Causelessmercy - Ebook - Srimad-Bhagavatam - Canto 7 - 3.1

Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 7: “The Science of God”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Three

SB7.3.20

TEXT 20

vyavasayena te ’nena

duskarena manasvinam

tapo-nisthena bhavata

jito ’ham diti-nandana

SYNONYMS

vyavasayena—by determination; te—your; anena—this; duskarena—difficult to perform; manasvinam—even for great sages and saintly persons; tapah-nisthena—aimed at executing austerity; bhavata—by you; jitah—conquered; aham—I; diti-nandana—O son of Diti.

TRANSLATION

My dear son of Diti, with your great determination and austerity you have done what was impossible even for great saintly persons, and thus I have certainly been conquered by you.

PURPORT

In regard to the word jitah, Srila Madhva Muni gives the following quotation from the Sabda-nirnaya: parabhutam vasa-stham ca jitabhid ucyate budhaih. “If one comes under someone else’s control or is defeated by another, he is called jitah.” Hiranyakasipu’s austerity was so great and wonderful that even Lord Brahma agreed to be conquered by him.

tatas ta asisah sarva

dadamy asura-pungava

martasya te hy amartasya

darsanam naphalam mama

tatah—because of this; te—unto you; asisah—benedictions; sarvah—all; dadami—I shall give; asura-pungava—O best of the asuras; martasya—of one who is destined to die; te—such as you; hi—indeed; amartasya—of one who does not die; darsanam—the audience; na—not; aphalam—without results; mama—my.

O best of the asuras, for this reason I am now prepared to give you all benedictions, according to your desire. I belong to the celestial world of demigods, who do not die like human beings. Therefore, although you are subject to death, your audience with me will not go in vain.

It appears that human beings and asuras are subject to death, whereas demigods are not. The demigods who reside with Lord Brahma in Satyaloka go to Vaikunthaloka in their present bodily constructions at the time of the dissolution. Therefore although Hiranyakasipu had undergone severe austerities, Lord Brahma predicted that he had to die; he could not become immortal or even gain equal status with the demigods. The great austerities and penances he had performed for so many years could not give him protection from death. This was foretold by Lord Brahma.

sri-narada uvaca

ity uktvadi-bhavo devo

bhaksitangam pipilikaih

kamandalu-jalenauksad

divyenamogha-radhasa

sri-naradah uvaca—Sri Narada Muni said; iti—thus; uktva—saying; adi-bhavah—Lord Brahma, the original living creature within this universe; devah—the principal demigod; bhaksita-angam—Hiranyakasipu’s body, which had been almost completely eaten; pipilikaih—by the ants; kamandalu—from the special waterpot in the hands of Lord Brahma; jalena—by water; auksat—sprinkled; divyena—which was spiritual, not ordinary; amogha—without fail; radhasa—whose power.

Sri Narada Muni continued: After speaking these words to Hiranyakasipu, Lord Brahma, the original being of this universe, who is extremely powerful, sprinkled transcendental, infallible, spiritual water from his kamandalu upon Hiranyakasipu’s body, which had been eaten away by ants and moths. Thus he enlivened Hiranyakasipu.

Lord Brahma is the first created being within this universe and is empowered by the Supreme Lord top create. Tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye: the adi deva, or adi-kavi—the first living creature—was personally taught by the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the heart. There was no one to teach him, but since the Lord is situated within Brahma’s heart, Brahma was educated by the Lord Himself. Lord Brahma, being especially empowered, is infallible in doing whatever he wants. This is the meaning of the word amogha radhasa. He desired to restore Hiranyakasipu’s original body, and therefore, by sprinkling transcendental water from his waterpot, he immediately did so.

sa tat kicaka-valmikat

saha-ojo-balanvitah

sarvavayava-sampanno

vajra-samhanano yuva

utthitas tapta-hemabho

vibhavasur ivaidhasah

sah—Hiranyakasipu; tat—that; kicaka-valmikat—from the anthill and bamboo grove; sahah—mental strength; ojah—strength of the senses; bala—and sufficient bodily strength; anvitah—endowed with; sarva—all; avayava—the limbs of the body; sampannah—fully restored; vajra-samhananah—having a body as strong as a thunderbolt; yuva—young; utthitah—arisen; tapta-hema-abhah—whose bodily luster became like molten gold; vibhavasuh—fire; iva—like; edhasah—from fuel wood.

