Source
Texts:
The
Deliverance of King Nriga
Text
1
The son of
Vyâsa said: 'One day [in their youth], o King,
went the yadu-boys Sâmba,
Pradyumna, Câru, Bhânu, Gada and others to a park
to play.
S'rî
Bâdarâyani said: O King, one day Sâmba,
Pradyumna, Câru, Bhânu, Gada and other young
boys of the Yadu dynasty went to a small forest to
play.
Text
2
Playing
for a long time there looked they thirsty for water and
discovered they in a dry well an amazing
creature.
After
playing for a long time, they became thirsty. As they
searched for water, they looked inside a dry well and saw a
peculiar creature.
Text
3
There
they saw a chameleon as big as a mountain and with a mind
filled with wonder about it made they, moved by compassion, the
effort to lift it up.
The
boys were astonished to behold this creature, a lizard who
looked like a hill. They felt sorry for it and tried to lift
it out of the well.
Text
4
Attaching
straps of leather and twisted ropes were the boys not able to
lift out the creature and so reported they it excitedly to
Krishna.
They
caught on to the trapped lizard with leather thongs and then
with woven ropes, but still they could not lift it out. So
they went to Lord Krishna and excitedly told Him about the
creature.
Text
5
The Lotus-eyed
Supreme Lord, the Maintainer of the Universe, going there saw
it and picked it with His left hand easily up.
The
lotus-eyed Supreme Lord, maintainer of the universe, went to
the well and saw the lizard. Then with His left hand He
easily lifted it out.
Text
6
Being touched
by the hand of Uttamas'loka,
was immediately the chameleon form given up for the one of a
heavenly being beautiful with a complexion of molten gold and
wonderful ornaments, clothes and garlands.
Touched
by the hand of the glorious Supreme Lord, the being at once
gave up its lizard form and assumed that of a resident of
heaven. His complexion was beautifully colored like molten
gold, and he was adorned with wonderful ornaments, clothes
and garlands.
Text
7
Though
well aware of the cause of this asked Mukunda,
so that the people in general might know: 'Who are You, o
fortunate one, from your excellent appearance I dare say you're
an exalted demigod!'
Lord
Krishna understood the situation, but to inform people in
general He inquired as follows: "Who are you, O greatly
fortunate one? Seeing your excellent form, I think you must
surely be an exalted demigod.
Text
8
What
action brought you to this condition, which you certainly
didn't deserve, o good soul; please tell Us, eager to know, all
about yourself - that is, if you think it's the right time to
speak about it here.'
"By
what past activity were you brought to this condition? It
seems you did not deserve such a fate, O good soul. We are
eager to know about you, so please inform us about yourself
- if, that is, you think this the proper time and place to
tell us."
Text
9
S'rî
S'uka said: 'The king thus as such questioned by Krishna whose
forms are unlimited, with his helmet as brilliant as the sun
bowed down to Mâdhava
and spoke to Him.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: Thus questioned by Krishna, whose
forms are unlimited, the King, his helmet as dazzling as the
sun, bowed down to Lord Mâdhava and replied as
follows.
Text
10
Nriga
said: 'I, the ruler of man named Nriga [see
9.1:
11-12,
9.2:
17],
am a son of [S'raddha next to the elder brother]
Ikshvâku, o master, maybe Your ear caught that I am
counted among the men of charity.
King
Nriga said: I am a king known as Nriga, the son of
Ikshvâku. Perhaps, Lord, You have heard of me when
lists of charitable men were recited.
Text
11
What
indeed would be unknown to You o Master, Witness of the Mind of
all Beings, Whose vision is undisturbed by time; yet I 'll
speak as You order.
What
could possibly be unknown to You, O master? With vision
undisturbed by time, You witness the minds of all living
beings. Nevertheless, on Your order I will speak.
Text
12
As
many grains of sand there are on earth, as many stars there are
in the sky or as many raindrops there are to a shower of rain,
that many cows have I donated.
I
gave in charity as many cows as there are grains of sand on
the earth, stars in the heavens, or drops in a rain
shower.
