Canto
4
Chapter 30: The Activities of the Pracetâs
(1) Vidura said: 'The sons of Prâcînabarhi you before spoke about, o brahmin, all successfully satisfied the Lord by chanting the song of Lord S'iva [see 4: 24]; what did they achieve that way? (2) What, o disciple of Brihaspati, was it that the Pracetâs, dear to the Bestower of Liberation, after meeting the god of the Kailâsa mountain, apart from achieving the Supreme, from that here at different places by providence realized?'
(3) Maitreya said: 'The Pracetâs who at the lake carried out the orders of their father, satisfied by chanting mantras with their austerity the Indweller [the Supreme Lord]. (4) After their ten thousand years of severe austerity [see also 4.24: 14] appeared then the Original Person of the Eternal, satisfying and soothing them with His beauty.(5) Sitting on the back of His carrier bird [Garuda], He looked like a cloud on the summit of Mount Meru, dissipating all darkness around, wearing yellow garments and the jewel around his neck. (6) Shining with the golden ornaments radiated He with His helmet on His head and His dazzling face, His eight weapons and the entourage of sages and demigods, while Garuda served Him singing His glories like a superhuman being [a Kinnara]. (7) With in the midst of His eight stout arms hanging a flower garland, challenging the beauty of the Goddess of Fortune, addressed the Original Personality of Godhead the surrendered sons of Prâcînabarhi with a voice resounding like thunder as He mercifully looked down upon them. (8) The Supreme Lord said: 'I am very pleased with the friendship of you all, being so dutiful in the same friendliness, o Sons of the King; therefore, to your good fortune, you may ask for a boon from Me. (9) The human being who consequently remembers you each day in the evening will find friendship with his brothers as well as equality with all living beings. (10) Those persons, who unto Me in the morning and the evening by means of the song of S'iva are attentive in offering prayers, I shall award all requests in what they desired for the better of the divine of their intelligence. (11) The fine of your glory will be known the world all over, because you so very gladly accepted your father's order. (12) There will be a very famous son [called Vis'ruta], in his qualities no way inferior to Lord Brahmâ, who will populate the three worlds with his progeny. (13) The lotus-eyed daughter sage Kandu got from the heavenly girl named Pramlocâ, was left to the care of the [divinity of the] trees, o sons of Prâcînabarhi. (14) When she was distressed by hunger and cried poured Soma, the King of the Moon, by means of his forefinger the nectar compassionately in her mouth. (15) On My direction, create offspring in following what was ordered by your father and marry without delay her, that daughter so highly qualified and beautiful. (16) May this wife, this well-behaved girl so slender, be full in her surrender; in her character and sense of duty is she not different from all of you, her ways are the same. (17) By My mercy, will your power for millions of heavenly years [one year on earth is one day in heaven see 3: 11] be undefeated in this world and will you for sure enjoy all the pleasures of heaven as well. (18) Be therefore steadfast unto Me by means of devotional service; with your mind free from being contaminated by the modes, you will attain My abode and thus no longer be concerned, freed from material existence. (19) Even for persons who have entered a household life is such a family existence not considered a cause of bondage, when one spends every minute of one's time on auspicious activities and topics about Me. (20) When one has attained this, this ever fresh Knower in the heart present as the Supreme Spirit of God as defended by the knowers of the Absolute Truth, is one not lamenting or jubilant, nor is one bewildered.
