Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 4: “The Creation of the Fourth Order”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter Eight
SB4.8.55
TEXT 55
salilaih sucibhir malyair
vanyair mula-phaladibhih
sastankuramsukais carcet
tulasya priyaya prabhum
SYNONYMS
salilaih—by use of water; sucibhih—being purified; malyaih—by garlands; vanyaih—of forest flowers; mula—roots; phala-adibhih—by different kinds of vegetables and fruits; sasta—the newly grown grass; ankura—buds; amsukaih—by the skin of trees, such as the bhurja; ca—and; arcet—should worship; tulasya—by the tulasi leaves; priyaya—which are very dear to the Lord; prabhum—the Lord.
TRANSLATION
One should worship the Lord by offering pure water, pure flower garlands, fruits, flowers and vegetables, which are available in the forest, or by collecting newly grown grasses, small buds of flowers or even the skins of trees, and if possible, by offering tulasi leaves, which are very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
It is specifically mentioned herein that tulasi leaves are very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and devotees should take particular care to have tulasi leaves in every temple and center of worship. In the Western countries, while engaged in propagating the Krsna consciousness movement, we were brought great unhappiness because we could not find tulasi leaves. We are very much obliged, therefore, to our disciple Srimati Govinda dasi because she has taken much care to grow tulasi plants from seeds, and she has been successful by the grace of Krsna. Now tulasi plants are growing in almost every center of our movement.
Tulasi leaves are very important in the method of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this verse the word salilaih means “by the water.” Of course, Dhruva Maharaja was worshiping on the bank of the Yamuna. The Yamuna and the Ganges are sacred, and sometimes devotees in India insist that the Deity must be worshiped with water of the Ganges or Yamuna. But here we understand desa-kala to mean “according to time and country.” In the Western countries there is no River Yamuna or Ganges—water from such sacred rivers is not available. Does this mean that the arca worship should for that reason be stopped? No. Salilaih refers to any water—whatever is available—but it must be very clear and collected purely. That water can be used. The other paraphernalia, such as flower garlands, fruits and vegetables, should be collected according to the country and according to their availability. Tulasi leaves are very important for satisfying the Lord, so as far as possible an arrangement should be made for growing tulasi leaves. Dhruva Maharaja was advised to worship the Lord with the fruits and flowers available in the forest. In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna frankly says that He accepts vegetables, fruits, flowers, etc. One should not offer Lord Vasudeva anything other than what is prescribed herein by the great authority Narada Muni. One cannot offer to the Deity according to one’s whims; since these fruits and vegetables are available anywhere in the universe, we should observe this small point very attentively. SB4.8.56 TEXT 56 labdhva dravyamayim arcam ksity-ambv-adisu varcayet abhrtatma munih santo yata-van mita-vanya-bhuk SYNONYMS labdhva—by getting; dravya-mayim—made of physical elements; arcam—worshipable Deity; ksiti—earth; ambu—water; adisu—beginning with; va—or; arcayet—worship; abhrta-atma—one who is fully self-controlled; munih—a great personality; santah—peacefully; yata-vak—controlling the force of talking; mita—frugal; vanya-bhuk—eating whatever is available in the forest. TRANSLATION It is possible to worship a form of the Lord made of physical elements such as earth, water, pulp, wood and metal. In the forest one can make a form with no more than earth and water and worship Him according to the above principles. A devotee who has full control over his self should be very sober and peaceful and must be satisfied simply with eating whatever fruits and vegetables are available in the forest. PURPORT It is essential for a devotee to worship the form of the Lord and not only meditate upon the form of the Lord within his mind with the chanting of the mantra given by the spiritual master. The worship of the form must be present. The impersonalist takes unnecessary trouble to meditate upon or worship something impersonal, and the path is very precarious. We are not advised to follow the impersonalist way of meditating on or worshiping the Lord. Dhruva Maharaja was advised to worship a form made of earth and water because in the jungle, if it is not possible to have a form made of metal, wood or stone, the best process is to take earth mixed with water and make a form of the Lord and worship Him. The devotee should not be anxious about cooking food; whatever is available in the forest or in the city among the fruit and vegetable groups should be offered to the Deity, and the devotee should be satisfied eating that. He should not be anxious to have very palatable dishes. Of course, wherever it is possible, one should offer the Deities the best foodstuffs, prepared within the category of fruits and vegetables, cooked or uncooked. The important factor is that the devotee should be regulated (mita-bhuk); that is one of the good qualifications of a devotee. He should not hanker to satisfy the tongue with a particular kind of foodstuff. He should be satisfied to eat whatever prasada is available by the grace of the Lord. SB4.8.57 TEXT 57 svecchavatara-caritair acintya-nija-mayaya karisyaty uttamaslokas tad dhyayed dhrdayan-gamam SYNONYMS sva-iccha—by His own supreme will; avatara—incarnation; caritaih—activities; acintya—inconceivable; nija-mayaya—by His own potency; karisyati—performs; uttama-slokah—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tat—that; dhyayet—one should meditate; hrdayam-gamam—very attractive. TRANSLATION My dear Dhruva, besides worshiping the Deity and chanting the mantra three times a day, you should meditate upon the transcendental activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His