Chapter Twenty-four
Chanting the Song Sung by Lord Siva
TEXT 1
TEXT
maitreya uvaca
vijitasvo 'dhirajasit
prthu-putrah prthu-sravah
yaviyobhyo 'dadat kastha
bhratrbhyo bhratr-vatsalah
SYNONYMS
maitreyah uvaca--Maitreya continued to speak; vijitasvah--of the name Vijitasva; adhiraja--the emperor; asit--became; prthu-putrah--the son of Maharaja Prthu; prthu-sravah--of great activities; yaviyobhyah--unto the younger brothers; adadat--offered; kasthah--different directions; bhratrbhyah--unto the brothers; bhratr-vatsalah--very affectionate to the brothers.
TRANSLATION
The great sage Maitreya continued: Vijitasva, the eldest son of Maharaja Prthu, who had a reputation like his father's, became emperor and gave his younger brothers different directions of the world to govern, for he was very affectionate toward his brothers.
PURPORT
After describing the life and character of Maharaja Prthu in the previous chapter, the great sage Maitreya began to speak about the sons and grandsons in the genealogical line of the Prthu dynasty. After the death of Maharaja Prthu, his eldest son, Vijitasva, became emperor of the world. King Vijitasva was very affectionate toward his younger brothers, and therefore he wanted them to rule different directions of the world. From time immemorial the eldest son generally becomes king after the death of the previous king. When the Pandavas ruled the earth, Maharaja Yudhisthira, the eldest son of King Pandu, became emperor, and his younger brothers assisted him. Similarly, King Vijitasva's younger brothers were appointed to govern the different directions of the world.
TEXT 2
TEXT
haryaksayadisat pracim
dhumrakesaya daksinam
praticim vrka-samjnaya
turyam dravinase vibhuh
SYNONYMS
haryaksaya--unto Haryaksa; adisat--delivered; pracim--eastern; dhumrakesaya--unto Dhumrakesa; daksinam--the southern side; praticim--the western side; vrka-samjnaya--unto his brother whose name was Vrka; turyam--the northern side; dravinase--unto another brother of his named Dravina; vibhuh--the master.
TRANSLATION
Maharaja Vijitasva offered the eastern part of the world to his brother Haryaksa, the southern part to Dhumrakesa, the western part to Vrka and the northern part to Dravina.
TEXT 3
TEXT
antardhana-gatim sakral
labdhvantardhana-samjnitah
apatya-trayam adhatta
sikhandinyam susammatam
SYNONYMS
antardhana--of disappearance; gatim--achievement; sakrat--from King Indra; labdhva--getting; antardhana--of the name; samjnitah--so nominated; apatya--children; trayam--three; adhatta--begot; sikhandinyam--in Sikhandini, his wife; su-sammatam--approved by everyone.
TRANSLATION
Formerly, Maharaja Vijitasva pleased the King of heaven, Indra, and from him received the title Antardhana. His wife's name was Sikhandini, and by her he begot three good sons.
PURPORT
Maharaja Vijitasva was known as Antardhana, which means "disappearance." He received this title from Indra, and it refers to the time when Indra stole Maharaja Prthu's horse from the sacrificial arena. Indra was not visible to others when he was stealing the horse, but Maharaja Prthu's son Vijitasva could see him. Yet despite his knowing that Indra was taking away his father's horse, Vijitasva did not attack him. This indicates that Maharaja Vijitasva respected the right persons. Although Indra was stealing the horse from his father, Vijitasva knew perfectly well that Indra was not an ordinary thief. Since Indra was a great and powerful demigod and servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vijitasva purposefully excused him due to sentiment only, even though Indra was acting wrongly. Thus Indra became very pleased with Vijitasva at that time. The demigods have the great mystic power of being able to appear and disappear according to their will, and since Indra was very pleased with Vijitasva, he bestowed this mystic power upon him. Thus Vijitasva became known as Antardhana.
TEXT 4
TEXT
pavakah pavamanas ca
sucir ity agnayah pura
vasistha-sapad utpannah
punar yoga-gatim gatah
SYNONYMS
pavakah--of the name Pavaka; pavamanah--of the name Pavamana; ca--also; sucih--of the name Suci; iti--thus; agnayah--the fire-gods; pura--formerly; vasistha--the great sage Vasistha; sapat--by being cursed; utpannah--now born as such; punah--again; yoga-gatim--the destination of mystic yoga practice; gatah--attained.
TRANSLATION
The three sons of Maharaja Antardhana were named Pavaka, Pavamana and Suci. Formerly these three personalities were the demigods of fire, but due to the curse of the great sage Vasistha, they became the sons of Maharaja Antardhana. As such, they were as powerful as the fire-gods, and they attained the destination of mystic yoga power, being again situated as the demigods of fire.
PURPORT
In the Bhagavad-gita (6.41-43) it is stated that one who falls down from yoga practice is elevated to the heavenly planets, and after enjoying the material facilities there he again comes down to the earthly planet and takes birth in a very rich family or a very pious brahmana family. Thus it is to be understood that when demigods fall down, they come to earth as sons of very rich and pious families. In such families, the living entity gets an opportunity to execute Krsna consciousness and thereby gain promotion to his desired goal. The sons of Maharaja Antardhana had been the demigods in charge of fire, and they regained their former position and by mystic power returned to the heavenly planets.
TEXT 5
TEXT
antardhano nabhasvatyam
havirdhanam avindata
ya indram asva-hartaram
vidvan api na jaghnivan
SYNONYMS
antardhanah--the king of the name Antardhana; nabhasvatyam--unto his wife Nabhasvati; havirdhanam--of the name Havirdhana; avindata--obtained; yah--who; indram--King Indra; asva-hartaram--who was stealing the horse of his father; vidvan api--although he knew it; na jaghnivan--did not kill.
TRANSLATION
Maharaja Antardhana had another wife, named Nabhasvati, and by her he was happy to beget another son, named Havirdhana. Since Maharaja Antardhana was very liberal, he did not kill Indra while the demigod was stealing his father's horse at the sacrifice.
