Further Talks Between King Rahūgaṇa and Jaḍa Bharata
VERSE 5.13.1
brāhmaṇa uvāca
duratyaye ’dhvany ajayā niveśito
rajas-tamaḥ-sattva-vibhakta-karmadṛk
sa eṣa sārtho ’rtha-paraḥ paribhraman
bhavāṭavīṁ yāti na śarma vindati
SYNONYMS
brāhmaṇaḥ uvāca — the brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata continued to speak; duratyaye — which is very difficult to traverse; adhvani — on the path of fruitive activities (performing actions in this life, creating a body in the next life by those actions, and in this way continuously accepting birth and death); ajayā — by māyā, the external energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; niveśitaḥ — caused to enter; rajaḥ-tamaḥ-sattva-vibhakta-karma-dṛk — a conditioned soul who sees only immediately beneficial fruitive activities and their results, which are divided into three groups by the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance; saḥ — he; eṣaḥ — this; sa-arthaḥ — the living entity falsely seeking sense gratification; artha-paraḥ — intent upon gaining wealth; paribhraman — wandering all over; bhava-aṭavīm — the forest known as bhava, which means the repetition of birth and death; yāti — enters; na — not; śarma — happiness; vindati — obtains.
TRANSLATION
Jaḍa Bharata, who had fully realized Brahman, continued: My dear King Rahūgaṇa, the living entity wanders on the path of the material world, which is very difficult for him to traverse, and he accepts repeated birth and death. Being captivated by the material world under the influence of the three modes of material nature (sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa), the living entity can see only the three fruits of activities under the spell of material nature. These fruits are auspicious, inauspicious and mixed. He thus becomes attached to religion, economic development, sense gratification and the monistic theory of liberation (merging with the Supreme). He works very hard day and night exactly like a merchant who enters a forest to acquire some articles to sell later for profit. However, he cannot really achieve happiness within this material world.
VERSE 5.13.2
yasyām ime ṣaṇ nara-deva dasyavaḥ
sārthaṁ vilumpanti kunāyakaṁ balāt
gomāyavo yatra haranti sārthikaṁ
pramattam āviśya yathoraṇaṁ vṛkāḥ
SYNONYMS
yasyām — in which (in the forest of material existence); ime — these; ṣaṭ — six; nara-deva — O King; dasyavaḥ — the plunderers; sa-artham — the conditioned souls, who are interested in false ideas; vilumpanti — plunder, regularly taking away all the possessions; ku-nāyakam — who are always misguided by so-called gurus, or spiritual masters; balāt — by force; gomāyavaḥ — exactly like foxes; yatra — in which forest; haranti — they take away; sa-arthikam — the conditioned soul who is seeking material profits to maintain the body and soul; pramattam — who is a crazy man not knowing his self-interest; āviśya — entering the heart; yathā — just as; uraṇam — nicely protected lambs; vṛkāḥ — the tigers.
TRANSLATION
O King Rahūgaṇa, in this forest of material existence there are six very powerful plunderers. When the conditioned soul enters the forest to acquire some material gain, the six plunderers misguide him. Thus the conditioned merchant does not know how to spend his money, and it is taken away by these plunderers. Like tigers, jackals and other ferocious animals in a forest that are ready to take away a lamb from the custody of its protector, the wife and children enter the heart of the merchant and plunder him in so many ways.
VERSE 5.13.3
prabhūta-vīrut-tṛṇa-gulma-gahvare
kaṭhora-daṁśair maśakair upadrutaḥ
kvacit tu gandharva-puraṁ prapaśyati
kvacit kvacic cāśu-rayolmuka-graham
SYNONYMS
prabhūta — a very large number; vīrut — of creepers; tṛṇa — of varieties of grass; gulma — of thickets; gahvare — in bowers; kaṭhora — cruel; daṁśaiḥ — by bites; maśakaiḥ — by mosquitoes; upadrutaḥ — disturbed; kvacit — sometimes; tu — but; gandharva-puram — a false palace created by the Gandharvas; prapaśyati — be sees; kvacit — and sometimes; kvacit — sometimes; ca — and; āśu-raya — very quickly; ulmuka — like a meteor; graham — a fiend.