different incarnations, as exhibited by His supreme will and personal potencies. PURPORT Devotional service comprises nine prescribed practices—hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping, serving, offering everything to the Deity, etc. Here Dhruva Maharaja is advised not only to meditate on the form of the Lord, but to think of His transcendental pastimes in His different incarnations. Mayavadi philosophers take the incarnation of the Lord to be in the same category as the ordinary living entity. This is a great mistake. The incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not forced to act by the material laws of nature. The word sveccha is used here to indicate that He appears out of His supreme will. The conditioned soul is forced to accept a particular type of body according to his karma given by the laws of material nature under the direction of the Supreme Lord. But when the Lord appears, He is not forced by the dictation of material nature; He appears as He likes by His own internal potency. That is the difference. The conditioned soul accepts a particular type of body, such as the body of a hog, by his work and by the superior authority of material nature. But when Lord Krsna appears in the incarnation of a boar, He is not the same kind of hog as an ordinary animal. Krsna appears as Varaha-avatara in an expansive feature which cannot be compared to an ordinary hog’s. His appearance and disappearance are inconceivable to us. In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly said that He appears by His own internal potency for the protection of the devotees and the annihilation of the nondevotees. A devotee should always consider that Krsna does not appear as an ordinary human being or ordinary beast; His appearance as Varaha-murti or a horse or tortoise is an exhibition of His internal potency. In the Brahma-samhita it is said, ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhih: one should not mistake the appearance of the Lord as a human being or a beast to be the same as the birth of an ordinary conditioned soul, who is forced to appear by the laws of nature, whether as an animal, as a human being or as a demigod. This kind of thinking is offensive. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has condemned the Mayavadis as offensive to the Supreme Personality of Godhead because of their thinking that the Lord and the conditioned living entities are one and the same. Narada advises Dhruva to meditate on the pastimes of the Lord, which is as good as the meditation of concentrating one’s mind on the form of the Lord. As meditation on any form of the Lord is valuable, so is chanting of different names of the Lord, such as Hari, Govinda and Narayana. But in this age we are especially advised to chant the Hare Krsna mantra as enunciated in the sastra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. SB4.8.58 TEXT 58 paricarya bhagavato yavatyah purva-sevitah ta mantra-hrdayenaiva prayunjyan mantra-murtaye SYNONYMS paricaryah—service; bhagavatah—of the Personality of Godhead; yavatyah—as they are prescribed (as above mentioned); purva-sevitah—recommended or done by previous acaryas; tah—that; mantra—hymns; hrdayena—within the heart; eva—certainly; prayunjyat—one should worship; mantra-murtaye—who is nondifferent from the mantra. TRANSLATION One should follow in the footsteps of previous devotees regarding how to worship the Supreme Lord with the prescribed paraphernalia, or one should offer worship within the heart by reciting the mantra to the Personality of Godhead, who is nondifferent from the mantra. PURPORT It is recommended here that even if one cannot arrange to worship the forms of the Lord with all recommended paraphernalia, one can simply think about the form of the Lord and mentally offer everything recommended in the sastras, including flowers, candana pulp, conchshell, umbrella, fan and camara. One can meditate upon offering and chant the twelve-syllable mantra, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Since the mantra and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are nondifferent, one can worship the form of the Lord with the mantra in the absence of physical paraphernalia. The story of the brahmana who worshiped the Lord within his mind, as related in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, or The Nectar of Devotion, should be consulted in this connection. If paraphernalia is not present physically, one can think of the items and offer them to the Deity by chanting the mantra. Such are the liberal and potent facilities in the process of devotional service. SB4.8.59-60 TEXTS 59–60 evam kayena manasa vacasa ca mano-gatam paricaryamano bhagavan bhaktimat-paricaryaya pumsam amayinam samyag bhajatam bhava-vardhanah sreyo disaty abhimatam yad dharmadisu dehinam SYNONYMS evam—thus; kayena—by the body; manasa—by the mind; vacasa—by the words; ca—also; manah-gatam—simply by thinking of the Lord; paricaryamanah—engaged in the devotional service; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhakti-mat—according to the regulative principles of devotional service; paricaryaya—by worshiping the Lord; pumsam—of the devotee; amayinam—who is sincere and serious; samyak—perfectly; bhajatam—engaged in devotional service; bhava-vardhanah—the Lord, who increases the ecstasy of the devotee; sreyah—ultimate goal; disati—bestows; abhimatam—desire; yat—as they are; dharma-adisu—regarding spiritual life and economic development; dehinam—of the conditioned souls. TRANSLATION Anyone who thus engages in the devotional service of the Lord, seriously and sincerely, with his mind, words and body, and who is fixed in the activities of the prescribed devotional methods, is blessed by the Lord according to his desire. If a devotee desires material religiosity, economic development, sense gratification or liberation from the material world, he is awarded these results. PURPORT Devotional service is so potent that one who renders devotional service can receive whatever he likes as a benediction from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The