Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 9: “Liberation”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter One
SB9.1.22
TEXT 22
tasmai kama-varam tusto
bhagavan harir isvarah
dadav ilabhavat tena
sudyumnah purusarsabhah
SYNONYMS
tasmai—unto him (Vasistha); kama-varam—the desired benediction; tustah—being pleased; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality; harih isvarah—the supreme controller, the Lord; dadau—gave; ila—the girl, Ila; abhavat—became; tena—because of this benediction; sudyumnah—by the name Sudyumna; purusa-rsabhah—a nice male.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, being pleased with Vasistha, gave him the benediction he desired. Thus Ila was transformed into a very fine male named Sudyumna.
SB9.1.23-24
TEXTS 23–24
sa ekada maharaja
vicaran mrgayam vane
vrtah katipayamatyair
asvam aruhya saindhavam
pragrhya ruciram capam
sarams ca paramadbhutan
damsito ’numrgam viro
jagama disam uttaram
SYNONYMS
sah—Sudyumna; ekada—once upon a time; maharaja—O King Pariksit; vicaran—touring; mrgayam—for hunting; vane—in the forest; vrtah—accompanied; katipaya—a few; amatyaih—by ministers or associates; asvam—upon a horse; aruhya—riding; saindhavam—born in the Sindhupradesa; pragrhya—holding in hand; ruciram—beautiful; capam—bow; saran ca—and arrows; parama-adbhutan—very wonderful, uncommon; damsitah—wearing armor; anumrgam—behind the animals; virah—the hero; jagama—went toward; disam uttaram—the north.
TRANSLATION
O King Pariksit, that hero Sudyumna, accompanied by a few ministers and associates and riding on a horse brought from Sindhupradesa, once went into the forest to hunt. He wore armor and was decorated with bows and arrows, and he was very beautiful. While following the animals and killing them, he reached the northern part of the forest.
SB9.1.25
TEXT 25
sukumara-vanam meror
adhastat pravivesa ha
yatraste bhagavan charvo
ramamanah sahomaya
SYNONYMS
sukumara-vanam—the forest known as Sukumara; meroh adhastat—at the foot of Mount Meru; pravivesa ha—he entered; yatra—wherein; aste—was; bhagavan—the most powerful (demigod); sarvah—Lord Siva; ramamanah—engaged in enjoyment; saha umaya—with Uma, his wife.
TRANSLATION
There in the north, at the bottom of Mount Meru, is a forest known as Sukumara where Lord Siva always enjoys with Uma. Sudyumna entered that forest.
SB9.1.26
TEXT 26
tasmin pravista evasau
sudyumnah para-vira-ha
apasyat striyam atmanam
asvam ca vadavam nrpa
SYNONYMS
tasmin—in that forest; pravistah—having entered; eva—indeed; asau—he; sudyumnah—Prince Sudyumna; para-vira-ha—who could very well subdue his enemies; apasyat—observed; striyam—female; atmanam—himself; asvam ca—and his horse; vadavam—a mare; nrpa—O King Pariksit.
TRANSLATION
O King Pariksit, as soon as Sudyumna, who was expert in subduing enemies, entered the forest, he saw himself transformed into a female and his horse transformed into a mare.
SB9.1.27
TEXT 27
tatha tad-anugah sarve
atma-linga-viparyayam
drstva vimanaso ’bhuvan
viksamanah parasparam
SYNONYMS
tatha—similarly; tat-anugah—the companions of Sudyumna; sarve—all of them; atma-linga-viparyayam—the transformation of their sex into the opposite; drstva—seeing; vimanasah—morose; abhuvan—they became; viksamanah—looking over; parasparam—one another.
TRANSLATION
When his followers also saw their identities transformed and their sex reversed, they were all very morose and just looked at one another.
SB9.1.28
TEXT 28
sri-rajovaca
katham evam guno desah
kena va bhagavan krtah
prasnam enam samacaksva
param kautuhalam hi nah
SYNONYMS
sri-raja uvaca—Maharaja Pariksit said; katham—how; evam—this; gunah—quality; desah—the country; kena—why; va—either; bhagavan—O most powerful; krtah—it was so done; prasnam—question; enam—this; samacaksva—just deliberate; param—very much; kautuhalam—eagerness; hi—indeed; nah—our.
TRANSLATION
Maharaja Pariksit said: O most powerful brahmana, why was this place so empowered, and who made it so powerful? Kindly answer this question, for I am very eager to hear about this.
SB9.1.29
TEXT 29
sri-suka uvaca
ekada girisam drastum
rsayas tatra suvratah
diso vitimirabhasah
kurvantah samupagaman
SYNONYMS
sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; ekada—once upon a time; girisam—Lord Siva; drastum—to see; rsayah—very saintly persons; tatra—in that forest; su-vratah—highly elevated in spiritual power; disah—all directions; vitimira-abhasah—having been cleared of all darkness whatsoever; kurvantah—doing so; samupagaman—arrived.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami answered: Great saintly persons who strictly observed the spiritual rules and regulations and whose own effulgence dissipated all the darkness of all directions once came to see Lord Siva in that forest.
