Śrīmad Bhāgavatam |Canto 5 Chapter 6

The Activities of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva

VERSE 5.6.1

rājovāca

na nūnaṁ bhagava ātmārāmāṇāṁ yoga-samīrita-jñānāvabharjita-karma-bījānām aiśvaryāṇi punaḥ kleśadāni bhavitum arhanti yadṛc-chayopagatāni.

SYNONYMS

rājā uvāca — King Parīkṣit inquired; na — not; nūnam — indeed; bhagavaḥ — O most powerful Śukadeva Gosvāmī; ātmārāmāṇām — of pure devotees simply engaged in devotional service; yoga-samīrita — achieved by practice of yoga; jñāna — by knowledge; avabharjita — burned; karma-bījānām — of those whose seeds of fruitive activities; aiśvaryāṇi — the mystic powers; punaḥ — again; kleśadāni — sources of distress; bhavitum — to become; arhanti — are able; yadṛcchayā — automatically; upagatāni — achieved.

TRANSLATION

King Parīkṣit asked Śukadeva Gosvāmī: My dear Lord, for those who are completely pure in heart, knowledge is attained by the practice of bhakti-yoga, and attachment for fruitive activity is completely burned to ashes. For such people, the powers of mystic yoga automatically arise. They do not cause distress. Why, then, did Ṛṣabhadeva neglect them?

VERSE 5.6.2

ṛṣir uvāca

satyam uktaṁ kintv iha vā eke na manaso ’ddhā viśrambham anavasthānasya śaṭha-kirāta iva saṅgacchante.

SYNONYMS

ṛṣiḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; satyam — the correct thing; uktam — have said; kintu — but; iha — in this material world; — either; eke — some; na — not; manasaḥ — of the mind; addhā — directly; viśrambham — faithful; anavasthānasya — being unsteady; śaṭha — very cunning; kirātaḥ — a hunter; iva — like; saṅgacchante — become.

TRANSLATION

Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied: My dear King, you have spoken correctly. However, after capturing animals, a cunning hunter does not put faith in them, for they might run away. Similarly, those who are advanced in spiritual life do not put faith in the mind. Indeed, they always remain vigilant and watch the mind’s action.

VERSE 5.6.3

tathā coktam —

na kuryāt karhicit sakhyaṁ
manasi hy anavasthite
yad-viśrambhāc cirāc cīrṇaṁ
caskanda tapa aiśvaram

SYNONYMS

tathā — so; ca — and; uktam — it is said; na — never; kuryāt — should do; karhicit — at any time or with anyone; sakhyam — friendship; manasi — in the mind; hi — certainly; anavasthite — which is very restless; yat — in which; viśrambhāt — from placing too much faith; cirāt — for a long time; cīrṇam — practiced; caskanda — became disturbed; tapaḥ — the austerity; aiśvaram — of great personalities like Lord Śiva and the great sage Saubhari.

TRANSLATION

All the learned scholars have given their opinion. The mind is by nature very restless, and one should not make friends with it. If we place full confidence in the mind, it may cheat us at any moment. Even Lord Śiva became agitated upon seeing the Mohinī form of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Saubhari Muni also fell down from the mature stage of yogic perfection.

VERSE 5.6.4

nityaṁ dadāti kāmasya
cchidraṁ tam anu ye ’rayaḥ
yoginaḥ kṛta-maitrasya
patyur jāyeva puṁścalī

SYNONYMS

nityam — always; dadāti — gives; kāmasya — of lust; chidram — facility; tam — that (lust); anu — following; ye — those; arayaḥ — enemies; yoginaḥ — of the yogīs or persons trying to advance in spiritual life; kṛta-maitrasya — having put faith in the mind; patyuḥ — of the husband; jāyā iva — like the wife; puṁścalī — who is unchaste or easily carried away by other men.

TRANSLATION

An unchaste woman is very easily carried away by paramours, and it sometimes happens that her husband is violently killed by her paramours. If the yogī gives his mind a chance and does not restrain it, his mind will give facility to enemies like lust, anger and greed, and they will doubtlessly kill the yogī.

