Source
Texts:
Krishna
and Arjuna Retrieve a Brâhmana's Sons
Text
1
S'rî
S'uka said: 'Among the sages performing a sacrifice at the bank
of the Sarasvatî, o King, arose a controversy as to which
of the three [Lords] there from the beginning would be
the greatest.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: Once, O King, as a group of sages
were performing a Vedic sacrifice on the banks of the
Sarasvatî River, a controversy arose among them as to
which of the three chief deities is supreme.
Text
2
Longing
to know this send they Bhrigu,
the son of Brahmâ to find this out, o King, and so he
went to the court of Brahmâ.
Eager
to resolve this question, O King, the sages sent Lord
Brahmâ's son Bhrigu to find the answer. First he went
to his father's court.
Text
3
To
make it a test of goodness didn't he bow down to him nor
uttered he a prayer, upon which, kindled by his passion, there
grew anger with the great lord.
To
test how well Lord Brahmâ was situated in the mode of
goodness, Bhrigu failed to bow down to him or glorify him
with prayers. The lord became angry at him, inflamed into
fury by his own passion.
Text
4
Though
anger towards his son was rising with himself, managed the
Self-born One to subdue it from within, just as fire is put out
by its own product, water.
Though
anger toward his son was now rising within his heart, Lord
Brahmâ was able to subdue it by applying his
intelligence, in the same way that fire is extinguished by
its own product, water.
Text
5
Next
went he to Mount Kailâsa where S'iva stood up in an
attempt to embrace his brother with pleasure [see also
3.12:
6-10].
Bhrigu
then went to Mount Kailâsa. There Lord S'iva stood up
and happily came forward to embrace his brother.
Text
6-7:
Denying
this saying 'You are a transgressor of the path', became he
angry raising his trident against him, ready to kill with eyes
shooting fire. The goddess falling at the feet then pacified
him verbally and Bhrigu went to Vaikunthha were Lord
Janârdana
resides.
But
Bhrigu refused his embrace, telling him, "You are a deviant
heretic." At this Lord S'iva became angry, and his eyes
burned ferociously. He raised his trident and was about to
kill Bhrigu when Goddess Devî fell at his feet and
spoke some words to pacify him. Bhrigu then left that place
and went to Vaikunthha, where Lord Janârdana
resides.
Text
8-9:
With
his foot then kicking the chest of Him lying with His head on
the lap of the goddess of fortune, stood the Supreme Lord, the
Destination of the Devotees, up together with Lakshmî.
Coming down from the bed He next with His head bowed down to
the sage and said: 'Welcome to you, o brahmin, take this seat,
please forgive Us o master, for a second we didn't notice you'd
arrived!
There
he went up to the Supreme Lord, who was lying with His head
on the lap of His consort, S'rî, and kicked Him on the
chest. The Lord then rose, along with Goddess Lakshmî,
as a sign of respect. Coming down from His bedstead, that
supreme goal of all pure devotees bowed His head to the
floor before the sage and told him, 'Welcome,
brâhmana. Please sit in this chair and rest awhile.
Kindly forgive us, dear master, for not noticing your
arrival.
Text
10-11:
Please
purify Me, My world and the rulers of all worlds devoted to Me
with the water washing from the feet of your good self that
creates the sacredness of the sites of pilgrimage. Today, o My
lord, I've become the exclusive shelter, now the fortune
goddess will reside in My chest with your foot having freed it
from all sin!'
"Please
purify Me, My realm and the realms of the universal rulers
devoted to Me by giving us the water that has washed your
feet. This holy water is indeed what makes all places of
pilgrimage sacred. Today, my lord, I have become the
exclusive shelter of the goddess of fortune, Lakshmî;
she will consent to reside on My chest because your foot has
rid it of sins."
Text
12
S'rî
S'uka said: 'Bhrigu delighted by the solemn words that the Lord
of Vaikunthha thus spoke, gratified fell silent with tears in
his eyes, overwhelmed as he was with devotion.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: Bhrigu felt satisfied and
delighted to hear the solemn words spoken by Lord
Vaikunthha. Overwhelmed with devotional ecstasy, he remained
silent, his eyes brimming with tears.
