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nabhih—King Nabhi; tu—certainly; yatha-abhilasitam—according to his desire; su-prajastvam—the most beautiful son; avarudhya—getting; ati-pramoda—of great jubilation; bhara—by an excess; vihvalah—being overwhelmed; gadgada-aksaraya—faltering in ecstasy; gira—with a voice; svairam—by His independent will; grhita—accepted; nara-loka-sadharmam—acting as if a human being; bhagavantam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; purana-purusam—the oldest among living beings; maya—by yogamaya; vilasita—bewildered; matih—his mentality; vatsa—my dear son; tata—my darling; iti—thus; sa-anuragam—with great affection; upalalayan—raising; param—transcendental; nirvrtim—bliss; upagatah—achieved.

Due to getting a perfect son according to his desire, King Nabhi was always overwhelmed with transcendental bliss and was very affectionate to his son. It was with ecstasy and a faltering voice that he addressed Him, “My dear son, my darling.” This mentality was brought about by yogamaya, whereby he accepted the Supreme Lord, the supreme father, as his own son. Out of His supreme good will, the Lord became his son and dealt with everyone as if He were an ordinary human being. Thus King Nabhi began to raise his transcendental son with great affection, and he was overwhelmed with transcendental bliss, joy and devotion.

The word maya is used in the sense of illusion. Considering the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be his own son, Maharaja Nabhi was certainly in illusion, but this was transcendental illusion. This illusion is required; otherwise how can one accept the supreme father as his own son? The Supreme Lord appears as the son of one of His devotees, just as Lord Krsna appeared as the son of Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja. These devotees could never think of their son as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for such appreciation would hamper their relationship of paternal love.

SB5.4.5

TEXT 5

viditanuragam apaura-prakrti jana-pado raja nabhir atmajam samaya-setu-raksayam abhisicya brahmanesupanidhaya saha merudevya visalayam prasanna-nipunena tapasa samadhi-yogena nara-narayanakhyam bhagavantam vasudevam upasinah kalena tan-mahimanam avapa.

vidita—known very well; anuragam—popularity; apaura-prakrti—among all the citizens and government officers; jana-padah—desiring to serve the people in general; raja—the King; nabhih—Nabhi; atmajam—his son; samaya-setu-raksayam—to protect the people strictly according to the Vedic principles of religious life; abhisicya—enthroning; brahmanesu—to the learned brahmanas; upanidhaya—entrusting; saha—with; merudevya—his wife. Merudevi; visalayam—in Badarikasrama; prasanna-nipunena—performed with great satisfaction and expertise; tapasa—by austerities and penances; samadhi-yogena—by full samadhi; nara-narayana-akhyam—named Nara-Narayana; bhagavantam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vasudevam—Krsna; upasinah—worshiping; kalena—in due course of time; tat-mahimanam—His glorious abode, the spiritual world, Vaikuntha; avapa—achieved.

King Nabhi understood that his son, Rsabhadeva, was very popular among the citizens and among government officers and ministers. Understanding the popularity of his son, Maharaja Nabhi enthroned Him as the emperor of the world to give protection to the general populace in terms of the Vedic religious system. To do this, he entrusted Him into the hands of learned brahmanas, who would guide Him in administrating the government. Then Maharaja Nabhi and his wife, Merudevi, went to Badarikasrama in the Himalaya Mountains, where the King engaged Himself very expertly in austerities and penances with great jubilation. In full samadhi he worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nara-Narayana, who is Krsna in His plenary expansion. By doing so, in course of time Maharaja Nabhi was elevated to the spiritual world known as Vaikuntha.