(21) Maitreya said: 'When they heard Him, the Lord, the remover of all obstacles thus speak of the supreme purpose of life was the darkness of the contamination of passion of the Pracetâs driven away and offered they, with faltering voices and folded hands, prayers to the greatest of all friends. (22) The Pracetâs said: 'Our obeisances again and again unto the destroyer of all distress who made His name as the magnanimous One of the qualities always ahead of the fastest mind and speech; all glories to Him whose course by sensual means cannot be perceived. (23) Unto the Unadulterated, the Most Peaceful we offer our respects; the dual world appears as having no meaning with one's mind fixed on what is His; our obeisances unto Him who, to the modes of matter, assumed the forms for the maintenance, creation and annihilation of the universe. (24) Our reverence is for You, whose existence is free from the material influence, who takes away the misery, who is always after the deliverance of the conditioned souls and who is the all-pervading Lord of consciousness Vâsudeva, Krishna, the promoter of all devotees. (25) Our respects for the One with the lotus navel, the One with the lotus garland, the One of the lotus feet and for Him who has the lotus eyes. (26) Let us unto Him whose garment is spotless with the color of the yellow saffron of a lotus flower, unto the Supreme Witness, the shelter of all living beings, offer our obeisances. (27) The form You revealed to us, sufferers of the material, o Lord, dissipates an unlimited amount of miseries; what other favor could we expect from You? (28) You from Your compassion by Your expansions visible to the humble devotees, are, with the necessary respect of time, always remembered through one's devotional service, o destroyer of all inauspiciousness. (29) Trough that service You quiet all desires of the living beings, however deeply fallen they may be desiring so many things; and why would You, hidden in our hearts, not know of all we long for? (30) That for sure is the boon we desire; that You, o Father of the Universe, are satisfied, You as the Supreme Lord and spiritual master with whom one on the path of liberation reaches the ultimate goal. (31) Therefore we pray for that benediction from You, o Lord of transcendence above all; there is no end to Your opulence and thus You are celebrated as Ananta [the Unlimited One]. (32) A bee complete in its achieving the Pârijâta [the honey-dripping celestial wish-fulfilling tree or kalpa-vriksha] does not resort to another; having approached Your lotus feet, the root of everything, what, o what would we further ask for? (33) As long as we are contaminated by Your illusory energy [mâyâ], we have to wander around in this world according our workload [our karma], let us for that time have the association of Your loving devotees, whatever life we may find. (34) A moment's association in the company of the ones attached to the Supreme Lord compares not even to the attainment of heaven, nor to the love of not being born again; what greater benediction is there for a mortal being? (35) Where there is the pure of Your words in worship and discussion, is all material hankering appeased and is there no envy between the living beings, nor any fear. (36) Where there is the worship of Lord Nârâyana, the ultimate goal of the renounced ones, is the Supreme Lord personally present by the ever repeated talks of truth of those who are free from attachment. (37) Why should meeting those devotees, who, intent on purification, direct their feet to travel to the holy places, not become the pleasure of the ones living in fear? (38) We who for a moment were in the presence of Lord S'iva, Your dearest friend o Lord, are today certain of having achieved the destination of You, the expert physician to cure us by association from death, the most difficult to cure disease of material existence.(39-40) We, who studied the scriptures, who pleased the teachers, the brahmins and the elderly and were nice to all the ones of culture [the advanced, the âryans] and who without any envy offered their respects to friends, brothers and all living beings, what else would we want? We, who in this for the satisfaction of the most exalted Original Person were of all that severe penance, o Lord and for a long time by the water abstained from food, what other boon would we desire from You? (41) Manu, Brahmâ, the mighty Lord S'iva as also others who by austerity and knowledge purified their existence could, in the end though, not see You, in our offering prayers to Your honor, but nevertheless have we according our own capacity offered You our prayers. (42) Our obeisances to You, the Supreme transcendental Person equal to everyone and always pure, the Supreme omnipresent Lord of eternal goodness.'
