Lord Shiva saves higher planetary systems

[bhaktajan]

 

 

Srimad Bhagavatam

 

Translated into English by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

 

 

7<SUP>th</SUP> Canto Chapter 10 Verses 48 to 70

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lord Çiva saves higher planetary systems

 

 

 

 

[Comment by Bhaktajan: Below is an excerpt from SB 7.10.48-70. All purports, except two, are omitted for brevity.]

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS:

 

 

While Närada Muni spoke to Yudhiñöhira Mahäräja, he described how the demon Maya Dänava constructed Tripura for the demons, who became very powerful and defeated the demigods. Because of this defeat, Lord Rudra, Çiva, dismantled Tripura; thus he became famous as Tripuräri. For this, Rudra is very much appreciated and worshiped by the demigods. This narration occurs at the end of the chapter.:

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SB 7.10.48

 

Närada Muni continued: My dear Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira, all of you [the Päëòavas] are extremely fortunate, for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, lives in your palace just like a human being. Great saintly persons know this very well, and therefore they constantly visit this house.

 

 

SB 7.10.49

 

The impersonal Brahman is Kåñëa Himself because Kåñëa is the source of the impersonal Brahman. He is the origin of the transcendental bliss sought by great saintly persons, yet He, the Supreme Person, is your most dear friend and constant well-wisher and is intimately related to you as the son of your maternal uncle. Indeed, He is always like your body and soul. He is worshipable, yet He acts as your servant and sometimes as your spiritual master.

 

 

PURPORT

 

There is always a difference of opinion about the Absolute Truth. One class of transcendentalists concludes that the Absolute Truth is impersonal, and another class concludes that the Absolute Truth is a person.

 

In Bhagavad-gétä, the Absolute Truth is accepted as the Supreme Person. Indeed, that Supreme Person Himself, Lord Kåñëa, instructs in Bhagavad-gétä, brahmaëo hi pratiñöhäham [bg. 14.27], mattaù parataraà nänyat [bg. 7.7].

 

“The impersonal Brahman is My partial manifestation, and there is no truth superior to Me.” That same Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, acted as the supreme friend and relative of the Päëòavas, and sometimes He even acted as their servant by carrying a letter from the Päëòavas to Dhåtaräñöra and Duryodhana.

 

Because Kåñëa was the well-wisher of the Päëòavas, He also acted as guru by becoming the spiritual master of Arjuna. Arjuna accepted Kåñëa as his spiritual master (çiñyas te ’haà çädhi mäà tväà prapannam), and Kåñëa sometimes chastised him.

 

For example, the Lord said, açocyän anvaçocas tvaà prajïä-vädäàç ca bhäñase: [bg. 2.11] “while speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief.”

 

The Lord also said, kutas tvä kaçmalam idaà viñame samupasthitam: “My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you?” Such was the intimate relationship between the Päëòavas and Kåñëa.

 

In the same way, a pure devotee of the Lord is always with Kåñëa through thick and thin; his way of life is Kåñëa. This is the statement of the authority Çré Närada Muni.

 

 

 

SB 7.10.50

 

Exalted persons like Lord Çiva and Lord Brahmä could not properly describe the truth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa. May the Lord, who is always worshiped as the protector of all devotees by great saints who observe vows of silence, meditation, devotional service and renunciation, be pleased with us.

 

 

SB 7.10.51

 

My dear King Yudhiñöhira, long, long ago in history, a demon known as Maya Dänava, who was very expert in technical knowledge, reduced the reputation of Lord Çiva. In that situation, Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, saved Lord Çiva.

 

 

SB 7.10.52

 

Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira said: For what reason did the demon Maya Dänava vanquish Lord Çiva’s reputation? How did Lord Kåñëa save Lord Çiva and expand his reputation again? Kindly describe these incidents.

 

 

SB 7.10.53

 

Närada Muni said: When the demigods, who are always powerful by the mercy of Lord Kåñëa, fought with the asuras, the asuras were defeated, and therefore they took shelter of Maya Dänava, the greatest of the demons.

 

 

SB 7.10.54-55

 

Maya Dänava, the great leader of the demons, prepared three invisible residences and gave them to the demons. These dwellings resembled airplanes made of gold, silver and iron, and they contained uncommon paraphernalia. My dear King Yudhiñöhira, because of these three dwellings the commanders of the demons remained invisible to the demigods. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the demons, remembering their former enmity, began to vanquish the three worlds—the upper, middle and lower planetary systems.

