Суд над Бхагавад-гитой / Attempt to ban Bhagavad-gita

само 'хам сарва-бхутешу
на ме двешйо 'сти на прийах
йе бхаджанти ту мам бхактйа
майи те тешу чапй ахам
самах - одинаково относящийся; ахам - Я; сарва-бхутешу - ко всем живым существам; на - не; ме - Мне; двешйах - ненавистен; асти - есть; на - ни; прийах - дорог; йе - которые; бхаджанти - занимаются трансцендентным служением; ту - но; мам - Мне; бхактйа - с преданностью; майи - во Мне; те - они (такие люди); тешу - в них; ча - также; апи - безусловно; ахам - Я.
Я ни к кому не питаю ни вражды, ни пристрастия. Я одинаково отношусь ко всем. Но тот, кто с любовью и преданностью служит Мне, - тот Мой друг. Он всегда в Моем сердце, и Я ему тоже друг.
КОММЕНТAРИЙ: Резонно спросить: если Кришна ко всем относится одинаково и никого не считает другом, почему же Он проявляет особую заботу о преданных, которые постоянно служат Ему? Однако это вполне естественно, и в данном случае Кришну нельзя обвинить в пристрастности. Человек, живущий в материальном мире, может любить людей и заботиться о них, но к собственным детям он всегда будет относится с особой любовью. Господь говорит, что все живые существа, в какой бы форме жизни они ни находились, - Его дети, и потому каждого из них Он обеспечивает всем необходимым. Он подобен туче, поливающей дождем все: скалы, поле и море. Однако к Своим преданным Господь относится с особой заботой. Именно о них говорится в данном стихе: всегда оставаясь в сознании Кришны, они находятся на духовном уровне, связанные с Кришной. Само выражение «сознание Кришны» подразумевает, что те, кто обладает таким сознанием, - души, живущие в Кришне. Господь ясно говорит: майи те - «Они во Мне». И как естественное следствие этого, Господь также находится в них. Отношения с Господом основаны на взаимности. Вот почему Господь говорит: йе йатха мам прападйанте тамс татхаива бхаджамй ахам - «В какой степени человек предается Мне, в такой степени Я забочусь о нем». Духовные отношения, связывающие Господа и Его преданного, существуют, поскольку и Господь, и преданный обладают сознанием. Оправленный в золото, бриллиант становится еще красивее. Золото украшает бриллиант, а бриллиант - золото. Господь и живые существа вечно излучают сияние, и, когда живое существо исполняется желанием служить Господу, оно становится подобным золоту. Господь же подобен бриллианту, и их сочетание прекрасно. Живых существ с чистым сознанием называют преданными слугами Господа. Верховный Господь становится слугой Своих слуг. Если бы отношения преданного и Господа не были взаимными, не было бы и философии персонализма. Персонализм подразумевает взаимность в отношениях Всевышнего и живого существа, а философия имперсонализма ее отрицает.
Господа часто сравнивают с древом желаний: Он дает людям все, чего они желают. Однако в этом стихе дано более развернутое объяснение. Здесь сказано, что Господь выделяет Своих преданных. Тем самым Он являет им Свою особую милость. Милость Господа нельзя считать проявлением закона кармы. Она относится к сфере трансцендентного, в которой действуют Господь и Его преданные. Преданное служение Господу не имеет ничего общего с материальной деятельностью, оно является частью духовного мира, где царят вечность, блаженство и знание.
ТЕКСТ 30
апи чет су-дурачаро
бхаджате мам ананйа-бхак
садхур эва са мантавйах
самйаг вйавасито хи сах
апи - даже; чет - если; су-дурачарах - человек, совершающий самые отвратительные поступки; бхаджате - с преданностью служит; мам - Мне; ананйа-бхак - целеустремленный; садхух - святой; эва - безусловно; сах - он; мантавйах - тот, кого следует считать; самйак - всецело; вйаваситах - исполненный решимости; хи - конечно; сах - он.
Даже если человек, занимающийся преданным служением, совершит самый отвратительный поступок, его все равно следует считать святым, ибо он исполнен решимости идти по верному пути.
КОММЕНТAРИЙ: Употребленное в этом стихе слово су-дурачарах очень существенно, и его смысл следует понять правильно. В обусловленном состоянии живое существо занимается деятельностью двух видов: внешней материальной и соответствующей его глубинной природе. Заботясь о нуждах тела, подчиняясь законам общества и государства, человек в материальном мире, даже если он преданный, вынужден заниматься разнообразной деятельностью, которая относится к категории обусловленной. Помимо этого, человек, полностью осознавший свою духовную природу, занимается деятельностью в сознании Кришны, или преданным служением Господу. Такую деятельность называют духовной. Она соответствует его глубинной природе и относится к категории преданного служения. Когда преданный находится в обусловленном состоянии, его преданное служение и обусловленная материальная деятельность, связанная с заботой о теле, протекают параллельно, а иногда даже вступают в противоречие друг с другом. Преданный, насколько это возможно, всегда очень осторожен и старается не делать того, что может осквернить его. Он знает, что его деятельность совершенна настолько, насколько он совершенствуется в сознании Кришны. Однако бывает, что человек, обладающий сознанием Кришны, совершает поступок, который с социальной или политической точки зрения является предосудительным. Но такое падение является временным и не лишает его достигнутых результатов. В «Шримад-Бхагаватам» сказано, что, если человек падает, но вместе с тем его сердце отдано трансцендентному служению Верховному Господу, Господь, находящийся в его сердце, Сам очищает его и прощает ему этот проступок. Оскверняющее влияние материальной природы столь сильно, что иногда его жертвой может пасть даже йог, поглощенный служением Господу. Но благодаря могуществу сознания Кришны он очень быстро оправится от такого случайного падения. Поэтому путь преданного служения всегда приводит к успеху. Никто не должен насмехаться над преданным за случайный проступок, заставивший его сойти с пути к совершенству, ибо, как сказано в следующем стихе, в свой срок, после того как преданный полностью разовьет в себе сознание Кришны, такие случайные падения прекратятся.
Поэтому тот, кто со всей решимостью практикует сознание Кришны и всегда повторяет мантру Харе Кришна, Харе Кришна, Кришна Кришна, Харе Харе / Харе Рама, Харе Рама, Рама Рама, Харе Харе, должен считаться находящимся на духовном уровне, даже если он случайно оступился. Шри Кришна особо подчеркивает слова садхур эва («он святой»). Эти слова - предостережение для обывателей: никогда не насмехайтесь над преданным, который случайно совершил проступок. Даже падшего преданного следует считать садху, святым. Еще сильнее подчеркивает эту мысль слово мантавйах. Тот, кто не следует этому правилу и осмеивает преданного за случайный проступок, нарушает указание Всевышнего. Единственное качество, необходимое преданному, - неуклонно заниматься служением Господу, посвящая ему всего себя.
В «Нрисимха-пуране» сказано:
бхагавати ча харав ананйа-чета
бхриша-малино 'пи вираджате манушйах
на хи шаша-калуша-ччхабих кадачит
тимира-парабхаватам упаити чандрах
Смысл этого стиха в том, что, если человек, поглощенный преданным служением Господу, иногда совершает неблаговидные поступки, эти поступки следует считать чем-то вроде пятен на луне, которые похожи на силуэт кролика. Эти пятна не мешают лунному свету литься на землю. Точно так же случайное падение человека с пути преданного служения не делает его грешником.
С другой стороны, этот стих нельзя толковать в том смысле, что преданный, занимающийся служением Господу, может совершать любые прегрешения; здесь речь идет лишь о случайном падении, вызванном сильными материальными привязанностями. Вступая на путь преданного служения, человек объявляет войну иллюзорной энергии. И пока у него недостаточно сил, чтобы успешно отражать ее натиск, ему не избежать случайных падений. Однако, когда преданный окрепнет, эти падения, как уже говорилось, прекратятся сами собой. Никто из нас не должен использовать этот стих для оправдания своего недостойного поведения, прикрываясь тем, что «служит Господу». Если, занимаясь преданным служением, человек не будет стараться избавиться от дурных наклонностей, он так и останется на низшей ступени преданного служения.
ТЕКСТ 31
кшипрам бхавати дхарматма
шашвач-чхантим нигаччхати
каунтейа пратиджанихи
на ме бхактах пранашйати
кшипрам - очень быстро; бхавати - становится; дхарма-атма - праведник; шашват-шантим - вечный покой; нигаччхати - достигает; каунтейа - о сын Кунти; пратиджанихи - заявляй; на - не; ме - Мой; бхактах - преданный; пранашйати - погибает.
Он быстро становится добродетельным и обретает вечный мир. О сын Кунти, смело заявляй каждому, что Мой преданный никогда не погибнет.
КОММЕНТAРИЙ: Следует правильно понять смысл этого стиха. В седьмой главе Господь говорит, что тот, кто занимается греховной деятельностью, никогда не сможет предаться и служить Ему. У того, кто не предан Господу, не может быть никаких добродетелей. Однако остается неясным, каким образом человек, случайно или намеренно совершающий неблаговидные поступки, может быть чистым преданным Господа? Это вполне резонный вопрос. Как сказано в седьмой главе, грешники, которые никогда не встают на путь преданного служения Господу, не обладают никакими достоинствами, что подтверждается и в «Шримад-Бхагаватам». Как правило, занимаясь девятью видами преданного служения, человек очищает свое сердце от всей материальной скверны. Он хранит в сердце Верховную Личность Бога, и вся греховная скверна сама собой уходит из его сердца. Беспрестанные размышления о Верховном Господе возвращают преданного в его изначальное, чистое состояние. Тому, кто, достигнув высокого положения, снова пал, Веды предписывают совершить ряд очистительных ритуалов. Но для преданного в этом нет необходимости, ибо, все время думая о Верховной Личности Бога, он постоянно очищает свое сердце. Поэтому нужно все время повторять: Харе Кришна, Харе Кришна, Кришна Кришна, Харе Харе / Харе Рама, Харе Рама, Рама Рама, Харе Харе. Это защитит нас от любых случайных падений и оградит от всех видов материальной скверны.