(43) Maitreya said: 'Thus being praised by the Pracetâs expressed the Lord, pleased that way, His affection and care for the surrendered souls, but with Him leaving for His own abode did they not wish to part from Him, as they had not seen enough of Him, the non-material prowess. (44) Thereafter left all of the Pracetâs the water of the lake, but seeing that the world had been covered by trees that had grown very tall as if they wanted to obstruct the way to heaven, they became frantic. (45) Like with the fire of devastation at the end of time, they then out of their bitterness, o King [Vidura as a ruler over the senses], set with the help of the wind all directions on fire to make the earth treeless. (46) Seeing that they had turned all the trees into ashes, came the Great Father [Brahmâ] to pacify the sons of Barhishmân with reason. (47) The remaining trees there, who were very afraid [they or their deity], at that time, on the advise of Brahmâ, delivered their daughter to the Pracetâs [see text 13]. (48) By the order of Brahmâ, they all married her, Mârishâ, from whom, because of having been of disrespect for the Great One [S'iva see 4: 2], the son of the Instigator [the son of Brahmâ] took birth again. (49) He was no other than Daksha, the one who inspired by God brought forth all the life wished for and who in his previous existence during his time happened to be destroyed at the time of the manvantara [period of Manu ] called Câkshusha [the present one being called Vaivasvata*]. (50-51) Because he was someone who just after his birth with the brilliance of his luster outshone the brilliance of all, was he, being such an expert in fruitive activity, called Daksha ['the very expert']. He, appointed by the First One, Brahmâ, to generate all the living so that the human race was maintained, made also sure he engaged all the other founding fathers.
Second edition, loaded December 18, 2006.
Source texts:
The Activities of the Pracetâs
Vidura said: 'The sons of Prâcînabarhi you before spoke about, o brahmin, all successfully satisfied the Lord by chanting the song of Lord S'iva [see 4: 24]; what did they achieve that way?Vidura inquired from Maitreya: O brâhmana, you formerly spoke about the sons of Prâcînabarhi and informed me that they satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead by chanting a song composed by Lord S'iva. What did they achieve in this way? (Vedabase)
What, o disciple of Brihaspati, was it that the Pracetâs, dear to the Bestower of Liberation, after meeting the god of the Kailâsa mountain, apart from achieving the Supreme, from that here at different places by providence realized?'
My dear Bârhaspatya, what did the sons of King Barhishat, known as the Pracetâs, obtain after meeting Lord S'iva, who is very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the bestower of liberation? Certainly they were transferred to the spiritual world, but apart from that, what did they obtain within this material world, either in this life or in other lives? (Vedabase)
Maitreya said: 'The Pracetâs who at the lake carried out the orders of their father, satisfied by chanting mantras with their austerity the Indweller [the Supreme Lord].
The great sage Maitreya said: The sons of King Prâcînabarhi, known as the Pracetâs, underwent severe austerities within the seawater to carry out the order of their father. By chanting and repeating the mantras given by Lord S'iva, they were able to satisfy Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Vedabase)
After their ten thousand years of severe austerity [see also 4.24: 14] appeared then the Original Person of the Eternal, satisfying and soothing them with His beauty.
At the end of ten thousand years of severe austerities performed by the Pracetâs, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to reward their austerities, appeared before them in His very pleasing form. This appealed to the Pracetâs and satisfied the labor of their austerities. (Vedabase)
Sitting on the back of His carrier bird [Garuda], He looked like a cloud on the summit of Mount Meru, dissipating all darkness around, wearing yellow garments and the jewel around his neck.
The Personality of Godhead, appearing on the shoulder of Garuda, seemed like a cloud resting on the summit of the mountain known as Meru. The transcendental body of the Personality of Godhead was covered by attractive yellow garments, and His neck was decorated with the jewel known as Kaustubha-mani. The bodily effulgence of the Lord dissipated all the darkness of the universe. (Vedabase)
Shining with the golden ornaments radiated He with His helmet on His head and His dazzling face, His eight weapons and the entourage of sages and demigods, while Garuda served Him singing His glories like a superhuman being [a Kinnara]
The Lord's face was very beautiful, and His head was decorated with a shining helmet and golden ornaments. The helmet was dazzling and was very beautifully situated on His head. The Lord had eight arms, which each held a particular weapon. The Lord was surrounded by demigods, great sages and other associates. These were all engaged in His service. Garuda, the carrier of the Lord, glorified the Lord with Vedic hymns by flapping his wings. Garuda appeared to be an inhabitant of the planet known as Kinnaraloka. (Vedabase)
With in the midst of His eight stout arms hanging a flower garland, challenging the beauty of the Goddess of Fortune, addressed the Original Personality of Godhead the surrendered sons of Prâcînabarhi with a voice resounding like thunder as He mercifully looked down upon them.