TRANSLATION
In this forest there are dense bowers composed of thickets of bushes, grass and creepers. In these bowers the conditioned soul is always disturbed by cruelly biting mosquitoes [envious people]. Sometimes he sees an imaginary palace in the forest, and sometimes he is bewildered by seeing a fleeting fiend or ghost, which appears like a meteor in the sky.
VERSE 5.13.4
nivāsa-toya-draviṇātma-buddhis
tatas tato dhāvati bho aṭavyām
kvacic ca vātyotthita-pāṁsu-dhūmrā
diśo na jānāti rajas-valākṣaḥ
SYNONYMS
nivāsa — residential place; toya — water; draviṇa — wealth; ātma-buddhiḥ — who considers these material things the ātma, or self; tataḥ tataḥ — here and there; dhāvati — he runs; bhoḥ — O King; aṭavyām — on that forest path of material existence; kvacit ca — and sometimes; vātyā — by the whirlwind; utthita — raised; pāṁsu — by dust; dhūmrāḥ — appear smoke-colored; diśaḥ — the directions; na — not; jānāti — knows; rajaḥ-vala-akṣaḥ — whose eyes are covered by the dust of the wind or who is captivated by his wife during her menstrual period.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, the merchant on the forest path of the material world, his intelligence victimized by home, wealth, relatives and so forth, runs from one place to another in search of success. Sometimes his eyes are covered by the dust of a whirlwind — that is to say, in his lust he is captivated by the beauty of his wife, especially during her menstrual period. Thus his eyes are blinded, and he cannot see where to go or what he is doing.
VERSE 5.13.5
adṛśya-jhillī-svana-karṇa-śūla
ulūka-vāgbhir vyathitāntarātmā
apuṇya-vṛkṣān śrayate kṣudhārdito
marīci-toyāny abhidhāvati kvacit
SYNONYMS
adṛśya — invisible; jhillī — of crickets or a kind of bee; svana — by the sounds; karṇa-śūla — whose ears are disturbed; ulūka — of the owls; vāgbhiḥ — by sound vibrations; vyathita — very disturbed; antaḥ-ātmā — whose mind and heart; apuṇya-vṛkṣān — impious trees that have no fruits or flowers; śrayate — he takes shelter of; kṣudha — from hunger; arditaḥ — suffering; marīci-toyāni — the waters of a mirage in the desert; abhidhāvati — he runs after; kvacit — sometimes.
TRANSLATION
Wandering in the forest of the material world, the conditioned soul sometimes hears an invisible cricket making harsh sounds, and his ears become very much aggrieved. Sometimes his heart is pained by the sounds of owls, which are just like the harsh words of his enemies. Sometimes he takes shelter of a tree that has no fruits or flowers. He approaches such a tree due to his strong appetite, and thus he suffers. He would like to acquire water, but he is simply illusioned by a mirage, and he runs after it.
VERSE 5.13.6
kvacid vitoyāḥ sarito ’bhiyāti
parasparaṁ cālaṣate nirandhaḥ
āsādya dāvaṁ kvacid agni-tapto
nirvidyate kva ca yakṣair hṛtāsuḥ
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; vitoyāḥ — without depth to the water; saritaḥ — rivers; abhiyāti — he goes to bathe or jumps into; parasparam — one another; ca — and; ālaṣate — desires; nirandhaḥ — being with no stock of food; āsādya — experiencing; dāvam — a forest fire in family life; kvacit — sometimes; agni-taptaḥ — burned by fire; nirvidyate — is despondent; kva — somewhere; ca — and; yakṣaiḥ — by kings resembling rogues and thieves; hṛta — taken away; asuḥ — wealth, which is as dear as one’s life.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the conditioned soul jumps into a shallow river, or being short of food grains, he goes to beg food from people who are not at all charitable. Sometimes he suffers from the burning heat of household life, which is like a forest fire, and sometimes he becomes sad to have his wealth, which is as dear as life, plundered by kings in the name of heavy income taxes.