Text
13
O King,
returning to the sacrifice of the sages defending the Veda,
described Bhrigu in full what he himself had
experienced.
O
King, Bhrigu then returned to the sacrificial arena of the
wise Vedic authorities and described his entire experience
to them.
Text
14-17
Hearing
this fell the sages in amazement, as they were freed from their
troubles in putting their faith in Lord Vishnu as the greatest
of whom there is peace and fearlessness, direct proof of
dharma, spiritual knowledge, detachment and that [tat, the
realization], including the eightfold of the mystic powers
[siddhis] and His fame that drives the impurities from
the mind; He's the Supreme Destination of the selfless and
saintly sages who, giving up on the violence [of ruling by
passion], have minds that are equipoised and peaceful; He's
the embodiment of the mode of goodness of which the brahmins of
spiritual peace, so keen and expert of worship without ulterior
motives, are the worshipable deities [see
1.2:
7;
3.25:
37
and 10.81
].
Amazed
upon hearing Bhrigu's account, the sages were freed from all
doubts and became convinced that Vishnu is the greatest
Lord. From Him come peace; fearlessness; the essential
principles of religion; detachment with knowledge; the
eightfold powers of mystic yoga; and His glorification,
which cleanses the mind of all impurities. He is known as
the supreme destination for those who are peaceful and
equipoised - the selfless, wise saints who have given up all
violence. His most dear form is that of pure goodness, and
the brâhmanas are His worshipable deities. Persons of
keen intellect who have attained spiritual peace worship Him
without selfish motives.
Text
18
To the gunas
are there the three types of being conditioned brought about by
His material energy: the wild [the râkshasas],
the unenlightened [the asuras] and the godly [the
suras]; among them is it the mode of goodness [of the
suras] that leads the way [see B.G.
14:
6 &
14:
14].'
The
Lord expands into three kinds of manifest beings - the
Râkshasas, the demons and the demigods - all of whom
are created by the Lord's material energy and conditioned by
her modes. But among these three modes, it is the mode of
goodness which is the means of attaining life's final
success.
Text
19
S'rî
S'uka said: 'The learned ones this way living at the
Sarasvatî to dispel the doubts of the common people,
attained by the service to the lotus feet of the Supreme
Personality the destination of Him'."
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: The learned brâhmanas living
along the river Sarasvatî came to this conclusion in
order to dispel the doubts of all people. Thereafter they
rendered devotional service to the Supreme Lord's lotus feet
and attained His abode.
Text
20
S'rî
Sûta [at Naimishâranya]
said: "Thus flowed this nectar with the fragrance of a lotus
from the mouth of the son of the sage [Yyâsa];
dealing with the Supreme Personality it shatters the fear of a
material existence and makes the traveler, who constantly
drinks in the fine verses through the holes of his ears, forget
the fatigue of his wandering on the [worldly]
road.
S'rî
Sûta Gosvâmî said: Thus did this fragrant
nectar flow from the lotus mouth of S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî, the son of the sage Vyâsadeva.
This wonderful glorification of the Supreme Person destroys
all fear of material existence. A traveler who constantly
drinks this nectar through his ear- holes will forget the
fatigue brought on by wandering along the paths of worldly
life.
Text
21
S'uka
said: 'Once, in Dvârakâ, it happened that the
infant son born from the wife of a brahmin died the moment it,
so one says, touched the ground, o descendant of
Bharata.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: Once, in Dvârakâ, a
brâhmana's wife gave birth to a son, but the newborn
infant died as soon as he touched the ground, O
Bhârata.
Text
22
The learned
one, in misery lamenting with an agitated mind, took the corpse
to the gate of the king [Ugrasena] and said, presenting
it, the following:
The
brâhmana took the corpse and placed it at the door of
King Ugrasena's court. Then, agitated and lamenting
miserably, he spoke the following.
