Venue: Germany,
Bhagvat saptha (Ajamil Katha series – Third session)
So by regularly reciting this Bhagvatam and all that is inauspicious will be destroyed to nil and devotional service unto Supreme Personality of Godhead would be established as irreversible fact. “Bhagavaty uttama-shloke bhaktir bhavati” (SB 1.2.18) this is the benefit.
By reciting Bhagvatam regularly, once a year also could be regularly. People say I am very regular, you know, going to the temple very regular every Janmashtami (laughter) very regular. So regular can be once in a year, once in each lifetime also. So Prabhupada translated that into action as every day. Hence he gave us his daily schedule that includes Bhagvatam, recitation of Bhagvatam; that’s his understanding. Atleast that much and then more on personal basis varies, private studies. If one does this then the outcome is ‘bhaktir bhavati’, ‘bhava’ means becomes, bhakti becomes yours, you attain bhakti. And thus bhakti unto who? “Bhagavaty uttama-shloke” – two adjectives have been used, of course to describe the Lord. He is described as ‘uttama-shloke’, ‘uttam’ is the best or uttam meaning transcendental, ‘tam’, you know ‘tam’? Satva rajas tam, ‘ut’ means above, above the ignorance, transcendental to ignorance, that’s the best, right? So uttam-shloke so you choose the best poetry, transcendental poetry to glorify that personality.
So it is known as ‘uttama-shloke’ and He is ‘bhagavaty’ meaning unto Bhagwan, unto the Supreme personality of Godhead that is bhagavaty. So, your bhakti develops in bhagavaty, Bhagwan, and what sort of bhakti ‘naishthiki’ – nistha, then no more changing, no more U-turns though reverses. In other words, one comes from the stage of shradha to the stage or platform of nishtha by studying Bhagvatam. So with the knowledge of the scriptures, which is essential, Rupa Goswami describes bhakti of various kinds and he describes initial bhakti is komal bhakti, ‘komal’- very tender. So with that kind of tender bhakti faith, some sort of faith, we come but we can’t survive like that. We want some steadiness in our life, no ups and downs or if some other school of thought or anti-Krishna Consciousness person talks to you and you are just in komal bhakti he will just crush your bhakti, trample it, walk it all over and you are finished and you are converted and become mouse again.
If we do not wish to be mouse again you will be able to defend what you are doing, you are convinced, this is, I know what I am doing, people say that. When we should know what we are doing is right thing. Of course so many foolish, everyone says so I know what I am doing but doing the right things which Krishna expects us to do, pure devotee, learned devotees expect us to do, we do that thing, that is right thing. So, the ‘nishtha’ is the matured stage of faith. When shradha matures, matures, matures, matures and then shradha becomes nishtha. So what do you do in mean time is study of Bhagvatam, study of Bhagvad Gita. Because what you do with shradha, you come to sadhu, ado shradhha sadhu sang, and what do sadhus do? Bhajan kriya they engage you in bhajan kriya and the very basic bhajan kriya is this “nityam bhagavata-sevaya shravanam kirtanam” this is bhajan kriya then one becomes free from all the undesirable unwanted stuff and that is called ‘anarthas’, one becomes free from anarthas then in business fixed up, steady, convinced and ready to move only forward.
So it is essential for us to become steady on our path, study of shastras, topmost shatra is of course Bhagvatam. You only could add one more shastra, that is Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, we can’t say above Bhagvatam, it is in same category. Of course Prabhupada does say graduation course and post graduation course. So it is essential that we study shastras so that we don’t remain just sentimental devotee philosophy and religion. Religious we become as soon as we come to Hare Krishna temple, they could make you religious on the very first day, they will shave you up, put tilak, give you new clothes and bead bag and you are religious. You have some sentiments, some attraction but not enough. So philosophy is required. The books are the basic foundation. So, yet this is another opportunity for us to study scripture in few days like a intense marathon catch-up with something that we did not do regularly for different reasons.
So, we’ll continue this 6th canto, chapter one, text no. 20 through text no. 39. Twenty verses we have selected and this is the history, story, now begins the story; very scary. This will bring us to the point of messengers of Yamadutas coming on the scene followed by messengers of Vishnudutas and Vishnudutas stopping those Yamadutas, stop…….. and they ask why? So up to there. ‘Atra’ means in this connection, what we have been studying this morning is introduction; oh! prayaschit is not the best ok, not karma kanda, not jyana kanda ok what about other regulative principles? Then bhakti of Bhagwan and also the service to Vaishnavas. So that topic preface to saying ‘atra’.
“atra codaharantimam itihasam puratanam
dutanam vishnu-yamayoh samvadas tam nibodha me” (SB 6.1.20)
This is Sukadeva Gosvami speaking to King Parikshit and of course he is not the only one there but this katha is for King Parikshit and others are being benefited. Not only those who are attending that katha are being benefited who else is being benefited by that katha? And what about you? Ya, we are being benefited right here. That Katha was recited there and then recorded in the form of Bhagvatam or it was already there in the form of Bhagvatam and then based on that Katha was presented by Sukadeva Gosvami and for all the generation after generation benefited and this is just the beginning overseas outside India.