yasya ha pandaveya slokav udaharanti——

When Maharaja Nabhi saw that his son Rsabhadeva was popular with the general populace and the governmental servants, he chose to install Him on the imperial throne. In addition, he wanted to entrust his son into the hands of the learned brahmanas. This means that a monarch was supposed to govern strictly according to Vedic principles under the guidance of learned brahmanas, who could advise Him according to the standard Vedic scriptures like Manu-smrti and similar sastras. It is the duty of the king to rule the citizens according to Vedic principles. According to Vedic principles, society is divided into four categories—brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya and sudra. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [Bg. 4.13]. After dividing society in this way, it is the king’s duty to see that everyone executes Vedic principles according to his caste. A brahmana must perform the duty of a brahmana without cheating the public. It is not that one attains the name of a brahmana without the qualifications. It is the king’s duty to see that everyone engages in his occupational duty according to Vedic principles. In addition, retirement at the end of life is compulsory. Maharaja Nabhi, although still a king. retired from family life and went with his wife to a place called Badarikasrama in the Himalayas, where the Deity Nara-Narayana is worshiped. The words prasanna-nipunena tapasa indicate that the King accepted all kinds of austerity very expertly and jubilantly. He did not at all mind leaving his comfortable life at home, although he was the emperor. Despite undergoing severe austerities and penances, he felt very pleased at Badarikasrama, and he did everything there expertly. In this way, being fully absorbed in Krsna consciousness (samadhi-yoga). always thinking of Krsna, Vasudeva, Maharaja Nabhi attained success at the end of his life and was promoted to the spiritual world, Vaikunthaloka.

This is the way of Vedic life. One must stop the process of repeated birth and death and return home, back to Godhead. The words tan-mahimanam avapa are significant in this regard. Srila Sridhara Svami says that mahima means liberation in this life. We should act in such a way in this life that after giving up this body, we will become liberated from the bondage of repeated birth and death. This is called jivan-mukti. Srila Viraraghava Acarya states that in the Chandogya Upanisad there are eight symptoms of a jivan-mukta, a person who is already liberated even when living in this body. The first symptom of one so liberated is that he is freed from all sinful activity (apahata-papa). As long as one is under the clutches of maya in the material energy, one has to engage in sinful activity. Bhagavad-gita describes such people as duskrtinah, which indicates that they are always engaged in sinful activity. One who is liberated in this life does not commit any sinful activities. Sinful activity involves illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Another symptom of a liberated person is vijara, which indicates that he is not subjected to the miseries of old age. Another symptom is vimrtyu. A liberated person prepares himself in such a way that he does not take on any more material bodies, which are destined to die. In other words. he does not fall down again to repeat birth and death. Another symptom is visoka, which indicates that he is callous to material distress and happiness. Another is vijighatsa, which indicates that he no longer desires material enjoyment. Another symptom is apipata, which means that he has no desire other than to engage in the devotional service of Krsna, his dearmost pursuable Lord. A further symptom is satya-kama, which indicates that all his desires are directed to the Supreme Truth, Krsna. He does not want anything else. He is satya-sankalpa. Whatever he desires is fulfilled by the grace of Krsna. First of all, he does not desire anything for his material benefit, and secondly if he desires anything at all, he simply desires to serve the Supreme Lord. That desire is fulfilled by the Lord’s grace. That is called satya-sankalpa. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti points out that the word mahima means returning to the spiritual world, back home, back to Vaikuntha. Sri Sukadeva says that the word mahima means that the devotee attains the qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called sadharma, or “the same quality.” Just as Krsna is never born and never dies, His devotees who return to Godhead never die and never take birth within the material world.

SB5.4.6

TEXT 6

ko nu tat karma rajarser

nabher anv acaret puman

apatyatam agad yasya

harih suddhena karmana

yasya—of whom; ha—indeed; pandaveya—O Maharaja Pariksit; slokau—two verses; udaharanti—recite; kah—who; nu—then; tat—that; karma—work; raja-rseh—of the pious King; nabheh—Nabhi; anu—following; acaret—could execute; puman—a man; apatyatam—sonhood; agat—accepted; yasya—whose; harih—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; suddhena—pure, executed in devotional service; karmana—by activities.

O Maharaja Pariksit, to glorify Maharaja Nabhi, the old sages composed two verses. One of them is this: “Who can attain the perfection of Maharaja Nabhi? Who can attain his activities? Because of his devotional service, the Supreme Personality of Godhead agreed to become his son.”

brahmanyo ’nyah kuto nabher

The words suddhena karmana are significant in this verse. If work is not carried out in devotional service, it is contaminated by the modes of material nature. That is explained in Bhagavad-gita: yajnarthat karmano ’nyatra loko ’yam karma-bandhanah [Bg. 3.9]). Activities performed only for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord are pure and are not contaminated by the modes of material nature. All other activities are contaminated by the modes of ignorance and passion, as well as goodness. All material activities meant for satisfying the senses are contaminated, and Maharaja Nabhi did not perform anything contaminated. He simply executed his transcendental activities even when performing yajna. Consequently he obtained the Supreme Lord as his son.

