SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 7DOWNLOAD-VERSION

Chapter 10 About Prahlâda, the Best Among the Exalted Devotees and the fall of Tripura.

Chapter 11 The Perfect Society: About the Four Social Classes and the Woman

Chapter 15 Nârada's Instructions on Sharing, Irreligion, Yoga and Advaita

(1) The king said: 'How could the Supreme Lord being loved as a friend equally disposed towards all living beings oh brahmin, in support of Indra kill the demons as if He would be partial [see also B.G. 9: 29]? (2) Being of the highest bliss and free from the material modes there is for Him absolutely no personal need to side with the enlightened community or fear and fight the demons. (3) Oh glorious one, can you please remove the great doubt that thus has risen in us concerning the qualities of Nârâyana?'

(4-5) The honorable rishi said: 'What an excellent question to ask oh great King! Because of the wonderful activities of the Lord, that are sung by the leading souls of piety, the sages headed by Nârada, we see more and more the glories and devotion of His devotees. I will discuss with you all the topics relating to the Lord, but let me first offer my obeisances to Krishna's greatest sage [Vyâsadeva]. (6) Even though He is free from the modes, unborn and unmanifest, the Supreme Lord transcendental to the material world enters the material qualities of His illusory energy [in the form of the guna avatâras Brahmâ, S'iva and Vishnu] and accepts obligations and responsibilities [compare B.G. 9: 11]. (7) The qualities of sattva, rajas and tamas belong to material nature and not to the spirit soul oh King. For the spiritual self there is no question of their combined prominence or decay, the on and off [of the fickleness one has with material things]. (8) According to the time of their prevalence one with the mode of sattva [goodness] finds the devas and the rishis [the gods and sages], with the mode of rajas [passion] one encounters Asuras [the unenlightened ones] and with the mode of tamas [inertia] one is faced with Yakshas and Râkshasas [ghosts and demons, see also B.G. 14: 11-13]. (9) The way one knows fire as residing in other elements [like wood], the sages, the expert knowers, perceive the Supersoul as present within themselves and this [divine self] is not visible when one looks at all appearances in the outer world [see B.G. 10: 10]. (10) When He desires to create material bodies for the living entities, the Supreme One manifests them on the basis of His creative potency in the mode of passion. Desiring to engage in different bodies He is of the nature of goodness and when the Lord is about to put an end to it all He in accordance with that quality [of destruction] engages the mode of ignorance [see B.G. 9: 10]. (11) Oh ruler of man, the true cause that is the male principle, the original unmanifest foundation of matter [pradhâna], is the [primal, expanding] movement of time [as the fourth dimension] which forms the shelter of the Lord [to meditate upon, see also B.G. 11: 32]. (12) Oh King, also being this [authentic notion of] Time, the Supreme Lord of name and fame increases in the mode of goodness the numbers of enlightened souls and is consequently, as the friend of the demigods, inimical to and destructive with the unenlightened ones [the materialists] who are ruled by passion and ignorance. (13) Concerning this [destruction/protection plan] in the past upon the request of King Yudhishthhira, the man without enemies, the following story was lovingly told by the great sage of enlightenment [Nârada] at the grand sacrifice. (14-15) The king, the son of Pându, after having seen how at the great offering called Râjasûya the King of Cedi [S'is'upâla] so wondrously had merged into the Supreme Personality of Vâsudeva, had as the ruler wonder-stricken at the sacrifice, before all the sages listening, asked Nârada who sat there the following question. (16) Yudhishthhira had said: 'Oh how wonderful and for sure difficult to achieve for even the transcendentalists is the attainment of S'is'upâla behaving so impudently towards Vâsudeva, the Supreme Absolute Truth. (17) We all would like to know how this can be oh sage; from insulting the Lord Vena was sent to hell by the brahmins. (18) That sinful son of Damaghosha fostered from his earliest prattle to his last days anger towards Govinda, just as did the evil-minded Dantavakra [his brother]. (19) No white leprosy [vitiligo] appeared on their tongues nor did they land in the darkness of hell because of their repeated offenses against Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Brahman [compare B.G. 10: 1 2]. (20) How could they for everyone to see, so easily find absorption [sâyujya-mukti] in the Supreme Lord whose supreme position is so hard to attain? (21) My intelligence concerning this matter is as fickle as a candle flickering in the wind. Please oh man of all fortune, tell us more about the particular cause of this great wonder.'

(22) The son of Vyâsa said: 'After hearing the words of the king asking questions in the midst of the assembly, Nârada, the greatest among the sages, felt satisfied and addressed him about the topics. (23) S'rî Nârada said: 'This body subject to insults, praise, honor and dishonor is the product of a lack of discrimination between the primal state of material nature [pradhâna] and the supreme [position of the transcendental witness] oh King [see also B.G. 2: 14, 12: 18-19]. (24) Oh earthly ruler, because of this the living beings in this world suffer from the misconception of 'I' and 'mine', just as from the reproach and punishment associated with it. (25) Living with this false conception one thinks that the destruction of bodies is the same as the destruction of living beings. The misconception [including reproaching Him and the fear for punishment] is there not because of Him [but because of being without Him] who is the beatitude of detachment and emancipation in person. How could there from His side, the side of the Soul of all, the Supreme One and Highest Control be any question of violence [mentally and physically]? (26) Therefore, whether one is of a constant enmity, of devotion, of fear, of affection or of lusty desires, one should stay connected and not care about anything else. (27) The absorption [though] attained by someone in enmity might not be the same as the absorption attained by someone in devotional service, that is my definite opinion. (28-29) A larva checked by a bee in a comb may be filled with anxiety and resentment, but because of that bee attain the same form. Just the same one may [like S'is'upâla and Dantavakra] with Krishna, who as the Supreme Lord assumed a human form, [even] be freed from one's sins by constantly thinking of Him in enmity. (30) Moved by lust, hatred, fear, affection and devotion many who united their mind in the Lord consequently gave up on sin and thus attained their destination. (31) Oh King, the gopîs realized this by their lusty desires, Kamsa by his fear, S'is'upâla and other kings by their hatred, Krishna's family members by their kinship, You [Pândavas] by your affection for Him and we through our bhakti. (32) Not to be someone like Vena, who couldn't adopt any of these five forms of respect in regard of the Original Person, one must fix one's mind on Krishna in one of these ways. (33) S'is'upâla and Dantavakra, the sons of your maternal aunt oh Pândava, were [incarnations of] the two exalted attendants of Vishnu [Jaya and Vijaya, see 3.15-16] who because of a curse of the brahmins [the Kumâras] fell from grace.'

(34) S'rî Yudhishthhira said: 'Who pronounced that curse and what kind of curse was that? It is difficult to believe that such a thing might happen to a servant of the Lord. How can it be that those exclusively devoted to Him have to take another birth [see B.G. 4: 9 and 8: 16]? (35) Those who reside in Vaikunthha are not concerned with a material body, material senses or a material life. Please describe how they could be bound to a physical body.'

(36) S'rî Nârada said: 'One day it happened that the sons of Brahmâ, Sanandana and the others [the Kumâras], traveling around the three worlds arrived at the place where Vishnu resides. (37) When they [Jaya and Vijaya] saw them approaching who, despite of being born before the ancients of the universe [see 1.3: 6], looked like boys of five or six years old, the two guards thought they were naked children and denied them access. (38) And so they full of anger cursed them: 'Oh, you two unworthy souls, residing at the feet of the Slayer of Madhu it is most sinful not to be free from passion and ignorance and therefore, oh fools, you will soon hereafter be born from the womb of an unenlightened mother [see 3.17].' (39) Thus being cursed to fall down from their abode the merciful sages also said to them: 'May it be so that after three births you turn back to your abode.'

(40) The two were thereafter born as the sons of Diti and by the Daityas and Dânavas honored as Hiranyakas'ipu, the older brother and Hiranyâksha, the younger one. (41) Hiranyakas'ipu was killed by the Lord appearing in the form of a lion [Lord Nrisimhadeva] and Hiranyâksha was killed by Him when He in the form of a boar had appeared to uplift the world [Lord Varâha, see 3.18-19]. (42) Hiranyakas'ipu desirous to kill his son Prahlâda, the beloved devotee of Kes'ava, tried different ways of torture to cause his death. (43) But since his son protected by the power of the Supreme Lord [was focussed on] Him, the Soul in all living beings who is peaceful and equal towards all, he with all the might he displayed could not kill him. (44) Next the two demons with the names of Râvana and Kumbhakarna took their birth from Kes'inî as the sons of Vis'ravâ and caused a lot of trouble to all the people. (45) In order to relieve the two of the curse, thereupon Râmacandra manifested Himself and killed them. You will hear about the exploits of Râma [see 9: 10 & 11] from the mouth of Mârkandeya, my best. (46) In their third birth the two were born in this world as kshatriya sons [as S'is'upâla and Dantavakra] to your aunt. They are now freed from the curse by Krishna who destroyed their sins with His cakra. (47) The gate keepers of Vishnu by meditating in a bond of intense hatred managed to get near to Hari again and found absorption in the essence of the infallible Lord.'

(48) S'rî Yudhishthhira said: 'How could there [with Hiranyakas'ipu] be such a hatred for that great soul, his own son? Please tell me oh supreme sage, how Prahlâda managed to develop such an attachment to Acyuta [the Infallible Lord].'

(1) S'rî Nârada said: 'When the brother [Hiranyâksha] as said was killed by the Lord in the form of a boar [see 3.18-19], Hiranyakas'ipu got very sad and angry oh King. (2) Enraged biting his lips because of this, he with his eyes fuming of anger stared into the grey sky and then spoke. (3) He with his terrible teeth and fierce look ghastly to behold, raised his trident in an assembly of Dânavas and said with a grimace the following: (4-5) 'Oh Dânavas and Daityas, Dvimûrdha ['the two-headed one'], Tryaksha ['the three-eyed one'] S'ambara and S'atabâhu ['the hundred-armed one']; oh Hayagrîva ['the horsehead'], Namuci, Pâka, Ilvala and Vipracitti! Puloma, S'akuna and all others, listen to what I have to tell you and may you thereafter all quickly act to it without delay. (6) My so very dear brother and well-wisher was, while those insignificant enemies, the theists who are of worship, conspired behind his back, killed by Hari who was supposed to treat us all equally. (7-8) He [not being equal] has forsaken His love for us and is now, abominably in mâyâ behaving like a wild beast. Like a child He unsteadily changes from this to that form according to the desire of His worshiping devotees. With my trident I will cut His neck and make Him swim in blood so that I can find my peace in satisfying him [Hiranyâksha,] who was so fond of drinking it. (9) When He, [Vishnu] that most deceitful enemy of all is finished, the same will happen to those guys of God whose life belongs to Vishnu, just like it is with the drying up of the branches and leaves of a tree that is cut by its roots. (10) All of you meanwhile go to that world so neatly kept in order by the priests and politicians and see to the destruction of all those repenting and sacrificing bookworms who are of vow and charity. (11) Lord Vishnu roots in their sacrificial activities. He is that person full of religious principles who exhaustingly being worshiped by the twice-born ones is the man of dharma, the one who is the shelter of these gods and sages, forefathers and all the rest. (12) Wherever the twice-born ones keep their cows, study their Vedas and are busy with their varnâs'rama ado, set all those towns afire and cut down all their trees.'

(13) Proving him their respects they took the instructions of their master on their heads and terrorized, as experts in destruction, all the people. (14) The cities and villages, pasturing grounds, orchards and gardens, fields, forests, hermitages and mines, farms, mountain places, cowherd camps and also the capitals, they all burned down. (15) Some of them set the dwellings ablaze with firebrands and others demolished with picks the bridges, surrounding walls and the city gates while another group took axes to destroy the source of livelihood by cutting down the fruit trees. (16) When the people thus time and again were disturbed by the followers of the king of the Daityas, the God-fearing ones gave up their heavenly positions and wandered all over the earth not to be visible to the demons. (17) Hiranyakas'ipu, very distressed about the loss of his brother, performed the obsequies and pacified his nephews. (18-19) S'akuni, S'ambara, Dhrishthi, Bhûtasantâpana, Vrika, Kâlanâbha, Mahânâbha, Haris'mas'ru and Utkaca as also their mother Rushâbhânu and Diti, his own mother, he as a well adapted person addressed in sweet words saying this, oh ruler of man.

(20) Hiranyakas'ipu said: 'Oh mother, oh mother; oh sister in law and nephews, you should not lament about our hero who facing the enemy chose for the glory of a hero's death. (21) Just like travelers who amassing at a road house thereafter resume their course oh sweet mother, the ways of living beings, who by providence in this world were brought together in one place [in a family, a country or religion], part again according to each his karma. (22) The eternal inexhaustible soul, free from the tinge of matter, is capable of going anywhere. Knowing all and being transcendental that soul takes up the self of a body that under the influence of the material world demonstrates various qualities [see B.G. 13: 22]. (23) Just as being reflected in water the trees may appear to be moving, one can also with moving one's head [one's 'eyes'] have the illusion that the world is moving around. (24) So too the unchangeable living being is confused by the mind he has with the qualities of matter oh mother of mine, which leads to it that he despite of his formlessness starts to believe in a physical form. (25-26) This soul confounded about his formless existence, falls in love with the body and thus knows loved ones and enemies, allies and strangers in his karma with the material affair. Departing from being born and dying he laments in different ways and has all kinds of worries, is uncertain about what the scriptures say and forgetful about proper discrimination. (27) In this context one often recites an ancient story about Yamarâja in discussion with the friends of someone who died. Listen closely. (28) Once in Us'înara there was a famous king known as Suyajña who was killed by his enemies in a war. His kinsmen sat around him. (29-31) With his jeweled armor scattered here and there and his ornaments and garlands fallen down, he was lying there in his blood pierced by an arrow through his heart. With his hair loose and his eyes obscured, he had his lips bitten in anger, his lotus face covered by dust and his arms and weapons cut off lying on the battlefield. When the queens ascertained that the master of Us'înara thus was treated by providence, they had their eyes full of tears and pounded their breast constantly with their hands while they fallen down at his feet repeatedly cried 'oh husband!' (32) Wailing loudly about their beloved husband they moistened the lotus feet with their tears that were red because of the kunkum of their breasts. With their ornaments and hair loosened they for everyone heart-rending lamented, sobbing pitiably:

(33) 'Alas by merciless providence oh Lord of us, you oh beloved one, have been taken beyond the range of our sight. You used to provide the livelihood of the state and the inhabitants of Us'înara, but now that you have departed you are the cause of an increasing lamentation. (34) You were such a grateful husband for us oh King, how can we all following you live without you? You who are our best friend, please tell us whereto those who served your lotus feet, have to follow you, now you left us.' (35) The queens thus lamenting had taken the dead husband on their lap, not wishing that the corpse would be cremated. Meanwhile the sun was setting in the west. (36) Hearing the kith and kin of the ruler crying that loudly, Yamarâja personally appeared in the form of a boy and spoke to them.

(37) S'rî Yamarâja said: 'Alas how can you people older than me who saw the law of nature ruling every day of your lives, be of this bewilderment? Don you not understand that you yourselves will return to the same nature where this man returned to? Yet you meaninglessly weep [compare B.G. 2: 28]! (38) Oh we are most fortunate because we, presently abandoned by our father and mother, weak as we are have not been eaten by the wolves! So why worry knowing that He who protected us in the womb will also protect us later on? (39) Oh poor women, the Supreme Controller by the exercise of His will creates all of this without ever changing Himself and it is He who next to that also maintains and destroys. One says that all that moves and does not move belongs to the game of the Lord who is always fully entitled to maintain something or someone or put an end to it all. (40) Something lost in the street can, protected by destiny, be preserved, while something kept at home, can be fated to be lost. Despite of being unprotected one under His protection may remain alive whether one is at home or in the forest, but this one here being struck down, well protected as he was, did not survive. (41) Any embodied soul has his own type of birth according to his karma and also disappears in due course of time because of [this finite] karma. But all of this does not apply to the soul despite of the fact that he, being situated within this material world, in various forms is bound to her different modes. He is completely different [see also B.G. 2: 20]. (42) This body of the person that with fire, water and earth out of ignorance was born, undergoes changes and is vanquished again, is just as separate from him as the material of a house is separate from its indweller. (43) The fire in wood can be observed separately, just as the air within the body and the [time-effect of the] all pervading ether that does not mix with anything. The same way the living entity can be separately considered as transcendental to its material encasement of involvement with the modes. (44) [The body of] this man [called] Suyajña is there right in front of you and you, oh foolish people, now cry for him. But he who heard and spoke with that body in this world, you have never seen! (45) The great ruler of the body, the life air, is despite of residing within this body not the listener, nor the speaker. It is the soul and he differs from the life air that is locked up in the body with all its sense organs. (46) That what expands and manifests, this might, this powerful soul, obtains and forsakes high and low-class bodies that are characterized by the five elements, the senses and a mind. In that engagement he [this power of the self in the form of the so-called linga, the subtle body] differs from the form he assumes by dint of his moral quality [see also 4.29]. (47) One is bound to karma for as long as one is covered by the subtle body [consisting of mind, intelligence and false ego]. From that karmic bondage there is the reversal [from being controlled by the spirit soul to being controlled by the body] and the misery which follows that illusory unification [B.G. 8: 6]. (48) Just like everything produced by the senses with what one sees in a daydream is false and offers no firm ground, it is equally useless to cling to the dream of [the happiness and distress derived from] the material qualities of nature. (49) They who understand that, for that reason do not complain about that what is permanent and that what is transient in this world. Or else they could, as you'll understand, not tackle the habits of those who do make their complaints [see also B.G. 2: 11]. (50) Some hunter who was assigned the task to decimate the number of birds in the forest, spread a net and luring the birds here and there with food then caught them. (51) When he saw a pair of kulinga birds foraging in the forest, the hunter quickly managed to lure the female bird of the two. (52) Oh queens, the male seeing how the female bird in the grip of time was caught in the ropes of the net, very upset did not know what to do next so that the poor thing emotionally started to wail about its mate: (53) 'Alas what a cruel fate for my wife who was so kind to me! What can I do for the poor one crying for me, her poor lordship? (54) Let the Lord also take my life. What is the use of the life of the single half of my body? What kind of miserable existence is it to suffer that pain for a lifetime! (55) How unfortunate are my babies waiting for their mother in their nest. How can I without the mother maintain the young that can not fly yet?' (56) While the bird thus with wet eyes most sad at a distance lamented over the loss of his beloved, the bird-catcher as a messenger of time managed to sneak up on him and take his life by piercing him with an arrow.