трибхир гуна-майаир бхаваир
эбхих сарвам идам джагат
мохитам набхиджанати
мам эбхйах парам авйайам
трибхих - тремя; гуна-майаих - состоящими из гун; бхаваих - состояниями бытия; эбхих - этими; сарвам - вся; идам - эта; джагат - вселенная; мохитам - ввергнутая в иллюзию; на абхиджанати - не знает; мам - Меня; эбхйах - этого; парам - Высшее; авйайам - неисчерпаемое.
Ввергнутый в иллюзию тремя гунами природы [благостью, страстью и невежеством], весь мир не знает Меня, стоящего над гунами и неисчерпаемого.
КОММЕНТAРИЙ: Весь мир околдован тремя гунами материальной природы. Те, кто находится под их влиянием, не понимают, что Верховный Господь, Кришна, запределен материальному миру.
Каждое живое существо, подвластное материальной природе, обладает определенным типом тела, а также психическими и физиологическими особенностями, определяющими характер его деятельности. Люди, действующие под влиянием трех гун, делятся на четыре группы. Людей в гуне благости называют брахманами, людей в гуне страсти - кшатриями, тех, кто находится под смешанным влиянием гун страсти и невежества, называют вайшьями, а людей, целиком находящихся в гуне невежества, - шудрами. Ниже их стоят животные, а также люди, ведущие животный образ жизни. Впрочем, принадлежность к этим группам не является постоянной. Кем бы я ни был - брахманом, кшатрием, вайшьей и т.д., - моя нынешняя жизнь не будет длиться вечно. Но, хотя жизнь не вечна и хотя мы не знаем, кем станем в следующей жизни, околдованные иллюзорной энергией, мы отождествляем себя с материальным телом и считаем себя американцами, индийцами, русскими или же брахманами, индусами, мусульманами и т.д. Попав в сети гун материальной природы, мы забываем Верховного Господа, стоящего над гунами. Поэтому Господь Кришна говорит, что живые существа, ввергнутые в иллюзию тремя гунами природы, не понимают, что за материальным мирозданием стоит Верховная Личность Бога.
Есть много видов живых существ: люди, полубоги, животные и т.д. Все они находятся во власти материальной природы, и все они забыли трансцендентную Личность Бога. Люди, находящиеся под влиянием гун страсти и невежества, и даже люди в гуне благости, не могут подняться выше понимания Aбсолютной Истины как безличного Брахмана. Они приходят в недоумение, когда слышат, что Верховный Господь - это личность, в полной мере обладающая красотой, богатством, знанием, силой, славой и самоотречением. Если даже люди в гуне благости не способны осознать личностный аспект Aбсолютной Истины, что тогда говорить о тех, кто находится под влиянием гун страсти и невежества? Сознание Кришны неподвластно гунам материальной природы, и тот, кто действительно обладает им, является воистину освобожденной душой.
ТЕКСТ 14
даиви хй эша гуна-майи
мама майа дуратйайа
мам эва йе прападйанте
майам этам таранти те
даиви - божественная; хи - безусловно; эша - эта; гуна-майи - состоящая из трех гун материальной природы; мама - Моя; майа - энергия; дуратйайа - та, которую очень трудно преодолеть; мам - Мне; эва - безусловно; йе - которые; прападйанте - предались; майам этам - эту иллюзорную энергию; таранти - преодолевают; те - они.
Преодолеть влияние Моей божественной энергии, состоящей из трех гун материальной природы, невероятно трудно. Но тот, кто предался Мне, с легкостью выходит из-под ее власти.
КОММЕНТAРИЙ: Энергия Верховной Личности Бога делится на бесчисленное множество видов, и все они имеют божественную природу. Будучи частицами энергии Всевышнего, живые существа также обладают божественной природой, но, когда они входят в соприкосновение с материей, она затмевает их изначальное, высшее сознание. Покрытое оболочкой материальной энергии, живое существо не в силах выйти из-под ее власти. Как уже было сказано, и материальная и духовная энергии исходят от Верховной Личности Бога и потому являются вечными. Живые существа принадлежат к высшей, вечной природе Господа, но, оскверненные Его низшей, материальной природой, они с незапамятных времен пребывают в плену иллюзии. Такие души называют нитья-баддхами, вечно обусловленными. Никто не может установить, когда живое существо стало обусловленным. Хотя материальная природа является низшей энергией Господа, живому существу очень трудно выйти из-под ее власти, потому что она действует, выполняя волю Всевышнего, противиться которой не может никто. Низшая, материальная энергия названа здесь божественной потому, что она связана с Богом и послушна Его воле. Направляемая божественной волей, материальная природа творит настоящие чудеса, создавая и разрушая материальный космос. В Ведах это подтверждается следующим образом: майам ту пракритим видйан майинам ту махешварам - «Сама по себе майя [иллюзия] не является реальной, ибо она не вечна, однако за ней стоит непревзойденный волшебник, Господь, Верховная Личность, которого называют Махешварой, верховным повелителем» (Шветашватара-упанишад, 4.10).
Другое значение слова гуна - «веревка». Оно указывает на то, что обусловленная душа крепко связана веревками иллюзорной энергии. Человек, связанный по рукам и ногам, не может освободиться сам - ему необходима помощь того, кто свободен. Ему не поможет другой связанный: развязать веревки может только тот, кто сам свободен от пут. Другими словами, освободить душу из материального плена может только Господь Кришна или Его истинный представитель, духовный наставник. Без их помощи обусловленная душа никогда не сбросит оковы материального рабства. Помочь нам освободиться от материальных пут может преданное служение Господу, или метод сознания Кришны. Кришна, повелитель неодолимой иллюзорной энергии, может приказать ей освободить обусловленную душу. Отдавая такой приказ, Он являет предавшейся Ему душе Свою беспричинную милость. Господь движим чувством отеческой любви к живым существам, которые изначально являются Его возлюбленными детьми. Итак, единственный способ выйти из-под власти неумолимых законов материальной природы - это предаться Господу и служить Его лотосным стопам.
Примечательно также употребленные в этом стихе слова мам эва. Мам («Мне») означает только Кришне (Вишну), а не Брахме или Шиве. Хотя Брахма и Шива необычайно возвышенные существа, находящиеся почти на одном уровне с Господом Вишну, но, будучи повелителями раджо-гуны (страсти) и тамо-гуны (невежества), они подвластны майе и потому не способны освободить обусловленную душу из ее когтей. Только Вишну, владыка иллюзорной энергии, может вызволить душу из ее плена. Это подтверждается в Ведах (Шветашватара-упанишад, 3.8): там эва видитва - обрести свободу можно, только познав Кришну. Даже Господь Шива подтверждает, что получить освобождение можно только по милости Господа Вишну: мукти-прадата сарвешам вишнур эва на самшайах - «Нет никаких сомнений в том, что освобождение каждому существу дарует Господь Вишну».
ТЕКСТ 15
на мам душкритино мудхах
прападйанте нарадхамах
майайапахрита-джнана
асурам бхавам ашритах
на - не; мам - Мне; душкритинах - нечестивцы; мудхах - глупцы; прападйанте - предаются; нара-адхамах - низшие из людей; майайа - иллюзорной энергией; апахрита - украдено; джнанах - те, чье знание; асурам - демоническую; бхавам - природу; ашритах - принимающие.
Невежественные и глупые грешники, низшие из людей, а также те, чье знание украдено иллюзией, и демоны-безбожники никогда не предаются Мне.
КОММЕНТAРИЙ: В «Бхагавад-гите» сказано, что, просто предавшись Верховному Господу, Кришне, и служа Его лотосным стопам, можно выйти из-под власти суровых законов материальной природы. Резонно спросить: почему же тогда философы, ученые, предприниматели, чиновники и лидеры общества не склоняются к лотосным стопам Шри Кришны, всемогущей Личности Бога? Год за годом, из поколения в поколение они строят грандиозные планы, чтобы обрести мукти, то есть победить законы природы, и прилагают к этому огромные усилия. Но если это можно сделать, просто предавшись Верховной Личности Бога, то почему все эти умные люди, которые так пекутся о благе общества, не воспользуются этим несложным методом?
«Гита» отвечает на этот вопрос прямо. Истинно просвещенные предводители человечества, такие, как Брахма, Шива, Капила, Кумары, Ману, Вьяса, Девала, Aсита, Джанака, Прахлада, Бали, а позднее Мадхвачарья, Рамануджачарья, Шри Чайтанья и многие другие - истинные философы, честные политики, педагоги, ученые и прочие - вручают себя всемогущему Господу, Верховной Личности, и ищут прибежища под сенью Его лотосных стоп. Те же лидеры общества, которые противятся замыслу Верховного Господа и отвергают начертанный Им путь, не достойны называться философами, учеными, учителями и правителями, хотя и выдают себя за таковых, стремясь обрести материальные блага. Ничего не зная о Боге, они вынашивают свои собственные, мирские замыслы, и в тщетной попытке разрешить проблемы материальной жизни лишь усугубляют эти проблемы. Необычайно могущественная материальная природа рушит все замыслы безбожников, поэтому заседания разного рода комитетов по планированию превращаются в фарс.
Безбожники, строящие различные планы, описаны здесь словом душкритинах, «грешники». Крити - это тот, кто вершит благие дела. Среди прожектеров-атеистов иногда встречаются весьма разумные и добросовестные люди, потому что осуществление любого плана, как хорошего, так и плохого, требует разума. Но поскольку они неверно используют свой разум и противятся замыслу Верховного Господа, их называют душкрити; это значит, что их разум и усилия направлены не туда, куда надо.
В «Гите» ясно сказано, что материальная энергия действует, выполняя волю Верховного Господа. Она не является независимой. Она подобна тени, движущейся за предметом. Тем не менее материальная энергия обладает колоссальным могуществом, и атеисты, отвергающие Бога, не способны проникнуть в тайны ее законов, равно как и в замысел Всевышнего. Поскольку они находятся во власти иллюзии, гун страсти и невежества, все их планы терпят крушение. Так произошло с Хираньякашипу и Раваной, чьи замыслы потерпели полный крах, хотя с мирской точки зрения оба они были выдающимися учеными, философами, правителями и учителями. Такие душкрити, или грешники, делятся на четыре категории, о которых мы расскажем ниже.
Мудхами называют безнадежных глупцов, которые работают до седьмого пота, как вьючные животные. Они хотят сами наслаждаться плодами своего труда и не желают отдавать их Всевышнему. Типичным примером вьючного животного является осел. Хозяин заставляет эту безропотную тварь работать до изнеможения, и осел даже не знает, ради кого он трудится день и ночь. Он довольствуется пучком травы на ужин, спит совсем немного в постоянном страхе получить побои от хозяина и удовлетворяет свою похоть, терпеливо снося от своей подруги удары копытом. Иногда осел распевает лирические или философские песни, но его рев только злит окружающих. Точно в таком же положении находится глупый карми, который не знает, кому следует посвящать свой труд. Ему неведомо, что кармой (деятельностью) следует заниматься в духе ягьи (жертвоприношения).
Такие люди трудятся день и ночь не покладая рук, чтобы выполнить обязанности, которые они сами же и придумали, а когда им предлагают послушать о бессмертии живого существа, они чаще всего отказываются, говоря, что им некогда. Для тех, кого называют мудхами, целью и смыслом жизни являются преходящие материальные блага, хотя они получают лишь малую толику плодов своего труда. Иногда эти глупцы не спят ночами, стараясь заработать побольше, и почти ничего не едят из-за того, что страдают язвой или несварением желудка; они просто работают не разгибая спины на благо своих иллюзорных хозяев. Не зная о том, кто их истинный хозяин, эти глупые труженики растрачивают свое драгоценное время, служа мамоне. К несчастью, они никогда не предаются Верховному Господу, хозяину всех хозяев, и не находят времени, чтобы узнать о Нем из достоверного источника. Так, свинья, привыкшая пожирать экскременты, отворачивается от сладостей, приготовленных из сахара и топленого масла. И точно так же глупым работягам никогда не надоедает, слушая сиюминутные мирские новости, находить в них чувственное наслаждение, но им всегда не хватает времени на то, чтобы послушать о вечной душе, приводящей в движение материальный мир.
К следующей категории душкрити, или грешников, относятся нарадхамы, низшие из людей. Нара значит «человек», а адхама - «худший, низший». Из 8 400 000 форм жизни человеческих форм насчитывается 400 000. Среди них много низших человеческих форм, из которых большинство - нецивилизованные. Цивилизованными называют людей, чья социальная, политическая и религиозная жизнь строится на предписаниях шастр. Людей, живущих в обществе с развитой социальной и политической структурой, но не следующих законам религии, называют нарадхамами. Кроме того, религия без Бога не является истинной религией, поскольку религиозным заповедям следуют для того, чтобы постичь Высшую Истину и свои отношения с Ней. В «Гите» Верховный Господь ясно говорит, что Он никому не подвластен и что именно Он является Высшей Истиной. Цивилизованная человеческая форма жизни дает живому существу возможность обрести утраченное знание о своих вечных отношениях с Высшей Истиной, всемогущим Господом Шри Кришной. Того, кто не использует эту возможность, относят к категории нарадхама. В священных писаниях сказано, что, когда ребенок находится во чреве матери, он испытывает бесконечные страдания и молит Бога об избавлении, обещая поклоняться Ему после того, как появится на свет. Обращаться к Богу в трудную минуту естественно для каждого существа, потому что оно вечно связано с Ним. Однако, появившись на свет, ребенок под влиянием майи, иллюзорной энергии, забывает и о муках рождения, и о своем избавителе.
Долг тех, кто воспитывает детей, - возродить дремлющее в них божественное сознание. «Ману-смрити», свод религиозных законов, предписывает десять очистительных обрядов, предназначенных для того, чтобы помочь людям развить в себе сознание Бога, действуя в рамках системы варнашрамы. Но, к сожалению, в наше время нигде в мире эти обряды не совершаются должным образом, и поэтому 99,9 процента населения земли составляют люди, относящиеся к категории нарадхама.
Когда все люди в мире становятся нарадхамами, всемогущая материальная природа естественным образом сводит на нет все их так называемое образование. Согласно «Бхагавад-гите», истинно образованным следует считать того, кто видит единую духовную природу ученого брахмана, собаки, коровы, слона и собакоеда и не проводит различий между ними. Таким виџдением обладает истинный преданный Господа. Верховный Господь Шри Нитьянанда Прабху, воплотившийся на земле и игравший роль божественного учителя, спас двух ярких представителей класса нарадхам, братьев Джагая и Мадхая, и тем самым показал, как милость истинного преданного нисходит на самых заблудших представителей человеческого рода. Нарадхама, отвергнутый Господом, может возродить свое духовное сознание только по милости преданного.
Шри Чайтанья Махапрабху, устанавливая в обществе принципы бхагавата-дхармы, или преданного служения Господу, призывал людей смиренно внимать наставлениям Верховной Личности Бога. Суть этих наставлений заключена в «Бхагавад-гите». Низшие из людей могут спастись, только если будут смиренно слушать наставления Бога, но они, к несчастью, отказываются делать даже это, не говоря уже о том, чтобы предаться Господу. Нарадхамы откровенно пренебрегают первейшей обязанностью каждого человека.
К третьей категории душкрити относятся майайапахрита-джнанах - те, чьи знания украдены иллюзорной материальной энергией. Это преимущественно люди высокообразованные: великие философы, ученые, поэты, писатели и т.п., но иллюзорная энергия обманывает их, и они отказываются подчиняться Верховному Господу.
В наши дни даже среди философов, изучающих «Бхагавад-гиту», очень многие принадлежат к категории майайапахрита-джнанах. В «Гите» простым и ясным языком сказано, что Шри Кришна - это Верховная Личность Бога и что нет никого равного Ему или более великого, чем Он. Кришна произвел на свет Брахму, прародителя всех людей. Более того, говорится, что Шри Кришна - отец не только Брахмы, но и всех остальных существ, к какой бы форме жизни они ни принадлежали. Он - источник безличного Брахмана и Параматмы, Сверхдуши в сердце каждого, которая является Его полной экспансией. Шри Кришна - основа всего сущего, поэтому каждый должен склониться к Его лотосным стопам. Несмотря на эти ясные и однозначные утверждения, люди из числа майайапахрита-джнанах пренебрежительно отзываются о Верховном Господе, считая Его обыкновенным человеком. Им неведомо, что человеческое тело, дарующее нам столько преимуществ, создано по образу и подобию вечного, духовного тела Господа.
Многочисленные неавторитетные комментарии к «Бхагавад-гите», которые написаны людьми категории майайапахрита-джнанах, не принадлежащими к парампаре, лишь мешают правильно понять духовную науку. Находясь во власти иллюзии, такие комментаторы сами не предаются Шри Кришне и не учат этому других.
Последняя категория душкрити - асурам бхавам ашритах, люди, проникнутые демоническим духом. Это закоренелые безбожники. Некоторые из них заявляют, что Верховный Господь никогда не приходит в материальный мир, но не могут привести в подтверждение своих слов никаких доказательств. Другие называют Его порождением безличного Брахмана, хотя это полностью противоречит словам «Бхагавад-гиты». Движимые ненавистью к Верховному Господу, атеисты придумывают множество мнимых воплощений Бога. Такие люди, посвятившие жизнь богохульству, не способны предаться Шри Кришне.
Шри Ямуначарья Aлбандару из Южной Индии говорил: «О Господь, Ты известен Своими чудесными качествами и удивительными деяниями. Тебя прославляют все священные писания в гуне благости и великие мудрецы, наделенные божественными качествами и глубоко познавшие духовную науку. Но, несмотря на это, для безбожников Ты всегда остаешься непостижимым».
Итак, четыре типа людей, описанных в этом стихе - безнадежные глупцы, низшие из людей, ученые, введенные в заблуждение иллюзорной энергией Господа, и закоренелые атеисты, - никогда не предаются Верховной Личности Бога, несмотря на призывы шастр и советы великих мудрецов.
ТЕКСТ 16
чатур-видха бхаджанте мам
джанах сукритино 'рджуна
арто джиджнасур артхартхи
джнани ча бхаратаршабха
чатух-видхах - относящиеся к четырем категориям; бхаджанте - служат; мам - Мне; джанах - люди; су-критинах - благочестивые; арджуна - о Aрджуна; артах - страждущий; джиджнасух - любознательный; артха-артхи - стремящийся разбогатеть; джнани - знающий истинную природу вещей; ча - также; бхарата-ришабха - о лучший из Бхарат.
О лучший из Бхарат, четыре типа праведников встают на путь преданного служения Мне: страждущие, ищущие богатства, любознательные и те, кто стремится постичь Aбсолютную Истину.
КОММЕНТAРИЙ: В отличие от грешников-неверующих, люди, перечисленные в этом стихе, следуют предписаниям шастр. Их называют сукритинах, праведниками, потому что они чтут священные писания, соблюдают нормы морали и законы государства и в той или иной степени преданы Верховному Господу. Такие благочестивые люди делятся на четыре категории: страдающие, нуждающиеся в деньгах, любознательные и стремящиеся постичь Aбсолютную Истину. Эти люди обращаются к Верховному Господу и преданно служат Ему, преследуя при этом различные цели. Поскольку они служат Господу, чтобы осуществить свои собственные желания, их нельзя назвать чистыми преданными. Чистому преданному служению чужды корысть и стремление к материальной выгоде. Определение чистого преданного служения дано в «Бхакти-расамрита-синдху» (1.1.11):
анйабхилашита-шунйам
джнана-кармадй-анавритам
анукулйена кришнану-
шиланам бхактир уттама
«Трансцендентным преданным служением Верховному Господу Кришне занимается тот, кто служит Ему с любовью и полностью свободен от стремления к материальной выгоде или успеху на поприще кармической деятельности и философских изысканий. Такое преданное служение называется чистым».
Встав на путь преданного служения Верховному Господу и общаясь с чистым преданным, эти четыре типа праведников полностью очищаются от материальной скверны и тоже становятся чистыми преданными. Что касается нечестивцев, то им очень трудно заниматься преданным служением, потому что они эгоистичны, не следуют предписаниям шастр и не стремятся к духовным целям. Но если кому-нибудь из них посчастливится встретить чистого преданного и пообщаться с ним, то даже такие люди могут стать чистыми преданными.
Люди, поглощенные кармической деятельностью, обращаются к Господу, когда попадают в беду, и, общаясь с чистыми преданными, сами становятся преданными Господа. Те, кто просто разочаровался в жизни, тоже иногда приходят к чистым преданным и хотят узнать что-нибудь о Боге. Точно так же, когда философы-гьяни отчаиваются найти истину в разных областях знания, у них возникает желание познать Бога и они начинают преданно служить Ему. Занимаясь преданным служением Господу, они поднимаются над уровнем познания безличного Брахмана и Параматмы в сердце каждого и по милости Господа или Его преданного понимают, что Бог является личностью. Итак, когда страждущие, любознательные, стремящиеся к знанию и нуждающиеся в деньгах убеждаются, что материальные блага не способствуют духовному развитию и избавляются от всех материальных желаний, они становятся чистыми преданными. Пока преданные не достигнут уровня чистоты, их служение Господу будет осквернено примесями кармической деятельности, стремления к мирскому знанию и т.д. Чтобы подняться на уровень чистого преданного служения, надо избавиться от всего этого.
ТЕКСТ 17
тешам джнани нитйа-йукта
эка-бхактир вишишйате
прийо хи джнанино 'тйартхам
ахам са ча мама прийах
тешам - среди них; джнани - человек, обладающий совершенным знанием; нитйа-йуктах - постоянно занятый; эка - только; бхактих - (поглощенный) преданным служением; вишишйате - выделяется; прийах - очень дорогой; хи - безусловно; джнанинах - того, кто обладает знанием; атйартхам - очень; ахам - Я; сах - он; ча - также; мама - Мой; прийах - дорогой.
Лучший из них тот, кто обладает совершенным знанием и всецело отдает себя чистому преданному служению Мне. Я очень дорог такому преданному, и он очень дорог Мне.
КОММЕНТAРИЙ: Когда страждущие, любознательные, те, кто остался без гроша, и те, кто стремится к высшему знанию, полностью очистятся от скверны материальных желаний, они могут стать чистыми преданными Господа. Из них тот, кто свободен от всех материальных желаний и постиг Aбсолютную Истину, становится по-настоящему чистым преданным. По словам Самого Господа, лучшим преданным является тот, кто служит Ему, обладая совершенным знанием. Познавая духовную науку, человек понимает, что его истинное «Я» отлично от материального тела, и затем постигает безличный Брахман и Параматму. Полностью очистившись, он осознаСт свое изначальное положение - положение вечного слуги Бога. Итак, общаясь с чистыми преданными, четыре типа праведников очищаются от материальной скверны. Из тех, кто находится на начальных стадиях преданного служения, человек, обладающий совершенным знанием о Верховном Господе, особенно дорог Ему. Он познал божественную природу Верховной Личности Бога и посвятил себя преданному служению, поэтому он надежно защищен от материальной скверны.

