam ruciram navam navam
tad eva shashvan manaso mahotsavam
tad eva shokarnava-shoshanam nrinam
yad uttamahshloka-yasho 'nugiyate
tat—that; eva—indeed; ramyam—attractive; ruciram—palatable; navam navam—newer and newer; tat—that; eva—indeed; shashvat—constantly; manasah—for the mind; maha-utsavam—a great festival; tat—that; eva—indeed; shoka-arnava—the ocean of misery; shoshanam—that which dries; nRinam—for all persons; yat—in which; uttamahshloka—of the all-famous Supreme Personality of Godhead; yashah—the glories; anugiyate—are sung.
Those words describing the glories of the all-famous Personality of Godhead are attractive, relishable and ever fresh. Indeed, such words are a perpetual festival for the mind, and they dry up the ocean of misery.(50)
na yad vacash citra-padam harer yasho
jagat-pavitram pragrinita karhicit
tad dhvanksha-tiritham na tu hamsa-sevitam
yatracyutas tatra hi sadhavo 'malah
na—not; yat—which; vacah—vocabulary; citra-padam—decorative words; hareh—of the Lord; yashah—the glories; jagat—the universe; pavitram—sanctifying; pragrinita—describe; karhicit—ever; tat—that; dhvanksha—of the crows; tirtham—a place of pilgrimage; na—not; tu—on the other hand; hamsa—by saintly persons situated in knowledge; sevitam—served; yatra—in which; acyutah—Lord Acyuta (is described); tatra—there; hi—alone; sadhavah—the saints; amalah—who are pure.
Those words that do not describe the glories of the Lord, who alone can sanctify the atmosphere of the whole universe, are considered to be like unto a place of pilgrimage for crows, and are never resorted to by those situated in transcendental knowledge. The pure and saintly devotees take interest only in topics glorifying the infallible Supreme Lord.(51)
tad vag-visargo janatagha-samplavo
yasmin prati-shlokam abaddhavaty api
namany anantasya yasho 'nkitani yat
shrinvanti gayanti grinanti sadhavah
tat—that; vak—vocabulary; visargah—creation; janata—of the people in general; agha—of the sins; samplavah—a revolution; yasmin—in which; prati-shlokam—each and every stanza; abaddhavati—is irregularly composed; api—although; namani—the transcendental names, etc; anantasya—of the unlimited Lord; yashah—the glories; ankitani—depicted; yat—which; shrinvanti—do hear; gayanti—do sing; grinanti—do accept; sadhavah—the purified men who are honest.
On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes and so on of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world's misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.(52)
12.12.55 Suta Gosvami to Shaunaka Rishi
avismritih krishna-padaravindayoh
kshinoty abhadrani ca sham tanoti
sattvasya shuddhim paramatma-bhaktim
jnanam ca vijnana-viraga-yuktam
avismritih—remembrance; krishna-pada-aravindayoh—of Lord Krishna's lotus feet; kshinoti—destroys; abhadrani—everything inauspicious; ca—and; sham—good fortune; tanoti—expands; sattvasya—of the heart; shuddhim—the purification; parama-atma—for the Supreme Soul; bhaktim—devotion; jnanam—knowledge; ca—and; vijnana—with direct realization; viraga—and detachment; yuktam—endowed.
Remembrance of Lord Krishna's lotus feet destroys everything inauspicious and awards the greatest good fortune. It purifies the heart and bestows devotion for the Supreme Soul, along with knowledge enriched with realization and renunciation.
12.12.59 Suta Gosvami to Shaunaka Rishi
ya etat shravayen nityam
yama-kshanam ananya-dhih
shlokam ekam tad-ardham va
padam padardham eva va
shraddhavan yo 'nushrinuyat
punaty atmanam eva sah
yah—who; etat—this; shravayet—makes others hear; nityam—always; yama-kshanam—every hour and every minute; ananya-dhih—with undeviated attention; shlokam—verse; ekam—one; tat-ardham—half of that; va—or; padam—a single line; pada-ardham—half a line; eva—indeed; va—or; shraddha-van—with faith; yah—who; anushrinuyat—hears from the proper source; punati—purifies; atmanam—his very self; eva—indeed; sah—he.
One who with undeviating attention constantly recites this literature at every moment of every hour, as well as one who faithfully hears even one verse or half a verse or a single line or even half a line, certainly purifies his very self.
12.12.65 Suta Gosvami to Shaunaka Rishi
vipro 'dhityapnuyat prajnam
rajanyodadhi-mekhalam
vaishyo nidhi-patitvam ca
shudrah shudhyeta patakat
viprah—a brahmana; adhitya—studying; apnuyat—achieves; prajnam—intelligence in devotional service; rajanya—a king; udadhi-mekhalam—(the earth) bounded by the seas; vaishyah—a businessman; nidhi—of treasures; patitvam—lordship; ca—and; shudrah—a worker; shudhyeta—becomes purified; patakat—from sinful reactions.
