स वै निवृत्तिधर्मेण वासुदेवानुकम्पया ।
भगवद्भक्तियोगेन तिरोधत्ते शनैरिह ॥ १२ ॥
sa vai nivṛtti-dharmeṇa
vāsudevānukampayā
bhagavad-bhakti-yogena
tirodhatte śanair iha
Synonyms
saḥ — that; vai — also; nivṛtti — detachment; dharmeṇa — by engagement; vāsudeva — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; anukampayā — by the mercy of; bhagavat — in relation with the Personality of Godhead; bhakti-yogena — by linking up; tirodhatte — diminishes; śanaiḥ — gradually; iha — in this existence.
Translation
But that misconception of self-identity can be diminished gradually by the mercy of the Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, through the process of devotional service to the Lord in the mode of detachment.
Purport
The quivering quality of material existence, which comes from identification with matter or from thinking oneself, under the material influence of philosophical speculation, to be God, can be eradicated by devotional service to the Lord, by the mercy of the Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. As discussed in the First Canto, because the application of devotional service to Lord Vāsudeva invites pure knowledge, it quickly detaches one from the material conception of life and thus revives one’s normal condition of spiritual existence, even in this life, and frees one from the material winds which cause one to quiver. Only knowledge in devotional service can elevate one towards the path of liberation. The development of knowledge for the purpose of knowing everything, without rendering devotional service, is considered fruitless labor, and one cannot get the desired result by such labor of love. Lord Vāsudeva is pleased by devotional service only, and thus His mercy is realized by association with pure devotees of the Lord. Pure devotees of the Lord are transcendental to all material desires, including the desire for the results of fruitive activities and philosophical speculation. If one wants to acquire the mercy of the Lord, he has to associate with pure devotees. Such association alone can, by degrees, release one from the quivering elements.
विशोऽवर्तन्त तस्योर्वोर्लोकवृत्तिकरीर्विभो: ।
वैश्यस्तदुद्भवो वार्तां नृणां य: समवर्तयत् ॥ ३२ ॥
viśo ’vartanta tasyorvor
loka-vṛttikarīr vibhoḥ
vaiśyas tad-udbhavo vārtāṁ
nṛṇāṁ yaḥ samavartayat
Synonyms
viśaḥ — means of living by production and distribution; avartanta — generated; tasya — His (the gigantic form’s); ūrvoḥ — from the thighs; loka-vṛttikarīḥ — means of livelihood; vibhoḥ — of the Lord; vaiśyaḥ — the mercantile community; tat — their; udbhavaḥ — orientation; vārtām — means of living; nṛṇām — of all men; yaḥ — one who; samavartayat — executed.
Translation
The means of livelihood of all persons, namely production of grains and their distribution to the prajās, was generated from the thighs of the Lord’s gigantic form. The mercantile men who take charge of such execution are called vaiśyas.
Purport
Human society’s means of living is clearly mentioned here as viśa, or agriculture and the business of distributing agricultural products, which involves transport, banking, etc. Industry is an artificial means of livelihood, and large-scale industry especially is the source of all the problems of society. In Bhagavad-gītā also the duties of the vaiśyas, who are engaged in viśa, are stated as cow protection, agriculture and business. We have already discussed that the human being can safely depend on the cow and agricultural land for his livelihood.
The exchange of produce by banking and transportation is a branch of this type of living. The vaiśyas are divided into many subsections: some of them are called kṣetrī, or landowners, some are called kṛṣaṇa, or land tillers, some of them are called tila-vaṇik, or grain raisers, some are called gandha-vaṇik, or merchants in spices, and some are called suvarṇa-vaṇik, or merchants in gold and banking. The brāhmaṇas are the teachers and spiritual masters, the kṣatriyas protect the citizens from the hands of thieves and miscreants, and the vaiśyas are in charge of production and distribution. The śūdras, the unintelligent class of men who cannot act independently in any of the above-mentioned activities, are meant for serving the three higher classes for their livelihood.