SB 7.6.1: Prahlada Maharaja said: One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life -- in other words, from the tender age of childhood -- to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.

SB 7.6.2: The human form of life affords one a chance to return home, back to Godhead. Therefore every living entity, especially in the human form of life, must engage in devotional service to the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. This devotional service is natural because Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the most beloved, the master of the soul, and the well-wisher of all other living beings.

SB 7.6.3: Prahlada Maharaja continued: My dear friends born of demoniac families, the happiness perceived with reference to the sense objects by contact with the body can be obtained in any form of life, according to one's past fruitive activities. Such happiness is automatically obtained without endeavor, just as we obtain distress.

SB 7.6.4: Endeavors merely for sense gratification or material happiness through economic development are not to be performed, for they result only in a loss of time and energy, with no actual profit. If one's endeavors are directed toward Krishna consciousness, one can surely attain the spiritual platform of self-realization. There is no such benefit from engaging oneself in economic development.

SB 7.6.5: Therefore, while in material existence [bhavam asritah], a person fully competent to distinguish wrong from right must endeavor to achieve the highest goal of life as long as the body is stout and strong and is not embarrassed by dwindling.

SB 7.6.6: Every human being has a maximum duration of life of one hundred years, but for one who cannot control his senses, half of those years are completely lost because at night he sleeps twelve hours, being covered by ignorance. Therefore such a person has a lifetime of only fifty years.

SB 7.6.7: In the tender age of childhood, when everyone is bewildered, one passes ten years. Similarly, in boyhood, engaged in sporting and playing, one passes another ten years. In this way, twenty years are wasted. Similarly, in old age, when one is an invalid, unable to perform even material activities, one passes another twenty years wastefully.

SB 7.6.8: One whose mind and senses are uncontrolled becomes increasingly attached to family life because of insatiable lusty desires and very strong illusion. In such a madman's life, the remaining years are also wasted because even during those years he cannot engage himself in devotional service.

SB 7.6.9: What person too attached to household life due to being unable to control his senses can liberate himself? An attached householder is bound very strongly by ropes of affection for his family [wife, children and other relatives].

SB 7.6.10: Money is so dear that one conceives of money as being sweeter than honey. Therefore, who can give up the desire to accumulate money, especially in household life? Thieves, professional servants [soldiers] and merchants try to acquire money even by risking their very dear lives.

SB 7.6.11-13: How can a person who is most affectionate to his family, the core of his heart being always filled with their pictures, give up their association? Specifically, a wife is always very kind and sympathetic and always pleases her husband in a solitary place. Who could give up the association of such a dear and affectionate wife? Small children talk in broken language, very pleasing to hear, and their affectionate father always thinks of their sweet words. How could he give up their association? One's elderly parents and one's sons and daughters are also very dear. A daughter is especially dear to her father, and while living at her husband's house she is always in his mind. Who could give up that association? Aside from this, in household affairs there are many decorated items of household furniture, and there are also animals and servants. Who could give up such comforts? The attached householder is like a silkworm, which weaves a cocoon in which it becomes imprisoned, unable to get out. Simply for the satisfaction of two important senses -- the genitals and the tongue -- one is bound by material conditions. How can one escape?

SB 7.6.14: One who is too attached cannot understand that he is wasting his valuable life for the maintenance of his family. He also fails to understand that the purpose of human life, a life suitable for realization of the Absolute Truth, is being imperceptibly spoiled. However, he is very cleverly attentive to seeing that not a single farthing is lost by mismanagement. Thus although an attached person in material existence always suffers from threefold miseries, he does not develop a distaste for the way of material existence.

SB 7.6.15: If a person too attached to the duties of family maintenance is unable to control his senses, the core of his heart is immersed in how to accumulate money. Although he knows that one who takes the wealth of others will be punished by the law of the government, and by the laws of Yamaraja after death, he continues cheating others to acquire money.

SB 7.6.16: O my friends, sons of demons! In this material world, even those who are apparently advanced in education have the propensity to consider, "This is mine, and that is for others." Thus they are always engaged in providing the necessities of life to their families in a limited conception of family life, just like uneducated cats and dogs. They are unable to take to spiritual knowledge; instead, they are bewildered and overcome by ignorance.

SB 7.6.17-18: My dear friends, O sons of the demons, it is certain that no one bereft of knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead has been able to liberate himself from material bondage at any time or in any country. Rather, those bereft of knowledge of the Lord are bound by the material laws. They are factually addicted to sense gratification, and their target is woman. Indeed, they are actually playthings in the hands of attractive women. Victimized by such a conception of life, they become surrounded by children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and thus they are shackled to material bondage. Those who are very much addicted to this conception of life are called demons. Therefore, although you are sons of demons, keep aloof from such persons and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, the origin of all the demigods, because the ultimate goal for the devotees of Narayana is liberation from the bondage of material existence.

SB 7.6.19: My dear sons of demons, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, is the original Supersoul, the father of all living entities. Consequently there are no impediments to pleasing Him or worshiping Him under any conditions, whether one be a child or an old man. The relationship between the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always a fact, and therefore there is no difficulty in pleasing the Lord.

SB 7.6.20-23: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, who is infallible and indefatigable, is present in different forms of life, from the inert living beings [sthavara], such as the plants, to Brahma, the foremost created living being. He is also present in the varieties of material creations and in the material elements, the total material energy and the modes of material nature [sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna], as well as the unmanifested material nature and the false ego. Although He is one, He is present everywhere, and He is also the transcendental Supersoul, the cause of all causes, who is present as the observer in the cores of the hearts of all living entities. He is indicated as that which is pervaded and as the all-pervading Supersoul, but actually He cannot be indicated. He is changeless and undivided. He is simply perceived as the supreme sac-cid-ananda [eternity, knowledge and bliss]. Being covered by the curtain of the external energy, to the atheist He appears nonexistent.

SB 7.6.24: Therefore, my dear young friends born of demons, please act in such a way that the Supreme Lord, who is beyond the conception of material knowledge, will be satisfied. Give up your demoniac nature and act without enmity or duality. Show mercy to all living entities by enlightening them in devotional service, thus becoming their well-wishers.

SB 7.6.25: Nothing is unobtainable for devotees who have satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the cause of all causes, the original source of everything. The Lord is the reservoir of unlimited spiritual qualities. For devotees, therefore, who are transcendental to the modes of material nature, what is the use of following the principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation, which are all automatically obtainable under the influence of the modes of nature? We devotees always glorify the lotus feet of the Lord, and therefore we need not ask for anything in terms of dharma, kama, artha and moksha.

SB 7.6.26: Religion, economic development and sense gratification -- these are described in the Vedas as tri-varga, or three ways to salvation. Within these three categories are education and self-realization; ritualistic ceremonies performed according to Vedic injunction; logic; the science of law and order; and the various means of earning one's livelihood. These are the external subject matters of study in the Vedas, and therefore I consider them material. However, I consider surrender to the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu to be transcendental.

SB 7.6.27: Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the well-wisher and friend of all living entities, formerly explained this transcendental knowledge to the great saint Narada. Such knowledge is extremely difficult to understand without the mercy of a saintly person like Narada, but everyone who has taken shelter of Narada's disciplic succession can understand this confidential knowledge.

SB 7.6.28: Prahlada Maharaja continued: I received this knowledge from the great saint Narada Muni, who is always engaged in devotional service. This knowledge, which is called bhagavata-dharma, is fully scientific. It is based on logic and philosophy and is free from all material contamination.

SB 7.6.29-30: The sons of the demons replied: Dear Prahlada, neither you nor we know any teacher or spiritual master other than Shanda and Amarka, the sons of Sukracarya. After all, we are children and they our controllers. For you especially, who always remain within the palace, it is very difficult to associate with a great personality. Dear friend, most gentle one, would you kindly explain how it was possible for you to hear Narada? Kindly dispel our doubts in this regard.

SB 7.8.1: Narada Muni continued: All the sons of the demons appreciated the transcendental instructions of Prahlada Maharaja and took them very seriously. They rejected the materialistic instructions given by their teachers, Shanda and Amarka.

SB 7.8.2: When Shanda and Amarka, the sons of Sukracarya, observed that all the students, the sons of the demons, were becoming advanced in Krishna consciousness because of the association of Prahlada Maharaja, they were afraid. They approached the King of the demons and described the situation as it was.

SB 7.8.3-4: When Hiranyakasipu understood the entire situation, he was extremely angry, so much so that his body trembled. Thus he finally decided to kill his son Prahlada. Hiranyakasipu was by nature very cruel, and feeling insulted, he began hissing like a snake trampled upon by someone's foot. His son Prahlada was peaceful, mild and gentle, his senses were under control, and he stood before Hiranyakasipu with folded hands. According to Prahlada's age and behavior, he was not to be chastised. Yet with staring, crooked eyes, Hiranyakasipu rebuked him with the following harsh words.

SB 7.8.5: Hiranyakasipu said: O most impudent, most unintelligent disruptor of the family, O lowest of mankind, you have violated my power to rule you, and therefore you are an obstinate fool. Today I shall send you to the place of Yamaraja.

SB 7.8.6: My son Prahlada, you rascal, you know that when I am angry all the planets of the three worlds tremble, along with their chief rulers. By whose power has a rascal like you become so impudent that you appear fearless and overstep my power to rule you?

SB 7.8.7: Prahlada Maharaja said: My dear King, the source of my strength, of which you are asking, is also the source of yours. Indeed, the original source of all kinds of strength is one. He is not only your strength or mine, but the only strength for everyone. Without Him, no one can get any strength. Whether moving or not moving, superior or inferior, everyone, including Lord Brahma, is controlled by the strength of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 7.8.8: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme controller and time factor, is the power of the senses, the power of the mind, the power of the body, and the vital force of the senses. His influence is unlimited. He is the best of all living entities, the controller of the three modes of material nature. By His own power, He creates this cosmic manifestation, maintains it and annihilates it also.

SB 7.8.9: Prahlada Maharaja continued: My dear father, please give up your demoniac mentality. Do not discriminate in your heart between enemies and friends; make your mind equipoised toward everyone. Except for the uncontrolled and misguided mind, there is no enemy within this world. When one sees everyone on the platform of equality, one then comes to the position of worshiping the Lord perfectly.

SB 7.8.10: In former times there were many fools like you who did not conquer the six enemies that steal away the wealth of the body. These fools were very proud, thinking, "I have conquered all enemies in all the ten directions." But if a person is victorious over the six enemies and is equipoised toward all living entities, for him there are no enemies. Enemies are merely imagined by one in ignorance.

SB 7.8.11: Hiranyakasipu replied: You rascal, you are trying to minimize my value, as if you were better than me at controlling the senses. This is over-intelligent. I can therefore understand that you desire to die at my hands, for this kind of nonsensical talk is indulged in by those about to die.

SB 7.8.12: O most unfortunate Prahlada, you have always described a supreme being other than me, a supreme being who is above everything, who is the controller of everyone, and who is all-pervading. But where is He? If He is everywhere, then why is He not present before me in this pillar?

SB 7.8.13: Because you are speaking so much nonsense, I shall now sever your head from your body. Now let me see your most worshipable God come to protect you. I want to see it.

SB 7.8.14: Being obsessed with anger, Hiranyakasipu, who was very great in bodily strength, thus chastised his exalted devotee-son Prahlada with harsh words. Cursing him again and again, Hiranyakasipu took up his sword, got up from his royal throne, and with great anger struck his fist against the column.

SB 7.8.15: Then from within the pillar came a fearful sound, which appeared to crack the covering of the universe. O my dear Yudhishthira, this sound reached even the abodes of the demigods like Lord Brahma, and when the demigods heard it, they thought, "Oh, now our planets are being destroyed!"

SB 7.8.16: While showing his extraordinary prowess, Hiranyakasipu, who desired to kill his own son, heard that wonderful, tumultuous sound, which had never before been heard. Upon hearing the sound, the other leaders of the demons were afraid. None of them could find the origin of that sound in the assembly.

SB 7.8.17: To prove that the statement of His servant Prahlada Maharaja was substantial -- in other words, to prove that the Supreme Lord is present everywhere, even within the pillar of an assembly hall -- the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, exhibited a wonderful form never before seen. The form was neither that of a man nor that of a lion. Thus the Lord appeared in His wonderful form in the assembly hall.

SB 7.8.18: While Hiranyakasipu looked all around to find the source of the sound, that wonderful form of the Lord, which could not be ascertained to be either a man or a lion, emerged from the pillar. In amazement, Hiranyakasipu wondered, "What is this creature that is half man and half lion?"

SB 7.8.19-22: Hiranyakasipu studied the form of the Lord, trying to decide who the form of Nrisimhadeva standing before him was. The Lord's form was extremely fearsome because of His angry eyes, which resembled molten gold; His shining mane, which expanded the dimensions of His fearful face; His deadly teeth; and His razor-sharp tongue, which moved about like a dueling sword. His ears were erect and motionless, and His nostrils and gaping mouth appeared like caves of a mountain. His jaws parted fearfully, and His entire body touched the sky. His neck was very short and thick, His chest broad, His waist thin, and the hairs on His body as white as the rays of the moon. His arms, which resembled flanks of soldiers, spread in all directions as He killed the demons, rogues and atheists with His conchshell, disc, club, lotus and other natural weapons.

SB 7.8.23: Hiranyakasipu murmured to himself, "Lord Vishnu, who possesses great mystic power, has made this plan to kill me, but what is the use of such an attempt? Who can fight with me?" Thinking like this and taking up his club, Hiranyakasipu attacked the Lord like an elephant.

SB 7.8.24: Just as a small insect falls forcefully into a fire and the insignificant creature becomes invisible, when Hiranyakasipu attacked the Lord, who was full of effulgence, Hiranyakasipu became invisible. This is not at all astonishing, for the Lord is always situated in pure goodness. Formerly, during creation, He entered the dark universe and illuminated it by His spiritual effulgence.

SB 7.8.25: Thereafter, the great demon Hiranyakasipu, who was extremely angry, swiftly attacked Nrisimhadeva with his club and began to beat Him. Lord Nrisimhadeva, however, captured the great demon, along with his club, just as Garuda might capture a great snake.

SB 7.8.26: O Yudhishthira, O great son of Bharata, when Lord Nrisimhadeva gave Hiranyakasipu a chance to slip from His hand, just as Garuda sometimes plays with a snake and lets it slip from his mouth, the demigods, who had lost their abodes and who were hiding behind the clouds for fear of the demon, did not consider that incident very good. Indeed, they were perturbed.

SB 7.8.27: When Hiranyakasipu was freed from the hands of Nrisimhadeva, he falsely thought that the Lord was afraid of his prowess. Therefore, after taking a little rest from the fight, he took up his sword and shield and again attacked the Lord with great force.

SB 7.8.28: Making a loud, shrill sound of laughter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, who is extremely strong and powerful, captured Hiranyakasipu, who was protecting himself with his sword and shield, leaving no gaps open. With the speed of a hawk, Hiranyakasipu moved sometimes in the sky and sometimes on the earth, his eyes closed because of fear of Nrisimhadeva's laughter.

SB 7.8.29: As a snake captures a mouse or Garuda captures a very venomous snake, Lord Nrisimhadeva captured Hiranyakasipu, who could not be pierced even by the thunderbolt of King Indra. As Hiranyakasipu moved his limbs here, there and all around, very much afflicted at being captured, Lord Nrisimhadeva placed the demon on His lap, supporting him with His thighs, and in the doorway of the assembly hall the Lord very easily tore the demon to pieces with the nails of His hand.