Text
13
I
gave cows complete with milk, being young , sweet, of beauty
and endowed with other qualities; brown and fair, together with
their calves, adorned with gold on their horns, silver on their
hooves, fine cloth and garlands.
Young,
brown, milk-laden cows, who were well behaved, beautiful and
endowed with good qualities, who were all acquired honestly,
and who had gilded horns, silver-plated hooves and
decorations of fine ornamental cloths and garlands - such
were the cows, along with their calves, that I gave in
charity.
Text
14-15:
I,
of pious works and performing worship with fire sacrifices, did
adorn nicely and gave in charity to the saintly, young,
exceptional brahmins, dedicated to the truth, well-known for
their austerity and vast learning in the Vedas, who with their
families in need were of good qualities and character: cows,
land, gold, houses, horses and elephants; marriageable girls
with maidservants, sesame seeds, silver, bedding and clothing;
jewels, furniture and chariots.
I
first honored the brâhmanas who were recipients of my
charity by decorating them with fine ornaments. Those most
exalted brâhmanas, whose families were in need, were
young and possessed of excellent character and qualities.
They were dedicated to truth, famous for their austerity,
vastly learned in the Vedic scriptures and saintly in their
behavior. I gave them cows, land, gold and houses, along
with horses, elephants and marriageable girls with
maidservants, as well as sesame, silver, fine beds,
clothing, jewels, furniture and chariots. In addition, I
performed Vedic sacrifices and executed various pious
welfare activities.
Text
16
I
unknowingly, gave of a certain first class dvija [a brahmin
not accepting gifts anymore, see 7.11]
away to another twice-born soul a cow, which being lost had
mingled with my herd.
Once
a cow belonging to a certain first-class brâhmana
wandered away and entered my herd. Unaware of this, I gave
that cow in charity to a different brâhmana.
Text
17
She
being led away was spotted by her master who said: 'She's
mine', whereas he who had accepted the gift said: 'Nriga gave
this one to me!'
When
the cow's first owner saw her being led away, he said, "She
is mine!" The second brâhmana, who had accepted her as
a gift, replied, "No, she's mine! Nriga gave her to
me."
Text
18
The two learned
ones arguing in defense of their own interest said to me: 'You
sir, as a giver were a thief!' to the hearing of which I fell
in perplexity.
As
the two brâhmanas argued, each trying to fulfill his
own purpose, they came to me. One of them said, "You gave me
this cow," and the other said, "But you stole her from me."
Hearing this, I was bewildered.
Text
19-20
Embarrassed
indeed in my religious duty I supplicated with both the men of
learning with 'Please give me this one cow, I'll give you a
hundred thousand of best quality! You both, please be of mercy
with your servant who was unaware; save me from the danger of
falling down into a dirty hell!'
Finding
myself in a terrible dilemma concerning my duty in the
situation, I humbly entreated both the brâhmanas: "I
will give one hundred thousand of the best cows in exchange
for this one. Please give her back to me. Your good selves
should be merciful to me, your servant. I did not know what
I was doing. Please save me from this difficult situation,
or I'll surely fall into a filthy hell."
Text
21
'I'm
not in want at all o King!' thus spoke the owner and went
away.
'Not
even the additional countless cows I want', said the other one
and left.
The
present owner of the cow said, "I don't want anything in
exchange for this cow, O King," and went away. The other
brâhmana declared, "I don't want even ten thousand
more cows [than you are offering]," and he too went
away.
Text
22
To this
occasion was I by the messengers of Yamarâja taken to his
abode and there by the Lord of Death and Retribution [as
follows], o God of Gods, o Master of the Universe [see
also 5.26:
6,
6.1:
31 and
6.3]
asked the question:
O
Lord of lords, O master of the universe, the agents of
Yamarâja, taking advantage of the opportunity thus
created, later carried me to his abode. There Yamarâja
himself questioned me.
Text
23
'Do you first
want to experience your bad deeds, o King, or rather your good
deeds; as I see no end to the shining world of what you
religiously gave in charity.'
[Yamarâja
said:] My dear King, do you wish to experience the
results of your sins first, or those of your piety? Indeed,
I see no end to the dutiful charity you have performed, or
to your consequent enjoyment in the radiant heavenly
planets.
