Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4: “The Creation of the Fourth Order”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Four
SB4.4.24
TEXT 24
maitreya uvaca
ity adhvare daksam anudya satru-han
ksitav udicim nisasada santa-vak
sprstva jalam pita-dukula-samvrta
nimilya drg yoga-patham samavisat
SYNONYMS
maitreyah uvaca—Maitreya said; iti—thus; adhvare—in the arena of sacrifice; daksam—to Daksa; anudya—speaking; satru-han—O annihilator of enemies; ksitau—on the ground; udicim—facing north; nisasada—sat down; santa-vak—in silence; sprstva—after touching; jalam—water; pita-dukula-samvrta—dressed in yellow garments; nimilya—closing; drk—the vision; yoga-patham—the mystic yoga process; samavisat—became absorbed.
TRANSLATION
Maitreya the sage told Vidura: O annihilator of enemies, while thus speaking to her father in the arena of sacrifice, Sati sat down on the ground and faced north. Dressed in saffron garments, she sanctified herself with water and closed her eyes to absorb herself in the process of mystic yoga.
PURPORT
It is said that when a man desires to quit his body he dresses in saffron garments. Therefore it appears that Sati changed her dress, indicating that she was going to quit the body given her by Daksa. Daksa was Sati’s father, so instead of killing Daksa she decided that it would be better to destroy the part of his body which was hers. Thus she decided to give up the body of Daksa by the yogic process. Sati was the wife of Lord Siva, who is known as Yogesvara, the best among all yogis, because he knows all the mystic processes of yoga, so it appeared that Sati also knew them. Either she learned yoga from her husband or she was enlightened because she was the daughter of such a great king as Daksa. The perfection of yoga is that one can give up one’s body or release oneself from the embodiment of material elements according to one’s desire. Yogis who have attained perfection are not subject to death by natural laws; such perfect yogis can leave the body whenever they desire. Generally the yogi first of all becomes mature in controlling the air passing within the body, thus bringing the soul to the top of the brain. Then when the body bursts into flames, the yogi can go anywhere he likes. This yoga system recognizes the soul, and thus it is distinct from the so-called yoga process for controlling the cells of the body, which has been discovered in the modern age. The real yoga process accepts the transmigration of the soul from one planet to another or one body to another; and it appears from this incident that Sati wanted to transfer her soul to another body or sphere. SB4.4.25 TEXT 25 krtva samanav anilau jitasana sodanam utthapya ca nabhi-cakratah sanair hrdi sthapya dhiyorasi sthitam kanthad bhruvor madhyam aninditanayat SYNONYMS krtva—after placing; samanau—in equilibrium; anilau—the prana and apana airs; jita-asana—having controlled the sitting posture; sa—Sati; udanam—the life air; utthapya—raising; ca—and; nabhi-cakratah—at the circle in the navel; sanaih—gradually; hrdi—in the heart; sthapya—placing; dhiya—with the intelligence; urasi—towards the pulmonary passage; sthitam—having been placed; kanthat—through the throat; bhruvoh—of the eyebrows; madhyam—to the middle; anindita—the blameless (Sati); anayat—raised. TRANSLATION First of all she sat in the required sitting posture, and then she carried the life air upwards and placed it in the position of equilibrium near the navel. Then she raised her life air, mixed with intelligence, to the heart and then gradually towards the pulmonary passage and from there to between her eyebrows. PURPORT The yogic process is to control the air passing within the body in different places called sat-cakra, the six circles of air circulation. The air is raised from the abdomen to the navel, from the navel to the heart, from the heart to the throat, from the throat to between the eyebrows and from between the eyebrows to the top of the cerebrum. That is the sum and substance of practicing yoga. Before practicing the real yoga system, one has to practice the sitting postures because this helps in the breathing exercises which control the airs going upwards and downwards. This is a great technique which one has to practice to attain the highest perfectional stage of yoga, but such practice is not meant for this age. No one in this age can attain the perfectional stage of such yoga, but people indulge in practicing sitting postures, which is more or less a gymnastic process. By such bodily gymnastics one may develop good circulation and may therefore keep one’s body fit, but if one simply restricts oneself to that gymnastic process