Sri Brhad-Bhagavatamrta, Part 4
BY: SUN STAFF
Prahlad Maharaja
Jun 29, CANADA (SUN) — By Srila Sanatana Goswami, translated by Sriman Kusakratha dasa.
Part One, Chapter Four
Bhakta (The Devotees)
Text 1
sri-parikshid uvaca
srutva mahascaryam ivesa-bhashitam
prahlada-sandarsana-jata-kautukah
hrid-yanatah sri-sutale gato 'cirad
dhavan pravishtah puram asuram munih
Sri Parikshit said: After hearing these very wonderful words of Lord Siva, Narada Muni became eager to see Prahlada. By mystic power the sage, within a moment, flew to Sutalaloka and entered the city of the Asuras.
Text 2
tavad vivikte bhagavat-padambuja-
premnollasad-dhyana-visakta-cetasa
sri-vaishnavagryena samikshya duratah
protthaya viprah pranato 'ntikam gatah
At that moment Prahlada, the best of devotees, was sitting in a secluded place, his mind rapt in loving meditation on the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When he saw Narada in the distance, Prahlada at once stood up, and when the brahmana Narada approached him, Prahlada bowed down to offer his respects.
Text 3
pithe prayatnad upaveshito 'yam
pujam puravad vidhinarpyamanam
sambhranta-cetah parihritya varshan
harshasram aslesha-paro 'vadat tam
Prahlada carefully seated Narada on a throne and began to worship him with elaborate, ancient ritual. Agitated at heart, Narada suddenly embraced Prahlada. Showering many tears of joy, and embracing him again and again, Narada said to Prahlada:
Text 4
sri-narada uvaca
drishtas cirat krishna-kripa-bharasya
patram bhavan me sa-phalah sramo 'bhut
abalyato yasya hi krishna-bhaktir
jata visuddha na kuto 'pi yasit
Sri Narada said: Now, after a very long time, I am able to see your lordship. Now the great trouble I took to come here has borne its fruit. You are the object of the great mercy of Lord Krishna. Since earliest childhood you have possessed a devotion for Lord Krishna so pure it cannot be seen in any other person.
Text 5
yaya sva-pitra vihitah sahasram
upadrava daruna-vighna-rupah
jitas tvaya yasya tavanubhavat
sarve 'bhavan bhagavata hi daityah
When your own father tried to torture and kill you in a thousand ways, you thwarted all his attempts. By your influence all the demons have now become devotees.
Text 6
krishnavishto yo 'smritatmeva matto
nrityan gayan kampamano rudams ca
lokan sarvan uddharan samsritibhyo
vishnor bhaktim harshayam asa tanvan
Rapt in thoughts of Lord Krishna, you appear like a madman singing, dancing, trembling, and crying. You rescue everyone from the cycle of repeated birth and death. You give them pure devotional service for Lord Vishnu. In this way you fill them with transcendental bliss.
Text 7
krishnenavirbhuya tire mahabdheh
svanke kritva lalito matrivad yah
brahmesadin kurvato 'pi stavaugham
padmam canadritya sammanito yah
Lord Krishna appeared on the shore of the great ocean, placed you on His lap, and caressed you as a mother. Although Brahma, Siva, and all the demigods were reciting many prayers, and although the goddess of fortune was worshiping Him, He ignored them all.
Text 8
vitrastena brahmana prarthito yah
srimat-padambhoja-mule nipatya
tishthann utthapyottamange karabjam
dhritvangeshu sri-nrisimhena lidhah
Although frightened Brahma offered prayers from far away, you approached the Lord and fell down before His splendid lotus feet. Lord Nrisimha then picked you up, placed His lotus hand on your head, and licked your body.
Text 9
yas citra-citragraha-caturi-cayair
utsrijyamanam harina param padam
brahmadi-samprarthyam upekshya kevalam
vavre 'sya bhaktim nija-janma-janmasu
With great eloquence and very wonderful persistence, Brahma and the other demigods repeatedly pray for liberation and entrance in the transcendental realm. When Lord Hari offered that liberation to you as a gift, you ignored His offer and prayed only for pure devotional service birth after birth.
