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08-27-2008, 03:29 PM
Some Purports to the above Verses:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" /><o:p></o:p>
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Lord Brahmä explained to the demigods that although Dakña wanted to enjoy the results of fruitive sacrificial activities, it is not possible to enjoy when one offends a great personality like Lord Çiva. <o:p></o:p>
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It was good for Dakña to have died in the fight because if he had lived he would have committed such offenses at the lotus feet of great personalities again and again. <o:p></o:p>
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According to Manu’s law, when a person commits murder, punishment is beneficial for him because if he is not killed he might commit more and more murders and therefore be entangled in his future lives for having killed so many persons. <o:p></o:p>
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Therefore the king’s punishment of a murderer is appropriate. lf those who are extremely offensive are killed by the grace of the Lord, that is good for them. ln other words, Lord Brahmä explained to the demigods that it was good for Dakña to have been killed.<o:p></o:p>
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Lord Çiva is also called Äçutoña. Äçu means “very soon,” and toña means “to become satisfied.” <o:p></o:p>
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The demigods were advised to go to Lord Çiva and beg his pardon, and because he is very easily pleased, it was certain that their purpose would be served. <o:p></o:p>
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Lord Brahmä knew the mind of Lord Çiva very well, and he was confident that the demigods, who were offenders at his lotus feet, could mitigate their offenses by going to him and surrendering without reservation.<o:p></o:p>
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After Lord Brahmä advised the demigods to go to Lord Çiva and beg his pardon, it was suggested how he should be satisfied and how the matter should be placed before him. <o:p></o:p>
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Brahmä also asserted that none of the conditioned souls, including himself and all the demigods, could know how to satisfy Lord Çiva. But he said, “It is known that he is very easily satisfied, so let us try to satisfy him by falling at his lotus feet.”<o:p></o:p>
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Actually the position of the subordinate is always to surrender to the Supreme. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gétä. The Lord asks everyone to give up all kinds of concocted occupations and simply surrender unto Him. <o:p></o:p>
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That will protect the conditioned souls from all sinful reactions. Similarly, in this case Brahmä also suggested that they go and surrender unto the lotus feet of Lord Çiva, for since he is very kind and easily satisfied, this action would prove effective.<o:p></o:p>
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Lord Çiva is full of wisdom and tapasya, austerity. One who knows the modes of work is understood to be situated on the path of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One cannot serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead unless one has achieved full perfectional knowledge in the ways and means of performing devotional service.<o:p></o:p>
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Lord Çiva is described here as adhéçvara. Éçvara means “controller,” and adhéçvara means particularly “controller of the senses.” Generally our materially contaminated senses are apt to engage in sense gratificatory activities, but when a person is elevated by wisdom and austerity, the senses then become purified, and they become engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. <o:p></o:p>
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Lord Çiva is the emblem of such perfection, and therefore in the scriptures it is said, vaiñëavänäà yathä çambhuù: Lord Çiva is a Vaiñëava. Lord Çiva, by his actions within this material world, teaches all conditioned souls how to engage in devotional service twenty-four hours a day. Therefore he is described here as loka-maìgala, good fortune personified for all conditioned souls.<o:p></o:p>
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Lord Çiva’s symptoms of austerity are not exactly those of a Vaiñëava. Lord Çiva is certainly the number one Vaiñëava, but he exhibits a feature for a particular class of men who cannot follow the Vaiñëava principles. The Çaivites, the devotees of Lord Çiva, generally dress like Lord Çiva, and sometimes they indulge in smoking and taking intoxicants. Such practices are never accepted by the followers of Vaiñëava rituals.<o:p></o:p>
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The lord was sitting on a mattress of straw because such a sitting place is accepted by persons who are practicing austerities to gain understanding of the Absolute Truth. <o:p></o:p>