VERSE 5.13.7
śūrair hṛta-svaḥ kva ca nirviṇṇa-cetāḥ
śocan vimuhyann upayāti kaśmalam
kvacic ca gandharva-puraṁ praviṣṭaḥ
pramodate nirvṛtavan muhūrtam
SYNONYMS
śūraiḥ — by very powerful enemies; hṛta-svaḥ — all of whose possessions have been stolen; kva ca — sometimes; nirviṇṇa-cetāḥ — very morose and aggrieved at heart; śocan — deeply lamenting; vimuhyan — becoming bewildered; upayāti — achieves; kaśmalam — unconsciousness; kvacit — sometimes; ca — also; gandharva-puram — an imaginary city in the forest; praviṣṭaḥ — having entered; pramodate — he enjoys; nirvṛta-vat — exactly like a person who has achieved success; muhūrtam — for a moment only.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes, being defeated or plundered by a superior, powerful agent, a living entity loses all his possessions. He then becomes very morose, and lamenting their loss, he sometimes becomes unconscious. Sometimes he imagines a great palatial city in which he desires to live happily with his family members and riches. He thinks himself fully satisfied if this is possible, but such so-called happiness continues only for a moment.
VERSE 5.13.8
calan kvacit kaṇṭaka-śarkarāṅghrir
nagārurukṣur vimanā ivāste
pade pade ’bhyantara-vahninārditaḥ
kauṭumbikaḥ krudhyati vai janāya
SYNONYMS
calan — wandering; kvacit — sometimes; kaṇṭaka-śarkara — pierced by thorns and small stones; aṅghriḥ — whose feet; naga — the hills; ārurukṣuḥ — one desiring to climb; vimanāḥ — disappointed; iva — like; āste — becomes; pade pade — step by step; abhyantara — within the abdomen; vahninā — by the strong fire of appetite; arditaḥ — being fatigued and aggrieved; kauṭumbikaḥ — a person living with his family members; krudhyati — becomes angry; vai — certainly; janāya — at the family members.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the merchant in the forest wants to climb the hills and mountains, but due to insufficient footwear, his feet are pricked by small stone fragments and by thorns on the mountain. Being pricked by them, he becomes very aggrieved. Sometimes a person who is very attached to his family becomes overwhelmed with hunger, and due to his miserable condition he becomes furious with his family members.
VERSE 5.13.9
kvacin nigīrṇo ’jagarāhinā jano
nāvaiti kiñcid vipine ’paviddhaḥ
daṣṭaḥ sma śete kva ca danda-śūkair
andho ’ndha-kūpe patitas tamisre
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; nigīrṇaḥ — being swallowed; ajagara-ahinā — by the great snake known as the python; janaḥ — the conditioned soul; na — not; avaiti — understands; kiñcit — anything; vipine — in the forest; apaviddhaḥ — pierced by arrows of suffering; daṣṭaḥ — being bitten; sma — indeed; śete — lies down; kva ca — sometimes; danda-śūkaiḥ — by other kinds of snakes; andhaḥ — blind; andha-kūpe — in a blind well; patitaḥ — fallen; tamisre — in a hellish condition of life.
TRANSLATION
The conditioned soul in the material forest is sometimes swallowed by a python or crushed. At such a time he is left lying in the forest like a dead person, devoid of consciousness and knowledge. Sometimes other poisonous snakes bite him. Being blind to his consciousness, he falls down into a dark well of hellish life with no hope of being rescued.
VERSE 5.13.10
karhi sma cit kṣudra-rasān vicinvaṁs
tan-makṣikābhir vyathito vimānaḥ
tatrāti-kṛcchrāt pratilabdhamāno
balād vilumpanty atha taṁ tato ’nye
SYNONYMS
karhi sma cit — sometimes; kṣudra — very insignificant; rasān — sexual enjoyment; vicinvan — searching for; tat — of those women; makṣikābhiḥ — by honeybees, or the husbands or family members; vyathitaḥ — very much aggrieved; vimānaḥ — insulted; tatra — in that; ati — very much; kṛcchrāt — with difficulty because of spending money; pratilabdhamānaḥ — obtaining sexual enjoyment; balāt — by force; vilumpanti — kidnapped; atha — thereafter; tam — the object of sense enjoyment (the woman); tataḥ — from him; anye — another debauchee.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes, in order to have a little insignificant sex enjoyment, one searches after debauched women. In this attempt, one is insulted and chastised by the women’s kinsmen. This is like going to take honey from a beehive and being attacked by the bees. Sometimes, after spending lots of money, one may acquire another woman for some extra sense enjoyment. Unfortunately, the object of sense enjoyment, the woman, is taken away or kidnapped by another debauchee.
