Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired from Śukadeva Gosvāmī: O great sage, why did the spiritual master of the demigods, Bṛhaspati, reject the demigods, who were his own disciples? What offense did the demigods commit against their spiritual master? Please describe to me this in cident.(1)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, once upon a time, the King of heaven, Indra, being ex tremely proud because of his great opulence of the three worlds, transgressed the law of Vedic etiquette. Seated on his throne, he was sur rounded by the Maruts, Vasus, Rudras, Ādityas, Ṛbhus, Viśvadevas, Sādhyas, Aśvinī kumāras, Siddhas, Cāraṇas and Gandharvas and by great saintly persons. Also surrounding him were the Vidyādharas, Apsarās, Kinnaras, Patagas [birds] and Uragas [snakes]. All of them were offering Indra their respects and ser vices, and the Apsarās and Gandharvas were dancing and singing with very sweet musical instruments. Over Indra’s head was a white um brella as effulgent as the full moon. Fanned by yak-tail whisks and served with all the para phernalia of a great king, Indra was sitting with his wife, Śacīdevī, who occupied half the throne, when the great sage Bṛhaspati appeared in that assembly. Bṛhaspati, the best of the sages, was the spiritual master of Indra and the demigods and was respected by the demigods and demons alike. Nevertheless, although Indra saw his spiritual master before him, he did not rise from his own seat or offer a seat to his spir itual master, nor did Indra offer him a respect ful welcome. Indra did nothing to show him re spect.( 2-8)

Bṛhaspati knew everything that would happen in the future. Seeing Indra’s transgression of etiquette, he completely under stood that Indra was puffed up by his material opulence. Although able to curse Indra, he did not do so. Instead, he left the assembly and in silence returned to his home.(9) Indra, the King of heaven, could immedi ately understand his mistake. Realizing he had disrespected his spiritual master, he con demned himself in the presence of all the mem bers of the assembly.(10) Alas, what a regretta ble deed I have committed because of my lack of intelligence and my pride in my material op ulences. I failed to show respect to my spiritual master when he entered this assembly, and thus I have insulted him.(11) Although I am King of the demigods, who are situated in the mode of goodness, I was proud of a little opulence and polluted by false ego. Under the circumstances, who in this world would accept such riches at the risk of falling down? Alas! I condemn my wealth and opulence.(12)

If a person says, “One who is situated on the exalted throne of a king should not stand up to show respect to an other king or a brāhmaṇa,” it is to be under stood that he does not know the superior reli gious principles.(13) Leaders who have fallen into ignorance and who mislead people by di recting them to the path of destruction [as de scribed in the previous verse] are, in effect, boarding a stone boat, and so too are those who blindly follow them. A stone boat would be un able to float and would sink in the water with its passengers. Similarly, those who mislead people go to hell, and their followers go with them.(14) King Indra said: Therefore with great frankness and without duplicity I shall now bow my head at the lotus feet of Bṛhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods. Because he is in the mode of goodness, he is fully aware of all knowledge and is the best of the brāhmaṇas. Now I shall touch his lotus feet and offer my obeisances unto him to try to satisfy him.(15)

While Indra, the King of the demigods, thought in this way and repented in his own assembly, Bṛhaspati, the most powerful spiritual master, understood his mind. Thus he became invisible to Indra and left home, for Bṛhaspati was spir itually more powerful than King Indra.(16) Alt hough Indra searched vigorously with the assis tance of the other demigods, he could not find Bṛhaspati. Then Indra thought, “Alas, my spir itual master has become dissatisfied with me, and now I have no means of achieving good fortune.” Although Indra was surrounded by demigods, he could not find peace of mind.(17) Hearing of the pitiable condition of King Indra, the demons, following the instructions of their guru, Śukrācārya, equipped themselves with weapons and declared war against the demi gods.(18) The demigods’ heads, thighs and arms and the other parts of their bodies were injured by the sharp arrows of the demons. The demigods, headed by Indra, saw no other course than to immediately approach Lord Brahmā with bowed heads for shelter and proper instruction.(19)

When the most power ful Lord Brahmā saw the demigods coming to ward him, their bodies gravely injured by the arrows of the demons, he pacified them by his great causeless mercy and spoke as fol lows.(20) Lord Brahmā said: O best of the demigods, unfortunately, because of madness resulting from your material opulence, you failed to re ceive Bṛhaspati properly when he came to your assembly. Because he is aware of the Supreme Brahman and fully in control of his senses, he is the best of the brāhmaṇas. Therefore it is very astonishing that you have acted impudently to ward him.(21) Because of your miSBehavior toward Bṛhaspati, you have been defeated by the demons. My dear demigods, since the de mons were weak, having been defeated by you several times, how else could you, who were so advanced in opulence, be defeated by them?(22)

O Indra, your enemies, the demons, were extremely weak because of their disre spect toward Śukrācārya, but since they have now worshiped Śukrācārya with great devo tion, they have again become powerful. By their devotion to Śukrācārya, they have in creased their strength so much that now they are even able to easily seize my abode from me.(23) Because of their firm determination to follow the instructions of Śukrācārya, his disci ples, the demons, are now unconcerned about the demigods. In fact, kings or others who have determined faith in the mercy of brāhmaṇas, cows and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and who always worship these three are always strong in their position.(24) O demi gods, I instruct you to approach Viśvarūpa, the son of Tvaṣṭā, and accept him as your guru. He is a pure and very powerful brāhmaṇa undergo ing austerity and penances. Pleased by your worship, he will fulfill your desires, provided that you tolerate his being inclined to side with the demons.(25)

Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Thus advised by Lord Brahmā and relieved of their anxiety, all the demigods went to the sage Viśvarūpa, the son of Tvaṣṭā. My dear King, they embraced him and spoke as follows.(26) The demigods said: Beloved Viśvarūpa, may there be all good fortune for you. We, the demigods, have come to your āśrama as your guests. Please try to fulfill our desires accord ing to the time, since we are on the level of your parents.(27) O brāhmaṇa, the highest duty of a son, even though he has sons of his own, is to serve his parents, and what to speak of a son who is a brahmacārī?(28) The ācārya, the spiritual master who teaches all the Vedic knowledge and gives initiation by offering the sacred thread, is the personification of all the Vedas. Similarly, a father personifies Lord Brahmā; a brother, King Indra; a mother, the planet earth; and a sister, mercy. A guest personifies religious principles, an invited guest personifies the demigod Agni, and all liv ing entities personify Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.(29-30)

Dear son, we have been defeated by our enemies, and there fore we are very much aggrieved. Please mer cifully fulfill our desires by relieving our dis tress through the strength of your austerities. Please fulfill our prayers.(31) Since you are completely aware of the Supreme Brahman, you are a perfect brāhmaṇa, and therefore you are the spiritual master of all orders of life. We accept you as our spiritual master and director so that by the power of your austerity we may easily defeat the enemies who have conquered us.(32) The demigods continued: Do not fear criticism for being younger than us. Such eti quette does not apply in regard to Vedic man tras. Except in relationship to Vedic mantras, seniority is determined by age, but one may of fer respectful obeisances even to a younger per son who is advanced in chanting Vedic man tras. Therefore although you are junior in rela tionship to us, you may become our priest with out hesitation.(33) Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: When all the demigods requested the great Viśvarūpa to be their priest, Viśvarūpa, who was advanced in austerities, was very pleased. He replied to them as follows.(34)

Śrī Viśvarūpa said: O demigods, although the acceptance of priesthood is decried as caus ing the loss of previously acquired brahminical power, how can someone like me refuse to ac cept your personal request? You are all exalted commanders of the entire universe. I am your disciple and must take many lessons from you. Therefore I cannot refuse you. I must agree for my own benefit.(35) O exalted governors of various planets, the true brāhmaṇa, who has no material possessions, maintains himself by the profession of accepting śiloñchana. In other words, he picks up grains left in the field and on the ground in the wholesale marketplace. By this means, householder brāhmaṇas who actu ally abide by the principles of austerity and penance maintain themselves and their families and perform all necessary pious activities. A brāhmaṇa who desires to achieve happiness by gaining wealth through professional priesthood must certainly have a very low mind. How shall I accept such priesthood?(36)

All of you are my superiors. Therefore although accepting priest hood is sometimes reproachable, I cannot re fuse even a small request from you. I agree to be your priest. I shall fulfill your request by dedicating my life and possessions.(37) ŚrīŚukadeva Gosvāmī continued: O King, after making this promise to the demigods, the exalted Viśvarūpa, surrounded by the demi gods, performed the necessary priestly activi ties with great enthusiasm and attention.(38) The opulence of the demons, who are generally known as the enemies of the demigods, was protected by the talents and tactics of Śukrācārya, but Viśvarūpa, who was most powerful, composed a protective prayer known as the Nārāyaṇa-kavaca. By this intelligent mantra, he took away the opulence of the de mons and gave it to Mahendra, the King of heaven.(39) Viśvarūpa, who was most liberal, spoke to King Indra [Sahasrākṣa] the secret hymn that protected Indra and conquered the military power of the demons.(40)

ŚrīŚukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, thereafter, at the request of Lord Brahmā, Prajāpati Dakṣa, who is known as Prācetasa, begot sixty daughters in the womb of his wife Asiknī. All the daughters were very affection ate toward their father.(1) He gave ten daugh ters in charity to Dharmarāja [Yamarāja], thir teen to Kaśyapa [first twelve and then one more], twenty-seven to the moon-god, and two each to Aṅgirā, Kṛśāśva and Bhūta. The other four daughters were given to Kaśyapa. [Thus Kaśyapa received seventeen daughters in all.](2) Now please hear from me the names of all these daughters and their descendants, who filled all the three worlds.(3) The ten daughters given to Yamarāja were named Bhānu, Lambā, Kakud, Yāmi, Viśvā, Sādhyā, Marutvatī, Vasu, Muhūrtā and Saṅkalpā. Now hear the names of their sons.(4) O King, a son named Deva-ṛṣabha was born from the womb of Bhānu, and from him came a son named Indrasena. From the womb of Lambā came a son named Vidyota, who gener ated all the clouds.(5)

