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mattah—from Me; api—even; anantat—unlimited in strength and opulence; paratah parasmat—higher than the highest; svarga-apavarga-adhipateh—able to bestow happiness obtainable by living in the heavenly kingdom. by liberation, or by enjoyment of material comfort and then liberation; na—not; kincit—anything; yesam—of whom; kim—what need; u—oh; syat—can there be; itarena—with any other; tesam—of them; akincananam—without needs or without possessions; mayi—unto Me; bhakti-bhajam—executing devotional service.

I am fully opulent, almighty and superior to Lord Brahma and Indra, the King of the heavenly planets. I am also the bestower of all happiness obtained in the heavenly kingdom and by liberation. Nonetheless, the brahmanas do not seek material comforts from Me. They are very pure and do not want to possess anything. They simply engage in My devotional service. What is the need of their asking for material benefits from anyone else?

sarvani mad-dhisnyataya bhavadbhis

The perfect brahminical qualification is stated herein: akincananam mayi bhakti-bhajam. The brahmanas are always engaged in the devotional service of the Lord: consequently they have no material wants, nor do they possess material things. In Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 11.8), Caitanya Mahaprabhu explains the position of pure Vaisnavas who are anxious to return home, back to Godhead. Niskincanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Those who actually want to return back to Godhead are niskincana—that is, they have no desire for material comfort. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu advises, sandarsanam visayinam atha yositam ca ha hanta hanta visa-bhaksanato ’py asadhu: material opulence and sense gratification through the association of women are more dangerous than poison. Brahmanas who are pure Vaisnavas always engage in the Lord’s service and are devoid of any desire for material gain. The brahmanas do not worship demigods like Lord Brahma, Indra or Lord Siva for any material comfort. They do not even ask the Supreme Lord for material profit; therefore it is concluded that the brahmanas are the supreme living entities of this world. Sri Kapiladeva also confirms this in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.29.33):

tasman mayy arpitasesa-
kriyarthatma nirantarah
mayy arpitatmanah pumso
mayi sannyasta-karmanah
na pasyami param bhutam
akartuh sama-darsanat

The brahmanas are always dedicated to the Lord’s service with their bodies, words and mind. There is no better person than a brahmana who thus engages himself and dedicates himself to the Supreme Lord.

SB5.5.26

TEXT 26

carani bhutani suta dhruvani

sambhavitavyani pade pade vo

vivikta-drgbhis tad u harhanam me

sarvani—all; mat-dhisnyataya—because of being My sitting place; bhavadbhih—by you; carani—that move; bhutani—living entities; sutah—My dear sons; dhruvani—that do not move; sambhavitavyani—to be respected; pade pade—at every moment; vah—by you; vivikta-drgbhih—possessing clear vision and understanding (that the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Paramatma feature is situated everywhere); tat u—that indirectly; ha—certainly; arhanam—offering respect; me—unto Me.

My dear sons, you should not envy any living entity—be he moving or nonmoving. Knowing that I am situated in them, you should offer respect to all of them at every moment. In this way, you offer respect to Me.

In this verse the word vivikta-drgbhih, meaning without envy, is used. All living entities are the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Paramatma feature. As confirmed in Brahma-samhita: andantara-stham paramanu-cayantara-stham. The Lord is situated in this universe as Garbhodakasayi Visnu and Ksirodakasayi Visnu. He is also situated within every atom. According to the Vedic statement: isavasyam idam sarvam. The Supreme Lord is situated everywhere, and wherever He is situated is His temple. We even offer respects to a temple from a distant place, and all living entities should similarly be offered respect. This is different from the theory of pantheism, which holds that everything is God. Everything has a relationship with God because God is situated everywhere. We should not make any particular distinction between the poor and the rich like the foolish worshipers of daridra-narayana. Narayana is present in the rich as well as the poor. One should not simply think Narayana is situated among the poor. He is everywhere. An advanced devotee will offer respects to everyone—even to cats and dogs.

vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].” (Bg. 5.18) This sama-darsinah, equal vision, should not be mistaken to mean that the individual is the same as the Supreme Lord. They are always distinct. Every individual person is different from the Supreme Lord. It is a mistake to equate the individual living entity with the Supreme Lord on the plea of vivikta-drk, sama-drk. The Lord is always in an exalted position, even though He agrees to live everywhere. Srila Madhvacarya, quoting Padma Purana, states: vivikta-drsti jivanam dhisnyataya paramesvarasya bheda-drstih. “One who has clear vision and who is devoid of envy can see that the Supreme Lord is separate from all living entities, although He is situated in every living entity.” Madhvacarya further quotes from Padma Purana:

upapadayet paratmanam
jivebhyo yah pade pade
bhedenaiva na caitasmat
priyo visnos tu kascana

“One who sees the living entity and the Supreme Lord as always distinct is very dear to the Lord.” Padma Purana also states, yo hares caiva jivanam bheda-vakta hareh priyah: “One who preaches that the living entities are separate from the Supreme Lord is very dear to Lord Visnu.”

SB5.5.27

TEXT 27

mano-vaco-drk-karanehitasya

saksat-krtam me paribarhanam hi

vina puman yena maha-vimohat

krtanta-pasan na vimoktum iset

manah—mind; vacah—words; drk—sight; karana—of the senses; ihitasya—of all activities (for maintenance of body, society, friendship and so on); saksat-krtam—directly offered; me—of Me; paribarhanam—worship; hi—because; vina—without; puman—any person; yena—which; maha-vimohat—from the great illusion; krtanta-pasat—exactly like the stringent rope of Yamaraja; na—not; vimoktum—to become free; iset—becomes able.

The true activity of the sense organs—mind, sight, words and all the knowledge-gathering and working senses—is to engage fully in My service. Unless his senses are thus engaged, a living entity cannot think of getting out of the great entanglement of material existence, which is exactly like Yamaraja’s stringent rope.

As stated in the Narada-pancaratra:

sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa-
sevanam bhaktir ucyate

[Cc. Madhya 19.170]

This is the conclusion of bhakti. All the time, Lord Rsabhadeva has been stressing devotional service, and now He is concluding by saying that all the senses should be engaged in the Lord’s service. There are five senses by which we gather knowledge and five senses with which we work. These ten senses and the mind should be fully engaged in the Lord’s service. Without engaging them in this way, one cannot get out of the clutches of maya.

SB5.5.28

TEXT 28

sri-suka uvaca

evam anusasyatmajan svayam anusistan api lokanusasanartham mahanubhavah parama-suhrd bhagavan rsabhapadesa upasama-silanam uparata-karmanam maha-muninam bhakti-jnana-vairagya-laksanam paramahamsya-dharmam upasiksamanah sva-tanaya-sata-jyestham parama-bhagavatam bhagavaj-jana-parayanam bharatam dharani-palanayabhisicya svayam bhavana evorvarita-sarira-matra-parigraha unmatta iva gagana-paridhanah prakirna-kesa atmany aropitahavaniyo brahmavartat pravavraja.

sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; evam—in this way; anusasya—after instructing; atma-jan—His sons; svayam—personally; anusistan—highly educated in culture; api—although; loka-anusasana-artham—just to instruct the people; maha-anubhavah—the great personality; parama-suhrt—everyone’s sublime well-wisher; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rsabha-apadesah—who is celebrated and known as Rsabhadeva; upasama-silanam—of persons who have no desire for material enjoyment; uparata-karmanam—who are no longer interested in fruitive activities; maha-muninam—who are sannyasis; bhakti—devotional service; jnana—perfect knowledge; vairagya—detachment; laksanam—characterized by; paramahamsya—of the best of human beings; dharmam—the duties; upasiksamanah—instructing; sva-tanaya—of His sons; sata—hundred; jyestham—the eldest; parama-bhagavatam—a topmost devotee of the Lord; bhagavat-jana-parayanam—a follower of the devotees of the Lord, brahmanas and Vaisnavas; bharatam—Bharata Maharaja; dharani-palanaya—with a view to ruling the world; abhisicya—placing on the throne; svayam—personally; bhavane—at home; eva—although; urvarita—remaining; sarira-matra—the body only; parigrahah—accepting; unmattah—a madman; iva—exactly like; gagana-paridhanah—taking the sky as His dress; prakirna-kesah—having scattered hair; atmani—in Himself; aropita—keeping; ahavaniyah—the Vedic fire; brahmavartat—from the place known as Brahmavarta; pravavraja—began to travel all over the world.

