Canto
7
Chapter 6: Prahlāda Instructs His Asura Schoolmates
(1) S'rī Prahlāda said: 'Someone intelligent should, in this rarely obtained human birth, from early childhood on practice the dharma of devotional service unto the Lord [as described in 7.5: 23-24]; this life, even though temporary, is ruled by that purpose. (2) Because He is the most kindhearted and beloved living being, the Master of the Soul, to approach the feet of Vishnu constitutes the path for the person to follow in this world [see also 3.25: 38 and B.G. 5: 29]. (3) By divine ordinance sensual happiness, oh Daityas, is available everywhere to all embodied beings, just as the unhappiness one runs into without having asked for it. (4) There is no need to endeavor for that [material happiness], one would only waste one's life because nothing is gained that way. The lotus feet of Mukunda [the Lord of Liberation] constitute the foundation for [lasting] peace and happiness. (5) A mindful person having a material life in a human body, should therefore, for as long as he is healthy and strong and not decrepit, go for the real benefit [of Mukunda]. (6) Of the hundred years that he has for his life, a person in service of his senses spends half his time unproductively by, being drowned in darkness, ignorantly passing the night with sleeping.(7) In one's childhood one is naive and in one's teens one plays and thus twenty years pass, and it takes another twenty years in which one, having aged, cannot engage because of being physically incapacitated. (8) The rest of your life you spend as a fool because you, in the grip of family matters, are bewildered by mighty desires that can never be satisfied. (9) What person can free himself when he, attached to his household, being bound by the ropes of love, misses the control over his senses [see 1.2: 6-7]? (10) How can someone who thinks that making money is more important than living [in devotion and gratitude], forsake that acquiring for which a merchant, thief and public servant risks his dear life? (11-13) How can one give it up to associate privately with, and appreciate the words of, one's loving, pleasing and attractive wife? How can one refrain from one's love for the children with their cute prattle, to think of the sons and daughters one enshrined in one's heart, from one's brothers and sisters and the care for one's needy parents? How can one be indifferent about household matters as nice furniture, a good income, pets and rows of servants and maids? By giving priority to the interest of the tongue and the genitals fostering all kinds of desires that can never be fulfilled, one is engaged like a silkworm [that spins itself in its own cocoon]. How can such a massive illusion be forsaken? (14) Constantly plagued by the threefold misery of life [as caused by nature, by others and himself, see 2.10: 8] he does not regret the pleasure he derives from his family, but being materially infatuated, the maintenance of his family shortens his life-span without him ever understanding what the real purpose of life would be. That purpose he lost. (15) With a mind set on wealth, he learned that it is wrong to cheat for the sake of money. Nevertheless he, after having died, is tied to this material world [by Yamarāja being sentenced to take another birth]. Without mastering his senses he as a family man, with his insatiable lusts, after all, was guilty of theft [see also B.G. 16: 11-12]. (16) Despite knowing this, oh sons of Danu, someone who has to take care of his family does not find time for himself, as a consequence of which he, being estranged, gropes in the dark with a 'mine' and 'thine' conception of life like that of animals. (17-18) Nobody will ever, wherever or whenever, with a poor fund of knowledge be able to liberate himself. Because one, as a sexual plaything hankering after the gratification of one's lusts, by that attachment founds complete families, you, my Daitya friends, in this respect [wishing liberation] have to keep yourselves far removed from seeking refuge with the demon of being addicted to sensual pleasures. One instead should approach Lord Nārāyana, the original godhead, who through the association of liberated souls chalks out the path of the liberation you seek. (19) It is not hard to satisfy the Infallible One, oh Asura sons, because He has established Himself everywhere in this world as the perfection of the self of all living beings [compare B.G. 14: 3-4]. (20-23) He is the One present within all beings high and low, beginning with the simplest plant life up to Lord Brahmā. Within the single elements and all their transformations as also within the totality of the material energy, within the balanced state of the modes of nature as also within their perturbation, He is the one and only transcendental original source that is the Supreme Lord, the Controller who is free from decay Himself. Considering the original position of His inner presence and His outward personal manifestations, He is both the pervaded that can be described, and the undifferentiated, all-pervading Supreme Transcendence that defies description. He is the changeless and undivided One [Consciousness] in the form of bliss and understanding; He is the Supreme Controller about whose unlimited opulence one is mistaken because He is hidden from view by the illusory energy that is ruled by the basic qualities of material nature. (24) Be therefore merciful towards all living entities. When you, with a friendly attitude, give up the Asura mentality [of friends opposing enemies], you will satisfy the Lord beyond the Senses [see also B.G. 12: 13-20]. (25) With Him, the Eternal and Original One, being satisfied, nothing is out of one's reach. Why would those who are thus of service in this world that is ruled by the three basic qualities, have to work for a sense of duty [regulating the lusts, the economy and the religion] that follows automatically [from this devotion]? Why would we, having risen above the modes, be of desire when we are singing about His feet? (26) The prescribed threefold of dharma, kāma and artha, the knowledge of the soul and of the three Vedas, of the logic, of law and order and of the different professional identities, I all consider to be the [surface] truth of the lesson to be learned. But it is one's full surrender to the Supreme Friend that leads to the [deeper realization of one's personal relationship with the] transcendental person [one's svarūpa, compare 1.2: 8]. (27) This knowledge, free from material contamination, is most difficult to attain. It was explained to Nārada by Lord Nārāyana, the friend of all men, for the sake of all souls who are exclusively of surrender to Him, the Supreme Lord. That understanding is possible for those who do not care [anymore] for material possessions and who bathed their bodies in the dust of the lotus feet. (28) I received this spiritual knowledge concerning the bhāgavata dharma [of devotional service unto the Lord, in nine aspects, see 7.5: 23-24] together with its practical application from Nārada, who does not care about a material life and only has eyes for the Lord.'