Around the neck of the Personality of Godhead hung a flower garland that reached to His knees. His eight stout and elongated arms were decorated with that garland, which challenged the beauty of the goddess of fortune. With a merciful glance and a voice like thunder, the Lord addressed the sons of King Prâcînabarhishat, who were very much surrendered unto Him. (Vedabase)
The Supreme Lord said: 'I am very pleased with the friendship of you all, being so dutiful in the same friendliness, o Sons of the King; therefore, to your good fortune, you may ask for a boon from Me.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear sons of the King, I am very much pleased by the friendly relationships among you. All of you are engaged in one occupation--devotional service. I am so pleased with your mutual friendship that I wish you all good fortune. Now you may ask a benediction of Me. (Vedabase)
The human being who consequently remembers you each day in the evening will find friendship with his brothers as well as equality with all living beings.
The Lord continued: Those who remember you every evening of every day will become friendly with their brothers and with all other living entities. (Vedabase)
Those persons, who unto Me in the morning and the evening by means of the song of S'iva are attentive in offering prayers, I shall award all requests in what they desired for the better of the divine of their intelligence.
Those who will offer Me the prayers composed by Lord S'iva, both in the morning and in the evening, will be given benedictions by Me. In this way they can both fulfill their desires and attain good intelligence. (Vedabase)
The fine of your glory will be known the world all over, because you so very gladly accepted your father's order.
Because you have with pleasure accepted within your hearts the orders of your father and have executed those orders very faithfully, your attractive qualities will be celebrated all over the world. (Vedabase)
There will be a very famous son [called Vis'ruta], in his qualities no way inferior to Lord Brahmâ, who will populate the three worlds with his progeny.
You will have a nice son, who will be in no way inferior to Lord Brahmâ. Consequently, he will be very famous all over the universe, and the sons and grandsons generated by him will fill the three worlds. (Vedabase)
The lotus-eyed daughter sage Kandu got from the heavenly girl named Pramlocâ, was left to the care of the [divinity of the] trees, o sons of Prâcînabarhi.
O sons of King Prâcînabarhishat, the heavenly society girl named Pramlocâ kept the lotus-eyed daughter of Kandu in the care of the forest trees.Then she went back to the heavenly planet. This daughter was born by the coupling of the Apsarâ named Pramlocâ with the sage Kandu. (Vedabase)
When she was distressed by hunger and cried poured Soma, the King of the Moon, by means of his forefinger the nectar compassionately in her mouth.
Thereafter the child, who was left to the care of the trees, began to cry in hunger. At that time the king of the forest, namely the king of the moon planet, out of compassion placed his finger, which poured forth nectar, within the child's mouth. Thus the child was raised by the mercy of the king of the moon. (Vedabase)
On My direction, create offspring in following what was ordered by your father and marry without delay her, that daughter so highly qualified and beautiful.
Since all of you are very much obedient to My orders, I ask you to immediately marry that girl, who is so well qualified with beauty and good qualities. According to the order of your father, create progeny through her. (Vedabase)
May this wife, this well-behaved girl so slender, be full in her surrender; in her character and sense of duty is she not different from all of you, her ways are the same.
You brothers are all of the same nature, being devotees and obedient sons of your father. Similarly, that girl is also of the same type and is dedicated to all of you. Thus both the girl and you, the sons of Prâcînabarhishat, are on the same platform, being united on a common principle. (Vedabase)
By My mercy, will your power for millions of heavenly years [one year on earth is one day in heaven see 3: 11] be undefeated in this world and will you for sure enjoy all the pleasures of heaven as well.