Formerly, the brāhmaṇas were given all the necessities of life by the kṣatriyas and vaiśyas because they had no time to spend making a living. The kṣatriyas would collect taxes from the vaiśyas and śūdras, but the brāhmaṇas were exempt from paying income tax or land revenue. That system of human society was so nice that there were no political, social and economic upheavals. The different castes, or varṇa classifications, are therefore essential for maintaining a peaceful human society.
देवा ऊचु:
नमाम ते देव पदारविन्दं
प्रपन्नतापोपशमातपत्रम् ।
यन्मूलकेता यतयोऽञ्जसोरु-
संसारदु:खं बहिरुत्क्षिपन्ति ॥ ३९ ॥
devā ūcuḥ
namāma te deva padāravindaṁ
prapanna-tāpopaśamātapatram
yan-mūla-ketā yatayo ’ñjasoru-
saṁsāra-duḥkhaṁ bahir utkṣipanti
Synonyms
devāḥ ūcuḥ — the demigods said; namāma — we offer our respectful obeisances; te — Your; deva — O Lord; pada-aravindam — lotus feet; prapanna — surrendered; tāpa — distress; upaśama — suppresses; ātapatram — umbrella; yat-mūla-ketāḥ — shelter of the lotus feet; yatayaḥ — great sages; añjasā — totally; uru — great; saṁsāra-duḥkham — miseries of material existence; bahiḥ — out; utkṣipanti — forcibly throw.
Translation
The demigods said: O Lord, Your lotus feet are like an umbrella for the surrendered souls, protecting them from all the miseries of material existence. All the sages under that shelter throw off all material miseries. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto Your lotus feet.
Purport
There are many sages and saints who engage in trying to conquer rebirth and all other material miseries. But of all of them, those who take shelter under the lotus feet of the Lord can completely throw off all such miseries without difficulty. Others, who are engaged in transcendental activities in different ways, cannot do so. For them it is very difficult. They may artificially think of becoming liberated without accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord, but that is not possible. One is sure to fall again to material existence from such false liberation, even though one may have undergone severe penances and austerities. This is the opinion of the demigods, who are not only well versed in Vedic knowledge but are also seers of the past, present and future. The opinions of the demigods are valuable because the demigods are authorized to hold positions in the affairs of universal management. They are appointed by the Lord as His confidential servants.
श्री शुक उवाच
स एवं भगवान् पृष्ट: क्षत्त्रा कौषारवो मुनि: ।
पुंसां नि:श्रेयसार्थेन तमाह बहुमानयन् ॥ १७ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
sa evaṁ bhagavān pṛṣṭaḥ
kṣattrā kauṣāravo muniḥ
puṁsāṁ niḥśreyasārthena
tam āha bahu-mānayan
Synonyms
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; saḥ — he; evam — thus; bhagavān — the great sage; pṛṣṭaḥ — being requested; kṣattrā — by Vidura; kauṣāravaḥ — Maitreya; muniḥ — the great sage; puṁsām — for all people; niḥśreyasa — for the greatest welfare; arthena — for that; tam — unto him; āha — narrated; bahu — greatly; mānayan — honoring.
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The great sage Maitreya Muni, after honoring Vidura very greatly, began to speak, at Vidura’s request, for the greatest welfare of all people.
Purport
The great sage Maitreya Muni is described here as bhagavān because he surpassed all ordinary human beings in learning and experience. Thus his selection of the greatest welfare service for the world is considered authoritative. The all-inclusive welfare service for the entire human society is devotional service to the Lord, and, as requested by Vidura, the sage described the same very appropriately.
सोऽहं तद्दर्शनाह्लादवियोगार्तियुत: प्रभो ।
गमिष्ये दयितं तस्य बदर्याश्रममण्डलम् ॥ २१ ॥
so ’haṁ tad-darśanāhlāda-
viyogārti-yutaḥ prabho
gamiṣye dayitaṁ tasya
badaryāśrama-maṇḍalam
Synonyms
saḥ aham — thus myself; tat — His; darśana — audience; āhlāda — pleasure; viyoga — without that; ārti-yutaḥ — afflicted by distress; prabho — my dear sir; gamiṣye — shall go; dayitam — so instructed; tasya — His; badaryāśrama — Badarikāśrama, in the Himālayas; maṇḍalam — association.