(29-30) The Daitya sons said: 'Prahlāda, you and we have no other teachers but the two sons of S'ukrācārya, they are the schoolmasters for us children. But you, remaining in the palace, could have such a difficult to acquire association with a great soul like Nārada. Please dispel the doubts we have about this, dear friend, so that we can believe you.'
Third revised edition, loaded January 31, 2019.
Previous Aadhar edition and Vedabase links:
S'rī Prahlāda said: 'Someone intelligent should, in this rarely obtained human birth, from early childhood on practice the dharma of devotional service unto the Lord [as described in 7.5: 23-24]; this life, even though temporary, is ruled by that purpose.S'rī Prahlāda said: 'From one's childhood on should a person of intelligence practice the dharma of devotional service unto the Lord [as described in 7.5: 23-24]; to be born in this human life is a temporary thing rarely achieved that is suffused with meaning. (Vedabase)
Because He is the most kindhearted and beloved living being, the Master of the Soul, to approach the feet of Vishnu constitutes the path for the person to follow in this world [see also 3.25: 38 and B.G. 5: 29].
That way [of meaning] indeed is of a living being here the approaching of the feet of Vishnu because this concerns the dearest and best one of all alive, the Master of the Soul [see also 3.25: 38 and B.G. 5: 29,]. (Vedabase)
By divine ordinance sensual happiness oh Daityas, is available everywhere to all embodied beings, just as the unhappiness one runs into without having asked for it.
By divine ordinance is happiness to the sensual, o Daityas, everywhere available to all entities united with a material body, just as there is the unhappiness without one asking for it. (Vedabase)
There is no need to endeavor for that [material happiness], one would only waste one's life because nothing is gained that way. The lotus feet of Mukunda [the Lord of Liberation] constitute the foundation for [lasting] peace and happiness.
For that there is no need to endeavor, one would only waste one's life, and there is no need either to lust about it; the ultimate goal of life are the lotus feet of Mukunda [the Lord of Liberation]. (Vedabase)
A mindful person having a material life in a human body, should therefore, for as long as he is healthy and strong and not decrepit, go for the real benefit [of Mukunda].
Therefore should a person of reflection as long as he [from old age] is not of failure, still being stout and strong, be after the real benefit of [Mukunda in] having a material life in a human body. (Vedabase)
Of the hundred years that he has for his life, a person in service of his senses spends half his time unproductively by, being drowned in darkness, ignorantly passing the night with sleeping.
Of the hundred years that every person has for his life is a person in service of his senses indeed wasting half of his time as one sleeps half the day in ignorance being engulfed in darkness. (Vedabase)
In one's childhood one is naive and in one's teens one plays and thus twenty years pass, and it takes another twenty years in which one, having aged, cannot engage because of being physically incapacitated.
In one's childhood one is naive, as a boy one is playing and thus twenty years do pass and another twenty years pass being unable when one physically is incapacitated of old age. (Vedabase)
The rest of your life you spend as a fool because you, in the grip of family matters, are bewildered by mighty desires that can never be satisfied.
And bewildered by formidable material lusts that can never be satisfied is the one overly attached to family matters madly wasting the remainder of his life. (Vedabase)
What person can free himself when he, attached to his household, being bound by the ropes of love, misses the control over his senses [see 1.2: 6-7]?