SB 7.8.30: Lord Nrisimhadeva's mouth and mane were sprinkled with drops of blood, and His fierce eyes, full of anger, were impossible to look at. Licking the edge of His mouth with His tongue, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nrisimhadeva, decorated with a garland of intestines taken from Hiranyakasipu's abdomen, resembled a lion that has just killed an elephant.

SB 7.8.31: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who had many, many arms, first uprooted Hiranyakasipu's heart and then threw him aside and turned toward the demon's soldiers. These soldiers had come in thousands to fight with Him with raised weapons and were very faithful followers of Hiranyakasipu, but Lord Nrisimhadeva killed all of them merely with the ends of His nails.

SB 7.8.32: The hair on Nrisimhadeva's head shook the clouds and scattered them here and there, His glaring eyes stole the effulgence of the luminaries in the sky, and His breathing agitated the seas and oceans. Because of His roaring, all the elephants in the world began to cry in fear.

SB 7.8.33: Airplanes were thrown into outer space and the upper planetary system by the hair on Nrisimhadeva's head. Because of the pressure of the Lord's lotus feet, the earth appeared to slip from its position, and all the hills and mountains sprang up due to His intolerable force. Because of the Lord's bodily effulgence, both the sky and all directions diminished in their natural illumination.

SB 7.8.34: Manifesting a full effulgence and a fearsome countenance, Lord Nrisimha, being very angry and finding no contestant to face His power and opulence, then sat down in the assembly hall on the excellent throne of the king. Because of fear and obedience, no one could come forward to serve the Lord directly.

SB 7.8.35: Hiranyakasipu had been exactly like a fever of meningitis in the head of the three worlds. Thus when the wives of the demigods in the heavenly planets saw that the great demon had been killed by the personal hands of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, their faces blossomed in great joy. The wives of the demigods again and again showered flowers from heaven upon Lord Nrisimhadeva like rain.

SB 7.8.36: At that time, the airplanes of the demigods, who desired to see the activities of the Supreme Lord, Narayana, crowded the sky. The demigods began beating drums and kettledrums, and upon hearing them the angelic women began to dance, while the chiefs of the Gandharvas sang sweetly.

SB 7.8.37-39: My dear King Yudhishthira, the demigods then approached the Lord. They were headed by Lord Brahma, King Indra and Lord Siva and included great saintly persons and the residents of Pitriloka, Siddhaloka, Vidyadhara-loka and the planet of the snakes. The Manus approached, and so did the chiefs of various other planets. The angelic dancers approached, as did the Gandharvas, the Caranas, the Yakshas, the inhabitants of Kinnaraloka, the Vetalas, the inhabitants of Kimpurusha-loka, and the personal servants of Vishnu like Sunanda and Kumuda. All of them came near the Lord, who glowed with intense light. They individually offered their obeisances and prayers, their hands folded at their heads.

SB 7.8.40: Lord Brahma prayed: My Lord, You are unlimited, and You possess unending potencies. No one can estimate or calculate Your prowess and wonderful influence, for Your actions are never polluted by the material energy. Through the material qualities, You very easily create the universe, maintain it and again annihilate it, yet You remain the same, without deterioration. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

SB 7.8.41: Lord Siva said: The end of the millennium is the time for Your anger. Now that this insignificant demon Hiranyakasipu has been killed, O my Lord, who are naturally affectionate to Your devotee, kindly protect his son Prahlada Maharaja, who is standing nearby as Your fully surrendered devotee.

SB 7.8.42: King Indra said: O Supreme Lord, You are our deliverer and protector. Our shares of sacrifices, which are actually Yours, have been recovered from the demon by You. Because the demoniac king Hiranyakasipu was most fearsome, our hearts, which are Your permanent abode, were all overtaken by him. Now, by Your presence, the gloom and darkness in our hearts have been dissipated. O Lord, for those who always engage in Your service, which is more exalted than liberation, all material opulence is insignificant. They do not even care for liberation, not to speak of the benefits of kama, artha and dharma.

SB 7.8.43: All the saintly persons present offered their prayers in this way: O Lord, O supreme maintainer of those sheltered at Your lotus feet, O original Personality of Godhead, the process of austerity and penance, in which You instructed us before, is the spiritual power of Your very self. It is by austerity that You create the material world, which lies dormant within You. This austerity was almost stopped by the activities of this demon, but now, by Yourself appearing in the form of Nrisimhadeva, which is meant just to give us protection, and by killing this demon, You have again approved the process of austerity.

SB 7.8.44: The inhabitants of Pitriloka prayed: Let us offer our respectful obeisances unto Lord Nrisimhadeva, the maintainer of the religious principles of the universe. He has killed Hiranyakasipu, the demon who by force enjoyed all the offerings of the sraddha ceremonies performed by our sons and grandsons on the anniversaries of our death and who drank the water with sesame seeds offered in holy places of pilgrimage. By killing this demon, O Lord, You have taken back all this stolen property from his abdomen by piercing it with Your nails. We therefore wish to offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

SB 7.8.45: The inhabitants of Siddhaloka prayed: O Lord Nrisimhadeva, because we belong to Siddhaloka, we automatically achieve perfection in all eight kinds of mystic power. Yet Hiranyakasipu was so dishonest that by the strength of his power and austerity, he took away our powers. Thus he became very proud of his mystic strength. Now, because this rogue has been killed by Your nails, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

SB 7.8.46: The inhabitants of Vidyadhara-loka prayed: Our acquired power to appear and disappear in various ways according to varieties of meditation was banned by that foolish Hiranyakasipu because of his pride in his superior bodily strength and his ability to conquer others. Now the Supreme Personality of Godhead has killed him just as if the demon were an animal. Unto that supreme pastime form of Lord Nrisimhadeva, we eternally offer our respectful obeisances.

SB 7.8.47: The inhabitants of Nagaloka said: The most sinful Hiranyakasipu took away all the jewels on our hoods and all our beautiful wives. Now, since his chest has been pierced by Your nails, You are the source of all pleasure to our wives. Thus we together offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

SB 7.8.48: All the Manus offered their prayers as follows: As Your order carriers, O Lord, we, the Manus, are the law-givers for human society, but because of the temporary supremacy of this great demon, Hiranyakasipu, our laws for maintaining varnasrama-dharma were destroyed. O Lord, now that You have killed this great demon, we are in our normal condition. Kindly order us, Your eternal servants, what to do now.

SB 7.8.49: The prajapatis offered their prayers as follows: O Supreme Lord, Lord of even Brahma and Siva, we, the prajapatis, were created by You to execute Your orders, but we were forbidden by Hiranyakasipu to create any more good progeny. Now the demon is lying dead before us, his chest pierced by You. Let us therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto You, whose incarnation in this form of pure goodness is meant for the welfare of the entire universe.

SB 7.8.50: The inhabitants of Gandharvaloka prayed: Your Lordship, we ever engage in Your service by dancing and singing in dramatic performances, but this Hiranyakasipu, by the influence of his bodily strength and valor, brought us under his subjugation. Now he has been brought to this low condition by Your Lordship. What benefit can result from the activities of such an upstart as Hiranyakasipu?

SB 7.8.51: The inhabitants of the Carana planet said: O Lord, because You have destroyed the demon Hiranyakasipu, who was always a stake in the hearts of all honest men, we are now relieved, and we eternally take shelter of Your lotus feet, which award the conditioned soul liberation from materialistic contamination.

SB 7.8.52: The inhabitants of Yakshaloka prayed: O controller of the twenty-four elements, we are considered the best servants of Your Lordship because of rendering services pleasing to You, yet we engaged as palanquin carriers by the order of Hiranyakasipu, the son of Diti. O Lord in the form of Nrisimhadeva, You know how this demon gave trouble to everyone, but now You have killed him, and his body is mixing with the five material elements.

SB 7.8.53: The inhabitants of Kimpurusha-loka said: We are insignificant living entities, and You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller. Therefore how can we offer suitable prayers unto You? When this demon was condemned by devotees because they were disgusted with him, he was then killed by You.

SB 7.8.54: The inhabitants of Vaitalika-loka said: Dear Lord, because of chanting Your spotless glories in great assemblies and arenas of sacrifice, we were accustomed to great respect from everyone. This demon, however, usurped that position. Now, to our great fortune, You have killed this great demon, exactly as one cures a chronic disease.

SB 7.8.55: The Kinnaras said: O supreme controller, we are ever-existing servants of Your Lordship, but instead of rendering service to You, we were engaged by this demon in his service, constantly and without remuneration. This sinful man has now been killed by You. Therefore, O Lord Nrisimhadeva, our master, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You. Please continue to be our patron.

SB 7.8.56: The associates of Lord Vishnu in Vaikuntha offered this prayer: O Lord, our supreme giver of shelter, today we have seen Your wonderful form as Lord Nrisimhadeva, meant for the good fortune of all the world. O Lord, we can understand that Hiranyakasipu was the same Jaya who engaged in Your service but was cursed by brahmanas and who thus received the body of a demon. We understand that his having now been killed is Your special mercy upon him.

SB 7.9.1: The great saint Narada Muni continued: The demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and other great demigods, dared not come forward before the Lord, who at that time was extremely angry.

SB 7.9.2: The goddess of fortune, Lakshmiji, was requested to go before the Lord by all the demigods present, who because of fear could not do so. But even she had never seen such a wonderful and extraordinary form of the Lord, and thus she could not approach Him.

SB 7.9.3: Thereafter Lord Brahma requested Prahlada Maharaja, who was standing very near him: My dear son, Lord Nrisimhadeva is extremely angry at your demoniac father. Please go forward and appease the Lord.

SB 7.9.4: Narada Muni continued: O King, although the exalted devotee Prahlada Maharaja was only a little boy, he accepted Lord Brahma's words. He gradually proceeded toward Lord Nrisimhadeva and fell down to offer his respectful obeisances with folded hands.

SB 7.9.5: When Lord Nrisimhadeva saw the small boy Prahlada Maharaja prostrated at the soles of His lotus feet, He became most ecstatic in affection toward His devotee. Raising Prahlada, the Lord placed His lotus hand upon the boy's head because His hand is always ready to create fearlessness in all of His devotees.

SB 7.9.6: By the touch of Lord Nrisimhadeva's hand on Prahlada Maharaja's head, Prahlada was completely freed of all material contaminations and desires, as if he had been thoroughly cleansed. Therefore he at once became transcendentally situated, and all the symptoms of ecstasy became manifest in his body. His heart filled with love, and his eyes with tears, and thus he was able to completely capture the lotus feet of the Lord within the core of his heart.

SB 7.9.7: Prahlada Maharaja fixed his mind and sight upon Lord Nrisimhadeva with full attention in complete trance. With a fixed mind, he began to offer prayers in love with a faltering voice.

SB 7.9.8: Prahlada Maharaja prayed: How is it possible for me, who have been born in a family of asuras, to offer suitable prayers to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Even until now, all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, and all the saintly persons, could not satisfy the Lord by streams of excellent words, although such persons are very qualified, being in the mode of goodness. Then what is to be said of me? I am not at all qualified.

SB 7.9.9: Prahlada Maharaja continued: One may possess wealth, an aristocratic family, beauty, austerity, education, sensory expertise, luster, influence, physical strength, diligence, intelligence and mystic yogic power, but I think that even by all these qualifications one cannot satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, one can satisfy the Lord simply by devotional service. Gajendra did this, and thus the Lord was satisfied with him.

SB 7.9.10: If a brahmana has all twelve of the brahminical qualifications [as they are stated in the book called Sanat-sujata] but is not a devotee and is averse to the lotus feet of the Lord, he is certainly lower than a devotee who is a dog-eater but who has dedicated everything -- mind, words, activities, wealth and life -- to the Supreme Lord. Such a devotee is better than such a brahmana because the devotee can purify his whole family, whereas the so-called brahmana in a position of false prestige cannot purify even himself.

SB 7.9.11: The Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always fully satisfied in Himself. Therefore when something is offered to Him, the offering, by the Lord's mercy, is for the benefit of the devotee, for the Lord does not need service from anyone. To give an example, if one's face is decorated, the reflection of one's face in a mirror is also seen to be decorated.

SB 7.9.12: Therefore, although I was born in a demoniac family, I may without a doubt offer prayers to the Lord with full endeavor, as far as my intelligence allows. Anyone who has been forced by ignorance to enter the material world may be purified of material life if he offers prayers to the Lord and hears the Lord's glories.

SB 7.9.13: O my Lord, all the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, are sincere servants of Your Lordship, who are situated in a transcendental position. Therefore they are not like us [Prahlada and his father, the demon Hiranyakasipu]. Your appearance in this fearsome form is Your pastime for Your own pleasure. Such an incarnation is always meant for the protection and improvement of the universe.

SB 7.9.14: My Lord Nrisimhadeva, please, therefore, cease Your anger now that my father, the great demon Hiranyakasipu, has been killed. Since even saintly persons take pleasure in the killing of a scorpion or a snake, all the worlds have achieved great satisfaction because of the death of this demon. Now they are confident of their happiness, and they will always remember Your auspicious incarnation in order to be free from fear.

SB 7.9.15: My Lord, who are never conquered by anyone, I am certainly not afraid of Your ferocious mouth and tongue, Your eyes bright like the sun or Your frowning eyebrows. I do not fear Your sharp, pinching teeth, Your garland of intestines, Your mane soaked with blood, or Your high, wedgelike ears. Nor do I fear Your tumultuous roaring, which makes elephants flee to distant places, or Your nails, which are meant to kill Your enemies.

SB 7.9.16: O most powerful, insurmountable Lord, who are kind to the fallen souls, I have been put into the association of demons as a result of my activities, and therefore I am very much afraid of my condition of life within this material world. When will that moment come when You will call me to the shelter of Your lotus feet, which are the ultimate goal for liberation from conditional life?

SB 7.9.17: O great one, O Supreme Lord, because of combination with pleasing and displeasing circumstances and because of separation from them, one is placed in a most regrettable position, within heavenly or hellish planets, as if burning in a fire of lamentation. Although there are many remedies by which to get out of miserable life, any such remedies in the material world are more miserable than the miseries themselves. Therefore I think that the only remedy is to engage in Your service. Kindly instruct me in such service.

SB 7.9.18: O my Lord Nrisimhadeva, by engaging in Your transcendental loving service in the association of devotees who are liberated souls [hamsas], I shall become completely uncontaminated by the association of the three modes of material nature and be able to chant the glories of Your Lordship, who are so dear to me. I shall chant Your glories, following exactly in the footsteps of Lord Brahma and his disciplic succession. In this way I shall undoubtedly be able to cross the ocean of nescience.

SB 7.9.19: My Lord Nrisimhadeva, O Supreme, because of a bodily conception of life, embodied souls neglected and not cared for by You cannot do anything for their betterment. Whatever remedies they accept, although perhaps temporarily beneficial, are certainly impermanent. For example, a father and mother cannot protect their child, a physician and medicine cannot relieve a suffering patient, and a boat on the ocean cannot protect a drowning man.

SB 7.9.20: My dear Lord, everyone in this material world is under the modes of material nature, being influenced by goodness, passion and ignorance. Everyone -- from the greatest personality, Lord Brahma, down to the small ant -- works under the influence of these modes. Therefore everyone in this material world is influenced by Your energy. The cause for which they work, the place where they work, the time when they work, the matter due to which they work, the goal of life they have considered final, and the process for obtaining this goal -- all are nothing but manifestations of Your energy. Indeed, since the energy and energetic are identical, all of them are but manifestations of You.

SB 7.9.21: O Lord, O supreme eternal, by expanding Your plenary portion You have created the subtle bodies of the living entities through the agency of Your external energy, which is agitated by time. Thus the mind entraps the living entity in unlimited varieties of desires to be fulfilled by the Vedic directions of karma-kanda [fruitive activity] and the sixteen elements. Who can get free from this entanglement unless he takes shelter at Your lotus feet?

SB 7.9.22: My dear Lord, O supreme great, You have created this material world of sixteen constituents, but You are transcendental to their material qualities. In other words, these material qualities are under Your full control, and You are never conquered by them. Therefore the time element is Your representation. My Lord, O Supreme, no one can conquer You. As for me, however, I am being crushed by the wheel of time, and therefore I surrender fully unto You. Now kindly take me under the protection of Your lotus feet.

