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tvam—Your Lordship; eva—certainly; dharma-artha-dugha—benefit derived from religion and economic development; abhipattaye—for their protection; daksena—by Daksa; sutrena—making him the cause; sasarjitha—created; adhvaram—sacrifices; tvaya—by you; eva—certainly; loke—in this world; avasitah—regulated; ca—and; setavah—respect for the varnasrama institution; yan—which; brahmanah—the brahmanas; sraddadhate—respect very much; dhrta-vratah—taking it as a vow.

My dear lord, Your Lordship has introduced the system of sacrifices through the agency of Daksa, and thus one may derive the benefits of religious activities and economic development. Under your regulative principles, the institution of the four varnas and asramas is respected. The brahmanas therefore vow to follow this system strictly.

The Vedic system of varna and asrama is never to be neglected, for these divisions are created by the Supreme Lord Himself for the upkeep of social and religious order in human society. The brahmanas, as the intelligent class of men in society, must vow to steadily respect this regulative principle. The tendency in this age of Kali to make a classless society and not observe the principles of varna and asrama is a manifestation of an impossible dream. Destruction of the social and spiritual orders will not bring fulfillment of the idea of a classless society. One should strictly observe the principles of varna and asrama for the satisfaction of the creator, for it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita by Lord Krsna that the four orders of the social system—brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras—are His creation. They should act according to the regulative principles of this institution and satisfy the Lord, just as different parts of the body all engage in the service of the whole. The whole is the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His virat-rupa, or universal form. The brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras are respectively the mouth, arms, abdomen and legs of the universal form of the Lord. As long as they are engaged in the service of the complete whole, their position is secure, otherwise they fall down from their respective positions and become degraded.

SB4.6.45

TEXT 45

tvam karmanam mangala mangalanam

kartuh sva-lokam tanuse svah param va

amangalanam ca tamisram ulbanam

viparyayah kena tad eva kasyacit

tvam—Your Lordship; karmanam—of the prescribed duties; mangala—O most auspicious; mangalanam—of the auspicious; kartuh—of the performer; sva-lokam—respective higher planetary systems; tanuse—expand; svah—heavenly planets; param—transcendental world; va—or; amangalanam—of the inauspicious; ca—and; tamisram—the name of a particular hell; ulbanam—ghastly; viparyayah—the opposite; kena—why; tat eva—certainly that; kasyacit—for someone.

O most auspicious lord, you have ordained the heavenly planets, the spiritual Vaikuntha planets and the impersonal Brahman sphere as the respective destinations of the performers of auspicious activities. Similarly, for others, who are miscreants, you have destined different kinds of hells which are horrible and ghastly. Yet sometimes it is found that their destinations are just the opposite. It is very difficult to ascertain the cause of this.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is called the supreme will. It is by the supreme will that everything is happening. It is said, therefore, that not a blade of grass moves without the supreme will. Generally it is prescribed that performers of pious activities are promoted to the higher planetary systems, devotees are promoted to the Vaikunthas, or spiritual worlds, and impersonal speculators are promoted to the impersonal Brahman effulgence; but it sometimes so happens that a miscreant like Ajamila is immediately promoted to the Vaikunthaloka simply by chanting the name of Narayana. Although when Ajamila uttered this vibration he intended to call his son Narayana, Lord Narayana took it seriously and immediately gave him promotion to Vaikunthaloka, despite his background, which was full of sinful activities. Similarly King Daksa was always engaged in the pious activities of performing sacrifices, yet simply because of creating a little misunderstanding with Lord Siva, he was severely taken to task. The conclusion is, therefore, that the supreme will is the ultimate judgment; no one can argue upon this. A pure devotee therefore submits in all circumstances to the supreme will of the Lord, accepting it as all-auspicious.

tat te ’nukampam susamiksamano
bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam
hrd-vag-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te
jiveta yo mukti-pade sa daya-bhak

(Bhag. 10.14.8)

The purport of this verse is that when a devotee is in a calamitous condition he takes it as a benediction of the Supreme Lord and takes responsibility himself for his past misdeeds. In such a condition, he offers still more devotional service and is not disturbed. One who lives in such a disposition of mind, engaged in devotional service, is the most eligible candidate for promotion to the spiritual world. In other words, such a devotee’s claim for promotion to the spiritual world is assured in all circumstances.