The Lord then blessed all the Pracetâs, saying: My dear princes, by My mercy, you can enjoy all the facilities of this world as well as the heavenly world. Indeed, you can enjoy all of them without hindrance and with full strength for one million celestial years. (Vedabase)Be therefore steadfast unto Me by means of devotional service; with your mind free from being contaminated by the modes, you will attain My abode and thus no longer be concerned, freed from material existence.
Thereafter you will develop unadulterated devotional service unto Me and be freed from all material contamination. At that time, being completely unattached to material enjoyment in the so-called heavenly planets as well as in hellish planets, you will return home, back to Godhead. (Vedabase)
Even for persons who have entered a household life is such a family existence not considered a cause of bondage, when one spends every minute of one's time on auspicious activities and topics about Me.
Those who are engaged in auspicious activities in devotional service certainly understand that the ultimate enjoyer or beneficiary of all activities is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus when one acts, he offers the results to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and passes life always engaged in the topics of the Lord. Even though such a person may be participating in family life, he is not affected by the results of his actions. (Vedabase)
When one has attained this, this ever fresh Knower in the heart present as the Supreme Spirit of God as defended by the knowers of the Absolute Truth, is one not lamenting or jubilant, nor is one bewildered.
Always engaging in the activities of devotional service, devotees feel ever-increasingly fresh and new in all their activities. The all-knower, the Supersoul within the heart of the devotee, makes everything increasingly fresh. This is known as the Brahman position by the advocates of the Absolute Truth. In such a liberated stage [brahma-bhûta], one is never bewildered. Nor does one lament or become unnecessarily jubilant. This is due to the brahma-bhûta situation. (Vedabase)
Maitreya said: 'When they heard Him, the Lord, the remover of all obstacles thus speak of the supreme purpose of life was the darkness of the contamination of passion of the Pracetâs driven away and offered they, with faltering voices and folded hands, prayers to the greatest of all friends.
The great sage Maitreya said: After the Personality of Godhead spoke thus, the Pracetâs began to offer Him prayers. The Lord is the bestower of all success in life and is the supreme benefactor. He is also the supreme friend who takes away all miserable conditions experienced by a devotee. In a faltering voice, due to ecstasy, the Pracetâs began to offer prayers. They were purified by the presence of the Lord, who was before them face to face. (Vedabase)
The Pracetâs said: 'Our obeisances again and again unto the destroyer of all distress who made His name as the magnanimous One of the qualities always ahead of the fastest mind and speech; all glories to Him whose course by sensual means cannot be perceived.
The Pracetâs spoke as follows: Dear Lord, You relieve all kinds of material distress. Your magnanimous transcendental qualities and holy name are all-auspicious. This conclusion is already settled. You can go faster than the speed of mind and words. You cannot be perceived by material senses. We therefore offer You respectful obeisances again and again. (Vedabase)
Unto the Unadulterated, the Most Peaceful we offer our respects; the dual world appears as having no meaning with one's mind fixed on what is His; our obeisances unto Him who, to the modes of matter, assumed the forms for the maintenance, creation and annihilation of the universe.
Dear Lord, we beg to offer our obeisances unto You. When the mind is fixed upon You, the world of duality, although a place for material enjoyment, appears meaningless. Your transcendental form is full of transcendental bliss. We therefore offer our respects unto You. Your appearances as Lord Brahmâ, Lord Vishnu and Lord S'iva are meant for the purpose of creating, maintaining and annihilating this cosmic manifestation. (Vedabase)
Our reverence is for You, whose existence is free from the material influence, who takes away the misery, who is always after the deliverance of the conditioned souls and who is the all-pervading Lord of consciousness Vâsudeva, Krishna, the promoter of all devotees.
Dear Lord, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You because Your existence is completely independent of all material influences. Your Lordship always takes away the devotee's miserable conditions, for Your brain plans how to do so. You live everywhere as Paramâtmâ; therefore You are known as Vâsudeva. You also accept Vasudeva as Your father, and You are celebrated by the name Krishna. You are so kind that You always increase the influence of all kinds of devotees. (Vedabase)
Our respects for the One with the lotus navel, the One with the lotus garland, the One of the lotus feet and for Him who has the lotus eyes.
