Śrīmad Bhāgavatam | Canto 2 Chapter 7

Scheduled Incarnations with Specific Functions

VERSE 2.7.1

brahmovāca

yatrodyataḥ kṣiti-taloddharaṇāya bibhrat
krauḍīṁ tanuṁ sakala-yajña-mayīm anantaḥ
antar-mahārṇava upāgatam ādi-daityaṁ
taṁ daṁṣṭrayādrim iva vajra-dharo dadāra

SYNONYMS

brahmā uvāca — Lord Brahmā said; yatra — at that time (when); udyataḥ — attempted; kṣiti-tala — the planet earth; uddharaṇāya — for the matter of lifting; bibhrat — assumed; krauḍīm — pastimes; tanum — form; sakala — total; yajña-mayīm — all-inclusive sacrifices; anantaḥ — the Unlimited; antar — within the universe; mahā-arṇave — the great Garbha Ocean; upāgatam — having arrived at; ādi — the first; daityam — demon; tam — him; daṁṣṭrayā — by the tusk; adrim — the flying mountains; iva — like; vajra-dharaḥ — the controller of the thunderbolts; dadāra — pierced.

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahmā said: When the unlimitedly powerful Lord assumed the form of a boar as a pastime, just to lift the planet earth, which was drowned in the great ocean of the universe called the Garbhodaka, the first demon [Hiraṇyākṣa] appeared, and the Lord pierced him with His tusk.

VERSE 2.7.2

jāto rucer ajanayat suyamān suyajña
ākūti-sūnur amarān atha dakṣiṇāyām
loka-trayasya mahatīm aharad yad ārtiṁ
svāyambhuvena manunā harir ity anūktaḥ

SYNONYMS

jātaḥ — was born; ruceḥ — of the wife of Prajāpati; ajanayat — gave birth; suyamān — headed by Suyama; suyajñaḥ — Suyajña; ākūti-sūnuḥ — of the son of Ākūti; amarān — the demigods; atha — thus; dakṣiṇāyām — unto the wife of the name Dakṣiṇā; loka — the planetary systems; trayasya — of the three; mahatīm — very great; aharat — diminished; yat — all those; ārtim — distresses; svāyambhuvena — by the Manu named Svāyambhuva; manunā — by the father of mankind; hariḥ — Hari; iti — thus; anūktaḥ — named.

TRANSLATION

The Prajāpati first begot Suyajña in the womb of his wife Ākūti, and then Suyajña begot demigods, headed by Suyama, in the womb of his wife Dakṣiṇā. Suyajña, as the Indradeva, diminished very great miseries in the three planetary systems [upper, lower and intermediate], and because he so diminished the miseries of the universe, he was later called Hari by the great father of mankind, namely Svāyambhuva Manu.

VERSE 2.7.3

jajñe ca kardama-gṛhe dvija devahūtyāṁ
strībhiḥ samaṁ navabhir ātma-gatiṁ sva-mātre
ūce yayātma-śamalaṁ guṇa-saṅga-paṅkam
asmin vidhūya kapilasya gatiṁ prapede

SYNONYMS

jajñe — took birth; ca — also; kardama — the Prajāpati named Kardama; gṛhe — in the house of; dvija — O brāhmaṇa; devahūtyām — in the womb of Devahūti; strībhiḥ — by women; samam — accompanied by; navabhiḥ — by nine; ātma-gatim — spiritual realization; sva-mātre — unto His own mother; ūce — uttered; yayā — by which; ātma-śamalam — coverings of the spirit soul; guṇa-saṅga — associated with the modes of nature; paṅkam — mud; asmin — this very life; vidhūya — being washed off; kapilasya — of Lord Kapila; gatim — liberation; prapede — achieved.

TRANSLATION

The Lord then appeared as the Kapila incarnation, being the son of the prajāpati brāhmaṇa Kardama and his wife, Devahūti, along with nine other women [sisters]. He spoke to His mother about self-realization, by which, in that very lifetime, she became fully cleansed of the mud of the material modes and thereby achieved liberation, the path of Kapila.

VERSE 2.7.4

atrer apatyam abhikāṅkṣata āha tuṣṭo
datto mayāham iti yad bhagavān sa dattaḥ
yat-pāda-paṅkaja-parāga-pavitra-dehā
yogarddhim āpur ubhayīṁ yadu-haihayādyāḥ

SYNONYMS

atreḥ — of the sage Atri; apatyam — issue; abhikāṅkṣataḥ — having prayed for; āha — said it; tuṣṭaḥ — being satisfied; dattaḥ — given over; mayā — by me; aham — myself; iti — thus; yat — because; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; saḥ — He; dattaḥ — Dattātreya; yat-pāda — one whose feet; paṅkaja — lotus; parāga — dust; pavitra — purified; dehāḥ — body; yoga — mystic; ṛddhim — opulence; āpuḥ — got; ubhayīm — for both the worlds; yadu — the father of the Yadu dynasty; haihaya-ādyāḥ — and others, like King Haihaya.

TRANSLATION

The great sage Atri prayed for offspring, and the Lord, being satisfied with him, promised to incarnate as Atri’s son, Dattātreya [Datta, the son of Atri]. And by the grace of the lotus feet of the Lord, many Yadus, Haihayas, etc., became so purified that they obtained both material and spiritual blessings.

VERSE 2.7.5

taptaṁ tapo vividha-loka-sisṛkṣayā me
ādau sanāt sva-tapasaḥ sa catuḥ-sano ’bhūt
prāk-kalpa-samplava-vinaṣṭam ihātma-tattvaṁ
samyag jagāda munayo yad acakṣatātman

SYNONYMS

taptam — having undergone austerities; tapaḥ — penance; vividha-loka — different planetary systems; sisṛkṣayā — desiring to create; me — of mine; ādau — at first; sanāt — from the Personality of Godhead; sva-tapasaḥ — by dint of my own penances; saḥ — He (the Lord); catuḥ-sanaḥ — the four bachelors named Sanat-kumāra, Sanaka, Sanandana and Sanātana; abhūt — appeared; prāk — previous; kalpa — creation; samplava — in the inundation; vinaṣṭam — devastated; iha — in this material world; ātma — the spirit; tattvam — truth; samyak — in complete; jagāda — became manifested; munayaḥ — sages; yat — that which; acakṣata — saw clearly; ātman — the spirit.

TRANSLATION

To create different planetary systems I had to undergo austerities and penance, and the Lord, thus being pleased with me, incarnated in four sanas [Sanaka, Sanatkumāra, Sanandana and Sanātana]. In the previous creation the spiritual truth was devastated, but the four sanas explained it so nicely that the truth at once became clearly perceived by the sages.

VERSE 2.7.6

dharmasya dakṣa-duhitary ajaniṣṭa mūrtyāṁ
nārāyaṇo nara iti sva-tapaḥ-prabhāvaḥ
dṛṣṭvātmano bhagavato niyamāvalopaṁ
devyas tv anaṅga-pṛtanā ghaṭituṁ na śekuḥ

SYNONYMS

dharmasya — of Dharma (the controller of religious principles); dakṣa — Dakṣa, one of the Prajāpatis; duhitari — unto the daughter; ajaniṣṭa — took birth; mūrtyām — of the name Mūrti; nārāyaṇaḥ — Nārāyaṇa; naraḥ — Nara; iti — thus; sva-tapaḥ — personal penances; prabhāvaḥ — strength; dṛṣṭvā — by seeing; ātmanaḥ — of His own; bhagavataḥ — of the Personality of Godhead; niyama-avalopam — breaking the vow; devyaḥ — celestial beauties; tu — but; anaṅga-pṛtanāḥ — companion of Cupid; ghaṭitum — to happen; na — never; śekuḥ — made possible.

TRANSLATION

To exhibit His personal way of austerity and penance, He appeared in twin forms as Nārāyaṇa and Nara in the womb of Mūrti, the wife of Dharma and the daughter of Dakṣa. Celestial beauties, the companions of Cupid, went to try to break His vows, but they were unsuccessful, for they saw that many beauties like them were emanating from Him, the Personality of Godhead.