SB 7.9.23: My dear Lord, people in general want to be elevated to the higher planetary systems for a long duration of life, opulence and enjoyment, but I have seen all of these through the activities of my father. When my father was angry and he laughed sarcastically at the demigods, they were immediately vanquished simply by seeing the movements of his eyebrows. Yet my father, who was so powerful, has now been vanquished by You within a moment.

SB 7.9.24: My dear Lord, now I have complete experience concerning the worldly opulence, mystic power, longevity and other material pleasures enjoyed by all living entities, from Lord Brahma down to the ant. As powerful time, You destroy them all. Therefore, because of my experience, I do not wish to possess them. My dear Lord, I request You to place me in touch with Your pure devotee and let me serve him as a sincere servant.

SB 7.9.25: In this material world, every living entity desires some future happiness, which is exactly like a mirage in the desert. Where is water in the desert, or, in other words, where is happiness in this material world? As for this body, what is its value? It is merely a source of various diseases. The so-called philosophers, scientists and politicians know this very well, but nonetheless they aspire for temporary happiness. Happiness is very difficult to obtain, but because they are unable to control their senses, they run after the so-called happiness of the material world and never come to the right conclusion.

SB 7.9.26: O my Lord, O Supreme, because I was born in a family full of the hellish material qualities of passion and ignorance, what is my position? And what is to be said of Your causeless mercy, which was never offered even to Lord Brahma, Lord Siva or the goddess of fortune, Lakshmi? You never put Your lotus hand upon their heads, but You have put it upon mine.

SB 7.9.27: Unlike an ordinary living entity, my Lord, You do not discriminate between friends and enemies, the favorable and the unfavorable, because for You there is no conception of higher and lower. Nonetheless, You offer Your benedictions according to the level of one's service, exactly as a desire tree delivers fruits according to one's desires and makes no distinction between the lower and the higher.

SB 7.9.28: My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, because of my association with material desires, one after another, I was gradually falling into a blind well full of snakes, following the general populace. But Your servant Narada Muni kindly accepted me as his disciple and instructed me how to achieve this transcendental position. Therefore, my first duty is to serve him. How could I leave his service?

SB 7.9.29: My Lord, O unlimited reservoir of transcendental qualities, You have killed my father, Hiranyakasipu, and saved me from his sword. He had said very angrily, "If there is any supreme controller other than me, let Him save you. I shall now sever your head from your body." Therefore I think that both in saving me and in killing him, You have acted just to prove true the words of Your devotee. There is no other cause.

SB 7.9.30: My dear Lord, You alone manifest Yourself as the entire cosmic manifestation, for You existed before the creation, You exist after the annihilation, and You are the maintainer between the beginning and the end. All this is done by Your external energy through actions and reactions of the three modes of material nature. Therefore whatever exists -- externally and internally -- is You alone.

SB 7.9.31: My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, the entire cosmic creation is caused by You, and the cosmic manifestation is an effect of Your energy. Although the entire cosmos is but You alone, You keep Yourself aloof from it. The conception of "mine and yours," is certainly a type of illusion [maya] because everything is an emanation from You and is therefore not different from You. Indeed, the cosmic manifestation is nondifferent from You, and the annihilation is also caused by You. This relationship between Your Lordship and the cosmos is illustrated by the example of the seed and the tree, or the subtle cause and the gross manifestation.

SB 7.9.32: O my Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, after the annihilation the creative energy is kept in You, who appear to sleep with half-closed eyes. Actually, however, You do not sleep like an ordinary human being, for You are always in a transcendental stage, beyond the creation of the material world, and You always feel transcendental bliss. As Karanodakasayi Vishnu, You thus remain in Your transcendental status, not touching material objects. Although You appear to sleep, this sleeping is distinct from sleeping in ignorance.

SB 7.9.33: This cosmic manifestation, the material world, is also Your body. This total lump of matter is agitated by Your potent energy known as kala-sakti, and thus the three modes of material nature are manifested. You awaken from the bed of Sesha, Ananta, and from Your navel a small transcendental seed is generated. It is from this seed that the lotus flower of the gigantic universe is manifested, exactly as a banyan tree grows from a small seed.

SB 7.9.34: From that great lotus flower, Brahma was generated, but Brahma certainly could see nothing but the lotus. Therefore, thinking You to be outside, Lord Brahma dove into the water and attempted to find the source of the lotus for one hundred years. He could find no trace of You, however, for when a seed fructifies, the original seed cannot be seen.

SB 7.9.35: Lord Brahma, who is celebrated as atma-yoni, having been born without a mother, was struck with wonder. Thus he took shelter of the lotus flower, and when he had been purified after undergoing severe austerities for many hundreds of years, he could see that the cause of all causes, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was spread throughout his own body and senses, just as aroma, although very subtle, is perceived in the earth.

SB 7.9.36: Lord Brahma could then see You possessing thousands and thousands of faces, feet, heads, hands, thighs, noses, ears and eyes. You were very nicely dressed, being decorated and bedecked with varieties of ornaments and weapons. Seeing You in the form of Lord Vishnu, Your symptoms and form being transcendental, Your legs extending from the lower planets, Lord Brahma achieved transcendental bliss.

SB 7.9.37: My dear Lord, when You appeared as Hayagriva, with the head of a horse, You killed two demons known as Madhu and Kaitabha, who were full of the modes of passion and ignorance. Then You delivered the Vedic knowledge to Lord Brahma. For this reason, all the great saints accept Your forms as transcendental, untinged by material qualities.

SB 7.9.38: In this way, my Lord, You appear in various incarnations as a human being, an animal, a great saint, a demigod, a fish or a tortoise, thus maintaining the entire creation in different planetary systems and killing the demoniac principles. According to the age, O my Lord, You protect the principles of religion. In the age of Kali, however, You do not assert Yourself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore You are known as Triyuga, or the Lord who appears in three yugas.

SB 7.9.39: My dear Lord of the Vaikuntha planets, where there is no anxiety, my mind is extremely sinful and lusty, being sometimes so-called happy and sometimes so-called distressed. My mind is full of lamentation and fear, and it always seeks more and more money. Thus it has become most polluted and is never satisfied in topics concerning You. I am therefore most fallen and poor. In such a status of life, how shall I be able to discuss Your activities?

SB 7.9.40: My dear Lord, O infallible one, my position is like that of a person who has many wives, all trying to attract him in their own way. For example, the tongue is attracted to palatable dishes, the genitals to sex with an attractive woman, and the sense of touch to contact with soft things. The belly, although filled, still wants to eat more, and the ear, not attempting to hear about You, is generally attracted to cinema songs. The sense of smell is attracted to yet another side, the restless eyes are attracted to scenes of sense gratification, and the active senses are attracted elsewhere. In this way I am certainly embarrassed.

SB 7.9.41: My dear Lord, You are always transcendentally situated on the other side of the river of death, but because of the reactions of our own activities, we are suffering on this side. Indeed, we have fallen into this river and are repeatedly suffering the pains of birth and death and eating horrible things. Now kindly look upon us -- not only upon me but also upon all others who are suffering -- and by Your causeless mercy and compassion, deliver us and maintain us.

SB 7.9.42: O my Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, original spiritual master of the entire world, what is the difficulty for You, who manage the affairs of the universe, in delivering the fallen souls engaged in Your devotional service? You are the friend of all suffering humanity, and for great personalities it is necessary to show mercy to the foolish. Therefore I think that You will show Your causeless mercy to persons like us, who engage in Your service.

SB 7.9.43: O best of the great personalities, I am not at all afraid of material existence, for wherever I stay I am fully absorbed in thoughts of Your glories and activities. My concern is only for the fools and rascals who are making elaborate plans for material happiness and maintaining their families, societies and countries. I am simply concerned with love for them.

SB 7.9.44: My dear Lord Nrisimhadeva, I see that there are many saintly persons indeed, but they are interested only in their own deliverance. Not caring for the big cities and towns, they go to the Himalayas or the forest to meditate with vows of silence [mauna-vrata]. They are not interested in delivering others. As for me, however, I do not wish to be liberated alone, leaving aside all these poor fools and rascals. I know that without Krishna consciousness, without taking shelter of Your lotus feet, one cannot be happy. Therefore I wish to bring them back to shelter at Your lotus feet.

SB 7.9.45: Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Grihamedhis, so-called grihasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress. The kripanas, the fools who are just the opposite of brahmanas, are not satisfied by repeated sensuous enjoyment. Those who are dhira, however, who are sober and who tolerate this itching, are not subjected to the sufferings of fools and rascals.

SB 7.9.46: O Supreme Personality of Godhead, there are ten prescribed methods on the path to liberation -- to remain silent, not to speak to anyone, to observe vows, to amass all kinds of Vedic knowledge, to undergo austerities, to study the Vedas and other Vedic literatures, to execute the duties of varnasrama-dharma, to explain the sastras, to stay in a solitary place, to chant mantras silently, and to be absorbed in trance. These different methods for liberation are generally only a professional practice and means of livelihood for those who have not conquered their senses. Because such persons are falsely proud, these procedures may not be successful.

SB 7.9.47: By authorized Vedic knowledge one can see that the forms of cause and effect in the cosmic manifestation belong to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for the cosmic manifestation is His energy. Both cause and effect are nothing but energies of the Lord. Therefore, O my Lord, just as a wise man, by considering cause and effect, can see how fire pervades wood, those engaged in devotional service understand how You are both the cause and effect.

SB 7.9.48: O Supreme Lord, You are actually the air, the earth, fire, sky and water. You are the objects of sense perception, the life airs, the five senses, the mind, consciousness and false ego. Indeed, You are everything, subtle and gross. The material elements and anything expressed, either by the words or by the mind, are nothing but You.

SB 7.9.49: Neither the three modes of material nature [sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna], nor the predominating deities controlling these three modes, nor the five gross elements, nor the mind, nor the demigods nor the human beings can understand Your Lordship, for they are all subjected to birth and annihilation. Considering this, the spiritually advanced have taken to devotional service. Such wise men hardly bother with Vedic study. Instead, they engage themselves in practical devotional service.

SB 7.9.50: Therefore, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, the best of all persons to whom prayers are offered, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You because without rendering six kinds of devotional service unto You -- offering prayers, dedicating all the results of activities, worshiping You, working on Your behalf, always remembering Your lotus feet and hearing about Your glories -- who can achieve that which is meant for the paramahamsas?

SB 7.9.51: The great saint Narada said: Thus Lord Nrisimhadeva was pacified by the devotee Prahlada Maharaja with prayers offered from the transcendental platform. The Lord gave up His anger, and being very kind to Prahlada, who was offering prostrated obeisances, He spoke as follows.

SB 7.9.52: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Prahlada, most gentle one, best of the family of the asuras, all good fortune unto you. I am very much pleased with you. It is My pastime to fulfill the desires of all living beings, and therefore you may ask from Me any benediction that you desire to be fulfilled.

SB 7.9.53: My dear Prahlada, may you live a long time. One cannot appreciate or understand Me without pleasing Me, but one who has seen or pleased Me has nothing more for which to lament for his own satisfaction.

SB 7.9.54: My dear Prahlada, you are very fortunate. Please know from Me that those who are very wise and highly elevated try to please Me in all different modes of mellows, for I am the only person who can fulfill all the desires of everyone.

SB 7.9.55: Narada Muni said: Prahlada Maharaja was the best person in the family of asuras, who always aspire for material happiness. Nonetheless, although allured by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who offered him all benedictions for material happiness, because of his unalloyed Krishna consciousness he did not want to take any material benefit for sense gratification.

SB 6.3.1: King Parikshit said: O my lord, O Sukadeva Gosvami, Yamaraja is the controller of all living entities in terms of their religious and irreligious activities, but his order had been foiled. When his servants, the Yamadutas, informed him of their defeat by the Vishnudutas, who had stopped them from arresting Ajamila, what did he reply?

SB 6.3.2: O great sage, never before has it been heard anywhere that an order from Yamaraja has been baffled. Therefore I think that people will have doubts about this that no one but you can eradicate. Since that is my firm conviction, kindly explain the reasons for these events.

SB 6.3.3: Sri Sukadeva Gosvami replied: My dear King, when the order carriers of Yamaraja were baffled and defeated by the order carriers of Vishnu, they approached their master, the controller of Samyamani-puri and master of sinful persons, to tell him of this incident.

SB 6.3.4: The Yamadutas said: Our dear lord, how many controllers or rulers are there in this material world? How many causes are responsible for manifesting the various results of activities performed under the three modes of material nature [sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna]?

SB 6.3.5: If in this universe there are many rulers and justices who disagree about punishment and reward, their contradictory actions will neutralize each other, and no one will be punished or rewarded. Otherwise, if their contradictory acts fail to neutralize each other, everyone will have to be both punished and rewarded.

SB 6.3.6: The Yamadutas continued: Since there are many different karmis, or workers, there may be different judges or rulers to give them justice, but just as one central emperor controls different departmental rulers, there must be one supreme controller to guide all the judges.

SB 6.3.7: The supreme judge must be one, not many. It was our understanding that you are that supreme judge and that you have jurisdiction even over the demigods. Our impression was that you are the master of all living entities, the supreme authority who discriminates between the pious and impious activities of all human beings.

SB 6.3.8: But now we see that the punishment ordained under your authority is no longer effective, since your order has been transgressed by four wonderful and perfect persons.

SB 6.3.9: We were bringing the most sinful Ajamila toward the hellish planets, following your order, when those beautiful persons from Siddhaloka forcibly cut the knots of the ropes with which we were arresting him.

SB 6.3.10: As soon as the sinful Ajamila uttered the name Narayana, these four beautiful men immediately arrived and reassured him, saying, "Do not fear. Do not fear." We wish to know about them from Your Lordship. If you think we are able to understand them, kindly describe who they are.

SB 6.3.11: Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: Thus having been questioned, Lord Yamaraja, the supreme controller of the living entities, was very pleased with his order carriers because of hearing from them the holy name of Narayana. He remembered the lotus feet of the Lord and began to reply.

SB 6.3.12: Yamaraja said: My dear servants, you have accepted me as the Supreme, but factually I am not. Above me, and above all the other demigods, including Indra and Candra, is the one supreme master and controller. The partial manifestations of His personality are Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, who are in charge of the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this universe. He is like the two threads that form the length and breadth of a woven cloth. The entire world is controlled by Him just as a bull is controlled by a rope in its nose.

SB 6.3.13: Just as the driver of a bullock cart ties ropes through the nostrils of his bulls to control them, the Supreme Personality of Godhead binds all men through the ropes of His words in the Vedas, which set forth the names and activities of the distinct orders of human society [brahmana, kshatriya, vaisya and sudra]. In fear, the members of these orders all worship the Supreme Lord by offering Him presentations according to their respective activities.

SB 6.3.14-15: I, Yamaraja; Indra, the King of heaven; Nirriti; Varuna; Candra, the moon-god; Agni; Lord Siva; Pavana; Lord Brahma; Surya, the sun-god; Visvasu; the eight Vasus; the Sadhyas; the Maruts; the Rudras; the Siddhas; and Marici and the other great rishis engaged in maintaining the departmental affairs of the universe, as well as the best of the demigods headed by Brihaspati, and the great sages headed by Bhrigu are all certainly freed from the influence of the two base material modes of nature, namely passion and ignorance. Nevertheless, although we are in the mode of goodness, we cannot understand the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What, then, is to be said of others, who, under illusion, merely speculate to know God?

SB 6.3.16: As the different limbs of the body cannot see the eyes, the living entities cannot see the Supreme Lord, who is situated as the Supersoul in everyone's heart. Not by the senses, by the mind, by the life air, by thoughts within the heart, or by the vibration of words can the living entities ascertain the real situation of the Supreme Lord.

SB 6.3.17: The Supreme Personality of Godhead is self-sufficient and fully independent. He is the master of everyone and everything, including the illusory energy. He has His form, qualities and features; and similarly His order carriers, the Vaishnavas, who are very beautiful, possess bodily features, transcendental qualities and a transcendental nature almost like His. They always wander within this world with full independence.

SB 6.3.18: The order carriers of Lord Vishnu, who are worshiped even by the demigods, possess wonderful bodily features exactly like those of Vishnu and are very rarely seen. The Vishnudutas protect the devotees of the Lord from the hands of enemies, from envious persons and even from my jurisdiction, as well as from natural disturbances.

SB 6.3.19: Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great rishis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyadharas and Caranas.