From the womb of Kakud came the son named Saṅkaṭa, whose son was named Kīkaṭa. From Kīkaṭa came the dem igods named Durgā. From Yāmi came the son named Svarga, whose son was named Nandi.(6) The sons of Viśvā were the Viśvadevas, who had no progeny. From the womb of Sādhyā came the Sādhyas, who had a son named Arthasiddhi.(7) The two sons who took birth from the womb of Marutvatī were Marutvān and Jayanta. Jayanta, who is an ex pansion of Lord Vāsudeva, is known as Upen dra.(8) The demigods named the Mauhūrtikas took birth from the womb of Muhūrtā. These demigods deliver the results of actions to the living entities of their respective times.(9) The son of Saṅkalpā was known as Saṅkalpa, and from him lust was born. The sons of Vasu were known as the eight Vasus. Just hear their names from me: Droṇa, Prāṇa, Dhruva, Arka, Agni, Doṣa, Vāstu and Vibhāvasu. From Abhimati, the wife of the Vasu named Droṇa, were gener ated the sons named Harṣa, Śoka, Bhaya and so on.(10-11)

Ūrjasvatī, the wife of Prāṇa, gave birth to three sons, named Saha, Āyus and Purojava. The wife of Dhruva was known as Dharaṇi, and from her womb various cities took birth.(12) From the womb of Vāsanā, the wife of Arka, came many sons, headed by Tarṣa. Dhārā, the wife of the Vasu named Agni, gave birth to many sons, headed by Draviṇaka.(13) From Kṛttikā, another wife of Agni, came the son named Skanda, Kārttikeya, whose sons were headed by Viśākha. From the womb of Śarvarī, the wife of the Vasu named Doṣa, came the son named Śiśumāra, who was an ex pansion of the Supreme Personality of God head.(14) From Āṅgirasī, the wife of the Vasu named Vāstu, was born the great architect Viśvakarmā. Viśvakarmābecame the husband of Ākṛtī, from whom the Manu named Cākṣuṣa was born. The sons of Manu were known as the Viśvadevas and Sādhyas.(15) Ūṣā, the wife of Vibhāvasu, gave birth to three sonsVyuṣṭa, Rociṣa and Ātapa. From Ātapa came Pañcayāma, the span of day, who awakens all living entities to material activities.(16)

Sarūpā, the wife of Bhūta, gave birth to the ten million Rudras, of whom the eleven princi ple Rudras were Raivata, Aja, Bhava, Bhīma, Vāma, Ugra, Vṛṣākapi, Ajaikapāt, Ahirbra dhna, Bahurūpa and Mahān. Their associates, the ghosts and goblins, who are very fearful, were born of the other wife of Bhūta.(17-18) The prajāpati Aṅgirā had two wives, named Svadhā and Satī. The wife named Svadhā ac cepted all the Pitās as her sons, and Satī ac cepted the Atharvāṅgirasa Veda as her son.(19) Kṛśāśva had two wives, named Arcis and Dhiṣaṇā. In the wife named Arcis he begot Dhūmaketu and in Dhiṣaṇā he begot four sons, named Vedaśirā, Devala, Vayuna and Manu.(20) Kaśyapa, who is also named Tārkṣya, had four wivesVinatā [Suparṇā], Kadrū, Pataṅgī and Yāminī. Pataṅgī gave birth to many kinds of birds, and Yāminī gave birth to locusts. Vinatā [Suparṇā] gave birth to Garuḍa, the carrier of Lord Viṣṇu, and to Anūru, or Aruṇa, the chariot driver of the sun god. Kadrū gave birth to different varieties of serpents.(21-22)

O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, best of the Bhāratas, the constellations named Kṛttikā were all wives of the moon-god. However, because Prajāpati Dakṣa had cursed him to suffer from a disease causing gradual destruction, the moon-god could not beget children in any of his wives.(23) Thereafter the King of the moon pacified Prajāpati Dakṣa with courteous words and thus regained the portions of light he had lost during his disease. Nevertheless he could not beget children. The moon loses his shining power during the dark fortnight, and in the bright fortnight it is manifest again. O King Parīkṣit, now please hear from me the names of Kaśyapa’s wives, from whose wombs the pop ulation of the entire universe has come. They are the mothers of almost all the population of the entire universe, and their names are very auspicious to hear. They are Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kāṣṭhā, Ariṣṭā, Surasā, Ilā, Muni, Krodhavaśā, Tāmrā, Surabhi, Saramā and Timi. From the womb of Timi all the aquatics took birth, and from the womb of Saramā the ferocious ani mals like the tigers and lions took birth.( 24-26)

My dear King Parīkṣit, from the womb of Su rabhi the buffalo, cow and other animals with cloven hooves took birth, from the womb of Tāmrā the eagles, vultures and other large birds of prey took birth, and from the womb of Muni the angels took birth.(27) The sons born of Kro dhavaśā were the serpents known as dan daśūka, as well as other serpents and the mos quitoes. All the various creepers and trees were born from the womb of Ilā. The Rākṣasas, bad spirits, were born from the womb of Su rasā.(28) The Gandharvas were born from the womb of Ariṣṭā, and animals whose hooves are not split, such as the horse, were born from the womb of Kāṣṭhā. O King, from the womb of Danu came sixty-one sons, of whom these eighteen were very important: Dvimūrdhā, Śambara, Ariṣṭa, Hayagrīva, Vibhāvasu, Ayo mukha, Śaṅkuśirā, Svarbhānu, Kapila, Aruṇa, Pulomā, Vṛṣaparvā, Ekacakra, Anutāpana, Dhūmrakeśa, Virūpākṣa, Vipracitti and Dur jaya.( 29-31)

The daughter of Svarbhānu named Suprabhā was married by Namuci. The daughter of Vṛṣaparvā named Śarmiṣṭhā was given to the powerful King Yayāti, the son of Nahuṣa.(32) Vaiśvānara, the son of Danu, had four beautiful daughters, named Upadānavī, Hayaśirā, Pulomā and Kālakā. Hiraṇyākṣa mar ried Upadānavī, and Kratu married Hayaśirā. Thereafter, at the request of Lord Brahmā, Prajāpati Kaśyapa married Pulomā and Kālakā, the other two daughters of Vaiśvānara. From the wombs of these two wives of Kaśyapa came sixty thousand sons, headed by Nivātakavaca, who are known as the Paulomas and the Kālakeyas. They were physically very strong and expert in fighting, and their aim was to dis turb the sacrifices performed by the great sages. My dear King, when your grandfather Arjuna went to the heavenly planets, he alone killed all these demons, and thus King Indra became ex tremely affectionate toward him.( 33-36)

In his wife Siṁhikā, Vipracitti begot one hundred and one sons, of whom the eldest is Rāhu and the others are the one hundred Ketus. All of them attained positions in the influential planets.(37) Now please hear me as I describe the de scendants of Aditi in chronological order. In this dynasty the Supreme Personality of God head Nārāyaṇa descended by His plenary ex pansion. The names of the sons of Aditi are as follows: Vivasvān, Aryamā, Pūṣā, Tvaṣṭā, Sa vitā, Bhaga, Dhātā, Vidhātā, Varuṇa, Mitra, Śatru and Urukrama.(38-39) Saṁjñā, the wife of Vivasvān, the sun-god, gave birth to the Manu named Śrāddhadeva, and the same fortu nate wife also gave birth to the twins Yamarāja and the river Yamunā. Then Yamī, while wan dering on the earth in the form of a mare, gave birth to the Aśvinī-kumāras.(40) Chāyā, an other wife of the sun-god, begot two sons named Śanaiścara and Sāvarṇi Manu, and one daughter, Tapatī, who married Saṁvaraṇa.(41)

From the womb of Mātṛkā, the wife of Aryamā, were born many learned scholars. Among them Lord Brahmā created the human species, which are endowed with an aptitude for self-examina tion.(42) Pūṣā had no sons. When Lord Śiva was an gry at Dakṣa, Pūṣā had laughed at LordŚiva and shown his teeth. Therefore he lost his teeth and had to live by eating only ground flour.(43) Racanā, the daughter of the Daityas, became the wife of Prajāpati Tvaṣṭā. By his semen he begot in her womb two very powerful sons named Sanniveśa and Viśvarūpa.(44) Although Viśvarūpa was the son of the daughter of their eternal enemies the demons, the demigods ac cepted him as their priest in accordance with the order of Brahmā when they were aban doned by their spiritual master, Bṛhaspati, whom they had disrespected.(45)

Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Im pelled by the illusory energy of Lord Viṣṇu, Prajāpati Dakṣa begot ten thousand sons in the womb of Pāñcajanī [Asiknī]. My dear King, these sons were called the Haryaśvas.(1) My dear King, all the sons of Prajāpati Dakṣa were alike in being very gentle and obedient to the orders of their father. When their father ordered them to beget children, they all went in the western direction.(2) In the west, where the river Sindhu meets the sea, there is a great place of pilgrimage known as Nārāyaṇa-saras. Many sages and others advanced in spiritual con sciousness live there.(3) In that holy place, the Haryaśvas began regularly touching the lake’s waters and bathing in them. Gradually becom ing very much purified, they became inclined toward the activities of paramahaṁsas. Never theless, because their father had ordered them to increase the population, they performed se vere austerities to fulfill his desires. One day, when the great sage Nārada saw those boys per forming such fine austerities to increase the population, Nārada approached them.( 4-5)

The great sage Nārada said: My dear Haryaśvas, you have not seen the extremities of the earth. There is a kingdom where only one man lives and where there is a hole from which, having entered, no one emerges. A woman there who is extremely unchaste adorns herself with vari ous attractive dresses, and the man who lives there is her husband. In that kingdom, there is a river flowing in both directions, a wonderful home made of twenty-five materials, a swan that vibrates various sounds, and an automati cally revolving object made of sharp razors and thunderbolts. You have not seen all this, and therefore you are inexperienced boys without advanced knowledge. How, then, will you cre ate progeny?(6-8) Alas, your father is omnisci ent, but you do not know his actual order. With out knowing the actual purpose of your father, how will you create progeny?(9)

ŚrīŚukadeva Gosvāmī said: Hearing these enigmatic words of Nārada Muni, the Har yaśvas considered them with their natural intel ligence, without help from others.(10) [The Haryaśvas understood the meaning of Nārada’s words as follows.] The word “bhūḥ” [“the earth”] refers to the field of activities. The ma terial body, which is a result of the living be ing’s actions, is his field of activities, and it gives him false designations. Since time imme morial, he has received various types of mate rial bodies, which are the roots of bondage to the material world. If one foolishly engages in temporary fruitive activities and does not look toward the cessation of this bondage, what will be the benefit of his actions?(11)

