TEXT 1
TEXT
rsabha uvaca
nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke
kastan kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye
tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam
suddhyed yasmad brahma-saukhyam tv anantam
Lord Rsabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living
entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has
been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply
for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that
eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the
divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one’s heart is
purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal,
blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which
continues forever.
TEXT 2
TEXT
mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes
tamo-dvaram yositam sangi-sangam
mahantas te sama-cittah prasanta
vimanyavah suhrdah sadhavo ye
One can attain the path of liberation from material bondage only by
rendering service to highly advanced spiritual personalities. These
personalities are impersonalists and devotees. Whether one wants to merge
into the Lord’s existence or wants to associate with the Personality of
Godhead, one should render service to the mahatmas. For those who are not
interested in such activities, who associate with people fond of women
and sex, the path to hell is wide open. The mahatmas are equipoised. They
do not see any difference between one living entity and another. They are
very peaceful and are fully engaged in devotional service. They are
devoid of anger, and they work for the benefit of everyone. They do not
behave in any abominable way. Such people are known as mahatmas.
TEXT 3
TEXT
ye va mayise krta-sauhrdartha
janesu dehambhara-vartikesu
grhesu jayatmaja-ratimatsu
na priti-yukta yavad-arthas ca loke
Those who are interested in reviving Krsna consciousness and
increasing their love of Godhead do not like to do anything that is not
related to Krsna. They are not interested in mingling with people who are
busy maintaining their bodies, eating, sleeping, mating and defending.
They are not attached to their homes, although they may be householders.
Nor are they attached to wives, children, friends or wealth. At the same
time, they are not indifferent to the execution of their duties. Such
people are interested in collecting only enough money to keep the body
and soul together.
TEXT 4
TEXT
nunam pramattah kurute vikarma
yad indriya-pritaya aprnoti
na sadhu manye yata atmano ‘yam
asann api klesada asa dehah
When a person considers sense gratification the aim of life, he
certainly becomes mad after materialistic living and engages in all kinds
of sinful activity. He does not know that due to his past misdeeds he has
already received a body which, although temporary, is the cause of his
misery. Actually the living entity should not have taken on a material
body, but he has been awarded the material body for sense gratification.
Therefore I think it not befitting an intelligent man to involve himself
again in the activities of sense gratification by which he perpetually
gets material bodies one after another.
TEXT 5
TEXT
parabhavas tavad abodha-jato
yavan na jijnasata atma-tattvam
yavat kriyas tavad idam mano vai
karmatmakam yena sarira-bandhah
As long as one does not inquire about the spiritual values of life,
one is defeated and subjected to miseries arising from ignorance. Be it
sinful or pious, karma has its resultant actions. If a person is engaged
in any kind of karma, his mind is called karmatmaka, colored with
fruitive activity. As long as the mind is impure, consciousness is
unclear, and as long as one is absorbed in fruitive activity, he has to
accept a material body.
TEXT 6
TEXT
evam manah karma-vasam prayunkte
avidyayatmany upadhiyamane
pritir na yavan mayi vasudeve
na mucyate deha-yogena tavat
When the living entity is covered by the mode of ignorance, he does
not understand the individual living being and the supreme living being,
and his mind is subjugated to fruitive activity. Therefore, until one has
love for Lord Vasudeva, who is none other than Myself, he is certainly
not delivered from having to accept a material body again and again.
TEXT 7
TEXT
yada na pasyaty ayatha guneham
svarthe pramattah sahasa vipascit
gata-smrtir vindati tatra tapan
asadya maithunyam agaram ajnah
Even though one may be very learned and wise, he is mad if he does not
understand that the endeavor for sense gratification is a useless waste
of time. Being forgetful of his own interest, he tries to be happy in the
material world, centering his interests around his home, which is based
on sexual intercourse and which brings him all kinds of material
miseries. In this way one is no better than a foolish animal.
TEXT 8
TEXT
pumsah striya mithuni-bhavam etam
tayor mitho hrdaya-granthim ahuh
ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittair
janasya moho ‘yam aham mameti
The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of
material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties
together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his
body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one
increases life’s illusions and thinks in terms of “I and mine.”
TEXT 9
TEXT
yada mano-hrdaya-granthir asya
karmanubaddho drdha aslatheta
tada janah samparivartate ‘smad
muktah param yaty atihaya hetum
When the strong knot in the heart of a person implicated in material
life due to the results of past action is slackened, one turns away from
his attachment to home, wife and children. In this way, one gives up the
basic principle of illusion [I and mine] and becomes liberated. Thus one
goes to the transcendental world.