A brahmana who studies the Shrimad-Bhagavatam achieves firm intelligence in devotional service, a king who studies it gains sovereignty over the earth, a vaishya acquires great treasure and a shudra is freed from sinful reactions.
12.12.68 Suta Gosvami to Shaunaka Rishi
upacita-nava-shaktibhih sva atmany
uparacita-sthira-jangamalayaya
bhagavata upalabdhi-matra-dhamne
sura-rishabhaya namah sanatanaya
upacita—fully developed; nava-shaktibhih—by His nine energies (prakriti, purusha, mahat, false ego and the five subtle forms of perception); sve atmani—within Himself; uparacita—arranged in proximity; sthira jangama—of both the nonmoving and the moving living beings; alayaya—the abode; bhagavate—to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; upalabhdhi-matra—pure consciousness; dhamne—whose manifestation; sura—of deities; rishabhaya—the chief; namah—my obeisances; sanatanaya—to the eternal Lord.
I offer my obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the eternal Lord and leader of all other deities, who by evolving His nine material energies has arranged within Himself the abode of all moving and nonmoving creatures, and who is always situated in pure, transcendental consciousness.
12.12.69 Suta Gosvami to Shaunaka Rishi
sva-sukha-nibhrita-cetas tad-vyudastanya-bhavo
'py ajita-rucira-lilakrishta-saras tadiyam
vyatanuta kripaya yas tattva-dipam puranam
tam akhila-vrijina-ghnam vyasa-sunum nato 'smi
sva-sukha—in the happiness of the self; nibhrita—solitary; cetah—whose consciousness; tat—because of that; vyudasta—given up; anya-bhavah—any other type of consciousness; api—although; ajita—of Shri Krishna, the unconquerable Lord; rucira—pleasing; lila—by the pastimes; akrishta—attracted; sarah—whose heart; tadiyam—consisting of the activities of the Lord; vyatanuta—spread, manifested; kripaya—mercifully; yah—who; tattva-dipam—the bright light of the Absolute Truth; puranam—the Purana (Shrimad-Bhagavatam); tam—unto Him; akhila-vrijina-ghnam—defeating everything inauspicious; vyasa-sunum—son of Vyasadeva; natah asmi—I offer my obeisances.
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, the son of Vyasadeva, Shukadeva Gosvami. It is he who defeats all inauspicious things within this universe. Although in the beginning he was absorbed in the happiness of Brahman realization and was living in a secluded place, giving up all other types of consciousness, he became attracted by the pleasing, most melodious pastimes of Lord Shri Krishna. He therefore mercifully spoke this supreme Purana, Shrimad-Bhagavatam, which is the bright light of the Absolute Truth and which describes the activities of the Lord. (69)
12.03.14 Shukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Parikshit
katha imas te kathita mahiyasam
vitaya lokeshu yashah pareyusham
vijnana-vairagya-vivakshaya vibho
vaco-vibhutir na tu paramarthyam
kathah—the narrations; imah—these; te—unto you; kathitah—have been spoken; mahiyasam—of great kings; vitaya—spreading; lokeshu—throughout all the worlds; yashah—their fame; pareyusham—who have departed; vijnana—transcendental knowledge; vairagya—and renunciation; vivakshaya—with the desire for teaching; vibho—O mighty Parikshit; vacah—of words; vibhutih—the decoration; na—not; tu—but; parama-arthyam—of the most essential purport.
Shukadeva Gosvami said: O mighty Parikshit, I have related to you the narrations of all these great kings, who spread their fame throughout the world and then departed. My real purpose was to teach transcendental knowledge and renunciation. Stories of kings lend power and opulence to these narrations but do not in themselves constitute the ultimate aspect of knowledge.
12.03.15 Shukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Parisksit
yas tuttamah-shloka-gunanuvadah
sangiyate 'bhikshnam amangala-ghnah
tam eva nityam shrinuyad abhikshnam
krishne 'malam bhaktim abhipsamanah
yah—which; tu—on the other hand; uttamah-shloka—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is praised in transcendental verses; guna—of the qualities; anuvadah—the recounting; sangiyate—is sung; abhikshnam—always; amangala-ghnah—which destroys everything inauspicious; tam—that; eva—indeed; nityam—regularly; shrinuyat—one should hear; abhikshnam—constantly; krishne—unto Lord Krishna; amalam—untainted; bhaktim—devotional service; abhipsamanah—he who desires.
The person who desires pure devotional service to Lord Krishna should hear the narrations of Lord Uttamashloka's glorious qualities, the constant chanting of which destroys everything inauspicious. The devotee should engage in such listening in regular daily assemblies and should also continue his hearing throughout the day.