Text 10
yah sva-prabhu-pritim apekshya paitrikam
rajyam svayam sri-narasimha-samstutau
samprarthitasesha-janoddhriticchaya
svi-kritya tad-dhyana-paro 'tra vartate
In order to please your Lord, and because in your prayers to Lord Nrisimha you prayed for the deliverance of all living entities, you accepted from Him the kingdom of your father. That is why you remain here, rapt in meditation on your Lord.
Text 11
yah pita-vaso-'nghri-saroja-drishtyai
gacchan vanam naimishakam kadacit
narayanenahava-toshitena
proktas tvaya hanta sada jito 'smi
One time, as you were going to Naimisharanya forest to see the lotus feet of Lord Narayana, who wears yellow garments, you accidentally met Him on the path. He challenged you to a fight, and when He was finally pleased by your strength in battle, He declared: "I am always defeated by you."
Note: This pastime is narrated in the Vamana Purana.
Text 12
sri-parikshid uvaca
evam vadan narado 'sau
hari-bhakti-rasarnavah
tan-narma-sevako nrityan
jitam asmabhir ity araut
As he spoke these words, Narada became plunged in the nectar ocean of pure devotional love for Lord Hari. Narada, the confidential servant of the Lord, danced and called out, "We have defeated Him!"
Text 13
sri-narada uvaca
bho vaishnava-sreshtha jitas tvayeti kim
vacyam mukundo balinapi nirjitah
pautrena daiteya-ganesvarena te
samrakshito dvari tava prasadatah
Sri Narada said: O best of the Vaishnavas, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was defeated by you! What more need I say? It was because of your mercy that Lord Mukunda was defeated by your grandson Bali, the king of the demons, and became a guard standing at Bali's gate.
Text 14
itah prabhriti kartavyo
nivaso niyato 'tra hi
mayabhibhuya dakshadi-
sapam yushmat-prabhavatah
From now on I shall always stay here. Your power has enabled me to counteract the curses of Daksha and many others.
Note: Daksha and others cursed Narada always to travel, unable to stay for long in any one place.
Text 15
sri-parikshid uvaca
sva-slagha-sahanasakto
lajjavanamitananah
prahlado naradam natva
gauravad avadac chanaih
Sri Parikshit said: Unable to bear hearing himself praised, Prahlada lowered his head in embarrassment. He bowed down before Narada and slowly and respectfully said:
Text 16
sri-prahlada uvaca
bhagavan sri-guro sarvam
svayam eva vicaryatam
balyena sambhavet krishna-
bhakter jnanam api sphutam
Sri Prahlada said: O my lord, O my spiritual master, please consider how it was that in my childhood I learned about pure devotional service to Lord Krishna.
Texts 17 and 18
mahatam upadesasya
balad bodhottame sati
harer bhaktau pravrittanam
mahima-padakani ca
vighnanabhibhavo bale-
supadesah sad-ihitam
arta-prani-daya mokshan
anangi-karanadi ca
When a person is instructed by great pure devotees of Lord Hari, he naturally becomes glorious. He is never defeated by any obstacles, he has the power to preach the truth of spiritual life even to children, he is compassionate to the suffering conditioned souls, and he easily rejects impersonal liberation and all other material benedictions.
Text 19
krishnasyanugraho 'py ebhyo
nanumiyeta sattamaih
sa cavirbhavati srimann
adhikrityaiva sevakam
The great souls know that these things are not the real signs of Lord Krishna's mercy. O noble one, Lord Krishna's mercy is given only to those who engage in devotional service.
Text 20
hanumad-adi-vat tasya
kapi seva kritasti na
param vighnakule citte
smaranam kriyate maya
I never rendered direct service to the Lord as Hanuman and many others did. I simply meditated on the Lord when my heart was troubled.
Text 21
yan mad-vishayakam tasya
lalanadi prasasyate
manyate mayikam tat tu
kascil lilayitam parah
You may praise the Lord's affectionately embracing me, but some say that embrace was only a feature of the Lord's illusory potency, and others think it was only a pastime of the Lord.
Text 22
svabhavikam bhavadrik ca
manye svapnadi-vat tv aham
satyam bhavatu vathapi
na tat-karunya-lakshanam
Great souls like yourself may consider the Lord's embracing me to be a sign of His genuine love. For myself, I consider it like a dream, or, even if it is true, it is not a sign of the Lord's mercy to me.