Dear Lord, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You because from Your abdomen sprouts the lotus flower, the origin of all living entities. You are always decorated with a lotus garland, and Your feet resemble the lotus flower with all its fragrance. Your eyes are also like the petals of a lotus flower. Therefore we always offer our respectful obeisances unto You. (Vedabase)
Let us unto Him whose garment is spotless with the color of the yellow saffron of a lotus flower, unto the Supreme Witness, the shelter of all living beings, offer our obeisances.
Dear Lord, the garment You have put on is yellowish in color, like the saffron of a lotus flower, but it is not made of anything material. Since You live in everyone's heart, You are the direct witness of all the activities of all living entities. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You again and again. (Vedabase)
The form You revealed to us, sufferers of the material, o Lord, dissipates an unlimited amount of miseries; what greater mercy could we expect from you?
Dear Lord, we conditioned souls are always covered by ignorance in the bodily conception of life. We therefore always prefer the miserable conditions of material existence. To deliver us from these miserable conditions, You have advented Yourself in this transcendental form. This is evidence of Your unlimited causeless mercy upon those of us who are suffering in this way. What, then, to speak of the devotees to whom You are always so favorably disposed? (Vedabase)
You from Your compassion by Your expansions visible to the humble devotees, are, with the necessary respect of time, always remembered through one's devotional service, o destroyer of all inauspiciousness.
Dear Lord, You are the killer of all inauspicious things. You are compassionate upon Your poor devotees through the expansion of Your arcâ-vigraha. You should certainly think of us as Your eternal servants. (Vedabase)
Trough that service You quiet all desires of the living beings, however deeply fallen they may be desiring so many things; and why would You, hidden in our hearts, not know of all we long for?
When the Lord, out of His natural compassion, thinks of His devotee, by that process only are all desires of the neophyte devotee fulfilled. The Lord is situated in every living entity's heart, although the living entity may be very insignificant. The Lord knows everything about the living entity, including all his desires. Although we are very insignificant, why should the Lord not know our desires? (Vedabase)
That for sure is the boon we desire; that You, o Father of the Universe, are satisfied, You as the Supreme Lord and spiritual master with whom one on the path of liberation reaches the ultimate goal.
O Lord of the universe, You are the actual teacher of the science of devotional service. We are satisfied that Your Lordship is the ultimate goal of our lives, and we pray that You will be satisfied with us. That is our benediction. We do not desire anything other than Your full satisfaction. (Vedabase)
Therefore we pray for that benediction from You, o Lord of transcendence above all; there is no end to Your opulence and thus You are celebrated as Ananta [the Unlimited One].
Dear Lord, we shall therefore pray for Your benediction because You are the Supreme, beyond all transcendence, and because there is no end to Your opulences. Consequently, You are celebrated by the name Ananta. (Vedabase)
A bee complete in its achieving the Pârijâta [the honey-dripping celestial wish-fulfilling tree or kalpa-vriksha] does not resort to another; having approached Your lotus feet, the root of everything, what, o what would we further ask for?
Dear Lord, when the bee approaches the celestial tree called the pârijâta, it certainly does not leave the tree, because there is no need for such action. Similarly, when we have approached Your lotus feet and taken shelter of them, what further benediction may we ask of You? (Vedabase)
As long as we are contaminated by Your illusory energy [mâyâ], we have to wander around in this world according our workload [our karma], let us for that time have the association of Your loving devotees, whatever life we may find.
Dear Lord, as long as we have to remain within this material world due to our material contamination and wander from one type of body to another and from one planet to another, we pray that we may associate with those who are engaged in discussing Your pastimes. We pray for this benediction life after life, in different bodily forms and on different planets. (Vedabase)
A moment's association in the company of the ones attached to the Supreme Lord compares not even to the attainment of heaven, nor to the love of not being born again; what greater benediction is there for a mortal being?