[Nārada Muni had said that there is a kingdom where there is only one male. The Haryaśvas realized the pur port of this statement.] The only enjoyer is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who ob serves everything, everywhere. He is full of six opulences and fully independent of everyone else. He is never subject to the three modes of material nature, for He is always transcendental to this material creation. If the members of hu man society do not understand Him, the Su preme, through their advancement in knowledge and activities, but simply work very hard like cats and dogs all day and night for temporary happiness, what will be the benefit of their activities?(12) [Nārada Muni had de scribed that there is a bila, or hole, from which, having entered, one does not return. The Har yaśvas understood the meaning of this alle gory.] Hardly once has a person who has en tered the lower planetary system called Pātāla been seen to return. Similarly, if one enters the Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma [pratyag-dhāma], he does not return to this material world. If there is such a place, from which, having gone, one does not return to the miserable material condition of life, what is the use of jumping like monkeys in the temporary material world and not seeing or understanding that place? What will be the profit?(13)

[Nārada Muni had described a woman who is a professional prostitute. The Haryaśvas understood the identity of this woman.] Mixed with the mode of passion, the unsteady intelligence of every living entity is like a prostitute who changes dresses just to at tract one’s attention. If one fully engages in temporary fruitive activities, not understanding how this is taking place, what does he actually gain?(14) [Nārada Muni had also spoken of a man who is the husband of the prostitute. The Haryaśvas understood this as follows.] If one becomes the husband of a prostitute, he loses all independence. Similarly, if a living entity has polluted intelligence, he prolongs his mate rialistic life. Frustrated by material nature, he must follow the movements of the intelligence, which brings various conditions of happiness and distress. If one performs fruitive activities under such conditions, what will be the bene fit?(15)

[Nārada Muni had said that there is a river flowing in both directions. The Haryaśvas understood the purport of this statement.] Ma terial nature functions in two waysby creation and dissolution. Thus the river of material na ture flows both ways. A living entity who un knowingly falls in this river is submerged in its waves, and since the current is swifter near the banks of the river, he is unable to get out. What will be the benefit of performing fruitive activ ities in that river of māyā?(16) [Nārada Muni had said that there is a house made of twenty five elements. The Haryaśvas understood this analogy.] The Supreme Lord is the reservoir of the twenty-five elements, and as the Supreme Being, the conductor of cause and effect, He causes their manifestation. If one engages in temporary fruitive activities, not knowing that Supreme Person, what benefit will he de rive?(17)

[Nārada Muni had spoken of a swan. That swan is explained in this verse.] The Ve dic literatures [śāstras] vividly describe how to understand the Supreme Lord, the source of all material and spiritual energy. Indeed, they elab orately explain these two energies. The swan [haṁsa] is one who discriminates between mat ter and spirit, who accepts the essence of eve rything, and who explains the means of bond age and the means of liberation. The words of scriptures consist of variegated vibrations. If a foolish rascal leaves aside the study of these śāstras to engage in temporary activities, what will be the result?(18) [Nārada Muni had spo ken of a physical object made of sharp blades and thunderbolts. The Haryaśvas understood this allegory as follows.] Eternal time moves very sharply, as if made of razors and thunder bolts. Uninterrupted and fully independent, it drives the activities of the entire world. If one does not try to study the eternal element of time, what benefit can he derive from perform ing temporary material activities?(19)

[Nārada Muni had asked how one could ignorantly defy one’s own father. The Haryaśvas understood the meaning of this question.] One must accept the original instructions of the śāstra. Accord ing to Vedic civilization, one is offered a sacred thread as a sign of second birth. One takes his second birth by dint of having received instruc tions in the śāstra from a bona fide spiritual master. Therefore, śāstra, scripture, is the real father. All the śāstras instruct that one should end his material way of life. If one does not know the purpose of the father’s orders, the śāstras, he is ignorant. The words of a material father who endeavors to engage his son in ma terial activities are not the real instructions of the father.(20)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, after hearing the instructions of Nārada, the Haryaśvas, the sons of Prajāpati Dakṣa, were firmly convinced. They all be lieved in his instructions and reached the same conclusion. Having accepted him as their spir itual master, they circumambulated that great sage and followed the path by which one never returns to this world.(21)The seven musical notesṣa, ṛ, gā, ma, pa, dha and niare used in mu sical instruments, but originally they come from the Sāma Veda. The great sage Nārada vi brates sounds describing the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. By such transcendental vibra tions, such as Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, he fixes his mind at the lotus feet of the Lord. Thus he directly per ceives Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses. After delivering the Haryaśvas, Nārada Muni contin ued traveling throughout the planetary systems, his mind always fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord.(22)

The Haryaśvas, the sons of Prajāpati Dakṣa, were very well-behaved, cultured sons, but un fortunately, because of the instructions of Nārada Muni, they deviated from the order of their father. When Dakṣa heard this news, which was brought to him by Nārada Muni, he began to lament. Although he was the father of such good sons, he had lost them all. Certainly this was lamentable.(23) When Prajāpati Dakṣa was lamenting for his lost children, Lord Brahmā pacified him with instructions, and thereafter Dakṣa begot one thousand more chil dren in the womb of his wife, Pāñcajanī. This time his sons were known as the Savalāśvas.(24) In accordance with their fa ther’s order to beget children, the second group of sons also went to Nārāyaṇa-saras, the same place where their brothers had previously at tained perfection by following the instructions of Nārada. Undertaking great vows of austerity, the Savalāśvas remained at that holy place.(25)

At Nārāyaṇa-saras, the second group of sons performed penances in the same way as the first. They bathed in the holy water, and by its touch all the dirty material desires in their hearts were cleansed away. They murmured mantras beginning with oṁkāra and underwent a severe course of austerities.(26) For a few months the sons of Prajāpati Dakṣa drank only water and ate only air. Thus undergoing great austerities, they recited this mantra: “Let us of fer our respectful obeisances unto Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is al ways situated in His transcendental abode. Since He is the Supreme Person [parama haṁsa], let us offer our respectful obeisances unto Him.”( 27-28) O King Parīkṣit, Nārada Muni approached these sons of Prajāpati Dakṣa, who were engaged in tapasya to beget children, and spoke enigmatic words to them just as he had spoken to their elder broth ers.(29)

O sons of Dakṣa, please hear my words of instruction attentively. You are all very af fectionate to your elder brothers, the Har yaśvas. Therefore you should follow their path.(30) A brother aware of the principles of religion follows in the footsteps of his elder brothers. Because of being highly elevated, such a pious brother gets the opportunity to as sociate and enjoy with demigods like the Maruts, who are all affectionate to their broth ers.(31) Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: O best of the advanced Āryans, after saying this much to the sons of Prajāpati Dakṣa, Nārada Muni, whose merciful glance never goes in vain, left as he had planned. The sons of Dakṣa followed their elder brothers. Not attempting to produce children, they engaged themselves in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.(32) The Savalāśvas took to the correct path, which is obtainable by a mode of life meant to achieve devotional service, or the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Like nights that have gone to the west, they have not returned even until now.(33)

At this time, Prajāpati Dakṣa observed many inauspi cious signs, and he heard from various sources that his second group of sons, the Savalāśvas, had followed the path of their elder brothers in accordance with the instructions of Nārada.(34) When he heard that the Savalāśvas had also left this world to engage in devotional service, Dakṣa was angry at Nārada, and he almost fainted due to lamentation. When Dakṣa met Nārada, Dakṣa’s lips began trembling in anger, and he spoke as follows.(35) Prajāpati Dakṣa said: Alas, Nārada Muni, you wear the dress of a saintly person, but you are not actually a saint. Indeed, although I am now in gṛhastha life, I am a saintly person. By showing my sons the path of renunciation, you have done me an abominable injustice.(36) Prajāpati Dakṣa said: My sons were not at all freed from their three debts. Indeed, they did not properly consider their obligations. O Nārada Muni, O personality of sinful action, you have obstructed their progress toward good fortune in this world and the next because they are still indebted to the saintly persons, the demigods and their father.(37)

Prajāpati Dakṣa continued: Thus committing violence against other living entities and yet claiming to be an associate of Lord Viṣṇu, you are defaming the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You need lessly created a mentality of renunciation in in nocent boys, and therefore you are shameless and devoid of compassion. How could you travel with the personal associates of the Su preme Lord?(38) All the devotees of the Lord but you are very kind to the conditioned souls and are eager to benefit others. Although you wear the dress of a devotee, you create enmity with people who are not your enemies, or you break friendship and create enmity between friends. Are you not ashamed of posing as a devotee while performing these abominable ac tions?(39) Prajāpati Dakṣa continued: If you think that simply awakening the sense of renun ciation will detach one from the material world, I must say that unless full knowledge is awak ened, simply changing dresses as you have done cannot possibly bring detachment.(40)

Material enjoyment is indeed the cause of all unhappiness, but one cannot give it up unless one has personally experienced how much suf fering it is. Therefore one should be allowed to remain in so-called material enjoyment while simultaneously advancing in knowledge to ex perience the misery of this false material hap piness. Then, without help from others, one will find material enjoyment detestful. Those whose minds are changed by others do not become as renounced as those who have personal experi ence.(41) Although I live in household life with my wife and children, I honestly follow the Ve dic injunctions by engaging in fruitive activi ties to enjoy life without sinful reactions. I have performed all kinds of yajñas, including the deva-yajña, ṛṣi-yajña, pitṛ-yajña and nṛ-yajña. Because these yajñas are called vratas [vows], I am known as a gṛhavrata. Unfortunately, you have given me great displeasure by misguiding my sons, for no reason, to the path of renuncia tion. This can be tolerated once.(42)

You have made me lose my sons once, and now you have again done the same inauspicious thing. There fore you are a rascal who does not know how to behave toward others. You may travel all over the universe, but I curse you to have no residence anywhere.(43) ŚrīŚukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, since Nārada Muni is an approved saintly person, when cursed by Prajāpati Dakṣa he re plied, “tad bāḍham: Yes, what you have said is good. I accept this curse.” He could have cursed Prajāpati Dakṣa in return, but because he is a tolerant and merciful sādhu, he took no ac tion.(44)