 

 

SB 7.10.56

 

Thereafter, when the demons had begun to destroy the higher planetary systems, the rulers of those planets went to Lord Çiva, fully surrendered unto him and said: Dear Lord, we demigods living in the three worlds are about to be vanquished. We are your followers. Kindly save us.

 

 

SB 7.10.57

 

The most powerful and able Lord Çiva reassured them and said, “Do not be afraid.” He then fixed his arrows to his bow and released them toward the three residences occupied by the demons.

 

 

SB 7.10.58

 

The arrows released by Lord Çiva appeared like fiery beams emanating from the sun globe and covered the three residential airplanes, which could then no longer be seen.

 

 

SB 7.10.59

 

Attacked by Lord Çiva’s golden arrows, all the demoniac inhabitants of those three dwellings lost their lives and fell down. Then the great mystic Maya Dänava dropped the demons into a nectarean well that he had created.

 

 

SB 7.10.60

 

When the dead bodies of the demons came in touch with the nectar, their bodies became invincible to thunderbolts. Endowed with great strength, they got up like lightning penetrating clouds.

 

 

SB 7.10.61

 

Seeing Lord Çiva very much aggrieved and disappointed, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viñëu, considered how to stop this nuisance created by Maya Dänava.

 

 

SB 7.10.62

 

Then Lord Brahmä became a calf and Lord Viñëu a cow, and at noon they entered the residences and drank all the nectar in the well.

 

 

SB 7.10.63

 

The demons could see the calf and cow, but because of the illusion created by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demons could not forbid them. The great mystic Maya Dänava became aware that the calf and cow were drinking the nectar, and he could understand this to be the unseen power of providence. Thus he spoke to the demons, who were grievously lamenting.

 

 

SB 7.10.64

 

Maya Dänava said: What has been destined by the Supreme Lord for oneself, for others, or for both oneself and others cannot be undone anywhere or by anyone, whether one be a demigod, a demon, a human being or anyone else.

 

 

SB 7.10.65-66

 

Närada Muni continued: Thereafter, Lord Kåñëa, by His own personal potency, consisting of religion, knowledge, renunciation, opulence, austerity, education and activities, equipped Lord Çiva with all the necessary paraphernalia, such as a chariot, a charioteer, a flag, horses, elephants, a bow, a shield and arrows. When Lord Çiva was fully equipped in this way, he sat down on the chariot with his arrows and bow to fight with the demons.

 

 

SB 7.10.67

 

My dear King Yudhiñöhira, the most powerful Lord Çiva joined the arrows to his bow, and at noon he set fire to all three residences of the demons and thus destroyed them.

 

 

SB 7.10.68

 

Seated in their airplanes in the sky, the inhabitants of the higher planetary systems beat many kettledrums. The demigods, saints, Pitäs, Siddhas and various great personalities showered flowers on the head of Lord Çiva, wishing him all victory, and the Apsaräs began to chant and dance with great pleasure.

 

 

SB 7.10.69

 

O King Yudhiñöhira, thus Lord Çiva is known as Tripuräri, the annihilator of the three dwellings of the demons, because he burnt these dwellings to ashes. Being worshiped by the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmä, Lord Çiva returned to his own abode.

 

 

SB 7.10.70

 

The Lord, Çré Kåñëa, appeared as a human being, yet He performed many uncommon and wonderful pastimes by His own potency. How can I say more about His activities than what has already been said by great saintly persons? Everyone can be purified by His activities, simply by hearing about them from the right source.

 

 

PURPORT

 

Bhagavad-gétä and all the Vedic literatures fully explain that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, appears in human society as an ordinary human being but acts very uncommonly for the well-being of the entire world.

One should not be influenced by the illusory energy and think Lord Kåñëa to be an ordinary human being. Those who really seek the Absolute Truth come to the understanding that Kåñëa is everything (väsudevaù samam iti).

Such great souls are very rare. Nonetheless, if one studies the entire Bhagavad-gétä as it is, Kåñëa is very easy to understand.

The Kåñëa consciousness movement is just trying to make Kåñëa known all over the world as the Supreme Personality of Godhead (kåñëas tu bhagavän svayam). If people take this movement seriously, their lives as human beings will be successful.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Tenth Chapter, of the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, entitled “Prahläda, the Best Among Exalted Devotees.”