VERSE 2.7.7

kāmaṁ dahanti kṛtino nanu roṣa-dṛṣṭyā
roṣaṁ dahantam uta te na dahanty asahyam
so ’yaṁ yad antaram alaṁ praviśan bibheti
kāmaḥ kathaṁ nu punar asya manaḥ śrayeta

SYNONYMS

kāmam — lust; dahanti — chastise; kṛtinaḥ — great stalwarts; nanu — but; roṣa-dṛṣṭyā — by wrathful glance; roṣam — wrath; dahantam — being overwhelmed; uta — although; te — they; na — cannot; dahanti — subjugate; asahyam — intolerable; saḥ — that; ayam — Him; yat — because; antaram — within; alam — however; praviśan — entering; bibheti — is afraid of; kāmaḥ — lust; katham — how; nu — as a matter of fact; punaḥ — again; asya — His; manaḥ — mind; śrayeta — take shelter of.

TRANSLATION

Great stalwarts like Lord Śiva can, by their wrathful glances, overcome lust and vanquish him, yet they cannot be free from the overwhelming effects of their own wrath. Such wrath can never enter into the heart of Him [the Lord], who is above all this. So how can lust take shelter in His mind?

VERSE 2.7.8

viddhaḥ sapatny-udita-patribhir anti rājño
bālo ’pi sann upagatas tapase vanāni
tasmā adād dhruva-gatiṁ gṛṇate prasanno
divyāḥ stuvanti munayo yad upary-adhastāt

SYNONYMS

viddhaḥ — pinched by; sapatni — a co-wife; udita — uttered by; patribhiḥ — by sharp words; anti — just before; rājñaḥ — of the king; bālaḥ — a boy; api — although; san — being so; upagataḥ — took to; tapase — severe penances; vanāni — in a great forest; tasmai — therefore; adāt — gave as a reward; dhruva-gatim — a path to the Dhruva planet; gṛṇate — on being prayed for; prasannaḥ — being satisfied; divyāḥ — denizens of higher planets; stuvanti — do pray; munayaḥ — great sages; yat — thereupon; upari — up; adhastāt — down.

TRANSLATION

Being insulted by sharp words spoken by the co-wife of the king, even in his presence, Prince Dhruva, though only a boy, took to severe penances in the forest. And the Lord, being satisfied by his prayer, awarded him the Dhruva planet, which is worshiped by great sages, both upward and downward.

VERSE 2.7.9

yad venam utpatha-gataṁ dvija-vākya-vajra-
niṣpluṣṭa-pauruṣa-bhagaṁ niraye patantam
trātvārthito jagati putra-padaṁ ca lebhe
dugdhā vasūni vasudhā sakalāni yena

SYNONYMS

yat — when; venam — unto King Vena; utpatha-gatam — going astray from the righteous path; dvija — of the brāhmaṇas; vākya — words of cursing; vajra — thunderbolt; niṣpluṣṭa — being burnt by; pauruṣa — great deeds; bhagam — opulence; niraye — into hell; patantam — going down; trātvā — by delivering; arthitaḥ — so being prayed for; jagati — on the world; putra-padam — the position of the son; ca — as well as; lebhe — achieved; dugdhā — exploited; vasūni — produce; vasudhā — the earth; sakalāni — all kinds of; yena — by whom.

TRANSLATION

Mahārāja Vena went astray from the path of righteousness, and the brāhmaṇas chastised him by the thunderbolt curse. By this King Vena was burnt with his good deeds and opulence and was en route to hell. The Lord, by His causeless mercy, descended as his son, by the name of Pṛthu, delivered the condemned King Vena from hell, and exploited the earth by drawing all kinds of crops as produce.

VERSE 2.7.10

nābher asāv ṛṣabha āsa sudevi-sūnur
yo vai cacāra sama-dṛg jaḍa-yoga-caryām
yat pāramahaṁsyam ṛṣayaḥ padam āmananti
svasthaḥ praśānta-karaṇaḥ parimukta-saṅgaḥ

SYNONYMS

nābheḥ — by Mahārāja Nābhi; asau — the Personality of Godhead; ṛṣabhaḥ — Ṛṣabha; āsa — became; sudevi — Sudevī; sūnuḥ — the son of; yaḥ — who; vai — certainly; cacāra — performed; sama-dṛk — equibalanced; jaḍa — material; yoga-caryām — performance of yoga; yat — which; pāramahaṁsyam — the highest stage of perfection; ṛṣayaḥ — the learned sages; padam — situation; āmananti — do accept; svasthaḥ — self-reposed; praśānta — suspended; karaṇaḥ — the material senses; parimukta — perfectly liberated; saṅgaḥ — material contamination.

TRANSLATION

The Lord appeared as the son of Sudevī, the wife of King Nābhi, and was known as Ṛṣabhadeva. He performed materialistic yoga to equibalance the mind. This stage is also accepted as the highest perfectional situation of liberation, wherein one is situated in one’s self and is completely satisfied.

VERSE 2.7.11

satre mamāsa bhagavān haya-śīraṣātho
sākṣāt sa yajña-puruṣas tapanīya-varṇaḥ
chandomayo makhamayo ’khila-devatātmā
vāco babhūvur uśatīḥ śvasato ’sya nastaḥ

SYNONYMS

satre — in the sacrificial ceremony; mama — of mine; āsa — appeared; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; haya-śīraṣā — with His horselike head; atha — thus; sākṣāt — directly; saḥ — He; yajña-puruṣaḥ — the person who is pleased by performances of sacrifice; tapanīya — golden; varṇaḥ — hue; chandaḥ-mayaḥ — personified Vedic hymns; makha-mayaḥ — personified sacrifices; akhila — all that be; devatā-ātmā — the soul of the demigods; vācaḥ — sounds; babhūvuḥ — become audible; uśatīḥ — very pleasing to hear; śvasataḥ — while breathing; asya — His; nastaḥ — through the nostrils.

TRANSLATION

The Lord appeared as the Hayagrīva incarnation in a sacrifice performed by me [Brahmā]. He is the personified sacrifices, and the hue of His body is golden. He is the personified Vedas as well, and the Supersoul of all demigods. When He breathed, all the sweet sounds of the Vedic hymns came out of His nostrils.

VERSE 2.7.12

matsyo yugānta-samaye manunopalabdhaḥ
kṣoṇīmayo nikhila-jīva-nikāya-ketaḥ
visraṁsitān uru-bhaye salile mukhān me
ādāya tatra vijahāra ha veda-mārgān

SYNONYMS

matsyaḥ — incarnation of the fish; yuga-anta — at the end of the millennium; samaye — at the time of; manunā — the would-be Vaivasvata Manu; upalabdhaḥ — seen; kṣoṇīmayaḥ — up to the earthly planets; nikhila — all; jīva — living entities; nikāya-ketaḥ — shelter for; visraṁsitān — emanating from; uru — great; bhaye — out of fear; salile — in the water; mukhāt — from the mouth; me — mine; ādāya — having taken to; tatra — there; vijahāra — enjoyed; ha — certainly; veda-mārgān — all the Vedas.

TRANSLATION

At the end of the millennium, the would-be Vaivasvata Manu, of the name Satyavrata, would see that the Lord in the fish incarnation is the shelter of all kinds of living entities, up to those in the earthly planets. Because of my fear of the vast water at the end of the millennium, the Vedas come out of my [Brahmā’s] mouth, and the Lord enjoys those vast waters and protects the Vedas.

VERSE 2.7.13

kṣīrodadhāv amara-dānava-yūthapānām
unmathnatām amṛta-labdhaya ādi-devaḥ
pṛṣṭhena kacchapa-vapur vidadhāra gotraṁ
nidrākṣaṇo ’dri-parivarta-kaṣāṇa-kaṇḍūḥ

SYNONYMS

kṣīra — milk; udadhau — in the ocean of; amara — the demigods; dānava — the demons; yūtha-pānām — of the leaders of both hosts; unmathnatām — while churning; amṛta — nectar; labdhaya — for gaining; ādi-devaḥ — the primeval Lord; pṛṣṭhena — by the backbone; kacchapa — tortoise; vapuḥ — body; vidadhāra — assumed; gotram — the Mandara Hill; nidrākṣaṇaḥ — while partly sleeping; adri-parivarta — rolling the hill; kaṣāṇa — scratching; kaṇḍūḥ — itching.

TRANSLATION

The primeval Lord then assumed the tortoise incarnation in order to serve as a resting place [pivot] for the Mandara Mountain, which was acting as a churning rod. The demigods and demons were churning the Ocean of Milk with the Mandara Mountain in order to extract nectar. The mountain moved back and forth, scratching the back of Lord Tortoise, who, while partially sleeping, was experiencing an itching sensation.

