TEXT 1
TEXT
sri-rajovaca
kathyatam bhagavann etat
tayoh sapasya karanam
yat tad vigarhitam karma
yena va devarses tamah
King Pariksit inquired from Sukadeva Gosvami: O great and powerful saint,
what was the cause of Nalakuvara’s and Manigriva’s having been cursed by Narada
Muni? What did they do that was so abominable that even Narada, the great sage,
became angry at them? Kindly describe this to me.
TEXTS 2-3
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
rudrasyanucarau bhutva
sudrptau dhanadatmajau
kailasopavane ramye
mandakinyam madotkatau
varunim madiram pitva
madaghurnita-locanau
stri-janair anugayadbhis
ceratuh puspite vane
Sukadeva Gosvami said: O King Pariksit, because the two sons of Kuvera had
been elevated to the association of Lord Siva, of which they were very much
proud, they were allowed to wander in a garden attached to Kailasa Hill, on the
bank of the Mandakini River. Taking advantage of this, they used to drink a kind
of liquor called Varuni. Accompanied by women singing after them, they would
wander in that garden of flowers, their eyes always rolling in intoxication.
TEXT 4
TEXT
antah pravisya gangayam
ambhoja-vana-rajini
cikridatur yuvatibhir
gajav iva karenubhih
Within the waters of the Mandakini Ganges, which were crowded with gardens of
lotus flowers, the two sons of Kuvera would enjoy young girls, just like two
male elephants enjoying in the water with female elephants.
TEXT 5
TEXT
yadrcchaya ca devarsir
bhagavams tatra kaurava
apasyan narado devau
ksibanau samabudhyata
O Maharaja Pariksit, by some auspicious opportunity for the two boys, the
great saint Devarsi Narada once appeared there by chance. Seeing them
intoxicated, with rolling eyes, he could understand their situation.
TEXT 6
TEXT
tam drstva vridita devyo
vivastrah sapa-sankitah
vasamsi paryadhuh sighram
vivastrau naiva guhyakau
Upon seeing Narada, the naked young girls of the demigods were very much
ashamed. Afraid of being cursed, they covered their bodies with their garments.
But the two sons of Kuvera did not do so; instead, not caring about Narada, they
remained naked.
TEXT 7
TEXT
tau drstva madira-mattau
sri-madandhau suratmajau
tayor anugraharthaya
sapam dasyann idam jagau
Seeing the two sons of the demigods naked and intoxicated by opulence and
false prestige, Devarsi Narada, in order to show them special mercy, desired to
give them a special curse. Thus he spoke as follows.
TEXT 8
TEXT
sri-narada uvaca
na hy anyo jusato josyan
buddhi-bhramso rajo-gunah
sri-madad abhijatyadir
yatra stri dyutam asavah
Narada Muni said: Among all the attractions of material enjoyment, the
attraction of riches bewilders one’s intelligence more than having beautiful
bodily features, taking birth in an aristocratic family, and being learned. When
one is uneducated but falsely puffed up by wealth, the result is that one
engages his wealth in enjoying wine, women and gambling.
TEXT 9
TEXT
hanyante pasavo yatra
nirdayair ajitatmabhih
manyamanair imam deham
ajaramrtyu nasvaram
Unable to control their senses, rascals who are falsely proud of their riches
or their birth in aristocratic families are so cruel that to maintain their
perishable bodies, which they think will never grow old or die, they kill poor
animals without mercy. Sometimes they kill animals merely to enjoy an excursion.
TEXT 10
TEXT
deva-samjnitam apy ante
krmi-vid-bhasma-samjnitam
bhuta-dhruk tat-krte svartham
kim veda nirayo yatah
While living one may be proud of one’s body, thinking oneself a very big man,
minister, president or even demigod, but whatever one may be, after death this
body will turn either into worms, into stool or into ashes. If one kills poor
animals to satisfy the temporary whims of this body, one does not know that he
will suffer in his next birth, for such a sinful miscreant must go to hell and
suffer the results of his actions.
TEXT 11
TEXT
dehah kim anna-datuh svam
nisektur matur eva ca
matuh pitur va balinah
kretur agneh suno ‘pi va
While alive, does this body belong to its employer, to the self, to the
father, the mother, or the mother’s father? Does it belong to the person who
takes it away by force, to the slave master who purchases it, or to the sons who
burn it in the fire? Or, if the body is not burned, does it belong to the dogs
that eat it? Among the many possible claimants, who is the rightful claimant?