Text
23
'Because this
unqualified avaricious kshatriya addicted to
sense-gratification, with a mind deceitful and hostile with the
brahmins, failed in his duties, has my son met with
death.
[The
brâhmana said:] This duplicitous, greedy enemy of
brâhmanas, this unqualified ruler addicted to sense
pleasure, has caused my son's death by some discrepancies in
the execution of his duties.
Text
24
Citizens
serving a wicked peoples-lord who, out of control with his
senses, takes pleasure in violence [like meat-eating],
have to suffer poverty and constant misery.'
Citizens
serving such a wicked king, who takes pleasure in violence
and cannot control his senses, are doomed to suffer poverty
and constant misery.
Text
25
And the same
way it happened a second time, and a third time alike that he,
the wise brahmin leaving [a dead child] at the gate,
sang the same song.
The
wise brâhmana suffered the same tragedy with his
second and third child. Each time, he left the body of his
dead son at the King's door and sang the same song of
lamentation.
Text
26-27
Arjuna
some day of Kes'ava around in the vicinity happened to hear of
it as the ninth child to the brahmin died; he said: 'O brahmin,
isn't there someone out here to hold the bow at your home;
verily these fallen nobles act as brahmins present at a
sacrifice!
When
the ninth child died, Arjuna, who was near Lord Kes'ava,
happened to overhear the brâhmana lamenting. Thus
Arjuna addressed the brâhmana: "What is the matter, my
dear brâhmana? Isn't there some lowly member of the
royal order here who can at least stand before your house
with a bow in his hand? These kshatriyas are behaving as if
they were brâhmanas idly engaged in fire
sacrifices.
Text
28
There
where brahmins have to lament the privation of wives, children
and wealth, are the ones dressed up as kings but actors living
for their own livelihood.
"The
rulers of a kingdom in which brâhmanas lament over
lost wealth, wives and children are merely imposters playing
the role of kings just to earn their livelihood.
Text
29
O
great lord, I'll protect the offspring of the two of you so
wretched in this matter; if I fail to fulfill my promise will I
enter the fire to put to an end to my sins [compare
B.G.
2: 34].
"My
lord, I will protect the progeny of you and your wife, who
are in such distress. And if I fail to keep this promise, I
will enter fire to atone for my sin."
Text
30-31
The brahmin
said: 'Since neither Sankarshana, Vâsudeva, Pradyumna the
greatest archer, nor Aniruddha the incomparable chariot
fighter, were able to save [my sons], why for heaven's
sake do you then so naively intend to do what is impossible to
the [catur-vyûha]
Lords of the Universe; so that's not credible to
us.'
The
brâhmana said: Neither Sankarshana; Vâsudeva;
Pradyumna, the best of bowmen; nor the unequaled warrior
Aniruddha could save my sons. Then why do you naively
attempt a feat that the almighty Lords of the universe could
not perform? We cannot take you seriously.
Text
32
S'rî
Arjuna said: 'I'm not Sankarshana o brahmin, nor Krishna or
even a descendant; I for true am the one named Arjuna with the
Gândiva as his bow!
S'rî
Arjuna said: I am neither Lord Sankarshana, O
brâhmana, nor Lord Krishna, nor even Krishna's son.
Rather, I am Arjuna, wielder of the Gândîva
bow.
Text
33
Do not belittle
my prowess o brahmin, it satisfied the three-eyed one
[S'iva]; I, defeating death in battle, will bring back
your children o master!'
Do
not minimize my ability, which was good enough to satisfy
Lord S'iva, O brâhmana. I will bring back your sons,
dear master, even if I have to defeat Death himself in
battle.
Text
34
The learned one
thus convinced by Arjuna, o tormentor of the enemies, went
home, satisfied of hearing of the prowess of the son of
Prithâ.
Thus
convinced by Arjuna, O tormentor of enemies, the
brâhmana went home, satisfied by having heard Arjuna's
declaration of his prowess.
Text
35
The time his
wife was about to deliver again, said the most elevated brahmin
distraught to Arjuna: 'Please save my child from
dying!'