PURPORT
It is understood from various scriptures and puranas that the King of heaven, Indra, was very expert in stealing and kidnapping. He could steal anything without being visible to the proprietor, and he could kidnap anyone's wife without being detected. Once he raped the wife of Gautama Muni by using his disappearing art, and similarly by becoming invisible he stole the horse of Maharaja Prthu. Although in human society such activities are considered abominable, the demigod Indra was not considered to be degraded by them. Although Antardhana could understand that King Indra was stealing the horse from his father, he did not kill Indra, for he knew that if one who is very powerful sometimes commits an abominable act, it should be disregarded. In Bhagavad-gita (9.30) it is clearly stated:
api cet su-duracaro
bhajate mam ananya-bhak
sadhur eva sa mantavyah
samyag vyavasito hi sah
Thus the Lord says that even if a devotee commits an abominable act, he should be considered a sadhu, or a pious man, because of his unflinching devotion to the Lord. The devotees of the Lord never willingly commit any sinful act, but sometimes they commit something abominable due to their previous habits. Such acts should not be taken very seriously, however, because the devotees of the Lord are very powerful, whether they are on the heavenly planets or on this planet. If by chance they commit something abominable, it should not be taken into account, but should be overlooked.
TEXT 6
TEXT
rajnam vrttim karadana-
danda-sulkadi-darunam
manyamano dirgha-sattra-
vyajena visasarja ha
SYNONYMS
rajnam--of the kings; vrttim--source of livelihood; kara--taxes; adana--realization; danda--punishment; sulka--fines; adi--etc.; darunam--which are very severe; manyamanah--thinking like that; dirgha--long; sattra--sacrifice; vyajena--on the plea; visasarja--gave up; ha--in the past.
TRANSLATION
Whenever Antardhana, the supreme royal power, had to exact taxes, punish his citizens or fine them severely, he was not willing to do so. Consequently he retired from the execution of such duties and engaged himself in the performance of different sacrifices.
PURPORT
It is clear herein that the king sometimes has to perform duties which are not very desirable just because he is the king. Similarly, Arjuna was not at all willing to fight because fighting or killing one's own kinsmen and family members is not at all desirable. Nonetheless the ksatriyas had to perform such undesirable actions as a matter of duty. Maharaja Antardhana was not very happy while exacting taxes or punishing the citizens for their criminal activities; therefore, on the plea of performing sacrifices, he retired from the royal majestic power at a very early age.
TEXT 7
TEXT
tatrapi hamsam purusam
paramatmanam atma-drk
yajams tal-lokatam apa
kusalena samadhina
SYNONYMS
tatra api--despite his engagement; hamsam--one who kills the distress of his kinsmen; purusam--unto the Supreme Person; parama-atmanam--the most beloved Supersoul; atma-drk--one who has seen or acquired self-realization; yajan--by worshiping; tat-lokatam--achieved the same planet; apa--achieved; kusalena--very easily; samadhina--always keeping himself in ecstasy.
TRANSLATION
Although Maharaja Antardhana was engaged in performing sacrifices, because he was a self-realized soul he very intelligently rendered devotional service to the Lord, who eradicates all the fears of His devotees. By thus worshiping the Supreme Lord, Maharaja Antardhana, rapt in ecstasy, attained His planet very easily.
PURPORT
Since sacrifices are generally performed by fruitive actors, it is especially mentioned here (tatrapi) that although Maharaja Antardhana was externally engaged in performing sacrifices, his real business was rendering devotional service by hearing and chanting. In other words, he was performing the usual sacrifices by the method of sankirtana-yajna, as recommended herein:
sravanam kirtanam visnoh
smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam
sakhyam atma-nivedanam
(Bhag. 7.5.23)
Devotional service is called kirtana-yajna, and by practicing the sankirtana-yajna, one is very easily elevated to the planet where the Supreme Lord resides. Out of the five kinds of liberations, achieving the same planet where the Lord resides and living with the Lord there is called salokya liberation.
TEXT 8
TEXT
havirdhanad dhavirdhani
vidurasuta sat sutan
barhisadam gayam suklam
krsnam satyam jitavratam
SYNONYMS
havirdhanat--from Havirdhana; havirdhani--the name of the wife of Havirdhana; vidura--O Vidura; asuta--gave birth; sat--six; sutan--sons; barhisadam--of the name Barhisat; gayam--of the name Gaya; suklam--of the name Sukla; krsnam--of the name Krsna; satyam--of the name Satya; jitavratam--of the name Jitavrata.
TRANSLATION
Havirdhana, the son of Maharaja Antardhana, had a wife named Havirdhani, who gave birth to six sons, named Barhisat, Gaya, Sukla, Krsna, Satya and Jitavrata.
TEXT 9
TEXT
barhisat sumaha-bhago
havirdhanih prajapatih
kriya-kandesu nisnato
yogesu ca kurudvaha
SYNONYMS
barhisat--of the name Barhisat; su-maha-bhagah--very fortunate; havirdhanih--of the name Havirdhani; praja-patih--the post of Prajapati; kriya-kandesu--in the matter of fruitive activities; nisnatah--being merged in; yogesu--in mystic yoga practices; ca--also; kuru-udvaha--O best of the Kurus (Vidura).
TRANSLATION
The great sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, Havirdhana's very powerful son named Barhisat was very expert in performing various kinds of fruitive sacrifices, and he was also expert in the practice of mystic yoga. By his great qualifications, he became known as Prajapati.
PURPORT
In the beginning of the creation there were not many living entities, and consequently the very powerful living entities or demigods were appointed as Prajapatis in order to beget children and increase the population. There are many Prajapatis--Brahma, Daksa and Manu are sometimes known as Prajapatis--and Barhisat, the son of Havirdhana, became one of them.
TEXT 10
TEXT
yasyedam deva-yajanam
anuyajnam vitanvatah
pracinagraih kusair asid
astrtam vasudha-talam
SYNONYMS
yasya--whose; idam--this; deva-yajanam--satisfying the demigods by sacrifices; anuyajnam--continually sacrificing; vitanvatah--executing; pracina-agraih--keeping the kusa grass facing toward the eastern side; kusaih--the kusa grass; asit--remained; astrtam--scattered; vasudha-talam--all over the surface of the globe.