The blessed King said to Śukadeva Gosvāmī: My dear lord, the demigods, demons, human beings, Nāgas, beasts and birds were created during the reign of Svāyambhuva Manu. You have spoken about this creation briefly [in the Third Canto]. Now I wish to know about it elaborately. I also wish to know about the potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by which He brought about the sec ondary creation.(1-2) Sūta Gosvāmī said: O great sages [assem bled at Naimiṣāraṇya], after the great yogi Śukadeva Gosvāmī heard King Parīkṣit’s in quiry, he praised it and thus replied. (3) Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When the ten sons of Prācīnabarhi emerged from the waters, in which they were performing austerities, they saw that the entire surface of the world was covered by trees.(4)

Because of having under gone long austerities in the water, the Pracetās were very angry at the trees. Desiring to burn them to ashes, they generated wind and fire from their mouths.(5) My dear King Parīkṣit, when Soma, the king of the trees and predomi nating deity of the moon, saw the fire and wind burning all the trees to ashes, he felt great sym pathy because he is the maintainer of all herbs and trees. To appease the anger of the Pracetās, Soma spoke as follows.(6) O greatly fortunate ones, you should not kill these poor trees by burning them to ashes. Your duty is to wish the citizens [prajās] all prosperity and to act as their protectors.(7) The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Hari, is the master of all living entities, including all the prajāpatis, such as Lord Brahmā. Because He is the all-pervading and indestructible master, He has created all these trees and vegetables as eatables for other living entities.(8)

By nature’s arrangement, fruits and flowers are considered the food of in sects and birds; grass and other legless living entities are meant to be the food of four-legged animals like cows and buffalo; animals that cannot use their front legs as hands are meant to be the food of animals like tigers, which have claws; and four-legged animals like deer and goats, as well as food grains, are meant to be the food of human beings.(9) O pure-hearted ones, your father, Prācīnabarhi, and the Su preme Personality of Godhead have ordered you to generate population. Therefore how can you burn to ashes these trees and herbs, which are needed for the maintenance of your subjects and descendants?(10) The path of goodness traversed by your father, grandfather and great grandfathers is that of maintaining the subjects [prajās], including the men, animals and trees. That is the path you should follow. Unneces sary anger is contrary to your duty. Therefore I request you to control your anger.(11)

As the father and mother are the friends and maintain ers of their children, as the eyelid is the protec tor of the eye, as the husband is the maintainer and protector of a woman, as the householder is the maintainer and protector of beggars, and as the learned is the friend of the ignorant, so the king is the protector and giver of life to all his subjects. The trees are also subjects of the king. Therefore they should be given protec tion.(12) The Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated as the Supersoul within the cores of the hearts of all living entities, whether moving or nonmoving, including men, birds, animals, trees and, indeed, all living entities. Therefore you should consider every body a residence or temple of the Lord. By such vision you will sat isfy the Lord. You should not angrily kill these living entities in the forms of trees.(13) One who inquires into self-realization and thus sub dues his powerful angerwhich awakens sud denly in the body as if falling from the skytranscends the influence of the modes of material nature.(14)

There is no need to burn these poor trees any longer. Let whatever trees still remain be happy. Indeed, you should also be happy. Now, here is a beautiful, well-quali fied girl named Māriṣā, who was raised by the trees as their daughter. You may accept this beautiful girl as your wife.(15) Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, after thus pacifying the Pracetās, Soma, the king of the moon, gave them the beautiful girl born of Pramlocā Apsarā. The Pracetās all received Pramlocā’s daughter, who had high, very beautiful hips, and married her according to the religious system.(16) In the womb of that girl the Pracetās all begot a son named Dakṣa, who filled the three worlds with living enti ties.(17) Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Please hear from me with great attention how Prajāpati Dakṣa, who was very affectionate to his daugh ters, created different types of living entities through his semen and through his mind.(18) With his mind, Prajāpati Dakṣa first created all kinds of demigods, demons, human beings, birds, beasts, aquatics and so on.(19)

But when Prajāpati Dakṣa saw that he was not properly generating all kinds of living entities, he ap proached a mountain near the Vindhya moun tain range, and there he executed very difficult austerities.(20) Near that mountain was a very holy place named Aghamarṣaṇa. There Prajāpati Dakṣa executed ritualistic ceremonies and satisfied the Supreme Personality of God head, Hari, by engaging in great austerities to please Him.(21) My dear King, I shall fully ex plain to you the Haṁsa-guhya prayers, which were offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead by Dakṣa, and I shall explain how the Lord was pleased with him for those pray ers.(22) Prajāpati Dakṣa said: The Supreme Person ality of Godhead is transcendental to the illu sory energy and the physical categories it pro duces. He possesses the potency for unfailing knowledge and supreme willpower, and He is the controller of the living entities and the illu sory energy. The conditioned souls who have accepted this material manifestation as every thing cannot see Him, for He is above the evi dence of experimental knowledge. Self-evident and self-sufficient, He is not caused by any su perior cause. Let me offer my respectful obei sances unto Him.(23)

As the sense objects [form, taste, touch, smell and sound] cannot un derstand how the senses perceive them, so the conditioned soul, although residing in his body along with the Supersoul, cannot understand how the supreme spiritual person, the master of the material creation, directs his senses. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that Su preme Person, who is the supreme control ler.(24) Because they are only matter, the body, the life airs, the external and internal senses, the five gross elements and the subtle sense objects [form, taste, smell, sound and touch] cannot know their own nature, the nature of the other senses or the nature of their controllers. But the living being, because of his spiritual nature, can know his body, the life airs, the senses, the ele ments and the sense objects, and he can also know the three qualities that form their roots. Nevertheless, although the living being is com pletely aware of them, he is unable to see the Supreme Being, who is omniscient and unlim ited. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.(25)

When one’s consciousness is completely purified of the contamination of material existence, gross and subtle, without being agitated as in the working and dreaming states, and when the mind is not dissolved as in suṣupti, deep sleep, one comes to the platform of trance. Then one’s material vision and the memories of the mind, which manifests names and forms, are vanquished. Only in such a trance is the Supreme Personality of Godhead revealed. Thus let us offer our respectful obei sances unto the Supreme Personality of God head, who is seen in that uncontaminated, tran scendental state.(26)

Just as great learned brāhmaṇas who are expert in performing ritual istic ceremonies and sacrifices can extract the fire dormant within wooden fuel by chanting the fifteen Sāmidhenī mantras, thus proving the efficacy of the Vedic mantras, so those who are actually advanced in consciousnessin other words, those who are Kṛṣṇa consciouscan find the Supersoul, who by His own spiritual po tency is situated within the heart. The heart is covered by the three modes of material nature and the nine material elements [material nature, the total material energy, the ego, the mind and the five objects of sense gratification], and also by the five material elements and the ten senses. These twenty-seven elements constitute the external energy of the Lord. Great yogīs meditate upon the Lord, who is situated as the Supersoul, Paramātmā, within the core of the heart. May that Supersoul be pleased with me. The Supersoul is realized when one is eager for liberation from the unlimited varieties of mate rial life. One actually attains such liberation when he engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord and realizes the Lord be cause of his attitude of service. The Lord may be addressed by various spiritual names, which are inconceivable to the material senses. When will that Supreme Personality of Godhead be pleased with me?(27-28)

Anything expressed by material vibrations, anything ascertained by material intelligence and anything experienced by the material senses or concocted within the material mind is but an effect of the modes of material nature and therefore has nothing to do with the real nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Lord is beyond the creation of this material world, for He is the source of the material qualities and creation. As the cause of all causes, He exists before the cre ation and after the creation. I wish to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.(29) The Su preme Brahman, Kṛṣṇa, is the ultimate resting place and source of everything. Everything is done by Him, everything belongs to Him, and everything is offered to Him. He is the ultimate objective, and whether acting or causing others to act, He is the ultimate doer. There are many causes, high and low, but since He is the cause of all causes, He is well known as the Supreme Brahman who existed before all activities. He is one without a second and has no other cause. I therefore offer my respects unto Him.(30)

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the all pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead, who possesses unlimited transcendental quali ties. Acting from within the cores of the hearts of all philosophers, who propagate various views, He causes them to forget their own souls while sometimes agreeing and sometimes disa greeing among themselves. Thus He creates within this material world a situation in which they are unable to come to a conclusion. I offer my obeisances unto Him.(31) There are two partiesnamely, the theists and the atheists. The theist, who accepts the Supersoul, finds the spiritual cause through mystic yoga. The Sāṅkhyite, however, who merely analyzes the material elements, comes to a conclusion of im personalism and does not accept a supreme causewhether Bhagavān, Paramātmā or even Brahman. Instead, he is preoccupied with the superfluous, external activities of material na ture. Ultimately, however, both parties demon strate the Absolute Truth because although they offer opposing statements, their object is the same ultimate cause. They are both approach ing the same Supreme Brahman, to whom I of fer my respectful obeisances.(32)

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is inconceivably opulent, who is devoid of all material names, forms and pastimes, and who is all-pervading, is especially merciful to the devotees who wor ship His lotus feet. Thus He exhibits transcen dental forms and names with His different pas times. May that Supreme Personality of God head, whose form is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss, be merciful to me.(33) As the air carries various characteristics of the physical elements, like the aroma of a flower or colors resulting from a mixture of dust in the air, the Lord appears through lower systems of worship according to one’s desires, although He appears as the demigods and not in His orig inal form. What is the use of these other forms? May the original Supreme Personality of God head please fulfill my desires.(34)

ŚrīŚukadeva Gosvāmī said: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, who is extremely affectionate to His devotees, was very pleased by the prayers offered by Dakṣa, and thus He appeared at that holy place known as Aghamarṣaṇa. O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, best of the Kuru dynasty, the Lord’s lotus feet rested on the shoulders of His carrier, Garuḍa, and He ap peared with eight long, mighty, very beautiful arms. In His hands He held a disc, conchshell, sword, shield, arrow, bow, rope and clubin each hand a different weapon, all brilliantly shining. His garments were yellow and His bodily hue deep bluish. His eyes and face were very cheer ful, and from His neck to His feet hung a long garland of flowers. His chest was decorated with the Kaustubha jewel and the mark of Śrīvatsa. On His head was a gorgeous round helmet, and His ears were decorated with ear rings resembling sharks. All these ornaments were uncommonly beautiful. The Lord wore a golden belt on His waist, bracelets on His arms, rings on His fingers, and ankle bells on His feet. Thus decorated by various ornaments, Lord Hari, who is attractive to all the living entities of the three worlds, is known as Puruṣottama, the best personality. He was accompanied by great devotees like Nārada, Nanda and all the principal demigods, led by the heavenly king, Indra, and the residents of various upper plane tary systems such as Siddhaloka, Gandhar valoka and Cāraṇaloka. Situated on both sides of the Lord and behind Him as well, these dev otees offered Him prayers continuously.( 35 39)