As soon as he was sprinkled with the water from Lord Brahma’s waterpot, Hiranyakasipu arose, endowed with a full body with limbs so strong that they could bear the striking of a thunderbolt. With physical strength and a bodily luster resembling molten gold, he emerged from the anthill a completely young man, just as fire springs from fuel wood.

Hiranyakasipu was revitalized, so much so that his body was quite competent to tolerate the striking of thunderbolts. He was now a young man with a strong body and a very beautiful bodily luster resembling molten gold. This is the rejuvenation that took place because of his severe austerity and penance.

sa niriksyambare devam

hamsa-vaham upasthitam

nanama sirasa bhumau

tad-darsana-mahotsavah

sah—he (Hiranyakasipu); niriksya—seeing; ambare—in the sky; devam—the supreme demigod; hamsa-vaham—who rides a swan airplane; upasthitam—situated before him; nanama—offered obeisances; sirasa—with his head; bhumau—on the ground; tat-darsana—by seeing Lord Brahma; maha-utsavah—very much pleased.

Seeing Lord Brahma present before him in the sky, carried by his swan airplane, Hiranyakasipu was extremely pleased. He immediately fell flat with his head on the ground and began to express his obligation to the lord.

Lord Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (9.23–24):

ye ’py anya-devata-bhakta
yajante sraddhayanvitah
te ’pi mam eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-purvakam

aham hi sarva-yajnanam
bhokta ca prabhur eva ca
na tu mam abhijananti
tattvenatas cyavanti te

“Whatever a man may sacrifice to other gods, O son of Kunti, is really meant for Me alone, but it is offered without true understanding. I am the only enjoyer and the only object of sacrifice. Those who do not recognize My true transcendental nature fall down.”

In effect, Krsna says, “Persons engaged in the worship of demigods are not very intelligent, although such worship is indirectly offered to Me.” For example, when a man pours water on the leaves and branches of a tree without pouring water on the root, he does so without sufficient knowledge or without observing regulative principles. The process of watering a tree is to pour water on the root. Similarly, the process of rendering service to different parts of the body is to supply food to the stomach. The demigods are, so to speak, different officers and directors in the government of the Supreme Lord. One has to follow the laws made by the government, not by the officers or directors. Similarly, everyone is to offer his worship to the Supreme Lord only. That will automatically satisfy the different officers and directors of the Lord. The officers and directors are engaged as representatives of the government, and to offer some bribe to the officers and directors is illegal. This is stated in Bhagavad-gita as avidhi-purvakam. In other words, Krsna does not approve the unnecessary worship of the demigods.

In Bhagavad-gita it is clearly stated that there are many types of yajna performances recommended in the Vedic literatures, but actually all of them are meant for satisfying the Supreme Lord. Yajna means Visnu. In the Third Chapter of Bhagavad-gita it is clearly stated that one should work only for satisfying Yajna, or Visnu. The perfectional form of human civilization, known as varnasrama-dharma, is specifically meant for satisfying Visnu. Therefore, Krsna says, “I am the enjoyer of all sacrifices because I am the supreme master.” However, less intelligent persons, without knowing this fact, worship demigods for temporary benefit. Therefore they fall down to material existence and do not achieve the desired goal of life. If, however, anyone has any material desire to be fulfilled, he had better pray for it to the Supreme Lord (although that is not pure devotion), and he will thus achieve the desired result.