VERSE 5.6.5

kāmo manyur mado lobhaḥ
śoka-moha-bhayādayaḥ
karma-bandhaś ca yan-mūlaḥ
svīkuryāt ko nu tad budhaḥ

SYNONYMS

kāmaḥ — lust; manyuḥ — anger; madaḥ — pride; lobhaḥ — greed; śoka — lamentation; moha — illusion; bhaya — fear; ādayaḥ — all these together; karma-bandhaḥ — bondage to fruitive activities; ca — and; yat-mūlaḥ — the origin of which; svīkuryāt — would accept; kaḥ — who; nu — indeed; tat — that mind; budhaḥ — if one is learned.

TRANSLATION

The mind is the root cause of lust, anger, pride, greed, lamentation, illusion and fear. Combined, these constitute bondage to fruitive activity. What learned man would put faith in the mind?

VERSE 5.6.6

athaivam akhila-loka-pāla-lalāmo ’pi vilakṣaṇair jaḍavad avadhūta-veṣa-bhāṣā-caritair avilakṣita-bhagavat-prabhāvo yogināṁ sāmparāya-vidhim anuśikṣayan sva-kalevaraṁ jihāsur ātmany ātmānam asaṁvyavahitam anarthāntara-bhāvenānvīkṣamāṇa uparatānuvṛttir upararāma.

SYNONYMS

atha — thereafter; evam — in this way; akhila-loka-pāla-lalāmaḥ — the head of all kings and monarchs of the universe; api — although; vilakṣaṇaiḥ — various; jaḍa-vat — as if stupid; avadhūta-veṣa-bhāṣā-caritaiḥ — by the dress, language and characteristics of an avadhūta; avilakṣita-bhagavat-prabhāvaḥ — hiding the opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (keeping Himself like an ordinary human being); yoginām — of the yogīs; sāmparāya-vidhim — the method of giving up this material body; anuśikṣayan — teaching; sva-kalevaram — His own personal body, which is not at all material; jihāsuḥ — desiring to give up like an ordinary human being; ātmani — unto Vāsudeva, the original person; ātmānam — Himself, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, being an āveśa-avatāra of Lord Viṣṇu; asaṁvyavahitam — without intervention by the illusory energy; anartha-antara-bhāvena — Himself in the status of Viṣṇu; anvīkṣamāṇaḥ — always seeing; uparata-anuvṛttiḥ — who was acting as if giving up His material body; upararāma — ceased His pastimes as the King of this planet.

TRANSLATION

Lord Ṛṣabhadeva was the head of all kings and emperors within this universe, but assuming the dress and language of an avadhūta, He acted as if dull and materially bound. Consequently no one could observe His divine opulence. He adopted this behavior just to teach yogīs how to give up the body. Nonetheless, He maintained His original position as a plenary expansion of Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Remaining always in that state, He gave up His pastimes as Lord Ṛṣabhadeva within the material world. If, following in the footsteps of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, one can give up his subtle body, there is no chance that one will accept a material body again.

VERSE 5.6.7

tasya ha vā evaṁ mukta-liṅgasya bhagavata ṛṣabhasya yoga-māyā-vāsanayā deha imāṁ jagatīm abhimānābhāsena saṅkramamāṇaḥ koṅka-veṅka-kuṭakān dakṣiṇa-karṇāṭakān deśān yadṛcchayopagataḥ kuṭakācalopavana āsya kṛtāśma-kavala unmāda iva mukta-mūrdhajo ’saṁvīta eva vicacāra.

SYNONYMS

tasya — of Him (Lord Ṛṣabhadeva); ha — as it were; evam — thus; mukta-liṅgasya — who had no identification with the gross and subtle body; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ṛṣabhasya — of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva; yoga-māyā-vāsanayā — by the accomplishment of yoga-māyā for the purpose of the Lord’s pastimes; dehaḥ — body; imām — this; jagatīm — earth; abhimāna-ābhāsena — with the apparent conception of having a body of material elements; saṅkramamāṇaḥ — traveling; koṅka-veṅka-kuṭakān — Koṅka, Veṅka and Kuṭaka; dakṣiṇa — in South India; karṇāṭakān — in the province of Karṇāṭa; deśān — all the countries; yadṛcchayā — of His own accord; upagataḥ — reached; kuṭakācala-upavane — a forest near Kuṭakācala; āsya — within the mouth; kṛta-aśma-kavalaḥ — having put a mouthful of stone; unmādaḥ iva — just like a madman; mukta-mūrdhajaḥ — having scattered hair; asaṁvītaḥ — naked; eva — just; vicacāra — traveled.

