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atma-ananda—of Your personal bliss; anubhutya—by perception; eva—certainly; nyasta—given up; sakti-urmaye—the waves of material nature; namah—respectful obeisances; hrsikesaya—unto the supreme controller of the senses; mahate—unto the Supreme; namah—respectful obeisances; te—unto You; ananta—unlimited; murtaye—whose expansions.

Perceiving Your personal bliss, You are always transcendental to the waves of material nature. Therefore, my Lord, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. You are the supreme controller of the senses, and Your expansions of form are unlimited. You are the greatest, and therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

so ’vyan nah sad-asat-parah

This verse analytically differentiates the living entity from the Supreme Lord. The form of the Lord and the form of the conditioned soul are different because the Lord is always blissful whereas the conditioned soul is always under the threefold miseries of the material world. The Supreme Lord is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. He derives ananda, bliss, from His own self. The Lord’s body is transcendental, spiritual, but because the conditioned soul has a material body, he has many bodily and mental troubles. The conditioned soul is always perturbed by attachment and detachment, whereas the Supreme Lord is always free from such dualities. The Lord is the supreme master of all the senses, whereas the conditioned soul is controlled by the senses. The Lord is the greatest, whereas the living entity is the smallest. The living entity is conditioned by the waves of material nature, but the Supreme Lord is transcendental to all actions and reactions. The expansions of the Supreme Lord’s body are innumerable (advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam [Bs. 5.33]), but the conditioned soul is limited to only one form. From history we learn that a conditioned soul, by mystic power, can sometimes expand into eight forms, but the Lord’s bodily expansions are unlimited. This means that the bodies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead have no beginning and no end, unlike the bodies of the living entities.

SB6.16.21

TEXT 21

vacasy uparate ’prapya

ya eko manasa saha

anama-rupas cin-matrah

vacasi—when the words; uparate—cease; aprapya—not achieving the goal; yah—He who; ekah—one without a second; manasa—the mind; saha—with; anama—with no material name; rupah—or material form; cit-matrah—totally spiritual; sah—He; avyat—may kindly protect; nah—us; sat-asat-parah—who is the cause of all causes (the supreme cause).

The words and mind of the conditioned soul cannot approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for material names and forms are not applicable to the Lord, who is entirely spiritual, beyond the conception of gross and subtle forms. The impersonal Brahman is another of His forms. May He, by His pleasure, protect us.

The impersonal Brahman, which is the effulgence of the Lord, is described in this verse.

SB6.16.22

TEXT 22

yasminn idam yatas cedam

tisthaty apyeti jayate

mrnmayesv iva mrj-jatis

tasmai te brahmane namah

yasmin—in whom; idam—this (cosmic manifestation); yatah—from whom; ca—also; idam—this (cosmic manifestation); tisthati—stands; apyeti—dissolves; jayate—is born; mrt-mayesu—in things made of earth; iva—like; mrt-jatih—birth from earth; tasmai—unto Him; te—You; brahmane—the supreme cause; namah—respectful obeisances.

As pots made completely of earth are situated on earth after being created and are transformed into earth again when broken, this cosmic manifestation is caused by the Supreme Brahman, situated in the Supreme Brahman, and annihilated in the same Supreme Brahman. Therefore, since the Supreme Lord is the cause of Brahman, let us offer Him our respectful obeisances.

The Supreme Lord is the cause of the cosmic manifestation, He maintains it after creation, and after annihilation the Lord is the reservoir of everything.

SB6.16.23

TEXT 23

yan na sprsanti na vidur

mano-buddhindriyasavah

antar bahis ca vitatam

vyomavat tan nato ’smy aham

yat—whom; na—not; sprsanti—can touch; na—nor; viduh—can know; manah—the mind; buddhi—the intelligence; indriya—the senses; asavah—the life airs; antah—within; bahih—outside; ca—also; vitatam—expanded; vyoma-vat—like the sky; tat—unto Him; natah—bowed; asmi—am; aham—I.

The Supreme Brahman emanates from the Supreme Personality of Godhead and expands like the sky. Although untouched by anything material, it exists within and without. Nonetheless, the mind, intelligence, senses and living force can neither touch Him nor know Him. I offer unto Him my respectful obeisances.