Although Hiranyakasipu offered his obeisances unto Lord Brahma, he was strongly inimical toward Lord Visnu. This is the symptom of an asura. Asuras worship the demigods as being separate from the Lord, not knowing that all the demigods are powerful because of being servants of the Lord. If the Supreme Lord were to withdraw the powers of the demigods, the demigods would no longer be able to offer benedictions to their worshipers. The difference between a devotee and a nondevotee, or asura, is that a devotee knows that Lord Visnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that everyone derives power from Him. Without worshiping the demigods for particular powers, a devotee worships Lord Visnu, knowing that if he desires a particular power he can get that power while acting as Lord Visnu’s devotee. Therefore in the sastra (Bhag. 2.3.10) it is recommended:

akamah sarva-kamo va
moksa-kama udara-dhih
tivrena bhakti-yogena
yajeta purusam param

“A person who has broader intelligence, whether he be full of material desires, free from material desires, or desiring liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead.” Even if a person has material desires, instead of worshiping the demigods he should pray to the Supreme Lord so that his connection with the Supreme Lord will be established and he will be saved from becoming a demon or a nondevotee. In this regard, Srila Madhvacarya gives the following quotation from the Brahma-tarka:

eka-sthanaika-karyatvad
visnoh pradhanyatas tatha
jivasya tad-adhinatvan
na bhinnadhikrtam vacah

Since Visnu is the Supreme, by worshiping Visnu one can fulfill all one’s desires. There is no need to divert one’s attention to any demigod.

utthaya pranjalih prahva

iksamano drsa vibhum

harsasru-pulakodbhedo

gira gadgadayagrnat

utthaya—getting up; pranjalih—with folded hands; prahvah—in a humble manner; iksamanah—seeing; drsa—with his eyes; vibhum—the supreme person within this universe; harsa—of jubilation; asru—with tears; pulaka—with hairs standing on the body; udbhedah—enlivened; gira—by words; gadgadaya—faltering; agrnat—prayed.

Then, getting up from the ground and seeing Lord Brahma before him, the head of the Daityas was overwhelmed by jubilation. With tears in his eyes, his whole body shivering, he began praying in a humble mood, with folded hands and a faltering voice, to satisfy Lord Brahma.

SB7.3.26-27

TEXTS 26–27

sri-hiranyakasipur uvaca

kalpante kala-srstena

yo ’ndhena tamasavrtam

abhivyanag jagad idam

svayanjyotih sva-rocisa

atmana tri-vrta cedam

srjaty avati lumpati

rajah-sattva-tamo-dhamne

paraya mahate namah

SYNONYMS

sri-hiranyakasipuh uvaca—Hiranyakasipu said; kalpa-ante—at the end of every day of Lord Brahma; kala-srstena—created by the time factor; yah—he who; andhena—by dense darkness; tamasa—by ignorance; avrtam—covered; abhivyanak—manifested; jagat—cosmic manifestation; idam—this; svayam-jyotih—self-effulgent; sva-rocisa—by his bodily rays; atmana—by himself; tri-vrta—conducted by the three modes of material nature; ca—also; idam—this material world; srjati—creates; avati—maintain s; lumpati—annihilates; rajah—of the mode of passion; sattva—the mode of goodness; tamah—and the mode of ignorance; dhamne—unto the supreme lord; paraya—unto the supreme; mahate—unto the great; namah—my respectful obeisances.

TRANSLATION

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the supreme lord within this universe. At the end of each day of his life, the universe is fully covered with dense darkness by the influence of time, and then again, during his next day, that self-effulgent lord, by his own effulgence, manifests, maintains and destroys the entire cosmic manifestation through the material energy, which is invested with the three modes of material nature. He, Lord Brahma, is the shelter of those modes of nature—sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna.

PURPORT

The words abhivyanag jagad idam refer to he who creates this cosmic manifestation. The original creator is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna (janmady asya yatah [Bhag. 1.1.1]); Lord Brahma is the secondary creator. When Lord Brahma is empowered by Lord Krsna as the engineer to create the phenomenal world, he becomes the supremely powerful feature within this universe. The total material energy is created by Krsna, and later, taking advantage of all that has necessarily been created, Lord Brahma engineers the entire phenomenal universe. At the end of Lord Brahma’s day, everything up to Svargaloka is inundated with water, and the next morning, when there is darkness in the universe, Brahma again brings the phenomenal manifestation into existence. Therefore he is described here as he who manifests this universe.