SB 6.3.20-21: Lord Brahma, Bhagavan Narada, Lord Siva, the four Kumaras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahuti], Svayambhuva Manu, Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka Maharaja, Grandfather Bhishma, Bali Maharaja, Sukadeva Gosvami and I myself know the real religious principle. My dear servants, this transcendental religious principle, which is known as bhagavata-dharma, or surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love for Him, is uncontaminated by the material modes of nature. It is very confidential and difficult for ordinary human beings to understand, but if by chance one fortunately understands it, he is immediately liberated, and thus he returns home, back to Godhead.

SB 6.3.22: Devotional service, beginning with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is the ultimate religious principle for the living entity in human society.

SB 6.3.23: My dear servants, who are as good as my sons, just see how glorious is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The greatly sinful Ajamila chanted only to call his son, not knowing that he was chanting the Lord's holy name. Nevertheless, by chanting the holy name of the Lord, he remembered Narayana, and thus he was immediately saved from the ropes of death.

SB 6.3.24: Therefore it should be understood that one is easily relieved from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and chanting of His qualities and activities. This is the only process recommended for relief from sinful reactions. Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he will achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offenses. Ajamila, for example, was extremely sinful, but while dying he merely chanted the holy name, and although calling his son, he achieved complete liberation because he remembered the name of Narayana.

SB 6.3.25: Because they are bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Yajnavalkya and Jaimini and other compilers of the religious scriptures cannot know the secret, confidential religious system of the twelve mahajanas. They cannot understand the transcendental value of performing devotional service or chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. Because their minds are attracted to the ritualistic ceremonies mentioned in the Vedas -- especially the Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Rig Veda -- their intelligence has become dull. Thus they are busy collecting the ingredients for ritualistic ceremonies that yield only temporary benefits, such as elevation to Svargaloka for material happiness. They are not attracted to the sankirtana movement; instead, they are interested in dharma, artha, kama and moksha.

SB 6.3.26: Considering all these points, therefore, intelligent men decide to solve all problems by adopting the devotional service of chanting the holy name of the Lord, who is situated in everyone's heart and who is a mine of all auspicious qualities. Such persons are not within my jurisdiction for punishment. Generally they never commit sinful activities, but even if by mistake or because of bewilderment or illusion they sometimes commit sinful acts, they are protected from sinful reactions because they always chant the Hare Krishna mantra.

SB 6.3.27: My dear servants, please do not approach such devotees, for they have fully surrendered to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are equal to everyone, and their narrations are sung by the demigods and the inhabitants of Siddhaloka. Please do not even go near them. They are always protected by the club of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore Lord Brahma and I and even the time factor are not competent to chastise them.

SB 6.3.28: Paramahamsas are exalted persons who have no taste for material enjoyment and who drink the honey of the Lord's lotus feet. My dear servants, bring to me for punishment only persons who are averse to the taste of that honey, who do not associate with paramahamsas and who are attached to family life and worldly enjoyment, which form the path to hell.

SB 6.3.29: My dear servants, please bring to me only those sinful persons who do not use their tongues to chant the holy name and qualities of Krishna, whose hearts do not remember the lotus feet of Krishna even once, and whose heads do not bow down even once before Lord Krishna. Send me those who do not perform their duties toward Vishnu, which are the only duties in human life. Please bring me all such fools and rascals.

SB 6.3.30: [Then Yamaraja, considering himself and his servants to be offenders, spoke as follows, begging pardon from the Lord.] O my Lord, my servants have surely committed a great offense by arresting a Vaishnava such as Ajamila. O Narayana, O supreme and oldest person, please forgive us. Because of our ignorance, we failed to recognize Ajamila as a servant of Your Lordship, and thus we have certainly committed a great offense. Therefore with folded hands we beg Your pardon. My Lord, since You are supremely merciful and are always full of good qualities, please pardon us. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

SB 6.3.31: Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sankirtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously.

SB 6.3.32: One who constantly hears and chants the holy name of the Lord and hears and chants about His activities can very easily attain the platform of pure devotional service, which can cleanse the dirt from one's heart. One cannot achieve such purification merely by observing vows and performing Vedic ritualistic ceremonies.

SB 6.3.33: Devotees who always lick the honey from the lotus feet of Lord Krishna do not care at all for material activities, which are performed under the three modes of material nature and which bring only misery. Indeed, devotees never give up the lotus feet of Krishna to return to material activities. Others, however, who are addicted to Vedic rituals because they have neglected the service of the Lord's lotus feet and are enchanted by lusty desires, sometimes perform acts of atonement. Nevertheless, being incompletely purified, they return to sinful activities again and again.

SB 6.3.34: After hearing from the mouth of their master about the extraordinary glories of the Lord and His name, fame and attributes, the Yamadutas were struck with wonder. Since then, as soon as they see a devotee, they fear him and dare not look at him again.

SB 6.3.35: When the great sage Agastya, the son of Kumbha, was residing in the Malaya Hills and worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I approached him, and he explained to me this confidential history.

SB 5.26.1: King Parikshit inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami: My dear sir, why are the living entities put into different material situations? Kindly explain this to me.

SB 5.26.2: The great sage Sukadeva Gosvami said: My dear King, in this material world there are three kinds of activities -- those in the mode of goodness, the mode of passion and the mode of ignorance. Because all people are influenced by the three modes of material nature, the results of their activities are also divided into three. One who acts in the mode of goodness is religious and happy, one who acts in passion achieves mixed misery and happiness, and one who acts under the influence of ignorance is always unhappy and lives like an animal. Because of the varying degrees to which the living entities are influenced by the different modes of nature, their destinations are also of different varieties.

SB 5.26.3: Just as by executing various pious activities one achieves different positions in heavenly life, by acting impiously one achieves different positions in hellish life. Those who are activated by the material mode of ignorance engage in impious activities, and according to the extent of their ignorance, they are placed in different grades of hellish life. If one acts in the mode of ignorance because of madness, his resulting misery is the least severe. One who acts impiously but knows the distinction between pious and impious activities is placed in a hell of intermediate severity. And for one who acts impiously and ignorantly because of atheism, the resultant hellish life is the worst. Because of ignorance, every living entity has been carried by various desires into thousands of different hellish planets since time immemorial. I shall try to describe them as far as possible.

SB 5.26.4: King Parikshit inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami: My dear lord, are the hellish regions outside the universe, within the covering of the universe, or in different places on this planet?

SB 5.26.5: The great sage Sukadeva Gosvami answered: All the hellish planets are situated in the intermediate space between the three worlds and the Garbhodaka Ocean. They lie on the southern side of the universe, beneath Bhu-mandala, and slightly above the water of the Garbhodaka Ocean. Pitriloka is also located in this region between the Garbhodaka Ocean and the lower planetary systems. All the residents of Pitriloka, headed by Agnishvatta, meditate in great samadhi on the Supreme Personality of Godhead and always wish their families well.

SB 5.26.6: The King of the pitas is Yamaraja, the very powerful son of the sun-god. He resides in Pitriloka with his personal assistants and, while abiding by the rules and regulations set down by the Supreme Lord, has his agents, the Yamadutas, bring all the sinful men to him immediately upon their death. After bringing them within his jurisdiction, he properly judges them according to their specific sinful activities and sends them to one of the many hellish planets for suitable punishments.

SB 5.26.7: Some authorities say that there is a total of twenty-one hellish planets, and some say twenty-eight. My dear King, I shall outline all of them according to their names, forms and symptoms. The names of the different hells are as follows: Tamisra, Andhatamisra, Raurava, Maharaurava, Kumbhipaka, Kalasutra, Asi-patravana, Sukaramukha, Andhakupa, Krimibhojana, Sandamsa, Taptasurmi, Vajrakantaka-salmali, Vaitarani, Puyoda, Pranarodha, Visasana, Lalabhaksha, Sarameyadana, Avici, Ayahpana, Ksharakardama, Rakshogana-bhojana, Sulaprota, Dandasuka, Avata-nirodhana, Paryavartana and Sucimukha. All these planets are meant for punishing the living entities.

SB 5.26.8: My dear King, a person who appropriates another's legitimate wife, children or money is arrested at the time of death by the fierce Yamadutas, who bind him with the rope of time and forcibly throw him into the hellish planet known as Tamisra. On this very dark planet, the sinful man is chastised by the Yamadutas, who beat and rebuke him. He is starved, and he is given no water to drink. Thus the wrathful assistants of Yamaraja cause him severe suffering, and sometimes he faints from their chastisement.

SB 5.26.9: The destination of a person who slyly cheats another man and enjoys his wife and children is the hell known as Andhatamisra. There his condition is exactly like that of a tree being chopped at its roots. Even before reaching Andhatamisra, the sinful living being is subjected to various extreme miseries. These afflictions are so severe that he loses his intelligence and sight. It is for this reason that learned sages call this hell Andhatamisra.

SB 5.26.10: A person who accepts his body as his self works very hard day and night for money to maintain his own body and the bodies of his wife and children. While working to maintain himself and his family, he may commit violence against other living entities. Such a person is forced to give up his body and his family at the time of death, when he suffers the reaction for his envy of other creatures by being thrown into the hell called Raurava.

SB 5.26.11: In this life, an envious person commits violent acts against many living entities. Therefore after his death, when he is taken to hell by Yamaraja, those living entities who were hurt by him appear as animals called rurus to inflict very severe pain upon him. Learned scholars call this hell Raurava. Not generally seen in this world, the ruru is more envious than a snake.

SB 5.26.12: Punishment in the hell called Maharaurava is compulsory for a person who maintains his own body by hurting others. In this hell, ruru animals known as kravyada torment him and eat his flesh.

SB 5.26.13: For the maintenance of their bodies and the satisfaction of their tongues, cruel persons cook poor animals and birds alive. Such persons are condemned even by man-eaters. In their next lives they are carried by the Yamadutas to the hell known as Kumbhipaka, where they are cooked in boiling oil.

SB 5.26.14: The killer of a brahmana is put into the hell known as Kalasutra, which has a circumference of eighty thousand miles and which is made entirely of copper. Heated from below by fire and from above by the scorching sun, the copper surface of this planet is extremely hot. Thus the murderer of a brahmana suffers from being burned both internally and externally. Internally he is burning with hunger and thirst, and externally he is burning from the scorching heat of the sun and the fire beneath the copper surface. Therefore he sometimes lies down, sometimes sits, sometimes stands up and sometimes runs here and there. He must suffer in this way for as many thousands of years as there are hairs on the body of an animal.

SB 5.26.15: If a person deviates from the path of the Vedas in the absence of an emergency, the servants of Yamaraja put him into the hell called Asi-patravana, where they beat him with whips. When he runs hither and thither, fleeing from the extreme pain, on all sides he runs into palm trees with leaves like sharpened swords. Thus injured all over his body and fainting at every step, he cries out, "Oh, what shall I do now! How shall I be saved!" This is how one suffers who deviates from the accepted religious principles.

SB 5.26.16: In his next life, a sinful king or governmental representative who punishes an innocent person, or who inflicts corporal punishment upon a brahmana, is taken by the Yamadutas to the hell named Sukaramukha, where the most powerful assistants of Yamaraja crush him exactly as one crushes sugarcane to squeeze out the juice. The sinful living entity cries very pitiably and faints, just like an innocent man undergoing punishments. This is the result of punishing a faultless person.

SB 5.26.17: By the arrangement of the Supreme Lord, low-grade living beings like bugs and mosquitoes suck the blood of human beings and other animals. Such insignificant creatures are unaware that their bites are painful to the human being. However, first-class human beings -- brahmanas, kshatriyas and vaisyas -- are developed in consciousness, and therefore they know how painful it is to be killed. A human being endowed with knowledge certainly commits sin if he kills or torments insignificant creatures, who have no discrimination. The Supreme Lord punishes such a man by putting him into the hell known as Andhakupa, where he is attacked by all the birds and beasts, reptiles, mosquitoes, lice, worms, flies, and any other creatures he tormented during his life. They attack him from all sides, robbing him of the pleasure of sleep. Unable to rest, he constantly wanders about in the darkness. Thus in Andhakupa his suffering is just like that of a creature in the lower species.

SB 5.26.18: A person is considered no better than a crow if after receiving some food, he does not divide it among guests, old men and children, but simply eats it himself, or if he eats it without performing the five kinds of sacrifice. After death he is put into the most abominable hell, known as Krimibhojana. In that hell is a lake 100,000 yojanas [800,000 miles] wide and filled with worms. He becomes a worm in that lake and feeds on the other worms there, who also feed on him. Unless he atones for his actions before his death, such a sinful man remains in the hellish lake of Krimibhojana for as many years as there are yojanas in the width of the lake.

SB 5.26.19: My dear King, a person who in the absence of an emergency robs a brahmana -- or, indeed, anyone else -- of his gems and gold is put into a hell known as Sandamsa. There his skin is torn and separated by red-hot iron balls and tongs. In this way, his entire body is cut to pieces.

SB 5.26.20: A man or woman who indulges in sexual intercourse with an unworthy member of the opposite sex is punished after death by the assistants of Yamaraja in the hell known as Taptasurmi. There such men and women are beaten with whips. The man is forced to embrace a red-hot iron form of a woman, and the woman is forced to embrace a similar form of a man. Such is the punishment for illicit sex.

SB 5.26.21: A person who indulges in sex indiscriminately -- even with animals -- is taken after death to the hell known as Vajrakantaka-salmali. In this hell there is a silk-cotton tree full of thorns as strong as thunderbolts. The agents of Yamaraja hang the sinful man on that tree and pull him down forcibly so that the thorns very severely tear his body.

SB 5.26.22: A person who is born into a responsible family -- such as a kshatriya, a member of royalty or a government servant -- but who neglects to execute his prescribed duties according to religious principles, and who thus becomes degraded, falls down at the time of death into the river of hell known as Vaitarani. This river, which is a moat surrounding hell, is full of ferocious aquatic animals. When a sinful man is thrown into the River Vaitarani, the aquatic animals there immediately begin to eat him, but because of his extremely sinful life, he does not leave his body. He constantly remembers his sinful activities and suffers terribly in that river, which is full of stool, urine, pus, blood, hair, nails, bones, marrow, flesh and fat.

SB 5.26.23: The shameless husbands of lowborn sudra women live exactly like animals, and therefore they have no good behavior, cleanliness or regulated life. After death, such persons are thrown into the hell called Puyoda, where they are put into an ocean filled with pus, stool, urine, mucus, saliva and similar things. Sudras who could not improve themselves fall into that ocean and are forced to eat those disgusting things.

SB 5.26.24: If in this life a man of the higher classes [brahmana, kshatriya and vaisya] is very fond of taking his pet dogs, mules or asses into the forest to hunt and kill animals unnecessarily, he is placed after death into the hell known as Pranarodha. There the assistants of Yamaraja make him their targets and pierce him with arrows.

SB 5.26.25: A person who in this life is proud of his eminent position, and who heedlessly sacrifices animals simply for material prestige, is put into the hell called Visasana after death. There the assistants of Yamaraja kill him after giving him unlimited pain.

SB 5.26.26: If a foolish member of the twice-born classes [brahmana, kshatriya and vaisya] forces his wife to drink his semen out of a lusty desire to keep her under control, he is put after death into the hell known as Lalabhaksha. There he is thrown into a flowing river of semen, which he is forced to drink.

SB 5.26.27: In this world, some persons are professional plunderers who set fire to others' houses or administer poison to them. Also, members of the royalty or government officials sometimes plunder mercantile men by forcing them to pay income tax and by other methods. After death such demons are put into the hell known as Sarameyadana. On that planet there are 720 dogs with teeth as strong as thunderbolts. Under the orders of the agents of Yamaraja, these dogs voraciously devour such sinful people.

SB 5.26.28: A person who in this life bears false witness or lies while transacting business or giving charity is severely punished after death by the agents of Yamaraja. Such a sinful man is taken to the top of a mountain eight hundred miles high and thrown headfirst into the hell known as Avicimat. This hell has no shelter and is made of strong stone resembling the waves of water. There is no water there, however, and thus it is called Avicimat [waterless]. Although the sinful man is repeatedly thrown from the mountain and his body broken to tiny pieces, he still does not die but continuously suffers chastisement.