Translation
My dear Vidura, now I am mad for want of the pleasure of seeing Him, and just to mitigate this I am now proceeding to Badarikāśrama in the Himālayas for association, as I have been instructed by Him.
Purport
A pure devotee of the Lord of the standard of Uddhava constantly associates with the Lord in the double perception of simultaneous separation and meeting. The pure devotee is not for a moment unengaged in the transcendental service of the Lord. Execution of the Lord’s service is the main occupation of the pure devotee. Uddhava’s separation from the Lord was unbearable, and therefore he started to Badarikāśrama in obedience to the Lord’s order because the order of the Lord and the Lord Himself are identical. As long as one is engaged in the execution of the order of the Lord, there is no factual separation from Him.
स्निग्धस्मितावलोकेन वाचा पीयूषकल्पया ।
चरित्रेणानवद्येन श्रीनिकेतेन चात्मना ॥ २० ॥
snigdha-smitāvalokena
vācā pīyūṣa-kalpayā
caritreṇānavadyena
śrī-niketena cātmanā
Synonyms
snigdha — gentle; smita-avalokena — by a glance with a sweet smile; vācā — by words; pīyūṣa-kalpayā — compared to nectar; caritreṇa — by character; anavadyena — without flaw; śrī — fortune; niketena — residence; ca — and; ātmanā — by His transcendental body.
Translation
He was there in His transcendental body, the residence of the goddess of fortune, with His usual gentle and sweetly smiling face, His nectarean words and His flawless character.
Purport
In the previous verse it is described that Lord Kṛṣṇa, being situated in the truths of Sāṅkhya philosophy, is detached from all kinds of matter. In the present verse it is described that He is the residence of the goddess of fortune. These two things are not at all contradictory. Lord Kṛṣṇa is detached from the variegatedness of the inferior nature, but He is in eternal, blissful enjoyment of the spiritual nature, or His internal potency. One who has a poor fund of knowledge cannot understand this distinction between the external and internal potencies. In Bhagavad-gītā, the internal potency is described as the parā prakṛti. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa also, the internal potency of Viṣṇu is described as parā śakti. The Lord is never detached from the association of parā śakti. This parā śakti and her manifestations are described in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.37) as ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ. The Lord is eternally joyful and cognizant in the taste derived from such transcendental bliss. Negation of the variegatedness of the inferior energy does not necessitate negation of the positive transcendental bliss of the spiritual world. Therefore the Lord’s gentleness, His smile, His character and everything related to Him are all transcendental. Such manifestations of the internal potency are the reality, of which the material shadow is only a temporary representation from which everyone with proper knowledge must be detached. PRABHUPADA
भगवानपि विश्वात्मा लोकवेदपथानुग: ।
कामान् सिषेवे द्वार्वत्यामसक्त: सांख्यमास्थित: ॥ १९ ॥
bhagavān api viśvātmā
loka-veda-pathānugaḥ
kāmān siṣeve dvārvatyām
asaktaḥ sāṅkhyam āsthitaḥ
Synonyms
bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; api — also; viśva-ātmā — the Supersoul of the universe; loka — customary; veda — Vedic principles; patha-anugaḥ — follower of the path; kāmān — the necessities of life; siṣeve — enjoyed; dvārvatyām — in the city of Dvārakā; asaktaḥ — without being attached; sāṅkhyam — knowledge in Sāṅkhya philosophy; āsthitaḥ — being situated.
Translation
Simultaneously, the Personality of Godhead enjoyed life in the city of Dvārakā, strictly in conformity with the Vedic customs of society. He was situated in detachment and knowledge, as enunciated by the Sāṅkhya system of philosophy.