SB4.6.46

TEXT 46

na vai satam tvac-caranarpitatmanam

bhutesu sarvesv abhipasyatam tava

bhutani catmany aprthag-didrksatam

prayena roso ’bhibhaved yatha pasum

na—not; vai—but; satam—of the devotees; tvat-carana-arpita-atmanam—of those who are completely surrendered at your lotus feet; bhutesu—among living entities; sarvesu—all varieties; abhipasyatam—perfectly seeing; tava—your; bhutani—living entities; ca—and; atmani—in the Supreme; aprthak—nondifferent; didrksatam—those who see like that; prayena—almost always; rosah—anger; abhibhavet—takes place; yatha—exactly like; pasum—the animals.

My dear Lord, devotees who have fully dedicated their lives unto your lotus feet certainly observe your presence as Paramatma in each and every being, and as such they do not differentiate between one living being and another. Such persons treat all living entities equally. They never become overwhelmed by anger like animals, who can see nothing without differentiation.

When the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes angry or kills a demon, materially this may appear unfavorable, but spiritually it is a blissful blessing upon him. Therefore pure devotees do not make any distinction between the Lord’s anger and His blessings. They see both with reference to the Lord’s behavior with others and themselves. A devotee does not find fault with the behavior of the Lord in any circumstances.

SB4.6.47

TEXT 47

prthag-dhiyah karma-drso durasayah

parodayenarpita-hrd-rujo ’nisam

paran duruktair vitudanty aruntudas

tan mavadhid daiva-vadhan bhavad-vidhah

prthak—differently; dhiyah—those who are thinking; karma—fruitive activities; drsah—observer; durasayah—mean minded; para-udayena—by others’ flourishing condition; arpita—given up; hrt—heart; rujah—anger; anisam—always; paran—others; duruktaih—harsh words; vitudanti—gives pain; aruntudah—by piercing words; tan—unto them; ma—not; avadhit—kill; daiva—by providence; vadhan—already killed; bhavat—you; vidhah—like.

Persons who observe everything with differentiation, who are simply attached to fruitive activities, who are mean minded, who are always pained to see the flourishing condition of others and who thus give distress to them by uttering harsh and piercing words have already been killed by providence. Thus there is no need for them to be killed again by an exalted personality like you.

Persons who are materialistic and always engaged in fruitive activities for material profit cannot endure seeing the flourishing life of others. Except for a few persons in Krsna consciousness, the entire world is full of such envious persons, who are perpetually full of anxieties because they are attached to the material body and are without self-realization. Since their hearts are always filled with anxiety, it is understood that they have already been killed by providence. Thus Lord Siva, as a self-realized Vaisnava, was advised not to kill Daksa. A Vaisnava is described as para-duhkha-duhkhi because although he is never distressed in any condition of life, he is distressed to see others in a distressed condition. Vaisnavas, therefore, should not try to kill by any action of the body or mind, but should try to revive the Krsna consciousness of others out of compassion for them. The Krsna consciousness movement has been started to deliver the envious persons of the world from the clutches of maya, and even though devotees are sometimes put into trouble, they push on the Krsna consciousness movement in all tolerance. Lord Caitanya advises:

trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih

[Cc. adi 17.31]

“One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respects to others. ln such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.” (Siksastaka 3)

A Vaisnava should follow the examples of such Vaisnavas as Haridasa Thakura, Nityananda Prabhu and also Lord Jesus Christ. There is no need to kill anyone who has already been killed. But it should be noted herewith that a Vaisnava should not tolerate the blaspheming of Visnu or Vaisnavas, although he should tolerate personal insults to himself.