(57) And so it is with you, oh ignorant ladies. You do not see the finality of your existence! Lamenting over your husband will not bring him back, not even in a hundred years.'

(58) S'rî Hiranyakas'ipu said: 'The boy thus having spoken, astounded the hearts of all the relatives. They understood that everything material was just a temporary, false appearance [see also B.G. 2: 18]. (59) After Yamarâja in this form had given instruction he disappeared. Thereupon the relatives of King Suyajña performed the duties for the funeral. (60) Therefore do not lament about yourself or anyone else. In this material world one only lacking in knowledge is obsessed with the meaning of this 'mine' and thine' of one's self-interest and the interest of others. For who is that actually, that soul of you and of the others?'

(61) S'rî Nârada said: 'Diti and her daughter-in-law [Rushâbhânu,] hearing the speech of the king of the Daityas promptly gave up their grief over their son and husband and submitted their minds to the true knowledge of life.'

(1) S'rî Nârada said: 'Hiranyakas'ipu, o King, desired to become unconquerable, free from old age and immortal himself, the only king with no rivals or opponents. (2) In a valley at Mandara Hill he performed a most difficult austerity raising his arms upwards staring into the sky, standing with the big toes of his feet on the ground. (3) Emanating from the hair on his head there was a light bright as a supernova and by the beams were all the gods in their practices of penance driven back to their own places. (4) Generated by his severe penance with smoke spreading sidewards, upwards and downwards everywhere, heated it all the worlds. (5) The rivers and oceans were in turmoil, the islands and mountains and the earth shook and the stars with their planets fell with all the ten directions ablaze. (6) Scorched therefrom gave the demigods their residences up and went they to Lord Brahmâ's place to submit to their leader: 'O Master of the Universe from the penance of the daitya king are we all afflicted and no longer capable of keeping our positions in heaven. (7) Please, if you think it's right, we would like to see the end of this, o Great One, before all obedient to the worship of you o Chief of All are lost. (8) Take notice of this intention of him executing the so very difficult austerity; what wouldn't be known to you - but nevertheless we would like to submit this: (9-10) 'Lord Brahmâ, who by austerity absorbed in yoga created the moving and unmoving [see 3.8], has his throne in all the worlds high and low and thus will I by dint of an even more severe penance absorbed in yoga, from the eternality of time and the soul, achieve just as much for myself. (11) I shall by my strength turn this world upside down reinstating what is now called inappropriate; what is the use of all those other practices of the followers of Vishnu, in the end they'll all be vanquished.' (12) This way so we learned was his determination from within his excessive penance; please take for your own sake as soon as possible the necessary steps, o master of the three worlds. (13) It is your position to be the supreme master in the universe for the better and exalted of the twice born and the cows, the salvation and opulence, the welfare and the victory.

(14) Thus informed by the godly went the most powerful one born from the lotus, o King, in the company of Bhrigu, Daksha and others to the place of penance of the daitya lord. (15-16) Covered by an anthill, grass and bamboo, with his fat, skin, flesh and blood eaten away by the ants, could he not be spotted, but he who rides the swan smiled with wonder when he saw how by his penance the heating of all the worlds was being covered like the sun is by clouds. (17) S'rî Brahmâ said: 'Please come forward, come forward, o son of Kas'yapa, all good fortune to you so perfect in your penance, I, the granter of boons have come, let what you desire from me be my blessing. (18) I've personally seen how great your power of endurance is and how wonderful it is that someone whose body is eaten away by worms and ants has managed to keep his life-air within his bones. (19) There was nothing like it performed by the sages before you, nor will anyone else do so hereafter; who indeed without taking water can sustain his life-air for a hundred celestial years [36.000 years]? (20) O son of Diti, by your resolve to perform a penance that is even for the greatest of saints very hard, have I been conquered by you. (21) For this I shall give you all benedictions, o best of the Asuras, the audience of someone destined to die like you with an immortal like me will not be fruitless.'

(22) S'rî Nârada said: 'Thus speaking did the original godhead and first living being of the universe sprinkle divine, allpotent and infallible water from his kamandalu [waterpot] over the by the ants eaten body. (23) From that was he, from his anthill and bamboos, fully restored to mind, senses and strength in all his limbs; he arose, like fire springing from fire wood, with a young body as strong as a thunderbolt that had a luster of molten gold. (24) When he saw the god right before him in the sky on his swan carrier offered he, very pleased to meet Lord Brahmâ, with his head to the ground his obeisances [compare B.G. 9: 23-24 and 2.3: 10 ]. (25) Rising to his feet with his own eyes seeing the Almighty began he, overwhelmed by jubilation, with tears in his eyes and his hair standing on end with folded hands and a faltering voice humbly to pray. (26-27) S'rî Hiranyakas'ipu said: 'At the end of his day when he under the influence of time is covered by the dense darkness of ignorance, is by the self-effulgence of the rays of his body this cosmic creation manifested. This world is by himself and conducted by the three modes of rajas, sattva and tamas [passion, goodness and ignorance], created, maintained and annihilated. My respectful obeisances unto that transcendental and Supreme Lord. (28) My reverential homage unto the original living being, the seed of creation, knowledge and wisdom; unto the deity of the life force, the senses, the mind and the intelligence, who through his works realized the manifestation. (29) You are the factual control of the moving beings and the immobile entities; by the life force are you the source of all activities and the master mind and source of insight of all alive; the great master of the knowing and acting senses you are, the controller of all desire, the material elements and their qualities [compare B.G. 7: 7 ]. (30) By your body of the three Vedas you spread the seven kinds of rituals [beginning from the agnishthoma-yajña] of the four kinds of priests [known as hotâ, adhvaryu, brahma and udgâtâ] and the knowledge required; you are the one soul of all living entities without a beginning and an end; the supreme inspirator and the True Self within. (31) Without being affected by it yourself are you verily the Time ever wakeful, that reduces the duration of life of all beings with each of its segments; of this material world are you the Great Self and Supreme Controller unborn as well as the essential cause of life. (32) Nothing exists separate from you, whether it is higher evolved or even lower, moving or not-moving, while the knowledge in all its divisions makes up the different features of your body; you are the one greater than the greatest, transcendental to the three modes, who keeps the universe in his abdomen. (33) Situated in your abode unseen you enjoy, as the Supreme One, the Soul and oldest person the manifested, o Almighty, this cosmic manifestation that is the external of you from which we have the senses, the life-air, the mind and the qualities. (34) By this unlimited, unimaginable form of you there is the totality of this aggregate expanded with its material and spiritual potency; unto him thus endowed, unto him that Supreme Master of God, I offer my obeisances.

(35) If you are willing to give me the boon of my desire, o granter of all benedictions, then, o my Lord, let it be so that from none of the beings created by you I will meet death. (36) Not at home nor outside, not during the day nor at night, nor from any other god even or by any known weapon, nor on the ground nor in the sky may I die, nor from any human or animal. (37-38) Lifeless things nor living entities, demigod nor demon and the great serpents either may kill me; I must have no rivals, have the supremacy in battle and the rule over all embodied including the deities of all planets; mine must be the glory equal to yours and never may the powers acquired by yogic penance be defeated.'

(1) S'rî Nârada said: 'Lord Brahmâ who sees everywhere, thus being solicited then, pleased by Hiranyakas'ipu's austerities, granted him the benedictions that are so rarely achieved. (2) Lord Brahmâ said: 'My son, all the boons you asked for are very rarely by men obtained from me, but despite of the fact that these blessings are normally not available, I will award them to you, my best.'

(3) Thereupon departed the mighty Lord, whose grace knows no faults, being worshiped by the most exalted Asura as the Almighty One praised by all rulers of manhood. (4) The Daitya who thus obtained his desired boon and had acquired a body with a golden luster, maintained a constant contemplation of hatred against the Lord who had killed his brother. (5-7) He, the greatest Asura, conquering all places high, low and middle in all directions, brought under his control the masters of all worlds: god, demon and man, the kings, the indwellers of heaven, the reciters of the verses and the serpentine, the ones of perfection, of culture and knowledge, the saints, the leading forefathers, the founding fathers, the evil spirits, the wild men and the madmen and the dead and the ghosts and their leaders; as the conqueror of the world he usurped the power of rule of all authorities everywhere. (8) In the paradise of the godly remaining in the riches of all opulence, lived he in the highest world, in the palace of the king of heaven as designed by Vis'vakarmâ the great asura architect himself; in control of all the wealth of the world lived he in the abode of Lakshmî. (9-12) There the steps were of coral, the floors of emerald, the walls of crystal and the rows of pillars of vaidûrya stone. Also were there the most wonderful canopies and seats bedecked with rubies and was the bedding as white as the foam of milk with pearls on its borders. In the quarters, left and right, adorned with jewels and gems, made the celestial ladies sweet sounds with their jingling ankle bells and showed they their nice teeth to their beautiful faces. In that royal residence with the greatest might and mind ruling with a most severe oppression enjoyed the dictator, having everyone under his control, the worship by the godly entourage at his feet. (13) He, o best one, the harbor of all austerity, yoga, strength and good sense, who, except for by the three principal deities, with all glory was honored with presentations from the hands of all the important men, was in reality intoxicated by strong scented wines to which he rolled his eyes red as copper. (14) On the seat of Indra being glorified by Vis'vâvasu, Tumburu [the greatest Gandharvas] and also by me, were time and again prayers offered by all the singers and girls of heaven, the perfected, the saints and the ones of knowledge, o son of Pându. (15) And he, factually being worshiped with gifts in abundance by all classes and agegroups, reserved in the exercise of his power every portion of the oblations for himself. (16) As if she was the cow of plenty herself, yielded the earth under his rule on all continents spontaneously crops in a great abundance, while in the sky all the wonders of the universe could be observed. (17) The seas and oceans of salt and sweet water, wine, ghee, cane-juice, yogurt and milk, and their wives the rivers as well, carried all kinds of precious stones in their waves. (18) The valleys between the mountains and hills were his pleasure grounds offering throughout all seasons all the good of plant and tree; he alone stood for all the different qualities of all the different gods. (19) He, thus having conquered all directions as the one and only ruler enjoying all the pleasures one can think of, was not satisfied though being out of control with his senses. (20) Intoxicated in his great pride over his opulence thus passed a long period of living in offense with the scriptures and was the curse of the brahmin met [see also B.G. 16: 23-24].

(21) Disturbed by his painful rebuke was there for all the worlds and their leaders no place were they were safe and thus approached they the Infallible One to seek shelter with Him [compare B.G. 5.: 29]. (22-23) To that they prayed: 'Let there be our obeisances in that direction where the Supersoul of Hari, the Supreme Controller is found and from where, approaching Him, the peaceful, renounced and pure never return.' With their minds controlled that way they steadied and purified their intelligence, feeding on air only in worshiping the Master of the Senses without taking to sleep.

(24) To them all then appeared a loudly resonating voice without a form that, driving away their fear, stirred the saintly in all their pores: (25-26) 'Do not fear, o best of learning, may there be all good fortune for you. The presence of Me indeed is there for all living beings to attain all the good. The nefarious activities of this great demon are known to Me and I shall put an end to them, just await that time. (27) When one is averse to the gods, the Vedas, the cows, the brahmins, the saints, the regulative principles and to Me, will one indeed soon be vanquished. (28) When he is of violence unto his peace loving son who has no enemies, that great soul, Prahlâda, shall I kill him, whatever the blessings he has received [see also 3.25: 21].'

(29) S'rî Nârada said: 'Thus addressed by the spiritual master of all, turned the godly back to their places offering Him their obeisances, in their hearts relieved of all their anxieties and considered they the Asura as good as killed [2.3: 10]. (30) Of him, the daitya king there were four most qualified sons of whom the one named Prahlâda was the greatest with all the qualities of a great devotee [see 5.18: 12]. (31-32) As a good brahmin being of full control over the senses and the mind, had he all the talent of understanding the Absolute of the Truth. Like the Supersoul was he the beloved, best friend of all living beings, like a menial servant obeyed he always at the feet of the great, like a father he was kind to the poor, like a brother was he to his equals, he was full of affection for the spiritual masters whom he held as high as the Supreme Controller Himself; he was of education, purpose, beauty, nobility and completely free from arrogance and impudence [compare B.G. 12: 13-19 and B.G. 18: 42]. (33) Even though he was born from an asura was he in the midst of danger of an unperturbed consciousness and had he no desire whatsoever to what is heard and what is seen [with the Vedic knowledge]; things of the modes of matter he considered insubstantial and controlling the senses and life force, were the lusts of his body and his mind always quieted; he was completely void of the demoniac nature. (34) The qualities of him are, like those found in the Supreme Lord our Controller, by the advanced always glorified as being the greatest, o King, and not so much the ones one is so confused about today [in Kali-yuga]. (35) In gatherings for the sake of the saintly would even the godly of enmity [with the asuric], o ruler of man, take him for an example; then why shouldn't you or others? (36) The greatness of the countless qualities of him who is known for his natural attachment to Vâsudeva, the Supreme Lord, defies all description. (37) As a boy having forsaken all child play seemed he to be listless, fully absorbed with his mind in the world of Krishna as he was; completely of that attraction was he not interested in the ways of the world. (38) As he sat and walked, ate and lied down, drank or talked, was he, embraced by Govinda, impervious to anything that went on outside of it. (39) Sometimes he cried thinking of Vaikunthha, sometimes he laughed to the follies of the mind and sometimes chanted he thinking of Him gladly, very loud. (40) Sometimes he exclaimed anxiously, sometimes without shame he danced and sometimes did he, lost in thoughts about Him, imitate Him thinking to be Him. (41) At times with his hair standing on end and his half closed eyes filled with tears, fell he completely silent rapt with joy being caught in His loving association of transcendental bliss. (42) He by his constant service to the lotus feet as glorified in the hymns, obtained of expanding on the association with the liberated the highest ecstasy, bestowing constantly from the spiritual soul peace upon the ones poor in spirit and association. (43) Unto him that exalted and most fortunate broad minded devotee, o King, who was his own son, committed Hiranyakas'ipu the greatest sin.'

(44) S'rî Yudhishthhira said: 'O saint of God vowed to the best, we would like to know from you the following: how could the father give his own son, such a saint of purity and goodness, any trouble? (45) Sons going against the will of their fathers are chastised out of love. For the sake of their education, they can't be punished like an enemy, can they? (46) Please dissipate the doubts we have, o brahmin, about this father being so mean in hating to the point of death his own so very obedient son, a great devotee of the sort that honors his father as his guru, o master.'

(1) S'rî Nârada said: 'To serve as their priest was by the Asuras the mightiest around, S'ukrâcârya ['the seminal teacher'], chosen. His two sons Shanda and Amarka lived near the residence of the daitya king. (2) The king sent the boy Prahlâda, well known with the moral code, to them to receive, together with other asura children, instruction from the textbooks of material knowledge. (3) Hearing and repeating what the teachers instructed on what all should be considered the good and bad of oneself and others, he considered it a case of bad philosophy. (4) When once the asura ruler placed his son on his lap, o son of Pându, inquired he: 'Tell me my son, what do you yourself think would be the best?'

(5) S'rî Prahlâda ['the joy of understanding'] said: 'O holiest excellency of the Asuras, I think that all those who are embodied, because of taking the temporary for real, have an intelligence that is always full of anxieties; giving up that cloaking of the soul, that household concern which is nothing but a blind well, may one be sure to go to the forest and seek refuge with the Lord.'

(6) S'rî Nârada said: 'The Daitya hearing how his son full faith with his words stood at the side of the enemy, laughed at the intelligence of the small boy and assumed he was polluted by the wrong spirit: (7) 'Let this little boy better be protected at school so that his intelligence stays free from the influence of Vishnu minded brahmins who present themselves differently from what they are.'

(8) Brought back to the place [the guru-kula], called the daitya priests for Prahlâda and questioned they him, comforting him with a soft voice and pleasant words. (9) 'Dear child, Prahlâda, all fortune to you, tell us the truth and do not lie, which of the other children have given you this wrong way of thinking? (10) Tell us, did this opposing vision originate from evildoers or was it something of yourself; we, all of your teachers are eager to hear about this, o best one of the family.'

(11) S'rî Prahlâda said: 'This reasoning about others in terms of good and bad is something belonging to people in the material conception of life; thinking about what one sees is one simply bewildered by the outer that is created by Him, the Supreme Lord whom I prove my respect [see also B.G. 5: 18]. (12) When He is pleased with the person is the animal notion of this timebound way of discriminating between the 'I' of someone else and the 'I' of oneself destroyed. (13) He, this Supersoul is most difficult to ascertain for those whose intelligence and service with the 'I' and 'Thou' vision is spoilt; they, the ones of Brahmâ [here: the false teachers], of whom the followers on the vedic path are bewildered, have indeed placed my intelligence in opposition. (14) O brahmins, just as iron from itself moves to the proximity of a magnet is similarly my consciousness simply bend to the will of the cakra in His hand [see e.g. 5.14: 29].'

(15) S'rî Nârada said: 'After saying all this to the brahmins fell the great mind silent and was he harshly chastised by the servants of the king who, thinking nothing of it, were very angry: (16) 'Oh get me a stick for him, this cinder of the dynasty, who with his corrupted intelligence is defaming us; to him is the fourth diplomatic option of the danda [the rod] the solution called for [after dâna, legally settled charity; sâma, pacification and bheda, dividing posts]. (17) In the sandalwood forest of the Daityas is this boy born a thorn tree that serves as a handle to the ax that is Vishnu cutting us by the roots!'