So Sukadeva Gosvami says so in this connection to give ‘udaharanti’ there is an example. This is example of what you know all that was mentioned earlier this morning about that. So there’s example of this. ‘imam itihasam puratanam’ there’s a history ‘puratam’- very old history. “Dutanam vishnu-yamayoh samvadas” there was a dialogue between the Vishnudutas, the messengers of Vishnu and messengers of Yamaraj. And that ‘samvada’ – dialogue, ‘nibodha me’ – please listen to this samvada this dialogue from me and I am going to share that dialogue with you. So Prabhupada is making comment here the Puranas, or old histories, are sometimes neglected by unintelligent men who consider their descriptions mythological, this all the time happens in India. Mythological means imaginary, that never happened such a popular thing so called intellectuals. Of course the westerners came Dutch, English men came some 700 years ago and they realized Oh! These people, unless we make them weak their faith weak in their religion, we cannot conquer them, we cannot rule over them. So this was their propaganda. Oh! Your scriptures are just imaginary, it’s just mythology. And because it was said, bombarded hundreds of times over again and again then gradually many Indians now they also do the imitation of the westerns and their bosses were English men and they were saying. Oh! Scriptures are this, your scriptures, Sanskrit is very difficult language; although Sanskrit is very easy, easier than English or German or very scientific language. Hence it is easy also, natural for the soul. So propaganda also to begin with language is very difficult. Shastras are just full of mythology and Indians started yes yes…like a Nandi and that still goes on.
Although India was liberated 50 years ago so many so called intellectuals are still slave, remain slaves of the propaganda made by the britishers or the westerners. So this is very popular thing Prabhupada is attacking this, this is a mythology. Then of course our Mahatma Gandhi also, he had no faith in Mahabharat war, he also thought Mahabharat war was just imagination. He writes in his book ‘My experiments with truth’ and Prabhupada says you don’t make experiments with a truth, you accept the truth. Not that you make experiments with the truth. Mahatma Gandhi made some experiments with the truth and he is writing “if some could prove to me (Mahatma Gandhi) that this Mahabharat war actually took place” he said at that moment I’ll resign myself from the membership of this Hindu religion because he was trying to prove his non-violence theory, Bhagvad Gita, what do you learn from Bhagvad Gita? Non-violence. So if you talk of the battle and bloodshed, how could you prove its non-violence he thought.
So, this is deeply engrained in the Indian, especially psychic, it is mythology. Also the Puranam , meaning of Puran is old, the scriptures are old. But by definition, you should take note of this, Puranas are defined as Puranam api navam although they are oldest, they are ever new, ever fresh. That is the definition of the Puranas. Actually the description of Puranas or the old history of the universe are factual, although not chronological. Puranas record the chief incidents that have occurred over many millions of years, not only on this planet but also on other planets within the universe. Therefore all learned and realized Vedic scholars speak with references to the incidents in the Puranas. So, this kind of before you get people to study Puranas, you have to get into this and explain to them, no no, this is all factual because they have heard from the wrong source and hence the trouble. And then Prabhupada quotes that very famous “shruti-smriti-puranadi- pancaratra-vidhim vina aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate”.
If you perform devotional service bhakti ignoring shruti-smriti-puran then what you will end up doing is just cause lot of disturbance in the community of devotees and that we see all the time as soon as you don’t do things as per sadhu, shastras acharya “shruti-smriti-puranadi- pancaratra-vidhim vina” then simply and unnecessary disturbance in the society. And then of course in Puranas, the topmost puran that is established in the beginning of Bhagvatam, topmost puran is Bhagvat Puran and the topmost vaishnav is “vaishnavanam yatha shambhuh” (SB 12.13.16) shambhuh is topmost of all the vaishnavs, nimna-ganam yatha ganga, ganga is the best of all rivers, nimna-ga means river, nimna is down, ga means going, flowing downwards, who flows downwards? Rivers. So, “nimna-ganam yatha ganga devanam acyuto yatha” like of all the Gods, acyut is topmost, puranam edam tatha this puran that puranc”puran purananam idam tatha” this Puran, Bhagvat Puran is topmost. This is the glory of Bhagvatam. This is at the end of Bhagvatam, this statement we find. So, Puranas are the history and mythology.
So, it begins now “kanyakubje dvijah kashcid dasi-patir ajamilah
namna nashta-sadacaro dasyah samsarga-dushitah” (SB 6.1.21)
Kanyakubje is a place, Kannauj near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It is a town, Prabhupada also used to go there to do his salesmanship, for selling his medicines, ayurvedic products. So near there’s a place called kannauj, presently known as kannauj, in there “kanyakubje dvijah kashcid” – some brahmin used to reside there who is introduced here, what an introduction of a Brahmin? “dasi-patir ajamilah”, his name was Ajamil and he was dasi-patir, he was a prostitute’s husband, he was a husband of a dasi, low class woman, prostitute so that was his name. “nashta-sadacaro” nashtah – destroy, he lost all the good qualities, how did this happen? ‘Sadacar’ -acar also means pickles, but here it is not that, acar means how you behave, how you deal in your day to day life, that’s called acar. So, there are two kinds of acar, sadacar and duracar.