one cannot attain the highest perfectional stage. The yoga process, as described in the Kesava-sruti, prescribes how one can control his living force according to his desire and transmigrate from one body to another or from one place to another. In other words, yoga practice is not meant to keep the body fit. Any transcendental process of spiritual realization automatically helps one to keep the body fit, for it is the spirit soul that keeps the body always fresh. As soon as the spirit soul is out of the body, the material body immediately begins to decompose. Any spiritual process keeps the body fit without separate endeavor, but if one takes it that the ultimate aim of yoga is to maintain the body, then he is mistaken. The real perfection of yoga is elevation of the soul to a higher position or the liberation of the soul from material entanglement. Some yogis try to elevate the soul to higher planetary systems, where the standard of life is different from that of this planet and where the material comforts, life-span and other facilities for self-realization are greater, and some yogis endeavor to elevate the soul to the spiritual world, the spiritual Vaikuntha planets. The bhakti-yoga process directly elevates the soul to the spiritual planets, where life is eternally blissful and full of knowledge; therefore bhakti-yoga is considered to be the greatest of all yoga systems. SB4.4.26 TEXT 26 evam sva-deham mahatam mahiyasa muhuh samaropitam ankam adarat jihasati daksa-rusa manasvini dadhara gatresv anilagni-dharanam SYNONYMS evam—thus; sva-deham—her own body; mahatam—of the great saints; mahiyasa—most worshipful; muhuh—again and again; samaropitam—seated; ankam—on the lap; adarat—respectfully; jihasati—wishing to give up; daksa-rusa—due to anger towards Daksa; manasvini—voluntarily; dadhara—placed; gatresu—on the limbs of the body; anila-agni-dharanam—meditation on the fire and air. TRANSLATION Thus, in order to give up her body, which had been so respectfully and affectionately seated on the lap of Lord Siva, who is worshiped by great sages and saints, Sati, due to anger towards her father, began to meditate on the fiery air within the body. PURPORT Lord Siva is described herein as the best of all great souls. Although Sati’s body was born of Daksa, Lord Siva used to adore her by sitting her on his lap. This is considered a great token of respect. Thus Sati’s body was not ordinary, but still she decided to give it up because it was the source of unhappiness because of its connection with Daksa. This severe example set by Sati is to be followed. One should be extremely careful about associating with persons who are not respectful to the higher authorities. lt is instructed, therefore, in the Vedic literature that one should always be free from the association of atheists and nondevotees and should try to associate with devotees, for by the association of a devotee one can be elevated to the platform of self-realization. This injunction is stressed in many places in Srimad-Bhagavatam; if one wants to be liberated from the clutches of material existence, then one has to associate with great souls, and if one wants to continue one’s material existential life, then one may associate with persons who are materialistic. The materialistic way of life is based on sex life. Thus both becoming addicted to sex life and associating with persons who are addicted to sex life are condemned in the Vedic literature because such association will simply interfere with one’s spiritual progress. However, association with great personalities, devotees who are great souls, will elevate one to the spiritual platform. Satidevi decided to quit the body she had obtained from Daksa’s body, and she wanted to transfer herself to another body so that she might have completely uncontaminated association with Lord Siva. Of course, it is understood that in her next life she would take birth as the daughter of the Himalayas, Parvati, and then she would again accept Lord Siva as her husband. Sati and Lord Siva are eternally related; even after she changes her body, their relationship is never broken. SB4.4.27 TEXT 27 tatah sva-bhartus caranambujasavam jagad-guros cintayati na caparam dadarsa deho hata-kalmasah sati sadyah prajajvala samadhijagnina SYNONYMS tatah—there; sva-bhartuh—of her husband; carana-ambuja-asavam—on the nectar of the lotus feet; jagat-guroh—of the supreme spiritual teacher of the universe; cintayati—meditating; na—not; ca—and; aparam—not other (than her husband); dadarsa—saw; dehah—her body; hata-kalmasah—taints of sin being destroyed; sati—Sati; sadyah—soon; prajajvala—burned; samadhi-ja-agnina—by fire produced