Even a moment's association with a pure devotee cannot be compared to being transferred to heavenly planets or even merging into the Brahman effulgence in complete liberation. For living entities who are destined to give up the body and die, association with pure devotees is the highest benediction. (Vedabase)
Where there is the pure of Your words in worship and discussion, is all material hankering appeased and is there no envy between the living beings, nor any fear.
Whenever pure topics of the transcendental world are discussed, the members of the audience forget all kinds of material hankerings, at least for the time being. Not only that, but they are no longer envious of one another, nor do they suffer from anxiety or fear. (Vedabase)
Where there is the worship of Lord Nârâyana, the ultimate goal of the renounced ones, is the Supreme Lord personally present by the ever repeated talks of truth of those who are free from attachment.
The Supreme Lord, Nârâyana, is present among devotees who are engaged in hearing and chanting the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Nârâyana is the ultimate goal of sannyâsîs, those in the renounced order of life, and Nârâyana is worshiped through this sankîrtana movement by those who are liberated from material contamination. Indeed, they recite the holy name again and again. (Vedabase)
Why should meeting those devotees, who, intent on purification, direct their feet to travel to the holy places, not become the pleasure of the ones living in fear?
Dear Lord, Your personal associates, devotees, wander all over the world to purify even the holy places of pilgrimage. Is not such activity pleasing to those who are actually afraid of material existence? (Vedabase)
We who for a moment were in the presence of Lord S'iva, Your dearest friend o Lord, are today certain of having achieved the destination of You, the expert physician to cure us by association from death, the most difficult to cure disease of material existence.
Dear Lord, by virtue of a moment's association with Lord S'iva, who is very dear to You and who is Your most intimate friend, we were fortunate to attain You. You are the most expert physician, capable of treating the incurable disease of material existence. On account of our great fortune, we have been able to take shelter at Your lotus feet. (Vedabase)
We, who studied the scriptures, who pleased the teachers, the brahmins and the elderly and were nice to all the ones of culture [the advanced, the âryans] and who without any envy offered their respects to friends, brothers and all living beings, what else would we want? We, who in this for the satisfaction of the most exalted Original Person were of all that severe penance, o Lord and for a long time by the water abstained from food, what other boon would we desire from You?
Dear Lord, we have studied the Vedas, accepted a spiritual master and offered respect to brâhmanas, advanced devotees and aged personalities who are spiritually very advanced. We have offered our respects to them, and we have not been envious of any brother, friends or anyone else. We have also undergone severe austerities within the water and have not taken food for a long time. All these spiritual assets of ours are simply offered for Your satisfaction. We pray for this benediction only, and nothing more. (Vedabase)
Manu, Brahmâ, the mighty Lord S'iva as also others who by austerity and knowledge purified their existence could, in the end though, not see You, in our offering prayers to Your honor, but nevertheless have we according our own capacity offered You our prayers.
Dear Lord, even great yogîs and mystics who are very much advanced by virtue of austerities and knowledge and who have completely situated themselves in pure existence, as well as great personalities like Manu, Lord Brahmâ and Lord S'iva, cannot fully understand Your glories and potencies. Nonetheless they have offered their prayers according to their own capacities. In the same way, we, although much lower than these personalities, also offer our prayers according to our own capability. (Vedabase)
Our obeisances to You, the Supreme transcendental Person equal to everyone and always pure, the Supreme omnipresent Lord of eternal goodness.'
Dear Lord, You have no enemies or friends. Therefore You are equal to everyone. You cannot be contaminated by sinful activities, and Your transcendental form is always beyond the material creation. You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead because You remain everywhere within all existence. You are consequently known as Vâsudeva. We offer You our respectful obeisances. (Vedabase)
Maitreya said: 'Thus being praised by the Pracetâs expressed the Lord, pleased that way, His affection and care for the surrendered souls, but with Him leaving for His own abode did they not wish to part from Him, as they had not seen enough of Him, the non-material prowess.