‘Sad’ means good, ‘du’ means bad. So he was sadacari, ‘sat’ also means eternal, not temporary, truthful. So he lost all his good qualities, how did this happen? “dasyah samsarga-dushitah” – because he came in close contact with this dasi, prostitute, samsarga means close contact; one could only imagine close contact with prostitute and this resulted in nashta-sadacaro, he lost all the good qualities. Now, we said this morning that history repeats, something like this could repeat or not? Is it possible to come in contact with prostitute? And loose all the good qualities? Of course if you are there to preach, who was it? Namacharya Haridas Thakur also came in contact with some sort of a prostitute but who converted who there? Depends who is powerful. But lot of times person going to prostitute even doesn’t try to give her Prasad or give her some good sense, invitation to Yatra. So in the presence of Haridas Thakur, Namacharya Haridas Thakur again in the presence of the Holy Name, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”. Who got converted? Prostitute, she surrendered unto, full dandavat unto Haridas Thakur. She even shaved her head and put on nice sari and charity show, all that possessions she had she distributed everything. Took japa mala from Haridas Thakur sat next to and she was chanting day and night. She also was following footsteps of Haridas Thakur and she became a great Vaishnavi. So those examples are also there. From high potential to low potential, electricity flows or maya flows, so prostitute is quite high potential. So it has big potency, big maya, so anyone with a small maya going to prostitute, we get all the mercy of the prostitute, she will bless and she will lift you to her level, if you are at lower level, in potency, in maya she is at higher level. So this is what happened, “dasyah samsarga-dushitah”. The purport, the fault of illicit connection with women is that it makes one lose all brahminical qualities. Parikshit Maharaj’s original question was how to be free from falling down into the hell or into the hands of Yamadutas. In reply, Sukadeva Gosvami sighting this old historical example to convince Parikshit Maharaj, the potency of bhakti-yoga which begins simply with chanting of Lord’s name. Srila Prabhupada is ahead of the narration here. That’s Sukadeva Gosvami making that point that chanting will save fallen human society. Next verse,
“bandy-akshaih kaitavaish cauryair garhitam vrittim asthitah
bibhrat kutumbam ashucir yatayam asa dehinah” (SB 6.1.22)
Word for word: So, now one more time, the history of lifestyle of Ajamil will be described. There’s a description now and Sukadeva Gosvami is introducing the whole story history but when the Yamadutas speak, when it is their turn, they will also speak some more on the life, philosophy, activities of this Ajamil. So, he was now married, how did he end up marrying will be described later on, the next time there’s a description of his life. But now it is shorter version summarized. So, yes he is married, he got married to this prostitute and now he was maintaining the family, family has to be maintained. So, how was he doing? “bandy-akshaih” – he used to arrest people and then tie them up and take whatever was in their pocket or their belongings, he would go away with it. Kaitavai, he would cheat, all sorts of cheating, he was engaged in ‘cauryair’ – chor chor chor thief stealing “garhitam vrittim asthitah” all condemned activities he was indulging in making money, ‘yen ken prakarena’, somehow he was making money and the goal was bibhrat kutumba, maintenance of the family, he was maintaining the family, big family, 10 children he had and maintaining prostitute is not…..so many demands.
So he was working very hard and just to maintain the family and in Bhagvatam when Sukadeva Gosvami describes the symptoms of this age of Kali, if the husband could just maintain the family, he would be considered hero in India it is like, he is taking care of his family, so what’s the big deal. People just express satisfaction, you know, he’s maintaining his family, taking care of his family you know. Its right out of Bhagvatam, households would be considered heros, big accomplishment, maintaining family. So, how and all that is another thing. So, he was just maintaining his family. He gave trouble to others by arresting them, cheating them, gambling or directly plundering them, this was the way he earned his livelihood and maintained his wife and children, Hari Bol. And illicit sex is not possible with a chaste or aristocratic woman, but only with unchaste sudras, Prabhupada is making that point, and another very important in the continuation of that, the more society allows prostitution and illicit sex, the more impetus it gives to cheaters, thieves, plunderers, drunkards and gamblers.
Therefore we first advise all the disciples in our Krishna Consciousness Movement to avoid illicit sex, which is the beginning of all abominable life and which is followed by meat-eating, gambling and intoxication, one after another. So, whole society revolves around this illicit connection, illicit sex. If illicit sex is allowed to increase in a society, however, the entire society will be condemned, for it will be full of rogues, thieves, cheaters and so forth. So, this is what we see all over, but no-one understands what the difficulties are. In a country they would just like to explore newer and more possibilities of enjoying illicit sex that would result in more thieves and plunderers and terrorists also, they are coming, terrorists are here. America lost peace of mind long time ago out of this terrorism. So, more you go against or want to compete with Krishna, Krishna has 16,108 wives, this is all envy of Krishna but His activities, the topmost activities of madhurya lila. In this world, conditioned soul imitates that activity, and wants to exploit takes the position of Purusha-enjoyer and wants to imitate Krishna but what is at the top becomes the bottom in this material existence.