What man is able to free himself who, attached to his household, with his hands and feet is bound by the ropes of affection, and thus is out of control with his senses [see 1.2: 6-7]? (Vedabase)
How can someone who thinks that making money is more important than living [in devotion and gratitude], forsake that acquiring for which a merchant, thief and public servant risks his dear life?
Who, thinking really that to make money is more desirable than to live [in devotion and gratitude], would be able to give up that acquiring for which merchant, thief and public servant risk their dear lives? (Vedabase)
How can one give it up to associate privately with, and appreciate the words of, one's loving, pleasing and attractive wife? How can one refrain from one's love for the children with their cute prattle, to think of the sons and daughters one enshrined in one's heart, from one's brothers and sisters and the care for one's needy parents? How can one be indifferent about household matters as nice furniture, a good income, pets and rows of servants and maids? By giving priority to the interest of the tongue and the genitals fostering all kinds of desires that can never be fulfilled, one is engaged like a silkworm [that spins itself in its own cocoon]. How can such a massive illusion be forsaken?
How can one give up on associating privately with one's loving wife who is so pleasing; how can one not support with wisdom the family bound by their affection or what person would not be attracted to the prattle of children? With one's sons and married daughters, brothers, sisters and depending parents enshrined in one's heart, with all the household matters of very nice furniture, a good income and all the pets and the groups of servants and maidservants connected with the family, how can one give up; like a silkworm is one greedily occupied by all kinds of activities in desires that can never be satisfied in considering the genitals and tongue the most important; how can such a massive illusion be forsaken? (Vedabase)
Constantly plagued by the threefold misery of life [as caused by nature, by others and himself, see 2.10: 8] he does not regret the pleasure he derives from his family, but being materially infatuated, the maintenance of his family shortens his life-span without him ever understanding what the real purpose of life would be. That purpose he lost.
Not for his lifetime does he understand to desist from the maintenance of his family; maddened spoiling the true purpose, at all fronts being distressed the threefold way [see 2.10: 8], has he no regrets about simply enjoying the family. (Vedabase)
With a mind set on wealth, he learned that it is wrong to cheat for the sake of money. Nevertheless he, after having died, is tied to this material world [by Yamarāja being sentenced to take another birth]. Without mastering his senses he as a family man, with his insatiable lusts, after all, was guilty of theft [see also B.G. 16: 11-12].
With a mind set on wealth and familiar with the fault of cheating out here for the money, is he nevertheless, after having died, tied to this material world [by Yamarāja taking rebirth again] because he, all too fond of his kin, never in peace with his desires, was on a campaign of stealing in having no control over his senses. (Vedabase)
Despite knowing this, oh sons of Danu, someone who has to take care of his family does not find time for himself, as a consequence of which he, being estranged, gropes in the dark with a 'mine' and 'thine' conception of life like that of animals.
Even though one knows about it, o sons of Danu, is one busy with providing the greater family while one at the same time fails to understand one's true self in one's entering the darkness of the, just like animals, being estranged in a "mine" and "thine" conception of life. (Vedabase)
Text 17-18
Nobody will ever, wherever or whenever, with a poor fund of knowledge be able to liberate himself. Because one, as a sexual plaything hankering after the gratification of one's lusts, by that attachment founds complete families, you, my Daitya friends, in this respect [wishing liberation] have to keep yourselves far removed from seeking refuge with the demon of being addicted to sensual pleasures. One instead should approach Lord Nārāyana, the original godhead, who through the association of liberated souls chalks out the path of the liberation you seek.
Because never, anyone, wherever or whenever with a poor fund of knowledge will excell in the art of liberating himself from hankering after the lust of being a sexual plaything and from being someone of whose attachment entire families come about, must you, my daitya friends, in this keep yourselves far away from hiding with the demon that is all too addicted to sensual pleasure; instead should one approach Lord Nārāyana, the original godhead, who by the association of the liberated lays out the desired path of liberation.. (Vedabase)
It is not hard to satisfy the Infallible One, oh Asura sons, because He has established Himself everywhere in this world as the perfection of the self of all living beings [compare B.G. 14: 3-4].