TRANSLATION

Actually Lord Ṛṣabhadeva had no material body, but due to yoga-māyā He considered His body material, and therefore, because He played like an ordinary human being, He gave up the mentality of identifying with it. Following this principle, He began to wander all over the world. While traveling, He came to the province of Karṇāṭa in South India and passed through Koṅka, Veṅka and Kuṭaka. He had no plan to travel this way, but He arrived near Kuṭakācala and entered a forest there. He placed stones within His mouth and began to wander through the forest, naked and with His hair disheveled like a madman.

VERSE 5.6.8

atha samīra-vega-vidhūta-veṇu-vikarṣaṇa-jātogra-dāvānalas tad vanam ālelihānaḥ saha tena dadāha.

SYNONYMS

atha — thereafter; samīra-vega — by the force of the wind; vidhūta — tossed about; veṇu — of bamboos; vikarṣaṇa — by the rubbing; jāta — produced; ugra — fierce; dāva-analaḥ — a forest fire; tat — that; vanam — forest near Kuṭakācala; ālelihānaḥ — devouring all around; saha — with; tena — that body; dadāha — burned to ashes.

TRANSLATION

While He was wandering about, a wild forest fire began. This fire was caused by the friction of bamboos, which were being blown by the wind. In that fire, the entire forest near Kuṭakācala and the body of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva were burnt to ashes.

VERSE 5.6.9

yasya kilānucaritam upākarṇya koṅka-veṅka-kuṭakānāṁ rājārhan-nāmopaśikṣya kalāv adharma utkṛṣyamāṇe bhavitavyena vimohitaḥ sva-dharma-patham akuto-bhayam apahāya kupatha-pākhaṇḍam asamañjasaṁ nija-manīṣayā mandaḥ sampravartayiṣyate.

SYNONYMS

yasya — of whom (Lord Ṛṣabhadeva); kila anucaritam — pastimes as a paramahaṁsa, above all regulative varṇāśrama principles; upākarṇya — hearing; koṅka-veṅka-kuṭakānām — of Koṅka, Veṅka and Kuṭaka; rājā — the King; arhat-nāma — whose name was Arhat (now known as the Jain); upaśikṣya — imitating the activities of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva in His paramahaṁsa feature; kalau — in this Age of Kali; adharme utkṛṣyamāṇe — because of increasing irreligious life; bhavitavyena — by that which was about to happen; vimohitaḥ — bewildered; sva-dharma-patham — the path of religion; akutaḥ-bhayam — which is free from all kinds of fearful danger; apahāya — giving up (such practices as cleanliness, truthfulness, control of the senses and mind, simplicity, the principles of religion, and practical application of knowledge); ku-patha-pākhaṇḍam — the wrong path of atheism; asamañjasam — improper or against the Vedic literature; nija-manīṣayā — by his own fertile brain; mandaḥ — most foolish; sampravartayiṣyate — will introduce.

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued speaking to Mahārāja Parīkṣit: My dear King, the King of Koṅka, Veṅka and Kuṭaka whose name was Arhat, heard of the activities of Ṛṣabhadeva and, imitating Ṛṣabhadeva’s principles, introduced a new system of religion. Taking advantage of Kali-yuga, the age of sinful activity, King Arhat, being bewildered, gave up the Vedic principles, which are free from risk, and concocted a new system of religion opposed to the Vedas. That was the beginning of the Jain dharma. Many other so-called religions followed this atheistic system.

VERSE 5.6.10

yena ha vāva kalau manujāpasadā deva-māyā-mohitāḥ sva-vidhi-niyoga-śauca-cāritra-vihīnā deva-helanāny apavratāni nija-nijecchayā gṛhṇānā asnānānācamanāśauca-keśolluñcanādīni kalinādharma-bahulenopahata-dhiyo brahma-brāhmaṇa-yajña-puruṣa-loka-vidūṣakāḥ prāyeṇa bhaviṣyanti.