Seeing that wonderful and effulgent form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Prajāpati Dakṣa was first somewhat afraid, but then he was very pleased to see the Lord, and he fell to the ground like a stick to offer his re spects to the Lord.(40) As rivers are filled by water flowing from a mountain, all of Dakṣa’s senses were filled with pleasure. Because of his highly elevated happiness, Dakṣa could not say anything, but simply remained flat on the ground.(41) Although Prajāpati Dakṣa could not say anything, when the Lord, who knows everyone’s heart, saw His devotee prostrate in that manner and desiring to increase the popu lation, He addressed him as follows.(42) The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O most fortunate Prācetasa, because of your great faith in Me, you have attained the su preme devotional ecstasy. Indeed, because of your austerities, combined with exalted devo tion, your life is now successful. You have achieved complete perfection.(43)

My dear Prajāpati Dakṣa, you have performed extreme austerities for the welfare and growth of the world. My desire also is that everyone within this world be happy. I am therefore very pleased with you because you are endeavoring to fulfill My desire for the welfare of the entire world.(44) Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, the Ma nus, all the other demigods in the higher plane tary systems, and you prajāpatis, who are in creasing the population, are working for the benefit of all living entities. Thus you expan sions of My marginal energy are incarnations of My various qualities.(45) My dear brāhmaṇa, austerity in the form of meditation is My heart, Vedic knowledge in the form of hymns and mantras constitutes My body, and spiritual activities and ecstatic emotions are My actual form. The ritualistic ceremonies and sac rifices, when properly conducted, are the vari ous limbs of My body, the unseen good fortune proceeding from pious or spiritual activities constitutes My mind, and the demigods who execute My orders in various departments are My life and soul.(46)

Before the creation of this cosmic manifestation, I alone existed with My specific spiritual potencies. Consciousness was then unmanifested, just as one’s consciousness is unmanifested during the time of sleep.(47) I am the reservoir of unlimited potency, and therefore I am known as unlimited or all-per vading. From My material energy the cosmic manifestation appeared within Me, and in this universal manifestation appeared the chief be ing, Lord Brahmā, who is your source and is not born of a material mother.(48) When the chief lord of the universe, Lord Brahmā [Svayambhū], having been inspired by My en ergy, was attempting to create, he thought him self incapable. Therefore I gave him advice, and in accordance with My instructions he un derwent extremely difficult austerities. Be cause of these austerities, the great Lord Brahmā was able to create nine personalities, including you, to help him in the functions of creation.(49-50)

O My dear son Dakṣa, Prajāpati Pañcajana has a daughter named Asiknī, whom I offer to you so that you may accept her as your wife.(51) Now unite in sexual life as man and woman, and in this way, by sexual intercourse, you will be able to beget hundreds of children in the womb of this girl to increase the popula tion.(52) After you give birth to many hundreds and thousands of children, they will also be captivated by My illusory energy and will en gage, like You, in sexual intercourse. But be cause of My mercy to you and them, they will also be able to give Me presentations in devo tion.(53) Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After the cre ator of the entire universe, the Supreme Person ality of Godhead, Hari, had spoken in this way in the presence of Prajāpati Dakṣa, He immedi ately disappeared as if He were an object expe rienced in a dream.(54)

King Parīkṣit said: O my lord, O Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Yamarāja is the controller of all living entities in terms of their religious and irre ligious activities, but his order had been foiled. When his servants, the Yamadūtas, informed him of their defeat by the Viṣṇudūtas, who had stopped them from arresting Ajāmila, what did he reply?(1) O great sage, never before has it been heard anywhere that an order from Yama rāja has been baffled. Therefore I think that people will have doubts about this that no one but you can eradicate. Since that is my firm conviction, kindly explain the reasons for these events.(2) ŚrīŚukadeva Gosvāmī replied: My dear King, when the order carriers of Yamarāja were baffled and defeated by the order carriers of Viṣṇu, they approached their master, the con troller of Saṁyamanī-purī and master of sinful persons, to tell him of this incident.(3)

The Yamadūtas said: Our dear lord, how many controllers or rulers are there in this ma terial world? How many causes are responsible for manifesting the various results of activities performed under the three modes of material nature [sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo guṇa]?(4) If in this universe there are many rul ers and justices who disagree about punishment and reward, their contradictory actions will neutralize each other, and no one will be pun ished or rewarded. Otherwise, if their contra dictory acts fail to neutralize each other, every one will have to be both punished and re warded.(5) The Yamadūtas continued: Since there are many different karmīs, or workers, there may be different judges or rulers to give them justice, but just as one central emperor controls different departmental rulers, there must be one supreme controller to guide all the judges.(6)

The supreme judge must be one, not many. It was our understanding that you are that supreme judge and that you have jurisdic tion even over the demigods. Our impression was that you are the master of all living entities, the supreme authority who discriminates be tween the pious and impious activities of all hu man beings.(7) But now we see that the punish ment ordained under your authority is no longer effective, since your order has been trans gressed by four wonderful and perfect per sons.(8) We were bringing the most sinful Ajāmila toward the hellish planets, following your order, when those beautiful persons from Siddhaloka forcibly cut the knots of the ropes with which we were arresting him.(9) As soon as the sinful Ajāmila uttered the name Nārāyaṇa, these four beautiful men immedi ately arrived and reassured him, saying, “Do not fear. Do not fear.” We wish to know about them from Your Lordship. If you think we are able to understand them, kindly describe who they are.(10)

ŚrīŚukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus having been questioned, Lord Yamarāja, the supreme controller of the living entities, was very pleased with his order carriers because of hear ing from them the holy name of Nārāyaṇa. He remembered the lotus feet of the Lord and be gan to reply.(11) Yamarāja said: My dear servants, you have accepted me as the Supreme, but factually I am not. Above me, and above all the other demi gods, including Indra and Candra, is the one su preme master and controller. The partial mani festations of His personality are Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, who are in charge of the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this universe. He is like the two threads that form the length and breadth of a woven cloth. The entire world is controlled by Him just as a bull is controlled by a rope in its nose.(12)

Just as the driver of a bullock cart ties ropes through the nostrils of his bulls to control them, the Supreme Person ality of Godhead binds all men through the ropes of His words in the Vedas, which set forth the names and activities of the distinct orders of human society [brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra]. In fear, the members of these orders all worship the Supreme Lord by offering Him presentations according to their respective ac tivities.(13) I, Yamarāja; Indra, the King of heaven; Nirṛti; Varuṇa; Candra, the moon-god; Agni; Lord Śiva; Pavana; Lord Brahmā; Sūrya, the sun-god; Viśvāsu; the eight Vasus; the Sādhyas; the Maruts; the Rudras; the Siddhas; and Marīci and the other great ṛṣis engaged in maintaining the departmental affairs of the uni verse, as well as the best of the demigods headed by Bṛhaspati, and the great sages headed by Bhṛgu are all certainly freed from the influence of the two base material modes of na ture, namely passion and ignorance. Neverthe less, although we are in the mode of goodness, we cannot understand the activities of the Su preme Personality of Godhead. What, then, is to be said of others, who, under illusion, merely speculate to know God?( 14-15)

As the differ ent limbs of the body cannot see the eyes, the living entities cannot see the Supreme Lord, who is situated as the Supersoul in everyone’s heart. Not by the senses, by the mind, by the life air, by thoughts within the heart, or by the vibration of words can the living entities ascer tain the real situation of the Supreme Lord.(16) The Supreme Personality of Godhead is self sufficient and fully independent. He is the mas ter of everyone and everything, including the illusory energy. He has His form, qualities and features; and similarly His order carriers, the Vaiṣṇavas, who are very beautiful, possess bodily features, transcendental qualities and a transcendental nature almost like His. They al ways wander within this world with full inde pendence.(17) The order carriers of Lord Viṣṇu, who are worshiped even by the demi gods, possess wonderful bodily features ex actly like those of Viṣṇu and are very rarely seen. The Viṣṇudūtas protect the devotees of the Lord from the hands of enemies, from envi ous persons and even from my jurisdiction, as well as from natural disturbances.(18)

Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great ṛṣis who occupy the topmost planets can not ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyādharas and Cāraṇas.(19) Lord Brahmā, Bhagavān Nārada, Lord Śiva, the four Kumāras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahūti], Svāyambhuva Manu, Prahlāda Mahārāja, Ja naka Mahārāja, Grandfather Bhīṣma, Bali Mahārāja, Śukadeva Gosvāmī and I myself know the real religious principle. My dear serv ants, this transcendental religious principle, which is known as bhāgavata-dharma, or sur render unto the Supreme Lord and love for Him, is uncontaminated by the material modes of nature. It is very confidential and difficult for ordinary human beings to understand, but if by chance one fortunately understands it, he is im mediately liberated, and thus he returns home, back to Godhead.(20-21)

Devotional service, beginning with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is the ultimate religious principle for the living entity in human society.(22) My dear servants, who are as good as my sons, just see how glorious is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The greatly sinful Ajāmila chanted only to call his son, not knowing that he was chanting the Lord’s holy name. Never theless, by chanting the holy name of the Lord, he remembered Nārāyaṇa, and thus he was im mediately saved from the ropes of death.(23) Therefore it should be understood that one is easily relieved from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and chant ing of His qualities and activities. This is the only process recommended for relief from sin ful reactions. Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he will achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offenses. Ajāmila, for example, was extremely sinful, but while dying he merely chanted the holy name, and although calling his son, he achieved complete liberation because he remembered the name of Nārāyaṇa.(24)