SB 5.26.29: Any brahmana or brahmana's wife who drinks liquor is taken by the agents of Yamaraja to the hell known as Ayahpana. This hell also awaits any kshatriya, vaisya, or person under a vow who in illusion drinks soma-rasa. In Ayahpana the agents of Yamaraja stand on their chests and pour hot melted iron into their mouths.

SB 5.26.30: A lowborn and abominable person who in this life becomes falsely proud, thinking "I am great," and who thus fails to show proper respect to one more elevated than he by birth, austerity, education, behavior, caste or spiritual order, is like a dead man even in this lifetime, and after death he is thrown headfirst into the hell known as Ksharakardama. There he must great suffer great tribulation at the hands of the agents of Yamaraja.

SB 5.26.31: There are men and women in this world who sacrifice human beings to Bhairava or Bhadra Kali and then eat their victims' flesh. Those who perform such sacrifices are taken after death to the abode of Yamaraja, where their victims, having taken the form of Rakshasas, cut them to pieces with sharpened swords. Just as in this world the man-eaters drank their victims' blood, dancing and singing in jubilation, their victims now enjoy drinking the blood of the sacrificers and celebrating in the same way.

SB 5.26.32: In this life some people give shelter to animals and birds that come to them for protection in the village or forest, and after making them believe that they will be protected, such people pierce them with lances or threads and play with them like toys, giving them great pain. After death such people are brought by the assistants of Yamaraja to the hell known as Sulaprota, where their bodies are pierced with sharp, needlelike lances. They suffer from hunger and thirst, and sharp-beaked birds such as vultures and herons come at them from all sides to tear at their bodies. Tortured and suffering, they can then remember the sinful activities they committed in the past.

SB 5.26.33: Those who in this life are like envious serpents, always angry and giving pain to other living entities, fall after death into the hell known as Dandasuka. My dear King, in this hell there are serpents with five or seven hoods. These serpents eat such sinful persons just as snakes eat mice.

SB 5.26.34: Those who in this life confine other living entities in dark wells, granaries or mountain caves are put after death into the hell known as Avata-nirodhana. There they themselves are pushed into dark wells, where poisonous fumes and smoke suffocate them and they suffer very severely.

SB 5.26.35: A householder who receives guests or visitors with cruel glances, as if to burn them to ashes, is put into the hell called Paryavartana, where he is gazed at by hard-eyed vultures, herons, crows and similar birds, which suddenly swoop down and pluck out his eyes with great force.

SB 5.26.36: One who in this world or this life is very proud of his wealth always thinks, "I am so rich. Who can equal me?" His vision is twisted, and he is always afraid that someone will take his wealth. Indeed, he even suspects his superiors. His face and heart dry up at the thought of losing his wealth, and therefore he always looks like a wretched fiend. He is not in any way able to obtain actual happiness, and he does not know what it is to be free from anxiety. Because of the sinful things he does to earn money, augment his wealth and protect it, he is put into the hell called Sucimukha, where the officials of Yamaraja punish him by stitching thread through his entire body like weavers manufacturing cloth.

SB 5.26.37: My dear King Parikshit, in the province of Yamaraja there are hundreds and thousands of hellish planets. The impious people I have mentioned -- and also those I have not mentioned -- must all enter these various planets according to the degree of their impiety. Those who are pious, however, enter other planetary systems, namely the planets of the demigods. Nevertheless, both the pious and impious are again brought to earth after the results of their pious or impious acts are exhausted.

SB 5.26.38: In the beginning [the Second and Third Cantos of Srimad-Bhagavatam] I have already described how one can progress on the path of liberation. In the Puranas the vast universal existence, which is like an egg divided into fourteen parts, is described. This vast form is considered the external body of the Lord, created by His energy and qualities. It is generally called the virat-rupa. If one reads the description of this external form of the Lord with great faith, or if one hears about it or explains it to others to propagate bhagavata-dharma, or Krishna consciousness, his faith and devotion in spiritual consciousness, Krishna consciousness, will gradually increase. Although developing this consciousness is very difficult, by this process one can purify himself and gradually come to an awareness of the Supreme Absolute Truth.

SB 5.26.39: One who is interested in liberation, who accepts the path of liberation and is not attracted to the path of conditional life, is called yati, or a devotee. Such a person should first control his mind by thinking of the virat-rupa, the gigantic universal form of the Lord, and then gradually think of the spiritual form of Krishna [sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]] after hearing of both forms. Thus one's mind is fixed in samadhi. By devotional service one can then realize the spiritual form of the Lord, which is the destination of devotees. Thus his life becomes successful.

SB 5.26.40: My dear King, I have now described for you this planet earth, other planetary systems, and their lands [varshas], rivers and mountains. I have also described the sky, the oceans, the lower planetary systems, the directions, the hellish planetary systems and the stars. These constitute the virat-rupa, the gigantic material form of the Lord, on which all living entities repose. Thus I have explained the wonderful expanse of the external body of the Lord.

SB 1.3.1: Suta said: In the beginning of the creation, the Lord first expanded Himself in the universal form of the purusha incarnation and manifested all the ingredients for the material creation. And thus at first there was the creation of the sixteen principles of material action. This was for the purpose of creating the material universe.

SB 1.3.2: A part of the purusha lies down within the water of the universe, from the navel lake of His body sprouts a lotus stem, and from the lotus flower atop this stem, Brahma, the master of all engineers in the universe, becomes manifest.

SB 1.3.3: It is believed that all the universal planetary systems are situated on the extensive body of the purusha, but He has nothing to do with the created material ingredients. His body is eternally in spiritual existence par excellence.

SB 1.3.4: The devotees, with their perfect eyes, see the transcendental form of the purusha who has thousands of legs, thighs, arms and faces -- all extraordinary. In that body there are thousands of heads, ears, eyes and noses. They are decorated with thousands of helmets and glowing earrings and are adorned with garlands.

SB 1.3.5: This form [the second manifestation of the purusha] is the source and indestructible seed of multifarious incarnations within the universe. From the particles and portions of this form, different living entities, like demigods, men and others, are created.

SB 1.3.6: First of all, in the beginning of creation, there were the four unmarried sons of Brahma [the Kumaras], who, being situated in a vow of celibacy, underwent severe austerities for realization of the Absolute Truth.

SB 1.3.7: The supreme enjoyer of all sacrifices accepted the incarnation of a boar [the second incarnation], and for the welfare of the earth He lifted the earth from the nether regions of the universe.

SB 1.3.8: In the millennium of the rishis, the Personality of Godhead accepted the third empowered incarnation in the form of Devarshi Narada, who is a great sage among the demigods. He collected expositions of the Vedas which deal with devotional service and which inspire nonfruitive action.

SB 1.3.9: In the fourth incarnation, the Lord became Nara and Narayana, the twin sons of the wife of King Dharma. Thus He undertook severe and exemplary penances to control the senses.

SB 1.3.10: The fifth incarnation, named Lord Kapila, is foremost among perfected beings. He gave an exposition of the creative elements and metaphysics to Asuri Brahmana, for in course of time this knowledge had been lost.

SB 1.3.11: The sixth incarnation of the purusha was the son of the sage Atri. He was born from the womb of Anasuya, who prayed for an incarnation. He spoke on the subject of transcendence to Alarka, Prahlada and others [Yadu, Haihaya, etc.].

SB 1.3.12: The seventh incarnation was Yajna, the son of Prajapati Ruci and his wife Akuti. He controlled the period during the change of the Svayambhuva Manu and was assisted by demigods such as His son Yama.

SB 1.3.13: The eighth incarnation was King Rishabha, son of King Nabhi and his wife Merudevi. In this incarnation the Lord showed the path of perfection, which is followed by those who have fully controlled their senses and who are honored by all orders of life.

SB 1.3.14: O brahmanas, in the ninth incarnation, the Lord, prayed for by sages, accepted the body of a king [Prithu] who cultivated the land to yield various produces, and for that reason the earth was beautiful and attractive.

SB 1.3.15: When there was a complete inundation after the period of the Cakshusha Manu and the whole world was deep within water, the Lord accepted the form of a fish and protected Vaivasvata Manu, keeping him up on a boat.

SB 1.3.16: The eleventh incarnation of the Lord took the form of a tortoise whose shell served as a pivot for the Mandaracala Hill, which was being used as a churning rod by the theists and atheists of the universe.

SB 1.3.17: In the twelfth incarnation, the Lord appeared as Dhanvantari, and in the thirteenth He allured the atheists by the charming beauty of a woman and gave nectar to the demigods to drink.

SB 1.3.18: In the fourteenth incarnation, the Lord appeared as Nrisimha and bifurcated the strong body of the atheist Hiranyakasipu with His nails, just as a carpenter pierces cane.

SB 1.3.19: In the fifteenth incarnation, the Lord assumed the form of a dwarf-brahmana [Vamana] and visited the arena of sacrifice arranged by Maharaja Bali. Although at heart He was willing to regain the kingdom of the three planetary systems, He simply asked for a donation of three steps of land.

SB 1.3.20: In the sixteenth incarnation of the Godhead, the Lord [as Bhrigupati] annihilated the administrative class [kshatriyas] twenty-one times, being angry with them because of their rebellion against the brahmanas [the intelligent class].

SB 1.3.21: Thereafter, in the seventeenth incarnation of Godhead, Sri Vyasadeva appeared in the womb of Satyavati through Parasara Muni, and he divided the one Veda into several branches and subbranches, seeing that the people in general were less intelligent.

SB 1.3.22: In the eighteenth incarnation, the Lord appeared as King Rama. In order to perform some pleasing work for the demigods, He exhibited superhuman powers by controlling the Indian Ocean and then killing the atheist King Ravana, who was on the other side of the sea.

SB 1.3.23: In the nineteenth and twentieth incarnations, the Lord advented Himself as Lord Balarama and Lord Krishna in the family of Vrishni [the Yadu dynasty], and by so doing He removed the burden of the world.

SB 1.3.24: Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Anjana, in the province of Gaya, just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the faithful theist.

SB 1.3.25: Thereafter, at the conjunction of two yugas, the Lord of the creation will take His birth as the Kalki incarnation and become the son of Vishnu Yasa. At this time the rulers of the earth will have degenerated into plunderers.

SB 1.3.26: O brahmanas, the incarnations of the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets flowing from inexhaustible sources of water.

SB 1.3.27: All the rishis, Manus, demigods and descendants of Manu, who are especially powerful, are plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord. This also includes the Prajapatis.

SB 1.3.28: All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Sri Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.

SB 1.3.29: Whoever carefully recites the mysterious appearances of the Lord, with devotion in the morning and in the evening, gets relief from all miseries of life.

SB 1.3.30: The conception of the virat universal form of the Lord, as appearing in the material world, is imaginary. It is to enable the less intelligent [and neophytes] to adjust to the idea of the Lord's having form. But factually the Lord has no material form.

SB 1.3.31: Clouds and dust are carried by the air, but less intelligent persons say that the sky is cloudy and the air is dirty. Similarly, they also implant material bodily conceptions on the spirit self.

SB 1.3.32: Beyond this gross conception of form is another, subtle conception of form which is without formal shape and is unseen, unheard and unmanifest. The living being has his form beyond this subtlety, otherwise he could not have repeated births.

SB 1.3.33: Whenever a person experiences, by self-realization, that both the gross and subtle bodies have nothing to do with the pure self, at that time he sees himself as well as the Lord.

SB 1.3.34: If the illusory energy subsides and the living entity becomes fully enriched with knowledge by the grace of the Lord, then he becomes at once enlightened with self-realization and thus becomes situated in his own glory.

SB 1.3.35: Thus learned men describe the births and activities of the unborn and inactive, which is undiscoverable even in the Vedic literatures. He is the Lord of the heart.

SB 1.3.36: The Lord, whose activities are always spotless, is the master of the six senses and is fully omnipotent with six opulences. He creates the manifested universes, maintains them and annihilates them without being in the least affected. He is within every living being and is always independent.

SB 1.3.37: The foolish with a poor fund of knowledge cannot know the transcendental nature of the forms, names and activities of the Lord, who is playing like an actor in a drama. Nor can they express such things, neither in their speculations nor in their words.

SB 1.3.38: Only those who render unreserved, uninterrupted, favorable service unto the lotus feet of Lord Krishna, who carries the wheel of the chariot in His hand, can know the creator of the universe in His full glory, power and transcendence.

SB 1.3.39: Only by making such inquiries in this world can one be successful and perfectly cognizant, for such inquiries invoke transcendental ecstatic love unto the Personality of Godhead, who is the proprietor of all the universes, and guarantee cent-percent immunity from the dreadful repetition of birth and death.

SB 1.3.40: This Srimad-Bhagavatam is the literary incarnation of God, and it is compiled by Srila Vyasadeva, the incarnation of God. It is meant for the ultimate good of all people, and it is all-successful, all-blissful and all-perfect.

SB 1.3.41: Sri Vyasadeva delivered it to his son, who is the most respected among the self-realized, after extracting the cream of all Vedic literatures and histories of the universe.

SB 1.3.42: Sukadeva Gosvami, the son of Vyasadeva, in his turn delivered the Bhagavatam to the great Emperor Parikshit, who sat surrounded by sages on the bank of the Ganges, awaiting death without taking food or drink.

SB 1.3.43: This Bhagavata Purana is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Krishna to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purana.

SB 1.3.44: O learned brahmanas, when Sukadeva Gosvami recited Bhagavatam there [in the presence of Emperor Parikshit], I heard him with rapt attention, and thus, by his mercy, I learned the Bhagavatam from that great and powerful sage. Now I shall try to make you hear the very same thing as I learned it from him and as I have realized it.

SB 1.8.1: Suta Gosvami said: Thereafter the Pandavas, desiring to deliver water to the dead relatives who had desired it, went to the Ganges with Draupadi. The ladies walked in front.

SB 1.8.2: Having lamented over them and sufficiently offered Ganges water, they bathed in the Ganges, whose water is sanctified due to being mixed with the dust of the lotus feet of the Lord.

SB 1.8.3: There sat the King of the Kurus, Maharaja Yudhishthira, along with his younger brothers and Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, Kunti and Draupadi, all overwhelmed with grief. Lord Krishna was also there.

SB 1.8.4: Citing the stringent laws of the Almighty and their reactions upon living beings, Lord Sri Krishna and the munis began to pacify those who were shocked and affected.

SB 1.8.5: The clever Duryodhana and his party cunningly usurped the kingdom of Yudhishthira, who had no enemy. By the grace of the Lord, the recovery was executed, and the unscrupulous kings who joined with Duryodhana were killed by Him. Others also died, their duration of life having decreased for their rough handling of the hair of Queen Draupadi.

SB 1.8.6: Lord Sri Krishna caused three well-performed Asvamedha-yajnas [horse sacrifices] to be conducted by Maharaja Yudhishthira and thus caused his virtuous fame to be glorified in all directions, like that of Indra, who had performed one hundred such sacrifices.

SB 1.8.7: Lord Sri Krishna then prepared for His departure. He invited the sons of Pandu, after having been worshiped by the brahmanas, headed by Srila Vyasadeva. The Lord also reciprocated greetings.

SB 1.8.8: As soon as He seated Himself on the chariot to start for Dvaraka, He saw Uttara hurrying toward Him in fear.

SB 1.8.9: Uttara said: O Lord of lords, Lord of the universe! You are the greatest of mystics. Please protect me, for there is no one else who can save me from the clutches of death in this world of duality.

SB 1.8.10: O my Lord, You are all-powerful. A fiery iron arrow is coming towards me fast. My Lord, let it burn me personally, if You so desire, but please do not let it burn and abort my embryo. Please do me this favor, my Lord.

SB 1.8.11: Suta Gosvami said: Having patiently heard her words, Lord Sri Krishna, who is always very affectionate to His devotees, could at once understand that Asvatthama, the son of Dronacarya, had thrown the brahmastra to finish the last life in the Pandava family.

SB 1.8.12: O foremost among the great thinkers [munis] [Saunaka], seeing the glaring brahmastra proceeding towards them, the Pandavas took up their five respective weapons.

SB 1.8.13: The almighty Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, having observed that a great danger was befalling His unalloyed devotees, who were fully surrendered souls, at once took up His Sudarsana disc to protect them.