TRANSLATION
Maharaja Barhisat executed many sacrifices all over the world. He scattered kusa grasses and kept the tops of the grasses pointed eastward.
PURPORT
As stated in the previous verse (kriya-kandesu nisnatah), Maharaja Barhisat dived very deeply into the fruitive activities of sacrifice. This means that as soon as he finished one yajna in one place, he began performing another yajna in the immediate vicinity. At the present moment there is a similar need to perform sankirtana-yajna all over the world. The Krsna consciousness movement has started performing sankirtana-yajna in different places, and it has been experienced that wherever sankirtana-yajna is performed, many thousands of people gather and take part in it. Imperceptible auspiciousness achieved in this connection should be continued all over the world. The members of the Krsna consciousness movement should perform sankirtana-yajnas one after another, so much that all the people of the world will either jokingly or seriously chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and thus they will derive the benefit of cleansing the heart. The holy name of the Lord (harer nama) is so powerful that whether it is chanted jokingly or seriously the effect of vibrating this transcendental sound will be equally distributed. It is not possible at the present moment to perform repeated yajnas as Maharaja Barhisat performed, but it is within our means to perform sankirtana-yajna, which does not cost anything. One can sit down anywhere and chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. If the surface of the globe is overflooded with the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra, the people of the world will be very, very happy.
TEXT 11
TEXT
samudrim devadevoktam
upayeme satadrutim
yam viksya caru-sarvangim
kisorim susthv-alankrtam
parikramantim udvahe
cakame 'gnih sukim iva
SYNONYMS
samudrim--unto the daughter of the ocean; deva-deva-uktam--being advised by the supreme demigod, Lord Brahma; upayeme--married; satadrutim--of the name Satadruti; yam--whom; viksya--seeing; caru--very attractive; sarva-angim--all the features of the body; kisorim--youthful; susthu--sufficiently; alankrtam--decorated with ornaments; parikramantim--circumambulating; udvahe--in the marriage ceremony; cakame--being attracted; agnih--the fire-god; sukim--unto Suki; iva--like.
TRANSLATION
Maharaja Barhisat--henceforward known as Pracinabarhi--was ordered by the supreme demigod Lord Brahma to marry the daughter of the ocean named Satadruti. Her bodily features were completely beautiful, and she was very young. She was decorated with the proper garments, and when she came into the marriage arena and began circumambulating it, the fire-god Agni became so attracted to her that he desired her company, exactly as he had formerly desired to enjoy Suki.
PURPORT
In this verse the word susthv-alankrtam is significant. According to the Vedic system, when a girl is married, she is very profusely and gorgeously decorated with costly saris and jewelry, and during the marriage ceremony the bride circumambulates the bridegroom seven times. After this, the bridegroom and bride look at one another and become attracted for life. When the bridegroom finds the bride very beautiful, the attraction between them immediately becomes very strongly fixed. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam, men and women are naturally attracted to one another, and when they are united by marriage that attraction becomes very strong. Being so strongly attracted, the bridegroom attempts to set up a nice homestead and eventually a good field for producing grains. Then children come, then friends and then wealth. In this way the male becomes more and more entangled in the material conceptions of life, and he begins to think, "This is mine," and"it is I who am acting." In this way the illusion of material existence is perpetuated.
The words sukim iva are also significant, for the fire-god Agni became attracted by the beauty of Satadruti while she was circumambulating the bridegroom Pracinabarhi, just as he had previously been attracted to the beauty of Suki, the wife of Saptarsi. When the fire-god had been present long ago at the assembly of Saptarsi, he was attracted by the beauty of Suki when she was circumambulating in the same way. Agni's wife, named Svaha, took the form of Suki and enjoyed sex life with Agni. Not only the fire-god Agni but the heavenly god Indra and sometimes even Lord Brahma and Lord Siva--all very highly situated demigods--are subject to being attracted by sex at any time. The sex drive is so strong in the living entities that the whole material world is running on sex attraction only, and it is due to sex attraction that one remains in the material world and is obliged to accept different types of bodies. The attraction of sex life is more clearly explained in the next verse.
TEXT 12
TEXT
vibudhasura-gandharva-
muni-siddha-naroragah
vijitah suryaya diksu
kvanayantyaiva nupuraih
SYNONYMS
vibudha--learned; asura--the demons; gandharva--the denizens of Gandharvaloka; muni--great sages; siddha--the denizens of Siddhaloka; nara--the inhabitants of the earthly planets; uragah--denizens of Nagaloka; vijitah--captivated; suryaya--by the new bride; diksu--in all directions; kvanayantya--tinkling; eva--only; nupuraih--by her ankle bells.
TRANSLATION
While Satadruti was thus being married, the demons, the denizens of Gandharvaloka, the great sages, and the denizens of Siddhaloka, the earthly planets and Nagaloka, although highly exalted, were all captivated by the tinkling of her ankle bells.
PURPORT
Generally a woman becomes more beautiful when, after an early marriage, she gives birth to a child. To give birth to a child is the natural function of a woman, and therefore a woman becomes more and more beautiful as she gives birth to one child after another. In the case of Satadruti, however, she was so beautiful that she attracted the whole universe at her marriage ceremony. Indeed, she attracted all the learned and exalted demigods simply by the tinkling of her ankle bells. This indicates that all the demigods wanted to see her beauty completely, but they were not able to see it because she was fully dressed and covered with ornaments. Since they could only see the feet of Satadruti, they became attracted by her ankle bells, which tinkled as she walked. In other words, the demigods became captivated by her simply by hearing the tinkling of her ankle bells. They did not have to see her complete beauty. It is sometimes understood that a person becomes lusty just by hearing the tinkling of bangles on the hands of women or the tinkling of ankle bells, or just by seeing a woman's sari. Thus it is concluded that woman is the complete representation of maya. Although Visvamitra Muni was engaged in practicing mystic yoga with closed eyes, his transcendental meditation was broken when he heard the tinkling of bangles on the hands of Menaka. In this way Visvamitra Muni became a victim of Menaka and fathered a child who is universally celebrated as Sakuntala. The conclusion is that no one can save himself from the attraction of woman, even though he be an exalted demigod or an inhabitant of the higher planets. Only a devotee of the Lord, who is attracted by Krsna, can escape the lures of woman. Once one is attracted by Krsna, the illusory energy of the world cannot attract him.