(18) This way by various means threatening him in words and deeds, instructed they Prahlâda in what the scriptures offered concerning the [first] three goals of life [the purusârthas of dharma, artha and kâma]. (19) After his teachers had taught him all there was to be known about the four principles of diplomacy was he, bathed and ornamented by his mother, taken to the daitya ruler. (20) The boy fallen at his feet was by the Asura encouraged with blessings and from embracing him for a long time with his two arms, derived he a great joy. (21) Putting him on his lap smelled he his head and wetted he him with the water of his tears, and with a smile on his face said he the following, o Yudhishthhira.

(22) Hiranyakas'ipu said. 'Now tell me Prahlâda my son, now you're so well taught, something nice about all that you, o love of my life, have been learning all this time from your teachers.'

(23-24) S'rî Prahlâda said: 'Hearing, singing, remembering Vishnu, attending to the feet, offering worship and prayers, becoming a servant, being a friend and to surrender one's soul are of all the people who are of sacrifice the nine ways making up the bhakti that should be performed unto the Supreme Lord of Vishnu; the complete of that I consider the topmost of learning.'

(25) Hearing his son saying this told Hiranyakas'ipu, with lips trembling of anger, thereupon the son of the guru [who was Prahlâda's teacher] the following: (26) 'You degraded brahmin! What is this, are you siding with the enemy so mischievously teaching this nonsense, not taking proper care of my boy, you fool! (27) Really, there are a lot of dishonest people in this world, who, in cheating their friends, dress up for appearances; in the course of time can one of them observe the sin manifesting itself like a disease does with people living wrong.'

(28) The son of the guru said: 'This what your son says is not what I taught him, nor did anyone else teach him that, o enemy of Indra; this is his natural inclination, o King, don't be angry with us about that obvious mistake of him.'

(29) S'rî Nârada said: 'Thus answered by the teacher addressed the Asura his son a second time: 'If you haven't heard it from the mouth of your teacher, then from where came this bad inclination, you fallen one?'

(30) S'rî Prahlâda said: 'Persons attached to their material life develop, because they fail to control their senses in their chewing the chewed again and again, a life that leads to hell; never are they inclined towards Krishna [see B.G. 4: 4-5] because others say so or out of their own understanding, nor will they of a combination of the two [see also B.G. 2: 44]. (31) They who are after the value of the external world have in their ambitions really no idea of the goal of their lives, Vishnu; although they are led are they, like blind men led by the blind, heavily bound in ropes to the dictates of material nature. (32) As long as the consciousness of these people is not in touch with the Feet of Renown, as long as they do not accept the consecration by the rule [or dust] of the feet of those who are free from the bondage, is the disappearance of the unwanted, that is the purpose of all the great, out of their reach.'

(33) Thus having spoken stopped the son. Hiranyakas'ipu blind of anger to the selfrealization, threw him from his lap on the ground. (34) Overpowered by indignation said he angered with bloodshot eyes: 'Men, kill him immediately, take this one away to die! (35) This one here is the murderer of my brother, he, this lowest one giving up his own well-wishers, is like a servant to the feet of Vishnu, the same who has killed his uncle. (36) And to Vishnu he's no good either being only five of age and this untrustworthy having given up on the hard to forsake love of his father and mother. (37) Even stemming from others is a child as beneficial as a medicinal herb coming from elsewhere; but a son born from oneself who is ill-willing should just like a diseased limb be cut off as being deleterious to the well-being of the body that by that removal may live happily. (38) By all means must he be killed, he who eating, lying down and sitting with us, posing as a friend is as much an enemy to us as the uncontrollable senses are to a sage.'

(39-40) The henchmen having taken in all their leader had to say then fearfully roared with the sharpest tridents in their hands, their frightening teeth and faces and their red hairs and mustaches: 'Let's cut him to pieces' and attacked Prahlâda, sitting there silently, with their lances on his tender parts. (41) On him whose mind was absorbed in the Supreme Absolute of the Fortunate One, the Soul of Each that is not perceivable by the senses, had they no effect just as good deeds have no effect with an undeserving person. (42) O Yudhishthhira, the daitya ruler daunted upon seeing how the attempts ran futile, devised with determination for a variety of ways to kill him. (43-44) Crushing him with an elephant, attacking with the king's poisonous snakes, with spells of doom, throwing him from heights, conjuring tricks, imprisoning him, administering venom and subjecting him to starvation, cold, wind, fire and water and with piling rocks upon him, was the demon unable to put his son, the sinless one, to death and because he in that long standing effort had no success, was he in great anxiety:

(45) 'From the many of these unholy expressions and different ways devised to kill him, from all these treacheries and abominations he found relief by his own strength! (46) So near to me and only a child really, he is nevertheless rooted in complete fearlessness; just like a mistreated dog that always keeps its tail curved, will he never forget the wrong I did to him. (47) Definitely will this unlimited glory and immortality of his lack of fear for whatever, from wherever he was opposed, be the cause of my death sooner or later.'

(48) Thus ruminating face downward he lost a great deal of his splendor. Shanda and Amarka, the two sons of the preceptor, then spoke secretively to him. (49) 'Conquered by you alone do all the leaders of the three worlds tremble when you lift your eyebrows; you have nothing to fear from him o master, nor do we see the point really of worrying about the qualities and faults of this or that child. (50) Just keep him bound in the ropes of Varuna until our guru S'ukrâcârya returns, so that he, afraid, may not run off; helped by the more experienced will the intelligence be found when his person grows older.'

(51) This way being advised he took heed of what the sons of the spiritual master had told him and thus was Prahlâda practically taught what the civil virtues of kings are. (52) The formal duty, the economy and the regulation of desire were time and again systematically laid out before Prahlâda o King, who was as humble as he was submissive [compare B.G. 14: 20 & 26]. (53) What the teachers related to him about the three paths - the education he received from people who were delving in a prescribed duality, he considered not a really good instruction at all [compare 6.3: 20-25]. (54) When the teachers were busy with their own civil duties took the boys of the same age there the opportunity to call for him. (55) He then, the great intelligence, addressed them in pleasing words telling them smilingly and learned how merciful it is to stay with God. (56-57) They, the boys giving up their playthings, indeed all in awe for his words, had their minds cleared from the instructions and the modeling from those [teachers] who took pleasure in talks of duality. They sat around him o king of rule, with their hearts and eyes freed now fixed on him who was speaking compassionately as a real friend and a great example of an Asura in devotion.

(1) S'rî Prahlâda said: 'From one's childhood on should a person of intelligence practice the dharma of devotional service unto the Lord [as described in 7.5: 23-24]; to be born in this human life is a temporary thing rarely achieved that is suffused with meaning. (2) That way [of meaning] indeed is of a living being here the approaching of the feet of Vishnu because this concerns the dearest and best one of all alive, the Master of the Soul [see also 3.25: 38 and B.G. 5.: 29,]. (3) By divine ordinance is happiness to the sensual, o Daityas, everywhere available to all entities united with a material body, just as there is the unhappiness without one asking for it. (4) For that there is no need to endeavor, one would only waste one's life, and there is no need either to lust about it; the ultimate goal of life are the lotus feet of Mukunda [the Lord of Liberation]. (5) Therefore should a person of reflection as long as he [from old age] is not of failure, still being stout and strong, be after the real benefit of [Mukunda in] having a material life in a human body. (6) Of the hundred years that every person has for his life is a person in service of his senses indeed wasting half of his time as one sleeps half the day in ignorance being engulfed in darkness. (7) In one's childhood one is naive, as a boy one is playing and thus twenty years do pass and another twenty years pass being unable when one physically is incapacitated of old age. (8) And bewildered by formidable material lusts that can never be satisfied is the one overly attached to family matters madly wasting the remainder of his life. (9) What man is able to free himself who, attached to his household, with his hands and feet is bound by the ropes of affection, and thus is out of control with his senses [see 1.2: 6-7]? (10) Who, thinking really that to make money is more desirable than to live [in devotion and gratitude], would be able to give up that acquiring for which merchant, thief and public servant risk their dear lives? (11-13) How can one give up on associating privately with one's loving wife who is so pleasing; how can one not support with wisdom the family bound by their affection or what person would not be attracted to the prattle of children? With one's sons and married daughters, brothers, sisters and depending parents enshrined in one's heart, with all the household matters of very nice furniture, a good income and all the pets and the groups of servants and maidservants connected with the family, how can one give up; like a silkworm is one greedily occupied by all kinds of activities in desires that can never be satisfied in considering the genitals and tongue the most important; how can such a massive illusion be forsaken? (14) Not for his lifetime does he understand to desist from the maintenance of his family; maddened spoiling the true purpose, at all fronts being distressed the threefold way [see 2.10: 8], has he no regrets about simply enjoying the family. (15) With a mind set on wealth and familiar with the fault of cheating out here for the money, is he nevertheless, after having died, tied to this material world [by Yamarâja taking rebirth again] because he, all too fond of his kin, never in peace with his desires, was on a campaign of stealing in having no control over his senses. (16) Even though one knows about it, o sons of Danu, is one busy with providing the greater family while one at the same time fails to understand one's true self in one's entering the darkness of the, just like animals, being estranged in a "mine" and "thine" conception of life. (17-18) Because never, anyone, wherever or whenever with a poor fund of knowledge will excell in the art of liberating himself from hankering after the lust of being a sexual plaything and from being someone of whose attachment entire families come about, must you, my daitya friends, in this keep yourselves far away from hiding with the demon that is all too addicted to sensual pleasure; instead should one approach Lord Nârâyana, the original godhead, who by the association of the liberated lays out the desired path of liberation. (19) It really doesn't take that much to satisfy the Infallible One, o asura sons, because in this world of all beings so close to the soul each and every respect is already established [compare B.G. 14: 3-4]. (20-23) Within the beings high or low, beginning with simple plantlife up to Brahmâ the foremost being; within the single transformations of the elements as well as with the totality of the material energy; with the modes of nature in a balanced state as also in their perturbation, is He the One and Only of transcendence, indeed the original source that is the Supreme Lord, the Controller who is without decay Himself. By the original of His inner position and by His personal manifestations is He the pervaded to be described and the undifferentiated all-pervading that defies description. He is the entirety pure and whole whose form is full of bliss and knowledge, the Supreme Ruler covered by the illusory energy about whose unlimited opulence one is mistaken by the modes of the creation. (24) Show therefore mercy towards all living entities; with a friendly attitude will the ones of opposition, the Asuras, giving it up to live that way, satisfy the Lord beyond the Senses [see also B.G. 12: 13-20]. (25) When He, the Eternal and Original One, is satisfied is there nothing out of one's reach; what need would there be to those who are thus of service in this world ruled by the modes, to work for a sense of duty [regulating the lusts, the economy and the religion] that follows [the devotion] automatically. Why would we, being above the modes, be of desire when we in defense of His qualities are relishing the essence of the Lord His feet? (26) The three prescribed ways of dharma, kâma and artha that are thus covered, make for the selfrealization, the ceremonies, the logic, the law and order and the different sorts of occupations that I all consider to be the [superficial] truth that is one's lesson; it is the full surrender of oneself to the Supreme Friend that leads to the ultimate personality [compare 1.2: 8]. (27) This knowledge that is without material contamination is most difficult to understand. It was explained by Lord Nârâyana unto the certain friend of all man Nârada for all those who [through him] exclusively are of surrender unto Him, the Supreme Lord; for those who do not claim material possessions, can that understanding be achieved, as their bodies bathed in the dust of the lotus feet. (28) This spiritual knowledge concerning the bhâgavata dharma [the nine of devotional service unto the Lord] was together with its practical use in all its purity formerly explained to me by Nârada who always sees the Lord.'

(29-30) The daitya sons said: 'Prahlâda, a child like you as well as children as us know no other teachers but the two sons of S'ukrâcârya as their controllers. Remaining in the palace it must be difficult to find such superior association; please dispel our doubt o gentle one, on how we may find belief in that.'

(1) Nârada Muni said [to Yudhishthhira, see 7.1: 13]: 'Thus being questioned by the daitya sons spoke he, the Asura who was a great devotee of the Lord, smiling to them remembering what I had told him. (2) S'rî Prahlâda said: 'When our father left for Mandarâcala to do his austerities, were the godly of a great war effort against the Dânavâs. (3) 'Thanks heaven is because of his own sins the sinner, who was always oppressing everyone, now like a serpent eaten by the ants [see: 7.3: 15-16 ]', so the ones of Indra said. (4-5) Hearing how by their great display of violence one after the other was killed by them, fled the asura leaders in fear in all directions. In their great haste and desire to stay alive they forgot about their wives, children and wealth, homes, relatives, animals and the articles of their households. (6) In the heat of their victory plundered the Suras the king's palace, while Indra to that occasion captured the queen, my mother.

(7) The devarishi who happened to arrive there on the spot saw how she on the road, in great fear crying like a kurarî [an osprey], was led away. (8) He said: 'O King of the Suras, you shouldn't drag this one away, she's innocent, release her right away, o greatest of fortune, she is the chaste wife of someone else!'

(9) Indra said: 'She carries the seed of the sura enemy in her womb, let her remain in our custody until she delivers. With that objective realized I will release her.

(10) Nârada said: 'There is nothing wrong with this child, you should see him as a great devotee, the very best even; he, being such a stout servant, will not find his death by your hand.'

(11) Thus speaking to him, released Indra her out of respect for the devarishi his words, out of respect for someone dear to the Eternal One. In their devotion they circumambulated her and then returned to their heaven. (12) Thereafter took the rishi my mother to his âs'rama reassuring her: 'Stay here my child, until the arrival of your husband.' (13) As he so said lived she thus with the devarishi with nothing to fear from anywhere for as long as the penance of the daitya leader was not completed. (14) For the welfare of the child she was expecting was the faithful woman in her desire to deliver it, there unto Nârada of service with great dedication. (15) The rishi as the man in control gave out of compassion her, in fact the both of us, instructions on the truth of dharma and spiritual knowledge, especially pointing it out to me without a tinge of material interest [compare 1.2: 7]. (16) That all was, indeed because it happened such a long time ago and because of my mothers female disposition, forgotten by her, but I, blessed by the sage, did not and even today has the recollection of it not left me [see also B.G. 9: 32]. (17) You yourselves too can have it from me if you believe in my words; provided a firm faith is the intelligence of the very best there just as well for women and small children as it is there for me [see also B.G. 18: 55]. (18) Like in due course of time from the Controller of all Forms with flowers and fruits the body of a tree can be seen, can with one's body the six conditions be observed [of being born, existing as a person, growing, transforming, dwindling and dying] that one undergoes beginning with one's birth, but that does not apply to the soul [see also B.G. 2: 20]. (19-20) The soul is eternal, does not dwindle, is pure, the individual, the knower of the field, the original foundation, the unchanging, self-illumined, actual cause, pervading all, independent and unmoving. From these twelve symptoms of the soul is a conscious person impelled to give up the false conception of 'I' and 'mine' that originates from the illusion of everything that belongs to having a body [see also 6.4: 24]. (21) Just as gold locked up in the stones, that by the golddiggers in different ways are won in the goldmines, by the experts easily is extracted, can from within the fields of organic bodies [see also B.G. 13: 1-4] likewise by spiritual processes the experts in telling the difference between matter and soul obtain the brahmin goal. (22) The teachers of example speak of eight types of material energy [B.G. 7: 4] to which there are exactly three modes and sixteen modifications [consciousness, the senses of action and perception and the elements, see also 1.3: 1]; it is the individual living entity, the person, that connects all these. (23) The body that moving about and standing alone is but a combination of all of them together is thus of the dual and in this matter is it the [original of the] person that one must look for when one says 'not this, not that' [neti neti], which is the way to give up on what is not the soul. (24) Being in touch with matter and being apart from it are, when they with the mindfulness to the soul are purified by mature discrimination, thus the ones reticent who are of serious analysis with the creation, maintenance and destruction. (25) Of the intelligence there are the waking state, the dreaming, and the deep sleep; the One by whom those various modalities are perceived, that One apart from all, is the Original Person of Transcendence. (26) One should understand the constitutional position of the soul in the out of intelligence [neti neti] refuting of the dividedness produced by the different actions of the three modes of nature which are alike scents that are carried by the air [see also B.G. 3: 42]. (27) This ocean of matter rooting in ignorance that is without factual meaning, is of the living entity the door behind which he is confined by the operating modes of nature, like being caught in a dream.'

(28)' Therefore from the bottom of your heart you must burn the weeds of all karma of being conditioned by the modes of nature, in the yoga realizing the cessation of the stream of consciousness. (29) To that is of the thousands of processes this one, as offered by the supreme of devotion that [through the Lord and the devotee] relates to the Supreme Controller, the one process which, once followed, soon brings the peace [consider also B.G. 18: 66, and the footnote]. (30-31) Properly attend to a guru with faith and devotion, offer all that was gained, be of association with the holy and the devoted and of worship unto the Controller, take heed of the relevant discourses, sing about His qualities and activities, meditate on the feet and observe the rules exercising respect for the deities. (32) Hari, the Supreme Lord is situated in all living beings; being of the highest esteem for all those creatures and for what drives them is one of understanding for the Supreme Controller. (33) Thus having subdued the six symptoms [of sensual weaknesses: lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and jealousy] is the devotional service rendered unto the Controller, Vâsudeva, the Supreme Lord, of which the peace and love is obtained. (34) When hearing about the uncommon activities and might of His exploits and His qualities as evinced by the pastimes of His different appearances, will of great jubilation there be horripilation, tears, a faltering voice and loud aloud chanting, shouting and dancing. (35) Like when one is haunted by a ghost are there sometimes laughs, exclamations, meditative moods, exercises of respect towards other living beings, prolonged heavy breathing and utterances like: 'O Lord, Master of the World, Nârâyana!'; thus is one free from shame absorbed in thoughts about the True Self. (36) This way engaged is one, thus thinking in love about the ultimate, liberated from all obstacles on one's path and is one in one's body and mind harmonized; the so very powerful seed of desire has then been burned by the exercise of bhakti of which one achieves the One Beyond it All [**]. (37) Constantly being in touch with Him, Adhokshaja, is the contaminated mind of an embodied being in this world and the repetitious of its material existence brought to a full stop; the advanced all know of that spiritual heaven of happiness and therefore, from the core of your heart, sing in devotion for your heart's true Controller [see also B.G. 18: 54].