Purport
While Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was the Emperor of the earth, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was the King of Dvārakā and was known as Dvārakādhīśa. Like other subordinate kings, He was under the regime of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Although Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the supreme emperor of the entire creation, while He was on this earth He never violated the principles of the Vedic injunctions because they are the guide for human life. Regulated human life according to the Vedic principles, which are based on the system of knowledge called Sāṅkhya philosophy, is the real way of enjoyment of the necessities of life. Without such knowledge, detachment and custom, the so-called human civilization is no more than an animal society of eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. The Lord was acting freely, as He willed, yet by His practical example He taught not to lead a life which goes against the principles of detachment and knowledge. Attainment of knowledge and detachment, as very elaborately discussed in Sāṅkhya philosophy, is the real perfection of life. Knowledge means to know that the mission of the human form of life is to end all the miseries of material existence and that in spite of having to fulfill the bodily necessities in a regulated way, one must be detached from such animal life. Fulfilling the demands of the body is animal life, and fulfilling the mission of the spirit soul is the human mission.
कालमागधशाल्वादीननीकै रुन्धत: पुरम् ।
अजीघनत्स्वयं दिव्यं स्वपुंसां तेज आदिशत् ॥ १० ॥
kāla-māgadha-śālvādīn
anīkai rundhataḥ puram
ajīghanat svayaṁ divyaṁ
sva-puṁsāṁ teja ādiśat
Synonyms
kāla — Kālayavana; māgadha — the King of Magadha (Jarāsandha); śālva — King Śālva; ādīn — and others; anīkaiḥ — by the soldiers; rundhataḥ — being encircled; puram — the city of Mathurā; ajīghanat — killed; svayam — personally; divyam — transcendental; sva-puṁsām — of His own men; tejaḥ — prowess; ādiśat — exhibited.
Translation
Kālayavana, the King of Magadha and Sālva attacked the city of Mathurā, but when the city was encircled by their soldiers, the Lord refrained from killing them personally, just to show the power of His own men.
Purport
After the death of Kaṁsa, when Mathurā was encircled by the soldiers of Kālayavana, Jarāsandha and Sālva, the Lord seemingly fled from the city, and thus He is known as Ranchor, or one who fled from fighting. Actually, the fact was that the Lord wanted to kill them through the agency of His own men, devotees like Mucukunda and Bhīma. Kālayavana and the King of Magadha were killed by Mucukunda and Bhīma respectively, who acted as agents of the Lord. By such acts the Lord wanted to exhibit the prowess of His devotees, as if He were personally unable to fight but His devotees could kill them. The relationship of the Lord with His devotees is a very happy one. Actually, the Lord descended at the request of Brahmā in order to kill all the undesirables of the world, but to divide the share of glory He sometimes engaged His devotees to take the credit. The Battle of Kurukṣetra was designed by the Lord Himself, but just to give credit to His devotee Arjuna (nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasācin), He played the part of the charioteer, while Arjuna was given the chance to play the fighter and thus become the hero of the Battle of Kurukṣetra. What He wants to do Himself by His transcendental plans, He executes through His confidential devotees. That is the way of the Lord’s mercy towards His pure unalloyed devotees.
उद्धव उवाच
तत: स आगत्य पुरं स्वपित्रो-
श्चिकीर्षया शं बलदेवसंयुत: ।
निपात्य तुङ्गाद्रिपुयूथनाथं
हतं व्यकर्षद् व्यसुमोजसोर्व्याम् ॥ १ ॥
uddhava uvāca
tataḥ sa āgatya puraṁ sva-pitroś
cikīrṣayā śaṁ baladeva-saṁyutaḥ
nipātya tuṅgād ripu-yūtha-nāthaṁ
hataṁ vyakarṣad vyasum ojasorvyām
uddhavaḥ uvāca — Śrī Uddhava said; tataḥ — thereafter; saḥ — the Lord; āgatya — coming; puram — to the city of Mathurā; sva-pitroḥ — own parents; cikīrṣayā — wishing well; śam — well-being; baladeva-saṁyutaḥ — with Lord Baladeva; nipātya — dragging down; tuṅgāt — from the throne; ripu-yūtha-nātham — leader of public enemies; hatam — killed; vyakarṣat — pulled; vyasum — dead; ojasā — by strength; urvyām — on the ground.
Śrī Uddhava said: Thereafter Lord Kṛṣṇa went to Mathurā City with Śrī Baladeva, and to please Their parents They dragged Kaṁsa, the leader of public enemies, down from his throne and killed him, pulling him along the ground with great strength.