Because they are bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Yājñavalkya and Jaimini and other compilers of the religious scriptures cannot know the secret, confidential religious system of the twelve mahājanas. They cannot under stand the transcendental value of performing devotional service or chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Because their minds are attracted to the ritualistic ceremonies mentioned in the Vedas especially the Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda and Ṛg Vedatheir intelligence has become dull. Thus they are busy collecting the ingredients for rit ualistic ceremonies that yield only temporary benefits, such as elevation to Svargaloka for material happiness. They are not attracted to the saṅkīrtana movement; instead, they are inter ested in dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa.(25) Considering all these points, therefore, intel ligent men decide to solve all problems by adopting the devotional service of chanting the holy name of the Lord, who is situated in eve ryone’s heart and who is a mine of all auspi cious qualities. Such persons are not within my jurisdiction for punishment. Generally they never commit sinful activities, but even if by mistake or because of bewilderment or illusion they sometimes commit sinful acts, they are protected from sinful reactions because they al ways chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.(26)

My dear servants, please do not approach such dev otees, for they have fully surrendered to the lo tus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are equal to everyone, and their narrations are sung by the demigods and the inhabitants of Siddhaloka. Please do not even go near them. They are always protected by the club of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore Lord Brahmā and I and even the time factor are not competent to chastise them.(27) Parama haṁsas are exalted persons who have no taste for material enjoyment and who drink the honey of the Lord’s lotus feet. My dear serv ants, bring to me for punishment only persons who are averse to the taste of that honey, who do not associate with paramahaṁsas and who are attached to family life and worldly enjoy ment, which form the path to hell.(28) My dear servants, please bring to me only those sinful persons who do not use their tongues to chant the holy name and qualities of Kṛṣṇa, whose hearts do not remember the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa even once, and whose heads do not bow down even once before Lord Kṛṣṇa. Send me those who do not perform their duties toward Viṣṇu, which are the only duties in human life. Please bring me all such fools and rascals.(29)

[Then Yamarāja, considering himself and his servants to be offenders, spoke as follows, begging par don from the Lord.] O my Lord, my servants have surely committed a great offense by ar resting a Vaiṣṇava such as Ajāmila. O Nārāyaṇa, O supreme and oldest person, please forgive us. Because of our ignorance, we failed to recognize Ajāmila as a servant of Your Lord ship, and thus we have certainly committed a great offense. Therefore with folded hands we beg Your pardon. My Lord, since You are su premely merciful and are always full of good qualities, please pardon us. We offer our re spectful obeisances unto You.(30) Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the great est sins. Therefore the chanting of the saṅkīr tana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously.(31) One who constantly hears and chants the holy name of the Lord and hears and chants about His ac tivities can very easily attain the platform of pure devotional service, which can cleanse the dirt from one’s heart. One cannot achieve such purification merely by observing vows and per forming Vedic ritualistic ceremonies.(32)

Devotees who always lick the honey from the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa do not care at all for material activities, which are performed under the three modes of material nature and which bring only misery. Indeed, devotees never give up the lo tus feet of Kṛṣṇa to return to material activities. Others, however, who are addicted to Vedic rit uals because they have neglected the service of the Lord’s lotus feet and are enchanted by lusty desires, sometimes perform acts of atonement. Nevertheless, being incompletely purified, they return to sinful activities again and again.(33) After hearing from the mouth of their master about the extraordinary glories of the Lord and His name, fame and attributes, the Yamadūtas were struck with wonder. Since then, as soon as they see a devotee, they fear him and dare not look at him again.(34) When the great sage Agastya, the son of Kumbha, was residing in the Malaya Hills and worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I approached him, and he explained to me this confidential his tory.(35)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, the servants of Lord Viṣṇu are always very ex pert in logic and arguments. After hearing the statements of the Yamadūtas, they replied as follows.(1) The Viṣṇudūtas said: Alas, how painful it is that irreligion is being introduced into an as sembly where religion should be maintained. Indeed, those in charge of maintaining the reli gious principles are needlessly punishing a sin less, unpunishable person.(2) A king or govern mental official should be so well qualified that he acts as a father, maintainer and protector of the citizens because of affection and love. He should give the citizens good advice and in structions according to the standard scriptures and should be equal to everyone. Yamarāja does this, for he is the supreme master of jus tice, and so do those who follow in his foot steps. However, if such persons become pol luted and exhibit partiality by punishing an in nocent, blameless person, where will the citi zens go to take shelter for their maintenance and security?(3)

The mass of people follow the example of a leader in society and imitate his behavior. They accept as evidence whatever the leader accepts.(4) People in general are not very advanced in knowledge by which to dis criminate between religion and irreligion. The innocent, unenlightened citizen is like an igno rant animal sleeping in peace with its head on the lap of its master, faithfully believing in the master’s protection. If a leader is actually kindhearted and deserves to be the object of a living entity’s faith, how can he punish or kill a foolish person who has fully surrendered in good faith and friendship?(5-6) Ajāmila has already atoned for all his sinful actions. Indeed, he has atoned not only for sins performed in one life but for those performed in millions of lives, for in a helpless condition he chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa. Even though he did not chant purely, he chanted without offense, and therefore he is now pure and eligible for liberation.(7) The Viṣṇudūtas continued: Even previously, while eating and at other times, this Ajāmila would call his son, saying, “My dear Nārāyaṇa, please come here.” Although calling the name of his son, he never theless uttered the four syllables nā-rā-ya-ṇa. Simply by chanting the name of Nārāyaṇa in this way, he sufficiently atoned for the sinful reactions of millions of lives.(8)

The chanting of the holy name of Lord Viṣṇu is the best pro cess of atonement for a thief of gold or other valuables, for a drunkard, for one who betrays a friend or relative, for one who kills a brāhmaṇa, or for one who indulges in sex with the wife of his guru or another superior. It is also the best method of atonement for one who murders women, the king or his father, for one who slaughters cows, and for all other sinful men. Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Viṣṇu, such sinful persons may attract the at tention of the Supreme Lord, who therefore considers, “Because this man has chanted My holy name, My duty is to give him protection.( 9-10) By following the Vedic ritualistic cere monies or undergoing atonement, sinful men do not become as purified as by chanting once the holy name of Lord Hari. Although ritualis tic atonement may free one from sinful reac tions, it does not awaken devotional service, unlike the chanting of the Lord’s names, which reminds one of the Lord’s fame, qualities, at tributes, pastimes and paraphernalia.(11)

The ritualistic ceremonies of atonement recom mended in the religious scriptures are insuffi cient to cleanse the heart absolutely because af ter atonement one’s mind again runs toward material activities. Consequently, for one who wants liberation from the fruitive reactions of material activities, the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, or glorification of the name, fame and pastimes of the Lord, is recom mended as the most perfect process of atone ment because such chanting eradicates the dirt from one’s heart completely.(12) At the time of death, this Ajāmila helplessly and very loudly chanted the holy name of the Lord, Nārāyaṇa. That chanting alone has al ready freed him from the reactions of all sinful life. Therefore, O servants of Yamarāja, do not try to take him to your master for punishment in hellish conditions.(13) One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of un limited sins, even if he chants indirectly [to in dicate something else], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is ac cepted by all the learned scholars of the scrip tures.(14)

If one chants the holy name of Hari and then dies because of an accidental misfor tune, such as falling from the top of a house, slipping and suffering broken bones while trav eling on the road, being bitten by a serpent, be ing afflicted with pain and high fever, or being injured by a weapon, one is immediately ab solved from having to enter hellish life, even though he is sinful.(15) Authorities who are learned scholars and sages have carefully ascer tained that one should atone for the heaviest sins by undergoing a heavy process of atone ment and one should atone for lighter sins by undergoing lighter atonement. Chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, however, vanquishes all the effects of sinful activities, regardless of whether heavy or light.(16) Although one may neutralize the reactions of sinful life through austerity, charity, vows and other such meth ods, these pious activities cannot uproot the material desires in one’s heart. However, if one serves the lotus feet of the Personality of God head, he is immediately freed from all such contaminations.(17)

As a fire burns dry grass to ashes, so the holy name of the Lord, whether chanted knowingly or unknowingly, burns to ashes, without fail, all the reactions of one’s sinful activities.(18) If a person unaware of the effective potency of a certain medicine takes that medicine or is forced to take it, it will act even without his knowledge because its po tency does not depend on the patient’s under standing. Similarly, even though one does not know the value of chanting the holy name of the Lord, if one chants knowingly or unknow ingly, the chanting will be very effective.(19) ŚrīŚukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, having thus perfectly judged the principles of devotional service with reasoning and arguments, the order carriers of Lord Viṣṇu released the brāhmaṇa Ajāmila from the bond age of the Yamadūtas and saved him from im minent death.(20) My dear Mahārāja Parīkṣit, O subduer of all enemies, after the servants of Yamarāja had been answered by the order car riers of Lord Viṣṇu, they went to Yamarāja and explained to him everything that had hap pened.(21)

Having been released from the nooses of Yamarāja’s servants, the brāhmaṇa Ajāmila, now free from fear, came to his senses and im mediately offered obeisances to the Viṣṇudūtas by bowing his head at their lotus feet. He was extremely pleased by their presence, for he had seen them save his life from the hands of the servants of Yamarāja.(22) O sinless Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the order carriers of the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead, the Viṣṇudūtas, saw that Ajāmila was attempting to say something, and thus they suddenly disappeared from his pres ence.(23) After hearing the discourses between the Yamadūtas and the Viṣṇudūtas, Ajāmila could understand the religious principles that act under the three modes of material nature. These principles are mentioned in the three Ve das. He could also understand the transcenden tal religious principles, which are above the modes of material nature and which concern the relationship between the living being and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Further more, Ajāmila heard glorification of the name, fame, qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He thus became a per fectly pure devotee. He could then remember his past sinful activities, which he greatly re gretted having performed.(24-25)

Ajāmila said: Alas, being a servant of my senses, how de graded I became! I fell down from my position as a duly qualified brāhmaṇa and begot chil dren in the womb of a prostitute.(26) Alas, all condemnation upon me! I acted so sinfully that I degraded my family tradition. Indeed, I gave up my chaste and beautiful young wife to have sexual intercourse with a fallen prostitute ac customed to drinking wine. All condemnation upon me!(27) My father and mother were old and had no other son or friend to look after them. Because I did not take care of them, they lived with great difficulty. Alas, like an abomi nable lower-class man, I ungratefully left them in that condition.(28) It is now clear that as a consequence of such activities, a sinful person like me must be thrown into hellish conditions meant for those who have broken religious principles and must there suffer extreme miser ies.(29) Was this a dream I saw, or was it reality? I saw fearsome men with ropes in their hands coming to arrest me and drag me away. Where have they gone?(30)