SB 1.8.14: The Lord of supreme mysticism, Sri Krishna, resides within everyone's heart as the Paramatma. As such, just to protect the progeny of the Kuru dynasty, He covered the embryo of Uttara by His personal energy.

SB 1.8.15: O Saunaka, although the supreme brahmastra weapon released by Asvatthama was irresistible and without check or counteraction, it was neutralized and foiled when confronted by the strength of Vishnu [Lord Krishna].

SB 1.8.16: O brahmanas, do not think this to be especially wonderful in the activities of the mysterious and infallible Personality of Godhead. By His own transcendental energy, He maintains and annihilates all material things, although He Himself is unborn.

SB 1.8.17: Thus saved from the radiation of the brahmastra, Kunti, the chaste devotee of the Lord, and her five sons and Draupadi addressed Lord Krishna as He started for home.

SB 1.8.18: Srimati Kunti said: O Krishna, I offer my obeisances unto You because You are the original personality and are unaffected by the qualities of the material world. You are existing both within and without everything, yet You are invisible to all.

SB 1.8.19: Being beyond the range of limited sense perception, You are the eternally irreproachable factor covered by the curtain of deluding energy. You are invisible to the foolish observer, exactly as an actor dressed as a player is not recognized.

SB 1.8.20: You Yourself descend to propagate the transcendental science of devotional service unto the hearts of the advanced transcendentalists and mental speculators, who are purified by being able to discriminate between matter and spirit. How, then, can we women know You perfectly?

SB 1.8.21: Let me therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who has become the son of Vasudeva, the pleasure of Devaki, the boy of Nanda and the other cowherd men of Vrindavana, and the enlivener of the cows and the senses.

SB 1.8.22: My respectful obeisances are unto You, O Lord, whose abdomen is marked with a depression like a lotus flower, who are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers, whose glance is as cool as the lotus and whose feet are engraved with lotuses.

SB 1.8.23: O Hrishikesa, master of the senses and Lord of lords, You have released Your mother, Devaki, who was long imprisoned and distressed by the envious King Kamsa, and me and my children from a series of constant dangers.

SB 1.8.24: My dear Krishna, Your Lordship has protected us from a poisoned cake, from a great fire, from cannibals, from the vicious assembly, from sufferings during our exile in the forest and from the battle where great generals fought. And now You have saved us from the weapon of Asvatthama.

SB 1.8.25: I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.

SB 1.8.26: My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted. One who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot approach You with sincere feeling.

SB 1.8.27: My obeisances are unto You, who are the property of the materially impoverished. You have nothing to do with the actions and reactions of the material modes of nature. You are self-satisfied, and therefore You are the most gentle and are master of the monists.

SB 1.8.28: My Lord, I consider Your Lordship to be eternal time, the supreme controller, without beginning and end, the all-pervasive one. In distributing Your mercy, You are equal to everyone. The dissensions between living beings are due to social intercourse.

SB 1.8.29: O Lord, no one can understand Your transcendental pastimes, which appear to be human and are so misleading. You have no specific object of favor, nor do You have any object of envy. People only imagine that You are partial.

SB 1.8.30: Of course it is bewildering, O soul of the universe, that You work, though You are inactive, and that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst animals, men, sages and aquatics. Verily, this is bewildering.

SB 1.8.31: My dear Krishna, Yasoda took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense, and Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears, which washed the mascara from Your eyes. And You were afraid, though fear personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me.

SB 1.8.32: Some say that the Unborn is born for the glorification of pious kings, and others say that He is born to please King Yadu, one of Your dearest devotees. You appear in his family as sandalwood appears in the Malaya hills.

SB 1.8.33: Others say that since both Vasudeva and Devaki prayed for You, You have taken Your birth as their son. Undoubtedly You are unborn, yet You take Your birth for their welfare and to kill those who are envious of the demigods.

SB 1.8.34: Others say that the world, being overburdened like a boat at sea, is much aggrieved, and that Brahma, who is Your son, prayed for You, and so You have appeared to diminish the trouble.

SB 1.8.35: And yet others say that You appeared to rejuvenate the devotional service of hearing, remembering, worshiping and so on in order that the conditioned souls suffering from material pangs might take advantage and gain liberation.

SB 1.8.36: O Krishna, those who continuously hear, chant and repeat Your transcendental activities, or take pleasure in others' doing so, certainly see Your lotus feet, which alone can stop the repetition of birth and death.

SB 1.8.37: O my Lord, You have executed all duties Yourself. Are you leaving us today, though we are completely dependent on Your mercy and have no one else to protect us, now when all kings are at enmity with us?

SB 1.8.38: As the name and fame of a particular body is finished with the disappearance of the living spirit, similarly if You do not look upon us, all our fame and activities, along with the Pandavas and Yadus, will end at once.

SB 1.8.39: O Gadadhara [Krishna], our kingdom is now being marked by the impressions of Your feet, and therefore it appears beautiful. But when You leave, it will no longer be so.

SB 1.8.40: All these cities and villages are flourishing in all respects because the herbs and grains are in abundance, the trees are full of fruits, the rivers are flowing, the hills are full of minerals and the oceans full of wealth. And this is all due to Your glancing over them.

SB 1.8.41: O Lord of the universe, soul of the universe, O personality of the form of the universe, please, therefore, sever my tie of affection for my kinsmen, the Pandavas and the Vrishnis.

SB 1.8.42: O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else.

SB 1.8.43: O Krishna, O friend of Arjuna, O chief amongst the descendants of Vrishni, You are the destroyer of those political parties which are disturbing elements on this earth. Your prowess never deteriorates. You are the proprietor of the transcendental abode, and You descend to relieve the distresses of the cows, the brahmanas and the devotees. You possess all mystic powers, and You are the preceptor of the entire universe. You are the almighty God, and I offer You my respectful obeisances.

SB 1.8.44: Suta Gosvami said: The Lord, thus hearing the prayers of Kuntidevi, composed in choice words for His glorification, mildly smiled. That smile was as enchanting as His mystic power.

SB 1.8.45: Thus accepting the prayers of Srimati Kuntidevi, the Lord subsequently informed other ladies of His departure by entering the palace of Hastinapura. But upon preparing to leave, He was stopped by King Yudhishthira, who implored Him lovingly.

SB 1.8.46: King Yudhishthira, who was much aggrieved, could not be convinced, despite instructions by great sages headed by Vyasa and the Lord Krishna Himself, the performer of superhuman feats, and despite all historical evidence.

SB 1.8.47: King Yudhishthira, son of Dharma, overwhelmed by the death of his friends, was aggrieved just like a common, materialistic man. O sages, thus deluded by affection, he began to speak.

SB 1.8.48: King Yudhishthira said: O my lot! I am the most sinful man! Just see my heart, which is full of ignorance! This body, which is ultimately meant for others, has killed many, many phalanxes of men.

SB 1.8.49: I have killed many boys, brahmanas, well-wishers, friends, parents, preceptors and brothers. Though I live millions of years, I will not be relieved from the hell that awaits me for all these sins.

SB 1.8.50: There is no sin for a king who kills for the right cause, who is engaged in maintaining his citizens. But this injunction is not applicable to me.

SB 1.8.51: I have killed many friends of women, and I have thus caused enmity to such an extent that it is not possible to undo it by material welfare work.

SB 1.8.52: As it is not possible to filter muddy water through mud, or purify a wine-stained pot with wine, it is not possible to counteract the killing of men by sacrificing animals.

SB 10.44.1: Sukadeva Gosvami said: Thus addressed, Lord Krishna made up His mind to accept the challenge. He paired off with Canura, and Lord Balarama with Mushtika.

SB 10.44.2: Seizing each other's hands and locking legs with each other, the opponents struggled powerfully, eager for victory.

SB 10.44.3: They each struck fists against fists, knees against knees, head against head and chest against chest.

SB 10.44.4: Each fighter contended with his opponent by dragging him about in circles, shoving and crushing him, throwing him down and running before and behind him.

SB 10.44.5: Forcefully lifting and carrying each other, pushing each other away and holding each other down, the fighters hurt even their own bodies in their great eagerness for victory.

SB 10.44.6: My dear King, all the women present, considering the match an unfair fight between the strong and the weak, felt extreme anxiety due to compassion. They assembled in groups around the arena and spoke to one another as follows.

SB 10.44.7: [The women said:] Alas, what a greatly irreligious act the members of this royal assembly are committing! As the King watches this fight between the strong and the weak, they also want to see it.

SB 10.44.8: What comparison can there be between these two professional wrestlers, with limbs as strong as lightning bolts and bodies resembling mighty mountains, and these two young, immature boys with exceedingly tender limbs?

SB 10.44.9: Religious principles have certainly been violated in this assembly. One should not remain for even a moment in a place where irreligion is flourishing.

SB 10.44.10: A wise person should not enter an assembly if he knows the participants there are committing acts of impropriety. And if, having entered such an assembly, he fails to speak the truth, speaks falsely or pleads ignorance, he will certainly incur sin.

SB 10.44.11: Just see the lotus face of Krishna as He darts around His foe! That face, covered with drops of perspiration brought on by the strenuous fight, resembles a lotus covered with dew.

SB 10.44.12: Don't you see the face of Lord Balarama, with its eyes copper-red from His anger toward Mushtika and its beauty enhanced by His laughter and His absorption in the fight?

SB 10.44.13: How pious are the tracts of land in Vraja, for there the primeval Personality of Godhead, disguising Himself with human traits, wanders about, enacting His many pastimes! Adorned with wonderfully variegated forest garlands, He whose feet are worshiped by Lord Siva and goddess Rama vibrates His flute as He tends the cows in the company of Balarama.

SB 10.44.14: What austerities must the gopis have performed! With their eyes they always drink the nectar of Lord Krishna's form, which is the essence of loveliness and is not to be equaled or surpassed. That loveliness is the only abode of beauty, fame and opulence. It is self-perfect, ever fresh and extremely rare.

SB 10.44.15: The ladies of Vraja are the most fortunate of women because, with their minds fully attached to Krishna and their throats always choked up with tears, they constantly sing about Him while milking the cows, winnowing grain, churning butter, gathering cow dung for fuel, riding on swings, taking care of their crying babies, sprinkling the ground with water, cleaning their houses, and so on. By their exalted Krishna consciousness they automatically acquire all desirable things.

SB 10.44.16: When the gopis hear Krishna playing His flute as He leaves Vraja in the morning with His cows or returns with them at sunset, the young girls quickly come out of their houses to see Him. They must have performed many pious activities to be able to see Him as He walks on the road, His smiling face mercifully glancing upon them.

SB 10.44.17: [Sukadeva Gosvami continued:] As the women spoke thus, O hero of the Bharatas, Lord Krishna, the master of all mystic power, made up His mind to kill His opponent.

SB 10.44.18: Out of affection for the two Lords, Their parents [Devaki and Vasudeva] became overwhelmed with sorrow when they heard the women's fearful statements. They grieved, not knowing their sons' strength.

SB 10.44.19: Lord Balarama and Mushtika, expertly displaying numerous wrestling techniques, battled each other in the same way that Lord Krishna and His opponent did.

SB 10.44.20: The harsh blows from the Supreme Lord's limbs fell like crushing lightning bolts upon Canura, breaking every part of his body and causing him more and more pain and fatigue.

SB 10.44.21: Furious, Canura attacked Lord Vasudeva with the speed of a hawk and struck His chest with both fists.

SB 10.44.22-23: No more shaken by the demon's mighty blows than an elephant struck with a flower garland, Lord Krishna grabbed Canura by his arms, swung him around several times and hurled him onto the ground with great force. His clothes, hair and garland scattering, the wrestler fell down dead, like a huge festival column collapsing.

SB 10.44.24-25: Similarly, Mushtika struck Lord Balabhadra with his fist and was slain. Receiving a violent blow from the mighty Lord's palm, the demon trembled all over in great pain, vomited blood and then fell lifeless onto the ground, like a tree blown down by the wind.

SB 10.44.26: Confronted next by the wrestler Kuta, Lord Balarama, the best of fighters, playfully and nonchalantly killed him with His left fist, O King.

SB 10.44.27: Then Krishna struck the wrestler Sala in the head with His toes and tore him in half. The Lord dealt with Tosala in the same way, and both wrestlers fell down dead.

SB 10.44.28: Canura, Mushtika, Kuta, Sala and Tosala having been killed, the remaining wrestlers all fled for their lives.

SB 10.44.29: Krishna and Balarama then called Their young cowherd boyfriends to join Them, and in their company the Lords danced about and sported, Their ankle bells resounding as musical instruments played.

SB 10.44.30: Everyone except Kamsa rejoiced at the wonderful feat Krishna and Balarama had performed. The exalted brahmanas and great saints exclaimed, "Excellent! Excellent!"

SB 10.44.31: The Bhoja king, seeing that his best wrestlers had all been killed or had fled, stopped the musical performance originally meant for his pleasure and spoke the following words.

SB 10.44.32: [Kamsa said:] Drive the two wicked sons of Vasudeva out of the city! Confiscate the cowherds' property and arrest that fool Nanda!

SB 10.44.33: Kill that most evil fool Vasudeva! And also kill my father, Ugrasena, along with his followers, who have all sided with our enemies!

SB 10.44.34: As Kamsa thus raved so audaciously, the infallible Lord Krishna, intensely angry, quickly and easily jumped up onto the high royal dais.

SB 10.44.35: Seeing Lord Krishna approaching like death personified, the quick-witted Kamsa instantly rose from his seat and took up his sword and shield.

SB 10.44.36: Sword in hand, Kamsa moved quickly from side to side like a hawk in the sky. But Lord Krishna, whose fearsome strength is irresistible, powerfully seized the demon just as the son of Tarkshya might capture a snake.

SB 10.44.37: Grabbing Kamsa by the hair and knocking off his crown, the lotus-naveled Lord threw him off the elevated dais onto the wrestling mat. Then the independent Lord, the support of the entire universe, threw Himself upon the King.

SB 10.44.38: As a lion drags a dead elephant, the Lord then dragged Kamsa's dead body along the ground in full view of everyone present. O King, all the people in the arena tumultuously cried out, "Oh! Oh!"

SB 10.44.39: Kamsa had always been disturbed by the thought that the Supreme Lord was to kill him. Therefore when drinking, eating, moving about, sleeping or simply breathing, the King had always seen the Lord before him with the disc weapon in His hand. Thus Kamsa achieved the rare boon of attaining a form like the Lord's.

SB 10.44.40: Kamsa's eight younger brothers, led by Kanka and Nyagrodhaka, then attacked the Lords in a rage, seeking to avenge their brother's death.

SB 10.44.41: As they ran swiftly toward the two Lords, ready to strike, the son of Rohini slew them with His club just as a lion easily kills other animals.

SB 10.44.42: Kettledrums resounded in the sky as Brahma, Siva and other demigods, the Lord's expansions, rained down flowers upon Him with pleasure. They chanted His praises, and their wives danced.

SB 10.44.43: My dear King, the wives of Kamsa and his brothers, aggrieved by the death of their well-wishing husbands, came forward with tearful eyes, beating their heads.

SB 10.44.44: Embracing their husbands, who lay on a hero's final bed, the sorrowful women loudly lamented while shedding constant tears.

SB 10.44.45: [The women cried out:] Alas, O master, O dear one, O knower of religious principles! O kind and compassionate protector of the shelterless! By your being slain we have also been slain, together with your household and offspring.

SB 10.44.46: O great hero among men, bereft of you, its master, this city has lost its beauty, just as we have, and all festivity and good fortune within it have come to an end.

SB 10.44.47: O dear one, you have been brought to this state because of the terrible violence you committed against innocent creatures. How can one who harms others attain happiness?

SB 10.44.48: Lord Krishna causes the appearance and disappearance of all beings in this world, and He is their maintainer as well. One who disrespects Him can never prosper happily.

SB 10.44.49: Sukadeva Gosvami said: After consoling the royal ladies, Lord Krishna, sustainer of all the worlds, arranged for the prescribed funeral rites to be performed.

SB 10.44.50: Then Krishna and Balarama released Their mother and father from bondage and offered obeisances to them, touching their feet with Their heads.

SB 10.44.51: Devaki and Vasudeva, now knowing Krishna and Balarama to be the Lords of the universe, simply stood with joined palms. Being apprehensive, they did not embrace their sons.