स्वशान्तरूपेष्वितरै: स्वरूपै-
रभ्यर्द्यमानेष्वनुकम्पितात्मा ।
परावरेशो महदंशयुक्तो
ह्यजोऽपि जातो भगवान् यथाग्नि: ॥ १५ ॥
sva-śānta-rūpeṣv itaraiḥ sva-rūpair
abhyardyamāneṣv anukampitātmā
parāvareśo mahad-aṁśa-yukto
hy ajo ’pi jāto bhagavān yathāgniḥ
sva-śānta-rūpeṣu — unto the peaceful devotees of the Lord; itaraiḥ — others, nondevotees; sva-rūpaiḥ — according to their own modes of nature; abhyardyamāneṣu — being harassed by; anukampita-ātmā — the all-compassionate Lord; para-avara — spiritual and material; īśaḥ — controller; mahat-aṁśa-yuktaḥ — accompanied by the plenary portion of mahat-tattva; hi — certainly; ajaḥ — the unborn; api — although; jātaḥ — is born; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; yathā — as if; agniḥ — the fire.
The Personality of Godhead, the all-compassionate controller of both the spiritual and material creations, is unborn, but when there is friction between His peaceful devotees and persons who are in the material modes of nature, He takes birth just like fire, accompanied by the mahat-tattva.
यस्यानुरागप्लुतहासरास-
लीलावलोकप्रतिलब्धमाना: ।
व्रजस्त्रियो दृग्भिरनुप्रवृत्त-
धियोऽवतस्थु: किल कृत्यशेषा: ॥ १४ ॥
yasyānurāga-pluta-hāsa-rāsa-
līlāvaloka-pratilabdha-mānāḥ
vraja-striyo dṛgbhir anupravṛtta-
dhiyo ’vatasthuḥ kila kṛtya-śeṣāḥ
yasya — whose; anurāga — attachment; pluta — enhanced by; hāsa — laughter; rāsa — humors; līlā — pastimes; avaloka — glancing; pratilabdha — obtained thereof; mānāḥ — anguished; vraja-striyaḥ — damsels of Vraja; dṛgbhiḥ — with the eyes; anupravṛtta — following; dhiyaḥ — by intelligence; avatasthuḥ — sat silently; kila — indeed; kṛtya-śeṣāḥ — without finishing household duties.
The damsels of Vraja, after pastimes of laughter, humor and exchanges of glances, were anguished when Kṛṣṇa left them. They used to follow Him with their eyes, and thus they sat down with stunned intelligence and could not finish their household duties.
In His boyhood at Vṛndāvana, Lord Kṛṣṇa was notorious as a teasing friend in transcendental love to all the girls His age. His love for them was so intense that there is no comparison to that ecstasy, and the damsels of Vraja were so much attached to Him that their affection excelled that of the great demigods like Brahmā and Śiva. Lord Kṛṣṇa finally admitted His defeat before the transcendental affection of the gopīs and declared that He was unable to repay them for their unalloyed affection. Although the gopīs were seemingly anguished by the Lord’s teasing behavior, when Kṛṣṇa would leave them they could not tolerate the separation and used to follow Him with their eyes and minds. They were so stunned by the situation that they could not finish their household duties. No one could excel Him even in the dealing of love exchanged between boys and girls. It is said in the revealed scriptures that Lord Kṛṣṇa personally never goes beyond the boundary of Vṛndāvana. He remains there eternally because of the transcendental love of the inhabitants. Thus even though He is not visible at present, He is not away from Vṛndāvana for a moment.
शनकैर्भगवल्लोकान्नृलोकं पुनरागत: ।
विमृज्य नेत्रे विदुरं प्रीत्याहोद्धव उत्स्मयन् ॥ ६ ॥
śanakair bhagaval-lokān
nṛlokaṁ punar āgataḥ
vimṛjya netre viduraṁ
prītyāhoddhava utsmayan
śanakaiḥ — gradually; bhagavat — the Lord; lokāt — from the abode; nṛlokam — the planet of the human beings; punaḥ āgataḥ — coming again; vimṛjya — wiping; netre — eyes; viduram — unto Vidura; prītyā — in affection; āha — said; uddhavaḥ — Uddhava; utsmayan — by all those remembrances.