SB5.4.7

TEXT 7

vipra mangala-pujitah

yasya barhisi yajnesam

darsayam asur ojasa

brahmanyah—a devotee of the brahmanas; anyah—any. other; kutah—where is; nabheh—besides Maharaja Nabhi; viprah—the brahmanas; mangala-pujitah—well worshiped and satisfied; yasya—of whom; barhisi—in the sacrificial arena; yajna-isam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the enjoyer of all sacrificial ceremonies; darsayam asuh—showed; ojasa—by their brahminical prowess.

[The second prayer is this.] “Who is a better worshiper of brahmanas than Maharaja Nabhi? Because he worshiped the qualified brahmanas to their full satisfaction, the brahmanas, by their brahminical prowess, showed Maharaja Nabhi the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, in person.”

The brahmanas engaged as priests in the sacrificial ceremony were not ordinary brahmanas. They were so powerful that they could bring forth the Supreme Personality of Godhead by their prayers. Thus Maharaja Nabhi was able to see the Lord face to face. Unless one is a Vaisnava, he cannot call forth the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord does not accept an invitation unless one is a Vaisnava. Therefore it is said in Padma Purana:

sat-karma-nipuno vipro
mantra-tantra-visaradah
avaisnavo gurur na syad
vaisnavah sva-paco guruh

“A scholarly brahmana expert in all subjects of Vedic knowledge is unfit to become a spiritual master without being a Vaisnava, but a person born in a family of a lower caste can become a spiritual master if he is a Vaisnava.” These brahmanas were certainly very expert in chanting the Vedic mantras. They were competent in the performance of the Vedic rituals, and over and above this they were Vaisnavas. Therefore by their spiritual powers they could call on the Supreme Personality of Godhead and enable their disciple, Maharaja Nabhi, to see the Lord face to face. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura comments that the word ojasa means “by dint of devotional service.”

SB5.4.8

TEXT 8

atha ha bhagavan rsabhadevah sva-varsam karma-ksetram anumanyamanah pradarsita-gurukula-vaso labdha-varair gurubhir anujnato grhamedhinam dharman anusiksamano jayantyam indra-dattayam ubhaya-laksanam karma samamnayamnatam abhiyunjann atmajanam atma-samananam satam janayam asa.

atha—thereupon (after the departure of his father); ha—indeed; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rsabha-devah—Rsabhadeva; sva—His own; varsam—kingdom; karma-ksetram—the field of activities; anumanyamanah—accepting as; pradarsita—shown as an example; guru-kula-vasah—lived at the gurukula; labdha—having achieved; varaih—gifts; gurubhih—by the spiritual masters; anujnatah—being ordered; grha-medhinam—of the householders; dharman—duties; anusiksamanah—teaching by example; jayantyam—in His wife, Jayanti; indra-dattayam—offered by Lord Indra; ubhaya-laksanam—of both types; karma—activities; samamnayamnatam—mentioned in the scriptures; abhiyunjan—performing; atmajanam—sons; atma-samananam—exactly like Himself; satam—one hundred; janayam asa—begot.

After Nabhi Maharaja departed for Badarikasrama, the Supreme Lord, Rsabhadeva, understood that His kingdom was His field of activities. He therefore showed Himself as an example and taught the duties of a householder by first accepting brahmacarya under the direction of spiritual masters. He also went to live at the spiritual masters’ place, gurukula. After His education was finished, He gave gifts (guru-daksina) to His spiritual masters and then accepted the life of a householder. He took a wife named Jayanti and begot one hundred sons who were as powerful and qualified as He Himself. His wife Jayanti had been offered to Him by Indra, the King of heaven. Rsabhadeva and Jayanti performed householder life in an exemplary way, carrying out ritualistic activities ordained by the sruti and smrti sastra.