VERSE 5.13.11
kvacic ca śītātapa-vāta-varṣa-
pratikriyāṁ kartum anīśa āste
kvacin mitho vipaṇan yac ca kiñcid
vidveṣam ṛcchaty uta vitta-śāṭhyāt
SYNONYMS
kvacit — sometimes; ca — also; śīta-ātapa-vāta-varṣa — of freezing cold, scorching heat, strong wind and excessive rainfall; pratikriyām — counteraction; kartum — to do; anīśaḥ — being unable; āste — remains in misery; kvacit — sometimes; mithaḥ — one another; vipaṇan — selling; yat ca — whatever; kiñcit — a little bit; vidveṣam — mutual enmity; ṛcchati — obtain; uta — it is so said; vitta-śāṭhyāt — because of cheating one another merely for money.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the living entity is busy counteracting the natural disturbances of freezing cold, scorching heat, strong wind, excessive rainfall and so forth. When he is unable to do so, he becomes very unhappy. Sometimes he is cheated in business transactions one after another. In this way, by cheating, living entities create enmity among themselves.
VERSE 5.13.12
kvacit kvacit kṣīṇa-dhanas tu tasmin
śayyāsana-sthāna-vihāra-hīnaḥ
yācan parād apratilabdha-kāmaḥ
pārakya-dṛṣṭir labhate ’vamānam
SYNONYMS
kvacit kvacit — sometimes; kṣīṇa-dhanaḥ — becoming bereft of all riches; tu — but; tasmin — in that forest; śayyā — of bedding for lying down; āsana — of a sitting place; sthāna — of a residential house; vihāra — of enjoyment with a family; hīnaḥ — being bereft; yācan — begging; parāt — from others (friends and relatives); apratilabdha-kāmaḥ — not getting his desires fulfilled; pārakya-dṛṣṭiḥ — becomes greedy for the wealth of others; labhate — he obtains; avamānam — dishonor.
TRANSLATION
On the forest path of material existence, sometimes a person is without wealth and due to this does not have a proper home, bed or sitting place, nor proper family enjoyment. He therefore goes to beg money from others, but when his desires are not fulfilled by begging, he wants to borrow or steal the property of others. Thus he is insulted in society.
VERSE 5.13.13
anyonya-vitta-vyatiṣaṅga-vṛddha-
vairānubandho vivahan mithaś ca
adhvany amuṣminn uru-kṛcchra-vitta-
bādhopasargair viharan vipannaḥ
SYNONYMS
anyonya — with one another; vitta-vyatiṣaṅga — by monetary transactions; vṛddha — increased; vaira-anubandhaḥ — one is encumbered by enmity; vivahan — sometimes marrying; mithaḥ — one another; ca — and; adhvani — on the path of material existence; amuṣmin — that; uru-kṛcchra — by great difficulties; vitta-bādha — by scarcity of money; upasargaiḥ — by diseases; viharan — wandering; vipannaḥ — one becomes fully embarrassed.
TRANSLATION
Due to monetary transactions, relationships become very strained and end in enmity. Sometimes the husband and wife walk on the path of material progress, and to maintain their relationship they work very hard. Sometimes due to scarcity of money or due to diseased conditions, they are embarrassed and almost die.
VERSE 5.13.14
tāṁs tān vipannān sa hi tatra tatra
vihāya jātaṁ parigṛhya sārthaḥ
āvartate ’dyāpi na kaścid atra
vīrādhvanaḥ pāram upaiti yogam
SYNONYMS
tān tān — all of them; vipannān — embarrassed in various ways; saḥ — the living being; hi — certainly; tatra tatra — here and there; vihāya — giving up; jātam — those who are newly born; parigṛhya — taking; sa-arthaḥ — the living being searching for his own interest; āvartate — wanders in this forest; adya api — even until now; na — not; kaścit — any of them; atra — here in this forest; vīra — O hero; adhvanaḥ — of the path of material life; pāram — the ultimate end; upaiti — gets; yogam — the process of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, on the forest path of material life, first a person is bereft of his father and mother, and after their death he becomes attached to his newly born children. In this way he wanders on the path of material progress and is eventually embarrassed. Nonetheless, no one knows how to get out of this, even up to the moment of death.