The great sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the protector of surrendered souls, being thus addressed by the Pracetâs and worshiped by them, replied, "May whatever you have prayed for be fulfilled." After saying this, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose prowess is never defeated, left. The Pracetâs were unwilling to be separated from Him because they had not seen Him to their full satisfaction. (Vedabase)
Thereafter left all of the Pracetâs the water of the lake, but seeing that the world had been covered by trees that had grown very tall as if they wanted to obstruct the way to heaven, they became frantic.
Thereafter all the Pracetâs emerged from the waters of the sea. They then saw that all the trees on land had grown very tall, as if to obstruct the path to the heavenly planets. These trees had covered the entire surface of the world. At this time the Pracetâs became very angry. (Vedabase)
Like with the fire of devastation at the end of time, they then out of their bitterness, o King [Vidura as a ruler over the senses], set with the help of the wind all directions on fire to make the earth treeless.
My dear King, at the time of devastation, Lord S'iva emits fire and air from his mouth out of anger. To make the surface of the earth completely treeless, the Pracetâs also emitted fire and air from their mouths. (Vedabase)
Seeing that they had turned all the trees into ashes, came the Great Father [Brahmâ] to pacify the sons of Barhishmân with reason.
After seeing that all the trees on the surface of the earth were being turned to ashes, Lord Brahmâ immediately came to the sons of King Barhishmân and pacified them with words of logic. (Vedabase)
The remaining trees there, who were very afraid [they or their deity], at that time, on the advise of Brahmâ, delivered their daughter to the Pracetâs [see text 13] .
The remaining trees, being very much afraid of the Pracetâs, immediately delivered their daughter at the advice of Lord Brahmâ. (Vedabase)
By the order of Brahmâ, they all married her, Mârishâ, from whom, because of having been of disrespect for the Great One [S'iva see 4: 2], the son of the Instigator [the son of Brahmâ] took birth again.
Following the order of Lord Brahmâ, all the Pracetâs accepted the girl as their wife. From the womb of this girl, the son of Lord Brahmâ named Daksha took birth. Daksha had to take birth from the womb of Mârishâ due to his disobeying and disrespecting Lord Mahâdeva [S'iva]. Consequently he had to give up his body twice. (Vedabase)
He was no other than Daksha, the one who inspired by God brought forth all the life wished for and who in his previous existence during his time happened to be destroyed at the time of the manvantara [period of Manu ] called Câkshusha [the present one being called Vaivasvata*]
His previous body had been destroyed, but he, the same Daksha, inspired by the supreme will, created all the desired living entities in the Câkshusha manvantara. (Vedabase)
Because he was someone who just after his birth with the brilliance of his luster outshone the brilliance of all, was he, being such an expert in fruitive activity, called Daksha ['the very expert']. He, appointed by the First One, Brahmâ, to generate all the living so that the human race was maintained, made also sure he engaged all the other founding fathers.
After being born, Daksha, by the superexcellence of his bodily luster, covered all others' bodily opulence. Because he was very expert in performing fruitive activity, he was called by the name Daksha, meaning "the very expert." Lord Brahmâ therefore engaged Daksha in the work of generating living entities and maintaining them. In due course of time, Daksha also engaged other Prajâpatis [progenitors] in the process of generation and maintenance. (Vedabase)
* The various Manus existing in one day of Lord Brahmâ are as follows:. (1) Svâyambhuva,. (2) Svârocisha,. (3) Uttama,. (4) Tâmasa,. (5) Raivata,. (6) Câkshusha,. (7) Vaivasvata,. (8) Sâvarni,. (9) Dakshasâvarni,. (10) Brahma-sâvarni,. ( 11) Dharma-sâvarni,. (12) Rudrasâvarni,. (13) Deva-sâvarni and. (14) Indra-sâvarni [see also 3: 11].
For
this original translation a one-volume printed copy
has been used with an extensive commentary.
ISBN: o-91277-27-7
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