Text
24
I
thus said: 'I'll first take my bad deeds o Godhead', and so
said he: 'Then fall!' and as I was falling, o Master, saw I
myself as a chameleon!
I
replied, "First, my lord, let me suffer my sinful
reactions," and Yamarâja said, "Then fall!" "At once I
fell, and while falling I saw myself becoming a lizard, O
master.
Text
25
Being
Your servant generous towards the brahmins, o
Kes'ava,
has me not even today left the memory of the audience of You
that I lost and hanker for [see also 5.8:
28].
O
Kes'ava, as Your servant I was devoted to the
brâhmanas and generous to them, and I always hankered
for Your audience. Therefore even till now I have never
forgotten [my past life].
Text
26
How, o Almighty
One, can You in person be visible to me; You, the Supreme Soul
who meditated by the masters of yoga are visible to the eye of
a spotless heart - how, o Adhoks'aja,
can I, whose intelligence was blinded by severe troubles, be
allowed to perceive what is for those whose material life out
here is completed?
O
almighty one, how is it that my eyes see You here before me?
You are the Supreme Soul, whom the greatest masters of
mystic yoga can meditate upon within their pure hearts only
by employing the spiritual eye of the Vedas. Then how, O
transcendental Lord, are You directly visible to me, since
my intelligence has been blinded by the severe tribulations
of material life? Only one who has finished his material
entanglement in this world should be able to see You.
Text
27-28
O, God of Gods,
Master of the Universe, Lord of the Cows, Supreme Personality;
o Path Laid out for Man, Master of the Senses, Grace of the
Verses, Infallible and Undiminishing One, please permit me to
leave, o Krishna, for the world of the gods, o Master; may
wherever I reside my consciousness be of the shelter of Your
feet!
O
Devadeva, Jagannâtha, Govinda, Purushottama,
Nârâyana, Hrishîkes'a, Punyas'loka,
Acyuta, Avyaya! O Krishna, please permit me to depart for
the world of the demigods. Wherever I live, O master, may my
mind always take shelter of Your feet.
Text
29
My obeisances
unto You the Source of All Beings, the Absolute of the Truth
and the Possessor of Unlimited Potencies; I offer to the
Spiritual Pleasure of His Attraction, Krishna
[*],
the son of Vasudeva, the Lord of All forms of yoga [all
forms of uniting in the consciousness], my
respects.'
I
offer my repeated obeisances unto You, Krishna, the son of
Vasudeva. You are the source of all beings, the Supreme
Absolute Truth, the possessor of unlimited potencies, the
master of all spiritual disciplines.
Text
30
Thus
having spoken and circumambulating Him got he, touching His
feet with his crown, permission to leave and boarded he, before
all humans to see, a most excellent celestial
chariot.
Having
spoken thus, Mahârâja Nriga circumambulated Lord
Krishna and touched his crown to the Lord's feet. Granted
permission to depart, King Nriga then boarded a wonderful
celestial airplane as all the people present looked
on.
Text
31
Krishna,
the Supreme Lord, the son of Devakî, the God and Soul of
Dharma devoted to the brahmins, addressed His personal
associates and was thus of instruction to the royalty in
general:
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead - Lord Krishna, the son of
Devakî - who is especially devoted to the
brâhmanas and who embodies the essence of religion,
then spoke to His personal associates and thus instructed
the royal class in general.
Text
32
'If
even for one more potent than fire but the little property
consumed [stolen or denied] of a brahmin indeed is
indigestible; what then to say of kings who imagine themselves
to be controllers?
[Lord
Krishna said:] How indigestible is the property of a
brâhmana, even when enjoyed just slightly and by one
more potent than fire! What then to speak of kings who try
to enjoy it, presuming themselves lords.
Text
33
The
hâlâhala [that was churned with
Mandâra] I do not consider poison as it knows a
counteraction [namely S'iva, see 8.7];
what belongs to a brahmin [though] I call poison indeed
[once being misappropriated] as for that there is no
antidote in the world.