Sukadeva Gosvami said: Thus the great well-wisher of everyone, the Supreme Lord Rsabhadeva, instructed His own sons. Although they were perfectly educated and cultured, He instructed them just to set an example of how a father should instruct his sons before retiring from family life. Sannyasis, who are no longer bound by fruitive activity and who have taken to devotional service after all their material desires have been vanquished, also learn by these instructions. Lord Rsabhadeva instructed His one hundred sons, of whom the eldest, Bharata, was a very advanced devotee and a follower of Vaisnavas. In order to rule the whole world, the Lord enthroned His eldest son on the royal seat. Thereafter, although still at home, Lord Rsabhadeva lived like a madman, naked and with disheveled hair. Then the Lord took the sacrificial fire within Himself, and He left Brahmavarta to tour the whole world.

Actually the instructions given to Lord Rsabhadeva’s sons were not exactly meant for His sons because they were already educated and highly advanced in knowledge. Rather, these instructions were meant for sannyasis who intend to become advanced devotees. Sannyasis must abide by Lord Rsabhadeva’s instructions while on the path of devotional service. Lord Rsabhadeva retired from family life and lived like a naked madman even while still with His family.

SB5.5.29

TEXT 29

jadandha-muka-badhira-pisaconmadakavad-avadhuta-veso ’bhibhasyamano ’pi jananam grhita-mauna-vratas tusnim babhuva.

jada—idle; andha—blind; muka—dumb; badhira—deaf; pisaca—ghost; unmadaka—a madman; vat—like; avadhuta-vesah—appearing like an avadhuta (having no concern with the material world); abhibhasyamanah—being thus addressed (as deaf, dumb and blind); api—although; jananam—by the people; grhita—took; mauna—of silence; vratah—the vow; tusnim babhuva—He remained silent.

After accepting the feature of avadhuta, a great saintly person without material cares, Lord Rsabhadeva passed through human society like a blind, deaf and dumb man, an idle stone, a ghost or a madman. Although people called Him such names, He remained silent and did not speak to anyone.

The word avadhuta refers to one who does not care for social conventions, particularly the varnasrama-dharma. However, such a person may be situated fully within himself and be satisfied with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, on whom he meditates. In other words, one who has surpassed the rules and regulations of varnasrama-dharma is called avadhuta. Such a person has already surpassed the clutches of maya, and he lives completely separate and independent.

SB5.5.30

TEXT 30

tatra tatra pura-gramakara-kheta-vata-kharvata-sibira-vraja-ghosa-sartha-giri-vanasramadisv anupatham avanicarapasadaih paribhuyamano maksikabhir iva vana-gajas tarjana-tadanavamehana-sthivana-grava-sakrd-rajah-praksepa-puti-vata-duruktais tad aviganayann evasat-samsthana etasmin dehopalaksane sad-apadesa ubhayanubhava-svarupena sva-mahimavasthanenasamaropitaham-mamabhimanatvad avikhandita-manah prthivim eka-carah paribabhrama.