SB9.1.30
TEXT 30
tan vilokyambika devi
vivasa vridita bhrsam
bhartur ankat samutthaya
nivim asv atha paryadhat
SYNONYMS
tan—all the saintly persons; vilokya—seeing them; ambika—mother Durga; devi—the goddess; vivasa—because she was naked; vridita—ashamed; bhrsam—highly; bhartuh—of her husband; ankat—from the lap; samutthaya—getting up; nivim—breast; asu atha—very quickly; paryadhat—covered with cloth.
TRANSLATION
When the goddess Ambika saw the great saintly persons, she was very much ashamed because at that time she was naked. She immediately got up from the lap of her husband and tried to cover her breast.
SB9.1.31
TEXT 31
rsayo ’pi tayor viksya
prasangam ramamanayoh
nivrttah prayayus tasman
nara-narayanasramam
SYNONYMS
rsayah—all the great saintly persons; api—also; tayoh—of both of them; viksya—seeing; prasangam—engagement in sexual matters; ramamanayoh—who were enjoying in that way; nivrttah—desisted from going further; prayayuh—immediately departed; tasmat—from that place; nara-narayana-asramam—to the asrama of Nara-Narayana.
TRANSLATION
Seeing Lord Siva and Parvati engaged in sexual affairs, all the great saintly persons immediately desisted from going further and departed for the asrama of Nara-Narayana.
SB9.1.32
TEXT 32
tad idam bhagavan aha
priyayah priya-kamyaya
sthanam yah pravised etat
sa vai yosid bhaved iti
SYNONYMS
tat—because; idam—this; bhagavan—Lord Siva; aha—said; priyayah—of his dear wife; priya-kamyaya—for the pleasure; sthanam—place; yah—anyone who; praviset—will enter; etat—here; sah—that person; vai—indeed; yosit—female; bhavet—shall become; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
Thereupon, just to please his wife, Lord Siva said, “Any male entering this place shall immediately become a female!”
SB9.1.33
TEXT 33
tata urdhvam vanam tad vai
purusa varjayanti hi
sa canucara-samyukta
vicacara vanad vanam
SYNONYMS
tatah urdhvam—from that time onward; vanam—forest; tat—that; vai—in particular; purusah—males; varjayanti—do not enter; hi—indeed; sa—Sudyumna in the form of a woman; ca—also; anucara-samyukta—accompanied by his companions; vicacara—walked; vanat vanam—within the forest from one place to another.
TRANSLATION
Since that time, no male had entered that forest. But now King Sudyumna, having been transformed into a female, began to walk with his associates from one forest to another.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gita (2.22) it is said:
vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
navani grhnati naro ’parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
anyani samyati navani dehi
“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.”
The body is just like a dress, and here this is proved. Sudyumna and his associates were all male, which means that their souls were covered by male dress, but now they became female, which means that their dress was changed. The soul, however, remains the same. It is said that by modern medical treatment a male can be transformed into a female, and a female into a male. The body, however, has no connection with the soul. The body can be changed, either in this life or the next. Therefore, one who has knowledge of the soul and how the soul transmigrates from one body to another does not pay attention to the body, which is nothing but a covering dress. Panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. Such a person sees the soul, which is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Therefore he is a sama-darsi, a learned person. SB9.1.34 TEXT 34 atha tam asramabhyase carantim pramadottamam stribhih parivrtam viksya cakame bhagavan budhah SYNONYMS atha—in this way; tam—her; asrama-abhyase—in the neighborhood of his asrama; carantim—loitering; pramada-uttamam—the best of beautiful women who excite sex; stribhih—by other women; parivrtam—surrounded; viksya—seeing her; cakame—desired sex; bhagavan—the most powerful; budhah—Budha, the son of the moon and predominating deity of the planet known as Budha, or Mercury. TRANSLATION Sudyumna had been transformed into the best of beautiful women who excite sexual desire and was surrounded by other women. Upon seeing this beautiful woman loitering near his asrama, Budha, the son of the moon, immediately desired to enjoy her. SB9.1.35 TEXT 35 sapi tam cakame subhruh somaraja-sutam patim sa tasyam janayam asa pururavasam atmajam SYNONYMS sa—Sudyumna, transformed into a woman; api—also; tam—unto him (Budha); cakame—desired sex; su-bhruh—very beautiful; somaraja-sutam—unto the son of the king of the moon; patim—as her husband; sah—he (Budha); tasyam—in her womb; janayam asa—begot; pururavasam—named Pururava; atma-jam—a son. TRANSLATION The beautiful woman also desired to accept Budha, the son of the king of the moon, as her husband. Thus Budha begot in her womb a son named Pururava. SB9.1.36 TEXT 36 evam stritvam anupraptah sudyumno manavo nrpah sasmara sa kulacaryam vasistham iti susruma SYNONYMS evam—in this way; stritvam—femininity; anupraptah—having achieved in that way; sudyumnah—the male named Sudyumna; manavah—the son of Manu; nrpah—the