Trin gunan vrnoti: Lord Brahma takes advantage of the three modes of material nature. prakrti, material nature, is described here as tri-vrta, the source of the three material modes. Srila Madhvacarya comments in this connection that tri-vrta means prakrtya. Thus Lord Krsna is the original creator, and Lord Brahma is the original engineer.

nama adyaya bijaya

jnana-vijnana-murtaye

pranendriya-mano-buddhi-

vikarair vyaktim iyuse

namah—I offer my respectful obeisances; adyaya—unto the original living creature; bijaya—the seed of the cosmic manifestation; jnana—of knowledge; vijnana—and of practical application; murtaye—unto the deity or form; prana—of the life air; indriya—of the senses; manah—of the mind; buddhi—of the intelligence; vikaraih—by transformations; vyaktim—manifestation; iyuse—who has obtained.

I offer my obeisances to the original personality within this universe, Lord Brahma, who is cognizant and who can apply his mind and realized intelligence in creating this cosmic manifestation. It is because of his activities that everything within the universe is visible. He is therefore the cause of all manifestations.

The Vedanta-sutra begins by declaring that the Absolute Person is the original source of all creation (janmady asya yatah [Bhag. 1.1.1]). One may ask whether Lord Brahma is the Supreme Absolute Person. No, the Supreme Absolute Person is Krsna. Brahma receives his mind, intelligence, materials and everything else from Krsna, and then he becomes the secondary creator, the engineer of this universe. In this regard we may note that the creation does not take place accidentally, because of the explosion of a chunk. Such nonsensical theories are not accepted by Vedic students. The first created living being is Brahma, who is endowed with perfect knowledge and intelligence by the Lord. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam, tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye: although Brahma is the first created being, he is not independent, for he receives help from the Supreme Personality of Godhead through his heart. There is no one but Brahma at the time of creation, and therefore he receives his intelligence directly from the Lord through the heart. This has been discussed in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Lord Brahma is described in this verse as the original cause of the cosmic manifestation, and this applies to his position in the material world. There are many, many such controllers, all of whom are created by the Supreme Lord, Visnu. This is illustrated by an incident described in Caitanya-caritamrta. When the Brahma of this particular universe was invited by Krsna to Dvaraka, he thought that he was the only Brahma. Therefore when Krsna inquired from His servant which Brahma was at the door to visit, Lord Brahma was surprised. He replied that of course Lord Brahma, the father of the four Kumaras, was waiting at the door. Later, Lord Brahma asked Krsna why He had inquired which Brahma had come. He was then informed that there are millions of other Brahmas because there are millions of universes. Krsna then called all the Brahmas, who immediately came to visit Him. The catur-mukha Brahma, the four-headed Brahma of this universe, thought himself a very insignificant creature in the presence of so many Brahmas with so many heads. Thus although there is a Brahma who is the engineer of each universe, Krsna is the original source of all of them.

tvam isise jagatas tasthusas ca

pranena mukhyena patih prajanam

cittasya cittair mana-indriyanam

patir mahan bhuta-gunasayesah

tvam—you; isise—actually control; jagatah—of the moving being; tasthusah—of the being that is dull or stationed in one place; ca—and; pranena—by the living force; mukhyena—the origin of all activities; patih—master; prajanam—of all living entities; cittasya—of the mind; cittaih—by the consciousness; manah—of the mind; indriyanam—and of the two kinds of senses (acting and knowledge-gathering); patih—the master; mahan—great; bhuta—of the material elements; guna—and the qualities of the material elements; asaya—of desires; isah—the supreme master.

Your Lordship, being the origin of the life of this material world, is the master and controller of the living entities, both moving and stationary, and you inspire their consciousness. You maintain the mind and the acting and knowledge-acquiring senses, and therefore you are the great controller of all the material elements and their qualities, and you are the controller of all desires.