TEXT 13
TEXT
pracinabarhisah putrah
satadrutyam dasabhavan
tulya-nama-vratah sarve
dharma-snatah pracetasah
SYNONYMS
pracinabarhisah--of King Pracinabarhi; putrah--sons; satadrutyam--in the womb of Satadruti; dasa--ten; abhavan--became manifest; tulya--equally; nama--name; vratah--vow; sarve--all; dharma--religiosity; snatah--completely merged in; pracetasah--all of them being designated as Pracetas.
TRANSLATION
King Pracinabarhi begot ten children in the womb of Satadruti. All of them were equally endowed with religiosity, and all of them were known as the Pracetas.
PURPORT
The word dharma-snatah is significant, for the ten children were all merged in the practice of religion. In addition, they possessed all good qualities. One is supposed to be perfect when one is perfectly religious, perfect in the execution of one's vows to render devotional service, perfect in knowledge, perfect in good behavior, and so on. All the Pracetas were on the same level of perfection.
TEXT 14
TEXT
pitradistah praja-sarge
tapase 'rnavam avisan
dasa-varsa-sahasrani
tapasarcams tapas-patim
SYNONYMS
pitra--by the father; adistah--being ordered by; praja-sarge--in the matter of begetting children; tapase--for executing austerity; arnavam--in the ocean; avisan--entered; dasa-varsa--ten years; sahasrani--such thousands; tapasa--by their austerity; arcan--worshiped; tapah--of austerity; patim--the master.
TRANSLATION
When all these Pracetas were ordered by their father to marry and beget children, they all entered the ocean and practiced austerities and penances for ten thousand years. Thus they worshiped the master of all austerity, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
Sometimes great sages and ascetics enter the Himalaya Mountains in order to find seclusion from the turmoil of the world. It appears, however, that all the Pracetas, the sons of Pracinabarhi, entered the depths of the ocean to perform austerity in a secluded place. Since they performed austerities for ten thousand years, this incident took place in the Satya-yuga, when people used to live for a hundred thousand years. It is also significant that by their austerity they worshiped the master of austerity, Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one wants to perform austerities and penances in order to attain the supreme goal, one must attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one achieves the favor of the Supreme Lord, it is to be understood that he has finished all kinds of austerities and penances and has attained efficiency in their execution. On the other hand, if one does not attain the perfect stage of devotional service, all austerities and penances actually have no meaning, for without the Supreme Lord no one can attain the highest results derived from performing them. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (5.29), Lord Sri Krsna is the master of all penances and sacrifices. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram. Thus the desired result of performing austerities may be derived from Lord Krsna.
In Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.33.7) it is stated:
aho bata sva-paco 'to gariyan
yaj-jihvagre vartate nama tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuh sasnur arya
brahmanucur nama grnanti ye te
Even if a person is born in a family of candalas--the lowest birth one can get in human society--he is glorious if he chants the holy names of the Lord, for it is to be understood that by such chanting a devotee definitely proves that he underwent all kinds of austerities in his previous life. By the grace of Lord Caitanya, one who chants the maha-mantra (Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare) attains the highest perfectional stage, which had previously been attained by people who entered the ocean and executed austerities for ten thousand years. In this age of Kali, if a person does not take advantage of chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, which is offered as a great concession to the fallen human beings of this age, it is to be understood that he is very much bewildered by the illusory energy of the Lord.
TEXT 15
TEXT
yad uktam pathi drstena
girisena prasidata
tad dhyayanto japantas ca
pujayantas ca samyatah
SYNONYMS
yat--that; uktam--said; pathi--on the way; drstena--while meeting; girisena--by Lord Siva; prasidata--being very much satisfied; tat--that; dhyayantah--meditating; japantah ca--chanting also; pujayantah ca--worshiping also; samyatah--with great control.
TRANSLATION
When all the sons of Pracinabarhi left home to execute austerities, they met Lord Siva, who, out of great mercy, instructed them about the Absolute Truth. All the sons of Pracinabarhi meditated upon the instructions, chanting and worshiping them with great care and attention.
PURPORT
It is clear that to perform austerities or penances, or, for that matter, any form of devotional service, one has to be guided by a spiritual master. Here it is clearly stated that the ten sons of Maharaja Pracinabarhi were favored by the appearance of Lord Siva, who, out of great kindness, gave them instructions regarding the execution of austerities. Lord Siva actually became the spiritual master of the ten sons, and in turn his disciples took his words so seriously that simply by meditating upon his instructions (dhyayantah) they became perfect. This is the secret of success. After being initiated and receiving the orders of the spiritual master, the disciple should unhesitatingly think about the instructions or orders of the spiritual master and should not allow himself to be disturbed by anything else. This is also the verdict of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, who, while explaining a verse of Bhagavad-gita (vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana, Bg. 2.41), points out that the order of the spiritual master is the life substance of the disciple. The disciple should not consider whether he is going back home, back to Godhead; his first business should be to execute the order of his spiritual master. Thus a disciple should always meditate on the order of the spiritual master, and that is perfectional meditation. Not only should he meditate upon that order, but he should find out the means by which he can perfectly worship and execute it.
TEXT 16
TEXT
vidura uvaca
pracetasam giritrena
yathasit pathi sangamah
yad utaha harah pritas
tan no brahman vadarthavat
SYNONYMS
vidurah uvaca--Vidura inquired; pracetasam--of all the Pracetas; giritrena--by Lord Siva; yatha--just as; asit--it was; pathi--on the road; sangamah--meeting; yat--which; uta aha--said; harah--Lord Siva; pritah--being pleased; tat--that; nah--unto us; brahman--O great brahmana; vada--speak; artha-vat--with clear meaning.
TRANSLATION
Vidura asked Maitreya: My dear brahmana, why did the Pracetas meet Lord Siva on the way? Please tell me how the meeting happened, how Lord Siva became very pleased with them and how he instructed them. Certainly such talks are important, and I wish that you please be merciful upon me and describe them.