tatra tatra—here and there; pura—cities; grama—villages; akara—mines; kheta—agricultural places; vata—gardens; kharvata—villages in valleys; sibira—military encampments; vraja—cow pens; ghosa—residential places of cowherd men; sartha—resting places for pilgrims; giri—hills; vana—forests; asrama—in the residential places of hermits; adisu—and so on; anupatham—as He passed through; avanicara-apasadaih—by undesirable elements, wicked persons; paribhuyamanah—being surrounded; maksikabhih—by flies; iva—like; vana-gajah—an elephant coming from the forest; tarjana—by threats; tadana—beating; avamehana—passing urine on the body; sthivana—spitting on the body; grava-sakrt—stones and stool; rajah—dust; praksepa—throwing; puti-vata—passing air over the body; duruktaih—and by bad words; tat—that; aviganayan—without caring about; eva—thus; asat-samsthane—habitat not fit for a gentleman; etasmin—in this; deha-upalaksane—in the shape of the material body; sat-apadese—called real; ubhaya-anubhava-svarupena—by understanding the proper situation of the body and the soul; sva-mahima—in His personal glory; avasthanena—by being situated; asamaropita-aham-mama-abhimanatvat—from not accepting the misconception of “I and mine”; avikhandita-manah—undisturbed in mind; prthivim—all over the world; eka-carah—alone; paribabhrama—He wandered.

Rsabhadeva began to tour through cities, villages, mines, countrysides, valleys, gardens, military camps, cow pens, the homes of cowherd men, transient hotels, hills, forests and hermitages. Wherever He traveled, all bad elements surrounded Him, just as flies surround the body of an elephant coming from a forest. He was always being threatened, beaten, urinated upon and spat upon. Sometimes people threw stones, stool and dust at Him, and sometimes people passed foul air before Him. Thus people called Him many bad names and gave Him a great deal of trouble, but He did not care about this, for He understood that the body is simply meant for such an end. He was situated on the spiritual platform, and, being in His spiritual glory, He did not care for all these material insults. In other words, He completely understood that matter and spirit are separate, and He had no bodily conception. Thus, without being angry at anyone, He walked through the whole world alone.

Narottama dasa Thakura says: deha-smrti nahi yara, samsara bandhana kahan tara. When a person fully realizes that the material body and world are temporary, he is not concerned with pain and pleasures of the body. As Sri Krsna advises in Bhagavad-gita (2.14):

matra-sparsas tu kaunteya
sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah
agamapayino ’nityas
tams titiksasva bharata

“O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.”

As far as Rsabhadeva is concerned, it has already been explained: idam sariram mama durvibhavyam. He did not at all possess a material body; and therefore He was tolerant of all the trouble offered to Him by the bad elements in society. Consequently He could tolerate people’s throwing stool and dust upon Him and beating Him. His body was transcendental and consequently did not at all suffer pain. He was always situated in His spiritual bliss. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.61):

isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna. and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.”

Since the Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, He is in the heart of hogs and dogs also. If hogs and dogs in their material bodies live in filthy places, one should not think that the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Paramatma feature also lives in a filthy place. Although Lord Rsabhadeva was maltreated by the bad elements of the world. He was not at all affected. Therefore it is stated here. sva-mahima-avasthanena: “He was situated in His own glory.” He was never saddened due to being insulted in the many ways described above.

SB5.5.31

TEXT 31

ati-sukumara-kara-caranorah-sthala-vipula-bahv-amsa-gala-vadanady-avayava-vinyasah prakrti-sundara-svabhava-hasa-sumukho nava-nalina-dalayamana-sisira-tararunayata-nayana-rucirah sadrsa-subhaga-kapola-karna-kantha-naso vigudha-smita-vadana-mahotsavena pura-vanitanam manasi kusuma-sarasanam upadadhanah parag-avalambamana-kutila-jatila-kapisa-kesa-bhuri-bharo ’vadhuta-malina-nija-sarirena graha-grhita ivadrsyata.

ati-su-kumara—very delicate; kara—hands; carana—feet; urah-sthala—chest; vipula—long; bahu—arms; amsa—shoulders; gala—neck; vadana—face; adi—and so on; avayava—limbs; vinyasah—properly situated; prakrti—by nature; sundara—lovely; sva-bhava—natural; hasa—with smiling; su-mukhah—His beautiful mouth; nava-nalina-dalayamana—appearing like the petals of a new lotus flower; sisira—taking away all miseries; tara—the irises; aruna—reddish; ayata—spread wide; nayana—with eyes; rucirah—lovely; sadrsa—such; subhaga—beauty; kapola—forehead; karna—ears; kantha—neck; nasah—His nose; vigudha-smita—by deep smiling; vadana—by His face; maha-utsavena—appearing like a festival; pura-vanitanam—of women within household life; manasi—in the heart; kusuma-sarasanam—Cupid; upadadhanah—awakening; parak—all around; avalambamana—spread; kutila—curly; jatila—matted; kapisa—brown; kesa—of hair; bhuri-bharah—possessing a great abundance; avadhuta—neglected; malina—dirty; nija-sarirena—by His body; graha-grhitah—haunted by a ghost; iva—as if; adrsyata—He appeared.