VERSE 5.13.15
manasvino nirjita-dig-gajendrā
mameti sarve bhuvi baddha-vairāḥ
mṛdhe śayīran na tu tad vrajanti
yan nyasta-daṇḍo gata-vairo ’bhiyāti
SYNONYMS
manasvinaḥ — very great heroes (mental speculators); nirjita-dik-gajendrāḥ — who have conquered many other heroes as powerful as elephants; mama — my (my land, my country, my family, my community, my religion); iti — thus; sarve — all (great political, social and religious leaders); bhuvi — in this world; baddha-vairāḥ — who have created enmity among themselves; mṛdhe — in battle; śayīran — fall dead on the ground; na — not; tu — but; tat — the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vrajanti — approach; yat — which; nyasta-daṇḍaḥ — a sannyāsī; gata-vairaḥ — who has no enmity throughout the whole world; abhiyāti — attains that perfection.
TRANSLATION
There were and are many political and social heroes who have conquered enemies of equal power, yet due to their ignorance in believing that the land is theirs, they fight one another and lay down their lives in battle. They are not able to take up the spiritual path accepted by those in the renounced order. Although they are big heroes and political leaders, they cannot take to the path of spiritual realization.
VERSE 5.13.16
prasajjati kvāpi latā-bhujāśrayas
tad-āśrayāvyakta-pada-dvija-spṛhaḥ
kvacit kadācid dhari-cakratas trasan
sakhyaṁ vidhatte baka-kaṅka-gṛdhraiḥ
SYNONYMS
prasajjati — becomes more and more attached; kvāpi — sometimes; latā-bhuja-āśrayaḥ — who takes shelter of the soft arms of his beautiful wife which are like creepers; tat-āśraya — who are sheltered by such creepers; avyakta-pada — who sing unclear songs; dvija-spṛhaḥ — desiring to hear birds; kvacit — sometimes; kadācit — somewhere; hari-cakrataḥ trasan — being afraid of the roaring sound of a lion; sakhyam — friendship; vidhatte — makes; baka-kaṅka-gṛdhraiḥ — with cranes, herons and vultures.
TRANSLATION
Sometimes the living entity in the forest of material existence takes shelter of creepers and desires to hear the chirping of the birds in those creepers. Being afraid of roaring lions in the forest, he makes friends with cranes, herons and vultures.
VERSE 5.13.17
tair vañcito haṁsa-kulaṁ samāviśann
arocayan śīlam upaiti vānarān
taj-jāti-rāsena sunirvṛtendriyaḥ
parasparodvīkṣaṇa-vismṛtāvadhiḥ
SYNONYMS
taiḥ — by them (the cheaters and pretenders, the so-called yogīs, svāmīs, incarnations and gurus); vañcitaḥ — being cheated; haṁsa-kulam — the association of great paramahaṁsas, or devotees; samāviśan — contacting; arocayan — not being satisfied with; śīlam — their behavior; upaiti — approaches; vānarān — the monkeys, which are all debauchees with no good character; tat-jāti-rāsena — by sense gratification in the association of such debauchees; sunirvṛta-indriyaḥ — being very satisfied with getting the opportunity of sense gratification; paraspara — of one another; udvīkṣaṇa — by seeing the faces; vismṛta — who has forgotten; avadhiḥ — the end of life.
TRANSLATION
Being cheated by them, the living entity in the forest of the material world tries to give up the association of these so-called yogīs, svāmīs and incarnations and come to the association of real devotees, but due to misfortune he cannot follow the instructions of the spiritual master or advanced devotees; therefore he gives up their company and again returns to the association of monkeys who are simply interested in sense gratification and women. He derives satisfaction by associating with sense gratifiers and enjoying sex and intoxication. In this way he spoils his life simply by indulging in sex and intoxication. Looking into the faces of other sense gratifiers, he becomes forgetful and thus approaches death.