SB4.6.48

TEXT 48

yasmin yada puskara-nabha-mayaya

durantaya sprsta-dhiyah prthag-drsah

kurvanti tatra hy anukampaya krpam

na sadhavo daiva-balat krte kramam

yasmin—in some place; yada—when; puskara-nabha-mayaya—by the illusory energy of Puskaranabha, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; durantaya—insurmountable; sprsta-dhiyah—bewildered; prthak-drsah—the same persons who see differently; kurvanti—do; tatra—there; hi—certainly; anukampaya—out of compassion; krpam—mercy; na—never; sadhavah—saintly persons; daiva-balat—by providence; krte—being done; kramam—prowess.

My dear lord, if in some places materialists, who are already bewildered by the insurmountable illusory energy of the Supreme Godhead, sometimes commit offenses, a saintly person, with compassion, does not take this seriously. Knowing that they commit offenses because they are overpowered by the illusory energy, he does not show his prowess to counteract them.

It is said that the beauty of a tapasvi, or saintly person, is forgiveness. There are many instances in the spiritual history of the world in which many saintly persons, although unnecessarily harassed, did not take action, although they could have done so. Pariksit Maharaja, for example, was unnecessarily cursed by a brahmana boy, and this was very much regretted by the boy’s father, but Pariksit Maharaja accepted the curse and agreed to die within a week as the brahmana boy desired. Pariksit Maharaja was the emperor and was full in power both spiritually and materially, but out of compassion and out of respect for the brahmana community, he did not counteract the action of the brahmana boy but agreed to die within seven days. Because it was desired by Krsna that Pariksit Maharaja agree to the punishment so that the instruction of Srimad-Bhagavatam would thus be revealed to the world, Pariksit Maharaja was advised not to take action. A Vaisnava is personally tolerant for the benefit of others. When he does not show his prowess, this does not mean that he is lacking in strength; rather, it indicates that he is tolerant for the welfare of the entire human society.

SB4.6.49

TEXT 49

bhavams tu pumsah paramasya mayaya

durantayasprsta-matih samasta-drk

taya hatatmasv anukarma-cetahsv

anugraham kartum iharhasi prabho

bhavan—Your Lordship; tu—but; pumsah—of the person; paramasya—the supreme; mayaya—by the material energy; durantaya—of great potency; asprsta—unaffected; matih—intelligence; samasta-drk—seer or knower of everything; taya—by the same illusory energy; hata-atmasu—bewildered at heart; anukarma-cetahsu—whose hearts are attracted by fruitive activities; anugraham—mercy; kartum—to do; iha—in this case; arhasi—desire; prabho—O lord.

My dear lord, you are never bewildered by the formidable influence of the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore you are omniscient and should be merciful and compassionate toward those who are bewildered by the same illusory energy and are very much attached to fruitive activities.

A Vaisnava is never bewildered by the influence of the external energy because he is engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. The Lord states in Bhagavad-gita (7.14):

daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te

“My divine energy consisting of the three modes of material nature is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” A Vaisnava should take care of those who are bewildered by this maya instead of becoming angry with them, because without a Vaisnava’s mercy they have no way to get out of the clutches of maya. Those who have been condemned by maya are rescued by the mercy of devotees.

vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca
krpa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo
vaisnavebhyo namo namah

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.” Those who are under the influence of the illusory energy are attracted to fruitive activities, but a Vaisnava preacher attracts their hearts to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna.

SB4.6.50

TEXT 50

kurv adhvarasyoddharanam hatasya bhoh

tvayasamaptasya mano prajapateh

na yatra bhagam tava bhagino daduh

kuyajino yena makho niniyate

kuru—just execute; adhvarasya—of the sacrifice; uddharanam—complete regularly; hatasya—killed; bhoh—O; tvaya—by you; asamaptasya—of the unfinished sacrifice; mano—O Lord Siva; prajapateh—of Maharaja Daksa; na—not; yatra—where; bhagam—share; tava—your; bhaginah—deserving to take the share; daduh—did not give; ku-yajinah—bad priests; yena—by the bestower; makhah—sacrifice; niniyate—gets the result.