The great devotee Uddhava soon came back from the abode of the Lord to the human plane, and wiping his eyes, he awakened his reminiscence of the past and spoke to Vidura in a pleasing mood.
ŚB 3.1.45
तस्य प्रपन्नाखिललोकपाना-
मवस्थितानामनुशासने स्वे ।
अर्थाय जातस्य यदुष्वजस्य
वार्तां सखे कीर्तय तीर्थकीर्ते: ॥ ४५ ॥
tasya prapannākhila-lokapānām
avasthitānām anuśāsane sve
arthāya jātasya yaduṣv ajasya
vārtāṁ sakhe kīrtaya tīrtha-kīrteḥ
tasya — His; prapanna — surrendered; akhila-loka-pānām — all rulers of the entire universe; avasthitānām — situated in; anuśāsane — under the control of; sve — own self; arthāya — for the interest of; jātasya — of the born; yaduṣu — in the family of the Yadus; ajasya — of the unborn; vārtām — topics; sakhe — O my friend; kīrtaya — please narrate; tīrtha-kīrteḥ — of the Lord, whose glories are chanted in the places of pilgrimage.
O my friend, please, therefore, chant the glories of the Lord, who is meant to be glorified in the places of pilgrimage. He is unborn, and yet He appears by His causeless mercy upon the surrendered rulers of all parts of the universe. Only for their interest did He appear in the family of His unalloyed devotees the Yadus.
There are innumerable rulers all over the universe in different varieties of planets: the sun-god in the sun planet, the moon-god in the moon planet, Indra in the heavenly planet, Vāyu, Varuṇa, and those in the Brahmaloka planet, where Lord Brahmā is living. All are obedient servants of the Lord. Whenever there is any trouble in the administration of the innumerable planets in different universes, the rulers pray for an appearance, and the Lord appears. The Bhāgavatam (1.3.28) has already confirmed this in the following verse:
ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ
kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam
indrāri-vyākulaṁ lokaṁ
mṛḍayanti yuge yuge
In every millennium, whenever there is any trouble for the obedient rulers, the Lord appears. He also appears for the sake of His pure unalloyed devotees. The surrendered rulers and the pure devotees are always strictly under the control of the Lord, and they are never disobedient to the desires of the Lord. The Lord is therefore always attentive to them.
श्रीभगवानुवाच
इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् ।
विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha
manur ikṣvākave ’bravīt
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; imam — this; vivasvate — unto the sun-god; yogam — the science of one’s relationship to the Supreme; proktavān — instructed; aham — I; avyayam — imperishable; vivasvān — Vivasvān (the sun-god’s name); manave — unto the father of mankind (of the name Vaivasvata); prāha — told; manuḥ — the father of mankind; ikṣvākave — unto King Ikṣvāku; abravīt — said.
The Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.
Herein we find the history of the Bhagavad-gītā traced from a remote time when it was delivered to the royal order of all planets, beginning from the sun planet. The kings of all planets are especially meant for the protection of the inhabitants, and therefore the royal order should understand the science of Bhagavad-gītā in order to be able to rule the citizens and protect them from material bondage to lust. Human life is meant for cultivation of spiritual knowledge, in eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the executive heads of all states and all planets are obliged to impart this lesson to the citizens by education, culture and devotion. In other words, the executive heads of all states are intended to spread the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that the people may take advantage of this great science and pursue a successful path, utilizing the opportunity of the human form of life.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/4/1/
…It is natural that a philosophical mind wants to know about the origin of the creation. At night he sees the stars in the sky, and he naturally speculates about their inhabitants. Such inquiries are natural for man because man has a developed consciousness which is higher than that of the animals. The author of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives a direct answer to such inquiries. He says that the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all creations.
