SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 1

Sûta said: "It was there. (at the Sarasvatî river) that the king saw that a s'ûdra who was dressed like a king was beating a cow and a bull with a club, like there was no one to protect them.

Sûta Gosvâmî said: After reaching that place, Mahârâja Parîkshit observed that a lower-caste s'ûdra, dressed like a king, was beating a cow and a bull with a club, as if they had no owner. (Vedabase)

Text 2:

The bull, that was as white as a lotus, terrified of being beaten by the s'ûdra urinated and trembled out of fear, standing on one leg only.

The bull was as white as a white lotus flower. He was terrified of the s'ûdra who was beating him, and he was so afraid that he was standing on one leg, trembling and urinating. (Vedabase)

Text 3:

The cow also, on itself a religious example but now rendered poor and distressed because of the s'ûdra who beated her legs, was without a calf and had tears in her eyes while she very weak was hankering after some grass to eat.

Although the cow is beneficial because one can draw religious principles from her, she was now rendered poor and calfless. Her legs were being beaten by a s'ûdra. There were tears in her eyes, and she was distressed and weak. She was hankering after some grass in the field. (Vedabase)

Text 4:

From his with gold embossed chariot inquired Parîkchit, well equipped with bow and arrows, with a thundering voice:

Mahârâja Parîkshit, well equipped with arrows and bow and seated on a gold-embossed chariot, spoke to him [the s'ûdra] with a deep voice sounding like thunder. (Vedabase)

Text 5:

'Who are you to think that you in this place can violently kill the helpless resorting under my protection! As an actor you make a powerful appearance dressed up like a God-conscious man, but you behave like someone who never saw the light of civilization [of being twice born].

Oh, who are you? You appear to be strong and yet you dare kill, within my protection, those who are helpless! By your dress you pose yourself to be a godly man [king], but by your deeds you are opposing the principles of the twice-born kshatriyas. (Vedabase)

Text 6:

Do you think that because Lord Krishna and the carrier of the bow the Gândiva [Arjuna] are not in view, you can secretly beat an innocent cow? Being a culprit that way you deserve it to be killed!'

You rogue, do you dare beat an innocent cow because Lord Krishna and Arjuna, the carrier of the Gândiva bow, are out of sight? Since you are beating the innocent in a secluded place, you are considered a culprit and therefore deserve to be killed. (Vedabase)

Text 7:

'And you', he said turning to the bull, 'are you just a bull that, as white as a lotus moving on one leg, has lost three legs or are you some demigod in the form of a bull causing us grief?

Then he [Mahârâja Parîkshit] asked the bull: Oh, who are you? Are you a bull as white as a white lotus, or are you a demigod? You have lost three of your legs and are moving on only one. Are you some demigod causing us grief in the form of a bull? (Vedabase)

Text 8:

Never under the protection of the sway [the arms] of any of the kings of the Kuru dynasty has there been such grieving on this earth, except for the case of you having tears in your eyes because of someone else.

Now for the first time in a kingdom well protected by the arms of the kings of the Kuru dynasty, I see you grieving with tears in your eyes. Up till now no one on earth has ever shed tears because of royal negligence. (Vedabase)

Text 9:

O son of Surabhi [the celestial cow], in my kingdom there will be no lamentation, so do not fear the s'ûdra, and mother cow, do not cry; as long as I am alive as the ruler and subduer of the envious, everything will be good for you.

O son of Surabhi, you need lament no longer now. There is no need to fear this low-class s'ûdra. And, O mother cow, as long as I am living as the ruler and subduer of all envious men, there is no cause for you to cry. Everything will be good for you. (Vedabase)

Text 10-11

O chaste one, he will lose his fame, longevity, fortune and a good birth, in whose state the living beings are terrified of miscreants. It is certainly the supreme duty of the kings to subdue in order to end the misery of the ones who suffer and therefore I shall kill this most wretched man so violent against other living beings.