VERSE 2.7.14

trai-piṣṭaporu-bhaya-hā sa nṛsiṁha-rūpaṁ
kṛtvā bhramad-bhrukuṭi-daṁṣṭra-karāla-vaktram
daityendram āśu gadayābhipatantam ārād
ūrau nipātya vidadāra nakhaiḥ sphurantam

SYNONYMS

trai-piṣṭapa — the demigods; uru-bhaya-hā — one who vanquishes great fears; saḥ — He (the Personality of Godhead); nṛsiṁha-rūpam — assuming the incarnation Nṛsiṁha; kṛtvā — doing so; bhramat — by rolling; bhru-kuṭi — eyebrows; daṁṣṭra — teeth; karāla — greatly fearful; vaktram — mouth; daitya-indram — the king of the demons; āśu — immediately; gadayā — with club in hand; abhipatantam — while falling down; ārāt — nearby; ūrau — on the thighs; nipātya — placing on; vidadāra — pierced; nakhaiḥ — by the nails; sphurantam — while challenging.

TRANSLATION

The Personality of Godhead assumed the incarnation of Nṛsiṁhadeva in order to vanquish the great fears of the demigods. He killed the king of the demons [Hiraṇyakaśipu], who challenged the Lord with a club in his hand, by placing the demon on His thighs and piercing him with His nails, rolling His eyebrows in anger and showing His fearful teeth and mouth.

VERSE 2.7.15

antaḥ-sarasy uru-balena pade gṛhīto
grāheṇa yūtha-patir ambuja-hasta ārtaḥ
āhedam ādi-puruṣākhila-loka-nātha
tīrtha-śravaḥ śravaṇa-maṅgala-nāmadheya

SYNONYMS

antaḥ-sarasi — within the river; uru-balena — by superior strength; pade — leg; gṛhītaḥ — being taken up; grāheṇa — by the crocodile; yūtha-patiḥ — of the leader of the elephants; ambuja-hastaḥ — with a lotus flower in the hand; ārtaḥ — greatly aggrieved; āha — addressed; idam — like this; ādi-puruṣa — the original enjoyer; akhila-loka-nātha — the Lord of the universe; tīrtha-śravaḥ — as famous as a place of pilgrimage; śravaṇa-maṅgala — all good simply by hearing the name; nāma-dheya — whose holy name is worth chanting.

TRANSLATION

The leader of the elephants, whose leg was attacked in a river by a crocodile of superior strength, was much aggrieved. Taking a lotus flower in his trunk, he addressed the Lord, saying, “O original enjoyer, Lord of the universe! O deliverer, as famous as a place of pilgrimage! All are purified simply by hearing Your holy name, which is worthy to be chanted.”

VERSE 2.7.16

śrutvā haris tam araṇārthinam aprameyaś
cakrāyudhaḥ patagarāja-bhujādhirūḍhaḥ
cakreṇa nakra-vadanaṁ vinipāṭya tasmād
dhaste pragṛhya bhagavān kṛpayojjahāra

SYNONYMS

śrutvā — by hearing; hariḥ — the Personality of Godhead; tam — him; araṇa-arthinam — one who is in need of help; aprameyaḥ — the unlimitedly powerful Lord; cakra — wheel; āyudhaḥ — equipped with His weapon; pataga-rāja — the king of the birds (Garuḍa); bhuja-adhirūḍhaḥ — being seated on the wings of; cakreṇa — by the wheel; nakra-vadanam — the mouth of the crocodile; vinipāṭya — cutting in two; tasmāt — from the mouth of the crocodile; haste — in the hands; pragṛhya — taking hold of the trunk; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; kṛpayā — out of causeless mercy; ujjahāra — delivered him.

TRANSLATION

The Personality of Godhead, after hearing the elephant’s plea, felt that the elephant needed His immediate help, for he was in great distress. Thus at once the Lord appeared there on the wings of the king of birds, Garuḍa, fully equipped with His weapon, the wheel [cakra]. With the wheel He cut to pieces the mouth of the crocodile to save the elephant, and He delivered the elephant by lifting him by his trunk.

VERSE 2.7.17

jyāyān guṇair avarajo ’py aditeḥ sutānāṁ
lokān vicakrama imān yad athādhiyajñaḥ
kṣmāṁ vāmanena jagṛhe tripada-cchalena
yācñām ṛte pathi caran prabhubhir na cālyaḥ

SYNONYMS

jyāyān — the greatest; guṇaiḥ — by qualities; avarajaḥ — transcendental; api — although He is so; aditeḥ — of Aditi; sutānām — of all the sons (known as Ādityas); lokān — all the planets; vicakrame — surpassed; imān — in this universe; yat — one who; atha — therefore; adhiyajñaḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kṣmām — all the lands; vāmanena — in the incarnation of Vāmana; jagṛhe — accepted; tripada — three steps; chalena — by pretension; yācñām — begging; ṛte — without; pathi caran — passing over the right path; prabhubhiḥ — by authorities; na — never to be; cālyaḥ — to be bereft of.

TRANSLATION

The Lord, although transcendental to all material modes, still surpassed all the qualities of the sons of Aditi, known as the Ādityas. The Lord appeared as the youngest son of Aditi. And because He surpassed all the planets of the universe, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On the pretense of asking for a measurement of three footsteps of land, He took away all the lands of Bali Mahārāja. He asked simply because without begging, no authority can take one’s rightful possession.

VERSE 2.7.18

nārtho baler ayam urukrama-pāda-śaucam
āpaḥ śikhā-dhṛtavato vibudhādhipatyam
yo vai pratiśrutam ṛte na cikīrṣad anyad
ātmānam aṅga manasā haraye ’bhimene

SYNONYMS

na — never; arthaḥ — of any value in comparison with; baleḥ — of strength; ayam — this; urukrama-pāda-śaucam — the water washed from the feet of the Personality of Godhead; āpaḥ — water; śikhā-dhṛtavataḥ — of one who has kept it on his head; vibudha-adhipatyam — supremacy over the kingdom of the demigods; yaḥ — one who; vai — certainly; pratiśrutam — what was duly promised; ṛte na — besides that; cikīrṣat — tried for; anyat — anything else; ātmānam — even his personal body; aṅga — O Nārada; manasā — within his mind; haraye — unto the Supreme Lord; abhimene — dedicated.

TRANSLATION

Bali Mahārāja, who put on his head the water washed from the lotus feet of the Lord, did not think of anything besides his promise, in spite of being forbidden by his spiritual master. The king dedicated his own personal body to fulfill the measurement of the Lord’s third step. For such a personality, even the kingdom of heaven, which he conquered by his strength, was of no value.

VERSE 2.7.19

tubhyaṁ ca nārada bhṛśaṁ bhagavān vivṛddha-
bhāvena sādhu parituṣṭa uvāca yogam
jñānaṁ ca bhāgavatam ātma-satattva-dīpaṁ
yad vāsudeva-śaraṇā vidur añjasaiva

SYNONYMS

tubhyam — unto you; ca — also; nārada — O Nārada; bhṛśam — very nicely; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; vivṛddha — developed; bhāvena — by transcendental love; sādhu — your goodness; parituṣṭaḥ — being satisfied; uvāca — described; yogam — service; jñānam — knowledge; ca — also; bhāgavatam — the science of God and His devotional service; ātma — the self; sa-tattva — with all details; dīpam — just like the light in the darkness; yat — that which; vāsudeva-śaraṇāḥ — those who are souls surrendered unto Lord Vāsudeva; viduḥ — know them; añjasā — perfectly well; eva — as it is.

TRANSLATION

O Nārada, you were taught about the science of God and His transcendental loving service by the Personality of Godhead in His incarnation of Haṁsāvatāra. He was very much pleased with you, due to your intense proportion of devotional service. He also explained unto you, lucidly, the full science of devotional service, which is especially understandable by persons who are souls surrendered unto Lord Vāsudeva, the Personality of Godhead.

VERSE 2.7.20

cakraṁ ca dikṣv avihataṁ daśasu sva-tejo
manvantareṣu manu-vaṁśa-dharo bibharti
duṣṭeṣu rājasu damaṁ vyadadhāt sva-kīrtiṁ
satye tri-pṛṣṭha uśatīṁ prathayaṁś caritraiḥ

SYNONYMS

cakram — the Sudarśana wheel of the Lord; ca — as well as; dikṣu — in all directions; avihatam — without being deterred; daśasu — ten sides; sva-tejaḥ — personal strength; manvantareṣu — in different incarnations of Manu; manu-vaṁśa-dharaḥ — as the descendant of the Manu dynasty; bibharti — rules over; duṣṭeṣu — unto the miscreants; rājasu — upon the kings of that type; damam — subjection; vyadadhāt — performed; sva-kīrtim — personal glories; satye — in the Satyaloka planet; tri-pṛṣṭhe — the three planetary systems; uśatīm — glorious; prathayan — established; caritraiḥ — characteristics.