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In this verse it is specifically mentioned that he was speaking to the great sage Närada, a celebrated devotee. Närada was asking Lord Çiva about devotional service, and Çiva, being the topmost Vaiñëava, was instructing him. <o:p></o:p>
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ln other words, Lord Çiva and Närada were discussing the knowledge of the Veda, but it is to be understood that the subject matter was devotional service. <o:p></o:p>
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Another point in this connection is that Lord Çiva is the supreme instructor and the great sage Närada is the supreme audience. Therefore, the supreme subject matter of Vedic knowledge is bhakti, or devotional service.<o:p></o:p>
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The sitting posture described herein is called véräsana according to the system of añöäìga-yoga performances. In the performance of yoga there are eight divisions, such as yama and niyama—controlling, following the rules and regulations, then practicing the sitting postures, etc. Besides véräsana there are other sitting postures, such as padmäsana and siddhäsana. <o:p></o:p>
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Practice of these äsanas without elevating oneself to the position of realizing the Supersoul, Viñëu, is not the perfectional stage of yoga. Lord Çiva is called yogéçvara, the master of all yogés, and Kåñëa is also called yogeçvara. <o:p></o:p>
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Yogéçvara indicates that no one can surpass the yoga practice of Lord Çiva, and yogeçvara indicates that no one can surpass the yogic perfection of Kåñëa. Another significant word is tarka-mudrä. <o:p></o:p>
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This indicates that the fingers are opened and the second finger is raised, along with the arm, to impress the audience with some subject matter. This is actually a symbolic representation.<o:p></o:p>
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It is impossible to conceive of the existence, name, form, quality and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because He is transcendentally situated beyond the conception of materialistic persons. <o:p></o:p>
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Because materialists cannot imagine or conceive of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they may think that God is dead, but factually He is always existing in His sac-cid-änanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], His eternal form. <o:p></o:p>
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Constant meditation concentrated on the form of the Lord is called samädhi, ecstasy or trance. Samädhi means particularly concentrated attention, so one who has achieved the qualification of always meditating on the Personality of Godhead is to be understood to be always in trance and enjoying brahma-nirväëa, or brahmänanda. <o:p></o:p>
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Lord Çiva exhibited those symptoms, and therefore it is stated that he was absorbed in brahmänanda.<o:p></o:p>
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Lord Brahmä was smiling because he knew that Lord Çiva is not only easily satisfied but easily irritated as well. He was afraid that Lord Çiva might be in an angry mood because he had lost his wife and had been insulted by Dakña. In order to conceal this fear, he smiled and addressed Lord Çiva as follows.<o:p></o:p>
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Although Lord Brahmä had received very respectful obeisances from Lord Çiva, he knew that Lord Çiva was in a more exalted position than himself. Lord Çiva’s position is described in Brahma-saàhitä: there is no difference between Lord Viñëu and Lord Çiva in their original positions, but still Lord Çiva is different from Lord Viñëu. The example is given that the milk in yogurt is not different from the original milk from which it was made.<o:p></o:p>
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In this verse the word çiva-çakti is significant. Çiva means “auspicious,” and çakti means “energy.” There are many types of energies of the Supreme Lord, and all of them are auspicious. Brahmä, Viñëu and Maheçvara are called guëa-avatäras, or incarnations of material qualities. <o:p></o:p>
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In the material world we compare these different incarnations from different angles of vision, but since all of them are expansions of the supreme auspicious, all of them are auspicious, although sometimes we consider one quality of nature to be higher or lower than another. <o:p></o:p>
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The mode of ignorance, or tamo-guëa, is considered very much lower than the others, but in the higher sense it is also auspicious. The example may be given herein that the government has both an educational department and criminal department. <o:p></o:p>
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An outsider may consider the criminal department inauspicious, but from the government’s point of view it is as important as the education department, and therefore the government finances both departments equally, without discrimination.<o:p></o:p>