PURPORT
Whenever there are some important talks between a devotee and the Lord or between exalted devotees, one should be very much curious to hear them. At the meeting of Naimisaranya, where Suta Gosvami spoke Srimad-Bhagavatam to all the great sages, Suta Gosvami was also asked about the talks between Maharaja Pariksit and Sukadeva Gosvami, for the sages believed that the talks between Sukadeva Gosvami and Maharaja Pariksit must have been as important as the talks between Lord Krsna and Arjuna. As everyone is still eager to learn the subject of Bhagavad-gita in order to become perfectly enlightened, Vidura was similarly eager to learn from the great sage Maitreya about the talks between Lord Siva and the Pracetas.
TEXT 17
TEXT
sangamah khalu viprarse
siveneha saririnam
durlabho munayo dadhyur
asangad yam abhipsitam
SYNONYMS
sangamah--association; khalu--certainly; vipra-rse--O best of the brahmanas; sivena--along with Lord Siva; iha--in this world; saririnam--those who are encaged in material bodies; durlabhah--very rare; munayah--great sages; dadhyuh--engaged themselves in meditation; asangat--being detached from anything else; yam--unto whom; abhipsitam--desiring.
TRANSLATION
The great sage Vidura continued: O best of the brahmanas, it is very difficult for living entities encaged within this material body to have personal contact with Lord Siva. Even great sages who have no material attachments do not contact him, despite their always being absorbed in meditation to attain his personal contact.
PURPORT
Since Lord Siva does not incarnate himself unless there is some special reason, it is very difficult for an ordinary person to contact him. However, Lord Siva does descend on a special occasion when he is ordered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this regard, it is stated in the Padma Purana that Lord Siva appeared as a brahmana in the age of Kali to preach the Mayavada philosophy, which is nothing but a type of Buddhist philosophy. It is stated in Padma Purana:
mayavadam asac-chastram
pracchannam bauddham ucyate
mayaiva vihitam devi
kalau brahmana-murtina
Lord Siva, speaking to Parvati-devi, foretold that he would spread the Mayavada philosophy in the guise of a sannyasi brahmana just to eradicate Buddhist philosophy. This sannyasi was Sripada Sankaracarya. In order to overcome the effects of Buddhist philosophy and spread Vedanta philosophy, Sripada Sankaracarya had to make some compromise with the Buddhist philosophy, and as such he preached the philosophy of monism, for it was required at that time. Otherwise there was no need for his preaching Mayavada philosophy. At the present moment there is no need for Mayavada philosophy or Buddhist philosophy, and Lord Caitanya rejected both of them. This Krsna consciousness movement is spreading the philosophy of Lord Caitanya and rejecting the philosophy of both classes of Mayavadi. Strictly speaking, both Buddhist philosophy and Sankara's philosophy are but different types of Mayavada dealing on the platform of material existence. Neither of these philosophies has spiritual significance. There is spiritual significance only after one accepts the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita, which culminates in surrendering unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Generally people worship Lord Siva for some material benefit, and although they cannot see him personally, they derive great material profit by worshiping him.
TEXT 18
TEXT
atmaramo 'pi yas tv asya
loka-kalpasya radhase
saktya yukto vicarati
ghoraya bhagavan bhavah
SYNONYMS
atma-aramah--self-satisfied; api--although he is; yah--one who is; tu--but; asya--this; loka--material world; kalpasya--when manifested; radhase--for the matter of helping its existence; saktya--potencies; yuktah--being engaged; vicarati--he acts; ghoraya--very dangerous; bhagavan--His Lordship; bhavah--Siva.
TRANSLATION
Lord Siva, the most powerful demigod, second only to Lord Visnu, is self-sufficient. Although he has nothing to aspire for in the material world, for the benefit of those in the material world he is always busily engaged everywhere and is accompanied by his dangerous energies like goddess Kali and goddess Durga.
PURPORT
Lord Siva is known as the greatest devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is known as the best of all types of Vaisnavas (vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh). Consequently, Lord Siva has a Vaisnava sampradaya, the disciplic succession known as the Rudra-sampradaya. Just as there is a Brahma-sampradaya coming directly from Lord Brahma, the Rudra-sampradaya comes directly from Lord Siva. Lord Siva is one of the twelve great personalities, as stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.3.20):
svayambhur naradah sambhuh
kumarah kapilo manuh
prahlado janako bhismo
balir vaiyasakir vayam
These are twelve great authorities in preaching God consciousness. The name Sambhu means Lord Siva. His disciplic succession is also known as the Visnusvami-sampradaya, and the current Visnusvami-sampradaya is also known as the Vallabha-sampradaya. The current Brahma-sampradaya is known as the Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya. Even though Lord Siva appeared to preach Mayavada philosophy, at the end of his pastime in the form of Sankaracarya, he preached the Vaisnava philosophy: bhaja govindam bhaja govindam bhaja govindam mudha-mate. He stressed worshiping Lord Krsna, or Govinda, three times in this verse and especially warned his followers that they could not possibly achieve deliverance, or mukti, simply by word jugglery and grammatical puzzles. If one is actually serious to attain mukti, he must worship Lord Krsna. That is Sripada Sankaracarya's last instruction.
Herein it is mentioned that Lord Siva is always accompanied by his material energy (saktya ghoraya). Material energy--goddess Durga, or goddess Kali--is always under his control. Goddess Kali and Durga serve him by killing all the asuras, or demons. Sometimes Kali becomes so infuriated that she indiscriminately kills all kinds of asuras. There is a popular picture of goddess Kali in which she wears a garland composed of the heads of the asuras and holds in her left hand a captured head and in her right hand a great khadga, or chopper, for killing asuras. Great wars are symbolic representations of Kali's devastation of the asuras and are actually conducted by the goddess Kali.
srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir eka
(Brahma-samhita 5.44)
Asuras try to pacify the goddess Kali, or Durga, by worshiping her in material opulence, but when the asuras become too intolerable, goddess Kali does not discriminate in killing them wholesale. Asuras do not know the secret of the energy of Lord Siva, and they prefer to worship goddess Kali or Durga or Lord Siva for material benefit. Due to their demoniac character, they are reluctant to surrender to Lord Krsna, as indicated by Bhagavad-gita (7.15):
na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
Lord Siva's duty is very dangerous because he has to employ the energy of goddess Kali (or Durga). In another popular picture the goddess Kali is sometimes seen standing on the prostrate body of Lord Siva, which indicates that sometimes Lord Siva has to fall down flat in order to stop goddess Kali from killing the asuras. Since Lord Siva controls the great material energy (goddess Durga), worshipers of Lord Siva attain very opulent positions within this material world. Under Lord Siva's direction, a worshiper of Lord Siva gets all kinds of material facilities. In contrast, a Vaisnava, or worshiper of Lord Visnu, gradually becomes poorer in material possessions because Lord Visnu does not trick His devotees into becoming materially entangled by possessions. Lord Visnu gives His devotees intelligence from within, as stated in Bhagavad-gita (10.10):
tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te
"To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me."