VERSE 5.13.18
drumeṣu raṁsyan suta-dāra-vatsalo
vyavāya-dīno vivaśaḥ sva-bandhane
kvacit pramādād giri-kandare patan
vallīṁ gṛhītvā gaja-bhīta āsthitaḥ
SYNONYMS
drumeṣu — in the trees (or in houses standing like trees in which monkeys jump from one branch to another); raṁsyan — enjoying; suta-dāra-vatsalaḥ — being attached to the children and wife; vyavāya-dīnaḥ — who is poor-hearted because of acting on the platform of sex desire; vivaśaḥ — unable to give up; sva-bandhane — in bondage to the reactions of one’s own activities; kvacit — sometimes; pramādāt — from fear of imminent death; giri-kandare — in a cave in a mountain; patan — falling down; vallīm — the branches of a creeper; gṛhītvā — capturing; gaja-bhītaḥ — being afraid of the elephant of death; āsthitaḥ — remains in that position.
TRANSLATION
When the living entity becomes exactly like a monkey jumping from one branch to another, he remains in the tree of household life without any profit but sex. Thus he is kicked by his wife just like the he-ass. Unable to gain release, he remains helplessly in that position. Sometimes he falls victim to an incurable disease, which is like falling into a mountain cave. He becomes afraid of death, which is like the elephant in the back of that cave, and he remains stranded, grasping at the twigs and branches of a creeper.
VERSE 5.13.19
ataḥ kathañcit sa vimukta āpadaḥ
punaś ca sārthaṁ praviśaty arindama
adhvany amuṣminn ajayā niveśito
bhramañ jano ’dyāpi na veda kaścana
SYNONYMS
ataḥ — from this; kathañcit — somehow; saḥ — he; vimuktaḥ — liberated; āpadaḥ — from the danger; punaḥ ca — again; sa-artham — taking interest in that life; praviśati — begins; arim-dama — O King, killer of the enemies; adhvani — on the path of enjoyment; amuṣmin — that; ajayā — by the influence of the illusory energy; niveśitaḥ — being absorbed; bhraman — traveling; janaḥ — the conditioned soul; adya api — even up to death; na veda — does not understand; kaścana — anything.
TRANSLATION
O killer of enemies, Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa, if the conditioned soul somehow or other gets out of his dangerous position, he again returns to his home to enjoy sex life, for that is the way of attachment. Thus, under the spell of the Lord’s material energy, he continues to loiter in the forest of material existence. He does not discover his real interest even at the point of death.
VERSE 5.13.20
rahūgaṇa tvam api hy adhvano ’sya
sannyasta-daṇḍaḥ kṛta-bhūta-maitraḥ
asaj-jitātmā hari-sevayā śitaṁ
jñānāsim ādāya tarāti-pāram
SYNONYMS
rahūgaṇa — O King Rahūgaṇa; tvam — you; api — also; hi — certainly; adhvanaḥ — of the path of material existence; asya — this; sannyasta-daṇḍaḥ — having given up the king’s rod for punishing criminals; kṛta-bhūta-maitraḥ — having become friendly to everyone; asat-jita-ātmā — whose mind is not attracted to the material pleasure of life; hari-sevayā — by the means of loving service to the Supreme Lord; śitam — sharpened; jñāna-asim — the sword of knowledge; ādāya — taking in hand; tara — cross over; ati-pāram — to the ultimate end of spiritual existence.
TRANSLATION
My dear King Rahūgaṇa, you are also a victim of the external energy, being situated on the path of attraction to material pleasure. So that you may become an equal friend to all living entities, I now advise you to give up your kingly position and the rod by which you punish criminals. Give up attraction to the sense objects and take up the sword of knowledge sharpened by devotional service. Then you will be able to cut the hard knot of illusory energy and cross to the other side of the ocean of nescience.
VERSE 5.13.21
rājovāca
aho nṛ-janmākhila-janma-śobhanaṁ
kiṁ janmabhis tv aparair apy amuṣmin
na yad dhṛṣīkeśa-yaśaḥ-kṛtātmanāṁ
mahātmanāṁ vaḥ pracuraḥ samāgamaḥ
SYNONYMS
rājā uvāca — King Rahūgaṇa said; aho — alas; nṛ-janma — you who have taken birth as a human being; akhila-janma-śobhanam — the best of all species of life; kim — what need; janmabhiḥ — with births in a higher species like the demigods in the heavenly planets; tu — but; aparaiḥ — not superior; api — indeed; amuṣmin — in the next birth; na — not; yat — which; hṛṣīkeśa-yaśaḥ — by the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of all senses; kṛta-ātmanām — of those whose hearts are purified; mahā-ātmanām — who are actually great souls; vaḥ — of us; pracuraḥ — abundant; samāgamaḥ — the association.