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The Supreme Personality of Godhead is called the supreme will. It is by the supreme will that everything is happening. It is said, therefore, that not a blade of grass moves without the supreme will. <o:p></o:p>
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Generally it is prescribed that performers of pious activities are promoted to the higher planetary systems, devotees are promoted to the Vaikuëöhas, or spiritual worlds, and impersonal speculators are promoted to the impersonal Brahman effulgence; but it sometimes so happens that a miscreant like Ajämila is immediately promoted to the Vaikuëöhaloka simply by chanting the name of Näräyaëa. <o:p></o:p>
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Although when Ajämila uttered this vibration he intended to call his son Näräyaëa, Lord Näräyaëa took it seriously and immediately gave him promotion to Vaikuëöhaloka, despite his background, which was full of sinful activities. <o:p></o:p>
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Similarly King Dakña was always engaged in the pious activities of performing sacrifices, yet simply because of creating a little misunderstanding with Lord Çiva, he was severely taken to task. The conclusion is, therefore, that the supreme will is the ultimate judgment; no one can argue upon this. A pure devotee therefore submits in all circumstances to the supreme will of the Lord, accepting it as all-auspicious.<o:p></o:p>
tat te ’nukampäà susamékñamäëo<o:p></o:p> bhuïjäna evätma-kåtaà vipäkam<o:p></o:p> håd-väg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te<o:p></o:p> jéveta yo mukti-pade sa däya-bhäk <o:p></o:p> (Bhäg. 10.14.8)<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p>
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One who lives in such a disposition of mind, engaged in devotional service, is the most eligible candidate for promotion to the spiritual world. In other words, such a devotee’s claim for promotion to the spiritual world is assured in all circumstances.<o:p></o:p>
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When the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes angry or kills a demon, materially this may appear unfavorable, but spiritually it is a blissful blessing upon him. Therefore pure devotees do not make any distinction between the Lord’s anger and His blessings. They see both with reference to the Lord’s behavior with others and themselves. A devotee does not find fault with the behavior of the Lord in any circumstances.<o:p></o:p>
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Persons who are materialistic and always engaged in fruitive activities for material profit cannot endure seeing the flourishing life of others. Except for a few persons in Kåñëa consciousness, the entire world is full of such envious persons, who are perpetually full of anxieties because they are attached to the material body and are without self-realization. <o:p></o:p>
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Since their hearts are always filled with anxiety, it is understood that they have already been killed by providence. Thus Lord Çiva, as a self-realized Vaiñëava, was advised not to kill Dakña. A Vaiñëava is described as para-duùkha-duùkhé because although he is never distressed in any condition of life, he is distressed to see others in a distressed condition. <o:p></o:p>
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Vaiñëavas, therefore, should not try to kill by any action of the body or mind, but should try to revive the Kåñëa consciousness of others out of compassion for them. The Kåñëa consciousness movement has been started to deliver the envious persons of the world from the clutches of mäyä, and even though devotees are sometimes put into trouble, they push on the Kåñëa consciousness movement in all tolerance. <o:p></o:p>
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Lord Caitanya advises [Cc. adi 17.31]:<o:p></o:p>
“One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respects to others. ln such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.” (Çikñäñöaka 3)<o:p></o:p>
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A Vaiñëava should follow the examples of such Vaiñëavas as Haridäsa Öhäkura, Nityänanda Prabhu and also Lord Jesus Christ. There is no need to kill anyone who has already been killed. But it should be noted herewith that a Vaiñëava should not tolerate the blaspheming of Viñëu or Vaiñëavas, although he should tolerate personal insults to himself.<o:p></o:p>
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It is said that the beauty of a tapasvé, or saintly person, is forgiveness. There are many instances in the spiritual history of the world in which many saintly persons, although unnecessarily harassed, did not take action, although they could have done so. <o:p></o:p>
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Parékñit Mahäräja, for example, was unnecessarily cursed by a brähmaëa boy, and this was very much regretted by the boy’s father, but Parékñit Mahäräja accepted the curse and agreed to die within a week as the brähmaëa boy desired. <o:p></o:p>