And where have those four liberated and very beautiful persons gone who released me from arrest and saved me from being dragged down to the hellish regions?(31) I am certainly most abominable and unfortu nate to have merged in an ocean of sinful activ ities, but nevertheless, because of my previous spiritual activities, I could see those four ex alted personalities who came to rescue me. Now I feel exceedingly happy because of their visit. (32) Were it not for my past devotional service, how could I, a most unclean keeper of a prostitute, have gotten an opportunity to chant the holy name of Vaikuṇṭhapati when I was just ready to die? Certainly it could not have been possible.(33) Ajāmila continued: I am a shame less cheater who has killed his brahminical cul ture. Indeed, I am sin personified. Where am I in comparison to the all-auspicious chanting of the holy name of Lord Nārāyaṇa?(34)

I am such a sinful person, but since I have now gotten this opportunity, I must completely control my mind, life and senses and always engage in de votional service so that I may not fall again into the deep darkness and ignorance of material life.(35) Because of identifying oneself with the body, one is subjected to desires for sense gratification, and thus one engages in many dif ferent types of pious and impious action. This is what constitutes material bondage. Now I shall disentangle myself from my material bondage, which has been caused by the Su preme Personality of Godhead’s illusory en ergy in the form of a woman. Being a most fallen soul, I was victimized by the illusory en ergy and have become like a dancing dog led around by a woman’s hand. Now I shall give up all lusty desires and free myself from this illu sion. I shall become a merciful, well-wishing friend to all living entities and always absorb myself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.(36-37)

Simply because I chanted the holy name of the Lord in the association of devotees, my heart is now be coming purified. Therefore I shall not fall vic tim again to the false lures of material sense gratification. Now that I have become fixed in the Absolute Truth, henceforward I shall not identify myself with the body. I shall give up false conceptions of “I” and “mine” and fix my mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.(38) Because of a moment’s association with devotees [the Viṣṇudūtas], Ajāmila detached himself from the material conception of life with determination. Thus freed from all mate rial attraction, he immediately started for Hard war.(39) In Hardwar, Ajāmila took shelter at a Viṣṇu temple, where he executed the process of bhakti-yoga. He controlled his senses and fully applied his mind in the service of the Lord.(40)

Ajāmila fully engaged in devotional service. Thus he detached his mind from the process of sense gratification and became fully absorbed in thinking of the form of the Lord.(41) When his intelligence and mind were fixed upon the form of the Lord, the brāhmaṇa Ajāmila once again saw before him four celestial persons. He could understand that they were those he had seen previously, and thus he offered them his obeisances by bowing down before them.(42) Upon seeing the Viṣṇudūtas, Ajāmila gave up his material body at Hardwar on the bank of the Ganges. He regained his original spiritual body, which was a body appropriate for an as sociate of the Lord.(43) Accompanied by the order carriers of Lord Viṣṇu, Ajāmila boarded an airplane made of gold. Passing through the airways, he went directly to the abode of Lord Viṣṇu, the husband of the goddess of for tune.(44)

Ajāmila was a brāhmaṇa who because of bad association had given up all brahminical culture and religious principles. Becoming most fallen, he stole, drank and performed other abominable acts. He even kept a prosti tute. Thus he was destined to be carried away to hell by the order carriers of Yamarāja, but he was immediately rescued simply by a glimpse of the chanting of the holy name Nārāyaṇa.(45) Therefore one who desires freedom from mate rial bondage should adopt the process of chant ing and glorifying the name, fame, form and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of God head, at whose feet all the holy places stand. One cannot derive the proper benefit from other methods, such as pious atonement, speculative knowledge and meditation in mystic yoga, be cause even after following such methods one takes to fruitive activities again, unable to con trol his mind, which is contaminated by the base qualities of nature, namely passion and ig norance.(46)

Because this very confidential historical narration has the potency to vanquish all sinful reactions, one who hears or describes it with faith and devotion is no longer doomed to hell ish life, regardless of his having a material body and regardless of how sinful he may have been. Indeed, the Yamadūtas, who carry out the or ders of Yamarāja, do not approach him even to see him. After giving up his body, he returns home, back to Godhead, where he is very re spectfully received and worshiped.(47-48) While suffering at the time of death, Ajāmila chanted the holy name of the Lord, and alt hough the chanting was directed toward his son, he nevertheless returned home, back to Godhead. Therefore if one faithfully and inof fensively chants the holy name of the Lord, where is the doubt that he will return to God head?(49)

Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: O my lord, O Śukadeva Gosvāmī, you have already de scribed [in the Second Canto] the path of liber ation [nivṛtti-mārga]. By following that path, one is certainly elevated gradually to the high est planetary system, Brahmaloka, from which one is promoted to the spiritual world along with Lord Brahmā. Thus one’s repetition of birth and death in the material world ceases.(1) O great sage Śukadeva Gosvāmī, unless the liv ing entity is freed from the infection of the ma terial modes of nature, he receives different types of bodies in which to enjoy or suffer, and according to the body, he is understood to have various inclinations. By following these incli nations he traverses the path called pravṛtti mārga, by which one may be elevated to the heavenly planets, as you have already de scribed [in the Third Canto].(2) You have also described [at the end of the Fifth Canto] the va rieties of hellish life that result from impious activities, and you have described [in the Fourth Canto] the first manvantara, which was presided over by Svāyambhuva Manu, the son of Lord Brahmā.(3)

My dear lord, you have de scribed the dynasties and characteristics of King Priyavrata and King Uttānapāda. The Su preme Personality of Godhead created this ma terial world with various universes, planetary systems, planets and stars, with varied lands, seas, oceans, mountains, rivers, gardens and trees, all with different characteristics. These are divided among this planet earth, the lumi naries in the sky and the lower planetary sys tems. You have very clearly described these planets and the living entities who live on them.(4-5) O greatly fortunate and opulent Śukadeva Gosvāmī, now kindly tell me how human beings may be saved from having to en ter hellish conditions in which they suffer terri ble pains.(6) Śukadeva Gosvāmī replied: My dear King, if before one’s next death whatever impious acts one has performed in this life with his mind, words and body are not counteracted through proper atonement according to the de scription of the Manu-saṁhitā and other dharma-śāstras, one will certainly enter the hellish planets after death and undergo terrible suffering, as I have previously described to you.(7)

Therefore, before one’s next death comes, as long as one’s body is strong enough, one should quickly adopt the process of atone ment according to śāstra; otherwise one’s time will be lost, and the reactions of his sins will increase. As an expert physician diagnoses and treats a disease according to its gravity, one should undergo atonement according to the se verity of one’s sins.(8) Mahārāja Parīkṣit said: One may know that sinful activity is injurious for him because he actually sees that a criminal is punished by the government and rebuked by people in gen eral and because he hears from scriptures and learned scholars that one is thrown into hellish conditions in the next life for committing sinful acts. Nevertheless, in spite of such knowledge, one is forced to commit sins again and again, even after performing acts of atonement. Therefore, what is the value of such atone ment?(9)

Sometimes one who is very alert so as not to commit sinful acts is victimized by sinful life again. I therefore consider this process of repeated sinning and atoning to be useless. It is like the bathing of an elephant, for an elephant cleanses itself by taking a full bath, but then throws dust over its head and body as soon as it returns to the land.(10) Śukadeva Gosvāmī, the son of Veda vyāsa, answered: My dear King, since acts meant to neutralize impious actions are also fruitive, they will not release one from the ten dency to act fruitively. Persons who subject themselves to the rules and regulations of atonement are not at all intelligent. Indeed, they are in the mode of darkness. Unless one is freed from the mode of ignorance, trying to counter act one action through another is useless be cause this will not uproot one’s desires. Thus even though one may superficially seem pious, he will undoubtedly be prone to act impiously. Therefore real atonement is enlightenment in perfect knowledge, Vedānta, by which one un derstands the Supreme Absolute Truth.(11)

My dear King, if a diseased person eats the pure, uncontaminated food prescribed by a physi cian, he is gradually cured, and the infection of disease can no longer touch him. Similarly, if one follows the regulative principles of knowledge, he gradually progresses toward lib eration from material contamination.(12) To concentrate the mind, one must observe a life of celibacy and not fall down. One must un dergo the austerity of voluntarily giving up sense enjoyment. One must then control the mind and senses, give charity, be truthful, clean and nonviolent, follow the regulative principles and regularly chant the holy name of the Lord. Thus a sober and faithful person who knows the religious principles is temporarily purified of all sins performed with his body, words and mind. These sins are like the dried leaves of creepers beneath a bamboo tree, which may be burned by fire although their roots remain to grow again at the first opportunity.(13-14)

Only a rare person who has adopted complete, unalloyed devotional service to Kṛṣṇa can up root the weeds of sinful actions with no possi bility that they will revive. He can do this simply by discharging devotional service, just as the sun can immediately dissipate fog by its rays.(15) My dear King, if a sinful person en gages in the service of a bona fide devotee of the Lord and thus learns how to dedicate his life unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he can be com pletely purified. One cannot be purified merely by undergoing austerity, penance, brahmacarya and the other methods of atonement I have pre viously described.(16) The path followed by pure devotees, who are well-behaved and fully endowed with the best qualifications, is cer tainly the most auspicious path in this material world. It is free from fear, and it is authorized by the śāstras.(17) My dear King, as a pot con taining liquor cannot be purified even if washed in the waters of many rivers, nondevotees can not be purified by processes of atonement even if they perform them very well.(18)

Although not having fully realized Kṛṣṇa, persons who have even once surrendered completely unto His lotus feet and who have become attracted to His name, form, qualities and pastimes are completely freed of all sinful reactions, for they have thus accepted the true method of atone ment. Even in dreams, such surrendered souls do not see Yamarāja or his order carriers, who are equipped with ropes to bind the sinful.(19) In this regard, learned scholars and saintly persons describe a very old historical incident involving a discussion between the order carri ers of Lord Viṣṇu and those of Yamarāja. Please hear of this from me.(20) In the city known as Kānyakubja there was a brāhmaṇa named Ajāmila who married a prostitute maid servant and lost all his brahminical qualities be cause of the association of that low-class woman.(21) This fallen brāhmaṇa, Ajāmila, gave trouble to others by arresting them, by cheating them in gambling or by directly plun dering them. This was the way he earned his livelihood and maintained his wife and chil dren.(22)