Thus Lord Visnu gives intelligence to His devotee so that the devotee can make progress on the path back home, back to Godhead. Since a devotee has nothing to do with any kind of material possession, he does not come under the control of goddess Kali, or the goddess Durga.
Lord Siva is also in charge of the tamo-guna, or the mode of ignorance in this material world. His potency, the goddess Durga, is described as keeping all living entities in the darkness of ignorance (ya devi sarva-bhutesu nidra-rupam samsthita). Both Lord Brahma and Lord Siva are incarnations of Lord Visnu, but Lord Brahma is in charge of the creation whereas Lord Siva is in charge of the destruction, which he carries out with the help of his material energy, goddess Kali, or goddess Durga. Thus in this verse Lord Siva is described as being accompanied by dangerous potencies (saktya ghoraya), and that is the actual position of Lord Siva.
TEXT 19
TEXT
maitreya uvaca
pracetasah pitur vakyam
sirasadaya sadhavah
disam praticim prayayus
tapasy adrta-cetasah
SYNONYMS
maitreyah uvaca--the great sage Maitreya continued to speak; pracetasah--all the sons of King Pracinabarhi; pituh--of the father; vakyam--words; sirasa--on the head; adaya--accepting; sadhavah--all pious; disam--direction; praticim--western; prayayuh--went away; tapasi--in austerities; adrta--accepting seriously; cetasah--in the heart.
TRANSLATION
The great sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, because of their pious nature, all the sons of Pracinabarhi very seriously accepted the words of their father with heart and soul, and with these words on their heads, they went toward the west to execute their father's order.
PURPORT
In this verse sadhavah (meaning "pious" or "well behaved") is very important, especially at the present moment. It is derived from the word sadhu. A perfect sadhu is one who is always engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Pracinabarhi's sons are described as sadhavah because of their complete obedience to their father. The father, king and spiritual master are supposed to be representatives of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such they have to be respected as the Supreme Lord. It is the duty of the father, the spiritual master and the king to regulate their subordinates in such a way that they ultimately become fully unalloyed devotees of the Supreme Lord. That is the duty of the superiors, and it is the duty of the subordinates to obey their orders perfectly and in a disciplined way. The word sirasa ("on their heads") is also significant, for the Pracetas accepted the orders of their father and carried them on their heads, which means they accepted them in complete surrender.
TEXT 20
TEXT
sa-samudram upa vistirnam
apasyan sumahat sarah
mahan-mana iva svaccham
prasanna-salilasayam
SYNONYMS
sa-samudram--almost near the ocean; upa--more or less; vistirnam--very wide and long; apasyan--they saw; su-mahat--very great; sarah--reservoir of water; mahat--great soul; manah--mind; iva--like; su-accham--clear; prasanna--joyful; salila--water; asayam--taken shelter of.
TRANSLATION
While traveling, the Pracetas happened to see a great reservoir of water which seemed almost as big as the ocean. The water of this lake was so calm and quiet that it seemed like the mind of a great soul, and its inhabitants, the aquatics, appeared very peaceful and happy to be under the protection of such a watery reservoir.
PURPORT
The word sa-samudra means "near the sea." The reservoir of water was like a bay, for it was not very far from the sea. The word upa, meaning "more or less," is used in many ways, as in the word upapati, which indicates a husband "more or less," that is to say, a lover who is acting like a husband. Upa also means "greater," "smaller" or "nearer." Considering all these points, the reservoir of water which was seen by the Pracetas while they were traveling was actually a large bay or lake. And unlike the sea or ocean, which has turbulent waves, this reservoir was very calm and quiet. Indeed, the water was so clear that it seemed like the mind of some great soul. There may be many great souls--jnanis, yogis and bhaktas, or pure devotees, are also called great souls--but they are very rarely found. One can find many great souls amongst yogis and jnanis, but a truly great soul, a pure devotee of the Lord, who is fully surrendered to the Lord, is very rarely found (sa mahatma sudurlabhah, Bg. 7.19). A devotee's mind is always calm, quiet and desireless because he is always anyabhilasita-sunyam, having no desire other than to serve Krsna as His personal servant, friend, father, mother or conjugal lover. Due to his association with Krsna, a devotee is always very calm and cool. It is also significant that within that reservoir all the aquatics were also very calm and quiet. Because the disciples of a devotee have taken shelter of a great soul, they become very calm and quiet and are not agitated by the waves of the material world.
This material world is often described as an ocean of nescience. In such an ocean, everything is agitated. The mind of a great devotee is also like an ocean or a very large lake, but there is no agitation. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (2.41): vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana. Those who are fixed in the service of the Lord are not agitated by anything. It is also stated in Bhagavad-gita (6.22): yasmin sthito na duhkhena gurunapi vicalyate. Even if he suffers some reversals in life, a devotee is never agitated. Therefore whoever takes shelter of a great soul or a great devotee becomes pacified. In the Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 19.149) it is stated: krsna-bhakta--niskama, ataeva 'santa.' A devotee of Lord Krsna is always peaceful because he has no desire, whereas the yogis, karmis and jnanis have so many desires to fulfill. One may argue that the devotees have desires, for they wish to go home, back to Godhead, but such a desire does not agitate the mind. Although he wishes to go back to Godhead, a devotee is satisfied in any condition of life. Consequently, the word mahan-manah is used in this verse to indicate that the reservoir of water was as calm and quiet as the mind of a great devotee.