It really doesn't take that much to satisfy the Infallible One, o asura sons, because in this world of all beings so close to the soul each and every respect is already established [compare B.G. 14: 3-4]. (Vedabase)
He is the One present within all beings high and low, beginning with the simplest plant life up to Lord Brahmā. Within the single elements and all their transformations as also within the totality of the material energy, within the balanced state of the modes of nature as also within their perturbation, He is the one and only transcendental original source that is the Supreme Lord, the Controller who is free from decay Himself. Considering the original position of His inner presence and His outward personal manifestations, He is both the pervaded that can be described, and the undifferentiated, all-pervading Supreme Transcendence that defies description. He is the changeless and undivided One [Consciousness] in the form of bliss and understanding; He is the Supreme Controller about whose unlimited opulence one is mistaken because He is hidden from view by the illusory energy that is ruled by the basic qualities of material nature.
Within the beings high or low, beginning with simple plantlife up to Brahmā the foremost being; within the single transformations of the elements as well as with the totality of the material energy; with the modes of nature in a balanced state as also in their perturbation, is He the One and Only of transcendence, indeed the original source that is the Supreme Lord, the Controller who is without decay Himself. By the original of His inner position and by His personal manifestations is He the pervaded to be described and the undifferentiated all-pervading that defies description. He is the entirety pure and whole whose form is full of bliss and knowledge, the Supreme Ruler covered by the illusory energy about whose unlimited opulence one is mistaken by the modes of the creation. (Vedabase)
Be therefore merciful towards all living entities. When you, with a friendly attitude, give up the Asura mentality [of friends opposing enemies], you will satisfy the Lord beyond the Senses [see also B.G. 12: 13-20].
Show therefore mercy towards all living entities; with a friendly attitude will the ones of opposition, the Asuras, giving it up to live that way, satisfy the Lord beyond the Senses [see also B.G. 12: 13-20]. (Vedabase)
With Him, the Eternal and Original One, being satisfied, nothing is out of one's reach. Why would those who are thus of service in this world that is ruled by the three basic qualities, have to work for a sense of duty [regulating the lusts, the economy and the religion] that follows automatically [from this devotion]? Why would we, having risen above the modes, be of desire when we are singing about His feet?
When He, the Eternal and Original One, is satisfied is there nothing out of one's reach; what need would there be to those who are thus of service in this world ruled by the modes, to work for a sense of duty [regulating the lusts, the economy and the religion] that follows [the devotion] automatically. Why would we, being above the modes, be of desire when we in defense of His qualities are relishing the essence of the Lord His feet? (Vedabase)
The prescribed threefold of dharma, kāma and artha, the knowledge of the soul and of the three Vedas, of the logic, of law and order and of the different professional identities, I all consider to be the [surface] truth of the lesson to be learned. But it is one's full surrender to the Supreme Friend that leads to the [deeper realization of one's personal relationship with the] transcendental person [one's svarūpa, compare 1.2: 8].
The three prescribed ways of dharma, kāma and artha that are thus covered, make for the selfrealization, the ceremonies, the logic, the law and order and the different sorts of occupations that I all consider to be the [superficial] truth that is one's lesson; it is the full surrender of oneself to the Supreme Friend that leads to the ultimate personality [compare 1.2: 8]. (Vedabase)
This knowledge, free from material contamination, is most difficult to attain. It was explained to Nārada by Lord Nārāyana, the friend of all men, for the sake of all souls who are exclusively of surrender to Him, the Supreme Lord. That understanding is possible for those who do not care [anymore] for material possessions and who bathed their bodies in the dust of the lotus feet.
This knowledge that is without material contamination is most difficult to understand. It was explained by Lord Nārāyana unto the certain friend of all men Nārada for all those who [through him] exclusively are of surrender unto Him, the Supreme Lord; for those who do not claim material possessions, can that understanding be achieved, as their bodies bathed in the dust of the lotus feet. (Vedabase)
I received this spiritual knowledge concerning the bhāgavata dharma [of devotional service unto the Lord, in nine aspects, see 7.5: 23-24] together with its practical application from Nārada, who does not care about a material life and only has eyes for the Lord.'
This spiritual knowledge concerning the bhāgavata dharma [the nine of devotional service unto the Lord] was together with its practical use in all its purity formerly explained to me by Nārada who always sees the Lord.' (Vedabase)
The Daitya sons said: 'Prahlāda, you and we have no other teachers but the two sons of S'ukrācārya, they are the schoolmasters for us children. But you, remaining in the palace, could have such a difficult to acquire association with a great soul like Nārada. Please dispel the doubts we have about this, dear friend, so that we can believe you.'
The daitya sons said: 'Prahlāda, a child like you as well as children as us know no other teachers but the two sons of S'ukrācārya as their controllers. Remaining in the palace it must be difficult to find such superior association; please dispel our doubt o gentle one, on how we may find belief in that.' (Vedabase)
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