SB6.16.24

TEXT 24

dehendriya-prana-mano-dhiyo ’mi

yad-amsa-viddhah pracaranti karmasu

naivanyada lauham ivaprataptam

sthanesu tad drastrapadesam eti

SYNONYMS

deha—the body; indriya—senses; prana—life airs; manah—mind; dhiyah—and intelligence; ami—all those; yat-amsa-viddhah—being influenced by rays of Brahman, or the Supreme Lord; pracaranti—they move; karmasu—in various activities; na—not; eva—indeed; anyada—at other times; lauham—iron; iva—like; aprataptam—not heated (by fire); sthanesu—in those circumstances; tat—that; drastr-apadesam—the name of a subject matter; eti—achieves.

TRANSLATION

As iron has the power to burn when made red-hot in the association of fire, so the body, senses, living force, mind and intelligence, although merely lumps of matter, can function in their activities when infused with a particle of consciousness by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As iron cannot burn unless heated by fire, the bodily senses cannot act unless favored by the Supreme Brahman.

PURPORT

Red-hot iron can burn, but it cannot burn the original fire. Therefore the consciousness of the small particle of Brahman is fully dependent on the power of the Supreme Brahman. In Bhagavad-gita the Lord says, mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca: [Bg. 15.15] “From Me the conditioned soul receives memory, knowledge and forgetfulness.” The power for activities comes from the Supreme Lord, and when the Lord withdraws this power, the conditioned soul no longer has energy with which to act through his various senses. The body includes five knowledge-acquiring senses, five active senses and the mind, but actually these are merely lumps of matter. For example, the brain is nothing but matter, but when electrified by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the brain can act, just as iron can burn when made red-hot by the influence of fire. The brain can act while we are awake or even while we are dreaming, but when we are fast asleep or unconscious the brain is inactive. Since the brain is a lump of matter, it does not have independent power with which to act. It can act only when favored by the influence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is Brahman or Parabrahman. This is the way to understand how the Supreme Brahman, Krsna, is present everywhere, just as the sunshine is present because of the sun-god in the sun globe. The Supreme Lord is called Hrsikesa; He is the only conductor of the senses. Unless empowered by His energy, our senses cannot act. In other words, He is the only seer, the only worker, the only listener, and the only active principle or supreme controller.

SB6.16.25

TEXT 25

om namo bhagavate maha-purusaya mahanubhavaya maha-vibhuti-pataye sakala-satvata-parivrdha-nikara-kara-kamala-kudmalopalalita-caranaravinda-yugala parama-paramesthin namas te.

om—O Supreme Personality of Godhead; namah—respectful obeisances; bhagavate—unto You, the Lord, who are full in six opulences; maha-purusaya—the supreme enjoyer; maha-anubhavaya—the most perfect realized soul, or the Supersoul; maha-vibhuti-pataye—the master of all mystic power; sakala-satvata-parivrdha—of all the best devotees; nikara—of the multitude; kara-kamala—of the lotus hands; kudmala—by the buds; upalalita—served; carana-aravinda-yugala—whose two lotus feet; parama—topmost; parame-sthin—who are situated in the spiritual planet; namah te—respectful obeisances unto You.

O transcendental Lord, who are situated in the topmost planet of the spiritual world, Your two lotus feet are always massaged by a multitude of the best devotees with their lotus-bud hands. You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, complete in six opulences. You are the supreme person mentioned in the Purusa-sukta prayers. You are the most perfect, self-realized master of all mystic power. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

It is said that the Absolute Truth is one, but is manifested in different features as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. The previous verses described the Brahman and Paramatma features of the Absolute Truth. Now this prayer is offered in bhakti-yoga to the Absolute Supreme Person. The words used in this regard are sakala-satvata-parivrdha. The word satvata means “devotees,” and sakala means “all together.” The devotees, who also have lotus feet, serve the lotus feet of the Lord with their lotus hands. The devotees may sometimes not be competent to serve the lotus feet of the Lord, and therefore the Lord is addressed as parama-paramesthin. He is the Supreme Person, yet He is very kind to the devotees. No one is competent to serve the Lord, but even if a devotee is not competent, the merciful Lord accepts the humble attempt of the devotee.

SB6.16.26

TEXT 26

sri-suka uvaca

bhaktayaitam prapannaya

vidyam adisya naradah

yayav angirasa sakam

dhama svayambhuvam prabho

sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; bhaktaya—unto the devotee; etam—this; prapannaya—unto one who fully surrendered; vidyam—transcendental knowledge; adisya—instructing; naradah—the great sage Narada; yayau—left; angirasa—the great saint Angira; sakam—with; dhama—for the topmost planet; svayambhuvam—belonging to Lord Brahma; prabho—O King.