Text 23
vicitra-seva-danam hi
hanumat-prabhritishv iva
prabhoh prasado bhakteshu
matah sadbhir na cetarat
Saintly persons consider that the wonderful gift of direct devotional service the Lord gave to Hanuman and other devotees to be His real kindness. They do not consider anything else to be the display of the Lord's mercy.
Text 24
sriman-nrisimha-lila ca
mad-anugrahato na sa
sva-bhakta-devata-raksham
parshada-dvaya-mocanam
Lord Nrisimha's pastimes were not performed to show mercy to me. They were meant for the protection of the devotee demigods and the deliverance of the Lord's two eternal associates (Jaya and Vijaya).
Text 25
brahma-tat-tanayadinam
kartum vak-satyatam api
nija-bhakti-mahattvam ca
samyag darsayitum param
They were meant to establish the truthfulness of the words of Brahma and his sons the Kumaras. They were meant to show the great glory of pure devotional service.
Text 26
paramakincana-sreshtha
yadaiva bhagavan dadau
rajyam mahyam tada jnatam
tat-kripalus ca no mayi
O best of the great saints who have taken a vow of poverty, when the Lord gave me a kingdom I could understand that He was not merciful to me.
Text 27
tam bhramsayami sampadbhyo
yasya vanchamy anugraham
ity adyah sakshinas tasya
vyahara mahatam api
The Lord has said (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.27.16): "When I desire to show mercy to someone I take away his material wealth and opulence." The instructions of the great devotees also bear witness to these words of the Lord.
Text 28
pasya me rajya-sambandhad
bandhu-bhrityadi-sangatah
sarvam tad-bhajanam linam
dhig dhin mam yan na rodimi
Look at me! I am so absorbed in ruling my kingdom and so much surrounded by friends, relatives, and servants, that I have now completely given up the worship of the Lord! Fie on me! Fie! I do not even lament for my own misfortune!
Text 29
anyatha kim visalayam
prabhuna visrutena me
punar-jati-svabhavam tam
praptasyeva rano bhavet
If this were not so then why would I, who am trapped in this world of repeated birth and death, have personally fought with the glorious Supreme Personality of Godhead at Visala-tirtha?
Text 30
atma-tattvopadesesh u
dushpandityamayasuraih
sangan nadyapi me sushka-
jnanamso 'pagato 'dhamah
When I preached the truth of spiritual life I mingled with many miseducated demons, and by their association I became infected with a host of dry, non-devotional theories. Even today not a single wretched fragment of those false theories has left me.
Text 31
kuto atah suddha-bhaktir me
yaya syat karuna prabhoh
dhyayan banasya dauratmyam
tac-cihnam niscinomi ca
By pure devotion one attains the mercy of the Lord. What pure devotion do I have? As I meditate on the misdeeds of Bana I can see the clear signs of my own lack of devotion.
Text 32
baddhva samrakshya tasyatra
rodhanayasty asau baleh
dvariti sruyate kvapi
na jane kutra so 'dhuna
I have heard that the Lord bound Bali, imprisoned him, and now stands at the door to prevent his escape. What is his fate now? I do not know.
Text 33
kadacit karya-gatyaiva
drisyate ravanadi-vat
durvasasekshito 'traiva
visvasat tasya darsane
Ravana and others have seen the Lord there as the gatekeeper, and Durvasa has also seen Him. From devotional faith the sight of the Lord is obtained.
Text 34
yasya sri-bhagavat-praptav
utkateccha yato bhavet
sa tatraiva labhetamum
na tu vaso 'sya labha-krit
One who yearns to attain the Lord may attain Him in any place. He need not travel to the Lord's abode.
Text 35
prakatyena sadatrasau
dvare varteta cet prabhuh
kim yayam naimisham duram
drashtum tam pita-vasasam
If the Lord always stays at Bali's gate, then why did I travel so far to Naimisharanya to see Him, the Lord who wears yellow garments?
Text 36
bhavatad bhavatah prasadato
bhagavat-sneha-vijrimbhitah kila
mama tan-mahima tathapy anur
nava-bhakteshu kripa-bharekshaya
By your lordship's mercy the Supreme Personality of Godhead may have some affection for me. Still, the glory of that affection is very insignificant in comparison to the great mercy received by even the newest devotees.