Lord Rsabhadeva’s hands, feet and chest were very long. His shoulders, face and limbs were all very delicate and symmetrically proportioned. His mouth was beautifully decorated with His natural smile, and He appeared all the more lovely with His reddish eyes spread wide like the petals of a newly grown lotus flower covered with dew in the early morning. The irises of His eyes were so pleasing that they removed all the troubles of everyone who saw Him. His forehead, ears, neck, nose and all His other features were very beautiful. His gentle smile always made His face beautiful, so much so that He even attracted the hearts of married women. It was as though they had been pierced by arrows of Cupid. About His head was an abundance of curly, matted brown hair. His hair was disheveled because His body was dirty and not taken care of. He appeared as if He were haunted by a ghost.

Although Lord Rsabhadeva’s body was very much neglected, His transcendental features were so attractive that even married women were attracted to Him. His beauty and dirtiness combined to make His beautiful body appear as though it were haunted by a ghost.

SB5.5.32

TEXT 32

yarhi vava sa bhagavan lokam imam yogasyaddha pratipam ivacaksanas tat-pratikriya-karma bibhatsitam iti vratam ajagaram-asthitah sayana evasnati pibati khadaty avamehati hadati sma cestamana uccarita adigdhoddesah.

yarhi vava—when; sah—He; bhagavan—the Personality of Godhead; lokam—the people in general; imam—this; yogasya—to the performance of yoga; addha—directly; pratipam—antagonistic; iva—like; acaksanah—observed; tat—of that; pratikriya—for counteraction; karma—activity; bibhatsitam—abominable; iti—thus; vratam—the behavior; ajagaram—of a python (to stay in one place); asthitah—accepting; sayanah—lying down; eva—indeed; asnati—eats; pibati—drinks; khadati—chews; avamehati—passes urine; hadati—passes stool; sma—thus; cestamanah—rolling; uccarite—i n the stool and urine; adigdha-uddesah—His body thus smeared.

When Lord Rsabhadeva saw that the general populace was very antagonistic to His execution of mystic yoga, He accepted the behavior of a python in order to counteract their opposition. Thus He stayed in one place and lay down. While lying down, He ate and drank, and He passed stool and urine and rolled in it. Indeed, He smeared His whole body with His own stool and urine so that opposing elements might not come and disturb Him.

According to one’s destiny, one enjoys allotted happiness and distress, even though one keeps himself in one place. This is the injunction of the sastras. When one is spiritually situated, he may stay in one place, and all his necessities will be supplied by the arrangement of the supreme controller. Unless one is a preacher, there is no need to travel all over the world. A person can stay in one place and execute devotional service suitably according to time and circumstance. When Rsabhadeva saw that He was simply being disturbed by traveling throughout the world, He decided to lie down in one place like a python. Thus He ate, drank, and He passed stool and urine and smeared His body with them so that people would not disturb Him.

SB5.5.33

TEXT 33

tasya ha yah purisa-surabhi-saugandhya-vayus tam desam dasa-yojanam samantat surabhim cakara.

tasya—His; ha—indeed; yah—which; purisa—of the stool; surabhi—by the aroma; saugandhya—possessing a good fragrance; vayuh—the air; tam—that; desam—country; dasa—up to ten; yojanam—yojanas (one yojana equals eight miles); samantat—all around; surabhim—aromatic; cakara—made.

Because Lord Rsabhadeva remained in that condition, the public did not disturb Him, but no bad aroma emanated from His stool and urine. Quite the contrary, His stool and urine were so aromatic that they filled eighty miles of the countryside with a pleasant fragrance.