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Narada, having become the spiritual master of Citraketu, instructed him fully in this prayer because Citraketu was fully surrendered. O King Pariksit, Narada then left with the great sage Angira for the topmost planet, known as Brahmaloka.

When Angira had first come to visit King Citraketu, he did not bring Narada with him. However, after the death of Citraketu’s son, Angira brought Narada to instruct King Citraketu about bhakti-yoga. The difference was that in the beginning Citraketu was not in a temperament of renunciation, but after the death of his son, when he was overwhelmed by his great plight, he was awakened to the platform of renunciation by instructions regarding the falsity of this material world and material possessions. It is only at this stage that bhakti-yoga can be instructed. As long as one is attached to material enjoyment, bhakti-yoga cannot be understood. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (2.44):

bhogaisvarya-prasaktanam
tayapahrta-cetasam
vyavasayatmika buddhih
samadhau na vidhiyate

“In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination of devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place.” As long as one is very much attached to material enjoyment, one cannot concentrate his mind on the subject matter of devotional service.

The Krsna consciousness movement is progressing successfully in the Western countries at the present moment because the youth in the West have reached the stage of vairagya, or renunciation. They are practically disgusted with material pleasure from material sources, and this has resulted in a population of hippies throughout the Western countries. Now if these young people are instructed about bhakti-yoga, Krsna consciousness, the instructions will certainly be effective.

As soon as Citraketu understood the philosophy of vairagya-vidya, the knowledge of renunciation, he could understand the process of bhakti-yoga. In this regard Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya has said, vairagya-vidya-nija-bhakti-yoga [Cc. Madya 6.254]. Vairagya-vidya and bhakti-yoga are parallel lines. One is essential for understanding the other. It is also said, bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra ca (Bhag. 11.2.42). Advancement in devotional service, or Krsna consciousness, is characterized by increasing renunciation of material enjoyment. Narada Muni is the father of devotional service, and therefore, just to bestow causeless mercy upon King Citraketu, Angira brought Narada Muni to instruct the King. These instructions were extremely effective. Anyone who follows in the footsteps of Narada Muni is certainly a pure devotee.

SB6.16.27

TEXT 27

citraketus tu tam vidyam

yatha narada-bhasitam

dharayam asa saptaham

ab-bhaksah susamahitah

citraketuh—King Citraketu; tu—indeed; tam—that; vidyam—transcendental knowledge; yatha—just as; narada-bhasitam—instructed by the great sage Narada; dharayam asa—chanted; sapta-aham—continuously for one week; ap-bhaksah—only drinking water; su-samahitah—with great attention and care.

Fasting and drinking only water, Citraketu for one week continuously chanted with great care and attention the mantra given by Narada Muni.

SB6.16.28

TEXT 28

tatah sa sapta-ratrante

vidyaya dharyamanaya

vidyadharadhipatyam ca

lebhe ’pratihatam nrpa

SYNONYMS

tatah—from this; sah—he; sapta-ratra-ante—at the end of seven nights; vidyaya—by the prayers; dharyamanaya—being carefully practiced; vidyadhara-adhipatyam—mastership of the Vidyadharas (as an intermediate result); ca—also; lebhe—achieved; apratihatam—undeviated from the instructions of the spiritual master; nrpa—O King Pariksit.

TRANSLATION

O King Pariksit, after only one week of repeatedly practicing the mantra received from the spiritual master, Citraketu achieved the rule of the planet of the Vidyadharas as an intermediate product of his spiritual advancement in knowledge.

PURPORT

If a devotee, after being initiated, adheres rigidly to the instructions of the spiritual master, he is naturally endowed with the material opulences of vidyadhara-adhipatyam and similar posts as by-products. A devotee need not practice yoga, karma or jnana to achieve a successful result. Devotional service alone is competent to award a devotee all material power. A pure devotee, however, is never attached to material power, although he gets it very easily without personal endeavor. Citraketu received this side benefit of his devotional service, which he rigidly performed in accordance with the instructions of Narada.

SB6.16.29

TEXT 29

tatah katipayahobhir

vidyayeddha-mano-gatih

jagama deva-devasya

sesasya caranantikam

tatah—thereafter; katipaya-ahobhih—within a few days; vidyaya—by the spiritual mantra; iddha-manah-gatih—the course of his mind being enlightened; jagama—went; deva-devasya—of the master of all other lords or demigods; sesasya—Lord Sesa; carana-antikam—to the shelter of the lotus feet.