TEXT 21
TEXT
nila-raktotpalambhoja-
kahlarendivarakaram
hamsa-sarasa-cakrahva-
karandava-nikujitam
SYNONYMS
nila--blue; rakta--red; utpala--lotus; ambhah-ja--born from the water; kahlara--another kind of lotus; indivara--another kind of lotus; akaram--the mine; hamsa--swans; sarasa--cranes; cakrahva--the ducks of the name; karandava--birds of the name; nikujitam--vibrated by their sounds.
TRANSLATION
In that great lake there were different types of lotus flowers. Some of them were bluish, and some of them were red. Some of them grew at night, some in the day and some, like the indivara lotus flower, in the evening. Combined together, the lotus flowers filled the lake so full that the lake appeared to be a great mine of such flowers. Consequently, on the shores there were swans and cranes, cakravaka, karandava and other beautiful water birds standing about.
PURPORT
The word akaram ("mine") is significant in this verse, for the reservoir of water appeared like a mine from which different types of lotus flowers were produced. Some of the lotus flowers grew during the day, some at night and some in the evening, and accordingly they had different names and different colors. All these flowers were present on that lake, and because the lake was so calm and quiet and filled with lotus flowers, superior birds, like swans, cakravakas and karandavas, stood on the shores and vibrated their different songs, making the entire scene attractive and beautiful. As there are different types of human beings, according to the association of the three qualities of material nature, there are similarly different types of birds, bees, trees, etc. Everything is divided according to the three qualities of material nature. Birds like swans and cranes, who enjoy clear waters and lotus flowers, are different from crows, who enjoy filthy places. Similarly, there are persons who are controlled by the modes of ignorance and passion and those who are controlled by the mode of goodness. The creation is so varied that there are always varieties found in every society. Thus on the bank of this lake all the superior birds lived to enjoy that atmosphere created by that great reservoir filled with lotus flowers.
TEXT 22
TEXT
matta-bhramara-sausvarya-
hrsta-roma-latanghripam
padma-kosa-rajo diksu
viksipat-pavanotsavam
SYNONYMS
matta--mad; bhramara--bumblebees; sau-svarya--with great humming; hrsta--joyfully; roma--hair on the body; lata--creepers; anghripam--trees; padma--lotus flower; kosa--whorl; rajah--saffron; diksu--in all directions; viksipat--throwing away; pavana--air; utsavam--festival.
TRANSLATION
There were various trees and creepers on all sides of the lake, and there were mad bumblebees humming all about them. The trees appeared to be very jolly due to the sweet humming of the bumblebees, and the saffron, which was contained in the lotus flowers, was being thrown into the air. These all created such an atmosphere that it appeared as though a festival were taking place there.
PURPORT
Trees and creepers are also different types of living beings. When bumblebees come upon trees and creepers to collect honey, certainly such plants become very happy. On such an occasion the wind also takes advantage of the situation by throwing pollen or saffron contained in the lotus flowers. All this combines with the sweet vibration created by the swans and the calm of the water. The Pracetas considered such a place to be like a continuous festival. From this description it appears that the Pracetas reached Sivaloka, which is supposed to be situated near the Himalaya Mountains.
TEXT 23
TEXT
tatra gandharvam akarnya
divya-marga-manoharam
visismyu raja-putras te
mrdanga-panavady anu
SYNONYMS
tatra--there; gandharvam--musical sounds; akarnya--hearing; divya--heavenly; marga--symmetrical; manah-haram--beautiful; visismyuh--they became amazed; raja-putrah--all the sons of King Barhisat; te--all of them; mrdanga--drums; panava--kettledrums; adi--all together; anu--always.
TRANSLATION
The sons of the King became very much amazed when they heard vibrations from various drums and kettledrums along with other orderly musical sounds pleasing to the ear.
PURPORT
In addition to the various flowers and living entities about the lake, there were also many musical vibrations. The void of the impersonalists, which has no variegatedness, is not at all pleasing compared with such a scene. Actually one has to attain the perfection of sac-cid-ananda, eternity, bliss and knowledge. Because the impersonalists deny these varieties of creation, they cannot actually enjoy transcendental bliss. The place where the Pracetas arrived was the abode of Lord Siva. Impersonalists are generally worshipers of Lord Siva, but Lord Siva is never without variety in his abode. Thus wherever one goes, whether to the planet of Lord Siva, Lord Visnu or Lord Brahma, there is variety to be enjoyed by persons full in knowledge and bliss.
TEXTS 24-25
TEXT
tarhy eva sarasas tasman
niskramantam sahanugam
upagiyamanam amara-
pravaram vibudhanugaih
tapta-hema-nikayabham
siti-kantham tri-locanam
prasada-sumukham viksya
pranemur jata-kautukah
SYNONYMS
tarhi--in that very moment; eva--certainly; sarasah--from the water; tasmat--therefrom; niskramantam--coming out; saha-anugam--accompanied by great souls; upagiyamanam--glorified by the followers; amara-pravaram--the chief of the demigods; vibudha-anugaih--followed by his associates; tapta-hema--molten gold; nikaya-abham--bodily features; siti-kantham--blue throat; tri-locanam--with three eyes; prasada--merciful; su-mukham--beautiful face; viksya--seeing; pranemuh--offered obeisances; jata--aroused; kautukah--being amazed by the situation.
TRANSLATION
The Pracetas were fortunate to see Lord Siva, the chief of the demigods, emerging from the water with his associates. His bodily luster was just like molten gold, his throat was bluish, and he had three eyes, which looked very mercifully upon his devotees. He was accompanied by many musicians, who were glorifying him. As soon as the Pracetas saw Lord Siva, they immediately offered their obeisances in great amazement and fell down at the lotus feet of the lord.
PURPORT
The word vibudhanugaih indicates that Lord Siva is always accompanied by the denizens of the higher planets known as Gandharvas and Kinnaras. They are very expert in musical science, and Lord Siva is worshiped by them constantly. In pictures, Lord Siva is generally painted white, but here we find that the color of his skin is not exactly white but like molten gold, or a glowing yellowish color. Because Lord Siva is always very, very merciful, his name is Asutosa. Amongst all the demigods, Lord Siva can be pacified even by the lowest class of men, who need only offer him obeisances and leaves of a bael tree. Thus his name is Asutosa, which means that he is pleased very quickly.
