Srimad Bhagavatam verse 4.12.22, (Class at Mayapur)

Maharaj recites the verse:
Tam Krishna-padabhinivishta chetasam
Baddhanjalim prashraya namra kandharam
Sunanda-nadau upasrutya sasmitam
Pratyuchatuh pushkaranabha sammatau

Translation: Dhruva Maharaj was always absorbed in thinking of the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. His heart was full with Krishna. When the two confidential servants of the Supreme Lord, who were named Nanda and Sunanda, approached him, smiling happily, Dhruva stood with folded hands, bowing humbly.

They then addressed him as follows:
Purport: Maharaj reads the purport by Srila Prabhupada:
“In this verse, the word pushkaranabha-sammatau is significant. Krishna, or Lord Vishnu, is known for His lotus eyes, lotus navel, lotus feet and lotus palms. Here, He is called pushkara-nabha, which means “the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has a lotus navel,” and sammatau means “two confidential or very obedient servants.”

The materialistic way of life differs from the spiritual way of life in that one is disobedience and the other is obedience to the will of the Supreme Lord. All living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and they are supposed to be always agreeable to the order of the Supreme person; that is perfect oneness. In Vaikuntha world, all the living entities are in oneness with the Supreme Godhead because they never defy His orders. Here in the material world, however, they are not sammata, agreeable, but always asammata, disagreeable. This human form of life is a chance to be trained to be agreeable to the orders of the Supreme Lord. To bring about this training in society is the mission of the Krishna consciousness movement.

As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, the laws of material nature are very strict; no one can overcome the stringent laws of material nature. But one who becomes a surrendered soul and agrees to the order of the Supreme Lord can easily overcome those stringent laws. The example of Dhruva Maharaj is very fitting. Simply by becoming agreeable to the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and by developing love of Godhead, Dhruva got the chance to personally meet the confidential servants of Lord Vishnu face to face. What was possible for Dhruva Maharaj is possible for everyone. Anyone who very seriously engages in devotional service can obtain, in due course of time, the same perfection of the human form of life.

Maharaj continues to speak:
Beauty of the two confidential associates of the Lord:
The viman (transcendental aircraft) descended and from there came down the two confidential servants of the Lord, Nanda and Sunanda. Their beauty is described in the previous verse 4.12.20. “They were beautiful. They had four hands and a blackish bodily luster, they were very youthful, and their eyes were just like reddish lotus flowers. They held clubs in their hands, and they were dressed in very attractive garments with helmets and were decorated with necklaces, bracelets and earrings.” Such beautiful personalities they were, from out of the world, coming from another world. No one was like them. They were seen by Dhurva maharaj. Soon he realized that they were the servants of Supreme Lord. Immediately he stood up. (Verse 4.12.21).

He was not sure what to do next. He went forward and paid obeisances. He started chanting the holy names of the Lord. As this was all happening, immediately by seeing those two “Urugaya kinkarau” servants of the Lord, he remembered the Lord. This is today’s verse. He started remembering the lotus feet of the Lord or started remembering the Lord from the lotus feet. He was totally absorbed, full absorption, 100%. Krishna says about His devotees in Bhagavad Gita verse 10.9, “mat-chittah, mad–gata-prana.” (The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service). My devotees’ consciousness is glued down to Me. Here Dhurva maharaj’s consciousness is “abhivinishta chetasam”. This is his internal consciousness – absorbed in thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord. Naturally, Dhurva maharaj acted according to what he was thinking. Immediately his hands were folded and he bowed down humbly thinking of the shelter of the Lord. He noticed the two associates of the Lord coming to him, while smiling, looking happy and coming towards him.

The Lord: Pushkara- nabha and His other symptoms are:
These two personalities are described as Purshkara nabha sammatua. “Pushkara nabha”, as the Lord is described in this verse, has seven lotus-like body parts. Some of them are mentioned in the purport – His lotus eyes, lotus navel, lotus feet and lotus palms. Seven parts are pinkish in complexion. There are 32 symptoms of the personality of Mahapurush – like long arms reaching the knees, broad shoulders, raised nose etc. Dhruva maharaj was informed in advance by Narada Muni, “when you follow the process of chanting the mantra, Om Namah Bhagavate Vasudevaya, you will see the Lord. Let me tell you in advance how the Lord would look, so that no one could cheat you by saying I am Bhagavan. Dhruva maharaj did not know how the Lord looked, but Narada Muni gave the whole description in his first dialog with him in several verses in which Narada Muni goes on and on. So one such symptom was raised nose. It is considered as the sign of beauty. In India, in the match making, they look at the nose of the bride (laughter). Unknowingly they know the standard of beauty.