by meditation. TRANSLATION Sati concentrated all her meditation on the holy lotus feet of her husband, Lord Siva, who is the supreme spiritual master of all the world. Thus she became completely cleansed of all taints of sin and quit her body in a blazing fire by meditation on the fiery elements. PURPORT Sati at once thought of the lotus feet of her husband, Lord Siva, who is one of the three great personalities of Godhead in charge of the management of the material world, and simply by meditating on his lotus feet she derived such great pleasure that she forgot everything in relationship with her body. This pleasure was certainly material because she gave up her body for another body that was also material, but by this example we can appreciate the devotee’s pleasure in concentrating his mind and attention on the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, Visnu, or Krsna. There is such transcendental bliss in simply meditating on the lotus feet of the Lord that one can forget everything but the Lord’s transcendental form. This is the perfection of yogic samadhi, or ecstasy. In this verse it is stated that by such meditation she became free from all contamination. What was that contamination? The contamination was her concept of the body derived from Daksa, but she forgot that bodily relationship in trance. The purport is that when one becomes free from all bodily relationships within this material world and simply places himself in the position of an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord, it is to be understood that all the contamination of his material attachment has been burned by the blazing fires of transcendental ecstasy. It is not necessary for one to manifest a blazing fire externally, for if one forgets all his bodily relationships within this material world and becomes situated in his spiritual identity, it is said that one has been freed from all material contamination by the blazing fire of yogic samadhi, or ecstasy. That is the topmost perfection of yoga. If one keeps his bodily relationships within this material world and poses himself as a great yogi, he is not a bona fide yogi. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.4.15) it is stated, yat-kirtanam yat-smaranam. Simply by chanting the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, simply by remembering the lotus feet of Krsna, simply by offering prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is immediately freed from material contamination, the material bodily concept, by the blazing fire of ecstasy. This effect takes place immediately, without a second’s delay. According to Sri Jiva Gosvami, that Sati quit her body means that she gave up within her heart her relationship with Daksa. Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura also comments that since Sati is the superintendent deity of the external potency, when she quit her body she did not get a spiritual body but simply transferred from the body she had received from Daksa. Other commentators also say that she immediately transferred herself into the womb of Menaka, her future mother. She gave up the body she had received from Daksa and immediately transferred herself to another, better body, but this does not mean that she got a spiritual body. SB4.4.28 TEXT 28 tat pasyatam khe bhuvi cadbhutam mahad ha heti vadah sumahan ajayata hanta priya daivatamasya devi jahav asun kena sati prakopita SYNONYMS tat—that; pasyatam—of those who had seen; khe—in the sky; bhuvi—on the earth; ca—and; adbhutam—wonderful; mahat—great; ha ha—oh, oh; iti—thus; vadah—roar; su-mahan—tumultuous; ajayata—occurred; hanta—alas; priya—the beloved; daiva-tamasya—of the most respectable demigod (Lord Siva); devi—Sati; jahau—quit; asun—her life; kena—by Daksa; sati—Sati; prakopita—angered. TRANSLATION When Sati annihilated her body in anger, there was a tumultuous roar all over the universe. Why had Sati, the wife of the most respectable demigod, Lord Siva, quit her body in such a manner? PURPORT There was a tumultuous roaring all over the universe in the societies of the demigods of different planets because Sati was the daughter of Daksa, the greatest of all kings, and the wife of Lord Siva, the greatest of all demigods. Why did she become so angry that she gave up her body? Since she was the daughter of a great personality and wife of a great personality, she had nothing to desire, but still she gave up her body in dissatisfaction. Certainly this was astonishing. One cannot attain complete satisfaction even if one is situated in the greatest material opulence. There was nothing Sati could not achieve either from her relationship with her father or from her relationship with the greatest of the demigods, but still, for some reason, she was dissatisfied. Therefore, Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.6) explains that one has to achieve real satisfaction (yayatma suprasidati), but atma—the body, mind and soul—all become completely satisfied only if one develops devotional service to the Absolute Truth. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje. Adhoksaja means the Absolute Truth. If one can develop his unflinching love for the transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead, that can give complete satisfaction, otherwise there is no possibility of satisfaction in the material world or anywhere else. SB4.4.29 TEXT 29 aho anatmyam mahad asya pasyata prajapater yasya caracaram prajah jahav asun yad-vimatatmaja sati manasvini manam abhiksnam arhati SYNONYMS aho—oh; anatmyam—neglect; mahat—great; asya—of Daksa; pasyata—just see; prajapateh—of the Prajapati; yasya—of whom; cara-acaram—all living entities; prajah—offspring; jahau—gave up; asun—her body; yat—by whom; vimata—disrespected; atma-ja—his own daughter; sati—Sati; manasvini—voluntarily; manam—respect; abhiksnam—repeatedly; arhati—deserved. TRANSLATION It was astonishing that Daksa, who was Prajapati, the maintainer of all living entities, was so disrespectful to his own daughter, Sati, who was not only chaste but was also a great soul, that she gave up her body because of his neglect. PURPORT The word anatmya is significant. Atmya means “the life of the soul,” so this word indicates that although Daksa appeared to be living, actually he was a dead body, otherwise how could he neglect Sati, who was his own daughter? It was the duty of Daksa to look after the maintenance and comforts of all living entities because he was situated as Prajapati, the governor of all living entities. Therefore how is it that he neglected his own daughter, who was the most exalted and chaste woman, a great soul, and who therefore deserved the most respectful treatment from her father? The death of Sati because of her being neglected by Daksa, her father, was most astonishing to all the great demigods of the universe. SB4.4.30 TEXT 30 so ’yam durmarsa-hrdayo brahma-dhruk ca loke ’pakirtim mahatim avapsyati yad-angajam svam purusa-dvid udyatam na pratyasedhan mrtaye ’paradhatah SYNONYMS sah—he; ayam—that; durmarsa-hrdayah—hardhearted; brahma-dhruk—unworthy to be a brahmana; ca—and; loke—in the world; apakirtim—ill fame; mahatim—extensive; avapsyati—will gain; yat-anga-jam—the daughter of whom; svam—own; purusa-dvit—the enemy of Lord Siva; udyatam—who was preparing; na pratyasedhat—did not prevent; mrtaye—for death; aparadhatah—because of his offenses. TRANSLATION Daksa, who is so hardhearted that he is unworthy to be a brahmana, will gain extensive ill fame because of his offenses to his daughter, because of not having prevented her death, and because of his great envy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. PURPORT Daksa is described here as most hardhearted and therefore unqualified to be a brahmana. Brahma-dhruk is described by some commentators to mean brahma-bandhu, or friend of the brahmanas. A person who is born in a brahmana family but has no brahminical qualifications is called a brahma-bandhu. Brahmanas are generally very softhearted and forbearing because they have the power to control the senses and the mind. Daksa, however, was not forbearing. For the simple reason that his son-in-law, Lord Siva, did not stand up to show him the formality of respect, he became so angry and hardhearted that he tolerated even the death of his dearest daughter. Sati tried her best to mitigate the misunderstanding between the son-in-law and the father-in-law by coming to her father’s house, even without an invitation, and at that time Daksa should have received her, forgetting all past misunderstandings. But he was so hardhearted that he was unworthy to be called an Aryan or brahmana. Thus his ill fame still continues. Daksa means “expert,” and he was given this name because of his ability to beget many hundreds and thousands of children. Persons who are too sexually inclined and materialistic become so hardhearted because of a slight loss of prestige that they can tolerate even the death of their children. SB4.4.31 TEXT 31 vadaty evam jane satya drstvasu-tyagam adbhutam daksam tat-parsada hantum udatisthann udayudhah SYNONYMS vadati—were talking; evam—thus; jane—while the people; satyah—of Sati; drstva—after seeing; asu-tyagam—the death; adbhutam—wonderful; daksam—Daksa; tat-parsadah—the attendants of Lord Siva; hantum—to kill; udatisthan—stood up; udayudhah—with