SB 1.9.32 (1964)

SB (1964) Ninth Chapter - Bhisma's Passing away in the Presence of Lord Krishna

SB 1.9.31 (1964) - SB 1.9.33 (1964)

Compare Versions: SB 1964 with SB 1972-77

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

TEXT No. 32

Sri. Bhisma Uvacha Iti matir upakalpita vitrisna Bhagavati satwatapungave vibhumni Swasukham upagate kwachid vihartum Prakritim upeyusi yadbhava pravahah.

ENGLISH SYNONYMS

Iti—thus, Matir—thinking, feeling and willing, Upakalpita—invested, Vitrisna—freed from all sense desires, Bhagwati—unto the Personality of Godhead, Satwatapungave—unto the leader of the devotees, Vibhmuri—unto the great, Swasukham—self satisfaction, Upagate—unto Him who has attained it, Kwachid—sometimes, Vihartum—out of transcendental pleasure, Prakritim—in the material world, Upyusi—do accept it, Yadbhava—from whom the creation, Pravahah—is made and annihilated.

TRANSLATION

Bhismadeva said, "Let me now invest, my thinking feeling and willing which were so long engaged in different subjects of occupational duties, unto the All powerful Lord Sri Krishna. He is always self satisfied but sometimes, being the leader of the devotees, He does enjoy transcendental pleasure; He descends on the material world although from Him only creation of the material world takes place.

PURPORT

Bhismadeva as a statesman, as the head of the Kuru dynasty, as a great general and as leader of Kshatriyas, his mind was strewn over so many other subjects and his thinking feeling and willing were all engaged in different matters. Now in order to achieve pure devotional service he wants to invest all such power of thinking feeling and willing entirely be in the matter of the Supreme Being Lord Krishna. He is described herein as the leader of the devotees and all powerful. Because Lord Krishna although He is the Original Personality of Godhead, He Himself descends on earth to bestow upon His pure devotees the boon of devotional service. He descends sometimes as Lord Krishna as He is and sometimes as Lord Chaitanya both being the Leader of the Pure devotees. Pure devotees of the Lord have no other desires except the service of the Lord and therefore, they are called Satwata and the Lord is the Chief amongst such satwatas. Bhismadeva, therefore, has no other desires. He is now completely free from all desires of material connection. Unless one is purified from all sorts of material desires the Lord does not become the leader of such mixed devotees. Desires cannot be wiped out but it has only to be purified by transfer epithet. It is confirmed in the Bhagwat Geeta by the Lord Himself* that He gives His instruction from within the heart of a pure devotee who is constantly engaged in the service of the Lord. Such instruction is given not for any material purpose but only for going back to home back to Godhead (B.G. 10/10). For the ordinary man who wants to Lord it over the material nature, the Lord only sanctions and becomes witness for the activities of non-devotee but He never gives such person any instruction for going back to Godhead. That is the difference of dealings by the Lord to different living beings both the devotee and the nondevotee. He is leader of the living beings as much as the king of the state is for both the prisoners and the free citizens. But His dealings are different in terms of devotee and nondevotee. Non-devotees never care to take any instruction from the Lord and therefore the Lord is also silent in their case; although He witnesses all the activities of the nondevotee and awards him the necessary results good or bad. The devotees are above this material goodness and badness but they are progressive on the path of transcendence and therefore, they have no desire for anything material. The devotee knows also Sri Krishna as the Original Narayana because Lord Sri Krishna by His plenary portion only appears as the Karnodakasayeo Vishnu the original source of all material creation. The Lord also desires the association of His pure devotees and for them only the Lord descends on the earth to enliven His pure devotees. The Lord does appear out of His own will and not being forced by the conditions of material nature. He is therefore, described here as the Bibhu or the Almighty; never to be conditioned by the laws of material nature.

(Compare SB 1.9.32 Current Edition)

SB 1.9.31 (1964) - SB 1.9.33 (1964)