conditioned souls are very much attached to the material world, and thus by performing religious rites they want the material benefits known as dharma and artha. SB4.8.61 TEXT 61 viraktas cendriya-ratau bhakti-yogena bhuyasa tam nirantara-bhavena bhajetaddha vimuktaye SYNONYMS viraktah ca—completely renounced order of life; indriya-ratau—in the matter of sense gratification; bhakti-yogena—by the process of devotional service; bhuyasa—with great seriousness; tam—unto Him (the Supreme); nirantara—constantly, twenty-four hours daily; bhavena—in the topmost stage of ecstasy; bhajeta—must worship; addha—directly; vimuktaye—for liberation. TRANSLATION If one is very serious about liberation, he must stick to the process of transcendental loving service, engaging twenty-four hours a day in the highest stage of ecstasy, and he must certainly be aloof from all activities of sense gratification. PURPORT There are different stages of perfection according to different persons’ objectives. Generally people are karmis, for they engage in activities of sense gratification. Above the karmis are the jnanis, who are trying to become liberated from material entanglement. Yogis are still more advanced because they meditate on the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And above all these are the devotees, who simply engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord; they are situated seriously on the topmost platform of ecstasy. Here Dhruva Maharaja is advised that if he has no desire for sense gratification, then he should directly engage himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. The path of apavarga, or liberation, begins from the stage called moksa. ln this verse the word vimuktaye, “for liberation,” is especially mentioned. If one wants to he happy within this material world, he may aspire to go to the different material planetary systems where there is a higher standard of sense gratification, but real moksa, or liberation, is performed without any such desire. This is explained in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu by the term anyabhilasita-sunyam [Madhya 19.167], “without desire for material sense gratification.” For persons who are still inclined to enjoy material life in different stages or on different planets, the stage of liberation in bhakti-yoga is not recommended. Only persons who are completely free from the contamination of sense gratification can execute bhakti-yoga, or the process of devotional service, very purely. The activities on the path of apavarga up to the stages of dharma, artha and kama are meant for sense gratification, but when one comes to the stage of moksa, the impersonalist liberation, the practitioner wants to merge into the existence of the Supreme. But that is also sense gratification. When one goes above the stage of liberation, however, he at once becomes one of the associates of the Lord to render transcendental loving service. That is technically called vimukti. For this specific vimukti liberation, Narada Muni recommends that one directly engage himself in devotional service. SB4.8.62 TEXT 62 ity uktas tam parikramya pranamya ca nrparbhakah yayau madhuvanam punyam hares carana-carcitam SYNONYMS iti—thus; uktah—being spoken; tam—him (Narada Muni); parikramya—by circumambulating; pranamya—by offering obeisances; ca—also; nrpa-arbhakah—the boy of the King; yayau—went to; madhuvanam—a forest in Vrndavana known as Madhuvana; punyam—which is auspicious and pious; hareh—of the Lord; carana-carcitam—imprinted by the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. TRANSLATION When Dhruva Maharaja, the son of the King, was thus advised by the great sage Narada, he circumambulated Narada, his spiritual master, and offered him respectful obeisances. Then he started for Madhuvana, which is always imprinted with the lotus footprints of Lord Krsna and which is therefore especially auspicious. SB4.8.63 TEXT 63 tapo-vanam gate tasmin pravisto ’ntah-puram munih arhitarhanako rajna sukhasina uvaca tam SYNONYMS tapah-vanam—the forest path where Dhruva Maharaja executed his austerity; gate—having thus approached; tasmin—there; pravistah—having entered; antah-puram—within the private house; munih—the great sage Narada; arhita—being worshiped; arhanakah—by respectful behavior; rajna—by the King; sukha-asinah—when he comfortably sat on his seat; uvaca—said; tam—unto him (the King). TRANSLATION After Dhruva entered Madhuvana Forest to execute devotional service, the great sage Narada thought it wise to go to the King to see how he was faring within the palace. When Narada Muni approached, the King received him properly, offering him due obeisances. After being seated comfortably, Narada began to speak. SB4.8.64 TEXT 64 narada uvaca rajan kim dhyayase dirgham mukhena parisusyata kim va na risyate kamo dharmo varthena samyutah SYNONYMS naradah uvaca—the great sage Narada Muni said; rajan—my dear King; kim—what; dhyayase—thinking of; dirgham—very deeply; mukhena—with your face; parisusyata—as if drying up; kim va—whether; na—not; risyate—been lost; kamah—sense gratification; dharmah—religious rituals; va—or; arthena—with economic development; samyutah—along with. TRANSLATION The great sage Narada inquired: My dear King, your face appears to be withering up, and you look like you have been thinking of something for a very long time. Why is that? Have you been hampered in following your path of religious rites, economic development and sense gratification? PURPORT The four stages of advancement of human civilisation are religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and, for some, the stage of liberation. Narada Muni did not inquire from the King about his liberation, but only regarding the state management, which is meant for advancement of the three principles religiosity, economic development and sense gratification. Since those who engage in such activities are not interested in liberation, Narada did not inquire from the King about this. Liberation is meant for persons who have lost all interest in religious ritualistic ceremonies, economic development and sense