Thereafter, within a very few days, by the influence of the mantra that Citraketu had practiced, his mind became increasingly enlightened in spiritual progress, and he attained shelter at the lotus feet of Anantadeva.

A devotee’s ultimate achievement is to take shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord in any one of the planets in the spiritual sky. As a result of rigid execution of devotional service, a devotee receives all material opulences if these are required; otherwise, the devotee is not interested in material opulences, nor does the Supreme Lord award them. When a devotee is actually engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, his apparently material opulences are not material; they are all spiritual. For example, if a devotee spends money to construct a beautiful and costly temple, the construction is not material but spiritual (nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate). A devotee’s mind is never diverted to the material side of the temple. The bricks, stone and wood used in the construction of the temple are spiritual, just as the Deity, although made of stone, is not stone but the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. The more one advances in spiritual consciousness, the more he can understand the elements of devotional service. Nothing in devotional service is material; everything is spiritual. Consequently a devotee is awarded so-called material opulence for spiritual advancement. This opulence is an aid to help the devotee advance toward the spiritual kingdom. Thus Maharaja Citraketu remained in material opulence as a vidyadhara-pati, master of the Vidyadharas, and by executing devotional service he became perfect within a very few days and returned home, back to Godhead, taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Sesa, Ananta.

A karmi’s material opulence and a devotee’s material opulence are not on the same level. Srila Madhvacarya comments in this way:

anyantaryaminam visnum
upasyanya-samipagah
bhaved yogyataya tasya
padam va prapnuyan narah

By worshiping Lord Visnu one can get whatever he desires, but a pure devotee never asks Lord Visnu for any material profit. Instead he serves Lord Visnu without material desires and is therefore ultimately transferred to the spiritual kingdom. In this regard, Srila Viraraghava Acarya comments, yathesta-gatir ity arthah: by worshiping Visnu, a devotee can get whatever he likes. Maharaja Citraketu wanted only to return home, back to Godhead, and therefore he achieved success in that way.

SB6.16.30

TEXT 30

mrnala-gauram siti-vasasam sphurat-

kirita-keyura-katitra-kankanam

prasanna-vaktraruna-locanam vrtam

dadarsa siddhesvara-mandalaih prabhum

mrnala-gauram—white like the fibers of a lotus; siti-vasasam—wearing garments of blue silk; sphurat—glittering; kirita—helmet; keyura—armlets; katitra—belt; kankanam—whose bangles; prasanna-vaktra—smiling face; aruna-locanam—having reddish eyes; vrtam—surrounded; dadarsa—he saw; siddha-isvara-mandalaih—by the most perfect devotees; prabhum—the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Upon reaching the shelter of Lord Sesa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Citraketu saw that He was as white as the white fibers of a lotus flower. He was dressed in bluish garments and adorned with a brilliantly glittering helmet, armlets, belt and bangles. His face was smiling, and His eyes were reddish. He was surrounded by such exalted liberated persons as Sanat-kumara.

SB6.16.31

TEXT 31

tad-darsana-dhvasta-samasta-kilbisah

svasthamalantahkarano ’bhyayan munih

pravrddha-bhaktya pranayasru-locanah

prahrsta-romanamad adi-purusam

SYNONYMS

tat-darsana—by the sight of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; dhvasta—destroyed; samasta-kilbisah—having all sins; svastha—healthy; amala—and pure; antahkaranah—the core of whose heart; abhyayat—approached face to face; munih—the King, who was silent due to full mental satisfaction; pravrddha-bhaktya—with an attitude of increased devotional service; pranaya-asru-locanah—with tears in his eyes because of love; prahrsta-roma—his hairs standing on end due to jubilation; anamat—offered respectful obeisances; adi-purusam—unto the expansion of the original personality.

TRANSLATION

As soon as Maharaja Citraketu saw the Supreme Lord, he was cleansed of all material contamination and situated in his original Krsna consciousness, being completely purified. He became silent and grave, and because of love for the Lord, tears fell from his eyes, and his hairs stood on end. With great devotion and love, he offered his respectful obeisances unto the original Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

The word tad-darsana-dhvasta-samasta-kilbisah is very important in this verse. If one regularly sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the temple, one will gradually be disinfected of all material desires simply by visiting the temple and seeing the Deity. When one is freed from all the results of sinful activities, one will be purified, and with a healthy mind, completely cleansed, he will increasingly make progress in Krsna consciousness.