In this verse it is clearly indicated that the original source of everything is life. Brahma was instructed by the supreme life, Krsna. Krsna is the supreme living entity (nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam), and Brahma is also a living entity, but the original source of Brahma is Krsna. Therefore Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (7.7), mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: “O Arjuna, there is no truth superior to Me.” Krsna is the original source of Brahma, who is the original source of this universe. Brahma is a representative of Krsna, and therefore all the qualities and activities of Krsna are also present in Lord Brahma.

tvam sapta-tantun vitanosi tanva

trayya catur-hotraka-vidyaya ca

tvam eka atmatmavatam anadir

ananta-parah kavir antaratma

tvam—you; sapta-tantun—the seven kinds of Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, beginning from the agnistoma-yajna; vitanosi—spread; tanva—by your body; trayya—the three Vedas; catuh-hotraka—of the four kinds of Vedic priests, known as hota, adhvaryu, brahma and udgata; vidyaya—by the necessary knowledge; ca—also; tvam—you; ekah—one; atma—the Supersoul; atma-vatam—of all living entities; anadih—without beginning; ananta-parah—without end; kavih—the supreme inspirer; antah-atma—the Supersoul within the core of the heart.

My dear lord, by your form as the Vedas personified and through knowledge relating to the activities of all the yajnic brahmanas, you spread the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies of the seven kinds of sacrifices, headed by agnistoma. Indeed, you inspire the yajnic brahmanas to perform the rituals mentioned in the three Vedas. Being the Supreme Soul, the Supersoul of all living entities, you are beginningless, endless and omniscient, beyond the limits of time and space.

The Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, the knowledge thereof, and the person who agrees to perform them are inspired by the Supreme Soul. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca: [Bg. 15.15] from the Lord come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. The Supersoul is situated in everyone’s heart (sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]), and when one is advanced in Vedic knowledge, the Supersoul gives him directions. Acting as Supersoul, the Lord gives inspiration to a suitable person to perform the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. In this connection, four classes of priests, known as rtvik, are required. They are mentioned as hota, adhvaryu, brahma and udgata.

tvam eva kalo ’nimiso jananam

ayur lavady-avayavaih ksinosi

kuta-stha atma paramesthy ajo mahams

tvam jiva-lokasya ca jiva atma

tvam—you; eva—indeed; kalah—unlimited time; animisah—unblinking; jananam—of all living entities; ayuh—the duration of life; lava-adi—consisting of seconds, moments, minutes and hours; avayavaih—by different parts; ksinosi—reduce; kuta-sthah—without being affected by anything; atma—the Supersoul; paramesthi—the Supreme Lord; ajah—the unborn; mahan—the great; tvam—you; jiva-lokasya—of this material world; ca—also; jivah—the cause of life; atma—the Supersoul.

O my lord, Your Lordship is eternally awake, seeing everything that happens. As eternal time, you reduce the duration of life for all living entities through your different parts, such as moments, seconds, minutes and hours. Nonetheless, you are unchanged, resting in one place as the Supersoul, witness and Supreme Lord, the birthless, all-pervading controller who is the cause of life for all living entities.

In this verse the word kuta-stha is very important. Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated everywhere, He is the central unchanging point. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati: [Bg. 18.61] the Lord is situated in full in the core of everyone’s heart. As indicated in the Upanisads by the word ekatvam, although there are millions and millions of living entities, the Lord is situated as the Supersoul in every one of them. Nonetheless, He is one in many. As stated in the Brahma-samhita, advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam: [Bs. 5.33] He has many forms, yet they are advaita—one and unchanging. Since the Lord is all-pervading, He is also situated in eternal time. The living entities are described as parts and parcels of the Lord because He is the life and soul of all living entities, being situated within their hearts as the antaryami, as enunciated by the philosophy of inconceivable oneness and difference (acintya-bhedabheda). Since the living entities are part of God, they are one in quality with the Lord, yet they are different from Him. The Supersoul, who inspires all living entities to act, is one and changeless. There are varieties of subjects, objects and activities, yet the Lord is one.

tvattah param naparam apy anejad

ejac ca kincid vyatiriktam asti

vidyah kalas te tanavas ca sarva

hiranyagarbho ’si brhat tri-prsthah

tvattah—from you; param—higher; na—not; aparam—lower; api—even; anejat—not moving; ejat—moving; ca—and; kincit—anything; vyatiriktam—separate; asti—there is; vidyah—knowledge; kalah—its parts; te—of you; tanavah—features of the body; ca—and; sarvah—all; hiranya-garbhah—the one who keeps the universe within his abdomen; asi—you are; brhat—greater than the greatest; tri-prsthah—transcendental to the three modes of material nature.