gratification. SB4.8.65 TEXT 65 rajovaca suto me balako brahman strainenakarunatmana nirvasitah panca-varsah saha matra mahan kavih SYNONYMS raja uvaca—the King replied; sutah—son; me—my; balakah—tender boy; brahman—my dear brahmana; strainena—one who is too addicted to his wife; akaruna-atmana—one who is very hard of heart and without mercy; nirvasitah—is banished; panca-varsah—although the boy is five years old; saha—with; matra—mother; mahan—great personality; kavih—devotee. TRANSLATION The King replied: O best of the brahmanas, I am very much addicted to my wife, and I am so fallen that I have abandoned all merciful behavior, even to my son, who is only five years old. I have banished him and his mother, even though he is a great soul and a great devotee. PURPORT In this verse there are some specific words which are to be understood very carefully. The King said that since he was very much addicted to his wife, he had lost all his mercy. That is the result of becoming too affectionate toward women. The King had two wives; the first wife was Suniti, and the second was Suruci. He was too attached to the second wife, however, so he could not behave well with Dhruva Maharaja. That was the cause of Dhruva’s leaving home to perform austerities. Although as a father the King was affectionate toward his son, he minimized his affection for Dhruva Maharaja because he was too much addicted to the second wife. Now he was repenting that both Dhruva Maharaja and his mother, Suniti, were practically banished. Dhruva Maharaja went to the forest, and since his mother was being neglected by the King, she was therefore almost banished also. The King repented having banished his boy, for Dhruva was only five years old and a father should not banish his wife and children or neglect their maintenance. Repentant over his neglect of both Suniti and her son, he was morose, and his face appeared withered. According to Manu-smrti, one should never desert his wife and children. In a case where the wife and children are disobedient and do not follow the principles of home life, they are sometimes given up. But in the case of Dhruva Maharaja this was not applicable because Dhruva was very mannerly and obedient. Moreover, he was a great devotee. Such a person is never to be neglected, yet the King was obliged to banish him. Now he was very sorry. SB4.8.66 TEXT 66 apy anatham vane brahman ma smadanty arbhakam vrkah srantam sayanam ksudhitam parimlana-mukhambujam SYNONYMS api—certainly; anatham—without being protected by anyone; vane—in the forest; brahman—my dear brahmana; ma—whether or not; sma—did not; adanti—devour; arbhakam—the helpless boy; vrkah—wolves; srantam—being fatigued; sayanam—lying down; ksudhitam—being hungry; parimlana—emaciated; mukha-ambujam—his face, which is just like a lotus flower. TRANSLATION My dear brahmana, the face of my son was just like a lotus flower. I am thinking of his precarious condition. He is unprotected, and he might he very hungry. He might have lain down somewhere in the forest, and the wolves might have attacked him to eat his body. SB4.8.67 TEXT 67 aho me bata dauratmyam stri-jitasyopadharaya yo ’nkam premnaruruksantam nabhyanandam asattamah SYNONYMS aho—alas; me—my; bata—certainly; dauratmyam—cruelty; stri-jitasya—conquered by a woman; upadharaya—just think of me in this regard; yah—who; ankam—lap; premna—out of love; aruruksantam—trying to rise onto it; na—not; abhyanandam—received properly; asat-tamah—the most cruel. TRANSLATION Alas, just see how I was conquered by my wife! Just imagine my cruelty! Out of love and affection the boy was trying to get up on my lap, but I did not receive him, nor did I even pat him for a moment. Just imagine how hardhearted I am. SB4.8.68 TEXT 68 narada uvaca ma ma sucah sva-tanayam deva-guptam visampate tat-prabhavam avijnaya pravrnkte yad-yaso jagat SYNONYMS naradah uvaca—the great sage Narada said; ma—do not; ma—do not; sucah—be aggrieved; sva-tanayam—of your own son; deva-guptam—he is well protected by the Lord; visam-pate—O master of human society; tat—his; prabhavam—influence; avijnaya—without knowing; pravrnkte—widespread; yat—whose; yasah—reputation; jagat—all over the world. TRANSLATION The great sage Narada replied: My dear King, please do not he aggrieved about your son. He is well protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although you have no actual information of his influence, his reputation is already spread all over the world. PURPORT Sometimes when we hear that great sages and devotees go to the forest and engage themselves in devotional service or meditation, we become surprised: how can one live in the forest and not be taken care of by anyone? But the answer, given by a great authority, Narada Muni, is that such persons are well protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Saranagati, or surrender, means acceptance or firm belief that wherever the surrendered soul lives he is always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; he is never alone or unprotected. Dhruva Maharaja’s affectionate father thought his young boy, only five years old, to be in a very precarious position in the jungle, but Narada Muni assured him, “You do not have sufficient information about the influence of your son.” Anyone who engages in devotional service, anywhere within this universe, is never unprotected. SB4.8.69 TEXT 69 suduskaram karma krtva loka-palair api prabhuh aisyaty acirato rajan yaso vipulayams tava SYNONYMS su-duskaram—impossible to perform; karma—work; krtva—after performing; loka-palaih—by great personalities; api—even; prabhuh—quite competent; aisyati—will come back; aciratah—without delay; rajan—my dear King; yasah—reputation; vipulayan—causing to become great; tava—your. TRANSLATION My dear King, your son is very competent. He will perform activities which would he impossible even for great kings and sages. Very soon he will complete his task and come back home. You should know that he will also spread your reputation all over the world. PURPORT Here in this verse Narada Muni has described Dhruva Maharaja as prabhu. This word is applicable