“evam nivasatas tasya lalayanasya tat-sutan
kalo atyagan mahan rajann ashtashityayushah samah” (SB 6.1.23)
So, again moving on, ‘evam’ – like this, in this way, few things are mentioned but rest we’ll have to imagine, make a picture complete. Rest of the lifestyle activities, deals, few have been mentioned. ‘evam nivasatas’ – like this he was living leading life, taking care of ‘tat-sutan’ – her children, doesn’t say his children, her children so she was into it more. “lalayanasya tat-sutan” and by taking care, maintaining family, plundering was going on everyday stealing all this is going on and coming back and on the way back doing shopping for wife and children and they are welcome welcome.
So he is making money like a donkey and wife is making her list of shopping at home and expertly getting all the money into her hand and spending. So what was going on was ‘kalo atyagan mahan’ – time was passing by; time was against him, time was coming and going but not being used properly. “Ayur harati vai pumsam” (SB 2.3.17) the lifetime is snatched, stolen of the human being, “udyann astam ca yann asau” with the rising and setting of the sun, yet another day is stolen, snatched away. But only that person doesn’t lose the time or his time is not snatched away, golden opportunity is not missing, who is that person? ‘Uttama-shloka-vartaya’ the person who is busy with varta, the descriptions of the topics of ‘uttama-shloka’, supreme Lord, those are getting together and doing ‘varta’ – discussions or may be studying on their own, remembering the past times of the Lord, that person is not losing the time. He is on time, he is with time, he is with the Lord. Lord is time. Those who do not make the best use of time, they are left behind, they lag behind and there’s all the loss.
One devotee was explaining, when I was a bhakta, I remember this example from that time, he was Achyutananda Swami, he said, it is like…Ok, take off in a airplane at noon time and then let your plane fly westwardly direction with a speed of say 1000 miles per hour approximately, what would be the experience? Experience would be sun would be just above the head, above that aircraft because earth is also making circles around its axis and its circumference is some 25,000 miles around. So your plane is going approximately 1000 miles per hour so if you take off at mid-day wherever you go, sun would be just above there, so what? Then the remaining example or the explanation is that if we are always chanting Hare Krishna then Krishna who is like a sun, chanting Hare Krishna or studying Bhagvatam or honoring Prasadam or taking Darshanam of beautiful Radha Madanmohan, engaged in devotional service of the Lord then sun will be always shining upon you, sun, Lord will act as a sun and you will never ever be in darkness like that person flying in the aircraft, he will be always in the light side, never the other side, dark side. So he wants to explain if we are always with Krishna, Krishna’s different forms, past time form or beautiful deity form or lila form or a dham form, the name form, “kali-kale nama-rupe krishna-avatara” (CC Adi 17.22) then always on the brighter side with Krishna. But this fellow, Ajamil he was losing all the time. So, now he was, he became 88 years old, and
“tasya pravayasah putra dasha tesham tu yo avamah
balo narayano namna pitrosh ca dayito bhrisham” (SB 6.1.24)
‘Pravayasah’, Prabhupada translates that who was very old, so he was 88 years old and he gave birth to his 10th child, he’s going strong, at the age of 88, the production is on. He’s factory, his home is a factory to produce, children production is putra dasha 10 tesam tu yo avamah and the youngest one, the 10th one namna he was named Narayan. Luckily, his 10th son as Narayan. “Pitrosh ca dayito bhrisham” and he was very very dear to both, father and mother. The word pravayasah indicates Ajamil’s sinfulness because although he was 88 years old he had very young child; according to Vedic culture, one should leave as soon as he has reached 50 years age one should not live at home and go on producing children (Maharaj laughs…..).One should not stay home and go on producing children. It is also said one should be ready to die away from family and you will be more depending on the Lord under those circumstances, think more of the Lord otherwise family members will show their face to you, do you remember me? They come in and do you remember me? Some old friend comes, neighbor comes, how are you? So all these forms, better not to have these forms sticking in front of your face. Trying to revive the affection and loving bonds. It’s time to cut all the strings and all the tags attached, extra strings “asha-pasha-shatair baddhah” (Bg 16.12) Krishna says. We are bound by shatair – 100’s of bonds of affection and desires. So when we are surrounded by so many family members and if they are not Krishna Conscious, of course they are Krishna Conscious, fine, they will help you to remember Krishna, they give you Radha Krishna photo or place photo of Radha Krishna on the wall so that you could see. So, let’s talk of at the age of 50, you leave home. So, then later on you leave your body.
“sa baddha-hridayas tasminn arbhake kala-bhashini
nirikshamanas tal-lilam mumude jaratho bhrisham” (SB 6.1.25)
“sa baddha-hridayas tasminn arbhake” ‘Arbhake’ means little child, his name was Narayan and he is attached ‘baddha-hridayas’ – he is very much attached to his son and his ‘kala-bhashini’ – broken language, he has just now started speaking and daddy daddy, Pabhupad, Pabhupad, children say Pabhupad, our devotees try to train children, so children say Pabhupad Pabhupad. So, parents like my son is saying the name of Prabhupad, it’s nice.