TRANSLATION
King Rahūgaṇa said: This birth as a human being is the best of all. Even birth among the demigods in the heavenly planets is not as glorious as birth as a human being on this earth. What is the use of the exalted position of a demigod? In the heavenly planets, due to profuse material comforts, there is no possibility of associating with devotees.
VERSE 5.13.22
na hy adbhutaṁ tvac-caraṇābja-reṇubhir
hatāṁhaso bhaktir adhokṣaje ’malā
mauhūrtikād yasya samāgamāc ca me
dustarka-mūlo ’pahato ’vivekaḥ
SYNONYMS
na — not; hi — certainly; adbhutam — wonderful; tvat-caraṇa-abja-reṇubhiḥ — by the dust of your lotus feet; hata-aṁhasaḥ — who am completely freed from the reactions of sinful life; bhaktiḥ — love and devotion; adhokṣaje — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond the capture of experimental knowledge; amalā — completely freed from all material contamination; mauhūrtikāt — momentary; yasya — of whom; samāgamāt — by the visit and association; ca — also; me — my; dustarka — of false arguments; mūlaḥ — the root; apahataḥ — completely vanquished; avivekaḥ — not discriminating.
TRANSLATION
It is not at all wonderful that simply by being covered by the dust of your lotus feet, one immediately attains the platform of pure devotional service to Adhokṣaja, which is not available even to great demigods like Brahmā. By associating with you just for a moment, I am now freed from all argument, false prestige and lack of discrimination, which are the roots of entanglement in the material world. Now I am free from all these problems.
VERSE 5.13.23
namo mahadbhyo ’stu namaḥ śiśubhyo
namo yuvabhyo nama āvaṭubhyaḥ
ye brāhmaṇā gām avadhūta-liṅgāś
caranti tebhyaḥ śivam astu rājñām
SYNONYMS
namaḥ — all obeisances; mahadbhyaḥ — unto the great personalities; astu — let there be; namaḥ — my obeisances; śiśubhyaḥ — unto those great personalities who appear as boys; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; yuvabhyaḥ — unto those who appear as young men; namaḥ — respectful obeisances; ā-vaṭubhyaḥ — unto those who appear as children; ye — all those who; brāhmaṇāḥ — self-realized in transcendental knowledge; gām — the earth; avadhūta-liṅgāḥ — who remain hidden under different bodily guises; caranti — they traverse; tebhyaḥ — from them; śivam astu — let there be all good fortune; rājñām — unto the royal dynasties or kings (who are always very puffed up).
TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the great personalities, whether they walk on the earth’s surface as children, young boys, avadhūtas or great brāhmaṇas. Even if they are hidden under different guises, I offer my respects to all of them. By their mercy, may there be good fortune in the royal dynasties that are always offending them.
VERSE 5.13.24
śrī-śuka uvāca
ity evam uttarā-mātaḥ sa vai brahmarṣi-sutaḥ sindhu-pataya ātma-satattvaṁ vigaṇayataḥ parānubhāvaḥ parama-kāruṇikatayopadiśya rahūgaṇena sakaruṇam abhivandita-caraṇa āpūrṇārṇava iva nibhṛta-karaṇormy-āśayo dharaṇim imāṁ vicacāra.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; iti evam — in this way; uttarā-mātaḥ — O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, son of mother Uttarā; saḥ — that brāhmaṇa; vai — indeed; brahma-ṛṣi-sutaḥ — Jaḍa Bharata, the son of a highly educated brāhmaṇa; sindhu-pataye — unto the king of the province of Sindhu; ātma-sa-tattvam — the actual constitutional position of the soul; vigaṇayataḥ — although insulting Jaḍa Bharata; para-anubhāvaḥ — who was very exalted in spiritual realization; parama-kāruṇikatayā — by his quality of being very kind to the fallen souls; upadiśya — instructing; rahūgaṇena — by King Rahūgaṇa; sa-karuṇam — piteously; abhivandita-caraṇaḥ — whose lotus feet were worshiped; āpūrṇa-arṇavaḥ iva — like the full ocean; nibhṛta — completely silenced; karaṇa — of the senses; ūrmi — the waves; āśayaḥ — possessing a heart in which; dharaṇim — the earth; imām — this; vicacāra — continued to roam.