to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes the spiritual master is addressed as Prabhupada. Prabhu means “the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” and pada means “post.” According to Vaisnava philosophy, the spiritual master occupies the post of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or in other words he is the bona fide representative of the Supreme Lord. Dhruva Maharaja is also described here as prabhu because he is an acarya of the Vaisnava school. Another meaning of prabhu is “master of the senses,” just like the word svami. Another significant word is suduskaram, “very difficult to perform.” What was the task that Dhruva Maharaja undertook? The most difficult task in life is to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Dhruva Maharaja would be able to do that. We must remember that Dhruva Maharaja was not fickle; he was determined to execute his service and then come back. Every devotee, therefore, should be determined that in this life he will be able to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead and by that process go back home, back to Godhead. That is the perfection of the highest mission of life. SB4.8.70 TEXT 70 maitreya uvaca iti devarsina proktam visrutya jagati-patih raja-laksmim anadrtya putram evanvacintayat SYNONYMS maitreyah uvaca—the great sage Maitreya said; iti—thus; devarsina—by the great sage Narada; proktam—spoken; visrutya—hearing; jagati-patih—the King; raja-laksmim—the opulence of his big kingdom; anadrtya—without taking care of; putram—his son; eva—certainly; anvacintayat—began to think of him. TRANSLATION The great Maitreya continued: The King, Uttanapada, after being advised by Narada Muni, practically gave up all duties in relation with his kingdom, which was very vast and wide, opulent like the goddess of fortune, and he simply began to think of his son Dhruva. SB4.8.71 TEXT 71 tatrabhisiktah prayatas tam uposya vibhavarim samahitah paryacarad rsy-adesena purusam SYNONYMS tatra—thereupon; abhisiktah—after taking a bath; prayatah—with great attention; tam—that; uposya—fasting; vibhavarim—night; samahitah—perfect attention; paryacarat—worshiped; rsi—by the great sage Narada; adesena—as advised; purusam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead. TRANSLATION Elsewhere, Dhruva Maharaja, having arrived at Madhuvana, took his bath in the River Yamuna and observed fasting in the night with great care and attention. After that, as advised by the great sage Narada, he engaged himself in worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. PURPORT The significance of this particular verse is that Dhruva Maharaja acted exactly according to the advice of his spiritual master, the great sage Narada. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti also advises that if we want to be successful in our attempt to go back to Godhead, we must very seriously act according to the instruction of the spiritual master. That is the way of perfection. There need be no anxiety over attaining perfection because if one follows the instruction given by the spiritual master he is sure to attain perfection. Our only concern should be how to execute the order of the spiritual master. A spiritual master is expert in giving special instructions to each of his disciples, and if the disciple executes the order of the spiritual master, that is the way of his perfection. SB4.8.72 TEXT 72 tri-ratrante tri-ratrante kapittha-badarasanah atma-vrtty-anusarena masam ninye ’rcayan harim SYNONYMS tri—three; ratra-ante—at the end of night; tri—three; ratra-ante—at the end of night; kapittha-badara—fruits and berries; asanah—eating; atma-vrtti—just to preserve the body; anusarena—as it was necessary, minimum; masam—one month; ninye—passed away; arcayan—worshiping; harim—the Supreme Personality of Godhead. TRANSLATION For the first month Dhruva Maharaja ate only fruits and berries on every third day, only to keep his body and soul together, and in this way he progressed in his worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. PURPORT Kapittha is a flower which is known in Indian vernacular as kayeta. We do not find an English equivalent for the name of this flower, but its fruit is generally not accepted by human beings; it is eaten by monkeys in the forest. Dhruva Maharaja, however, accepted such fruits, not for luxurious feasting but just to keep his body and soul together. The body needs food, but a devotee should not accept foodstuff to satisfy the tongue in sense gratification. It is recommended in Bhagavad-gita that one should accept as much food as necessary to keep the body fit, but one should not eat for luxury. Dhruva Maharaja is an acarya, and by undergoing severe austerities and penances he teaches us how one should execute devotional service. We must carefully know the process of Dhruva Maharaja’s service; how severely he passed his days will be shown in later verses. We should always remember that to become a bona fide devotee of the Lord is not an easy task, but in this age, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, it has been made very easy. But if we do not follow even the liberal instructions of Lord Caitanya, how can we expect to discharge our regular duties in devotional service? lt is not possible in this age to follow Dhruva Maharaja in his austerity, but the principles must be followed; we should not disregard the regulative principles given by our spiritual master, for they make it easier for the conditioned soul. As far as our ISKCON movement is concerned, we simply ask that one observe the four prohibitive rules, chant sixteen rounds and, instead of indulging in luxurious eating for the tongue, simply accept prasada offered to the Lord. This does not mean that with our fasting the Lord should also fast. The Lord should be given foodstuff which is as nice as possible. But we should not make it a point to satisfy our own tongues. As far as possible we should accept simple foodstuff, just to keep the body and soul together to execute devotional service. It is our duty to remember always that in comparison to Dhruva Maharaja we are insignificant. We