So, what your children say is broken but it is so pleasing nectar and you kiss them, kiss their cheeks, their hair, you feel like eating them, you like them so much, you wish you would put them inside the heart and making part of you, ‘atmavat saravabhuteshu’. So, ‘kala-bhashini’ this happens all over and the same thing was going on when Krishna was little child, Yashoda and Rohini, they were in ecstasy. ‘Nirikshamanas tal-lilam’ and all activities of a little baby were like a lila, that child’s lila, father and mother sitting, talking, glorifying the child’s activities, every move that child makes is talked about, watched. ‘Mumude jaratho bhrisham’ – this old man was enjoying all this. He always took care of the child and enjoyed child’s activities. Since the old man was very attached to the child he enjoyed the child’s activities and because child’s name was Narayan, the old man always chanted the Holy Name of Narayan. Although he was referring to the small child and not to original Narayan, the name Narayan is so powerful that even by chanting his son’s name, he was becoming purified, that’s nice.
“Tasmat kenapy upayena manah krishne niveshayet” (SB 7.1.32) somehow get attracted to Krishna. So, it is custom in Hindu society for parents to give their children names like Krishna das, Govind das, Narayan das. But now that is changing. People are, parents are giving all sorts of meaningless names in India also, I don’t know about the west, how many names are spiritual names or some meaning is there. In India, the children are named pinku, it has no meaning, other one is tinku, rinku, chinku (everyone laughs) it has no meaning. I was in Mexico, long time ago, 15 years ago and we were checking in our luggage and the lady working at the checking counter when she saw we are in Hare Krishna’s dress in saffron, she walked to us and said Oh! Are you Hare Krishna devotees, we said yes yes. So she was, I think she was not even the member of the congregation, so she said Oh! wow, my husband had bought one of your books (must be Krishna book) and she said now we have named our daughter Devaki, her daughter’s name is Devaki. See she had little or no connection with Hare Krishna movement but by reading Krishna book, they like this name and my daughter’s name is Devaki. So that’s a good fortune.
George Harrison, I heard when George Harrison departed few years ago, someone had proposed to Prabhupada, Prabhupada why don’t you give him a name? George should be given a name. Prabhupada said, he already has a spiritual name, he is Hari’s son, Harrison, he’s Hari’s son already (Maharaj and everybody laughs). So, spiritual names, you don’t have to go, without going out of your way, you end up chanting the names. Most of the names in India, lot of names are still spiritual names and my father’s name was Bhagwan, that is still in my passport my father’s name is Bhagwan and I am son of Bhagwan (everyone laughs) and he gave me name Raghunath, that was my so called karmi name, Raghunath and Prabhupada changed that to Lokanath.
So, it is custom in Hindu society for parents to give their children names like Krishna das, Govind das, Narayan das and also when they are initiated. So, now we have thousands and thousands of devotees with spiritual names and we get to address each other and what to speak of the newly born babies, they all have spiritual names, great pride all the parents give their children, spiritual names, janavi or so many nice names. Brajmandal parikrama, our devotee here, he has a son, he just came from brajmandal parikrama and then he had a son, so he decided to give his son name Brajmandal Parikrama Das, Varanashram Das is sitting near that pillar, he’s the president of our public farm. He has come with his daughter Janavi and son Brajmandal Parikrama Das.
“sa evam vartamano ajno mrityu-kala upasthite
matim cakara tanaye bale narayanahvaye” (SB 6.1.27)
So, time has come evam – like this, you know he was kind of wasting his life and ajno – fool, he is fool, he is losing his valuable human birth but the time had come “mrityu-kala upasthite” – the death arrived and I am here knocking at the door. matim cakara tanaye bale narayanahvaye – and because “mrityu-kala upasthite” – he is kind of seeing the Yamadutas messengers Yamaraja approaching him and at that moment he even further concentrated his mind on tanaye – unto his son Narayan and addressed him when the time of death arrived for the foolish Ajamila, he began thinking exclusively of his son Narayan, Prabhupada writes therefore, although the contaminated Ajamila was calling for his son, by concentrating his mind on the holy name of Narayana he remembered the Narayana he had very faithfully worshiped in his youth. Just see, he had been worshipping, that will come up as mentioned at 2 places in his history. So, he mentioned and that must be the reason. At least he ended up naming his son Narayan because he used to worship Narayan and as now he is chanting the name addressing his son Narayan Narayan, Narayan that he used to worship has been remembered by him. In this regards Srila Sridhar Swami writes commentary, according to the Bhaktisiddhanta it is to be analyzed that because Ajamil constantly chanted his son’s name Narayan, he was elevated to the platform of bhakti. Although he did not know it that Ajamila was not realizing that he was becoming bhakta but yes, was, Sridhar Swami states. He had been chanting Narayan Narayan Narayan and he was elevating himself although he was not aware of it, Ajamila wasn’t aware. This is understanding of Sridhar Swami he is no. 1 when it comes to commentaries, Sridhar Swami, he’s the Swami, they all bow down before him all other Swamis, all other Acharyas they respect Sridhar Swami so much and his commentary which is one of the oldest commentaries also, he was first, one of the first ones to write the commentary.
Ok, now the description of what he was seeing. Earlier verse said “mrityu-kala upasthite”, so now here they are “sa pasha-hastams trin drishtva purushan ati-darunan” (SB 6.1.28). He saw three persons “Hasta” – hands had ropes – pasha. They had ropes in hands and they were 3 of them and ‘ati-darunan’ – they looked very fearful, creating fear, fearful features they had, “vakra-tundan urdhva-romna”, tunda – mouth, “urdhva-romna” – there hair were standing on their hands. “Atmanam netum agatan” – and he was convinced Oh! there they are, they are here to take me away, netum agatan. “Dure kridanakasaktam putram narayanahvayam” (SB 6.1.29).