TEXTS 10-13
TEXT
hamse gurau mayi bhaktyanuvrtya
vitrsnaya dvandva-titiksaya ca
sarvatra jantor vyasanavagatya
jijnasaya tapaseha-nivrttya
mat-karmabhir mat-kathaya ca nityam
mad-deva-sangad guna-kirtanan me
nirvaira-samyopasamena putra
jihasaya deha-gehatma-buddheh
adhyatma-yogena vivikta-sevaya
pranendriyatmabhijayena sadhryak
sac-chraddhaya brahmacaryena sasvad
asampramadena yamena vacam
sarvatra mad-bhava-vicaksanena
jnanena vijnana-virajitena
yogena dhrty-udyama-sattva-yukto
lingam vyapohet kusalo ‘ham-akhyam
O My sons, you should accept a highly elevated paramahamsa, a
spiritually advanced spiritual master. In this way, you should place your
faith and love in Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You should
detest sense gratification and tolerate the duality of pleasure and pain,
which are like the seasonal changes of summer and winter. Try to realize
the miserable condition of living entities, who are miserable even in the
higher planetary systems. Philosophically inquire about the truth. Then
undergo all kinds of austerities and penances for the sake of devotional
service. Give up the endeavor for sense enjoyment and engage in the
service of the Lord. Listen to discussions about the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, and always associate with devotees. Chant about and glorify
the Supreme Lord, and look upon everyone equally on the spiritual
platform. Give up enmity and subdue anger and lamentation. Abandon
identifying the self with the body and the home, and practice reading the
revealed scriptures. Live in a secluded place and practice the process by
which you can completely control your life air, mind and senses. Have
full faith in the revealed scriptures, the Vedic literatures, and always
observe celibacy. Perform your prescribed duties and avoid unnecessary
talks. Always thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, acquire
knowledge from the right source. Thus practicing bhakti-yoga, you will
patiently and enthusiastically be elevated in knowledge and will be able
to give up the false ego.
TEXT 14
TEXT
karmasayam hrdaya-granthi-bandham
avidyayasaditam apramattah
anena yogena yathopadesam
samyag vyapohyoparameta yogat
As I have advised you, My dear sons, you should act accordingly. Be
very careful. By these means you will be freed from the ignorance of the
desire for fruitive activity, and the knot of bondage in the heart will
be completely severed. For further advancement, you should also give up
the means. That is, you should not become attached to the process of
liberation itself.
TEXT 15
TEXT
putrams ca sisyams ca nrpo gurur va
mal-loka-kamo mad-anugraharthah
ittham vimanyur anusisyad ataj-jnan
na yojayet karmasu karma-mudhan
kam yojayan manujo ‘rtham labheta
nipatayan nasta-drsam hi garte
If one is serious about going back home, back to Godhead, he must
consider the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the summum bonum
and chief aim of life. If he is a father instructing his sons, a
spiritual master instructing his disciples, or a king instructing his
citizens, he must instruct them as I have advised. Without being angry,
he should continue giving instructions, even if his disciple, son or
citizen is sometimes unable to follow his order. Ignorant people who
engage in pious and impious activities should be engaged in devotional
service by all means. They should always avoid fruitive activity. If one
puts into the bondage of karmic activity his disciple, son or citizen who
is bereft of transcendental vision, how will one profit? It is like
leading a blind man to a dark well and causing him to fall in.
TEXT 16
TEXT
lokah svayam sreyasi nasta-drstir
yo ‘rthan samiheta nikama-kamah
anyonya-vairah sukha-lesa-hetor
ananta-duhkham ca na veda mudhah
Due to ignorance, the materialistic person does not know anything
about his real self-interest, the auspicious path in life. He is simply
bound to material enjoyment by lusty desires, and all his plans are made
for this purpose. For temporary sense gratification, such a person
creates a society of envy, and due to this mentality, he plunges into the
ocean of suffering. Such a foolish person does not even know about this.
TEXT 17
TEXT
kas tam svayam tad-abhijno vipascid
avidyayam antare vartamanam
drstva punas tam saghrnah kubuddhim
prayojayed utpathagam yathandham
If someone is ignorant and addicted to the path of samsara, how can
one who is actually learned, merciful and advanced in spiritual knowledge
engage him in fruitive activity and thus further entangle him in material
existence? If a blind man is walking down the wrong path, how can a
gentleman allow him to continue on his way to danger? How can he approve
this method? No wise or kind man can allow this.