cannot do anything like what Dhruva Maharaja did for self-realization because we are absolutely incompetent to execute such service. But by Lord Caitanya’s mercy we have been given all concessions possible for this age, so at least we should always remember that neglect of our prescribed duties in devotional service will not make us successful in the mission we have undertaken. It is our duty to follow in the footsteps of Dhruva Maharaja, for he was very determined. We should also be determined to finish our duties in executing devotional service in this life; we should not wait for another life to finish our job. SB4.8.73 TEXT 73 dvitiyam ca tatha masam sasthe sasthe ’rbhako dine trna-parnadibhih sirnaih krtanno ’bhyarcayan vibhum SYNONYMS dvitiyam—the next month; ca—also; tatha—as mentioned above; masam—month; sasthe sasthe—every sixth day; arbhakah—the innocent boy; dine—on days; trna-parna-adibhih—by grasses and leaves; sirnaih—which were dry; krta-annah—made for his food; abhyarcayan—and thus continued his method of worship; vibhum—for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. TRANSLATION In the second month Dhruva Maharaja ate only every six days, and for his eatables he took dry grass and leaves. Thus he continued his worship. SB4.8.74 TEXT 74 trtiyam canayan masam navame navame ’hani ab-bhaksa uttamaslokam upadhavat samadhina SYNONYMS trtiyam—the third month; ca—also; anayan—passing; masam—one month; navame navame—on each ninth; ahani—on the day; ap-bhaksah—drinking water only; uttama-slokam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is worshiped by selected verses; upadhavat—worshiped; samadhina—in trance. TRANSLATION In the third month he drank water only every nine days. Thus he remained completely in trance and worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is adored by selected verses. SB4.8.75 TEXT 75 caturtham api vai masam dvadase dvadase ’hani vayu-bhakso jita-svaso dhyayan devam adharayat SYNONYMS caturtham—fourth; api—also; vai—in that way; masam—the month; dvadase dvadase—on the twelfth; ahani—day; vayu—air; bhaksah—eating; jita-svasah—controlling the breathing process; dhyayan—meditating; devam—the Supreme Lord; adharayat—worshiped. TRANSLATION In the fourth month Dhruva Maharaja became a complete master of the breathing exercise, and thus he inhaled air only every twelfth day. In this way he became completely fixed in his position and worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead. SB4.8.76 TEXT 76 pancame masy anuprapte jita-svaso nrpatmajah dhyayan brahma padaikena tasthau sthanur ivacalah SYNONYMS pancame—in the fifth; masi—in the month; anuprapte—being situated; jita-svasah—and still controlling the breathing; nrpa-atmajah—the son of the King; dhyayan—meditating; brahma—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pada ekena—with one leg; tasthau—stood; sthanuh—just like a column; iva—like; acalah—without movement. TRANSLATION By the fifth month, Maharaja Dhruva, the son of the King, had controlled his breathing so perfectly that he was able to stand on only one leg, just as a column stands, without motion, and concentrate his mind fully on the Parabrahman. SB4.8.77 TEXT 77 sarvato mana akrsya hrdi bhutendriyasayam dhyayan bhagavato rupam nadraksit kincanaparam SYNONYMS sarvatah—in all respects; manah—mind; akrsya—concentrating; hrdi—in the heart; bhuta-indriya-asayam—resting place of the senses and the objects of the senses; dhyayan—meditating; bhagavatah—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rupam—form; na adraksit—did not see; kincana—anything; aparam—else. TRANSLATION He completely controlled his senses and their objects, and in this way he fixed his mind, without diversion to anything else, upon the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. PURPORT The yogic principles of meditation are clearly explained here. One has to fix one’s mind upon the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead without diversion to any other objective. It is not that one can meditate or concentrate on an impersonal objective. To try to do so is simply a waste of time, for it is unnecessarily troublesome, as explained in Bhagavad-gita. SB4.8.78 TEXT 78 adharam mahad-adinam pradhana-purusesvaram brahma dharayamanasya trayo lokas cakampire SYNONYMS adharam—repose; mahat-adinam—of the material sum total known as the mahat-tattva; pradhana—the chief; purusa-isvaram—master of all living entities; brahma—the Supreme Brahman, the Personality of Godhead; dharayamanasya—having taken into the heart; trayah—the three planetary systems; lokah—all the planets; cakampire—began to tremble. TRANSLATION When Dhruva Maharaja thus captured the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the refuge of the total material creation and who is the master of all living entities, the three worlds began to tremble. PURPORT In this verse the particular word brahma is very significant. Brahman refers to one who not only is the greatest, but has the potency to expand to an unlimited extent. How was it possible for Dhruva Maharaja to capture Brahman within his heart? This question has been very nicely answered by Jiva Gosvami. He says that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the origin of Brahman, for since He comprises everything material and spiritual, there cannot be anything greater than He. In the Bhagavad-gita also the Supreme Godhead says, “I am the resting place of Brahman.” Many persons, especially the Mayavadi philosophers, consider Brahman the biggest, all-expanding substance, but according to this verse and other Vedic literatures, such as Bhagavad-gita, the resting place of Brahman is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as the resting place of the sunshine is the sun globe. Srila Jiva Gosvami, therefore, says that since the transcendental form of the Lord is the seed of all greatness, He is the Supreme Brahman. Since the Supreme Brahman was situated in the heart of Dhruva Maharaja, he became heavier than the heaviest, and therefore everything trembled in all three worlds and in the spiritual world. The mahat-tattva, or the