When
the wife of the elevated brâhmana was again about to
give birth, he went to Arjuna in great anxiety and begged
him, "Please, please protect my child from death!"
Text
36
He,
touching pure water, offering the great controller
[S'iva] his obeisances, remembering [the mantras
of] his weapons, fixed Gândiva's
bowstring.
After
touching pure water, offering obeisances to Lord Mahes'vara
and recollecting the mantras for his celestial weapons,
Arjuna strung his bow Gândîva.
Text
37
He
upwards, downwards and sideways fenced in the house of the
delivery with arrows charged with the mantras, thus creating a
cage of arrows
Arjuna
fenced in the house where the birth was taking place by
shooting arrows attached to various missiles. Thus the son
of Prithâ constructed a protective cage of arrows,
covering the house upwards, downwards and sideways.
Text
38
The
infant of the brahmin's wife next being born, after crying for
some time suddenly disappeared through the sky with body and
all.
The
brâhmana's wife then gave birth, but after the newborn
infant had been crying for a short time, he suddenly
vanished into the sky in his selfsame body.
Text
39
The learned one
then with Krishna present said to Arjuna in derision: 'Just see
the foolishness of me, I who trusted such a boasting impotent
eunuch!
The
brâhmana then derided Arjuna in front of Lord Krishna:
"Just see how foolish I was to put my faith in the bragging
of a eunuch!
Text
40
When nor
Arjuna, nor Aniruddha, nor Râma, nor Krishna either,
could come to a rescue, who else then is capable to give
protection in a situation like this?
"When
neither Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Râma nor Kes'ava can
save a person, who else can possibly protect him?
Text
41
Damn that
Arjuna with his false words, damn the bow of that braggart, who
so dumb, delusioned thought to bring back those who were taken
by fate!'
"To
hell with that liar Arjuna! To hell with that braggart's
bow! He is so foolish that he has deluded himself into
thinking he can bring back a person whom destiny has taken
away."
Text
42
As the wise man
of learning was thus cursing him, resorted Arjuna to a mystic
incantation and went he straight to the heavenly city of
Samyamanî where the great Yamarâja
lives.
While
the wise brâhmana continued to heap insults upon him,
Arjuna employed a mystic incantation to go at once to
Samyamanî, the city of heaven where Lord
Yamarâja resides.
Text
43-44
Not finding the
brahmin's child went he, with his weapons ready, from there to
the cities of Indra, Agni, Nirriti [the god of death
subordinate to Yamarâja], Soma [the moongod],
Vâyu and Varuna and then to other regions from the
subterranean one up to the top of heaven. Failing to obtain
from them the son of the twice born one, was he, about to enter
the fire as he had promised, opposed by Krishna who tried to
stop him.
Not
seeing the brâhmana's child there, Arjuna went to the
cities of Agni, Nirriti, Soma, Vâyu and Varuna. With
weapons at the ready he searched through all the domains of
the universe, from the bottom of the subterranean region to
the roof of heaven. Finally, not having found the
brâhmana's son anywhere, Arjuna decided to enter the
sacred fire, having failed to keep his promise. But just as
he was about to do so, Lord Krishna stopped him and spoke
the following words.
Text
45
'I'll show you
the sons of the twice born one, please do not deprecate
yourself, these men [of criticism] are going to bring
the spotless fame of the both of us.'
[Lord
Krishna said:] I will show you the brâhmana's
sons, so please don't despise yourself like this. These same
men who now criticize us will soon establish our spotless
fame.
Text
46
The Supreme
Lord, the Divine Controller, thus conferring mounted with
Arjuna his chariot and set off in the western
direction.
Having
thus advised Arjuna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead had
Arjuna join Him on His divine chariot, and together they set
off toward the west.
Text
47
Passing over
the seven continents with their seven seas and seven mountain
ranges crossed he over the border separating the worlds from
outer space and entered He the vast darkness.