Text 37
nirupadhi-kripardra-citta he
bahu-daurbhagya-nirupanena kim
tava sug-jananena pasya tat-
karunam kimpurushe hanumati
O lord whose heart melts with limitless mercy, why should I make you suffer by describing my own great misfortune? Better that you place your glance on the great mercy the Lord has given to the Kimpurusha Hanuman.
Text 38
bhagavann avadhehi mat-pitur
hananartham narasimha-rupa-bhrit
sahasavirabhun maha-prabhur
vihitartho 'ntaradhat tadaiva sah
O lord, please know that when the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared in His half-man half-lion form to kill my father, He very quickly did His work and then disappeared again.
Text 39
yatha-kamam aham natham
samyag drashtum ca nasakam
mahodadhi-tate 'pasyam
tathaiva svapna-vat prabhum
I was not able to see the Lord to my heart's content. On the shore of the great ocean I saw Him for only a moment. It was like a flickering dream.
Text 40
hanumams tu maha-bhagyas
tat-seva-sukham anvabhut
su-bahuni sahasrani
vatsaranam avighnakam
Hanuman was very fortunate. He was able to enjoy the happiness of directly serving the Lord for many thousands of years without obstruction.
Text 41
yo balishthatamo balye
deva-vrinda-prasadatah
samprapta-sad-vara-vrato
jara-marana-varjitah
Even in his childhood he was extremely strong. By the mercy of the demigods he received many benedictions. He is always free from old-age and death.
Text 42
asesha-trasa-rahito
maha-vrata-dharah kriti
maha-viro raghupater
asadharana-sevakah
He is completely fearless, a follower of austere vows, saintly, a heroic fighter, and the uncommon servant of Lord Ramacandra.
Text 43
hela-vilanghitagadha-
sata-yojana-sagarah
rak\so-raja-pura-stharta-
sitasvasana-kovidah
He casually jumped over the fathomless, eight-hundred mile wide ocean. He expertly comforted the distressed Sita captive in the palace of the king of rakshasas.
Text 44
vairi-santarjako lanka-
dahako durga-bhanjakah
sita-varta-harah svami-
gadhalingana-gocarah
He taunted his enemy, burned Lanka, destroyed its fortifications, returned with news of Sita, and was firmly embraced by his master.
Text 45
sva-prabhor vahakah sreshthah
sveta-cchatrika-pucchakah
sukhasana-maha-prishthah
setu-bandha-kriyagranih
He was the great carrier of his master. His tail became a white parasol shading his master, and his broad back became a comfortable seat for his master. He was the leader of those engaged in building the bridge at Setubandha.
Text 46
vibhishanartha-sampadi
rak\so-bala-vinasa-krit
visalya-karinim ausadhy-
anayana-saktiman
He fulfilled the needs of Vibhishana, broke the strength of the rakshasas, and, with his great strength, brought the medicinal herb visalya-karini.
Text 47
sva-sainya-prana-dah srimat-
sanuja-prabhu-harshakah
gato vahanatam bhartur
bhaktya sri-lakshmanasya ca
He brought life again to the army. He greatly pleased both his master and his master's younger brother. He became the devoted carrier of both his master and Sri Lakshmana.
Text 48
jaya-sampadakas tasya
maha-buddhi-parakramah
sat-kirti-vardhano rak\so-
raja-hantur nija-prabhoh
With very intelligent tactics he attacked and defeated the enemy. He chanted the transcendental glories of his master, the killer of the rakshasa king.
Text 49
sita-pramodanah svami-
sat-prasadaika-bhajanam
ajnayayatmesvarasyatra
sthito 'pi virahasahah
He brought great happiness to Sita. He is the object of the great transcendental mercy of his master. Even though he is not able to bear separation from his master, he remains in this world by His order.
Text 50
atmanam nitya-tat-kirti-
sravanenopdharayan
tan-murti-parsvatas tishthan
rajate 'dyapi purvavat
He sustains himself by always hearing the glories of his master. Even today he stands beside the transcendental Deity form of his master as he had always stood by Him in the past.