There is nothing separate from you, whether it be better or lower, stationary or moving. The knowledge derived from the Vedic literatures like the Upanisads, and from all the sub-limbs of the original Vedic knowledge, form your external body. You are Hiranyagarbha, the reservoir of the universe, but nonetheless, being situated as the supreme controller, you are transcendental to the material world, which consists of the three modes of material nature.

The word param means “the supreme cause,” and aparam means “the effect.” The supreme cause is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the effect is material nature. The living entities, both moving and nonmoving, are controlled by the Vedic instructions in art and science, and therefore they are all expansions of the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the center as the Supersoul. The brahmandas, the universes, exist during the duration of a breath of the Supreme Lord (yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah [Bs. 5.48]). Thus they are also within the womb of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Maha-Visnu. Nothing, therefore, is separate from the Supreme Lord. This is the philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva.

vyaktam vibho sthulam idam sariram

yenendriya-prana-mano-gunams tvam

bhunkse sthito dhamani paramesthye

avyakta atma purusah puranah

vyaktam—manifested; vibho—O my lord; sthulam—cosmic manifestation; idam—this; sariram—external body; yena—by which; indriya—the senses; prana—the life air; manah—the mind; gunan—transcendental qualities; tvam—you; bhunkse—enjoy; sthitah—situated; dhamani—in your own abode; paramesthye—the supreme; avyaktah—not manifested through ordinary knowledge; atma—the soul; purusah—the supreme person; puranah—the oldest.

O my lord, being changelessly situated in your own abode, you expand your universal form within this cosmic manifestation, thus appearing to taste the material world. You are Brahman, the Supersoul, the oldest, the Personality of Godhead.

It is said that the Absolute Truth appears in three features—namely, impersonal Brahman, localized Supersoul and ultimately the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. The cosmic manifestation is the gross material body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who enjoys the taste of the material mellows by expanding His parts and parcels, the living entities, who are qualitatively one with Him. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, is situated in the Vaikuntha planets, where He enjoys the spiritual mellows. Therefore the one Absolute Truth, Bhagavan, pervades all by His material cosmic manifestation, the spiritual Brahman effulgence, and His personal existence as the Supreme Lord.

anantavyakta-rupena

yenedam akhilam tatam

cid-acic-chakti-yuktaya

tasmai bhagavate namah

ananta-avyakta-rupena—by the unlimited, unmanifested form; yena—by which; idam—this; akhilam—total aggregate; tatam—expanded; cit—with spiritual; acit—and material; sakti—potency; yuktaya—unto he who is endowed; tasmai—unto him; bhagavate—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; namah—I offer my respectful obeisances.

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme, who in his unlimited, unmanifested form has expanded the cosmic manifestation, the form of the totality of the universe. He possesses external and internal energies and the mixed energy called the marginal potency, which consists of all the living entities.

The Lord is endowed with unlimited potencies (parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate), which are summarized as three, namely external, internal and marginal. The external potency manifests this material world, the internal potency manifests the spiritual world, and the marginal potency manifests the living entities, who are mixtures of internal and external. The living entity, being part and parcel of Parabrahman, is actually internal potency, but because of being in contact with the material energy, he is an emanation of material and spiritual energies. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is above the material energy and is engaged in spiritual pastimes. The material energy is only an external manifestation of His pastimes.

yadi dasyasy abhimatan

varan me varadottama

bhutebhyas tvad-visrstebhyo

mrtyur ma bhun mama prabho

yadi—if; dasyasi—you will give; abhimatan—the desired; varan—benedictions; me—unto me; varada-uttama—O best of all benedictors; bhutebhyah—from living entities; tvat—by you; visrstebhyah—who are created; mrtyuh—death; ma—not; bhut—let there be; mama—my; prabho—O my lord.

O my lord, O best of the givers of benediction, if you will kindly grant me the benediction I desire, please let me not meet death from any of the living entities created by you.