Not to ascertain this but instead to maintain the body by sinful activities is
not good.
TEXT 12
TEXT
evam sadharanam deham
avyakta-prabhavapyayam
ko vidvan atmasat krtva
hanti jantun rte ‘satah
This body, after all, is produced by the unmanifested nature and again
annihilated and merged in the natural elements. Therefore, it is the common
property of everyone. Under the circumstances, who but a rascal claims this
property as his own and while maintaining it commits such sinful activities as
killing animals just to satisfy his whims? Unless one is a rascal, one cannot
commit such sinful activities.
TEXT 13
TEXT
asatah sri-madandhasya
daridryam param anjanam
atmaupamyena bhutani
daridrah param iksate
Atheistic fools and rascals who are very much proud of wealth fail to see
things as they are. Therefore, returning them to poverty is the proper ointment
for their eyes so they may see things as they are. At least a poverty-stricken
man can realize how painful poverty is, and therefore he will not want others to
be in a painful condition like his own.
TEXT 14
TEXT
yatha kantaka-viddhango
jantor necchati tam vyatham
jiva-samyam gato lingair
na tathaviddha-kantakah
By seeing their faces, one whose body has been pricked by pins can understand
the pain of others who are pinpricked. Realizing that this pain is the same for
everyone, he does not want others to suffer in this way. But one who has never
been pricked by pins cannot understand this pain.
TEXT 15
TEXT
daridro niraham-stambho
muktah sarva-madair iha
krcchram yadrcchayapnoti
tad dhi tasya param tapah
A poverty-stricken man must automatically undergo austerities and penances
because he does not have the wealth to possess anything. Thus his false prestige
is vanquished. Always in need of food, shelter and clothing, he must be
satisfied with what is obtained by the mercy of providence. Undergoing such
compulsory austerities is good for him because this purifies him and completely
frees him from false ego.
TEXT 16
TEXT
nityam ksut-ksama-dehasya
daridrasyanna-kanksinah
indriyany anususyanti
himsapi vinivartate
Always hungry, longing for sufficient food, a poverty-stricken man gradually
becomes weaker and weaker. Having no extra potency, his senses are automatically
pacified. A poverty-stricken man, therefore, is unable to perform harmful,
envious activities. In other words, such a man automatically gains the results
of the austerities and penances adopted voluntarily by saintly persons.
TEXT 17
TEXT
daridrasyaiva yujyante
sadhavah sama-darsinah
sadbhih ksinoti tam tarsam
tata arad visuddhyati
Saintly persons may freely associate with those who are poverty-stricken, but
not with those who are rich. A poverty-stricken man, by association with saintly
persons, very soon becomes uninterested in material desires, and the dirty
things within the core of his heart are cleansed away.
TEXT 18
TEXT
sadhunam sama-cittanam
mukunda-caranaisinam
upeksyaih kim dhana-stambhair
asadbhir asad-asrayaih
Saintly persons [sadhus] think of Krsna twenty-four hours a day. They have no
other interest. Why should people neglect the association of such exalted
spiritual personalities and try to associate with materialists, taking shelter
of nondevotees, most of whom are proud and rich?
TEXT 19
TEXT
tad aham mattayor madhvya
varunya sri-madandhayoh
tamo-madam harisyami
strainayor ajitatmanoh
Therefore, since these two persons, drunk with the liquor named Varuni, or
Madhvi, and unable to control their senses, have been blinded by the pride of
celestial opulence and have become attached to women, I shall relieve them of
their false prestige.
TEXTS 20-22
TEXT
yad imau loka-palasya
putrau bhutva tamah-plutau
na vivasasam atmanam
vijanitah sudurmadau
ato ‘rhatah sthavaratam
syatam naivam yatha punah
smrtih syan mat-prasadena
tatrapi mad-anugrahat
vasudevasya sannidhyam
labdhva divya-sarac-chate
vrtte svarlokatam bhuyo
labdha-bhakti bhavisyatah
These two young men, Nalakuvara and Manigriva, are by fortune the sons of the
great demigod Kuvera, but because of false prestige and madness after drinking
liquor, they are so fallen that they are naked but cannot understand that they
are. Therefore, because they are living like trees (for trees are naked but are
not conscious), these two young men should receive the bodies of trees. This
will be proper punishment. Nonetheless, after they become trees and until they
are released, by my mercy they will have remembrance of their past sinful
activities. Moreover, by my special favor, after the expiry of one hundred years
by the measurement of the demigods, they will be able to see the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, face to face, and thus revive their real
position as devotees.