I
do not consider hâlâhala to be real poison,
because it has an antidote. But a brâhmana's property,
when stolen, can truly be called poison, for it has no
antidote in this world.
Text
34
Poison destroys
the one who ingests it; fire is extinguished with water, but
the fire that burns with the kindling wood of the belongings of
brahmin burns one's community down to the root.
Poison
kills only the person who ingests it, and an ordinary fire
may be extinguished with water. But the fire generated from
the kindling wood of a brâhmana's property burns the
thief's entire family down to the root.
Text
35
A
brahmins property enjoyed without permission destroys three
persons [in line see **]
but by force [like by governance or corporate
interests] enjoyed [is that true for the honor of]
ten previous and ten subsequent
generations
[see also 9.8].
If
a person enjoys a brâhmana's property without
receiving due permission, that property destroys three
generations of his family. But if he takes it by force or
gets the government or other outsiders to help him usurp it,
then ten generations of his ancestors and ten generations of
his descendants are all destroyed.
Text
36
Members
of the royalty, blinded by royal opulence
[see also
B.G.
1: 44]
do not
foresee their own fall in hell childishly hankering for the
property of a good natured brahmin.
Members
of the royal order, blinded by royal opulence, fail to
foresee their own downfall. Childishly hankering to enjoy a
brâhmana's property, they are actually hankering to go
to hell.
Text
37-38
As
many particles of dust touched by the teardrops of generous
brahmins who for their association do cry over their means of
support being stolen, that many years will the kings and the
other members of the royal family as usurpers of the brahmin's
share missing the control be cooked in the hell called
Kumbhîpâka [5.26:
13].
For
as many years as there are particles of dust touched by the
tears of generous brâhmanas who have dependent
families and whose property is stolen, uncontrolled kings
who usurp a brâhmana's property are cooked, along with
their royal families, in the hell known as
Kumbhîpâka.
Text
39
He
then who steals what a brahmin owns, whether it was given by
oneself or someone else, is for sixty thousand years born as a
worm in feces.
Whether
it be his own gift or someone else's, a person who steals a
brâhmana's property will take birth as a worm in feces
for sixty thousand years.
Text
40
Let
the wealth of a brahmin not come my way; the desire for that
makes people short-lived, defeats them and deprives them of the
kingdom, turning them into snakes that trouble
others.
I
do not desire brâhmanas' wealth. Those who lust after
it become short- lived and are defeated. They lose their
kingdoms and become snakes, who trouble others.
Text
41
Dear
followers, do not be inimical towards a man of learning, not
even when he has sinned; even striking you physically time and
again or cursing you, should you always offer him your
obeisances.
My
dear followers, never treat a learned brâhmana
harshly, even if he has sinned. Even if he attacks you
physically or repeatedly curses you, always continue to
offer him obeisances.
Text
42
As
I carefully bow down to the learned ones all the time, should
also all of you; he who does otherwise is a candidate for being
punished by Me.
Just
us I always carefully bow down to brâhmanas, so all of
you should likewise bow down to them. I will punish anyone
who acts otherwise.
Text
43
The
property indeed taken away from a brahmin leads to the
fall-down of the taker, even done unknowingly as, as we saw,
happened to the person of Nriga with the cow of the
brahmin.
When
a brâhmana's property is stolen, even unknowingly, it
certainly causes the person who takes it to fall down, just
as the brâhmana's cow did to Nriga.
Text
44
The
Supreme Lord Mukunda, the Purifier of All Worlds, thus having
educated the residents of Dvârakâ, entered His
palace.
Having
thus instructed the residents of Dvârakâ, Lord
Mukunda, purifier of all the worlds, entered His
palace.
*
In the Mahâbhârata (Udyoga-parva 71.4), is stated
to the name of Krishna:
"The word
krish is the attractive feature of the Lord's existence, and na
means 'spiritual pleasure.' When the verb krish is added to na,
it becomes krishna, which indicates the Absolute
Truth."
**
According to S'rîla S'rîdhara Svâmî,
does tri-pûrusha, the Sanskrit term used here, refer to
oneself, one's sons and one's grandsons.