SYNONYMS

yena — by which pseudo religious system; ha vāva — certainly; kalau — in this Age of Kali; manuja-apasadāḥ — the most condemned men; deva-māyā-mohitāḥ — bewildered by the external energy, or illusory energy, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sva-vidhi-niyoga-śauca-cāritra-vihīnāḥ — without character, cleanliness, and the rules and regulations given according to one’s own duty in life; deva-helanāni — negligent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; apavratāni — impious vows; nija-nija-icchayā — by their own desires; gṛhṇānāḥ — accepting; asnāna-anācamana-aśauca-keśa-ulluñcana-ādīni — concocted religious principles such as no bathing, no washing of the mouth, being unclean and plucking out the hair; kalinā — by the Age of Kali; adharma-bahulena — with an abundance of irreligion; upahata-dhiyaḥ — whose pure consciousness is destroyed; brahma-brāhmaṇa-yajña-puruṣa-loka-vidūṣakāḥ — blasphemous toward the Vedas, the strict brāhmaṇas, ritualistic ceremonies such as sacrifice, and toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the devotees; prāyeṇa — almost entirely; bhaviṣyanti — will become.

TRANSLATION

People who are lowest among men and bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord will give up the original varṇāśrama-dharma and its rules and regulations. They will abandon bathing three times daily and worshiping the Lord. Abandoning cleanliness and neglecting the Supreme Lord, they will accept nonsensical principles. Not regularly bathing or washing their mouths regularly, they will always remain unclean, and they will pluck out their hair. Following a concocted religion, they will flourish. During this Age of Kali, people are more inclined to irreligious systems. Consequently these people will naturally deride Vedic authority, the followers of Vedic authority, the brāhmaṇas, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the devotees.

VERSE 5.6.11

te ca hy arvāktanayā nija-loka-yātrayāndha-paramparayāśvastās tamasy andhe svayam eva prapatiṣyanti.

SYNONYMS

te — those people not following the Vedic principles; ca — and; hi — certainly; arvāktanayā — deviating from the eternal principles of Vedic religion; nija-loka-yātrayā — by a practice arrived at by their own mental concoction; andha-paramparayā — by a disciplic succession of blind, ignorant people; āśvastāḥ — being encouraged; tamasi — into the darkness of ignorance; andhe — blindness; svayam eva — themselves; prapatiṣyanti — will fall down.

TRANSLATION

Low-class people, due to their gross ignorance, introduce a system of religion that deviates from the Vedic principles. Following their own mental concoctions, they automatically fall down into the darkest regions of existence.

VERSE 5.6.12

ayam avatāro rajasopapluta-kaivalyopaśikṣaṇārthaḥ.

SYNONYMS

ayam avatāraḥ — this incarnation (Lord Ṛṣabhadeva); rajasā — by the mode of passion; upapluta — overwhelmed; kaivalya-upaśikṣaṇa-arthaḥ — to teach people the path of liberation.

TRANSLATION

In this Age of Kali, people are overwhelmed by the modes of passion and ignorance. Lord Ṛṣabhadeva incarnated Himself to deliver them from the clutches of māyā.

VERSE 5.6.13

tasyānuguṇān ślokān gāyanti —

aho bhuvaḥ sapta-samudravatyā
dvīpeṣu varṣeṣv adhipuṇyam etat
gāyanti yatratya-janā murāreḥ
karmāṇi bhadrāṇy avatāravanti

SYNONYMS

tasya — of Him (Lord Ṛṣabhadeva); anuguṇān — conforming to the instructions for liberation; ślokān — verses; gāyanti — chant; aho — oh; bhuvaḥ — of this earthly planet; sapta-samudra-vatyāḥ — possessing seven seas; dvīpeṣu — among the islands; varṣeṣu — among the lands; adhipuṇyam — more pious than any other island; etat — this (Bhārata-varṣa); gāyanti — sing about; yatratya-janāḥ — the people of this tract of land; murāreḥ — of Murāri, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; karmāṇi — the activities; bhadrāṇi — all-auspicious; avatāravanti — in many incarnations such as Lord Ṛṣabhadeva.

TRANSLATION

Learned scholars chant about the transcendental qualities of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva in this way: “Oh, this earthly planet contains seven seas and many islands and lands, of which Bhārata-varṣa is considered the most pious. People of Bhārata-varṣa are accustomed to glorifying the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His incarnations as Lord Ṛṣabhadeva and others. All these activities are very auspicious for the welfare of humanity.