So near by there Narayan was playing and as he was attached to his son, he addressed his son, how? ‘Plavitena’ – tearful eyes, svarenoccair – loudly Narayan, Narayan loud, ‘ajuhavakulendriyah’ – helpless as he was, he addressed his son ajuhava and Sukadeva Gosvami was leaving home, Vyas Dev was also following him, this is ‘ajuhava’, ‘putreti tana mana taya’, putra putra putra, like that he was addressing, ‘putreti tana mana taya ajuhava’. He addressed his son, only trees responded; son did not respond, only trees responded meaning he said putra and the trees said putra, echo was there. And then the trees also started preaching to Srila Vyas Dev, addressing to Srila Vyas Dev, come on, even we are not attached to our off springs or creation, people just come and take the fruits away, we don’t run after them, look you are running after your son, this is the part of commentary.
Acharyas say, (this verse is there in the beginning of Bhagvatam), Sukadeva Gosvami, as soon as he took birth, he started going to forest “yam pravrajantam anupetam apeta-krityam” (SB 1.2.2) no purificatory process, nothing he has undergone, no samskaras, he took birth and started running to the forest and he was running after. “Putreti tan-mayataya taravo abhinedus tam sarva-bhuta-hridayam munim anato asmi” (SB 1.2.2) Sukadeva Gosvami said unto such muni, that even all the entities they understood the feelings of Sukadeva Gosvami, even trees understood the feelings or in the hearts of trees he’s residing, he understands, “tam sarva-bhuta-hridayam munim anato asmi” – I offer my most humble obeisance’s unto such says Sukadeva Gosvami says Srila Suta Gosvami, Suta Gosvami is now offering his pranam to his spiritual master.
So, there’s also son, father and son and father is running after Sukadeva Gosvami and trying to call ajuhava. A person, who performs sinful activities, performs them with his body, mind and words. Therefore three order carriers from Yamaraj came to take Ajamila to Yamaraja’s abode. Why three? The three of them had come, three Yamadutas because explanation is given here because everyone comments sinful activities, we have gone through this verse, this morning. “ukta-panibhih” (S.B. 6.1.7) ‘ukta’ means words ‘pani’ – hands and mana, ‘mana-ukta-panibhih’ – by mind you commit sin, by words you commit sin, by physical action you commit sin, three ways you commit sin. Hence, there were three messengers. And how many messenger of Vishnu? How come four? Because he chanted name Narayan, Narayan has four letters he said ‘NA’, one messenger came, ‘RA’ another one came, ‘YA’ third one came, ‘NA’; Narayana. This is also acharyas they say 4. And how many will come to us when….how many will come? (Someone replies 2) because we chant Hare Krishna (16) only 16? 32 it took 2 minutes (laughter).
“nishamya mriyamanasya mukhato hari-kirtanam
bhartur nama maharaja parshadah sahasapatan” (SB 6.1.30)
‘Nishamy’ means hearing, “mriyamanasya mukhato hari-kirtanam”, hari kirtan was heard coming from the mouth of ‘mriyamanasya’ – one who is about to die, who is that? Ajamila who is about to die but he chanted hari kirtan. Bhartur nama – Vishnudutas said Hye!, someone is chanting name of our bharta means swami means Narayan, our boss someone is chanting the name of our Lord, hye! Don’t you hear? ya I hear and when they heard that someone is chanting helplessly name of their Lord, Narayan or Vishnu, parshadah meaning the associates, representatives of Vishnu, sahasapatan – suddenly they also appeared. So, three of them were already there very scary personalities and to that spot Vishnudutas arrived. While chanting the name Narayan, Ajamil was actually thinking of his son. That chanting was sufficient to cleanse him of all sinful activities. As soon as Vishnudutas heard their master’s name being chanted they immediately came. In this regard, Srila Vijayadhvaja Tirtha remarks: “Ajamila chanted the name of Narayana because of his excessive attachment to his son. Nevertheless, because of his past good fortune in having rendered devotional service to Narayana, he apparently chanted the holy name in full devotional service and without offenses”. Acharyas are giving all the credit to Ajamil for glorifying the Holy Name or the potency of the Holy Name. He is upheld by their statements.
“vikarshato antar hridayad dasi-patim ajamilam
yama-preshyan vishnuduta varayam asur ojasa” (SB 6.1.31)
‘Vikarsato antar’ – by the time the Vishnudutas arrived on the spot, the Yamadutas had already throne the ropes and they started snatching, dragging Ajamila out of his body. From where Antar hridayad – from the heart region. Not from the feet they were dragging him, not hand, not shoulder, not back, they are expert they know where the soul is sitting. So they were snatching dragging him out where he was in the heart region, he was that ‘dasi-patim ajamilam’ – that fool, the husband of prostitute, of course he should be snatched by the Yamadutas who else.