sum total of the material creation, is to be understood to be the ultimate end of all universes, including all the living entities therein. Brahman is the resort of the mahat-tattva, which includes all material and spiritual entities. It is described in this connection that the Supreme Brahman, the Personality of Godhead, is the master of both pradhana and purusa. Pradhana means subtle matter, such as ether. purusa means the spiritual spark living entities who are entangled in that subtle material existence. These may also be described as para prakrti and apara prakrti, as stated in Bhagavad-gita. Krsna, being the controller of both the prakrtis, is thus the master of pradhana and purusa. In the Vedic hymns also the Supreme Brahman is described as antah-pravistah sasta. This indicates that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is controlling everything and entering into everything. The Brahma-samhita (5.35) further confirms this. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham: He has entered not only the universes, but even the atom. In Bhagavad-gita (10.42) Krsna also says, vistabhyaham idam krtsnam. The Supreme Personality of Godhead controls everything by entering into everything. By associating constantly with the Supreme Personality in his heart, Dhruva Maharaja naturally became equal to the greatest, Brahman, by His association, and thus became the heaviest, and the entire universe trembled. ln conclusion, a person who always concentrates on the transcendental form of Krsna within his heart can very easily strike the whole world with wonder at his activities. This is the perfection of yoga performance, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (6.47). Yoginam api sarvesam: of all yogis, the bhakti-yogi, who thinks of Krsna always within his heart and engages in His loving transcendental service, is the topmost. Ordinary yogis can exhibit wonderful material activities, known as asta-siddhi, eight kinds of yogic perfection, but a pure devotee of the Lord can surpass these perfections by performing activities which can make the whole universe tremble. SB4.8.79 TEXT 79 yadaika-padena sa parthivarbhakas tasthau tad-angustha-nipidita mahi nanama tatrardham ibhendra-dhisthita tariva savyetaratah pade pade SYNONYMS yada—when; eka—with one; padena—leg; sah—Dhruva Maharaja; parthiva—the King’s; arbhakah—child; tasthau—remained standing; tat-angustha—his big toe; nipidita—being pressed; mahi—the earth; nanama—bent down; tatra—then; ardham—half; ibha-indra—the king of elephants; dhisthita—being situated; tari iva—like a boat; savya-itaratah—right and left; pade pade—in every step. TRANSLATION As Dhruva Maharaja, the King’s son, kept himself steadily standing on one leg, the pressure of his big toe pushed down half the earth, just as an elephant being carried on a boat rocks the boat left and right with his every step. PURPORT The most significant expression in this verse is parthivarbhakah, son of the King. When Dhruva Maharaja was at home, although he was a king’s son, he was prevented from getting on the lap of his father. But when he became advanced in self-realization, or devotional service, by the pressure of his toe he could push down the whole earth. That is the difference between ordinary consciousness and Krsna consciousness. In ordinary consciousness a king’s son may be refused something even by his father, but when the same person becomes fully Krsna conscious within his heart, he can push down the earth with the pressure of his toe. One cannot argue, “How is it that Dhruva Maharaja, who was prevented from getting up on the lap of his father, could press down the whole earth?” This argument is not very much appreciated by the learned, for it is an example of nagna-matrka logic. By this logic one would think that because his mother in her childhood was naked, she should remain naked even when she is grown up. The stepmother of Dhruva Maharaja might have been thinking in a similar way: since she had refused to allow him to get up on the lap of his father, how could Dhruva perform such wonderful activities as pressing down the whole earth? She must have been very surprised when she learned that Dhruva Maharaja, by concentrating constantly on the Supreme Personality of Godhead within his heart, could press down the entire earth, like an elephant who presses down the boat on which it is loaded. SB4.8.80 TEXT 80 tasminn abhidhyayati visvam atmano dvaram nirudhyasum ananyaya dhiya loka nirucchvasa-nipidita bhrsam sa-loka-palah saranam yayur harim SYNONYMS tasmin—Dhruva Maharaja; abhidhyayati—when meditating with full concentration; visvam atmanah—the total body of the universe; dvaram—the holes; nirudhya—closed; asum—the life air; ananyaya—without being diverted; dhiya—meditation; lokah—all the planets; nirucchvasa—having stopped breathing; nipiditah—thus being suffocated; bhrsam—very soon; sa-loka-palah—all the great demigods from different planets; saranam—shelter; yayuh—took; harim—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. TRANSLATION When Dhruva Maharaja became practically one in heaviness with Lord Visnu, the total consciousness, due to his fully concentrating, and closing all the holes of his body, the total universal breathing became choked up, and all the great demigods in all the planetary systems felt suffocated and thus took shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. PURPORT When hundreds of persons are sitting in an airplane, although they remain individual units, they each share in the total force of the airplane, which runs at thousands of miles per hour; similarly, when unit energy is identified with the service of the total energy, the unit energy becomes as powerful as the total energy. As explained in the previous verse, Dhruva Maharaja, because of his spiritual advancement, became almost the total heaviness, and thus he pressed down the whole earth. Moreover, by such spiritual power his unit body became the total body of the universe. Thus when he closed the holes of his unit body to firmly concentrate his mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all the