VERSE 5.6.14

aho nu vaṁśo yaśasāvadātaḥ
praiyavrato yatra pumān purāṇaḥ
kṛtāvatāraḥ puruṣaḥ sa ādyaś
cacāra dharmaṁ yad akarma-hetum

SYNONYMS

aho — oh; nu — indeed; vaṁśaḥ — the dynasty; yaśasā — with widespread fame; avadātaḥ — fully pure; praiyavrataḥ — related to King Priyavrata; yatra — wherein; pumān — the Supreme Person; purāṇaḥ — the original; kṛta-avatāraḥ — descended as an incarnation; puruṣaḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; saḥ — He; ādyaḥ — the original person; cacāra — executed; dharmam — religious principles; yat — from which; akarma-hetum — the cause of the end of fruitive activities.

TRANSLATION

“Oh, what shall I say of the dynasty of Priyavrata, which is pure and very much celebrated. In that dynasty, the Supreme Person, the original Personality of Godhead, descended as an incarnation and executed religious principles that could free one from the results of fruitive activity.

VERSE 5.6.15

ko nv asya kāṣṭhām aparo ’nugacchen
mano-rathenāpy abhavasya yogī
yo yoga-māyāḥ spṛhayaty udastā
hy asattayā yena kṛta-prayatnāḥ

SYNONYMS

kaḥ — who; nu — indeed; asya — of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva; kāṣṭhām — the example; aparaḥ — else; anugacchet — can follow; manaḥ-rathena — by the mind; api — even; abhavasya — of the unborn; yogī — the mystic; yaḥ — who; yoga-māyāḥ — the mystic perfections of yoga; spṛhayati — desires; udastāḥ — rejected by Ṛṣabhadeva; hi — certainly; asattayā — by the quality of being insubstantial; yena — by whom, Ṛṣabhadeva; kṛta-prayatnāḥ — although eager to serve.

TRANSLATION

“Who is that mystic yogī who can follow the examples of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva even with his mind? Lord Ṛṣabhadeva rejected all kinds of yogic perfection, which other yogīs hanker to attain. Who is that yogī who can compare to Lord Ṛṣabhadeva?”

VERSE 5.6.16

iti ha sma sakala-veda-loka-deva-brāhmaṇa-gavāṁ parama-guror bhagavata ṛṣabhākhyasya viśuddhācaritam īritaṁ puṁsāṁ samasta-duścaritābhiharaṇaṁ parama-mahā-maṅgalāyanam idam anuśraddhayopacitayānuśṛṇoty āśrāvayati vāvahito bhagavati tasmin vāsudeva ekāntato bhaktir anayor api samanuvartate.

SYNONYMS

iti — thus; ha sma — indeed; sakala — all; veda — of knowledge; loka — of people in general; deva — of the demigods; brāhmaṇa — of the brāhmaṇas; gavām — of the cows; parama — the supreme; guroḥ — master; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ṛṣabha-ākhyasya — whose name was Lord Ṛṣabhadeva; viśuddha — pure; ācaritam — activities; īritam — now explained; puṁsām — of every living entity; samasta — all; duścarita — sinful activities; abhiharaṇam — destroying; parama — foremost; mahā — great; maṅgala — of auspiciousness; ayanam — the shelter; idam — this; anuśraddhayā — with faith; upacitayā — increasing; anuśṛṇoti — hears from the authority; āśrāvayati — speaks to others; — or; avahitaḥ — being attentive; bhagavati — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tasmin — unto Him; vāsudeve — to Lord Vāsudeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa; eka-antataḥ — unflinching; bhaktiḥ — devotion; anayoḥ — of both groups, the listeners and the speakers; api — certainly; samanuvartate — factually begins.

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Lord Ṛṣabhadeva is the master of all Vedic knowledge, human beings, demigods, cows and brāhmaṇas. I have already explained His pure, transcendental activities, which will vanquish the sinful activities of all living entities. This narration of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva’s pastimes is the reservoir of all auspicious things. Whoever attentively hears or speaks of them, following in the footsteps of the ācāryas, will certainly attain unalloyed devotional service at the lotus feet of Lord Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

VERSE 5.6.17

yasyām eva kavaya ātmānam avirataṁ vividha-vṛjina-saṁsāra-paritāpopatapyamānam anusavanaṁ snāpayantas tayaiva parayā nirvṛtyā hy apavargam ātyantikaṁ parama-puruṣārtham api svayam āsāditaṁ no evādriyante bhagavadīyatvenaiva parisamāpta-sarvārthāḥ.