(38) And what would be the problem of that, o asura sons; what would in one's own exercise of always having a place for Him in one's heart, with Him always there as the Soul to one's soul and the Friend Unlimited, all together be the need of providing for all that the sensual pleasure would require [compare 7.6: 19 and B.G. 9: 26]? (39) Wealth, women, one's animals, children and all that, houses, land, elephants, a treasury, all the luxury, all that economy and sense gratification is to the one whose lifespan is but short, the one who inevitably dies, lost in a second; how much pleasure can a thing so temporary bring? (40) Likewise are the higher destinations that are achieved by great sacrifice, all perishable, however more comfortable they might be; they are not free from disturbances and therefore is He of whom one has never seen or heard any fault, with the bhakti as it is explained, the Supreme Ruler to be worshiped for self-realization [see also B.G. 8: 16]. (41) From the material knowledge which is there for the purpose of the many activities in this world, one thinks oneselves highly advanced, but again and again is the unfailing result of a man waging like this to have arrived at the opposite. (42) The determination of the karmi [the person sweating for results] to be happy, to be liberated from misery out here, is an ambition that always leads to the unhappiness that conceals the [lasting] happiness which follows from not craving the money. (43) The desirables one wishes for in the willful actions for which the living being entered the world, result indeed in the physical body that one has, but perishable as it is, is it one's enemy when one tries to leave it for what it is in order to embrace the spirit. (44) What more is there to say, ultimately is one separated from the children, wife, home, wealth and all, the realm, the treasury, the elephant, the ministers and servants and relatives, on which one based one's self-esteem. (45) What is the value of all of this to the soul? Most trivial with the perishable body appear these things to be necessary, but they are useless for the ocean full of the nectar of eternal happiness.

(46) Let it be clear that all that someone in a material body in this world does for his personal benefit, o asura sons, beginning with lusting after sex, with the temporary leads to the heavy suffering that is the result of the workload of one's karma. (47) For the embodied one begins the karma with the body that one acquired as a consequence of the way one acted; because of that karma one acquires another body, and that repetition one indeed owes to one's ignorance. (48) Therefore depends all the regulation of one's income and desires for sense gratification, as well as the religion thereto, on the glorification of the Soul above the soul, the Lord divinely indifferent who is the Controller [of the Time and the karma]. (49) Of all living beings is He the Lord, the original source, the one pulling the strings, the Beloved, who by His different energies has created them in being the Individual Soul of all individual entities together. (50) Whether god or demon, man or ghost or a singer of heaven, in rendering service at Mukunda's feet do we all become equally fulfilled by all of His! (51-52) Being a perfect brahmin, a fine godly person or a saint, o asura descendants, will not suffice for pleasing Mukunda, nor do good conduct or vast learning. Neither will charity or austerity, worship, cleanliness or vows; the Lord is satisfied by unalloyed devotional service, the rest is but outer appearance [see also B.G. 9: 30 and 1.2: 8]. (53) Execute therefore, unto Hari the Supreme Lord the bhakti, o dânavâ sons, for He, omnipresent as the Soul and Controller of all beings alive, is alike one's own self. (54) O Daityas, the ghosts and demons, the women and the laborers, the cowherds, the birds, the animals and all the sinners, without any doubt can all arrive at and be part of the qualities of the Infallible One, of Acyuta [see also B.G. 4: 9]. (55) Of the living entity in this world is the following considered to be the real transcendental self-interest: to care for association in the unalloyed devotion unto Govinda [He as the blessing of the cows] who is found everywhere [see also bhajan 1 and 2].

* To this there is also a significant verse in the S'vetâs'vatara Upanishad 6.23 :

yasya deve parâ bhaktir
yathâ deve tathâ gurau
tasyaite kathitâ hy arthâh
prakâs'ante mahâtmanah

"Unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master, all the imports of Vedic knowledge are automatically revealed."

** : S'rîla Madhvâcârya writes as follows:

tad-bhâva-bhâvah tad yathâ svarûpam bhaktih
kecid bhaktâ vinrityanti gâyanti ca yathepsitam
kecit tushnîm japanty eva kecit s'obhaya-kârinah

'The ecstatic condition of devotional service was completely exhibited by S'rî Caitanya Mahâprabhu, who sometimes danced, sometimes cried, sometimes sang, sometimes remained silent, and sometimes chanted the holy name of the Lord. That is perfect spiritual existence.'

(1) Nârada Muni said [to Yudhishthhira]: 'Having heard his explanations accepted thereupon all the attending daitya sons his words because of their profundity and rejected they what their teachers taught them. (2) When the two sons of the guru [S'ukrâcârya's sons Shanda and Amarka] realized how the intelligence was fixed on the one subject matter, contacted they in fear the king to submit to him what was going on. (3-4) All over his body trembling of anger and with a mind determined to kill his son he rebuked Prahlâda, who shouldn't really be blamed, thereto with the harshest words staring at him in fury about his offenses. He so very mild and of restraint had folded his hands with him before him who was hissing like a vicious snake trampled by foot.

(5) Hiranyakas'ipu said: 'O you impudence, utter stupidity, you intriguer of the family, you outcast, you obstinate one wide of my rule, today I'll take you to Yamarâja's. (6) When I am angry do all in the three worlds and their leaders tremble of me; by what power do you so fearlessly overstep my rule, you idiot?' [compare B.G. 9: 31].

(7) Prahlâda said: 'He indeed, the Strength of the Strong is not just mine or yours, o King; He is also the exalted of all others subordinate who move or do not move around, and who He, beginning with Lord Brahmâ, has brought under His control. (8) He the controller, the time-factor, is the unique Lord who is the one strength of mind and life, the steady of one's physical power and senses; He, the Real of the self, is by all His potencies indeed the Supreme One Master of the natural modes who creates, maintains and winds up again the entire universe. (9) Just give up the asura ways. You, of yourself, be equalminded, on the path of error there is no other enemy but the mind that ran out of control, a problem for which the unlimited Lord is the best remedy. (10) Formerly there were plunderers who not in control with the six enemies [the mind and the five senses] stole away everything. They considered themselves as people who had conquered the ten directions, but where are those enemies created from one's own illusion with the saint who is equipoised towards all embodied beings?'

(11) S'rî Hiranyakas'ipu said: 'Apparently do you, boasting so limitless, want to die; clearly do the words of people who are about to die become nonsensical, you stupid rascal. (12) O unfortunate one, the one you describe besides me as the controller of the universe, where is He to be found? If He is omnipresent, then why don't I see Him in this pillar before me? [see also B.G. 7: 25] (13) Let Him, that Lord you desired as your protector, now protect you as I am going to sever the head from the body of someone like you, speaking such nonsense.'

(14) Thus with a stream of abuses enraged chastising his son, that great devotee, struck Hiranyakas'ipu, rising from his throne and taking up his sword, with his hard fist a column. (15) At that very time could from within the column a most fearful sound be heard as if the covering of the universe cracked open. That sound, reaching as far as the place where the godly of Lord Brahmâ resided, my dearest, made them believe that the destruction of their abodes was at hand. (16) He who in his display of power wanted to kill his son, hearing the tumultuous sound one had never heard before, stood with the assembly present amazed about the fact that one couldn't determine its origin, and thus were all the ones in power seized by fear. (17) To prove the words true spoken in defense of His omnipresence of pervading each and every thing, could of Him a most wonderful form be seen taking shape in a pillar in the middle of the assembly hall; it was not an animal nor a man. (18) The king, studying it from all sides, saw how a living being emerged from the middle of the pillar, and not being able to ascertain whether it was an animal or a human being said he in wonder: 'What is this form of half a man and half the king of the animals?'

(19-22) As he was contemplating the miracle that took place in front of him, appeared the extraordinary, most frightening form of Nrisimhadev. He had flashing eyes like molten gold and deadly teeth to a face extending in manes. He waved His tongue like a sword sharp as a razor, looking with a dreadful frown. His ears stood straight up and His wide open mouth and nostrils most amazingly gaping like a mountain cave, covered the sky. His body was short and fat with a broad neck and chest over a small waist. Like the rays of the moon was His body covered with whitish hairs and hundreds of arms stretched in all directions with hard to challenge fatal nails for weapons in combination with all His personal weapons. Faced with that excellence fled the Daityas and Dânavas away. (23) 'I guess this is what the Lord so full of mystical potency is trying in order to get me killed, but what's the use?' so Hiranyakas'ipu murmured to himself, and taking up his weapon threw the Daitya himself like an elephant forward attacking the loudly roaring Lord Nrisimha.

(24) As invisible as an insect fallen into a fire, disappeared he, the Asura, in the effulgence of Nrisimha; a thing which at the time was not so astonishing at all considering the fact that He from within the effulgence of His own goodness formerly had swallowed all the darkness of creation. (25) Thereafter attacking struck the greatest of the demons in fury Lord Nrisimhadev with his club, showing his prowess in moving Him with great force by that club, but the Lord who also had a club, seized him just like the son of Târkshya [Garuda] would capture a great snake. (26) When the Asura slipped from His hands while He was playing with him the way Garuda plays with a snake, thought the godly and the rulers of heaven whose places he had taken, from behind the clouds that to be a bad turn of events, o son of Bharata. (27) Thinking that because of letting him go He was frightened by his display of manliness, attacked the greatest of the demons, after a pause in the battle taking up his sword and shield, with great force Nrisimhadeva again. (28) With him moving fast as a hawk, with his moonspotted shield and sword maneuvering up and down not to offer any opportunity, made the Lord a very shrill, loud sound of laughter that was so frightening that he, with his eyes closed, was captured by the Greatest of all Speed. (29) In protest with his limbs wrestling to get away placed the Lord him, whose skin couldn't even be cut by Indra's thunderbolt, like a snake or mouse over the edge of His thigh and pierced He him with His nails as easy as Garuda does seizing a viper. (30) He with His most fearful eyes full of anger, was difficult to behold. With His mouth wide open licking the edges with His tongue and with His manes and face smeared red with traces of blood, wore He the intestines like a garland around His neck as if He was a lion that just has killed an elephant. (31) The heart was by Him with His pointed nails ripped out completely and thrown aside, and the thousands of followers who with their weapons raised attended to their leader He all killed with His nails and the other weapons in His countless hands. (32) Shaking His manes He scattered the clouds and with His glaring glance He outshone the luminaries; the waters and oceans struck by His breathing swirled in perturbation and frightened of His roar cried the elephants that guarded the quarters. (33) With Him tossing His hair slipped the celestial chariots crowding in the sky from their place, the earth shook under the heavy weight of His feet, His intolerable force moved the mountains and hills and His effulgence outshone everything else in the ten directions of the sky.

(34) Thereafter had He, in the assembly hall seated on the highest seat of man with a most fearsome, terrible countenance, no one to challenge Him nor anyone to worship Him. (35) But upon hearing how he, the Daitya that was the headache of the three worlds, in the battle had been killed by the Lord, were there exclamations of joy, blossoming faces and showered the wives of the demigods incessantly a rain of flowers. (36) At that time was there an overcast formed by all the celestial chariots of the demigods desirous to attend and were drums and kettle drums sounded and sang and danced the greatest singers and angels of heaven. (37-39) There assembled all the godly, Brahmâ, Indra and S'iva, the sages, the ancestors, the perfected, the scientific experts, and the great serpent[ ego]s; the founding fathers came, the leaders of mankind, the residents of heaven and the best of the angels just as did the venerable ones, the keepers of the wealth and the monkey-like, o my best. So came also the goblins [the comedians, the bards], the ones of superpower and they who were Vishnu's personal associates like Sunanda and Kumuda. With their hands folded before their heads to offer worship they each approached Him who had appeared as half a man, half a lion and now sat there on the throne displaying His effulgence.

(40) Brahmâ said: 'I bow down before You, o Inscrutable, Unlimited One; with all Your might and prowess and the pure of Your actions are You of the Universe the creation, maintenance and destruction who by the modes playfully performs without ever changing Yourself. '

(41) Lord S'iva said: 'The end of the yuga is the right time for You to kill in anger this insignificant demon; just protect his son, this bhakta of surrender next to You, o caretaker of the devotees.'

(42) S'rî Indra said: 'Our share of the sacrifices is recovered by Your Lordship protecting us, o Supreme One; we have no words to describe how afflicted by the Daitya our lotus-like hearts were that really are Your residence. Alas o Lord, how insignificant is our world in the grip of Time, but for the sake of the devoted in Your service to find liberation from their bondage have You brought light. What else, o Nrisimhadeva, would, in considering the visible world indeed as not so important, to them be of use?'

(43) The honorable saints said: 'You are the example of instruction for our austerity. By the power of Your self is this world, o Original Personality of Godhead, created, maintained and merged again. That all was stolen by that unwise one but is now, o Shelter of the Needy, by the protection of Your embodiment brought back to us with Your blessing.'

(44) The honorable ancestors said: 'The demon who by force enjoyed our sacrifices of s'râddha that were offered by our sons and grandsons, he who even at the holy bathing places drank our offerings of sesame water, from piercing the intestines of his belly with the nails of Your hand have these offerings reached their final destination; unto Him our obeisances who maintains the universal principles of religion and who appeared as a man-lion.'

(45) The ones of perfection said: 'The person most uncivilized and dishonest who took away the purpose of our perfection in yoga and who by the power of his mysticism and penance was so proud of his wealth, has been torn apart by Your nails; unto Him, unto You, we bow down o Nrisimha.'

(46) The scientific experts said: 'Our formulas, that each by different ways of concentration are attained, were blocked by this fool puffed up about his strength and capacity; He who in battle killed him like he was an animal, unto Him who appeared as Nrisimha, we yield for sure ever obliged.'

(47) The snakepeople said: 'That greatest sinner that took our jewels and wives away; by piercing his chest are You to all our women the Source of all Pleasure; may there be our proof of respect for You.'

(48) The honorable founding fathers said: 'We, the inspirers of humanity are the order-carriers of Your Lordship who contrary to the codes of morality and class were disrespected, o Lord, by this son of Diti; with You having killed this rascal o master, please tell us, Your eternal servants, what we can do for You.'

(49) The leaders of mankind said: 'We, the creators of the generations originate from You o Supreme Controller, and not from him; the living beings indeed that we put on this world were by him denied a life and of him, who now lays slain, have You split open his chest for the wellbeing of the world by means of the incarnation of the form of Your goodness.'

(50) The musicians of heaven said: 'We o Lord are Your dancers and singers, Your performers, who were brought under the control of the valor and force of his influence. He, this one, has been reduced to this condition by You; whoever could, in the face of Your goodness, be such an upstart?'

(51) The venerable ones said: 'O Lord, Your lotus feet are the only shelter for liberation, we duly seek shelter there because this Asura, this stake in the heart of all honest people, has been finished by You.'

(52) The keepers of the wealth said: 'We, the foremost among Your servants will here and now try to please You with our services; by the son of Diti we were forced to carry his palanquin but he caused the poverty of each and everyone; thus we acknowledge You because You are the one that has put him to death, o twenty-fifth principle [that is the time, see 3.26: 10-15].'

(53) The monkey-like said: 'We are but insignificant Kimpurushas Your Lordship, however, this monster of sin has been slain by You after he had been condemned by the seekers, o Supreme Personality, our Controller.' [see also: B.G. 4: 7-8]

(54) The kings bards said: 'In great gatherings and arenas of sacrifice in purity singing the glory of Your reputation we achieved the greatest position of respect; that crooked character that put us under his control was to our great fortune killed by You, o Supreme Lord, like he was a disease.'

(55) The ones of superpower said: 'O Controller, we the Kinnaras are Your faithful servants; by that son of Diti we had to perform without remuneration, but by You o Lord was he being so sinful destroyed, o Nrisimha, o Master, please be with us for the sake of our happiness and welfare.'

(56) The associates of Lord Vishnu said: 'Today have You been seen in a wondrous human-like form. For us You are the lasting shelter and good fortune of all worlds and this state-manager of Yours, o Controller, has, being cursed by the learned [see 7.1: 36-39], because of that been killed; we understand that to be Your special grace.'

(1) Nârada Muni said [to Yudhishthhira again]: 'All the Suras thus represented by Brahmâ and S'iva dared not to come forward because He, boiling with anger, was most difficult to approach. (2) The Goddess of Fortune on the request of the gods being confronted, could, after seeing Him so huge and wonderful the way one had never seen or heard before, not come closer either as she was most frightened herself. (3) Prahlâda brought close to Lord Brahmâ was asked: 'My dear son, could you please go near the Lord and propitiate Him for He is very angry because of what your father has done.'

(4) 'So be it' he said and slowly, o King, got the great devotee, although he was only a small boy, step by step near Him and prostrated he himself offering prayers with folded hands. (5) With him, such a little boy, fallen at His lotusfeet was the godhead, greatly moved, merciful and with the raising of His lotus hand which He placed on his head, dispelled He the fear from all minds about the snake of time [to its four physical necessities of âhâra, nidrâ, bhaya and maithuna; eating, sleeping, fearing or defending and mating]. (6) He because of that touch being cleansed from all impurity, manifested, in association with the Supersoul or the reality of His lotusfeet, from a heart overcome and captured in bliss the symptoms of ecstasy all over his body, with tears welling in his eyes. (7) With his mind one-pointed in great concentration and with an of love faltering voice, began he in the full dedication of his heart and mind to offer prayers unto the Lord.