‘Yama-preshyan vishnuduta varayam asur ojasa’ – but then there come Vishnudutas and they forbade, stop stop stop what’s going on here? They stop this snatching thing. If they had not arrived, if they had come in another 30 seconds, they would be out of there, soul out of the body. So, they caught, Vishnudutas caught Yamadutas in the middle of their act while they were snatching. A Vaishnava, one who has surrendered to the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu, is always protected by Lord Vishnu’s order carriers. ojasa – powerful voice, commending voice, they were demanding that they stop ojasa. By speaking with resounding voices, the Vishnudutas threatened to punish the Yamadutas if they continued trying to snatch Ajamila’s soul from his heart. It’s amazing, they want to punish, we will punish you. They have Vishnudutas have such power. Prabhupada, says Vishnudutas and Vaishnavas could even punish the Yamadutas or even Yamaraja, they are that powerful. Materialistic scientists do not know where to find the soul within the body with their material instruments, but this verse clearly explains that the soul is within the core of the heart (hrdaya); it is from the heart that the Yamadutas were extracting the soul of Ajamila. It is very clear; Prabhupada is taking the advantage of this and pointing out the place where the soul is sitting. During the transmigration, another piece of information, during transmigration from one body to next, soul is taken away by the order carriers of Yamaraja, that’s one thing okay then put into a particular type of hellish life (naraka), in order to become accustomed to the condition in which he will live in his next body. Do you get that? So now transfer from body to another body but in between what happens? He’s trained, he’s made accustomed to live in the new body and that training is done in a naraka for a while and then put into the body.
“ucur nishedhitas tams te vaivasvata-purahsarah
ke yuyam pratisheddharo dharma-rajasya shasanam” (SB 6.1.32)
‘Ucur nishedhitas tam’ – when order carriers of Yamaraja, vaivasvata-purahsarah – Yamaraja is described here as a vaivasvata, he is a son of sun God, Yamaraj. So when they forbade, Vishnudutas had forbidden then then Yamadutas said, ke yuyam – who are you? ‘Pratisheddharo dharma-rajasya shasanam’ – who are you to forbid us? Or act against the shasan, the rule of Yamaraja? We are Yamaraja’s people and we are abiding by the laws, the rules, so why are you stopping us? Why are you opposing us? Purport – When forbidden to touch Ajamila, the order carriers of Yamaraja were surprised because they had never been hindered in the execution of their duty by anyone in the three worlds. This is a first kind of experience this had never happened that they were in middle of getting something, someone out of the body and someone coming and stopping them, first time. Why are you stopping? And they ask few more questions.
“kasya va kuta ayatah kasmad asya nishedhatha
kim deva upadeva ya yuyam kim siddha-sattamah” (SB 6.1.33)
‘Kasya va’ – who do you belong to? We are Yamaraja’s representatives, but are you representatives of someone? ‘Va kuta ayatah’ – where have you come from? “kasmad asya nishedhatha” – and what for are you forbidding, opposing our activity? Our duty? ‘Upadeva ya yuyam kim siddha-sattamah’ – are you some Demigods? upadevah – some sub-demigods? “yuyam kim siddha-sattamah” – or are you some kind of pure devotees? Perfect beings? I mean who are you? You please identify, show your ID, ok, where’s your ID? Otherwise we will not take you seriously, show your ID’s.
So they have asked questions ‘Kasya va’ – who do you belong to? where have you come from? Prabhupada writes, they knew that a siddha-sattama is above the demigods and sub-demigods and, indeed, above all the living entities within this material world. The Yamadutas therefore inquired why the Vishnudutas were present where a sinful man was going to die. They were not able to understand. You look someone special, may be you are devata upadeva, ‘siddha-sattamah’ but this is a husband of a prostitute very sinful person and why are you here? It is very obvious that we should be just bringing him to Yamalok, there’s nothing else should happen to this person. So what brings you here sirs? Prabhupada writes Ajamila was not yet died Ajamila was simply in an unconscious state when the argument was in progress between the Yamadutas and the Viahnudutas. The conclusion of the argument was to be a decision regarding who would claim the soul of Ajamila. So soul was still there and now we heard the full description how the Yamadutas looked like? And here is the description of how Vishnudutas looked like. “Sarve padma-palashakshah” (SB 6.1.34) all the four personalities had their eyes big, lotus like eyes they had, “pita-kausheya-vasasah” – and they had golden yellow garments, ‘kiritinah’ – crowns, ‘kundalino’ – earrings, ‘lasat-pushkara-malinah’ – they had garlands of fresh lotuses around their necks, “sarve ca nutna-vayasah” – and they are all young, all of them are very young looking, “sarve caru-caturbhujah” – they all, four of them had four hands each and they were caru, Bhakti caru means nice, beautiful, beautiful hands they had, four hands each of those Vishnudutas and they were carrying “dhanur-nishangasi-gada-shankha-cakrambuja-shriyah” .