uplifted weapons. TRANSLATION While people were talking among themselves about the wonderful voluntary death of Sati, the attendants who had come with her readied themselves to kill Daksa with their weapons. PURPORT The attendants who came with Sati were meant to protect her from calamities, but since they were unable to protect their master’s wife, they decided to die for her, and before dying they wanted to kill Daksa. It is the duty of attendants to give protection to their master, and in case of failure it is their duty to die. SB4.4.32 TEXT 32 tesam apatatam vegam nisamya bhagavan bhrguh yajna-ghna-ghnena yajusa daksinagnau juhava ha SYNONYMS tesam—of them; apatatam—who were approaching; vegam—the impulse; nisamya—after seeing; bhagavan—the possessor of all opulences; bhrguh—Bhrgu Muni; yajna-ghna-ghnena—for killing the destroyers of the yajna; yajusa—with hymns of the Yajur Veda; daksina-agnau—in the southern side of the sacrificial fire; juhava—offered oblations; ha—certainly. TRANSLATION They came forward forcibly, but Bhrgu Muni saw the danger and, offering oblations into the southern side of the sacrificial fire, immediately uttered mantric hymns from the Yajur Veda by which the destroyers of yajnic performances could be killed immediately. PURPORT Here is one example of powerful hymns in the Vedas which, when chanted, could perform wonderful acts. In the present age of Kali it is not possible to find expert mantra chanters; therefore all the sacrifices recommended in the Vedas are forbidden in this age. The only sacrifice recommended in this age is the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra because in this age it is not possible to accumulate the needed funds for performing sacrifices, not to speak of finding expert brahmanas who can chant the mantras perfectly. SB4.4.33 TEXT 33 adhvaryuna huyamane deva utpetur ojasa rbhavo nama tapasa somam praptah sahasrasah SYNONYMS adhvaryuna—by the priest, Bhrgu; huyamane—oblations being offered; devah—demigods; utpetuh—became manifested; ojasa—with great strength; rbhavah—the Rbhus; nama—named; tapasa—by penance; somam—Soma; praptah—having achieved; sahasrasah—by the thousands. TRANSLATION When Bhrgu Muni offered oblations in the fire, immediately many thousands of demigods named Rbhus became manifested. All of them were powerful, having achieved strength from Soma, the moon. PURPORT It is stated here that many thousands of demigods named Rbhus became manifested because of the oblations offered in the fire and the chanting of the hymns from the Yajur Veda. Brahmanas like Bhrgu Muni were so powerful that they could create such powerful demigods simply by chanting the Vedic mantras. Vedic mantras are still available, but the chanters are not. By chanting Vedic mantras or chanting the Gayatri or rg-mantra one can attain the results one desires. ln the present age of Kali it is recommended by Lord Caitanya that simply by chanting Hare Krsna one can attain all perfection. SB4.4.34 TEXT 34 tair alatayudhaih sarve pramathah saha-guhyakah hanyamana diso bhejur usadbhir brahma-tejasa SYNONYMS taih—by them; alata-ayudhaih—with weapons of firebrands; sarve—all; pramathah—the ghosts; saha-guhyakah—along with the Guhyakas; hanyamanah—being attacked; disah—in different directions; bhejuh—fled; usadbhih—glowing; brahma-tejasa—by brahminical power. TRANSLATION When the Rbhu demigods attacked the ghosts and Guhyakas with half-burned fuel from the yajna fire, all these attendants of Sati fled in different directions and disappeared. This was possible simply because of brahma-tejas, brahminical power. PURPORT The word brahma-tejasa, used in this verse, is significant. ln those days, brahmanas were so powerful that simply by desiring and by chanting a Vedic mantra, they could accomplish very wonderful effects. But in the present age of degradation there are no such brahmanas. According to the pancaratrika system, in this age the entire population is supposed to consist of sudras because the brahminical culture has been lost. But if anyone displays the signs of understanding Krsna consciousness, he should be accepted, according to Vaisnava smrti regulations, as a prospective brahmana and should be given all facilities to achieve the highest perfection. The most magnanimous gift of Lord Caitanya’s is that the highest perfection of life is available in this fallen age if one simply adopts the process of chanting Hare Krsna, which is able to bring about the fulfillment of all activities in self-realization. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fourth Canto, Fourth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Sati Quits Her Body.”