(8) S'rî Prahlâda said: 'All the Sura's headed by Brahmâ, all the saints as well as the perfect ones of spiritual living, one-pointed in the purpose were in their streams of words as yet not able to please You, however qualified they are; how can it be that He, this Lord, with mine would be pleased while I am but of an asura birth? (9) I think that riches, a good birth, a nice body, penance, vedic knowledge, prowess, energy, influence, strength, diligence, intelligence, and mystical power will not satisfy at all; like the Supreme Lord with Gajendra [the elephant], is the Personality of Transcendence pleased by bhakti. (10) A learned one with the twelve characteristics [as mentioned, see also*] who doesn't care about the lotus feet of Him from whose navel sprouted the lotus, I consider not as blessed as a man of low birth who is of surrender to the Ultimate, because he with his mind, words and everything he does, purifies his wealth, life and family, while that is not so with the one whose thought is based on false prestige. (11) Whatever a person in his ignorance offers is kindly accepted by the Supreme Lord, and that offering is for certain, with Him always being happy within, not His personal desire; that worship indeed serves the interest of the one devoted, just like the reflection in a mirror is there to the glory of one's own face. (12) It is for this reason that I must not consider myself unfit; in full surrender to the Lord shall I to the best of my ability and insight aim at His glory, however lowborn I am; because with one's ignorantly having entered this material world is describing and singing that glory the way for a person to find purification [see also B.G. 18: 55]. (13) I am certain that, unlike us [Asuras], all these followers, like Brahmâ and his lot, are faithful and godfearing to the principle of You who are always situated in goodness o Lord, but it is said that it is for the better and good of Your protection and provision, and for the happiness of the soul that You manifested the incarnations of Your lordship in this material world. (14) Therefore give up Your anger about the Asura that You killed today, even the saints are happy when a scorpion or snake is killed; the truth is that all the worlds have found the pleasure and that all, wishing to commemorate You, are awaiting this form of You to allay their fears. (15) I myself am not afraid, o Invincible One, of Your fearsome mouth, tongue, flashing eyes and frowning face, Your strong ferocious teeth or garland of intestines and bloody manes, Your pointed ears, Your roar that even scares the elephants or the nails that pierced the enemy. (16) I do fear, o Merciful Father of Care, that intolerable, ugly repetition of birth and death, the fact that one is thrown into the miserable condition of living among predator-people, that one is bound to the actions and reactions of karma, o Insurmountable One; when will I, with You being pleased with me at the soles of Your feet, the refuge in this ocean of matter, be called back to You? (17) Because of one's pleasing or not so pleasing birth being separated from You and being fused with the world, is one, in whatever body one resides, burnt by the fire of lamentation and suffers one just as well by the remedies against it in mistaking the body for the real self; I, o Greatest Being, am wandering; please initiate me into the service of You in yoga. (18) That way will I, from constantly hearing the narrations about Your exploits as the well-wisher and Supreme Godhead, o Nrisimha, as handed down in succession, easily cross over and be free from the modes, and will I, in wisdom and association with the liberated, be liberated from all the misery in the full absorption of Your lotusfeet. (19) Of a little child in this world not being the shelter of parentage, o Nrisimha, neither of a patient being the medicine, nor of a person drowning in the ocean being the boat, nor of a person suffering being the redeemer, constitute all the things which in this world are cherished by the ones locked up in a physical body but the appearance of a remedy, o Almighty One, in which they are bereft of You. (20) Whatever the circumstance, for whatever reason, whatever the time, whatever the obligation or relation, by whomever or unto whomever, whatever way or of whatever nature, certain is that each of these matters is but a different form of the same Supreme; in other words: in nature is there because of all kinds of changes the separateness of a certain form of existence, but whatever form it may concern, it is always a manifestation of the energy of Your Lordship. (21) The illusory of matter is a creation of the mind [which is experienced as a fixation] that produces endless wanton actions; actions that are conditioned by the Time that stirs the three modes of nature. And then are the person, to the approbation of God with what is arranged in the Vedas [in the karma-kânda section], less victoriously offered the sixteen spokes [of the senses of action and perception, the elements and the mind] of the wheel of rebirth, o Unborn One. Whoever, bereft of the best that You are, would single-handed be able to overcome this [see also B.G. 9: 25]? (22) You are indeed that one element of Time, to which one in one's intelligence, through Your personal energy, eternally is delivered; present as a form of material energy which in all effects and causes is subjected to Your cyclic control, am I at a loss, o Lord and Master, and am I crushed under the wheel with the sixteen spokes; please help me to get out of it, o Mightiest, for I am of full surrender. (23) I witnessed o Almighty One, how in that respect all the higher placed leaders of state in their desire for lifespan, opulence and glory, all by our father with his sarcastic laughs in the blink of an eye were baffled, nevertheless was he by You completely vanquished. (24) Therefore, knowing where all the sensegratification of all that longevity, opulence and fineness of all the ones embodied, from Brahmâ down to the smallest ant, leads to, have I no want for being subjected by You who art so powerful as the Master of Time; please kindly lead me to the association of your faithful servants. (25) In what respect is one blessed with happiness in being controlled [by desires]? What to this body, which is host to so many illnesses, is the meaning of the happiness that is just like a mirage in the desert? Even though the common man has never enough, do nevertheless the ones of learning try to put out that fire of desire with small drops of honey, do they try to control that which is only controlled with the greatest difficulty. (26) What is now my position? How can I surpass the fact of being born in the darkness of a body of passion, from a family far removed fom the enlightened state? The lotushand of Your causeless mercy that You offered me on my head as a token of grace, wouldn't even be there for Lord Brahmâ, for Lord S'iva or even for the Goddess of Fortune! (27) In this can there factually with Your Lordship as the friend of the whole world be no distinction between higher and lower living beings, but nevertheless is there of You, depending on the service, just like with a desire tree yielding whatever wanted, the manifestation of the benediction reserved for the devotion, whether or not one is of a higher or lower level [see also 2.3: 10 and B G. 4: 33, 9: 25]. (28) The common man who in his material existence fell into a blind well full of snakes, runs after the objects of his desire; I who as a person because of bad association also fell into that condition was by the sura sage [Nârada], o Supreme Lord, taken in confidence; how can I ever give up on the service of Your pure devotee? (29) Saving my life o Unlimited One, with You having saved me from being killed by my father, do I consider the words of Your servant, that what the rishi said, as true because You proved them to be true unto him who bad-minded with the sword in his hands said to me: 'Let that controller other than me save you from me now severing your head.'

(30) 'This universe all around is the One of You alone; because of You where there in the beginning and in the end as well as in between separately those You created through the three modes that manifest Your external potency, those, the many of all the diversity who owe their experience to You who entered there [see also B.G 9: 4]. (31) You either being the cause or effect of this entirety, o My Lord, remain Yourself separate from the matter that is the illusory potency of You, and of which we know that it manifests itself as the substance from which we have creation, annihilation and maintenance; and of that there is the factually meaningless idea of having a different self or, stated differently, that the earthly existence and the subtle of it, compares to what one has with a tree and a seed [from which it all sprouts on the one hand and is the result of Your manifestation in it on the other hand]. (32) To this creation of You [my father e.g. who upon annihilation has been] thrown back into the self of Your causal ocean, You seem to do nothing and to be asleep as You within Yourself experience the blissful personal in having closed Your eyes in the yoga; but it is not a material slumber of darkness or the modes that You are into, considering the fact that You, by a manifestation of Yourself [this Nrisimha-form], have curbed that kind of sleeping in maintaining the transcendence. (33) From Your slumber on the bed of Ananta in the causal waters having awakened, appeared the great lotus of all the worlds from Your navel like a bananatree does from its seed and that cosmic body of Yours, this universe agitated by the time-factor, demonstrates the way that You [in the form and divinities of the modes] act upon the matter. (34) The one of knowledge [Brahmâ] generated from that lotus could not see anyone else because Your Lordship, as the seed, had expanded into himself; he dove into the water not understanding for a hundred demigod years how a seed once fructified o my Lord still can be perceived [see 3.8]. (35) He, born from nothing but himself, was greatly astonished to find himself upon that lotus. In due course of time through severe austerities purified he then found You, o Controller, very subtly, like an aroma in the earth, spread out through the sentient being obsessed with so many desires. (36) This way seeing the Greater Person with His thousands of faces, feet, heads, hands and thighs, noses, ears and eyes, and endowed with all kinds of ornaments and weapons, who together, appearing in different signs, all gave evidence of His potency, achieved Lord Brahmâ transcendental bliss. (37) For his sake verily accepting the head of a horse in an incarnation, You killed two very powerful demons representing the passion and the ignorance named Madhu and Kaitabha who opposed the Veda, and delivered the s'ruti [the four Vedas] for which one honors Your most dear form [of Hayagrîva] as the pure of transcendental goodness [see also 5.18: 18 and B.G. 4: 7]. (38) This way according the yuga in question appearing in different incarnations as a human being, a saint, a god or an aquatic, You protect all the worlds, sometimes in defense of the dharma killing the world its troublemakers, o Supreme Personality; in Kali-yuga You are covered [channa] and therefore are You, being one and the same person, called Triyuga [from being visible in the tree other yugas, see also Canto 11.5: 32]. (39) For sure is the mind that is not set to Your transcendental topics, in its far being removed from the Lord of Vaikunthha, polluted, dishonest and hard to control because of the sins it sympathizes with; filled with desires and lusts is it of highs and lows, fears and distress because of the urges; how can I with such a mind poor and fallen understand Your Supreme Purpose? (40) The tongue pulls me this way, o Infallible One, and the genitals unsatisfied pull me that way, so do the skin, the belly and the ear go for this and goes the nose for that hither and do the eyes go thither; the so very busy active senses bring one down like a householder is brought down by co-wives. (41) This way because of one's karma being fallen into the Vaitaranî river [at the door of death] do I alas, one after the other birth eating all kinds of foodstuff, suffer an ever increasing fear in seeing how the living being, caught in his own body and entangled in the association with other bodies, is of enmity and friendship; o You, who art at the other side, save me from this danger because we today here are all a bunch of fools. (42) What indeed would be the difficulty of Your great compassion unto friendly people like us, who are always so eager to serve in this o Master of All, o Supreme Lord, to see to it that we materialistic fools are delivered from the cause of the time and again making, keeping and losing it, o Friend of the Needy? (43) Most surely am I, o Supreme One, from being absorbed in the broadcasting of Your sweet ocean of glories, free from worries about the hard to cross Vaitaranî that is this world; I rather lament, despite of them being fools, over the ones missing the liberation who, for the good of their senses, plan for illusory forms of happiness and duty [see also 6.17: 28]. (44) Generally, o Godhead, do the saints ambitious for their own salvation, in silence wander in remote places, not very much interested to live for the good of others; but I do not, like they do, want to leave aside the others falling short, I do not want to return back to Godhead alone, I would like to see others, caught in the vicious circle, better to find this shelter of You. (45) To be concerned with sexual matters indeed is something as trivial as the itch relieved by rubbing one's hands; the ones who this way fall short find, suffering all kinds of misery, the different feelings of sorrow never ended in it, but if one learns from it, recognizing it to be a figment, is one a sober person able to bear the itch [see also B.G. 7: 14]. (46) Silence, vows, vedic knowledge, austerity, study, dutifulness, explaining the scripture, living alone, prayer and absorption, belong to the path of liberation, but often are these matters [these ten methods of becoming emancipated] with them who do not control their senses the main source of income, o my Lord, and can safely be said that it in this respect is nothing but hypocrisy [see also 6.1: 16]. (47) About the two of the true and the untrue of You, who Yourself are without a form and outside of whom nothing else is to be found, speak the Vedas in terms of the seed and the sprout; these two, who are like wood and the fire in it, are to the eyes of those who are connected with You, thanks to Your unification of consciousness, clearly to recognize [in the sprititual renunciating and the concrete of materially being of service], and in another way this is not possible. (48) You are the air, the fire, the earth, the sky and the water, the sense objects, the life force, the senses, the mind, the consciousness and all divinity belonging to it; You are all of that, the only nature of the modes as well as the One beyond it all, o my Lord; whatever that is manifested or is expressed in the mind and by words is no one but You. (49) Nor all the modes of nature, nor their predominating deities; nor the complete of the cosmic intelligence, the false ego, the gross and subtle elements, the senses and their objects; nor those who are so mindful together with all the godly and the mortals who all have a beginning and an end, o Lord glorified by all the saints, is truly capable of covering all that is Yours, and thus do the purest consider the end of their studies [and the begin of their devotional service, see also B.G. 2: 52].'

(50) 'Therefore unto You, o Best of the Worshipable, do I offer my obeisances with prayers and perform I worship, do I work for You, do I remember You, attend to Your refuge and do I always listen to the talks about You; how can without revering You in all these six forms a person [really] enjoy the bhakti reserved for the best of transcendence [the paramahamsas, compare 7.5: 23-24]?'

(51) S'rî Nârada said: 'Thus far I described the transcendental qualities of the bhakta in his bhakti. The Lord above the modes who was pleased and in control of the anger, next addressed him who surrendered himself at His feet. (52) The Supreme Lord said: 'Prahlâda my sweet boy, all good fortune to you, I am pleased with you, o best of the Asuras, just ask for any blessing from Me, for I am for each and everyone the fulfillment of all desires. (53) Live a long life! Not pleasing Me, rarely seeking My presence, not having seen Me, is it the fate of the living being time and again to lament over himself. (54) Indeed, be eager to please Me, because all the sober ones may therefrom in all respects, as well-cultured people, desire the best that life has to offer, o fortunate one, for I am the Master of all Benedictions.'

(55) S'rî Nârada said: 'Even though he thus was allured by worldly benedictions, did the best of the Asuras not want any of the things he was invited to ask for, because he was only interested in being surrendered to the Supreme Lord [see also: S'ikshâshthaka verse four].'

* : The qualifications of the brahmin are in the Sanat-sujâta described as follows:

jñânam ca satyam ca damah s'rutam ca
hy amâtsaryam hrîs titikshânasûyâ
yajñas ca dânam ca dhritih s'amas ca
mahâ-vratâ dvâdas'a brâhmanasya

'Spiritual knowledge, truthfulness, loyalty to the scripture, non-enviousness, forbearance, of sacrifice, of charity, equal minded, and living to the great vow [of yama that next to the truthfull mentioned entails the four of celibacy, nonviolence, nonpossesiveness and non-stealing] are the twelve qualities of the brahmin.' See also 5.5: 24 and B.G. 18: 42.

About Prahlâda, the Best Among the Exalted Devotees and the Fall of Tripura

(1) Nârada Muni said: 'Although small considered he [Prahlâda] each and every one of the blessings that came with his bhakti yoga as impediments on the path and made he sure to tell the Lord of the Senses that with a smile.

(2) S'rî Prahlâda said: 'Please do not allure me, because of my asura birth I have a propensity for lusting over all those material blessings. It was of being afraid of such material association that, desiring liberation, for the sake of complete detachment I have taken to the shelter of You. (3) So that I may behave as a pure devotee has Your lordship sent me into this world of lust, the lust that as the root cause of being present here is found in the heart of everyone o Master. (4) Otherwise such a thing could not happen of You, o guru of all; anyone who from You, the soul of friendliness, desires any material benefits, would such a person indeed not be a merchant instead of a servitor [see also B.G. 17: 20]? (5) A person for himself desiring material benefits from his spiritual master is not really a servant nor is the master really of service who for his own prestige desires to bestow material profits upon his servant [see also 10.88: 8-10]. (6) As far as I am concerned is there, fully devoted to You, surely no question of any desire and also do You, in our relating, as the real master, have no further motives such as one finds with a king and his subject. (7) If You want to give me anything to my desire for a blessing, then I pray for the benediction from You, o Lord of All Blessings, that no desire for any material happiness will grow in my heart [see also: S'ikshâshthaka verse four]. (8) From one's very birth on are the senses, the mind, the life-air, the body, the religion, one's patience, intelligence, shyness, opulence, strength, memory and truthfulness overrun by lusty desires. (9) Only indeed when one gives up all the desires that one of human association finds in one's mind is one fit for an opulence equal to that of You, o Lotus-eyed Lord. (10) Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You, o Supreme Lord, o Original Personality; all my respects for You as the Great Soul, the Lord in the form of Nrisimha, the Brahman, the Supersoul.'

(11) The Supreme Lord said: 'Unalloyed from Me towards Me, not intent on any benedictions in this world nor in the next, is it all the devoted like you nevertheless till the end of Manu's reign given to enjoy all the material wealth of the daitya rule out here [see also 2.3: 10]. (12) Always ponder over My stories; being absorbed in Me as existing within you as the One within all living beings, will give you the greatest pleasure; worship with bhakti yoga the Lord who is the enjoyer of all sacrifices and give up your fruitive activities. (13) With the wealth be pious, by such devoted action are all kinds of reactions overcome. Forced by the time giving up your vehicle of time will your reputation of transcendence spread all over the universe, be sung in the highest spheres and you will, freed from all bondage, return back to Me. (14) Anyone who chants these prayers offered to Me by you, any human being who remembers Me as well as you, will in due course of time become free from the bondage of his karma [see B.G. 4: 9, 6: 7, 9: 27-28, 12: 3-4 and see also 11.14: 21].'

(15-17) S'rî Prahlâda said: 'I pray for this benediction from You, o Lord of Benedictions, o Supreme Controller; my father, not knowing Your strength and supremacy, had with a heart polluted by anger thus a false notion of You, o master and guru of all worlds, as being the killer of his brother and was so of the greatest sin towards me, Your devotee. May my father be purified from that greatest and most difficult to overcome sin, although he was already purified when You casted Your glance upon him, o Merciful Father to the Materialists.'