The Lord has raised nose. The Lord has deep voice. When He talks, it is rumbling of clouds. His voice is loud and clear and could spread all over the universe, without the use of microphone. When Lord Narsimha deva was roaring, all over the universe, they were hearing – Oh lion roaring, lion roaring! They were scared. When Krishna plays flute, the sound goes all over. But again, the Lord has complete control over that sound also. When the sound of His flute goes all over Vraja, but not that everyone is listening. Two persons sitting next to each other, one may listen to the sound and one may not. Gopis are always listening to the sound of His flute. They go running and others ask, “hey, what happening?” They know what happened because they heard His flute. So Lord has complete control upon who is allowed to hear and who is not allowed to hear. Not that, He just throws like free cookies and lets it go wherever it lands. He has whole plan – He listens and He doesn’t listen.
His intelligence is deep. His naval is also deep. Some parts of His body are deep. Some parts are raised. So the grand total is 32 symptoms of maha purush.

So Narada muni had given these hints, Lord will be looking like this. When Dhruva maharaj had seen these “pushkaranabha sammatau” – authorized persons or confidential servants of the Lord, he was in fact momentarily bewildered and did not know exactly what does this mean. “Sadvasa vismrutah kramah” (verse 21 – being puzzled and forgetting proper behavior).

Significance of Madhuban:
Same thing had happened to him before. I was looking at the beginning of the pastimes of Dhurva maharaj; when he first had darshan of the Lord in Madhuban, one of 12 forests of Vrindavan, which happens to be just a few kilometers outside of Mathura. On Vraja mandal parikrama, you can visit Madhuban with us. As we start our Vraja mandal parikrama, the very first forest we come across is Madhuban, just outside Mathura.

Dhruva maharaj met his guru maharaja, Narad muni in Mathura on the banks of Yamuna at ‘Dhurva ghat’. He told Dhurva maharaj to go to Madhuban. So on parikrama, we stay there for one day and one night. Parikrama is a little tapasya (austerity). Such a coincidence is that we first go to a place where tapasya was performed. So at this very first stop, we pray to Dhruva maharaj for his mercy so that we are also able to perform some small tapasya on our way to parikrama. That is where he had darshan of the Lord in Satya yuga. Madhuban is a very special place. Of all the four yugas, Satya, Treta, Dvapar and Kali; the Lord appeared there in Madhuban in Satya yuga. This is a great significance of Madhuban. The Lord appeared there to give darshan.

Dhruva’s six months of intense devotional service:
Where Dhruva maharaj was performing austerities called ‘yoga-vipaka-tivraya’ (from Bhagavatam 4.9.2 at the beginning of the pastimes of Dhurva maharaj), what he was doing is described as a very intense program – tivrena bhakti yogena (Bhagavatam 2.3.10 – doing devotional service of the Lord with great force). Dhurva maharaj is known for being very serious, dead serious for an intense devotional program. Satatam kirtayanto mam yatanantas cha dhrida vratah (Bhagavad Gita 9.14 – Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me). Dhruva maharaj is known for this dhrida vratah or great determination.

By hearing about the fixed up devotees, by being around the fixed-up devotees, we are benefited. Dhruva means fixed – immovable and unstoppable. Nothing could stop him. Even though he was just a child, he was fixed in his goal of having a meeting with the Supreme Lord. Dhruva maharaj spent six months in Madhuban and within six months, he managed to have darshan of the Lord. He broke all the records. Within six months! Even it took six years for Buddha to become enlightened in Gaya. But Dhruva maharaj did it in six months. In Bombay, when I was in the Hare Krishna movement, not even for six months, I had service of going door to door to beg for rice for ‘food for life’ program. I was just a new bhakta and people would ask me, ‘have you seen God?’ (laughter). I said, I am just a new bhakta for two months; give me some more time. I have been around only for two months. But then six months passed, six years passed, and I am still waiting. (laughter).

Within six months, Dhruva maharaj managed for Lord’s darshan. He went from eating just fruits, then just leaves and then just water, then just air, and then no air, etc. Then Lord appeared, but again Dhruva Maharaj was so much absorbed in internal darshan of the Lord – due to his perfection in yoga, austerity, meditation, and mantra chanting – ‘sa vai dhiya yoga-vipaka-tivraya’ (Srimad Bhagavatam 4.9.2).

There was so much absorption in seeing the Lord internally that even when the Lord came and stood in front of him, he took no note of Lord standing before him. Lord wondered what happened to him. He said, “Hey Dhruva, I am here!” The Lord tried to get his attention. But Dhruva was so much absorbed seeing the Lord within with spiritual vision, divya chakshu. The Lord soon realized, he is taking My darshan from within. So He turned off that screen. Suddenly Dhruva said, “What happened? Did I lose Him?” So as he opened his eyes, Lord who was within was now without – in front of him. Hari bol!