TRANSLATION

As the incarnation of Manu, the Lord became the descendant of the Manu dynasty and ruled over the miscreant kingly order, subduing them by His powerful wheel weapon. Undeterred in all circumstances, His rule was characterized by His glorious fame, which spread over the three lokas, and above them to the planetary system of Satyaloka, the topmost in the universe.

VERSE 2.7.21

dhanvantariś ca bhagavān svayam eva kīrtir
nāmnā nṛṇāṁ puru-rujāṁ ruja āśu hanti
yajñe ca bhāgam amṛtāyur-avāvarundha
āyuṣya-vedam anuśāsty avatīrya loke

SYNONYMS

dhanvantariḥ — the incarnation of God named Dhanvantari; ca — and; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; svayam eva — personally Himself; kīrtiḥ — fame personified; nāmnā — by the name; nṛṇām puru-rujām — of the diseased living entities; rujaḥ — diseases; āśu — very soon; hanti — cures; yajñe — in the sacrifice; ca — also; bhāgam — share; amṛta — nectar; āyuḥ — duration of life; ava — from; avarundhe — obtains; āyuṣya — of duration of life; vedam — knowledge; anuśāsti — directs; avatīrya — incarnating; loke — in the universe.

TRANSLATION

The Lord in His incarnation of Dhanvantari very quickly cures the diseases of the ever-diseased living entities simply by His fame personified, and only because of Him do the demigods achieve long lives. Thus the Personality of Godhead becomes ever glorified. He also exacted a share from the sacrifices, and it is he only who inaugurated the medical science or the knowledge of medicine in the universe.

VERSE 2.7.22

kṣatraṁ kṣayāya vidhinopabhṛtaṁ mahātmā
brahma-dhrug ujjhita-pathaṁ narakārti-lipsu
uddhanty asāv avanikaṇṭakam ugra-vīryas
triḥ-sapta-kṛtva urudhāra-paraśvadhena

SYNONYMS

kṣatram — the royal order; kṣayāya — for the sake of diminishing; vidhinā — by destination; upabhṛtam — increased in proportion; mahātmā — the Lord in the form of the great sage Paraśurāma; brahma-dhruk — the ultimate truth in Brahman; ujjhita-patham — those who have given up the path of the Absolute Truth; naraka-ārti-lipsu — desirous to suffer pain in hell; uddhanti — exacts; asau — all those; avanikaṇṭakam — thorns of the world; ugra-vīryaḥ — awfully powerful; triḥ-sapta — thrice seven times; kṛtvaḥ — performed; urudhāra — very sharp; paraśvadhena — by the great chopper.

TRANSLATION

When the ruling administrators, who are known as the kṣatriyas, turned astray from the path of the Absolute Truth, being desirous to suffer in hell, the Lord, in His incarnation as the sage Paraśurāma, uprooted those unwanted kings, who appeared as the thorns of the earth. Thus He thrice seven times uprooted the kṣatriyas with His keenly sharpened chopper.

VERSE 2.7.23

asmat-prasāda-sumukhaḥ kalayā kaleśa
ikṣvāku-vaṁśa avatīrya guror nideśe
tiṣṭhan vanaṁ sa-dayitānuja āviveśa
yasmin virudhya daśa-kandhara ārtim ārcchat

SYNONYMS

asmat — unto us, beginning from Brahmā down to the insignificant ant; prasāda — causeless mercy; sumukhaḥ — so inclined; kalayā — with His plenary extensions; kaleśaḥ — the Lord of all potencies; ikṣvāku — Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, in the dynasty of the sun; vaṁśe — family; avatīrya — by descending in; guroḥ — of the father or spiritual master; nideśe — under the order of; tiṣṭhan — being situated in; vanam — in the forest; sa-dayitā-anujaḥ — along with His wife and younger brother; āviveśa — entered; yasmin — unto whom; virudhya — being rebellious; daśa-kandharaḥ — Rāvaṇa, who had ten heads; ārtim — great distress; ārcchat — achieved.

TRANSLATION

Due to His causeless mercy upon all living entities within the universe, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His plenary extensions, appeared in the family of Mahārāja Ikṣvāku as the Lord of His internal potency, Sītā. Under the order of His father, Mahārāja Daśaratha, He entered the forest and lived there for considerable years with His wife and younger brother. Rāvaṇa, who was very materially powerful, with ten heads on his shoulders, committed a great offense against Him and was thus ultimately vanquished.

VERSE 2.7.24

yasmā adād udadhir ūḍha-bhayāṅga-vepo
mārgaṁ sapady ari-puraṁ haravad didhakṣoḥ
dūre suhṛn-mathita-roṣa-suśoṇa-dṛṣṭyā
tātapyamāna-makaroraga-nakra-cakraḥ

SYNONYMS

yasmai — unto whom; adāt — gave; udadhiḥ — the great Indian Ocean; ūḍha-bhaya — affected by fear; aṅga-vepaḥ — bodily trembling; mārgam — way; sapadi — quickly; ari-puram — the city of the enemy; hara-vat — like that of Hara (Mahādeva); didhakṣoḥ — desiring to burn to ashes; dūre — at a long distance; su-hṛt — intimate friend; mathita — being aggrieved by; roṣa — in anger; su-śoṇa — red-hot; dṛṣṭyā — by such a glance; tātapyamāna — burning in heat; makara — sharks; uraga — snakes; nakra — crocodiles; cakraḥ — circle.

TRANSLATION

The Personality of Godhead Rāmacandra, being aggrieved for His distant intimate friend [Sītā], glanced over the city of the enemy Rāvaṇa with red-hot eyes like those of Hara [who wanted to burn the kingdom of heaven]. The great ocean, trembling in fear, gave Him His way because its family members, the aquatics like the sharks, snakes and crocodiles, were being burnt by the heat of the angry red-hot eyes of the Lord.

VERSE 2.7.25

vakṣaḥ-sthala-sparśa-rugna-mahendra-vāha-
dantair viḍambita-kakubjuṣa ūḍha-hāsam
sadyo ’subhiḥ saha vineṣyati dāra-hartur
visphūrjitair dhanuṣa uccarato ’dhisainye

SYNONYMS

vakṣaḥ-sthala — chest; sparśa — touched by; rugna — broken; mahā-indra — the King of heaven; vāha — the conveyor; dantaiḥ — by the trunk; viḍambita — illuminated; kakup-juṣaḥ — all directions thus being served; ūḍha-hāsam — overtaken by laughter; sadyaḥ — within no time; asubhiḥ — by the life; saha — along with; vineṣyati — was killed; dāra-hartuḥ — of the one who kidnapped the wife; visphūrjitaiḥ — by the tingling of the bow; dhanuṣaḥ — bow; uccarataḥ — strolling fast; adhisainye — in the midst of the fighting soldiers of both sides.

TRANSLATION

When Rāvaṇa was engaged in the battle, the trunk of the elephant which carried the King of heaven, Indra, broke in pieces, having collided with the chest of Rāvaṇa, and the scattered broken parts illuminated all directions. Rāvaṇa therefore felt proud of his prowess and began to loiter in the midst of the fighting soldiers, thinking himself the conqueror of all directions. But his laughter, overtaken by joy, along with his very air of life, suddenly ceased with the tingling sound of the bow of Rāmacandra, the Personality of Godhead.

VERSE 2.7.26

bhūmeḥ suretara-varūtha-vimarditāyāḥ
kleśa-vyayāya kalayā sita-kṛṣṇa-keśaḥ
jātaḥ kariṣyati janānupalakṣya-mārgaḥ
karmāṇi cātma-mahimopanibandhanāni

SYNONYMS

bhūmeḥ — of the entire world; sura-itara — other than godly persons; varūtha — soldiers; vimarditāyāḥ — distressed by the burden; kleśa — miseries; vyayāya — for the matter of diminishing; kalayā — along with His plenary expansion; sita-kṛṣṇa — not only beautiful but also black; keśaḥ — with such hairs; jātaḥ — having appeared; kariṣyati — would act; jana — people in general; anupalakṣya — rarely to be seen; mārgaḥ — path; karmāṇi — activities; ca — also; ātma-mahimā — glories of the Lord Himself; upanibandhanāni — in relation to.