(18) The Supreme Lord said: 'With the purification of your father have all together twenty-one of your forefathers been purified, o sinless one, because, o saintly boy, the person of you took birth in the dynasty. You indeed are the dynasty its purifier. (19) Wherever and whenever there are My devotees who full of peace and equipoise, with the best qualities are equally graceful towards all, is even the worst of societies purified. (20) Never are they in any way of any violence towards all the beings higher or lower, , o King of the Daityas, because they, out of their love for Me, have given up all material aspirations. (21) Persons in this world following in your footsteps become My pure devotees; of all devotees of Mine are you indeed the best example of all the different mellows [see also 6.3: 20-21]. (22) You should perform the obsequies for your father, who already in all respects was purified being in touch with My body, My child, so that he will be promoted to the worlds of better men. (23) Also assume the throne of your father as prescribed by vedic injunction; be with your mind fully absorbed in Me, My dearest, and do your duty just for My supreme sake.'

(24) S'rî Nârada said: 'Prahlâda performed, as was commissioned by the Supreme Lord, all the functions necessary to the occasion of his father's death, o King [Yudhishthhira], and was crowned by the brahmins present. (25) With his face shining because of the Lord His grace offered Lord Brahmâ, who had witnessed what had happened, with transcendental words the purest of prayers unto Lord Nrisimha, addressing Him in the presence of all the godly. (26) S'rî Brahmâ said: 'O God of gods, o proprietor of the whole universe, o love of all beings, o first among all the living, by your decision has the most sinful Asura, who was of so much trouble to everyone, been killed. (27) That one I have granted the rare benediction that he would not be killed by any creature created by me nor that he would die because of any austerity, mystical or physical power; thus very proud he transgressed all injunctions. (28) By Your decision has his son, who despite of his young age was a great saint and exalted devotee, been released from the clutches of death and enjoys he, the way You wanted it, now Your shelter. (29) For those who, confronted with an adversary, meditate upon this physical presence of Your Supersoul, o omnipresent Supreme Lord, are You the protector against all kinds of fear, including even the fear of death.'

(30) The Supreme Lord replied: 'Do not, as you have done, bestow benedictions upon demons, o Meditator of the Lotus; to bless people of a cruel nature is like giving milk to snakes.'

(31) S'rî Nârada said: 'This is what the Supreme Lord said, o King, after which Hari, being worshiped by the 0ne from the beyond, disappeared He from before the eyes of all the ones alive. (32) Prahlâda bowing his head was thereafter of worship with offering prayers, and so did the One in the beyond as also Lord S'iva, the leading fathers and the demigods, who each were part of the Supreme Lord. (33) Next made S'ukrâcârya and others, with all the sages and the One on the Lotus, him king of all the Daityas and Dânavas. (34) O King, with Brahmâ and all the rest properly honored, congratulated thereafter all the godly him, wishing him all the best and returned they to their respective abodes. (35) In this way were the two associates of Vishnu, who born as the sons of Diti in their forgetfulness were thinking as enemies, both killed by the Lord residing in the core of the heart [see 7.1: 36-39]. (36) Again being cursed by the brahmins were the two devils reborn as Kumbhakarna and ten-head Râvana and were they both killed by the special powers of Lord Râmacandra. (37) Slain laying on the battlefield with their hearts pierced by Râma's arrows, gave they up their bodies with their minds fixed on Him, just as they did in their previous birth. (38) The two this way reappearing out here, again being bound to the Lord in enmity, took their births as S'is'upâla and Dantavakra and merged with Him in your presence. (39) All the kings who were inimical to S'ri Krishna were, upon their death, freed from what they were guilty of in their lives; they became as pure as He like larvae that obtain the same body as the drone that guarded them. (40) In their devotion undivided unto the Supreme One, turned kings like S'is'upâla back to Godhead with the same form as the Supreme Lord, because they had kept Him constantly in mind [see also B.G. 4: 9]. (41) This all I described to you in reply to your inquiry on how, even hating, the son of Damaghosha [S'is'upâla] and others could be of the same kind of body [see 7.1: 34-35]. (42) In this about the Supersoul and the God of all brahmins, Krishna, I related to you the stories about His incarnations of purification wherein He from the beginning defeated the Daityas. (43-44) They describe of that most exalted devotee Prahlâda the characteristics of his devotion, his spiritual knowledge and his renunciation; try to understand each of them and by this indeed know what is of the Lord, the Master of maintenance, creation and destruction; what are His qualities and activities, handed down wisdom and how He, by Time, is the finality of all the higher and lower living beings and their cultures, however great they might be. (45) From this narration, in which the transcendence without reservations is perfectly described, one may understand the bhâgavata dharma [see 7.6: 28] and Bhagavân Himself. (46) Anyone who after hearing this pious narration describing the Supreme Power of Vishnu, with faith repeats it, will be liberated from the entanglement in fruitive labor. (47) Anyone who with great attention reads and hears this story about the activities of the best of all the truthful, this daitya son, and how the Original Personality playing the part of the lion king killed the king of the demons who was as strong as an elephant, will reach the spiritual world where there is never ever any fear. (48) All you Pândavas in your human world are extremely fortunate that in your house resides the human appearance of the Supreme One of the Absolute Truth who is able to purify all the worlds and is always sought by the great saints. (49) The Impersonal Brahman for which all the great are searching is He. He, who in fact is the son of your maternal uncle, is your most dear well-wisher, is the oneness of transcendental happiness and the source of all life. He who is there as your guru leading in the principle, is the One who is worshipable in the complete of His body and soul. (50) Not even by meditation could Lord S'iva, Lord Brahmâ and others directly see Him or describe Him in his real form; may He, this great protector of all His devotees, be pleased with the silence we observe, with our devotion, our forsaking for the better and our worship. (51) He, this very same Supreme Lord, o King, long ago restored the reputation of the divinity of Lord S'iva that was compromised by a demon called Maya who, of great technical cunning, enjoyed an unparalleled power.'

(52) The king [Yudhishthhira] said: 'Please describe for what reason and by what actions Lord S'iva, he who controls the whole universe, was outdone by Maya Dânava and how he with Krishna regained his reputation.'

(53) Nârada said: 'All the Asuras who by the godly by the power of the Lord were defeated in battle, took shelter of the greatest and best of them all, Maya Dânava. (54-55) That demon constructed three big and mighty cities made of gold, silver and iron. Possessing the uncommon ability to change places were they difficult to discern. Thus hidden from view began the Asuras, remembering their former enmity with all the three worlds and their controllers, o ruler of man, to break up the order in the world. (56) Thereupon approached all the worlds with their rulers Lord S'iva, falling at his feet in surrender saying: 'Please save us who are so close to you, for we are frightened, o Godhead, we are most affected by the tripura [three-city] people. (57) To show them his favor said the All-powerful Lord to the Suras: 'Do not fear', and fixed he an arrow on his bow to launch his weapons on the cities. (58) The arrows after being released shone as bright as beams of sunlight from which the cities could no longer be seen. (59) Because of that attack fell they who used to inhabit the houses of the cities, lifeless to the ground, but thanks to the great mystic powers of Maya were they all, one by one, dipped in a well of [life-giving] nectar [called mrita-sanjîvayitari]. (60) Thus touched by the all-potent nectar of the liquid, rose they from death as strong as thunderbolts splitting the sky with flashes of lightning. (61) Seeing how disappointed and unhappy the Emblem of the Lord [S'iva] was at the time, considered the Almighty Lord Vishnu the proper measures. (62) Thus assumed Lord Brahmâ the form of a calf and with Lord Vishnu Himself as the cow entered they in broad daylight Tripura to drink all the nectar in the well. (63) Even though the Asuras took notice of them could they, in their bewilderment, not stop them. And thus did the great mystic Maya who, fully aware of it, thought it was a thing of divine ordinance, address the ones on guard who, once quite content with their illusion, were now greatly dismayed: (64) 'Demigods, demons, human beings, nor anybody else can undo what by God would the fate ordained for oneself, for others or for everybody together.' (65-66) From His personal potencies concerning all the ingredients of life constituted by the religion, the spiritual knowledge, the renunciation, the opulence, the austerity, the education, the activities and all of that, equiped He [Lord Vishnu] thereafter Lord S'iva with everything required, like a chariot and charioteer, a flag, horses and elephants, a bow with shield and arrows and so on. Seated on his chariot he then fixed an arrow on his bow. (67) O ruler of man, with the arrows joined on his bow set Lord S'iva as the Master and Controller thus by means of them, at noon, the so difficult to pierce three cities afire. (68) From their celestial chariots in the sky vibrated, with the help of countless kettledrums, the gods and saints, the ancestors, the perfected and the great, 'Jaya, Jaya', as they showered a wealth of flowers over his head and chanted and danced in great ecstacy with the beauties of heaven. (69) O King, the mighty Lord S'iva who thus encouraged by Lord Brahmâ and the others had burnt Tripura to ashes, then returned to his own abode. (70) Thus it happens with all that the Lord is capable of: acting like an ordinary man within the human society are there of Him, the teacher of the universe, the narrations about His transcendental activities that, related by the saintly people, purify all the worlds; what more would you like me to talk about?'

*: "(10.88: 8-10) "The Personality of Godhead said: If I especially favor someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then the relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him. In this way he suffers one distress after another. When he becomes frustrated in his attempts to make money and instead befriends My devotees, I bestow My special mercy upon him. A person who has thus become sober fully realizes the Absolute as the highest truth, the most subtle and perfect manifestation of spirit, the transcendental existence without end. In this way realizing that the Supreme Truth is the foundation of his own existence, he is freed from the cycle of material life."

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Hearing the narration that is discussed in the assemblies of the saints, inquired Yudhishthhira, the greatest of their lead after him, [Prahlâda] the master of the Daityas so faithful to the Lord who covers the world in a step [Urukrama], greatly pleased again of that son of Brahmâ [Nârada]. (2) S'rî Yudhishthhira said: 'O great Lord, I would like to hear about the sanâtana dharma [the usual, eternal, common duties] of our human society belonging to the ordinance of the statusoriëntations [varnâs'rama] from which the people in general in peace may enjoy the better life. (3) You, my Lord, are directly the son of our original father, the supreme person within this universe [Brahmâ]; of all his sons are you considered the best in austerity, yoga and meditation. (4) Of the ones devoted to Nârâyana being the most learned do you know the most confidential and supreme of dharma; no one of the devoted is as merciful, exalted and peaceful as you are.'

(5) S'rî Nârada said: 'I offer my obeisances to the Supreme Lord Unborn who throughout the universe defends the dharma; I will expound on sanâtana dharma the way I heard it from the mouth of Nârâyana. (6) He who, begotten by Dharma Mahârâja in the womb of Daksha's daughter [Mûrti], descended [as Nârâyana] along with a part of Himself [Nara], executes for the benefit of all people austerities in Badarikâs'rama [the Himalayan resort for meditation]. (7) The root of all dharma, the essence of all vedic knowledge indeed is Bhagavân, the Supreme Being, who with the help of the scriptures is commemorated [with the s'ruti or the Vedas and the smrti or the scriptures following] by all the knowers of the Reality, o King, and by this principle become the mind and soul fully satisfied. (8-12) Truthfulness, compassion, austerity, cleanliness, tolerance, discrimination, composure, continence, nonviolence, celibacy, generosity, scriptural study, rectitude, contentment, service to the holy, gradually cutting with the unnecessary and being critical about the waste of human opposing; gravity, self-search, to share food and drink with all beings, to consider everyone first of all as being part of God and, o Pândava, to listen and to sing with one's fellow man as well as to remember Him who is the shelter of all the great; to be of service, to worship and to propitiate, to be a servant, to be a friend and to be of surrender; for all human beings is this the highest principle: to possess all these thirty characteristics, o King, which please the Soul of All [compare B.G. 12: 13-20]. (13) They who by unbroken reform [with so called samskâras], by accepting a guru and with the support of the Unborn One [Brahmâ], are of worship, study and charity, and whose ways were purified by the birth they took and by what they did, are the twice-born [dvijas] who are advised to behave according the status of their [age-related] spiritual department [or âs'rama]. (14) For the brahmins there are the six to the Vedas [to study and teach, worship and model and give and receive in charity] and for the rest [the other occupations] are there the same six minus the acceptance of charity; the means of livelihood for the rulers who maintain the people consists of levying taxes and such from those who do not belong to the ones motivated inward [the brahmins]. (15) The vais'yas [merchants] are to be engaged in agricultural activities and trade and should always follow what the brahmins teach, while the s'ûdras [the laborers] for their livelihood as their master of instruction have to accept the three types of twice-born ones above them. (16) Of the four different means of existence for the learned brahmin, of a livelihood achieved without effort [s'âlîna], what one gets as a mendicant [yâyâvara], what one finds as leftovers in the fields [s'ila], or what is not wanted by others in shops [uñchana] are to this the latter means better than the former. (17) Except for times of emergency, may a lower man for his livelihood when everything is secure not take to the higher of each status and certain occupation. (18-20) By rita or amrita one may live, by mrita or pramrita or even by satyânrita, but never by living as a dog. Rita is the living on leftovers one says, of amrita is what is obtained without begging, of mrita is the begging as a mendicant while pramrita, so is recalled, is of the eating of one's own field. To be of satyânrita is to trade but to be of service to the low is for the brahmins and the kshatriyas well acquainted with the Veda the reprehensible business of dogs [s'va-vrittih] that should be given up; the wise and the leaders of state represent all the gods [see also B.G. 4: 13]. (21) The brahmin is known for his control of mind and senses, his penance, cleanliness, peacefulness, forgiveness, straightforwardness, spiritual knowledge and compassion, his service to the Absolute of the Lord and his truthfulness. (22) A kshatriya makes his mark with fighting skill, heroism, resolution, strength, charity, restraint, forgiveness, loyalty to the brahminical, being well tempered and loving the truth. (23) A vais'ya is known for his devotion unto the godly, the guru and the Godhead, the three virtues [of dharma, artha and kâma], his following to the injunctions and his constant effort and expertise. (24) Of the s'ûdra is there obedience, cleanliness, service to the master, single-mindedness, sacrifice without further prayer, truthfulness, protection of cows and brahmins and certainly no misappropriation.

(25) Following him in his vows, being regular, favorably disposed to her husband as well as to his friends and relatives and readiness one finds with a woman in divine respect with her husband [see too B.G. 1: 40]. (26-27) She is of cleaning, mopping and decorating the house as a housewife and is personally finely dressed in her clothes and has her household articles always clean; to the small and great desires of her husband is she a chaste and modest woman of sense control as well as of controlled speech and she is veritable, pleasing, loving and of respect for her husband when it is called for. (28) Of contentment, not greedy, expert in serving, knowing what is dharma, kind, speaking the truth, attentive, pure and affectionate, should she worship the husband as long as he is straight with her. (29) Any woman who accepts her husband as the Supreme Personality is of service exactly like the Goddess of Fortune; devoted is she to the spirit of Hari with her husband in the spiritual world of Vaikunthha just like Lakshmî enjoying the eternal herself. (30) Of the ones born from a mix of class [pratilomaja with a lower man and anulomaja with a higher man] is there according the family tradition the duty not to be of the theft and sin of the lower outcast.

(31) In general is the dharma to one's own material position in society in every age [yuga] by the brahmin recognized, o King, as being auspicious for as well one's present life as the life hereafter [see also B.G. 3: 25]. (32) Existing from one's occupation according one's own mode of action may one with heartening one's own business in giving up the karma that belongs to that particular way, gradually attain the transcendental position. (33-34) A field over and over cultivated may exhausted fall barren not being suitable for further harvesting from seeds sown; similarly with a mind full of lusty desires over and over [in one's position] enjoying the objects of one's desires may one become dispassionate, o King, like small drops of ghee that are lost in a fire (35) And if with a person the symptoms indicating a certain class other than his own are observed, should one for sure also designate him according that observation [in other words: he who behaves like a brahmin e.g. must be considered as one].'

(1) S'rî Nârada said: 'A student [brahmacârî] living at the residence of the guru, should for the sake of his guru practice restraint, humility and obedience and be firm in friendship with his spiritual teacher. (2) In both the evening and in the morning should he worship the guru, the fire, the sun and the Best One of Enlightenment [Lord Vishnu], silently murmuring absorbed in prayer [the Gâyatrî]. (3) When called by the spiritual master, he should orderly practice the mantras and in the beginning and the end well-behaved offer his obeisances with his head at the lotus feet. (4) Equipped with a straw rope around his waist, garments of deerskin, matted hair, a rod, a waterpot and a sacred thread, should he take up the kus'a grass [for sitting] as is prescribed. (5) In the morning and the evening he should go out to collect alms and offer all that he collects to the guru. He should eat when ordered or otherwise fast at times. (6) Very polite, only eating as far as needed should he, industrious and full of faith, to necessity relating with the outer life of women and the men they control, be of control over his senses [compare 3.3: 5]. (7) He, not belonging to the householders life, must, to the as good as invincible senses that even take away the mind of a renunciate, give it up to address women with the observance of the great vow of celibacy [the yama of astânga-yoga]. (8) To brush the hair, massage the body, to bathe and rub it with oil is something that the still young wife of the guru should never be allowed to do as a service if the adept is still young [see also 1.11: 29]. (9) Especially the bewildered worship [of her] is like fire to the pot of butter that a man is; with other women, even with his own daughter, should he, living in seclusion, not associate more than is needed. (10) As long as one in one's reflection is ascertaining this positively in self-realization is there, for that time, freedom from illusion with the duality, but not detaching with that duality arrives one with the person at the contrary [see also B.G. 5: 18]. (11) It is for a householder as necessary as for a renunciate to follow all the directions of the guru, be it that the householder can have sex for a certain period of time [also: B.G. 7: 11]. (12) Those who have taken the vow of celibacy must give it up to make up their eyes, massage the head and the body, crave after the female image, to eat meat, indulge in intoxicating beverages, make use of scents or scented ointments and to decorate themselves with jewelry and flowers. (13-14) This way residing under the care of a guru do those who started a new life studying, to their talent, as far as possible, come to the proper understanding of the Vedas and their s'astric supplements and adherent upanishad philosophies. Knowing what the guru wants do they, as far as they can, provide according to his wishes and enter they either a household life [grihastha] or the forest [vânaprastha or a withdrawn position in the community] once leaving his company, or do they stay with him [be like him, as a sannyâsî]. (15) In the fire, in the guru, in oneself and in every living entity resides Adhokshaja, the One beyond it All, and one should consider Him as having as well entered as not having entered the living beings and everything that belongs to Him [pravistah/apravistah compare B.G. 9: 4]. (16) This way whether being a student, withdrawn, renunciate or a householder, can one, of one's selfrealisation being fully conversant with the wisdom, understand the Supreme of the Spiritual, the Absolute Truth.