TEXT 18
TEXT
gurur na sa syat sva-jano na sa syat
pita na sa syaj janani na sa syat
daivam na tat syan na patis ca sa syan
na mocayed yah samupeta-mrtyum
“One who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth
and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a
mother or a worshipable demigod.
TEXT 19
TEXT
idam sariram mama durvibhavyam
sattvam hi me hrdayam yatra dharmah
prsthe krto me yad adharma arad
ato hi mam rsabham prahur aryah
My transcendental body [sac-cid-ananda-vigraha] looks exactly like a
human form, but it is not a material human body. It is inconceivable. I
am not forced by nature to accept a particular type of body; I take on a
body by My own sweet will. My heart is also spiritual, and I always think
of the welfare of My devotees. Therefore within My heart can be found the
process of devotional service, which is meant for the devotees. Far from
My heart have I abandoned irreligion [adharma] and nondevotional
activities. They do not appeal to Me. Due to all these transcendental
qualities, people generally pray to Me as Rsabhadeva, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the best of all living entities.
TEXT 20
TEXT
tasmad bhavanto hrdayena jatah
sarve mahiyamsam amum sanabham
aklista-buddhya bharatam bhajadhvam
susrusanam tad bharanam prajanam
My dear boys, you are all born of My heart, which is the seat of all
spiritual qualities. Therefore you should not be like materialistic and
envious men. You should accept your eldest brother, Bharata, who is
exalted in devotional service. If you engage yourselves in Bharata’s
service, your service to him will include My service, and you will rule
the citizens automatically.
TEXTS 21-22
TEXT
bhutesu virudbhya uduttama ye
sarisrpas tesu sabodha-nisthah
tato manusyah pramathas tato ‘pi
gandharva-siddha vibudhanuga ye
devasurebhyo maghavat-pradhana
daksadayo brahma-sutas tu tesam
bhavah parah so ‘tha virinca-viryah
sa mat-paro ‘ham dvija-deva-devah
Of the two energies manifest [spirit and dull matter], beings
possessing living force [vegetables, grass, trees and plants] are
superior to dull matter [stone, earth, etc.]. Superior to nonmoving
plants and vegetables are worms and snakes, which can move. Superior to
worms and snakes are animals that have developed intelligence. Superior
to animals are human beings, and superior to human beings are ghosts
because they have no material bodies. Superior to ghosts are the
Gandharvas, and superior to them are the Siddhas. Superior to the Siddhas
are the Kinnaras, and superior to them are the asuras. Superior to the
asuras are the demigods, and of the demigods, Indra, the King of heaven,
is supreme. Superior to Indra are the direct sons of Lord Brahma, sons
like King Daksa, and supreme among Brahma’s sons is Lord Siva. Since Lord
Siva is the son of Lord Brahma, Brahma is considered superior, but Brahma
is also subordinate to Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because I
am inclined to the brahmanas, the brahmanas are best of all.
TEXT 23
TEXT
na brahmanais tulaye bhutam anyat
pasyami viprah kim atah param tu
yasmin nrbhih prahutam sraddhayaham
asnami kamam na tathagni-hotre
O respectful brahmanas, as far as I am concerned, no one is equal or
superior to the brahmanas in this world. I do not find anyone comparable
to them. When people know My motive after performing rituals according to
the Vedic principles, they offer food to Me with faith and love through
the mouth of a brahmana. When food is thus offered unto Me, I eat it with
full satisfaction. Indeed, I derive more pleasure from food offered in
that way than from the food offered in the sacrificial fire.
TEXT 24
TEXT
dhrta tanur usati me purani
yeneha sattvam paramam pavitram
samo damah satyam anugrahas ca
tapas titiksanubhavas ca yatra
The Vedas are My eternal transcendental sound incarnation. Therefore
the Vedas are sabda-brahma. In this world, the brahmanas thoroughly study
all the Vedas, and because they assimilate the Vedic conclusions, they
are also to be considered the Vedas personified. The brahmanas are
situated in the supreme transcendental mode of nature–sattva-guna.
Because of this, they are fixed in mind control [sama], sense control
[dama], and truthfulness [satya]. They describe the Vedas in their
original sense, and out of mercy [anugraha] they preach the purpose of
the Vedas to all conditioned souls. They practice penance [tapasya] and
tolerance [titiksa], and they realize the position of the living entity
and the Supreme Lord [anubhava]. These are the eight qualifications of
the brahmanas. Therefore among all living entities, no one is superior to
the brahmanas.