The
Lord's chariot passed over the seven islands of the middle
universe, each with its ocean and its seven principal
mountains. Then it crossed the Lokâloka boundary and
entered the vast region of total darkness.
Text
48-49
There in the
darkness lost the horses S'aibya,
Sugrîva, Meghapushpa and Balâhaka
[see also
10.53*]
their
way o best of the Bharatas and thus did the Supreme Lord, the
great master of all yogacontrollers, seeing their plight send
in front His personal cakra
comparable to a thousand suns.
In
that darkness the chariot's horses - S'aibya, Sugrîva,
Meghapushpa and Balâhaka - lost their way. Seeing them
in this condition, O best of the Bhâratas, Lord
Krishna, the supreme master of all masters of yoga, sent His
Sudars'ana disc before the chariot. That disc shone like
thousands of suns.
Text
50
The sudars'ana
disc with its extremely intensive effulgence fast as the mind
speeding ahead, cut itself through the immense dense and
fearsome darkness of the manifestation, like an arrow of Lord
Râmacandra shot away at an army.
Following
the Sudars'ana disc, the chariot went beyond the darkness
and reached the endless spiritual light of the all pervasive
brahma-jyoti. As Arjuna beheld this glaring effulgence, his
eyes hurt, and so he shut them.
Text
51
Following the
path of the cakra beyond that darkness beheld Arjuna the
all-pervasive, endlessly expanding, transcendental light, to
the pain of which he closed both his eyes [see also
10.28:
14-15].
Following
the Sudars'ana disc, the chariot went beyond the darkness
and reached the endless spiritual light of the all pervasive
brahma-jyoti. As Arjuna beheld this glaring effulgence, his
eyes hurt, and so he shut them.
Text
52
From there
entered they a body of water moved by a mighty wind into a
splendor of huge waves, wherein was situated a verily wondrous
abode supremely radiant with columns shining bright with
thousands of gems.
From
that region they entered a body of water resplendent with
huge waves being churned by a mighty wind. Within that ocean
Arjuna saw an amazing palace more radiant than anything he
had ever seen before. Its beauty was enhanced by thousands
of ornamental pillars bedecked with brilliant gems.
Text
53
There the huge
serpent of Ananta resided, amazing with its thousands of heads
shining with the gems upon the hoods and the twice as many
frightening eyes, who with his dark blue necks and tongues
resembled the white mountain [of
Kailâsa]
In
that palace was the huge, awe-inspiring serpent Ananta
S'esha. He shone brilliantly with the radiance emanating
from the gems on His thousands of hoods and reflecting from
twice as many fearsome eyes. He resembled white Mount
Kailâsa, and His necks and tongues were dark
blue.
Text
54-56
On the
comfortable seat of that serpent he saw the almighty, highest
authority of the Personality Supreme to all Personalities of
Godhead, resembling a dense cloud, with beautiful yellow
garments, a pleasing attractive face and broad eyes. To His
eight handsome long arms, the kaustubha jewel, the
s'rîvatsa mark and the embrace of a garland of forest
flowers, reflected the thousands of locks scattered about the
brilliance of His earrings and the clusters of large jewels in
His crown. As the Chief of the Rulers of the Universe was He
served by His personal associates headed by Nanda and Sunanda,
His cakra and His other weapons manifesting their personal
forms, [the consorts of] His
energies
for prosperity, beauty, fame and material creation [resp.
Pushthi, S'rî, Kîrti and Ajâ]
and the complete
of His mystic powers [siddhis].
Arjuna
then saw the omnipresent and omnipotent Supreme Personality
of Godhead, Mahâ-Vishnu, sitting at ease on the
serpent bed. His bluish complexion was the color of a dense
raincloud, He wore a beautiful yellow garment, His face
looked charming, His broad eyes were most attractive, and He
had eight long, handsome arms. His profuse locks of hair
were bathed on all sides in the brilliance reflected from
the clusters of precious jewels decorating His crown and
earrings. He wore the Kaustubha gem, the mark of
S'rîvatsa and a garland of forest flowers. Serving
that topmost of all Lords were His personal attendants,
headed by Sunanda and Nanda; His cakra and other weapons in
their personified forms; His consort potencies Pushthi,
S'rî, Kîrti and Ajâ; and all His various
mystic powers.