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Parékñit Mahäräja was the emperor and was full in power both spiritually and materially, but out of compassion and out of respect for the brähmaëa community, he did not counteract the action of the brähmaëa boy but agreed to die within seven days. <o:p></o:p>
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Because it was desired by Kåñëa that Parékñit Mahäräja agree to the punishment so that the instruction of Çrémad-Bhägavatam would thus be revealed to the world, Parékñit Mahäräja was advised not to take action. <o:p></o:p>
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A Vaiñëava is personally tolerant for the benefit of others. When he does not show his prowess, this does not mean that he is lacking in strength; rather, it indicates that he is tolerant for the welfare of the entire human society.<o:p></o:p>
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A sacrifice is a ceremony performed to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, First Canto, Second Chapter, it is stated that everyone should try to understand whether the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied by his activity. In other words, the aim of our activities should be to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just as in an office it is the duty of the worker to see that the proprietor or the master is satisfied, so everyone’s duty is to see whether the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied by one’s activity. Activities to satisfy the Supreme Godhead are prescribed in the Vedic literature, and execution of such activities is called yajïa. In other words, acting on behalf of the Supreme Lord is called yajïa. One should know very well that any activity besides yajïa is the cause of material bondage. That is explained in Bhagavad-gétä (3.9): yajïärthät karmaëo ’nyatra loko ’yaà karma-bandhanaù. Karma-bandhanaù means that if we do not work for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, Viñëu, then the reaction of our work will bind us. One should not work for his own sense gratification. Everyone should work for the satisfaction of God. That is called yajïa.<o:p></o:p>
After the yajïa was performed by Dakña, all the demigods expected prasäda, the remnants of foodstuffs offered to Viñëu. Lord Çiva is one of the demigods, so naturally he also expected his share of the prasäda from the yajïa. But Dakña, out of his envy of Lord Çiva, neither invited Çiva to participate in the yajïa nor gave him his share after the offering. But after the destruction of the yajïa arena by the followers of Lord Çiva, Lord Brahmä pacified him and assured him that he would get his share of prasäda. Thus he was requested to rectify whatever destruction was caused by his followers.<o:p></o:p>
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In Bhagavad-gétä (3.11) it is said that all the demigods are satisfied when one performs yajïa. Because the demigods expect prasäda from yajïas, yajïa must be performed. Those who engage in sense gratificatory, materialistic activities must perform yajïa, otherwise they will be implicated. Thus Dakña, being the father of mankind, was performing yajïa, and Lord Çiva expected his share. But since Çiva was not invited, there was trouble. By the mediation of Lord Brahmä, however, everything was settled satisfactorily.<o:p></o:p>
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The performance of yajïa is a very difficult task because all the demigods must be invited to participate in the yajïa. In this Kali-yuga it is not possible to perform such costly sacrifices, nor is it possible to invite the demigods to participate. Therefore in this age it is recommended, yajïaiù saìkértana-präyair yajanti hi sumedhasaù (Bhäg. 11.5.32). <o:p></o:p>
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Those who are intelligent should know that in the Kali-yuga there is no possibility of performing the Vedic sacrifices. But unless one pleases the demigods, there will be no regulated seasonal activities or rainfall. Everything is controlled by the demigods. <o:p></o:p>
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Under the circumstances, in this age, in order to keep the balance of social peace and prosperity, all intelligent men should execute the performance of saìkértana-yajïa by chanting the holy names Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare. One should invite people, chant Hare Kåñëa, and then distribute prasäda. <o:p></o:p>
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This yajïa will satisfy all the demigods, and thus there will be peace and prosperity in the world. Another difficulty in performing the Vedic rituals is that if one fails to satisfy even one demigod out of the many hundreds of thousands of demigods, just as Dakña failed to satisfy Lord Çiva, there will be disaster. <o:p></o:p>
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But in this age the performance of sacrifice has been simplified. One can chant Hare Kåñëa, and by pleasing Kåñëa one can satisfy all the demigods automatically.<o:p></o:p>
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Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fourth Canto, Sixth Chapter, of the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, entitled “Brahmä Satisfies Lord Çiva.”<o:p></o:p>
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