TRANSLATION

When the world is overburdened by the fighting strength of kings who have no faith in God, the Lord, just to diminish the distress of the world, descends with His plenary portion. The Lord comes in His original form, with beautiful black hair. And just to expand His transcendental glories, He acts extraordinarily. No one can properly estimate how great He is.

VERSE 2.7.27

tokena jīva-haraṇaṁ yad ulūki-kāyās
trai-māsikasya ca padā śakaṭo ’pavṛttaḥ
yad riṅgatāntara-gatena divi-spṛśor vā
unmūlanaṁ tv itarathārjunayor na bhāvyam

SYNONYMS

tokena — by a child; jīva-haraṇam — killing a living being; yat — one which; ulūki-kāyāḥ — assumed the giant body of a demon; trai-māsikasya — of one who is only three months old; ca — also; padā — by the leg; śakaṭaḥ apavṛttaḥ — turned over the cart; yat — one who; riṅgatā — while crawling; antara-gatena — being overtaken; divi — high in the sky; spṛśoḥ — touching; — either; unmūlanam — uprooting; tu — but; itarathā — anyone else than; arjunayoḥ — of the two arjuna trees; na bhāvyam — was not possible.

TRANSLATION

There is no doubt about Lord Kṛṣṇa’s being the Supreme Lord. Otherwise, how was it possible for Him to kill a giant demon like Pūtanā when He was just on the lap of His mother, to overturn a cart with His leg when He was only three months old, or to uproot a pair of arjuna trees so high that they touched the sky, when He was only crawling? All these activities are impossible for anyone other than the Lord Himself.

VERSE 2.7.28

yad vai vraje vraja-paśūn viṣatoya-pītān
pālāṁs tv ajīvayad anugraha-dṛṣṭi-vṛṣṭyā
tac-chuddhaye ’ti-viṣa-vīrya-vilola-jihvam
uccāṭayiṣyad uragaṁ viharan hradinyām

SYNONYMS

yat — one who; vai — certainly; vraje — at Vṛndāvana; vraja-paśūn — the animals thereof; viṣa-toya — poisoned water; pītān — those who drank; pālān — the cowherd men; tu — also; ajīvayat — brought to life; anugraha-dṛṣṭi — merciful glance; vṛṣṭyā — by the showers of; tat — that; śuddhaye — for purification; ati — exceedingly; viṣa-vīrya — highly potent poison; vilola — lurking; jihvam — one who has such a tongue; uccāṭayiṣyat — severely punished; uragam — unto the snake; viharan — taking it as a pleasure; hradinyām — in the river.

TRANSLATION

Then also when the cowherd boys and their animals drank the poisoned water of the river Yamunā, and after the Lord [in His childhood] revived them by His merciful glance, just to purify the water of the river Yamunā He jumped into it as if playing and chastised the venomous Kāliya snake, which was lurking there, its tongue emitting waves of poison. Who can perform such herculean tasks but the Supreme Lord?

VERSE 2.7.29

tat karma divyam iva yan niśi niḥśayānaṁ
dāvāgninā śuci-vane paridahyamāne
unneṣyati vrajam ato ’vasitānta-kālaṁ
netre pidhāpya sabalo ’nadhigamya-vīryaḥ

SYNONYMS

tat — that; karma — activity; divyam — superhuman; iva — like; yat — which; niśi — at night; niḥśayānam — sleeping carefreely; dāva-agninā — by the glare of the forest fire; śuci-vane — in the dry forest; paridahyamāne — being set ablaze; unneṣyati — would deliver; vrajam — all the inhabitants of Vraja; ataḥ — hence; avasita — surely; anta-kālam — last moments of life; netre — on the eyes; pidhāpya — simply by closing; sa-balaḥ — along with Baladeva; anadhigamya — unfathomable; vīryaḥ — prowess.

TRANSLATION

On the very night of the day of the chastisement of the Kāliya snake, when the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi were sleeping carefreely, there was a forest fire ablaze due to dry leaves, and it appeared that all the inhabitants were sure to meet their death. But the Lord, along with Balarāma, saved them simply by closing His eyes. Such are the superhuman activities of the Lord.

VERSE 2.7.30

gṛhṇīta yad yad upabandham amuṣya mātā
śulbaṁ sutasya na tu tat tad amuṣya māti
yaj jṛmbhato ’sya vadane bhuvanāni gopī
saṁvīkṣya śaṅkita-manāḥ pratibodhitāsīt

SYNONYMS

gṛhṇīta — by taking up; yat yat — whatsoever; upabandham — ropes for tying; amuṣya — His; mātā — mother; śulbam — ropes; sutasya — of her son; na — not; tu — however; tat tat — by and by; amuṣya — His; māti — was sufficient; yat — that which; jṛmbhataḥ — opening the mouth; asya — of Him; vadane — in the mouth; bhuvanāni — the worlds; gopī — the cowherd woman; saṁvīkṣya — so seeing it; śaṅkita-manāḥ — doubtful in mind; pratibodhitā — convinced in a different way; āsīt — was so done.

TRANSLATION

When the cowherd woman [Kṛṣṇa’s foster mother, Yaśodā] was trying to tie the hands of her son with ropes, she found the rope to be always insufficient in length, and when she finally gave up, Lord Kṛṣṇa, by and by, opened His mouth, wherein the mother found all the universes situated. Seeing this, she was doubtful in her mind, but she was convinced in a different manner of the mystic nature of her son.

VERSE 2.7.31

nandaṁ ca mokṣyati bhayād varuṇasya pāśād
gopān bileṣu pihitān maya-sūnunā ca
ahny āpṛtaṁ niśi śayānam atiśrameṇa
lokaṁ vikuṇṭham upaneṣyati gokulaṁ sma

SYNONYMS

nandam — unto Nanda (the father of Kṛṣṇa); ca — also; mokṣyati — saves; bhayāt — from the fear of; varuṇasya — of Varuṇa, the demigod of water; pāśāt — from the clutches of; gopān — the cowherd men; bileṣu — in the caves of the mountain; pihitān — placed; maya-sūnunā — by the son of Maya; ca — also; ahni āpṛtam — being very engaged during the daytime; niśi — at night; śayānam — lying down; atiśrameṇa — because of hard labor; lokam — planet; vikuṇṭham — the spiritual sky; upaneṣyati — He awarded; gokulam — the highest planet; sma — certainly.

TRANSLATION

Lord Kṛṣṇa saved His foster father, Nanda Mahārāja, from the fear of the demigod Varuṇa and released the cowherd boys from the caves of the mountain, for they were placed there by the son of Maya. Also, to the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, who were busy working during daytime and sleeping soundly at night because of their hard labor in the day, Lord Kṛṣṇa awarded promotion to the highest planet in the spiritual sky. All these acts are transcendental and certainly prove without any doubt His Godhood.

VERSE 2.7.32

gopair makhe pratihate vraja-viplavāya
deve ’bhivarṣati paśūn kṛpayā rirakṣuḥ
dhartocchilīndhram iva sapta-dināni sapta-
varṣo mahīdhram anaghaika-kare salīlam

SYNONYMS

gopaiḥ — by the cowherd men; makhe — in offering a sacrifice to the King of heaven; pratihate — being hampered; vraja-viplavāya — for devastating the whole existence of Vrajabhūmi, the land of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes; deve — by the King of heaven; abhivarṣati — having poured down heavy rain; paśūn — the animals; kṛpayā — by causeless mercy upon them; rirakṣuḥ — desired to protect them; dharta — held up; ucchilīndhram — uprooted as an umbrella; iva — exactly like that; sapta-dināni — continuously for seven days; sapta-varṣaḥ — although He was only seven years old; mahīdhram — the Govardhana Hill; anagha — without being tired; eka-kare — in one hand only; salīlam — playfully.

TRANSLATION

When the cowherd men of Vṛndāvana, under instruction of Kṛṣṇa, stopped offering sacrifice to the heavenly King, Indra, the whole tract of land known as Vraja was threatened with being washed away by constant heavy rains for seven days. Lord Kṛṣṇa, out of His causeless mercy upon the inhabitants of Vraja, held up the hill known as Govardhana with one hand only, although He was only seven years old. He did this to protect the animals from the onslaught of water.