Generally those who are very fond of material prosperity approach Lord Siva for such benediction. The lord, being very merciful, quickly awards all the blessings the devotee asks of him. The demons take advantage of this leniency and sometimes take benedictions from Lord Siva which can be very dangerous to others. For instance, Vrkasura took a benediction from Lord Siva by which he could kill everyone he touched on the head. Although Lord Siva sometimes very liberally gives such benedictions to his devotees, the difficulty is that the demons, being very cunning, sometimes want to experiment improperly with such benedictions. For instance, after receiving his benediction, Vrkasura tried to touch the head of Lord Siva. Devotees of Lord Visnu, however, have no desire for such benedictions, and Lord Visnu does not give His devotees benedictions which would cause disturbance to the whole world.
TEXT 26
TEXT
sa tan prapannarti-haro
bhagavan dharma-vatsalah
dharma-jnan sila-sampannan
pritah pritan uvaca ha
SYNONYMS
sah--Lord Siva; tan--them; prapanna-arti-harah--one who drives away all kinds of dangers; bhagavan--the lord; dharma-vatsalah--very much fond of religious principles; dharma-jnan--persons who are aware of religious principles; sila-sampannan--very well behaved; pritah--being pleased; pritan--of very gentle behavior; uvaca--talked with them; ha--in the past.
TRANSLATION
Lord Siva became very pleased with the Pracetas because generally Lord Siva is the protector of pious persons and persons of gentle behavior. Being very much pleased with the princes, he began to speak as follows.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, or Krsna, is known as bhakta-vatsala, and herein we find Lord Siva described as dharma-vatsala. Of course, the word dharma-vatsala refers to a person who lives according to religious principles. That is understood. Nonetheless, these two words have additional significance. Sometimes Lord Siva has to deal with persons who are in the modes of passion and ignorance. Such persons are not always very much religious and pious in their activities, but since they worship Lord Siva for some material profit, they sometimes obey the religious principles. As soon as Lord Siva sees that his devotees are following religious principles, he blesses them. The Pracetas, sons of Pracinabarhi, were naturally very pious and gentle, and consequently Lord Siva was immediately pleased with them. Lord Siva could understand that the princes were sons of Vaisnavas, and as such Lord Siva offered prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead as follows.
TEXT 27
TEXT
sri-rudra uvaca
yuyam vedisadah putra
viditam vas cikirsitam
anugrahaya bhadram va
evam me darsanam krtam
SYNONYMS
sri-rudrah uvaca--Lord Siva began to speak; yuyam--all of you; vedisadah--of King Pracinabarhi; putrah--sons; viditam--knowing; vah--your; cikirsitam--desires; anugrahaya--for the matter of showing you mercy; bhadram--all good fortune unto you; vah--all of you; evam--thus; me--my; darsanam--audience; krtam--you have done.
TRANSLATION
Lord Siva said: You are all the sons of King Pracinabarhi, and I wish all good fortune to you. I also know what you are going to do, and therefore I am visible to you just to show my mercy upon you.
PURPORT
By these words Lord Siva indicates that what the princes were going to do was known to him. It is a fact that they were going to worship Lord Visnu by severe austerities and penances. Knowing this fact, Lord Siva immediately became very pleased, as apparent by the next verse. This indicates that a person who is not yet a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead but who desires to serve the Supreme Lord receives the benedictions of the demigods, headed by the chief demigod, Lord Siva. Thus a devotee of the Lord does not need to try to please the demigods separately. Simply by worshiping the Supreme Lord, a devotee can please all of them. Nor does he have to ask the demigods for material benedictions, for the demigods, being pleased with the devotee, automatically offer him everything that he needs. The demigods are servants of the Lord, and they are always prepared to help a devotee in all circumstances. Therefore Srila Bilvamangala Thakura said that if one has unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Lord, the goddess of liberation is ready to serve him, to say nothing of the gods of material opulences. Indeed, all the demigods are simply waiting for an opportunity to serve the devotee. Thus there is no need for a devotee of Krsna to endeavor for material opulence or liberation. By being situated in the transcendental position of devotional service, he receives all the benefits of dharma, artha, kama and moksa.
TEXT 28
TEXT
yah param ramhasah saksat
tri-gunaj jiva-samjnitat
bhagavantam vasudevam
prapannah sa priyo hi me
SYNONYMS
yah--anyone; param--transcendental; ramhasah--of the controller; saksat--directly; tri-gunat--from the three modes of material nature; jiva-samjnitat--living entities called by the name jivas; bhagavantam--unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vasudevam--unto Krsna; prapannah--surrendered; sah--he; priyah--very dear; hi--undoubtedly; me--of me.
TRANSLATION
Lord Siva continued: Any person who is surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, the controller of everything--material nature as well as the living entity--is actually very dear to me.
PURPORT
Now Lord Siva explains the reason he has personally come before the princes. It is because all the princes are devotees of Lord Krsna. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (7.19):
bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma sudurlabhah
"After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare."
Lord Siva is rarely seen by common men, and similarly a person who is fully surrendered unto Vasudeva, Krsna, is also very rarely seen because a person who is fully surrendered unto the Supreme Lord is very rare (sa mahatma sudurlabhah). Consequently Lord Siva came especially to see the Pracetas because they were fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva. Vasudeva is also mentioned in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam in the mantra, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Since Vasudeva is the ultimate truth, Lord Siva openly proclaims that one who is a devotee of Lord Vasudeva, who is surrendered to Lord Krsna, is actually very dear to him. Lord Vasudeva, Krsna, is worshipable not only by ordinary living entities but by demigods like Lord Siva, Lord Brahma and others. Yam brahma-varunendra-rudra-marutah stuvanti divyaih stavaih (Bhag. 12.13.1). Krsna is worshiped by Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Varuna, Indra, Candra and all other demigods. That is also the situation with a devotee. Indeed, one who takes to Krsna consciousness immediately becomes very dear to anyone who is simply finding out and beginni