(17) Let me now explain you the rules and regulations of the retired life [vânaprastha] as recognized by the saintly of which a holy man situated in it without difficulty is promoted to the world of the sages [Maharloka]. (18) He should not eat grains from cultivated fields nor the unripe from non-cultivated fields and either grains or riped produce that was prepared; it is so enjoined that the vânaprastha should eat what has ripened naturally by the sun. (19) From the naturally grown grains and fruits the forest provides he should prepare cakes and obtaining new produce should the old stock be given up. (20) Personally enduring the snow, wind, fire, rain and the sunshine, should he take shelter of a thatched cottage or a cave only for keeping his fire. (21) Also unconcerned about the hair on his head, the hair on his body, his nails, his facial hair, his dirt and the matted of his locks, he should keep a waterpot and a deerskin, a rod and treebark [for covering him] and fire colored garments. (22) He should remain in the forest for either twelve years, eight years or four years as a saintly, thoughtful man or else for two years or one year as well, in his intelligence not being bewildered about the hardship. (23) When either diseased or too old being unable to do his duties for advancing in knowledge and the spiritual life, must he refrain from taking food. (24) Properly placing the fire element within himself he should give up the false self of being identified with the body and merge completely in, as it is, the combined of the five elements only. (25) A person knowing the self finds the cause of his apertures in the sky; the different airs moving within in the air; the cause of the body heat he finds in fire; the blood, mucus and urine find with him their cause in the water, and the cause of the remainder [of the hard tissues] is found in the earth [compare with 1.15: 41-42 and 3.6: 12]. (26-28) The speech with its organ belongs to the God of Fire, the hands and their dexterity belong to Indra, the legs and their power to move belong to Vishnu and the genitals with the sexual desire belong to the Prajâpati. The rectum and its bowel activity is of Mrityu [Death] and also should the aural sense to the sounds be assigned to the [deities of the] directions and the touch and its organ be assigned to the windgod [Vâyu]. Eyesight with its forms, o King, one should assign to the Sun and to water and its ruler belong the tongue while smell and its odors should be consigned to the earth. (29-30) The mind with its desires belongs to Candra, the intelligence and its subject matter to the Supreme of Education, the false ego of the 'I' and 'mine' actions with its karma belongs to Rudra [S'iva], the consciousness with its concept of existence belongs to the Knower of the Field [see B.G. 13: 1-4] and the modes and their entities belong to the Beyond. The earth to the water, the water to the lights of the luminaries, the brightness to the air, the air to the sky, the sky to the materialistic conception, the false ego to that: the material energy, that into the complete of the reality [the mahat-tattva], and the reality into the primary nature [with the unmanifest the pradhâna, see 3.26: 10], and that together belongs to the Supersoul. (31) Thus is one of the Supreme of one's soul, being of the same quality in understanding the equilibrium that remains, completely spiritual and so should one thus cease his existence like flames of which the source has burnt up.

(1) S'rî Nârada said: 'A person who because of his selfrealization is ready for what I before described, should wander the earth, and thereto, not wishing to keep more than his body, not depend on anything and stay in no village for more than a night [see also the story of King Rishabha 5.5: 28]. (2) The renunciate [sannyâsî] should not wear more clothing but some covering for his private parts and, free from misfortune, in his forsaking not take to anything else but his rod [danda] and such. (3) Resorting to Nârâyana living on alms only and being fully satisfied within, he moves by himself alone, fully independent, wishing each living being the best in perfect peace. (4) Such a one should see this universe of cause and effect as existing within the everlasting self in the beyond and see himself as [a part of] the Supreme Absolute everywhere pervading the world of cause and effect. (5) Of the sleeping, waking and the dreaming in between one may be engaged in [see also 6.16: 53-54] should the one who actually sees the self understand that the states of being bound and being liberated in fact are nothing but illusory images. (6) One should not rejoice in the sure - or not sure either - of the death of this body and its lifespan, one should rather observe the Time Supreme which rules the manifestation and disappearance of the living beings. (7) One should not indulge in fixations on the untrue nor try to have a career in that; pointless arguing should be given up nor should one take shelter of factions [political parties]. (8) No followers for the sake of this or that, nor certainly the reading and writing of many books, nor should one try to give discourses for one's livelihood or ever try to increase material opulences [like temples e.g.]. (9) The one advanced who is of peace and an equal mind may, even though he as a renunciate never needs them, adopt the symbols of his spiritual position [his âs'rama*] or just as well give them up. (10) Even though one externally might not directly recognize him as a renunciate, is his purpose clear; such a one being a saint may present himself in society like an excited boy or, having been a great orator, now be like a man unable to speak.

(11) The learned recite as an example of this hidden identity a very old historical incident of a conversation between Prahlâda and a saintly man who lived as a python. (12-13) He saw the purest, most grave, spiritual power of that man at the bank of the Kâverî river on a ridge of the mountain Sahya, with him laying on the ground covered by dirt and dust all over his body. Prahlâda, the favorite of the Supreme Lord, met him when he in the company of a couple of his royal friends was traveling all the world in an effort to understand what it was that ruled the people. (14) From what he did, how he looked, to what he said and to his age and occupation and other marks of identity could the people not make up whether or not that man was the same person they used to know. (15) After paying his respects and honoring him according the rules by touching his lotus feet with his head, posed the great asura devotee of the Lord, eager to know him, the following question. (16-17) 'I see you are maintaining quite a fat body like someone lusting after the money; people who always worry about an income are surely of sense gratification and those being so wealthy thus as the enjoyers of this world do, not doing anything else, in effect become as fat indeed as this body of yours. (18) It is clear that you lying down doing nothing, o man of the spirit, have no money at all for enjoying your senses; how can, not being after the pleasure, your body be in this condition, o learned one, please tell us that if you excuse me for my impudence. (19) Despite of your being so learned, skilled and intelligent, capable of speaking nicely and remaining equipoised do you, seeing how the people are engaged in fruitive labor, lie down!'

(20) S'rî Nârada said: 'This way showered by the words of the daitya king smiled the great muni at him and was he, captivated by the nectar of his words, willing to reply. (21) The honorable brahmin said: 'O best of the Asuras hailed by all âryans, from your transcendental vision you are well acquainted with indeed all the things that the people are inclined to or desist from according their different positions. (22) He who has Nârâyana our God and Nârâyana our Lord always in his heart, can by his devotion alone uproot all the ignorance like the sun expells the darkness. (23) Nevertheless I shall answer all your questions o King, in accord with the Vedas, as you indeed are, for someone who desires the purification of his self, are worthy the address. (24) Because of material desires struggling for my existence was I, under a worldly sway catering to my lusty appetites and driven from one activity to the other, born in different forms of life. (25) This human form, carried by the waves of the material ocean, achieved, because of his karma going here and there, the heaven's gate of liberation, the lower species of life and a human life again [see also B.G. 8: 16 and **]. (26) And in that life has one the union of man and woman for the sake of pleasure. But seeing, always engaged in fruitive activities, how one arrives at the opposite [of that pleasure], have I now ceased in order to escape from that misery. (27) Happiness is the natural state of the living entity, and thus, definitely ceasing with all out here in having seen how the worldly demands are definitively linked to sense gratification, have I, contemplating these matters, entered silence. (28) Situated in this world does someone, by the false attraction of that material world very fearfully being entangled in material affairs that are strange to himself, indeed forget the interest of the living entity within himself. (29) Just like water that overgrown by grass is missed by a thirsty one who ignorantly looks for it elsewhere, is the same way someone in his material self-interest pursuing a mirage [of worldy happiness]. (30) Someone who with his body and everything is submitted to the superior control of matter, searches for the happiness belonging to the self in trying to diminish his misery and is, being fully conditioned, baffled over and over in his plans and actions. (31) By the threefold of the miseries created by oneself, by others and by nature, is the mortal person, sometimes being of some success in fighting the adverse consequences, still not free from them; what then is the value of such happiness, where do those desires lead to? (32) Just consider the miseries of the rich and wealthy who are so very concerned about their possessions: as the victim of their senses have they afraid sleepless nights in which they see the danger coming from all sides. (33) Of the government, of thieves, of enemies, relatives, animals and birds, of beggars, of Time itself, as well as of himself, is the one living for the money always afraid. (34) What an intelligent person must give up is the original cause that leads to all the lamentation, illusion, fear, anger, attachment, poverty, toiling and so on of the human being: the desire for prestige and money [***].

(35) The bees at work and the big snakes in this world are in this our first class gurus: from what they teach do we find the satisfaction [of taking only what is necessary] and the renunciation [of not seeking things elsewhere]. (36) The bees have taught me to detach from all desires as for the money, that with difficulty is acquired as the honey, one even kills one another taking it away from the owner. (37) Me not desiring more am happy with what I obtain free from endeavoring, and if nothing is found, I just lie down for many days to endure like a python. (38) Sometimes I eat little, sometimes I eat much food, whether it is fresh or sometimes stale, or of a great flavor or tasteless; sometimes it is brought with respect and sometimes it is offered in disrespect; thus eating during the night somewhere or during the day at times, I eat whatever is available. (39) Of linen, silk or cotton, deerskin, with a loincloth, or whatever material it may concern, with a happy mind I put on what is available by destiny. (40) Sometimes I lay down on the earth, on grass, leaves, on stone or a pile of ash and sometimes, to whatever someone wishes me, I lay down in a palace on a first-class bed with pillows [see also B.G. 18: 61]. (41) Sometimes I bathe nicely and smear my body with sandalwood and do I properly dress, decorated with garlands and various ornaments, and sit I on a chariot, an elephant or the back of a horse; and sometimes I wander completely naked as if haunted by a ghost, o mighty one. (42) I do not swear, nor do I praise the people who are of different natures; I pray for the ultimate benefit for them all, which in truth is the Oneness of the Greater Soul. (43) The sense of discrimination should, as an oblation, be offered in the fire of consciousness, that consciousness then in the fire of the mind that is the root of all confusion, that mind next needs to be offered in the fire of the false self and this ego of material identification should, following this principle, be offered in the total material energy. (44) The false of material existence is, by a thoughtful person who realizes the ultimate truth in his selfrealization, offered as an oblation and because of that finds he, free from desires, himself thus situated in the faithfulness to the essence of his own living self. (45) This story about myself I this way pass on to you in utter confidence; it might be so that you, from your good self as a man of transcendence with the Supreme Lord, miss the common [scriptural] explanation.'

(46) S'rî Nârada said: 'Thus hearing from the holy man what truly the dharma of the paramahamsas is [see also 6.3: 20-21] took the asura lord very pleased, after duly honoring him, leave of him to return home.'

* The four stages of sannyâs are : kuthîcaka, bahûdaka, parivrâjakâcârya and paramahamsa [see further footnote 5.1].

**: Svâmî Prabhupâda comments: "Material life is called pavarga because here we are subject to five different states of suffering, represented by the letters pa, pha, ba, bha and ma. Pa means paris'rama, very hard labor. Pha means phena, or foam from the mouth. For example, sometimes we see a horse foaming at the mouth with heavy labor. Ba means byarthatâ, disappointment. In spite of so much hard labor, at the end we find disappointment. Bha means bhaya, or fear. In material life, one is always in the blazing fire of fear, since no one knows what will happen next. Finally, ma means mrityu, or death. When one attempts to nullify these five different statuses of life--pa, pha, ba, bha and ma--one achieves apavarga, or liberation from the punishment of material existence."

atyâhârah prayâsas' ca
prajalpo niyamâgrahah
jana-sangas' ca laulyam ca
shadbhir bhaktir vinas'yati

"One's devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled in the following six activities: (1) eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required; (2) overendeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters; (4) practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically; (5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Krishna consciousness; and (6) being greedy for mundane achievements."

(1) S'rî Yudhishthhira said: 'Please explain to me how householders [grihasthas], like me ignorant about the goal of life, without difficulty also may achieve this position of liberation according the scripture, o devarishi.'

(2) Nârada Muni said: 'O King someone staying home should, in service of the great devotees, perform the duties prescibed for him [by guru and sastra] in dedication to Vâsudeva's visible form. (3-4) Always in the midst of people and relieved from all material duties should one faithfully at the right time hearing the nectar of the narrations about the avatâras of the Lord, thus well being associated gradually free oneself from one's attachment to one's wife and children and thus, personally removed from them, awaken as from a dream [see also 5.5: 1 and B.G. 18: 54]. (5) A man of that learning, he who thus living in the human society is of no more endeavor in making a living than would be strictly necessary, must be depicted as someone who is not as attached as he seems to be. (6) Whatever the relatives, the parents, the children, one's brothers and friends or whomever else may suggest to do, to whatever they wish, he should consent without being all too serious. (7) For this purpose must the intelligent person utilize all that is obtained without effort: all the things which are given by God [like fruits], all that one gets from the earth [like minerals] and all that is won by chance [donations, finds]; they are all the same produced by the Infallible One. (8) The stomach one may fill as much as needed and not more, because claiming more than that would make the one who thus appropriates a thief deserving punishment. (9) Deer, camels, asses, monkeys, mice, snakes, birds and flies one should [to that] see as one's own children; how little difference is there between those animals and children? (10) On the threefold path [of dharma, artha and kâma] not overly zealous [in ugra-karma] should a person, notwithstanding his concerns about his household, obtain only as much as the grace of God according to the time and circumstance would provide [see also 4.8: 54]. (11) Up to the dog, the fallen one and the outcast, should the necessities be divided to the need; even one's own wife, so close to oneself, should be shared so that she can be there [as a mother] for all the people [e.g. the guests in one's house and so on]. (12) One might give up the claim of owning her for which one was ready to kill oneself or others or abandon one's parents or spiritual master, so that one indeed may conquer Him who cannot be conquered [but by sacrifice]. (13) For the insects, to stool and of ashes is in the end this attachment, this insignificant material vehicle; of what value is that attraction for the wife's body relative to the soul that is as all-pervading as the ether? (14) What the Lord gives, what sacrifice brings, should in the end be considered the means of one's livelihood. All proprietorship is given up by those who are wise; it is the position of the great in this that one should achieve. (15) With the respect for the gods, the sages, unto mankind and the living beings, the forefathers and for oneself separately should one, making a living with what is obtained without effort, daily honor the Original Person. (16) The moment one [as a householder] has everything under control - not only the requisites but also oneself - should one with sacrifices in the fire according the regulations as laid down in the scriptures be of worship with all the means available for pleasing the Lord [see B.G. 4: 24-29]. (17) O King, the Supreme Lord, the enjoyer of all sacrifices is not as much worshiped by the offering of ghee in the mouth of the fire as by offerings to the mouths of the learned [see also 3.16: 8]. (18) Be therefore of worship, putting the brahmins first, via all the brahmins and demigods, all the mortals and other living beings, and offer this way according your ability all that is desired to the knower of the field [the Lord, see B.G. 13: 3].

(19) During [for instance] the dark fortnight of the month Âs'vina [October-November] and the month Bhâdra [August-September] should the twice-born offer oblations to the forefathers as far as they can afford it and to their relatives provided they have the riches. (20-23) Also at the solstices when the sun moves to the south and north or enters Aries or Capricorn, in the yoga [12.3 degrees of arc] named Vyatîpâta, on the days covering three lunar days [tithis] and on days of solar eclipses and new moons as well as on the twelfth day and the constellation [nakshatra] of S'ravana; also on the Akshaya-tritîyâ day, on the ninth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kârtika, on the four ashthakâs [the eigth days] in the winter season and cool season, on the seventh lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Mâgha, during the conjunction of Maghâ-nakshatra and the full-moon day, on the days when the moon is completely full, or not quite completely full when these days are conjoined with the nakshatras from which the names of certain months are derived. On the twelfth lunar days in conjunction with any of the nakshatras named Anurâdhâ, S'ravana, Uttara-phalgunî, Uttarâshâdhâ or Uttara-bhâdrapadâ and the eleventh lunar day that is in conjunction with either Uttara-phalgunî, Uttarâshâdhâ or Uttara-bhâdrapadâ as also on days in conjunction with one's own birth star [janma-nakshatra] or the S'ravana-nakshatra, is one advised to perform. (24) It is from these auspicious times [of being regular to natural occurrences] that the fate of human beings is improved; on those days one should perform all kinds of ceremonies and thus in all seasons have for a human being auspiciousness, success and longevity [see the full calendar of order for setting days to natural events]. (25) At all these natural times taking a holy bath, doing japa [the vedic rosary], performing fire sacrifices and keeping to vows, is whatever one offers the Supreme Lord, the twice-born managing the deities, the forefathers, the godly, the human beings in general and all other living beings indeed a definite good deed. (26) O King, the times of the purification rituals serve the interest of the wife, the children and oneself as also the interest of having funerals, memorial days and [setting days apart for] doing fruitive labor.

(27-28) In accord with that let me tell you about the truly most sacred place suitable to engage in this: there where a follower of truth is available [a saint, a Vaishnava, a guru], in a temple; there where the Supreme of the Lord and the association of the brahmins is found who are of austerity, education and mercy with each and every moving and nonmoving living entity of the entire universe. (29) Wherever the form of the Supreme Lord is worshiped, that site is the all auspicious refuge, wherever it may be, like the Ganges or the other rivers also celebrated in the Purânas. (30-33) Lakes as Pushkara and celebrated places harboring the saints like Kurukshetra, Gayâ, Prayâg [Allahabad] and Pulaha-âs'rama; Naimishâranya [near Lucknow], Phâlgunam, Setubhanda [towards Lankâ], Prabhâsa, Dvârakâ, Benares, Mathurâ, at Pampâ, Bindu-sarovara, at Badarikâs'rama, Nandâ, the places of Sîtâ Devî and Lord Râma, like Citrakûtha and o King, all such hillsides as Mahendra and Malaya - all of them are of the holiest; they and all the places where the Lord and His deities are worshiped [thus also outside of India] should indeed time and again be paid a visit by the one who desires the auspiciousness as it is there that of the persons the religious activities performed are a thousand times more effective.