O chaste one, the king's good name, duration of life and good rebirth vanish when all kinds of living beings are terrified by miscreants in his kingdom. It is certainly the prime duty of the king to subdue first the sufferings of those who suffer. Therefore I must kill this most wretched man because he is violent against other living beings. (Vedabase)

Text 12:

Who is he who could cut off your legs, o son of Surabhi - as it happened with you it has never happened before in the state of the kings that live following Lord Krishna.

He [Mahârâja Parîkshit] repeatedly addressed and questioned the bull thus: O son of Surabhi, who has cut off your three legs? In the state of the kings who are obedient to the laws of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, there is no one as unhappy as you. (Vedabase)

Text 13

Just tell me, o bull, for you are honest and without offenses, about him who mutilated you and tarnished the reputation of the sons of Parthâ.

O bull, you are offenseless and thoroughly honest; therefore I wish all good to you. Please tell me of the perpetrator of these mutilations, which blackmail the reputation of the sons of Prithâ. (Vedabase)

Text 14

Those who make the offenseless suffer may fear me wherever they are, as I will curb the actions of the miscreants and restore the good fortune of the honest ones.

Whoever causes offenseless living beings to suffer must fear me anywhere and everywhere in the world. By curbing dishonest miscreants, one automatically benefits the offenseless. (Vedabase)

Text 15

The upstart who offends innocent living beings, I shall forthwith defeat, whether he's a demigod from heaven with armor and decorations or not.

An upstart living being who commits offenses by torturing those who are offenseless shall be directly uprooted by me, even though he be a denizen of heaven with armor and decorations. (Vedabase)

Text 16:

It is certainly the holy duty of the head of state to always protect the ones who live in loyalty and rule safely according to the scriptures over others who are in fact straying.'

The supreme duty of the ruling king is to give all protection to law-abiding persons and to chastise those who stray from the ordinances of the scriptures in ordinary times, when there is no emergency. (Vedabase)

Text 17:

The personality of religion said: 'All you said speaking for the freedom from anxiety of the sufferers just befits one of the Pândava dynasty by the qualities of which even Lord Krishna acted as a servant.

The personality of religion said: These words just spoken by you befit a person of the Pândava dynasty. Captivated by the devotional qualities of the Pândavas, even Lord Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, performed duties as a messenger. (Vedabase)

Text 18:

O greatest among the human beings, from the bewilderment of the person by all the differences of opinion, we cannot tell what would be the cause of all human suffering.

O greatest among human beings, it is very difficult to ascertain the particular miscreant who has caused our sufferings, because we are bewildered by all the different opinions of theoretical philosophers. (Vedabase)

Text 19:

Some who deny all kinds of duality declare that it is from one self that one suffers, others say that it is from the superhuman, while still others say that it is all due to the activities of material nature or of adopting outside authorities.

Some of the philosophers, who deny all sorts of duality, declare that one's own self is responsible for his personal happiness and distress. Others say that superhuman powers are responsible, while yet others say that activity is responsible, and the gross materialists maintain that nature is the ultimate cause. (Vedabase)

Text 20:

Some also concluded that it defies explication and comprehension; which of them herein is right, o sage amongst the kings, you may judge by your own power of intelligence.

There are also some thinkers who believe that no one can ascertain the cause of distress by argumentation, nor know it by imagination, nor express it by words. O sage amongst kings, judge for yourself by thinking over all this with your own intelligence. (Vedabase)

Text 21:

Sûta said: "Parîkchit, who attentively heard the personality of religion thus speak, o best among the brahmins, mindfully replied.

Sûta Gosvâmî said: O best among the brâhmanas, the Emperor Parîkshit, thus hearing the personality of religion speak, was fully satisfied, and without mistake or regret he gave his reply. (Vedabase)

Text 22:

The king said: 'O knower of the duties, with you in the form of a bull do you as the personality of religion profess that [just like with a guru taking up the karma] the position of the one acting against the religion also becomes the position of the one identifying the problem.

The King said: O you, who are in the form of a bull! You know the truth of religion, and you are speaking according to the principle that the destination intended for the perpetrator of irreligious acts is also intended for one who identifies the perpetrator. You are no other than the personality of religion. (Vedabase)

Text 23:

In other words: the Lord His ways with the material world are inconceivable and to all it is clear that nor thinking nor speaking is of avail.