He is not only the creator of the universe, but the destroyer as well. The manifested cosmic nature is created at a certain period by the will of the Lord. It is maintained for some time, and then it is annihilated by His will. Therefore, the supreme will is behind all cosmic activities. Of course, there are atheists of various categories who do not believe in a creator, but that is due to a poor fund of knowledge. The modern scientist, for example, has created space satellites, and by some arrangement or other, these satellites are thrown into outer space to fly for some time at the control of the scientist who is far away. Similarly, all the universes with innumerable stars and planets are controlled by the intelligence of the Personality of Godhead.
In Vedic literatures, it is said that the Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, is the chief amongst all living personalities.
All living beings, beginning from the first created being, Brahmā, down to the smallest ant, are individual living beings. And above Brahmā, there are even other living beings with individual capacities, and the Personality of Godhead is also a similar living being. And He is an individual as are the other living beings. But the Supreme Lord, or the supreme living being, has the greatest intelligence, and He possesses supermost inconceivable energies of all different varieties. If a man’s brain can produce a space satellite, one can very easily imagine how brains higher than man can produce similarly wonderful things which are far superior. The reasonable person will easily accept this argument, but there are stubborn atheists who would never agree. Śrīla Vyāsadeva, however, at once accepts the supreme intelligence as the parameśvara. He offers his respectful obeisances unto the supreme intelligence addressed as the para or the parameśvara or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And that parameśvara is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as admitted in Bhagavad-gītā and other scriptures delivered by Śrī Vyāsadeva and specifically in this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that there is no other para-tattva (summum bonum) than Himself…
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
janmādy asya yato ’nvayād itarataś cārtheṣv abhijñaḥ svarāṭ
tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ
tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ yathā vinimayo yatra tri-sargo ’mṛṣā
dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi
O my Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, O all-pervading Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You. I meditate upon Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa because He is the Absolute Truth and the primeval cause of all causes of the creation, sustenance and destruction of the manifested universes. He is directly and indirectly conscious of all manifestations, and He is independent because there is no other cause beyond Him. It is He only who first imparted the Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmājī, the original living being. By Him even the great sages and demigods are placed into illusion, as one is bewildered by the illusory representations of water seen in fire, or land seen on water. Only because of Him do the material universes, temporarily manifested by the reactions of the three modes of nature, appear factual, although they are unreal. I therefore meditate upon Him, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally existent in the transcendental abode, which is forever free from the illusory representations of the material world. I meditate upon Him, for He is the Absolute Truth.
Obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead Vāsudeva directly indicate Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is the divine son of Vasudeva and Devakī. This fact will be more explicitly explained in the text of this work. Śrī Vyāsadeva asserts herein that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead, and all others are His direct or indirect plenary portions or portions of the portion. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has even more explicitly explained the subject matter in his Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha. And Brahmā, the original living being, has explained the subject of Śrī Kṛṣṇa substantially in his treatise named Brahma-saṁhitā. In an Upaniṣad in the Sāma-veda, it is also stated that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the divine son of Devakī. Therefore, in this prayer, the first proposition holds that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the primeval Lord, and if any transcendental nomenclature is to be understood as belonging to the Absolute Personality of Godhead, it must be the name indicated by the word Kṛṣṇa, which means the all-attractive. In Bhagavad-gītā, in many places, the Lord asserts Himself to be the original Personality of Godhead, and this is confirmed by Arjuna, and also by great sages like Nārada, Vyāsa, and many others. In the Padma Purāṇa, it is also stated that out of the innumerable names of the Lord, the name of Kṛṣṇa is the principal one. Vāsudeva indicates the plenary portion of the Personality of Godhead, and all the different forms of the Lord, being identical with Vāsudeva, are indicated in this text. The name Vāsudeva particularly indicates the divine son of Vasudeva and Devakī. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is always meditated upon by the paramahaṁsas, who are the perfected ones among those in the renounced order of life.
Daily Reading of Shrimad Bhagavatam 1.3.26 by Ronaldo Franco
Shrimad Bhagavatam 1.3.21 - Leitura Diária por Ronaldo Franco
Daily Reading of Shrimad Bhagavatam 1.3.21 by Ronaldo Franco
Porque Existe Tanto Sofrimento?