(34) O controller of the earth, by the scholars proficient in respect of the receptacle has it been decided that the one and only recipient in the world indeed is the Lord, in Him truly all that moves and not moves rests [see also 4.31: 14]. (35) From among the most venerable saintly personalities of God did the sons of Brahmâ as also the other ones faithful to the truth [at Yudhishthhira's Râjasûya sacrifice], o King, decide that as the first to be worshiped of them all, Krishna was to be selected as the best. (36) The countless souls filling the entire universe are like a giant tree and because of Him being the root of that tree satisfies the worship of the Infallible One all living entities. (37) He indeed is the Original Person who resting with the individual souls inhabits their forms; the bodies of all those created beings, the humans, the non-humans, the saintly and the divine are His residence [see also B.G. 18: 61]. (38) To them indeed is He, depending on their level of understanding and manifest penance, the Supreme Lord who is more or less clearly present, o King, and for that reason is He the first and most important person of reception [compare B.G. 15: 15]. (39) When they saw how, from the beginning of Tretâ-yuga, the mutual respect in human society was turning to the negative o King, was by the scholars the worship of deities introduced [see also: 12.3: 52]. (40) Since then is one with great faith and all requirements of worship for the deity of the Lord, even though that regular attendance [for the external of God] is not much of use to those negative people [for the real benefit is found in the wisdom the idols give access to, see also 3.29: 25, B.G. 18: 68 & 69]. (41) O best of kings, one should realize that the best person among the people is indeed the brahmin because he of his austerity, education and satisfaction embodies the vedic knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Hari. (42) It is namely by Him, by Lord Krishna the life and soul of the universe, o King, that the brahmins are sanctified; by the dust of their worshipable feet is there the most exalted in the three worlds.

(1) S'rî Nârada said: 'Some of the twiceborn are devoted to fruitive labor and some are decided about austerities, o ruler of man, some are of vedic study while others exercise rhetoric, and some also do unify [the consciousness] in spiritual knowledge [in bhakti- and jñâna-yoga]. (2) A person desiring liberation should donate the results of his sacrifices to the ones devoted to spiritual knowing and should also, apart from that what is offered to the God-conscious, donate to others, be it with discrimination. (3) Offering to the demigods should two of them be fed, offering to the forefathers should three of them be fed, or one should at least in both cases feed one of them; however rich one might be, one should with one's offerings not arrange too lavishly. (4) Concerning a suitable place and time, the belief, the person worshiped and the method used, will with one's sacrificing in belief [with the s'râddha ceremony] not everything be as perfect as it should if one has invited a large group of guests. (5) To the right place and time should, as far as available, the food for the saintly with love and devotion be offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead according the regulative principles and words of the preceptor; what one this way offers to the one who is worshiped will become an everlasting source of prosperity. (6) Offering food to the godly, the saints, the forefathers, the living beings in general, the relatives and one's own family members, should one see them all as being part of the Original Personality of God. (7) Someone who knows the dharmic principles should never offer meat [nor fish and eggs] in the ceremonies of belief, nor should he apart from that be a meat eater; with the ones who are worshiped achieves one the greatest satisfaction with the [vegetarian] food of the sages and not so much with food that is offered with needless violence against animals. (8) For persons desiring true righteousness is there no religion higher than this: to forsake in one's mind, words and actions all violence against other living beings.

(9) Persons free from material desires who very well know about the purpose of sacrifices, are enlightened in jñâna of sacrifice by staying fixed on the true self [in samyama]; they, advanced in spiritual knowledge, know that some sacrifices, [animal sacrifices] have karmic consequences. (10) The animals seeing the offerer engaged in his material ado become afraid thinking: 'This person not being so nice to us will, not really knowing how or what, certainly quickly want to achieve a result by putting us to death!' (11) Therefore should indeed the one who is really of the dharma [see also B.G. 18: 66], day after day, in the greatest happiness, perform his regular and occasional duties with the food that is given by God, the [vegetarian] food of the sages. (12) Vidharma, paradharma, upadharma, âbhâsa and chala-dharma are the five different forms of irreligion that by those who are faithful to the scripture are considered the adharma, the unrighteously being engaged, that is to be given up. (13) What obstructs the original purpose of one's own duty is vidharma, misconceived or strange to one's own is it paradharma, directions that are turned against one's purpose in life are upadharma and one speaks of chala when by an opponent the words of the scripture are twisted and covered with pretense. (14) That what by persons whimsically, as a dim reflection, is done in defiance of the purpose of one's own order of life [one's âs'rama] is âbhâsa; [to all of this one has to pose the question:] in what respect would that what to one's own nature as being the appropriate dharma is arranged not be capable of bringing peace? (15) So should someone who is not wealthy not try to acquire money; with the religion and economy should one not go beyond what is necessary to keep one's body and soul together. The desirelessness of someone free from that endeavoring is like that of the python [see 7.13: 11] which lives without special effort. (16) Where would he, who driven by lust and greed for the sake of riches wanders here, there and everywhere, find the happiness of the contented person who not endeavoring for his maintenance is happy from within? (17) For a mind always of peace is every path followed just as auspicious, just like it is with a person who with shoes on his feet has nothing to fear from pebbles and thorns. (18) Or, o King, why should a person of peace not live happily on even a bit of water, when he from troublesome dealings with his genitals and tongue becomes a man not better than a household dog? (19) For sure will of a discontented man of learning, because of his greed, gradually dwindle the strength of his senses, his education, austerity and fame and will his spiritual knowledge vanish. (20) For someone who is hungry and thirsty do the lusts come to an end, of anger vented there is a relief, but a person will not get over his greed when he enjoys it to conquer all the directions of the globe [see also B.G. 16: 21]. (21) O King, many scholars, many persons of varied experience, many an expert in legal advice, or many a candidate for the office even, has landed in hell simply from lacking in contentment.

(22) With determination lust should be overcome, anger by means of forsaking the object of desire, to greed one must consider the accumulation of wealth which gives the trouble, and fear is overcome by contemplation of the truth. (23) Deliberation on spiritual matters is the cure for lamentation and illusion, false pride is cured by service to a great soul, silence overcomes the obstacles on the path of yoga and no longer hankering after one's sense gratification remedies hostility [see also B.G. 4: 10]. (24) Have pity with the sufferings inflicted by other living entities and by nature, in systematic yoga meditation give up what you suffer as a consequence of your own deeds and conquer sleep by exercising goodness. (25) By the mode of goodness can a person, in devotional service unto the spiritual master, easily conquer all this passion, ignorance and the goodness itself that one also should leave behind. (26) The guru who is the light on the path should directly be considered the Supreme Lord; he who considers him and all that belongs to the Veda as mortal and timebound, is like an elephant taking a dustbath. (27) This Supreme Lord who evidently is the original nature of the person, the Controller whose feet are sought by the masters of yoga, is by the common people taken for a normal human being! [see also B.G. 9: 11] (28) If all the activities and regulations the way they should be, to the end of the once and for all subjugating of the six of the senses and the mind, do not lead to a positively being unified in the consciousness, has one only wasted one's time and effort.

(29) Since the occupational duties in desiring an income do not serve the interest of yoga, are they at all times of little help and value, just as are the ritual vedic ceremonies of a person who is worldly entangled [compare B.G. 2: 42-44]. (30) He who is engaged in the conquering of his mind must be alone in a solitary place, without the dependence of an attached company [like a family] and as a renounced person live on the dole, eating frugally. (31) In a clean leveled place, o King, must he arrange for a seat and steady, comfortable and equipoised sit down, keeping his body straight and thus do the Pranava [see 1.2: 11 and B.G. 8: 11-14 and 6: 11-12]. (32-33) He should arrest the in- and outgoing air holding his exhaling and inhaling and for that time give up all desires in his mind while staring at the tip of his nose. With the mind that wanders here and there withdrawn from whatever is the lust defeated and should a learned yogi step by step from within his heart put an end to the thinking. (34) Of fortitude will the consequent practitioner this way in due course of time quickly manage to be as pure as a fire without smoke. (35) Not drawn by the various desires is one calm and peaceful in all one's activities in a consciousness that is situated in the happiness of the transcendental platform from which one factually can never separate oneself [see also B.G. 5: 17].

(36) When someone who first left his home behind to wander around then again returns to the field of the threefold practice of the materially oriented [economic, religious and sense-oriented] activities in which he was formerly engaged, can such a shameless mendicant be compared to someone who eats his own vomit [a vântâs'î]. (37) Those who consider their body as something separate from the soul, as something mortal meant for stool, worms and ashes, and then again glorify that body and identify with it, are indeed the dullest of the great lie. (38-39) For householders to forsake their duties, for celibates to give up on vows, for withdrawn ones to submit as a servant of the commoner, for renunciates to hanker after the senses - for all these âs'ramas is it most abominable indeed to behave like this in cheating the spiritual order; those, bewildered by the external energy of God, one should doubt and pity. (40) Once one understood what the soul entails, once one from the beyond has cleansed one's consciousness with spiritual knowledge, how can one then hanker for comfort, why would one then stay a slave to the demands of the body? (41) One says that the body is the chariot, that the senses are the horses, that the mind - the master of the senses - is there as the reins, that the sense-objects form the paths followed, that reason constitutes the charioteer and that character is the great bond created by the Lord. (42) The spokes of the wheel [see also 7.9: 21] are the ten airs in the body [called prâna, apâna, samâna, vyâna, udâna, nâga, kûrma, krikala, devadatta and dhanañjaya], the inside and outside of the wheels are religion and irreligion, the one driven is the individual soul who is falsely identified, the Pranava is the bow and the living entity the arrow, but the target is for sure the Supreme. (43-44) Attachment and aversion, greed and lamentation, illusion, fear, madness, false prestige, insult, fault-finding and deception, violence and jealousy, unrest, bewilderment, hunger and sleep are one's enemies indeed; these and more are sometimes the consequence of passion and ignorance and sometimes they sprout from the mode of goodness. (45) As long as one has this human form, which as a chariot with all its subordinate parts depends on one's control, must one in service of the lotusfeet of the most venerable ones hold on to the, by the strength of the Infallible One, sharpened sword of knowledge until the enemy is defeated, so that satisfied of one's transcendental bliss this body can be given up for the sake of the pure, uncontaminated being. (46) Not doing so being inattentive and of the untrue, will the senses that act as the horses lead the charioteer on the road of desire. There falls he into the hands of the plunderers, the sense objects [who rule with vishaya, eating, sleeping and mating] and will the driver because of them, together with the horses and all, land in the dark, blind well of material existence and the great fear of death. (47) To be inclined towards or to cease from material enjoyment [pravritti and nivritti], are according the Vedas the two options of proceeding [4.4: 20], materially inclined is one aimless, but ceasing enjoys one the nectar of the eternal [see also B.G. 16: 7].

(48-49) Systematically being of violence [in sacrificing animals] with all kinds of fire sacrifices that require so many things, is something filled with desire which causes anxiety; the purpose of all the dars'a, pûrnamâsa, câturmâsya, pas'uh, soma and other ritualistic ceremonies one should consider an attachment. Even so are the oblation and sacrifice [huta, prahuta] as also the, for the benefit of the public, constructing of temples, resting houses and gardens and the digging of wells and providing of food and water, to be recognized as such symptoms. (50-51) Everything that one offers in the fire turns into the smoke belonging to the divinity of the dark half of the month, the sun going through the south and the moon that is new [compare B.G. 8: 25]; that way are there from the vegetation on the earth's surface, the foodgrains, are there the seeds thus, o ruler of the earth, that thus projected through the father [of Time] lead to the, one after the other, repeated succession of over and over being born to exist to the victory of matter [see also B.G. 9: 21]. (52) A twice-born one by enlightenment in real knowledge [by the path of ceasing] is by the purification processes of the beginning of life and the end of it at death, purified [he loses interest in material results] as he offers his actions into [the meditating on] his sensuality. (53) The senses then merged in the mind that is infected by words that move in waves of material preference, the words then delimited to the complete of its elements, the letters, those then restricted to the AUM of the Pranava vibrated and that ultimate vibration next given up to the point enclosed [the 'echo'], indeed then results in the fact that the life air is sacrificed in the Supreme of the Living entity [in brahman]. (54) The individual soul following the nature of the fire, the sun, the day, the end of the day, the bright half of the month, the full moon, the northern path and the Supreme of Brahmâ then reaches, moving in the natural connectedness of the gross destination with the subtle one, the transcendental state [turya] of intelligence. (55) On this path towards God, as one calls it, repeatedly been born again [see also B.G. 8: 16], does the one eager in self-realization heading for the peace indeed, not return, established as he is in the true self. (56) The one who this way is faithful to the forefathers and the gods will, on this path as recommended by the Vedas regularly studying the scriptures, even though being a material person, with an enlightened vision never be bewildered.

(57) He Himself is verily there in the beginning and in the end, of all living beings, existing always internally as well as externally, transcendental to the gross, as the knowledge and the known, as the expression and the expressed and as the darkness and the light. (58) Even though a mere reflection is rejected as being a real form, is it nevertheless accepted; likewise is also the substance of the purpose accepted although it is difficult to prove from speculating on one's sensual input. (59) In this world of the five elements is one of them nor the counterpart, the reflection, one appears to be, nor is one a combination or transformation of them; one should not believe that one as a soul would have an independent existence, nor that one would be one with the elements [see also B.G. 18: 66]. (60) The five elements as the cause of the bodily concept and the sense-objects can not exist without their subtle [counter]parts; the untrue is found in the fixed form of a body, which, just as that what is part of it [the sense-object], in the end turns out to be a temporary appearance. (61) It can be compared with what one has when one dreams: one is awake while one sleeps; [the sleeping as] a part of the reality cannot be seen apart from the complete [of de dream] without being mistaken. Even so can that what is scripturally prohibited [yama] not be seen apart from that what is prescribed [niyama]. (62) Considering the oneness in matter, the oneness in action and the oneness in thought, turns a soul of wisdom, from his selfrealization in life, away from the three of them as being three separate forms of sleep [compare 1.18: 26 and B.G. 6: 16]. (63) To the observation that, like with the substance of the threads of a cloth, the effect and cause [of this existence] are one because ultimately setting them apart constitutes the unreal, does one speak of the conception of oneness [bhâvâdvaita, see also B.G. 18: 16]. (64) In all activities of the mind, the words and the body directly to be dedicated to the Supreme of the transcendental Absolute, o Yudhishthhira, is called oneness in activities [kriyâdvaita, compare B.G. 9.27]. (65) When the ultimate goal and interest of oneself, the wife and the children, the others or whatever living beings is one, is that oneness called oneness of interest [dravyâdvaita]. (66) A person should, by whatever would be allowed as for means, time and place, proceed according his prescribed duties, o King; someone operating by that process should, when everything is in order, not try any other way. (67) By this and by other ways expressed in the vedic literatures abiding by one's occupational duties, can any human being who renders devotional service according that notion, even staying at home reach the destination of Him, o King [see also B.G. 9: 32]. (68) It is as indeed the way all of you [Pândavas], o lord of kings, escaped from all the insurmountable danger; by serving the feet of your own Master [Krishna] managed you to perform the sacrifices successfully in defeating the strongest elephants [the burden of unrighteous kings].

(69) I myself a long, long time ago, in a former mahâkalpa [in another age of Brahmâ], existed as a denizen of heaven named Upabarhana and was very respected among the Gandharvas. (70) I had a beautiful body and was, most attractive, fragrant and decorated, captivating to the eye; proud like a madman in his own city was I, day by day under the influence of the natural attraction of women, very covetous. (71) Once there was a gathering of the godly and to the occasion of glorifying the Lord in song and dance, were by those who ruled over the universe [the Prajâpatis] all the Ghandarvas and Apsaras invited. (72) I too, expert in singing the glories of the divine life, went there surrounded by women and well known with my attitude cursed the divine rulers of the universe me with great force for my contempt: 'O you, in offense with the etiquette, become a s'ûdra as from now, bereft of the beauty!' (73) Because of that I took birth from a maidservant but despite of that obtained I, rendering service to spiritually outspoken people, at the same time a life as a son of Brahmâ [see also 1.5: 23-31]. (74) To you, an attached householder, I explained that process by which a grihastha can conquer sin and very easily obtain the position of the renounced. (75) You are of such a great fortune in the world that all saints that may purify come to visit you in your house because the Most Confidential One of the Supreme Brahman can be directly met there in the form of a normal person. (76) He, the One Brahman, sought by the great for the realization of liberation and the bliss of heaven, is the most dear well-wisher of all of you, your renown cousin [Lord Krishna], the, to as well the heart as the soul, most worshipable person and guru of instruction on the principles [the vidhi; see also 7.10: 48 & 49]. (77) His form, beyond the purview of Lord S'iva, Lord Brahmâ and the others [see also B.G. 7: 26], factually can be understood by meditation, by silence, by bhakti and by putting an end to all material association; may the One, this same personality, this master of the devotees so worshiped, be pleased with us.'

(78) S'rî S'uka said: 'The best of the Bhârata dynasty, in utter glee of hearing the descriptions of the devarishi, was caught in the ecstasy of love and worshiped him as well as Lord Krishna. (79) With the reverence he received from Lord Krishna and from Yudhishthhira, who as the son of Prithâ [see family tree] was utterly amazed about Krishna being the Parabrahman, the Supreme of the Spiritual, bade the muni them farewell and left. (80) Thus I have described to you how, from the separate dynasties of the daughters of Daksha, there were the gods, the demons and the human beings and such, as well as all the worlds with their moving and nonmoving living entities.'

Thus the seventh Canto of the S'rîmad Bhâgavatam ends named: 'The Science of God'.

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