My dear King, while he thus spent his time in abominable, sinful activities to maintain his family of many sons, eighty-eight years of his life passed by.(23) That old man Ajāmila had ten sons, of whom the youngest was a baby named Nārāyaṇa. Since Nārāyaṇa was the youngest of all the sons, he was naturally very dear to both his father and his mother.(24) Be cause of the child’s broken language and awk ward movements, old Ajāmila was very much attached to him. He always took care of the child and enjoyed the child’s activities.(25) When Ajāmila chewed food and ate it, he called the child to chew and eat, and when he drank he called the child to drink also. Always en gaged in taking care of the child and calling his name, Nārāyaṇa, Ajāmila could not understand that his own time was now exhausted and that death was upon him.(26) When the time of death arrived for the fool ish Ajāmila, he began thinking exclusively of his son Nārāyaṇa.(27)

Ajāmila then saw three awkward persons with deformed bodily fea tures, fierce, twisted faces, and hair standing erect on their bodies. With ropes in their hands, they had come to take him away to the abode of Yamarāja. When he saw them he was ex tremely bewildered, and because of attachment to his child, who was playing a short distance away, Ajāmila began to call him loudly by his name. Thus with tears in his eyes he somehow or other chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa.(28-29) My dear King, the order car riers of Viṣṇu, the Viṣṇudūtas, immediately ar rived when they heard the holy name of their master from the mouth of the dying Ajāmila, who had certainly chanted without offense be cause he had chanted in complete anxiety.(30) The order carriers of Yamarāja were snatching the soul from the core of the heart of Ajāmila, the husband of the prostitute, but with resound ing voices the messengers of Lord Viṣṇu, the Viṣṇudūtas, forbade them to do so.(31) When the order carriers of Yamarāja, the son of the sun-god, were thus forbidden, they replied: Who are you, sirs, that have the audacity to challenge the jurisdiction of Yamarāja?(32)

Dear sirs, whose servants are you, where have you come from, and why are you forbidding us to touch the body of Ajāmila? Are you demi gods from the heavenly planets, are you sub demigods, or are you the best of devotees?(33) The order carriers of Yamarāja said: Your eyes are just like the petals of lotus flowers. Dressed in yellow silken garments, decorated with gar lands of lotuses, and wearing very attractive helmets on your heads and earrings on your ears, you all appear fresh and youthful. Your four long arms are decorated with bows and quivers of arrows and with swords, clubs, conchshells, discs and lotus flowers. Your ef fulgence has dissipated the darkness of this place with extraordinary illumination. Now, sirs, why are you obstructing us?(34-36) Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Being thus addressed by the messengers of Yamarāja, the servants of Vāsudeva smiled and spoke the fol lowing words in voices as deep as the sound of rumbling clouds.(37) The blessed messengers of Lord Viṣṇu, the Viṣṇudūtas, said: If you are actually serv ants of Yamarāja, you must explain to us the meaning of religious principles and the symp toms of irreligion.(38)

What is the process of punishing others? Who are the actual candi dates for punishment? Are all karmīs engaged in fruitive activities punishable, or only some of them?(39) The Yamadūtas replied: That which is prescribed in the Vedas constitutes dharma, the religious principles, and the oppo site of that is irreligion. The Vedas are directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, and are self-born. This we have heard from Yamarāja.(40) The supreme cause of all causes, Nārāyaṇa, is situated in His own abode in the spiritual world, but nevertheless He controls the entire cosmic manifestation ac cording to the three modes of material nature sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. In this way all living entities are awarded different qualities, different names [such as brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya and vaiśya], different duties according to the varṇāśrama institution, and different forms. Thus Nārāyaṇa is the cause of the entire cosmic manifestation.(41)

The sun, fire, sky, air, demigods, moon, evening, day, night, di rections, water, land and Supersoul Himself all witness the activities of the living entity.(42) 43The candidates for punishment are those who are confirmed by these many witnesses to have deviated from their prescribed regulative duties. Everyone engaged in fruitive activities is suitable to be subjected to punishment ac cording to his sinful acts.(43) O inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭha, you are sinless, but those within this material world are all karmīs, whether acting piously or impiously. Both kinds of action are possible for them because they are contami nated by the three modes of nature and must act accordingly. One who has accepted a material body cannot be inactive, and sinful action is in evitable for one acting under the modes of ma terial nature. Therefore all the living entities within this material world are punishable.(44)

In proportion to the extent of one’s religious or irreligious actions in this life, one must enjoy or suffer the corresponding reactions of his karma in the next.(45) O best of the demigods, we can see three different varieties of life, which are due to the contamination of the three modes of nature. The living entities are thus known as peaceful, restless and foolish; as happy, unhappy or in-between; or as religious, irreligious and semireligious. We can deduce that in the next life these three kinds of material nature will similarly act.(46) Just as springtime in the present indicates the nature of spring times in the past and future, so this life of hap piness, distress or a mixture of both gives evi dence concerning the religious and irreligious activities of one’s past and future lives.(47) The omnipotent Yamarāja is as good as Lord Brahmā, for while situated in his own abode or in everyone’s heart like the Paramātmā, he mentally observes the past activities of a living entity and thus understands how the living en tity will act in future lives.(48)

As a sleeping person acts according to the body manifested in his dreams and accepts it to be himself, so one identifies with his present body, which he ac quired because of his past religious or irreli gious actions, and is unable to know his past or future lives.(49) Above the five senses of per ception, the five working senses and the five objects of the senses is the mind, which is the sixteenth element. Above the mind is the sev enteenth element, the soul, the living being himself, who, in cooperation with the other six teen, enjoys the material world alone. The liv ing being enjoys three kinds of situations, namely happy, distressful and mixed.(50)

The subtle body is endowed with sixteen partsthe five knowledge-acquiring senses, the five working senses, the five objects of sense grati fication, and the mind. This subtle body is an effect of the three modes of material nature. It is composed of insurmountably strong desires, and therefore it causes the living entity to trans migrate from one body to another in human life, animal life and life as a demigod. When the living entity gets the body of a demigod, he is certainly very jubilant, when he gets a human body he is always in lamentation, and when he gets the body of an animal, he is always afraid. In all conditions, however, he is actually miser able. His miserable condition is called saṁsṛti, or transmigration in material life.(51) The fool ish embodied living entity, inept at controlling his senses and mind, is forced to act according to the influence of the modes of material nature, against his desires. He is like a silkworm that uses its own saliva to create a cocoon and then becomes trapped in it, with no possibility of getting out. The living entity traps himself in a network of his own fruitive activities and then can find no way to release himself. Thus he is always bewildered, and repeatedly he dies.(52)

Not a single living entity can remain unengaged even for a moment. One must act by his natural tendency according to the three modes of mate rial nature because this natural tendency forci bly makes him work in a particular way.53) The fruitive activities a living being performs, whether pious or impious, are the unseen cause for the fulfillment of his desires. This unseen cause is the root for the living entity’s different bodies. Because of his intense desire, the living entity takes birth in a particular family and re ceives a body which is either like that of his mother or like that of his father. The gross and subtle bodies are created according to his de sire.(54) Since the living entity is associated with material nature, he is in an awkward posi tion, but if in the human form of life he is taught how to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His devotee, this position can be overcome.(55)

In the beginning this brāhmaṇa named Ajāmila studied all the Vedic literatures. He was a reservoir of good character, good conduct and good qualities. Firmly established in exe cuting all the Vedic injunctions, he was very mild and gentle, and he kept his mind and senses under control. Furthermore, he was al ways truthful, he knew how to chant the Vedic mantras, and he was also very pure. Ajāmila was very respectful to his spiritual master, the fire-god, guests, and the elderly members of his household. Indeed, he was free from false pres tige. He was upright, benevolent to all living entities, and well-behaved. He would never speak nonsense or envy anyone.(56-57) Once this brāhmaṇa Ajāmila, following the order of his father, went to the forest to collect fruit, flowers and two kinds of grass, called samit and kuśa. On the way home, he came upon a śūdra, a very lusty, fourth-class man, who was shame lessly embracing and kissing a prostitute. The śūdra was smiling, singing and enjoying as if this were proper behavior. Both the śūdra and the prostitute were drunk. The prostitute’s eyes were rolling in intoxication, and her dress had become loose. Such was the condition in which Ajāmila saw them.(58-60)

The śūdra, his arm decorated with turmeric powder, was embrac ing the prostitute. When Ajāmila saw her, the dormant lusty desires in his heart awakened, and in illusion he fell under their control.(61) As far as possible he patiently tried to remem ber the instructions of the śāstras not even to see a woman. With the help of this knowledge and his intellect, he tried to control his lusty de sires, but because of the force of Cupid within his heart, he failed to control his mind.(62) In the same way that the sun and moon are eclipsed by a low planet, the brāhmaṇa lost all his good sense. Taking advantage of this situa tion, he always thought of the prostitute, and within a short time he took her as a servant in his house and abandoned all the regulative prin ciples of a brāhmaṇa.(63) Thus Ajāmila began spending whatever money he had inherited from his father to satisfy the prostitute with var ious material presentations so that she would remain pleased with him. He gave up all his brahminical activities to satisfy the prosti tute.(64)

Because his intelligence was pierced by the lustful glance of the prostitute, the vic timized brāhmaṇa Ajāmila engaged in sinful acts in her association. He even gave up the company of his very beautiful young wife, who came from a very respectable brāhmaṇa fam ily.(65) Although born of a brāhmaṇa family, this rascal, bereft of intelligence because of the prostitute’s association, earned money some how or other, regardless of whether properly or improperly, and used it to maintain the prosti tute’s sons and daughters.(66) This brāhmaṇa irresponsibly spent his long lifetime transgress ing all the rules and regulations of the holy scripture, living extravagantly and eating food prepared by a prostitute. Therefore he is full of sins. He is unclean and is addicted to forbidden activities.(67) This man Ajāmila did not un dergo atonement. Therefore because of his sin ful life, we must take him into the presence of Yamarāja for punishment. There, according to the extent of his sinful acts, he will be punished and thus purified.(68)