Same bewilderment of Dhruva upon the Lord’s vision and of His servants:
When Dhurva maharaj saw the Lord in front of him, it is described as tad darshanena agata-sadhvasah (Bhagavatam 4.9.3 When Dhruva Maharaj saw his Lord just in front of him, he was greatly confused and offered Him obeisances and respect.). Same thing happened when he saw the two confidential servants of the Lord – Nanda and Sunanda. It is described in the same words as before –sadvasa vismrita kramah (Bhagavatam 4.12.22 – But, being puzzled, in hastiness he forgot how to receive them in the proper way). Dhruva was temporarily bewildered and did not know what to do, what next? Again he showed the same symptoms – he started offering prayers. Very similar situations: when he had first darshan and when he is going back to Godhead, two times, he was going through very similar emotions – while dealing with the Lord and again while dealing with the confidential servants of the Lord.

Drinking the beauty of the Lord, similar to the Gopis:
He offered prayers similar to those that he offered when he saw the Lord in Madhuban, offering dandavats and drinking the beauty of the form of the Lord with his eyes.
The gopis of course are very expert in drinking the beauty of Krishna. They drink the beauty of the Lord; they drink the form of the Lord. They drink and drink and as soon as the Lord is inside their hearts, they close the windows of their eyes. They take Him to the heart and make Him sit on the throne of their hearts and then they deal with the Lord – they communicate and reciprocate with Him. They couldn’t do that outside due to so many social pressures and customs and etiquettes to be followed. So they couldn’t meet with Him outside. So they drink the Lord’s beauty and contemplate.
Dhruva maharaj was doing something similar. He was drinking the beauty of the Lord with his eyes and with the mouth, he was kissing the feet of the Lord; with his arms, he was embracing the Lord. (Bhagavatam 4.9.3) When he had first darshan of the Lord, he saw the lotus feet of the Lord. And now also, when he was ready to go back to Godhead, he is remembering the same lotus feet.

Thus practicing remembrance of the form and beauty of the Lord, training in that way, in total agreement with the Lord; now Dhurva maharaj was remembering the Lord at the final moments of his life.
Pushkara nabha sammatau – in agreement with the Lord:
Srila Prabhupada says the most significant word in this verse is pushkara nabha sammatau’. Pushkara-nabha is the Lord who has lotus navel. Sammatau is one who is agreed upon, one who is recognized, approved by, sanctioned by or favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This word ‘sammatah’ appears at various places in Srimad Bhagavatam in over 80 entries.
• Pushkara nabha sammatah means agreeing with Pushkara nabha or Supreme Lord.
• Sadhu-sammatah meaning approved by the sages.
• Shastra-sammatah meaning approved by the scriptures.
• Acharya-sammatah meaning approved by and authorized by the acharyas
• Prabhupada-sammatah – sanctioned, approved and authorized by Srila Prabhupada.
• Parampara-sammatah – approved by our whole Parampara, disciplic succession.

So this is all crucial and desirable to have all these sanctions and approvals and acceptance and this kind of agreement by the Lord, sadhus, shastras, acharyas, parampara and Srila Prabhupada. That is one whole set of approvals, sanctions, agreements.

Worldly agreements under Maya’s influence:
And then there is the whole world out there and they have their own sanctions and approvals and agreements etc. That is how the brain washing goes on in the whole world, life after life. Bahunam janmanam ante! After many many births, there comes a moment in one’s life – gyanavan mam prapadyate – a person becomes bhagyavan (fortunate) by the Lord’s causeless mercy, and he comes to know ‘Vasudevam sarvam iti’. Vasudeva is all in all – this much knowledge he gains– such soul is rare – sa mahatma is sudurlabha. (Bhagavad Gita 7.19)

Hare Krishna movement – training to agree with the Lord and disagree with maya:
Srila Prabhuapda is pointing out in the purport that the Hare Krishna movement is the program to train the souls (devotees) in Godly agreement; to get rid of that materialistic agreement with people , like camels, ashes, the stool eater hogs – the materialist men are agreeing upon different things and praising each other and what not. In Hare Krishna movement, one learns to get out of all those materialistic agreements, kick all that and to just go for such training as ‘sarva dharman parityaja mamekam saranam vraja’ (Bhagavad Gita 18.66: Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me) by which we are trained to agree with the Lord – Radha Madhava sammatah. This is authorized by Him. This is Hare Krishna mission, learning to agree with the Lord, and disagree with maya – external energy of the Lord. We are in this business.

Srila Prabhuapda writes in the purport:
“What was possible for Dhruva Maharaj is possible for everyone. Anyone who very seriously engages in devotional service can obtain, in due course of time, the same perfection of the human form of life as Dhurva maharaj.”

Dhruva maharaj ki jay! Gaura premanande Hari bol!

/strong, you will see the Lord. Let me tell you in advance how the Lord would look, so that no one could cheat you by saying I am strongHare Krishna mission