And their hands were decorated with the bow then arrows even they had the “asi” – sword, gada – the club, shankha- conchshell, cakra – disc; ambuja – lotus flower. These are different symbols and weapons they were holding and “disho vitimiralokah kurvantah svena tejasa” (SB 6.1.35) and they were so effulgent, so brilliant that on all directions timira – the darkness all finished, vanquished, dissipated, all the darkness. Anyways this is also mentioned their beauty, their personality and their clothing, their ornaments and weapons, this is also described by Yamadutas are saying, Oh! you have all this, look at your eyes, look at all this weapons but then it just doesn’t make sense you are beautiful people and powerful, “kim artham dharma-palasya kinkaran no nishedhatha” – we are kinkara, we are the servants of dharma-pal, dharma-raj and you are opposing us, this doesn’t make sense, I mean you seem to be nice people, very polite also, why should you be stopping us? Before even being introduced to a foreigner, one becomes acquainted with him through his dress, bodily features and behavior and thus understand his position, therefore Yamadutas saw the Vishnudutas for the first time, they were surprised, they said you have beautiful features, by your beautiful features, you appear to be exalted gentlemen and you have such celestial power and you have dissipated the darkness of this material world by your effulgence, why then should you be able to stop us from executing our duty? This is beyond their understanding. Now Sukadeva Gosvami comments and then Vishnudutas will take over, they will talk. Now, so far only Yamadutas had been talking.
“sri-suka uvaca ity ukte yamadutais te vasudevokta-karinah
tan pratycuh prahasyedam megha-nirhradaya gira” (SB 6.1.37)
“ity ukte yamadutais te” so, Vishnudutas had been hearing, Yamadutas speak so far. Now, Vishnudutas are described as vasudevokta-karinah means they always ukta means said, whatever Vasudeva says karinah – they are ready to do it, yes sir, they are yes men of Vasudeva or Vishnu. Now there are words kinkara- meaning? What could I do? kinkaran – nice servant, obedient servant , kinkar what could I do? Anyways, lady? What would be the lady called? Kinkari. Lady is kinkari, gentlemen is kinkara. Gopis are kinkaris and Gopas are kinkaras. They are ever ready, whatever Krishna says, they are ‘yes’ and they are ‘I have finished with that, what more could I do?’, “do this”, ‘done, more’ ok finish more so like that. Always more eager, anxious kinkar.
So the Vishnudutas, tan pratyucuh, they are addressing Yamadutas, and how they are doing? ‘Prahasye’, there’s a smile on their face. With a smile on their face and ‘megha-nirhradaya gira’ – their voice is deep, like a rumbling of a cloud. So not only they are looking or they are dressed like Lord, yellow garments and all, four hands and different symbols but their voice is also elsewhere, like Krishna, how Krishna speaks, “megha-gambhiraya vaca” (SB 1.17.4) like a deep rumbling sound, a deep voice. Lord has different deep things, three different deep things, His naval is deep, His intelligence is deep and His voice is deep, three things and there are 32 symptoms of a great personality. This is in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu and three things are deep and one of them is voice, voice is deep, Lord’s voice is very deep. And different things are short, like that it goes on. His neck is short, His thighs are short , His genitals are short. Different things are broad, His chest is broad, His forehead is broad, He has big hips like ladies. But He’s like a lion; His waist is thin like a lion. Different things are fine, His hair are fine, His skin is fine, different different things are fine.
Seven parts of his body are reddish or pinkish, His eyes, palms, soles, lips, naval. And different parts of His body are Lotus-like, hands. Lotus because, color is like lotus, smells like a lotus, you smell Krishna’s hand and it smells like a lotus. Krishna’s feet are pinkish like a lotus, soft like a lotus, eyes, so like that different parts. So when you put this list together, its 32 different things, deep, short, fine, broad, lotus-like, pinkish. So one of them is voice. Couple of things not found, they are only found in the Lord, one is “srivatsa” (SB 5.7.7) on His chest, it’s a golden line on His chest, Lakshmi is residing there, on the chest and ‘kaustubha’ – when the churning of the ocean was done by the demigods, 14 different jewels emerged, one of them was Kaustubha mani and this was given to Vishnu. Until that time there was a difficulty in knowing who is who, they all dressed like Vishnu, Who is Vishnu? Who is Vishnuduta? But then once Lord had His Kaustubha mani, then it became very obvious, only one person has that Kaustubha mani, no one else has it.
So, others are holding this cakra gada and all that but no one has Kaustubha only Lord has it. From that time onwards it became easy to recognize who amongst this is Lord. Oh! Just find out who is wearing Kaustubha jewel, mani.
(Question asked from audience about Demigods, Maharaj answers) they are living entities living with wives when there is rasa dance in vrindavan demigods they are coming from universe. One can imagine there is whole society there of people and personalities and families. They all have 4 handed form and opulence like the Lord. It’s not that there are only men are there (laughter), so there are both male female complete. So called male female because only purusha is Lord everyone is prakruti . So lord expands and there are different incarnations of the Lord and Radha rani expands and laxmis and gopis come from radha rani then queens of Dwaraka they are expansions of alhadini sakti. So Krishna is expanding radha is expanding, the living entities are “mamiva vanso jiva loke jiva bhuta sanatan” that’s another category all together.
Yamadutas were surprised to see that Vishnudutas although polite, were hindering the rule of Yamraja, simply Vishnudutas were also surprised that Yamadutas although claiming the servants of Yamaraj, the supreme judge of religious principles, were unaware of the principles of religious actions. Thus the Vishnudutas smile thinking what is this nonsense they are speaking, if they are actually servants of Yamraja, they should know that Ajamil is not a suitable candidate for them to carry off, they were actually servants. We could stop here