Thus it is concluded that the Lord's energies are inconceivable. No one can estimate them by mental speculation or by word jugglery. (Vedabase)

Text 24:

Austerity, cleanliness, compassion and thruthfullness [tapas, s'auca, dayâ, satya] are the legs that established the age of truth [Satya Yuga, the 'old days'], but from irreligiosity three of them broke in pride, too much association with women and intoxication.

In the age of Satya [truthfulness] your four legs were established by the four principles of austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness. But it appears that three of your legs are broken due to rampant irreligion in the form of pride, lust for women, and intoxication. (Ved a base)

Text 25:

At present, o personality of religion, you are hobbling along on the one leg of truthfulness while quarrel personified [Kali], flourishing on deceit, irreligiously tries to destroy that leg too

You are now standing on one leg only, which is your truthfulness, and you are somehow or other hobbling along. But quarrel personified [Kali], flourishing by deceit, is also trying to destroy that leg. (Vedabase)

Text 26:

A great burden was taken from the face of the earth by the Supreme Lord personally and others also - His all-auspicious footprints brought good fortune everywhere.

The burden of the earth was certainly diminished by the Personality of Godhead and by others as well. When He was present as an incarnation, all good was performed because of His auspicious footprints. (Vedabase)

Text 27

Lamenting with tears in her eyes, the unfortunate and chaste one [mother earth] deserted by Him, is now enjoyed by the lower-class who, devoid of the culture of learning, pose themself as rulers in my place.'

Now she, the chaste one, being unfortunately forsaken by the Personality of Godhead, laments her future with tears in her eyes, for now she is being ruled and enjoyed by lower-class men who pose as rulers. (Vedabase)

Text 28

Thus the personalities of religion and mother earth were pacified by the great warrior, who took up his sharp sword in order to kill Kali, the root cause of irreligion.

Mahârâja Parîkshit, who could fight one thousand enemies singlehandedly, thus pacified the personality of religion and the earth. Then he took up his sharp sword to kill the personality of Kali, who is the cause of all irreligion. (Vedabase)

Text 29

Knowing that the king prepared to kill him, abandoned Kali, under the pressure of fear, the royal dress and fully surrendered himself bowing his head at the feet.

When the personality of Kali understood that the King was willing to kill him, he at once abandoned the dress of a king and, under pressure of fear, completely surrendered to him, bowing his head. (Vedabase)

Text 30

Out of compassion, he who is kind to the poor and capable of handling worship, with a smile refrained from killing the one fallen at the feet of the hero of whom it is said that he is worthy of being sung.

Mahârâja Parîkshit, who was qualified to accept surrender and worthy of being sung in history, did not kill the poor surrendered and fallen Kali, but smiled compassionately, for he was kind to the poor. (Vedabase)

Text 31:

The king said: 'Do not fear as you surrendered with folded hands; we certainly inherited the fame of Arjuna, but there can be no question either of being allowed to stay in my kingdom as you are the friend of irreligion.

The King thus said: We have inherited the fame of Arjuna; therefore since you have surrendered yourself with folded hands you need not fear for your life. But you cannot remain in my kingdom, for you are the friend of irreligion. (Vedabase)

Text 32:

With you present in the body as a god of men, everywhere all the irreligion of greed, falsehood, robbery, incivility, treachery, misfortune, cheating, quarrel and vanity will be abound in the masses.

If the personality of Kali, irreligion, is allowed to act as a man-god or an executive head, certainly irreligious principles like greed, falsehood, robbery, incivility, treachery, misfortune, cheating, quarrel and vanity will abound. (Vedabase)

Text 33:

Therefore, o friend of irreligion, you do not deserve to remain with the religion and truth in a place of sacrifice where one duly and expertly is offering in service to the Lord of Sacrifices.