After being created from the navel of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, Lord Brahma, the original created living being within the universe, created many other different types of living entities to reside in this universe. Therefore, from the beginning of creation, the living entities were born of a superior living entity. Ultimately, Krsna is the supreme living being, the father of all others. Aham bija-pradah pita: He is the seed-giving father of all living entities.

Thus far, Hiranyakasipu has adored Lord Brahma as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and has expected to become immortal by the benediction of Lord Brahma. Now, however, having come to understand that even Lord Brahma is not immortal because at the end of the millennium Lord Brahma will also die, Hiranyakasipu is very carefully asking him for benedictions that will be almost as good as immortality. His first proposal is that he not be killed by any of the different forms of living entities created by Lord Brahma within this material world.

nantar bahir diva naktam

anyasmad api cayudhaih

na bhumau nambare mrtyur

na narair na mrgair api

na—not; antah—inside (the palace or home); bahih—outside the home; diva—during the daytime; naktam—during the night; anyasmat—from any others beyond Lord Brahma; api—even; ca—also; ayudhaih—by any weapons used within this material world; na—nor; bhumau—on the ground; na—not; ambare—in the sky; mrtyuh—death; na—not; naraih—by any men; na—nor; mrgaih—by any animal; api—also.

Grant me that I not die within any residence or outside any residence, during the daytime or at night, nor on the ground or in the sky. Grant me that my death not be brought by any being other than those created by you, nor by any weapon, nor by any human being or animal.

Hiranyakasipu was very much afraid of Visnu’s becoming an animal to kill him because his brother had been killed by Visnu when the Lord took the shape of a boar. He was therefore very careful to guard against all kinds of animals. But even without taking the shape of an animal, Visnu could kill him by hurling His Sudarsana cakra, which can go anywhere without the Lord’s physical presence. Therefore Hiranyakasipu was careful to guard against all kinds of weapons. He guarded against all kinds of time, space and countries because he was afraid of being killed by someone else in another land. There are many other planets, higher and lower, and therefore he prayed for the benediction of not being killed by any resident of any of these planets. There are three original deities—Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara. Hiranyakasipu knew that Brahma would not kill him, but he also wanted not to be killed by Lord Visnu or Lord Siva. Consequently, he prayed for such a benediction. Thus Hiranyakasipu thought himself securely protected from any kind of death caused by any living entity within this universe. He also carefully guarded against natural death, which might take place within his house or outside of the house.

vyasubhir vasumadbhir va

surasura-mahoragaih

apratidvandvatam yuddhe

aika-patyam ca dehinam

sarvesam loka-palanam

mahimanam yathatmanah

tapo-yoga-prabhavanam

yan na risyati karhicit

vyasubhih—by things that have no life; va—or; asumadbhih—by entities that have life; va—or; sura—by the demigods; asura—the demons; maha-uragaih—by the great serpents who live on the lower planets; apratidvandvatam—without a rival; yuddhe—in battle; aika-patyam—supremacy; ca—and; dehinam—over those who have material bodies; sarvesam—of all; loka-palanam—the predominating deities of all planets; mahimanam—the glory; yatha—just as; atmanah—of yourself; tapah-yoga-prabhavanam—of those whose power is obtained by austerities and the practice of mystic yoga; yat—which; na—never; risyati—is destroyed; karhicit—at any time.

Grant me that I not meet death from any entity, living or nonliving. Grant me, further, that I not be killed by any demigod or demon or by any great snake from the lower planets. Since no one can kill you in the battlefield, you have no competitor. Therefore, grant me the benediction that I too may have no rival. Give me sole lordship over all the living entities and presiding deities, and give me all the glories obtained by that position. Furthermore, give me all the mystic powers attained by long austerities and the practice of yoga, for these cannot be lost at any time.

Lord Brahma obtained his supreme position due to long austerities and penances, mystic yoga, meditation and so on. Hiranyakasipu wanted a similar position. The ordinary powers achieved by mystic yoga, austerities and other processes are sometimes vanquished, but the powers obtained by the mercy of the Lord are never vanquished. Hiranyakasipu, therefore, wanted a benediction that would never be vanquished.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Third Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Hiranyakasipu’s Plan to Become Immortal.”

Next chapter (SB 7.4)