VERSE 2.7.33

krīḍan vane niśi niśākara-raśmi-gauryāṁ
rāsonmukhaḥ kala-padāyata-mūrcchitena
uddīpita-smara-rujāṁ vraja-bhṛd-vadhūnāṁ
hartur hariṣyati śiro dhanadānugasya

SYNONYMS

krīḍan — while engaged in His pastimes; vane — in the forest of Vṛndāvana; niśi — nocturnal; niśākara — the moon; raśmi-gauryām — white moonshine; rāsa-unmukhaḥ — desiring to dance with; kala-padāyata — accompanied by sweet songs; mūrcchitena — and melodious music; uddīpita — awakened; smara-rujām — sexual desires; vraja-bhṛt — the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi; vadhūnām — of the wives; hartuḥ — of the kidnappers; hariṣyati — will vanquish; śiraḥ — the head; dhanada-anugasya — of the follower of the rich Kuvera.

TRANSLATION

When the Lord was engaged in His pastimes of the rāsa dance in the forest of Vṛndāvana, enlivening the sexual desires of the wives of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana by sweet and melodious songs, a demon of the name Śaṅkhacūḍa, a rich follower of the treasurer of heaven [Kuvera], kidnapped the damsels, and the Lord severed his head from his trunk.

VERSE 2.7.34-35

ye ca pralamba-khara-dardura-keśy-ariṣṭa-
mallebha-kaṁsa-yavanāḥ kapi-pauṇḍrakādyāḥ
anye ca śālva-kuja-balvala-dantavakra-
saptokṣa-śambara-vidūratha-rukmi-mukhyāḥ

ye vā mṛdhe samiti-śālina ātta-cāpāḥ
kāmboja-matsya-kuru-sṛñjaya-kaikayādyāḥ
yāsyanty adarśanam alaṁ bala-pārtha-bhīma-
vyājāhvayena hariṇā nilayaṁ tadīyam

SYNONYMS

ye — all those; ca — totally; pralamba — the demon named Pralamba; khara — Dhenukāsura; dardura — Bakāsura; keśī — the Keśī demon; ariṣṭa — the demon Ariṣṭāsura; malla — a wrestler in the court of Kaṁsa; ibha — Kuvalayāpīḍa; kaṁsa — the King of Mathurā and maternal uncle of Kṛṣṇa; yavanāḥ — the kings of Persia and other adjoining places; kapi — Dvivida; pauṇḍraka-ādyāḥ — Pauṇḍraka and others; anye — others; ca — as much as; śālva — King Śālva; kuja — Narakāsura; balvala — King Balvala; dantavakra — the brother of Śiśupāla, a dead rival of Kṛṣṇa’s; saptokṣa — King Saptokṣa; śambara — King Śambara; vidūratha — King Vidūratha; rukmi-mukhyāḥ — the brother of Rukmiṇī, the first queen of Kṛṣṇa at Dvārakā; ye — all those; — either; mṛdhe — in the battlefield; samiti-śālinaḥ — all very powerful; ātta-cāpāḥ — well equipped with bows and arrows; kāmboja — the King of Kāmboja; matsya — the King of Dvarbhaṅga; kuru — the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; sṛñjaya — King Sṛñjaya; kaikaya-ādyāḥ — the King of Kekaya and others; yāsyanti — would attain; adarśanam — impersonal merging within the brahmajyoti; alam — what to speak of; bala — Baladeva, the elder brother of Kṛṣṇa; pārtha — Arjuna; bhīma — the second Pāṇḍava; vyāja-āhvayena — by the false names; hariṇā — by Lord Hari; nilayam — the abode; tadīyam — of Him.

TRANSLATION

All demonic personalities like Pralamba, Dhenuka, Baka, Keśī, Ariṣṭa, Cāṇūra, Muṣṭika, Kuvalayāpīḍa elephant, Kaṁsa, Yavana, Narakāsura and Pauṇḍraka, great marshals like Śālva, Dvivida monkey and Balvala, Dantavakra, the seven bulls, Śambara, Vidūratha and Rukmī, as also great warriors like Kāmboja, Matsya, Kuru, Sṛñjaya and Kekaya, would all fight vigorously, either with the Lord Hari directly or with Him under His names of Baladeva, Arjuna, Bhīma, etc. And the demons, thus being killed, would attain either the impersonal brahmajyoti or His personal abode in the Vaikuṇṭha planets.

VERSE 2.7.36

kālena mīlita-dhiyām avamṛśya nṝṇāṁ
stokāyuṣāṁ sva-nigamo bata dūra-pāraḥ
āvirhitas tv anuyugaṁ sa hi satyavatyāṁ
veda-drumaṁ viṭa-paśo vibhajiṣyati sma

SYNONYMS

kālena — in course of time; mīlita-dhiyām — of the less intelligent persons; avamṛśya — considering the difficulties; nṝṇām — of humanity at large; stoka-āyuṣām — of the short-living persons; sva-nigamaḥ — the Vedic literatures compiled by Him; bata — exactly; dūra-pāraḥ — greatly difficult; āvirhitaḥ — having appeared as; tu — but; anuyugam — in terms of the age; saḥ — He (the Lord); hi — certainly; satyavatyām — in the womb of Satyavatī; veda-drumam — the desire tree of the Vedas; viṭa-paśaḥ — by division of branches; vibhajiṣyati — will divide; sma — as it were.

TRANSLATION

The Lord Himself in His incarnation as the son of Satyavatī [Vyāsadeva] will consider his compilation of the Vedic literature to be very difficult for the less intelligent persons with short life, and thus He will divide the tree of Vedic knowledge into different branches, according to the circumstances of the particular age.

VERSE 2.7.37

deva-dviṣāṁ nigama-vartmani niṣṭhitānāṁ
pūrbhir mayena vihitābhir adṛśya-tūrbhiḥ
lokān ghnatāṁ mati-vimoham atipralobhaṁ
veṣaṁ vidhāya bahu bhāṣyata aupadharmyam

SYNONYMS

deva-dviṣām — of those who were envious of the devotees of the Lord; nigama — the Vedas; vartmani — on the path of; niṣṭhitānām — of the well situated; pūrbhiḥ — by rockets; mayena — made by the great scientist Maya; vihitābhiḥ — made by; adṛśya-tūrbhiḥ — unseen in the sky; lokān — the different planets; ghnatām — of the killers; mati-vimoham — bewilderment of the mind; atipralobham — very attractive; veṣam — dress; vidhāya — having done so; bahu bhāṣyate — will talk very much; aupadharmyam — subreligious principles.

TRANSLATION

When the atheists, after being well versed in the Vedic scientific knowledge, annihilate inhabitants of different planets, flying unseen in the sky on well-built rockets prepared by the great scientist Maya, the Lord will bewilder their minds by dressing Himself attractively as Buddha and will preach on subreligious principles.

VERSE 2.7.38

yarhy ālayeṣv api satāṁ na hareḥ kathāḥ syuḥ
pāṣaṇḍino dvija-janā vṛṣalā nṛdevāḥ
svāhā svadhā vaṣaḍ iti sma giro na yatra
śāstā bhaviṣyati kaler bhagavān yugānte

SYNONYMS

yarhi — when it happens; ālayeṣu — in the residence of; api — even; satām — civilized gentlemen; na — no; hareḥ — of the Personality of Godhead; kathāḥ — topics; syuḥ — will take place; pāṣaṇḍinaḥ — atheists; dvija-janāḥ — persons declaring themselves to be the higher three classes (brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas); vṛṣalāḥ — the lower-class śūdras; nṛ-devāḥ — ministers of the government; svāhā — hymns to perform sacrifices; svadhā — the ingredients to perform sacrifices; vaṣaṭ — the altar of sacrifice; iti — all these; sma — shall; giraḥ — words; na — never; yatra — anywhere; śāstā — the chastiser; bhaviṣyati — will appear; kaleḥ — of the Kali age; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; yuga-ante — at the end of.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, at the end of Kali-yuga, when there exist no topics on the subject of God, even at the residences of so-called saints and respectable gentlemen of the three higher castes, and when the power of government is transferred to the hands of ministers elected from the lowborn śūdra class or those less than them, and when nothing is known of the techniques of sacrifice, even by word, at that time the Lord will appear as the supreme chastiser.