TEXT 23
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
evam uktva sa devarsir
gato narayanasramam
nalakuvara-manigrivav
asatur yamalarjunau
Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Having thus spoken, the great saint Devarsi
Narada returned to his asrama, known as Narayana-asrama, and Nalakuvara and
Manigriva became twin arjuna trees.
TEXT 24
TEXT
rser bhagavata-mukhyasya
satyam kartum vaco harih
jagama sanakais tatra
yatrastam yamalarjunau
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, to fulfill the truthfulness of
the words of the greatest devotee, Narada, slowly went to that spot where the
twin arjuna trees were standing.
TEXT 25
TEXT
devarsir me priyatamo
yad imau dhanadatmajau
tat tatha sadhayisyami
yad gitam tan mahatmana
“Although these two young men are the sons of the very rich Kuvera and I have
nothing to do with them, Devarsi Narada is My very dear and affectionate
devotee, and therefore because he wanted Me to come face to face with them, I
must do so for their deliverance.”
TEXT 26
TEXT
ity antarenarjunayoh
krsnas tu yamayor yayau
atma-nirvesa-matrena
tiryag-gatam ulukhalam
Having thus spoken, Krsna soon entered between the two arjuna trees, and thus
the big mortar to which He was bound turned crosswise and stuck between them.
TEXT 27
TEXT
balena niskarsayatanvag ulukhalam tad
damodarena tarasotkalitanghri-bandhau
nispetatuh parama-vikramitativepaskandha-
pravala-vitapau krta-canda-sabdau
By dragging behind Him with great force the wooden mortar tied to His belly,
the boy Krsna uprooted the two trees. By the great strength of the Supreme
Person, the two trees, with their trunks, leaves and branches, trembled severely
and fell to the ground with a great crash.
TEXT 28
TEXT
tatra sriya paramaya kakubhah sphurantau
siddhav upetya kujayor iva jata-vedah
krsnam pranamya sirasakhila-loka-natham
baddhanjali virajasav idam ucatuh sma
Thereafter, in that very place where the two arjuna trees had fallen, two
great, perfect personalities, who appeared like fire personified, came out of
the two trees. The effulgence of their beauty illuminating all directions, with
bowed heads they offered obeisances to Krsna, and with hands folded they spoke
the following words.
TEXT 29
TEXT
krsna krsna maha-yogims
tvam adyah purusah parah
vyaktavyaktam idam visvam
rupam te brahmana viduh
O Lord Krsna, Lord Krsna, Your opulent mysticism is inconceivable. You are
the supreme, original person, the cause of all causes, immediate and remote, and
You are beyond this material creation. Learned brahmanas know [on the basis of
the Vedic statement sarvam khalv idam brahma] that You are everything and that
this cosmic manifestation, in its gross and subtle aspects, is Your form.
TEXTS 30-31
TEXT
tvam ekah sarva-bhutanam
dehasv-atmendriyesvarah
tvam eva kalo bhagavan
visnur avyaya isvarah
tvam mahan prakrtih suksma
rajah-sattva-tamomayi
tvam eva puruso ‘dhyaksah
sarva-ksetra-vikara-vit
You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of everything. The
body, life, ego and senses of every living entity are Your own self. You are the
Supreme Person, Visnu, the imperishable controller. You are the time factor, the
immediate cause, and You are material nature, consisting of the three modes
passion, goodness and ignorance. You are the original cause of this material
manifestation. You are the Supersoul, and therefore You know everything within
the core of the heart of every living entity.
TEXT 32
TEXT
grhyamanais tvam agrahyo
vikaraih prakrtair gunaih
ko nv iharhati vijnatum
prak siddham guna-samvrtah
O Lord, You exist before the creation. Therefore, who, trapped by a body of
material qualities in this material world, can understand You?