TEXT 25
TEXT
matto ‘py anantat paratah parasmat
svargapavargadhipater na kincit
yesam kim u syad itarena tesam
akincananam mayi bhakti-bhajam
I am fully opulent, almighty and superior to Lord Brahma and Indra,
the King of the heavenly planets. I am also the bestower of all happiness
obtained in the heavenly kingdom and by liberation. Nonetheless, the
brahmanas do not seek material comforts from Me. They are very pure and
do not want to possess anything. They simply engage in My devotional
service. What is the need of their asking for material benefits from
anyone else?
TEXT 26
TEXT
sarvani mad-dhisnyataya bhavadbhis
carani bhutani suta dhruvani
sambhavitavyani pade pade vo
vivikta-drgbhis tad u harhanam me
My dear sons, you should not envy any living entity–be he moving or
nonmoving. Knowing that I am situated in them, you should offer respect
to all of them at every moment. In this way, you offer respect to Me.
TEXT 27
TEXT
mano-vaco-drk-karanehitasya
saksat-krtam me paribarhanam hi
vina puman yena maha-vimohat
krtanta-pasan na vimoktum iset
The true activity of the sense organs–mind, sight, words and all the
knowledge-gathering and working senses–is to engage fully in My service.
Unless his senses are thus engaged, a living entity cannot think of
getting out of the great entanglement of material existence, which is
exactly like Yamaraja’s stringent rope.
TEXT 28
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
evam anusasyatmajan svayam anusistan api lokanusasanartham mahanubhavah
parama-suhrd bhagavan rsabhapadesa upasama-silanam uparata-karmanam mahamuninam
bhakti-jnana-vairagya-laksanam paramahamsya-dharmam upasiksamanah
sva-tanaya-sata-jyestham parama-bhagavatam bhagavaj-jana-parayanam
bharatam dharani-palanayabhisicya svayam bhavana evorvarita-sarira-matraparigraha
unmatta iva gagana-paridhanah prakirna-kesa atmany
aropitahavaniyo brahmavartat pravavraja.
Sukadeva Gosvami said: Thus the great well-wisher of everyone, the
Supreme Lord Rsabhadeva, instructed His own sons. Although they were
perfectly educated and cultured, He instructed them just to set an
example of how a father should instruct his sons before retiring from
family life. Sannyasis, who are no longer bound by fruitive activity and
who have taken to devotional service after all their material desires
have been vanquished, also learn by these instructions. Lord Rsabhadeva
instructed His one hundred sons, of whom the eldest, Bharata, was a very
advanced devotee and a follower of Vaisnavas. In order to rule the whole
world, the Lord enthroned His eldest son on the royal seat. Thereafter,
although still at home, Lord Rsabhadeva lived like a madman, naked and
with disheveled hair. Then the Lord took the sacrificial fire within
Himself, and He left Brahmavarta to tour the whole world.
TEXT 29
TEXT
jadandha-muka-badhira-pisaconmadakavad-avadhuta-veso ‘bhibhasyamano ‘pi
jananam grhita-mauna-vratas tusnim babhuva.
After accepting the feature of avadhuta, a great saintly person
without material cares, Lord Rsabhadeva passed through human society like
a blind, deaf and dumb man, an idle stone, a ghost or a madman. Although
people called Him such names, He remained silent and did not speak to
anyone.
TEXT 30
TEXT
tatra tatra pura-gramakara-kheta-vata-kharvata-sibira-vraja-ghosa-sarthagiri-
vanasramadisv anupatham avanicarapasadaih paribhuyamano maksikabhir
iva vana-gajas tarjana-tadanavamehana-sthivana-grava-sakrd-rajahpraksepa-
puti-vata-duruktais tad aviganayann evasat-samsthana etasmin
dehopalaksane sad-apadesa ubhayanubhava-svarupena svamahimavasthanenasamaropitaham-
mamabhimanatvad avikhandita-manah prthivim
eka-carah paribabhrama.
Rsabhadeva began to tour through cities, villages, mines,
countrysides, valleys, gardens, military camps, cow pens, the homes of
cowherd men, transient hotels, hills, forests and hermitages. Wherever He
traveled, all bad elements surrounded Him, just as flies surround the
body of an elephant coming from a forest. He was always being threatened,
beaten, urinated upon and spat upon. Sometimes people threw stones, stool
and dust at Him, and sometimes people passed foul air before Him. Thus
people called Him many bad names and gave Him a great deal of trouble,
but He did not care about this, for He understood that the body is simply
meant for such an end. He was situated on the spiritual platform, and,
being in His spiritual glory, He did not care for all these material
insults. In other words, He completely understood that matter and spirit
are separate, and He had no bodily conception. Thus, without being angry
at anyone, He walked through the whole world alone.