VERSE 2.7.39

sarge tapo ’ham ṛṣayo nava ye prajeśāḥ
sthāne ’tha dharma-makha-manv-amarāvanīśāḥ
ante tv adharma-hara-manyu-vaśāsurādyā
māyā-vibhūtaya imāḥ puru-śakti-bhājaḥ

SYNONYMS

sarge — in the beginning of the creation; tapaḥ — penance; aham — myself; ṛṣayaḥ — sages; nava — nine; ye prajeśāḥ — those who would generate; sthāne — in the middle while maintaining the creation; atha — certainly; dharma — religion; makha — Lord Viṣṇu; manu — the father of mankind; amara — the demigods deputed to control the affairs of maintenance; avanīśāḥ — and the kings of different planets; ante — at the end; tu — but; adharma — irreligion; hara — Lord Śiva; manyu-vaśa — subjected to anger; asura-ādyāḥ — atheists, the enemies of the devotees; māyā — energy; vibhūtayaḥ — powerful representatives; imāḥ — all of them; puru-śakti-bhājaḥ — of the supreme powerful Lord.

TRANSLATION

At the beginning of creation there are penance, myself [Brahmā] and the Prajāpatis, the great sages who generate; then, during the maintenance of the creation, there are Lord Viṣṇu, the demigods with controlling powers, and the kings of different planets. But at the end there is irreligion, and then Lord Śiva and the atheists full of anger, etc. All of them are different representative manifestations of the energy of the supreme power, the Lord.

VERSE 2.7.40

viṣṇor nu vīrya-gaṇanāṁ katamo ’rhatīha
yaḥ pārthivāny api kavir vimame rajāṁsi
caskambha yaḥ sva-rahasāskhalatā tri-pṛṣṭhaṁ
yasmāt tri-sāmya-sadanād uru-kampayānam

SYNONYMS

viṣṇoḥ — of Lord Viṣṇu; nu — but; vīrya — prowess; gaṇanām — in the matter of accounting; katamaḥ — who else; arhati — is able to do it; iha — in this world; yaḥ — one who; pārthivāni — the atoms; api — also; kaviḥ — great scientist; vimame — might have counted; rajāṁsi — particles; caskambha — could catch; yaḥ — one who; sva-rahasā — by His own leg; askhalatā — without being hampered; tri-pṛṣṭham — the topmost planetary space; yasmāt — by which; tri-sāmya — the neutral state of the three modes; sadanāt — up to that place; uru-kampayānam — moving very greatly.

TRANSLATION

Who can describe completely the prowess of Viṣṇu? Even the scientist, who might have counted the particles of the atoms of the universe, cannot do so. Because it is He only who in His form of Trivikrama moved His leg effortlessly beyond the topmost planet, Satyaloka, up to the neutral state of the three modes of material nature. And all were moved.

VERSE 2.7.41

nāntaṁ vidāmy aham amī munayo ’gra-jās te
māyā-balasya puruṣasya kuto ’varā ye
gāyan guṇān daśa-śatānana ādi-devaḥ
śeṣo ’dhunāpi samavasyati nāsya pāram

SYNONYMS

na — never; antam — end; vidāmi — do I know; aham — myself; amī — and all those; munayaḥ — great sages; agra-jāḥ — born prior to you; te — you; māyā-balasya — of the omnipotent; puruṣasya — of the Personality of Godhead; kutaḥ — what to speak of others; avarāḥ — born after us; ye — those; gāyan — by singing; guṇān — the qualities; daśa-śata-ānanaḥ — one who has ten hundred faces; ādi-devaḥ — the first incarnation of the Lord; śeṣaḥ — known as Śeṣa; adhunā — until now; api — even; samavasyati — can achieve; na — not; asya — of Him; pāram — limit.

TRANSLATION

Neither I nor all the sages born before you know fully the omnipotent Personality of Godhead. So what can others, who are born after us, know about Him? Even the first incarnation of the Lord, namely Śeṣa, has not been able to reach the limit of such knowledge, although He is describing the qualities of the Lord with ten hundred faces.

VERSE 2.7.42

yeṣāṁ sa eṣa bhagavān dayayed anantaḥ
sarvātmanāśrita-pado yadi nirvyalīkam
te dustarām atitaranti ca deva-māyāṁ
naiṣāṁ mamāham iti dhīḥ śva-śṛgāla-bhakṣye

SYNONYMS

yeṣām — unto those only; saḥ — the Lord; eṣaḥ — the; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; dayayet — does bestow His mercy; anantaḥ — the unlimited potency; sarva-ātmanā — by all means, without reservation; āśrita-padaḥ — surrendered soul; yadi — if such surrender; nirvyalīkam — without pretension; te — those only; dustarām — insurmountable; atitaranti — can overcome; ca — and the paraphernalia; deva-māyām — diverse energies of the Lord; na — not; eṣām — of them; mama — mine; aham — myself; iti — thus; dhīḥ — conscious; śva — dogs; śṛgāla — jackals; bhakṣye — in the matter of eating.

TRANSLATION

But anyone who is specifically favored by the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, due to unalloyed surrender unto the service of the Lord, can overcome the insurmountable ocean of illusion and can understand the Lord. But those who are attached to this body, which is meant to be eaten at the end by dogs and jackals, cannot do so.

VERSE 2.7.43-45

vedāham aṅga paramasya hi yoga-māyāṁ
yūyaṁ bhavaś ca bhagavān atha daitya-varyaḥ
patnī manoḥ sa ca manuś ca tad-ātmajāś ca
prācīnabarhir ṛbhur aṅga uta dhruvaś ca

ikṣvākur aila-mucukunda-videha-gādhi-
raghv-ambarīṣa-sagarā gaya-nāhuṣādyāḥ
māndhātr-alarka-śatadhanv-anu-rantidevā
devavrato balir amūrttarayo dilīpaḥ

saubhary-utaṅka-śibi-devala-pippalāda-
sārasvatoddhava-parāśara-bhūriṣeṇāḥ
ye ’nye vibhīṣaṇa-hanūmad-upendradatta-
pārthārṣṭiṣeṇa-vidura-śrutadeva-varyāḥ

SYNONYMS

veda — know it; aham — myself; aṅga — O Nārada; paramasya — of the Supreme; hi — certainly; yoga-māyām — potency; yūyam — yourself; bhavaḥ — Śiva; ca — and; bhagavān — the great demigod; atha — as also; daitya-varyaḥ — Prahlāda Mahārāja, the great devotee of the Lord born in the family of an atheist; patnī — Śatarūpā; manoḥ — of Manu; saḥ — he; ca — also; manuḥ — Svāyambhuva; ca — and; tat-ātma-jāḥ ca — and his children like Priyavrata, Uttānapāda, Devahūti, etc; prācīnabarhiḥ — Prācīnabarhi; ṛbhuḥ — Ṛbhu; aṅgaḥ — Aṅga; uta — even; dhruvaḥ — Dhruva; ca — and; ikṣvākuḥ — Ikṣvāku; aila — Aila; mucukunda — Mucukunda; videha — Mahārāja Janaka; gādhi — Gādhi; raghu — Raghu; ambarīṣa — Ambarīṣa; sagarāḥ — Sagara; gaya — Gaya; nāhuṣa — Nāhuṣa; ādyāḥ — and so on; māndhātṛ — Māndhātā; alarka — Alarka; śatadhanu — Śatadhanu; anu — Anu; rantidevāḥ — Rantideva; devavrataḥ — Bhīṣma; baliḥ — Bali; amūrttarayaḥ — Amūrttaraya; dilīpaḥ — Dilīpa; saubhari — Saubhari; utaṅka — Utaṅka; śibi — Śibi; devala — Devala; pippalāda — Pippalāda; sārasvata — Sārasvata; uddhava — Uddhava; parāśara — Parāśara; bhūriṣeṇāḥ — Bhūriṣeṇa; ye — those who; anye — others; vibhīṣaṇa — Vibhīṣaṇa; hanūmat — Hanumān; upendra-datta — Śukadeva Gosvāmī; pārtha — Arjuna; ārṣṭiṣeṇa — Arṣṭiṣeṇa; vidura — Vidura; śrutadeva — Śrutadeva; varyāḥ — the foremost.

TRANSLATION

O Nārada, although the potencies of the Lord are unknowable and immeasurable, still, because we are all surrendered souls, we know how He acts through yoga-māyā potencies. And, similarly, the potencies of the Lord are also known to the all-powerful Śiva, the great king of the atheist family, namely Prahlāda Mahārāja, Svāyambhuva Manu, his wife Śatarūpā, his sons and daughters like Priyavrata, Uttānapāda, Ākūti, Devahūti and Prasūti, Prācīnabarhi, Ṛbhu, Aṅga the father of Vena, Mahārāja Dhruva, Ikṣvāku, Aila, Mucukunda, Mahārāja Janaka, Gādhi, Raghu, Ambarīṣa, Sagara, Gaya, Nāhuṣa, Māndhātā, Alarka, Śatadhanve, Anu, Rantideva, Bhīṣma, Bali, Amūrttaraya, Dilīpa, Saubhari, Utaṅka, Śibi, Devala, Pippalāda, Sārasvata, Uddhava, Parāśara, Bhūriṣeṇa, Vibhīṣaṇa, Hanumān, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Arjuna, Ārṣṭiṣeṇa, Vidura, Śrutadeva, etc.