TEXT 33
TEXT
tasmai tubhyam bhagavate
vasudevaya vedhase
atma-dyota-gunais channamahimne
brahmane namah
O Lord, whose glories are covered by Your own energy, You are the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. You are Sankarsana, the origin of creation, and You are
Vasudeva, the origin of the caturvyuha. Because You are everything and are
therefore the Supreme Brahman, we simply offer our respectful obeisances unto
You.
TEXTS 34-35
TEXT
yasyavatara jnayante
sariresv asaririnah
tais tair atulyatisayair
viryair dehisv asangataih
sa bhavan sarva-lokasya
bhavaya vibhavaya ca
avatirno ‘msa-bhagena
sampratam patir asisam
Appearing in bodies like those of an ordinary fish, tortoise and hog, You
exhibit activities impossible for such creatures to perform–extraordinary,
incomparable, transcendental activities of unlimited power and strength. These
bodies of Yours, therefore, are not made of material elements, but are
incarnations of Your Supreme Personality. You are the same Supreme Personality
of Godhead, who have now appeared, with full potency, for the benefit of all
living entities within this material world.
TEXT 36
TEXT
namah parama-kalyana
namah parama-mangala
vasudevaya santaya
yadunam pataye namah
O supremely auspicious, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You, who are
the supreme good. O most famous descendant and controller of the Yadu dynasty, O
son of Vasudeva, O most peaceful, let us offer our obeisances unto Your lotus
feet.
TEXT 37
TEXT
anujanihi nau bhumams
tavanucara-kinkarau
darsanam nau bhagavata
rser asid anugrahat
O supreme form, we are always servants of Your servants, especially of Narada
Muni. Now give us permission to leave for our home. It is by the grace and mercy
of Narada Muni that we have been able to see You face to face.
TEXT 38
TEXT
vani gunanukathane sravanau kathayam
hastau ca karmasu manas tava padayor nah
smrtyam siras tava nivasa-jagat-praname
drstih satam darsane ‘stu bhavat-tanunam
Henceforward, may all our words describe Your pastimes, may our ears engage
in aural reception of Your glories, may our hands, legs and other senses engage
in actions pleasing to You, and may our minds always think of Your lotus feet.
May our heads offer our obeisances to everything within this world, because all
things are also Your different forms, and may our eyes see the forms of
Vaisnavas, who are nondifferent from You.
TEXT 39
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
ittham sankirtitas tabhyam
bhagavan gokulesvarah
damna colukhale baddhah
prahasann aha guhyakau
Sukadeva Gosvami continued: The two young demigods thus offered prayers to
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although Sri Krsna, the Supreme Godhead, is
the master of all and was certainly Gokulesvara, the master of Gokula, He was
bound to the wooden mortar by the ropes of the gopis, and therefore, smiling
widely, He spoke to the sons of Kuvera the following words.
TEXT 40
TEXT
sri-bhagavan uvaca
jnatam mama puraivaitad
rsina karunatmana
yac chri-madandhayor vagbhir
vibhramso ‘nugrahah krtah
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The great saint Narada Muni is very
merciful. By his curse, he showed the greatest favor to both of you, who were
mad after material opulence and who had thus become blind. Although you fell
from the higher planet Svargaloka and became trees, you were most favored by
him. I knew of all these incidents from the very beginning.
TEXT 41
TEXT
sadhunam sama-cittanam
sutaram mat-krtatmanam
darsanan no bhaved bandhah
pumso ‘ksnoh savitur yatha
When one is face to face with the sun, there is no longer darkness for one’s
eyes. Similarly, when one is face to face with a sadhu, a devotee, who is fully
determined and surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one will no
longer be subject to material bondage.
TEXT 42
TEXT
tad gacchatam mat-paramau
nalakuvara sadanam
sanjato mayi bhavo vam
ipsitah paramo ‘bhavah
O Nalakuvara and Manigriva, now you may both return home. Since you desire to
be always absorbed in My devotional service, your desire to develop love and
affection for Me will be fulfilled, and now you will never fall from that
platform.
TEXT 43
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
ity uktau tau parikramya
pranamya ca punah punah
baddholukhalam amantrya
jagmatur disam uttaram
Sukadeva Gosvami said: The Supreme Personality of Godhead having spoken to
the two demigods in this way, they circumambulated the Lord, who was bound to
the wooden mortar, and offered obeisances to Him. After taking the permission of
Lord Krsna, they returned to their respective homes.
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