From this we can certainly assume that Lord Rsabhadeva was transcendentally blissful. His stool and urine were so completely different from material stool and urine that they were aromatic. Even in the material world, cow dung is accepted as purified and antiseptic. A person can keep stacks of cow dung in one place, and it will not create a bad odor to disturb anyone. We can take it for granted that in the spiritual world, stool and urine are also pleasantly scented. Indeed, the entire atmosphere became very pleasant due to Lord Rsabhadeva’s stool and urine.

SB5.5.34

TEXT 34

evam go-mrga-kaka-caryaya vrajams tisthann asinah sayanah kaka-mrga-go-caritah pibati khadaty avamehati sma.

evam—thus; go—of cows; mrga—deer; kaka—crows; caryaya—by the activities; vrajan—moving; tisthan—standing; asinah—sitting; sayanah—lying down; kaka-mrga-go-caritah—behaving exactly like the crows, deer and cows; pibati—drinks; khadati—eats; avamehati—passes urine; sma—He did so.

In this way Lord Rsabhadeva followed the behavior of cows, deer and crows. Sometimes He moved or walked, and sometimes He sat down in one place. Sometimes He lay down, behaving exactly like cows, deer and crows. In that way, He ate, drank, passed stool and urine and cheated the people in this way.

Being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Rsabhadeva possessed a transcendental, spiritual body. Since the general public could not appreciate His behavior and mystic yoga practice, they began to disturb Him. To cheat them, He behaved like crows, cows and deer.

SB5.5.35

TEXT 35

iti nana-yoga-caryacarano bhagavan kaivalya-patir rsabho ’virata-parama-mahanandanubhava atmani sarvesam bhutanam atma-bhute bhagavati vasudeva atmano ’vyavadhanananta-rodara-bhavena siddha-samastartha-paripurno yogaisvaryani vaihayasa-mano-javantardhana-parakaya-pravesa-dura-grahanadini yadrcchayopagatani nanjasa nrpa hrdayenabhyanandat.

iti—thus; nana—various; yoga—of mystic yoga; carya—performances; acaranah—practicing; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kaivalya-patih—the master of kaivalya, oneness, or the giver of sayujya-mukti; rsabhah—Lord Rsabha; avirata—incessantly; parama—supreme; maha—great; ananda-anubhavah—feeling transcendental bliss; atmani—in the Supreme Soul; sarvesam—of all; bhutanam—living entities; atma-bhute—situated in the heart; bhagavati—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vasudeve—Krsna, the son of Vasudeva; atmanah—of Himself; avyavadhana—by the nondifference of constitution; ananta—unlimited; rodara—like crying, laughing and shivering; bhavena—by the symptoms of love; siddha—completely perfect; samasta—all; artha—with desirable opulences; paripurnah—full; yoga-aisvaryani—the mystic powers; vaihayasa—flying in the sky; manah-java—traveling at the speed of mind; antardhana—the ability to disappear; parakaya-pravesa—the ability to enter another’s body; dura-grahana—the ability to perceive things far, far away; adini—and others; yadrcchaya—without difficulty, automatically; upagatani—achieved; na—not; anjasa—directly; nrpa—O King Pariksit; hrdayena—within the heart; abhyanandat—accepted.

O King Pariksit, just to show all the yogis the mystic process, Lord Rsabhadeva, the partial expansion of Lord Krsna, performed wonderful activities. Actually He was the master of liberation and was fully absorbed in transcendental bliss, which increased a thousandfold. Lord Krsna, Vasudeva, the son of Vasudeva, is the original source of Lord Rsabhadeva. There is no difference in Their constitution, and consequently Lord Rsabhadeva awakened the loving symptoms of crying, laughing and shivering. He was always absorbed in transcendental love. Due to this, all mystic powers automatically approached Him, such as the ability to travel in outer space at the speed of mind, to appear and disappear, to enter the bodies of others, and to see things far, far away. Although He could do all this, He did not exercise these powers.