VERSE 2.7.46

te vai vidanty atitaranti ca deva-māyāṁ
strī-śūdra-hūṇa-śabarā api pāpa-jīvāḥ
yady adbhuta-krama-parāyaṇa-śīla-śikṣās
tiryag-janā api kim u śruta-dhāraṇā ye

SYNONYMS

te — such persons; vai — undoubtedly; vidanti — do know; atitaranti — surpass; ca — also; deva-māyām — the covering energy of the Lord; strī — such as women; śūdra — the laborer class of men; hūṇa — the mountaineers; śabarāḥ — the Siberians, or those lower than the śūdras; api — although; pāpa-jīvāḥ — sinful living beings; yadi — provided; adbhuta-krama — one whose acts are so wonderful; parāyaṇa — those who are devotees; śīla — behavior; śikṣāḥ — trained by; tiryak-janāḥ — even those who are not human beings; api — also; kim — what; u — to speak of; śruta-dhāraṇāḥ — those who have taken to the idea of the Lord by hearing about Him; ye — those.

TRANSLATION

Surrendered souls, even from groups leading sinful lives, such as women, the laborer class, the mountaineers and the Siberians, or even the birds and beasts, can also know about the science of Godhead and become liberated from the clutches of the illusory energy by surrendering unto the pure devotees of the Lord and by following in their footsteps in devotional service.

VERSE 2.7.47

śaśvat praśāntam abhayaṁ pratibodha-mātraṁ
śuddhaṁ samaṁ sad-asataḥ paramātma-tattvam
śabdo na yatra puru-kārakavān kriyārtho
māyā paraity abhimukhe ca vilajjamānā
tad vai padaṁ bhagavataḥ paramasya puṁso
brahmeti yad vidur ajasra-sukhaṁ viśokam

SYNONYMS

śaśvat — eternal; praśāntam — without disturbance; abhayam — without fear; pratibodha-mātram — a consciousness opposed to the material counterpart; śuddham — uncontaminated; samam — without distinction; sat-asataḥ — of the cause and effect; paramātma-tattvam — the principle of primeval cause; śabdaḥ — speculative sound; na — not; yatra — where there is; puru-kārakavān — resulting in fruitive action; kriyā-arthaḥ — for the matter of sacrifice; māyā — illusion; paraiti — flies away; abhimukhe — in front of; ca — also; vilajjamānā — being ashamed of; tat — that; vai — is certainly; padam — ultimate phase; bhagavataḥ — of the Personality of Godhead; paramasya — of the Supreme; puṁsaḥ — of the person; brahma — the Absolute; iti — thus; yat — which; viduḥ — known as; ajasra — unlimited; sukham — happiness; viśokam — without grief.

TRANSLATION

What is realized as the Absolute Brahman is full of unlimited bliss without grief. That is certainly the ultimate phase of the supreme enjoyer, the Personality of Godhead. He is eternally void of all disturbances and is fearless. He is complete consciousness as opposed to matter. Uncontaminated and without distinctions, He is the principle primeval cause of all causes and effects, in whom there is no sacrifice for fruitive activities and in whom the illusory energy does not stand.

VERSE 2.7.48

sadhryaṅ niyamya yatayo yama-karta-hetiṁ
jahyuḥ svarāḍ iva nipāna-khanitram indraḥ

SYNONYMS

sadhryak — artificial mental speculation or meditation; niyamya — controlling; yatayaḥ — the mystics; yama-karta-hetim — the process of spiritual culture; jahyuḥ — are given up; svarāṭ — fully independent; iva — as; nipāna — well; khanitram — trouble for digging; indraḥ — the controlling demigod supplying rains.

TRANSLATION

In such a transcendental state there is no need of artificial control of the mind, mental speculation or meditation, as performed by the jñānīs and yogīs. One gives up such processes, as the heavenly King, Indra, forgoes the trouble to dig a well.

VERSE 2.7.49

sa śreyasām api vibhur bhagavān yato ’sya
bhāva-svabhāva-vihitasya sataḥ prasiddhiḥ
dehe sva-dhātu-vigame ’nuviśīryamāṇe
vyomeva tatra puruṣo na viśīryate ’jaḥ

SYNONYMS

saḥ — He; śreyasām — all auspiciousness; api — also; vibhuḥ — the master; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; yataḥ — because; asya — of the living entity; bhāva — natural modes; sva-bhāva — own constitution; vihitasya — performances; sataḥ — all good work; prasiddhiḥ — ultimate success; dehe — of the body; sva-dhātu — forming elements; vigame — being vanquished; anu — after; viśīryamāṇe — having given up; vyoma — sky; iva — like; tatra — thereupon; puruṣaḥ — the living entity; na — never; viśīryate — becomes vanquished; ajaḥ — due to being unborn.

TRANSLATION

The Personality of Godhead is the supreme master of everything auspicious because the results of whatever actions are performed by the living being, in either the material or spiritual existence, are awarded by the Lord. As such, He is the ultimate benefactor. Every individual living entity is unborn, and therefore even after the annihilation of the material elementary body, the living entity exists, exactly like the air within the body.

VERSE 2.7.50

so ’yaṁ te ’bhihitas tāta
bhagavān viśva-bhāvanaḥ
samāsena harer nānyad
anyasmāt sad-asac ca yat

SYNONYMS

saḥ — that; ayam — the same; te — unto you; abhihitaḥ — explained by me; tāta — my dear son; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; viśva-bhāvanaḥ — the creator of the manifested worlds; samāsena — in brief; hareḥ — without Hari, the Lord; na — never; anyat — anything else; anyasmāt — being the cause of; sat — manifested or phenomenal; asat — noumenal; ca — and; yat — whatever there may be.

TRANSLATION

My dear son, I have now explained in brief the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is creator of the manifested worlds. Without Him (Hari, the Lord), there are no other causes of the phenomenal and noumenal existences.

VERSE 2.7.51

idaṁ bhāgavataṁ nāma
yan me bhagavatoditam
saṅgraho ’yaṁ vibhūtīnāṁ
tvam etad vipulī kuru

SYNONYMS

idam — this; bhāgavatam — the science of Godhead; nāma — of the name; yat — that which; me — unto me; bhagavatā — by the Personality of Godhead; uditam — enlightened; saṅgrahaḥ — is the accumulation of; ayam — His; vibhūtīnām — of the diverse potencies; tvam — your good self; etat — this science of Godhead; vipulī — expand; kuru — do it.

TRANSLATION

O Nārada, this science of God, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, was spoken to me in summary by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it was spoken as the accumulation of His diverse potencies. Please expand this science yourself.

VERSE 2.7.52

yathā harau bhagavati
nṛṇāṁ bhaktir bhaviṣyati
sarvātmany akhilādhāre
iti saṅkalpya varṇaya

SYNONYMS

yathā — as much as; harau — unto the Personality of Godhead; bhagavati — unto the Lord; nṛṇām — for human beings; bhaktiḥ — devotional service; bhaviṣyati — become enlightened; sarva-ātmani — the Absolute Whole; akhila-ādhāre — unto the summum bonum; iti — thus; saṅkalpya — by determination; varṇaya — describe.

TRANSLATION

Please describe the science of Godhead with determination and in a manner by which it will be quite possible for the human being to develop transcendental devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead Hari, the Supersoul of every living being and the summum bonum source of all energies.

VERSE 2.7.53

māyāṁ varṇayato ’muṣya
īśvarasyānumodataḥ
śṛṇvataḥ śraddhayā nityaṁ
māyayātmā na muhyati

SYNONYMS

māyām — affairs of the external energy; varṇayataḥ — while describing; amuṣya — of the Lord; īśvarasya — of the Personality of Godhead; anumodataḥ — thus appreciating; śṛṇvataḥ — thus hearing; śraddhayā — with devotion; nityam — regularly; māyayā — by the illusory energy; ātmā — the living entity; na — never; muhyati — becomes illusioned.

TRANSLATION

The Lord’s activities in association with His different energies should be described, appreciated and heard in accordance with the teachings of the Supreme Lord. If this is done regularly with devotion and respect, one is sure to get out of the illusory energy of the Lord.