TRANSLATION
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, O son of mother Uttarā, there were some waves of dissatisfaction in the mind of Jaḍa Bharata due to his being insulted by King Rahūgaṇa, who made him carry his palanquin, but Jaḍa Bharata neglected this, and his heart again became calm and quiet like an ocean. Although King Rahūgaṇa had insulted him, he was a great paramahaṁsa. Being a Vaiṣṇava, he was naturally very kindhearted, and he therefore told the King about the constitutional position of the soul. He then forgot the insult because King Rahūgaṇa pitifully begged pardon at his lotus feet. After this, he began to wander all over the earth, just as before.
VERSE 5.13.25
sauvīra-patir api sujana-samavagata-paramātma-satattva ātmany avidyādhyāropitāṁ ca dehātma-matiṁ visasarja; evaṁ hi nṛpa bhagavad-āśritāśritānubhāvaḥ.
SYNONYMS
sauvīra-patiḥ — the King of the state of Sauvīra; api — certainly; su-jana — from an elevated person; samavagata — having completely understood; paramātma-sa-tattvaḥ — the truth of the constitutional position of the spirit soul and the Supersoul; ātmani — in himself; avidyā — by nescience; adhyāropitām — erroneously attributed; ca — and; deha — in the body; ātma-matim — the concept of the self; visasarja — completely gave up; evam — thus; hi — certainly; nṛpa — O King; bhagavat-āśrita-āśrita-anubhāvaḥ — the consequence of taking shelter of a devotee who has similarly taken shelter of a spiritual master in the paramparā system (one is sure to get out of the great nescience of the bodily concept of life).
TRANSLATION
After receiving lessons from the great devotee Jaḍa Bharata, King Rahūgaṇa of the state of Sauvīra became completely aware of the constitutional position of the soul. He thus gave up the bodily conception completely. My dear King, whoever takes shelter of the servant of the servant of the Lord is certainly glorified because he can without difficulty give up the bodily conception.
VERSE 5.13.26
rājovāca
yo ha vā iha bahu-vidā mahā-bhāgavata tvayābhihitaḥ parokṣeṇa vacasā jīva-loka-bhavādhvā sa hy ārya-manīṣayā kalpita-viṣayo nāñjasāvyutpanna-loka-samadhigamaḥ; atha tad evaitad duravagamaṁ samavetānukalpena nirdiśyatām iti.
SYNONYMS
rājā uvāca — King Parīkṣit said; yaḥ — which; ha — certainly; vā — or; iha — in this narration; bahu-vidā — who are aware of many incidents of transcendental knowledge; mahā-bhāgavata — O great devotee sage; tvayā — by you; abhihitaḥ — described; parokṣeṇa — figuratively; vacasā — by words; jīva-loka-bhava-adhvā — the path of material existence of the conditioned soul; saḥ — that; hi — indeed; ārya-manīṣayā — by the intelligence of advanced devotees; kalpita-viṣayaḥ — the subject matter is imagined; na — not; añjasā — directly; avyutpanna-loka — of persons who are not very experienced or intelligent; samadhigamaḥ — the complete understanding; atha — therefore; tat eva — because of that; etat — this matter; duravagamam — which is difficult to understand; samaveta-anukalpena — by substituting the direct meaning of such incidents; nirdiśyatām — let it be described; iti — thus.
TRANSLATION
King Parīkṣit then told Śukadeva Gosvāmī: My dear lord, O great devotee sage, you are omniscient. You have very nicely described the position of the conditioned soul, who is compared to a merchant in the forest. From these instructions intelligent men can understand that the senses of a person in the bodily conception are like rogues and thieves in that forest, and one’s wife and children are like jackals and other ferocious animals. However, it is not very easy for the unintelligent to understand the purport of this story because it is difficult to extricate the exact meaning from the allegory. I therefore request Your Holiness to give the direct meaning.