SB6.16.32

TEXT 32

sa uttamasloka-padabja-vistaram

premasru-lesair upamehayan muhuh

premoparuddhakhila-varna-nirgamo

naivasakat tam prasamiditum ciram

sah—he; uttamasloka—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; pada-abja—of the lotus feet; vistaram—the resting place; prema-asru—of tears of pure love; lesaih—by drops; upamehayan—moistening; muhuh—again and again; prema-uparuddha—choked with love; akhila—all; varna—of the letters; nirgamah—the coming out; na—not; eva—indeed; asakat—was able; tam—unto Him; prasamiditum—to offer prayers; ciram—for a long time.

With tears of love and affection, Citraketu repeatedly moistened the resting place of the Supreme Lord’s lotus feet. Because his voice was choked in ecstasy, for a considerable time he was unable to utter any of the letters of the alphabet to offer the Lord suitable prayers.

All the letters of the alphabet and the words constructed by those letters are meant for offering prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Maharaja Citraketu had the opportunity to offer prayers to the Lord by composing nice verses from the letters of the alphabet, but because of his ecstasy, for a considerable time he could not join those letters to offer prayers to the Lord. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.22):

idam hi pumsas tapasah srutasya va
svistasya suktasya ca buddhi-dattayoh
avicyuto ’rthah kavibhir nirupito
yad uttamasloka-gunanuvarnanam

If one has scientific, philosophical, political, economic or any other abilities and wants perfection in his knowledge, he should offer prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead by composing first-class poetry or engaging his talents in the service of the Lord. Citraketu wanted to do this, but he was unable because of loving ecstasy. Therefore he had to wait for a considerable time before be could offer prayers.

SB6.16.33

TEXT 33

tatah samadhaya mano manisaya

babhasa etat pratilabdha-vag asau

niyamya sarvendriya-bahya-vartanam

jagad-gurum satvata-sastra-vigraham

tatah—thereafter; samadhaya—controlling; manah—the mind; manisaya—by his intelligence; babhasa—spoke; etat—this; pratilabdha—recovering; vak—speech; asau—that one (King Citraketu); niyamya—controlling; sarva-indriya—of all the senses; bahya—external; vartanam—the wandering; jagat-gurum—who is the spiritual master of everyone; satvata—of devotional service; sastra—of the holy scriptures; vigraham—the personified form.

Thereafter, by controlling his mind with his intelligence and thus restricting his senses from external engagements, he recovered suitable words with which to express his feelings. Thus he began offering prayers to the Lord, who is the personification of the holy scriptures [the satvata-samhitas like the Brahma-samhita and the Narada-pancaratra] and who is the spiritual master of all. He offered his prayers as follows.

One cannot offer prayers to the Lord with mundane words. One must become spiritually advanced by controlling the mind and senses. Then he can find suitable words to offer in prayers to the Lord. Quoting the following verse from the Padma Purana, Srila Sanatana Gosvami forbids us to sing any song not sung by authorized devotees.

avaisnava-mukhodgirnam
putam hari-kathamrtam
sravanam naiva kartavyam
sarpocchistam yatha payah

The words or songs of a person not fixed in Vaisnava behavior, not strictly following the rules and regulations and chanting the Hare Krsna mantra should not be accepted by pure devotees. The words satvata-sastra-vigraham indicate that the sac-cid-ananda body of the Lord can never be accepted to be made of maya. Devotees do not offer prayers to the Lord in an imaginary form. The existence of the Lord’s form is supported by all Vedic literature.

SB6.16.34

TEXT 34

citraketur uvaca

ajita jitah sama-matibhih

sadhubhir bhavan jitatmabhir bhavata

vijitas te ’pi ca bhajatam

akamatmanam ya atmado ’ti-karunah

citraketuh uvaca—King Citraketu said; ajita—O my unconquerable Lord; jitah—conquered; sama-matibhih—by persons who have conquered the mind; sadhubhih—the devotees; bhavan—Your Lordship; jita-atmabhih—who have completely controlled the senses; bhavata—by You; vijitah—conquered; te—they; api—also; ca—and; bhajatam—to those who always engage in Your service; akama-atmanam—with no motives for material profit; yah—who; atma-dah—giving Yourself; ati-karunah—extremely merciful.

Citraketu said: O unconquerable Lord, although You cannot be conquered by anyone, You are certainly conquered by devotees who have control of the mind and senses. They can keep You under their control because You are causelessly merciful to devotees who desire no material profit from You. Indeed, You give Yourself to them, and because of this You also have full control over Your devotees.