Text
57
Acyuta paid
homage to Himself in His Unlimited Form as did also Arjuna who
by the sight [of Mahâ-vishnu] fell in great
astonishment as the Almighty Lord and Master of the Rulers of
the Universe with a smile and an invigorating voice spoke to
the two of them who had their palms joined.
Lord
Krishna offered homage to Himself in this boundless form,
and Arjuna, astonished at the sight of Lord
Mahâ-Vishnu, bowed down as well. Then, as the two of
them stood before Him with joined palms, the almighty
Mahâ- Vishnu, supreme master of all rulers of the
universe, smiled and spoke to them in a voice full of solemn
authority.
Text
58
'I brought the
sons of the twice born one over here with the desire to see the
two of you, who as My expansions have descended; after killing
the ones of darkness burdening the earth, you quickly come back
here into My presence [see 2:2:
24-27 and
2.6:
26].
[Lord
Mahâ-Vishnu said:] I brought the brâhmana's
sons here because I wanted to see the two of you, My
expansions, who have descended to the earth to save the
principles of religion. As soon as you finish killing the
demons who burden the earth, quickly come back here to
Me.
Text
59
Though the two
of you are are fulfilled in all desires, o best of all persons,
should you, as the sages Nara
and Nârâyana
did, for the benefit of the general populace perform for the
maintenance of the dharma.'
Although
all your desires are completely fulfilled, O best of exalted
personalities, for the benefit of the people in general you
should continue to exemplify religious behavior as the sages
Nara and Nârâyana.
Text
60-61
The two
Krishnas [see also B.G. 10:
37] thus
instructed by the Supreme Lord of the Highest Abode, chanting
'om' bowed down to the Almighty and took the sons of the twice
born to return elated, the same way they came, to their own
abode. To the learned one they handed over the sons who had the
same bodies and the same age [as they had when they were
lost].
Thus
instructed by the Supreme Lord of the topmost planet,
Krishna and Arjuna assented by chanting om, and then they
bowed down to almighty Lord Mahâ- Vishnu. Taking the
brâhmana's sons with them, they returned with great
delight to Dvârakâ by the same path along which
they had come. There they presented the brâhmana with
his sons, who were in the same infant bodies in which they
had been lost.
Text
62
Having seen the
abode of Vishnu was Arjuna deeply moved. He concluded that
whatever the special powers that living beings might have
[like his friend showing His own superiority as
Mahâ-vishnu], were all the mercy shown by
Krishna.
Having
seen the domain of Lord Vishnu, Arjuna was totally amazed.
He concluded that whatever extraordinary power a person
exhibits can only be a manifestation of S'rî Krishna's
mercy.
Text
63
He exhibiting
many heroic feats like this in this world, enjoyed the sensual
pleasures [see also 1.11:
35-39] and
was of worship with the most invigorating sacrifices [e.g.
in 10:24
and 10:
74-75].
Lord
Krishna exhibited many other, similar heroic pastimes in
this world. He apparently enjoyed the pleasures of ordinary
human life, and He performed greatly potent fire
sacrifices.
Text
64
Beginning with
His brahmins, rained the Supreme Lord from within His
Supremacy, just like Indra does, at the right time down upon
His subjects all that was desired.
The
Lord having demonstrated His supremacy, at suitable times He
showered down all desirable things upon the brâhmanas
and His other subjects, just as Indra pours down his
rain.
Text
65
Having killed
all the kings opposing the dharma and having them killed by
Arjuna and others, paved He the way for the son of Dharma
[Yudhishthhira] to carry out the principles of religion
[see also 1.14
& 15].
Now
that He had killed many wicked kings and engaged devotees
such as Arjuna in killing others, the Lord could easily
assure the execution of religious principles through the
agency of such pious rulers as Yudhishthhira.