TEXT 31
TEXT
ati-sukumara-kara-caranorah-sthala-vipula-bahv-amsa-gala-vadanadyavayava-
vinyasah prakrti-sundara-svabhava-hasa-sumukho nava-nalinadalayamana-
sisira-tararunayata-nayana-rucirah sadrsa-subhaga-kapolakarna-
kantha-naso vigudha-smita-vadana-mahotsavena pura-vanitanam manasi
kusuma-sarasanam upadadhanah parag-avalambamana-kutila-jatila-kapisakesa-
bhuri-bharo ‘vadhuta-malina-nija-sarirena graha-grhita ivadrsyata.
Lord Rsabhadeva’s hands, feet and chest were very long. His shoulders,
face and limbs were all very delicate and symmetrically proportioned. His
mouth was beautifully decorated with His natural smile, and He appeared
all the more lovely with His reddish eyes spread wide like the petals of
a newly grown lotus flower covered with dew in the early morning. The
irises of His eyes were so pleasing that they removed all the troubles of
everyone who saw Him. His forehead, ears, neck, nose and all His other
features were very beautiful. His gentle smile always made His face
beautiful, so much so that He even attracted the hearts of married women.
It was as though they had been pierced by arrows of Cupid. About His head
was an abundance of curly, matted brown hair. His hair was disheveled
because His body was dirty and not taken care of. He appeared as if He
were haunted by a ghost.
TEXT 32
TEXT
yarhi vava sa bhagavan lokam imam yogasyaddha pratipam ivacaksanas tatpratikriya-
karma bibhatsitam iti vratam ajagaram-asthitah sayana evasnati
pibati khadaty avamehati hadati sma cestamana uccarita adigdhoddesah.
When Lord Rsabhadeva saw that the general populace was very
antagonistic to His execution of mystic yoga, He accepted the behavior of
a python in order to counteract their opposition. Thus He stayed in one
place and lay down. While lying down, He ate and drank, and He passed
stool and urine and rolled in it. Indeed, He smeared His whole body with
His own stool and urine so that opposing elements might not come and
disturb Him.
TEXT 33
TEXT
tasya ha yah purisa-surabhi-saugandhya-vayus tam desam dasa-yojanam
samantat surabhim cakara.
Because Lord Rsabhadeva remained in that condition, the public did not
disturb Him, but no bad aroma emanated from His stool and urine. Quite
the contrary, His stool and urine were so aromatic that they filled
eighty miles of the countryside with a pleasant fragrance.
TEXT 34
TEXT
evam go-mrga-kaka-caryaya vrajams tisthann asinah sayanah kaka-mrga-gocaritah
pibati khadaty avamehati sma.
In this way Lord Rsabhadeva followed the behavior of cows, deer and
crows. Sometimes He moved or walked, and sometimes He sat down in one
place. Sometimes He lay down, behaving exactly like cows, deer and crows.
In that way, He ate, drank, passed stool and urine and cheated the people
in this way.
TEXT 35
TEXT
iti nana-yoga-caryacarano bhagavan kaivalya-patir rsabho ‘virata-paramamahanandanubhava
atmani sarvesam bhutanam atma-bhute bhagavati vasudeva
atmano ‘vyavadhanananta-rodara-bhavena siddha-samastartha-paripurno
yogaisvaryani vaihayasa-mano-javantardhana-parakaya-pravesa-duragrahanadini
yadrcchayopagatani nanjasa nrpa hrdayenabhyanandat.
O King Pariksit, just to show all the yogis the mystic process, Lord
Rsabhadeva, the partial expansion of Lord Krsna, performed wonderful
activities. Actually He was the master of liberation and was fully
absorbed in transcendental bliss, which increased a thousandfold. Lord
Krsna, Vasudeva, the son of Vasudeva, is the original source of Lord
Rsabhadeva. There is no difference in Their constitution, and
consequently Lord Rsabhadeva awakened the loving symptoms of crying,
laughing and shivering. He was always absorbed in transcendental love.
Due to this, all mystic powers automatically approached Him, such as the
ability to travel in outer space at the speed of mind, to appear and
disappear, to enter the bodies of others, and to see things far, far
away. Although He could do all this, He did not exercise these powers.
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