units of the universe—namely all the living entities, including the big demigods—felt the pressure of suffocation, as if their breathing were being choked. Therefore they all took shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because they were perplexed as to what had happened. This example of Dhruva Maharaja’s closing the holes of his personal body and thereby closing the breathing holes of the total universe clearly indicates that a devotee, by his personal devotional service, can influence all the people of the whole world to become devotees of the Lord. lf there is only one pure devotee in pure Krsna consciousness, he can change the total consciousness of the world into Krsna consciousness. This is not very difficult to understand if we study the behavior of Dhruva Maharaja. SB4.8.81 TEXT 81 deva ucuh naivam vidamo bhagavan prana-rodham caracarasyakhila-sattva-dhamnah vidhehi tan no vrjinad vimoksam prapta vayam tvam saranam saranyam SYNONYMS devah ucuh—all the demigods said; na—not; evam—thus; vidamah—we can understand; bhagavan—O Personality of Godhead; prana-rodham—how we feel our breathing choked; cara—moving; acarasya—not moving; akhila—universal; sattva—existence; dhamnah—the reservoir of; vidhehi—kindly do the needful; tat—therefore; nah—our; vrjinat—from the danger; vimoksam—liberation; praptah—approaching; vayam—all of us; tvam—unto You; saranam—shelter; saranyam—worthy to be taken shelter of. TRANSLATION The demigods said: Dear Lord, You are the refuge of all moving and nonmoving living entities. We feel all living entities to be suffocating, their breathing processes choked up. We have never experienced such a thing. Since You are the ultimate shelter of all surrendered souls, we have therefore approached You; kindly save us from this danger. PURPORT Dhruva Maharaja’s influence, attained by executing devotional service unto the Lord, was felt even by the demigods, who had never before experienced such a situation. Because of Dhruva Maharaja’s controlling his breathing, the entire universal breathing process was choked. lt is by the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that material entities cannot breathe whereas spiritual entities are able to breathe; material entities are products of the Lord’s external energy, whereas spiritual entities are products of the Lord’s internal energy. The demigods approached the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the controller of both kinds of entities, in order to know why their breathing was choked. The Supreme Lord is the ultimate goal for the solution to all problems within this material world. In the spiritual world there are no problems, but the material world is always problematic. Since the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of both the material and spiritual worlds, it is better to approach Him in all problematic situations. Those who are devotees, therefore, have no problems in this material world. Visvam purna-sukhayate (Caitanya-candramrta): devotees are free from all problems because they are fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For a devotee, everything in the world is very pleasing because he knows how to use everything in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. SB4.8.82 TEXT 82 sri-bhagavan uvaca ma bhaista balam tapaso duratyayan nivartayisye pratiyata sva-dhama yato hi vah prana-nirodha asid auttanapadir mayi sangatatma SYNONYMS sri-bhagavan uvaca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead replied; ma bhaista—do not be afraid; balam—the boy Dhruva; tapasah—by his severe austerity; duratyayat—strongly determined; nivartayisye—I shall ask him to stop this; pratiyata—you can return; sva-dhama—your own respective homes; yatah—from whom; hi—certainly; vah—your; prana-nirodhah—choking the life air; asit—happened; auttanapadih—on account of the son of King Uttanapada; mayi—unto Me; sangata-atma—fully absorbed in thought of Me. TRANSLATION The Supreme Personality of Godhead replied: My dear demigods, do not be perturbed by this. It is due to the severe austerity and full determination of the son of King Uttanapada, who is now fully absorbed in thought of Me. He has obstructed the universal breathing process. You can safely return to your respective homes. I shall stop this boy in his severe acts of austerities, and you will be saved from this situation. PURPORT Here one word, sangatatma, is misinterpreted by the Mayavadi philosophers, who say that the self of Dhruva Maharaja became one with the Supreme Self, the Personality of Godhead. The Mayavadi philosophers want to prove by this word that the Supersoul and the individual soul become united in this way and that after such unification the individual soul has no separate existence. But here it is clearly said by the Supreme Lord that Dhruva Maharaja was so absorbed in meditation on the thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead that He Himself, the universal consciousness, was attracted to Dhruva. In order to please the demigods, He wanted to go Himself to Dhruva Maharaja to stop him from this severe austerity. The Mayavadi philosophers’ conclusion that the Supersoul and the individual soul become united is not supported by this statement. Rather, the Supersoul, the Personality of Godhead, wanted to stop Dhruva Maharaja from this severe austerity. By pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one pleases everyone, just as by watering the root of a tree one satisfies every branch, twig and leaf of the tree. lf one can attract the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one naturally attracts the whole universe because Krsna is the supreme cause of the universe. All the demigods were afraid of being totally vanquished by suffocation, but the Personality of Godhead assured them that Dhruva Maharaja was a great devotee of the Lord and was not about to annihilate everyone in the universe. A devotee is never envious of other living entities. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fourth Canto, Eighth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Dhruva Maharaja Leaves Home for the Forest.”