SYNONYMS

yasyām eva — in which (Kṛṣṇa consciousness or the nectar of devotional service); kavayaḥ — the advancement of learned scholars or philosophers in spiritual life; ātmānam — the self; aviratam — constantly; vividha — various; vṛjina — full of sins; saṁsāra — in material existence; paritāpa — from miserable conditions; upatapyamānam — suffering; anusavanam — without stopping; snāpayantaḥ — bathing; tayā — by that; eva — certainly; parayā — great; nirvṛtyā — with happiness; hi — certainly; apavargam — liberation; ātyantikam — uninterrupted; parama-puruṣa-artham — the best of all human achievements; api — although; svayam — itself; āsāditam — obtained; no — not; eva — certainly; ādriyante — endeavor to achieve; bhagavadīyatvena eva — because of a relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead; parisamāpta-sarva-arthāḥ — those who have ended all kinds of material desires.

TRANSLATION

Devotees always bathe themselves in devotional service in order to be relieved from the various tribulations of material existence. By doing this, the devotees enjoy supreme bliss, and liberation personified comes to serve them. Nonetheless, they do not accept that service, even if it is offered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. For the devotees, liberation [mukti] is very unimportant because, having attained the Lord’s transcendental loving service, they have attained everything desirable and have transcended all material desires.

VERSE 5.6.18

rājan patir gurur alaṁ bhavatāṁ yadūnāṁ
daivaṁ priyaḥ kula-patiḥ kva ca kiṅkaro vaḥ
astv evam aṅga bhagavān bhajatāṁ mukundo
muktiṁ dadāti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam

SYNONYMS

rājan — O my dear King; patiḥ — maintainer; guruḥ — spiritual master; alam — certainly; bhavatām — of you; yadūnām — the Yadu dynasty; daivam — the worshipable Deity; priyaḥ — very dear friend; kula-patiḥ — the master of the dynasty; kva ca — sometimes even; kiṅkaraḥ — servant; vaḥ — of you (the Pāṇḍavas); astu — to be sure; evam — thus; aṅga — O King; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhajatām — of those devotees engaged in service; mukundaḥ — the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; muktim — liberation; dadāti — delivers; karhicit — at any time; sma — indeed; na — not; bhakti-yogam — loving devotional service.

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, the Supreme Person, Mukunda, is actually the maintainer of all the members of the Pāṇḍava and Yadu dynasties. He is your spiritual master, worshipable Deity, friend, and the director of your activities. To say nothing of this, He sometimes serves your family as a messenger or servant. This means He worked just as ordinary servants do. Those engaged in getting the Lord’s favor attain liberation from the Lord very easily, but He does not very easily give the opportunity to render direct service unto Him.

VERSE 5.6.19

nityānubhūta-nija-lābha-nivṛtta-tṛṣṇaḥ
śreyasy atad-racanayā cira-supta-buddheḥ
lokasya yaḥ karuṇayābhayam ātma-lokam
ākhyān namo bhagavate ṛṣabhāya tasmai

SYNONYMS

nitya-anubhūta — due to being always conscious of His real identity; nija-lābha-nivṛtta-tṛṣṇaḥ — who was complete in Himself and had no other desire to fulfill; śreyasi — in life’s genuine welfare; a-tat-racanayā — by expanding activities in the material field, mistaking the body for the self; cira — for a long time; supta — sleeping; buddheḥ — whose intelligence; lokasya — of men; yaḥ — who (Lord Ṛṣabhadeva); karuṇayā — by His causeless mercy; abhayam — fearlessness; ātma-lokam — the real identity of the self; ākhyāt — instructed; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; bhagavate — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ṛṣabhāya — unto Lord Ṛṣabhadeva; tasmai — unto Him.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, was fully aware of His true identity; therefore He was self-sufficient, and He did not desire external gratification. There was no need for Him to aspire for success, since He was complete in Himself. Those who unnecessarily engage in bodily conceptions and create an atmosphere of materialism are always ignorant of their real self-interest. Out of His causeless mercy, Lord Ṛṣabhadeva taught the self’s real identity and the goal of life. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who appeared as Lord Ṛṣabhadeva.