Therefore, O friend of irreligion, you do not deserve to remain in a place where experts perform sacrifices according to truth and religious principles for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Vedabase)

Text 34:

In such sacrificial ceremonies the Supreme Personality of God, the Lord, is being worshiped as the soul of all worshipable deities, in the form of which He spreads welfare, for He is the inviolable Supersoul to all desires being inside as well as outside like the air is to all the moving and unmoving.'

In all sacrificial ceremonies, although sometimes a demigod is worshiped, the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead is worshiped because He is the Supersoul of everyone, and exists both inside and outside like the air. Thus it is He only who awards all welfare to the worshiper. (Vedabase)

Text 35:

Sûta said: "That way being addressed by king Parîkchit, the personality of Kali was trembling seeing him ready with a raised sword speaking like Yamarâja, the Lord of Death.

S'rî Sûta Gosvâmî said: The personality of Kali, thus being ordered by Mahârâja Parîkshit, began to tremble in fear. Seeing the King before him like Yamarâja, ready to kill him, Kali spoke to the King as follows. (Vedabase)

Text 36:

Kali said: 'Wherever that I may live under your order, o emperor, I will always see the reign of your bow and arrows as well.

O Your Majesty, though I may live anywhere and everywhere under your order, I shall but see you with bow and arrows wherever I look. (Vedabase)

Text 37:

Therefore please, o chief of the protectors of the religion, allot me a place where I for certain may find a permanent residence under your rule'."

Therefore, O chief amongst the protectors of religion, please fix some place for me where I can live permanently under the protection of your government. (Vedabase)

Text 38:

Sûta said: "Thus being petitioned, gave he Kali at that time the permission to dwell in places where the four sinful activities of gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter [dyûtam, pânam, striyah, sûnâ] were taking place.

Sûta Gosvâmî said: Mahârâja Parîkshit, thus being petitioned by the personality of Kali, gave him permission to reside in places where gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter were performed. (Vedabase)

Text 39:

Next to that gave the master him, upon his insistent begging, the place where there is gold as gold by passion is the fifth sin bringing falsity, intoxication, lust and enmity.

The personality of Kali asked for something more, and because of his begging, the King gave him permission to live where there is gold because wherever there is gold there is also falsity, intoxication, lust, envy and enmity. (Vedabase)

Text 40:

Thus were under the direction of the son of Uttarâ the five dwelling places given to Kali where indeed irreligion is encouraged.

Thus the personality of Kali, by the directions of Mahârâja Parîkshit, the son of Uttarâ, was allowed to live in those five places. (Vedabase)

Text 41:

For that reason should a person desiring his well-being never resort to any of these places, especially not those on the path of liberation, the royalty, the state officials and the teachers.

Therefore, whoever desires progressive well-being, especially kings, religionists, public leaders, brâhmanas and sannyâsîs, should never come in contact with the four above-mentioned irreligious principles. (Vedabase)

Text 42:

By encouraging activities restoring the three lost legs of austerity, cleanliness and compassion of the bull, was [by King Parîkchit] the earth perfectly improved.

Thereafter the King reestablished the lost legs of the personality of religion [the bull], and by encouraging activities he sufficiently improved the condition of the earth. (Vedabase)

Text 43-44:

Of him is the present rule; the throne that was handed over by the grandfather king [Yudhishthhira] who desired to withdraw in the forest. From that rule, is that sage among the kings and chief of the Kuru-dynasty, now known in Hastinâpura as the most fortunate and famous emperor.

The most fortunate Emperor Mahârâja Parîkshit, who was entrusted with the kingdom of Hastinâpura by Mahârâja Yudhishthhira when he desired to retire to the forest, is now ruling the world with great success due to his being glorified by the deeds of the kings of the Kuru dynasty. (Vedabase)

Text 45:

Because of this experience of the son of Abhimanyu, the king, may, thanks to his rule over the earth, you all have the initiation of the performance of sacrifices like this.

Mahârâja Parîkshit, the son of Abhimanyu, is so experienced that by dint of his expert administration and patronage, it has been possible for you to perform a sacrifice such as this. (Vedabase)