king; sasmara—remembered; sah—he; kula-acaryam—the familial spiritual master; vasistham—the most powerful Vasistha; iti susruma—I have heard it (from reliable sources). TRANSLATION I heard from reliable sources that King Sudyumna, the son of Manu, having thus achieved femininity, remembered his familial spiritual master, Vasistha. SB9.1.37 TEXT 37 sa tasya tam dasam drstva krpaya bhrsa-piditah sudyumnasyasayan pumstvam upadhavata sankaram SYNONYMS sah—he, Vasistha; tasya—of Sudyumna; tam—that; dasam—condition; drstva—seeing; krpaya—out of mercy; bhrsa-piditah—being very much aggrieved; sudyumnasya—of Sudyumna; asayan—desiring; pumstvam—the maleness; upadhavata—began to worship; sankaram—Lord Siva. TRANSLATION Upon seeing Sudyumna’s deplorable condition, Vasistha was very much aggrieved. Desiring for Sudyumna to regain his maleness, Vasistha again began to worship Lord Sankara [Siva]. SB9.1.38-39 TEXTS 38–39 tustas tasmai sa bhagavan rsaye priyam avahan svam ca vacam rtam kurvann idam aha visampate masam puman sa bhavita masam stri tava gotrajah ittham vyavasthaya kamam sudyumno ’vatu medinim SYNONYMS tustah—being pleased; tasmai—unto Vasistha; sah—he (Lord Siva); bhagavan—the most powerful; rsaye—unto the great sage; priyam avahan—just to please him; svam ca—his own; vacam—word; rtam—true; kurvan—and keeping; idam—this; aha—said; visampate—O King Pariksit; masam—one month; puman—male; sah—Sudyumna; bhavita—will become; masam—an other month; stri—female; tava—your; gotra-jah—disciple born in your disciplic succession; ittham—in this way; vyavasthaya—by settlement; kamam—according to desire; sudyumnah—King Sudyumna; avatu—may rule; medinim—the world. TRANSLATION O King Pariksit, Lord Siva was pleased with Vasistha. Therefore, to satisfy him and to keep his own word to Parvati, Lord Siva said to that saintly person, “Your disciple Sudyumna may remain a male for one month and a female for the next. In this way he may rule the world as he likes.” PURPORT The word gotrajah is significant in this connection. Brahmanas generally act as spiritual masters of two dynasties. One is their disciplic succession, and the other is the dynasty born of their semen. Both descendants belong to the same gotra, or dynasty. In the Vedic system we sometimes find that both brahmanas and ksatriyas and even vaisyas come in the disciplic succession of the same rsis. Because the gotra and dynasty are one, there is no difference between the disciples and the family born of the semen. The same system still prevails in Indian society, especially in regard to marriage, for which the gotra is calculated. Here the word gotrajah refers to those born in the same dynasty, whether they be disciples or members of the family. SB9.1.40 TEXT 40 acaryanugrahat kamam labdhva pumstvam vyavasthaya palayam asa jagatim nabhyanandan sma tam prajah SYNONYMS acarya-anugrahat—by the mercy of the spiritual master; kamam—desired; labdhva—having achieved; pumstvam—maleness; vyavasthaya—by this settlement of Lord Siva; palayam asa—he ruled; jagatim—the whole world; na abhyanandan sma—were not satisfied with; tam—to the king; prajah—the citizens. TRANSLATION Thus being favored by the spiritual master, according to the words of Lord Siva, Sudyumna regained his desired maleness every alternate month and in this way ruled the kingdom, although the citizens were not satisfied with this. PURPORT The citizens could understand that the king was transformed into a female every alternate month and therefore could not discharge his royal duty. Consequently they were not very satisfied. SB9.1.41 TEXT 41 tasyotkalo gayo rajan vimalas ca trayah sutah daksina-patha-rajano babhuvur dharma-vatsalah SYNONYMS tasya—of Sudyumna; utkalah—by the name Utkala; gayah—by the name Gaya; rajan—O King Pariksit; vimalah ca—and Vimala; trayah—three; sutah—sons; daksina-patha—of the southern part of the world; rajanah—kings; babhuvuh—they became; dharma-vatsalah—very religious. TRANSLATION O King, Sudyumna had three very pious sons, named Utkala, Gaya and Vimala, who became the kings of the Daksina-patha. SB9.1.42 TEXT 42 tatah parinate kale pratisthana-patih prabhuh pururavasa utsrjya gam putraya gato vanam SYNONYMS tatah—thereafter; parinate kale—when the time was ripe; pratisthana-patih—the master of the kingdom; prabhuh—very powerful; pururavase—unto Pururava; utsrjya—delivering; gam—the world; putraya—unto his son; gatah—departed; vanam—to the forest. TRANSLATION Thereafter, when the time was ripe, when Sudyumna, the king of the world, was sufficiently old, he delivered the entire kingdom to his son Pururava and entered the forest. PURPORT According to the Vedic system, one within the institution of varna and asrama must leave his family life after he reaches fifty years of age (pancasad urdhvam vanam vrajet). Thus Sudyumna followed the prescribed regulations of varnasrama by leaving the kingdom and going to the forest to complete his spiritual life. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Ninth Canto, First Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “King Sudyumna Becomes a Woman.”