TEXT 1
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sri-suka uvaca
atha ha tam utpattyaivabhivyajyamana-bhagaval-laksanam samyopasamavairagyaisvarya-
maha-vibhutibhir anudinam edhamananubhavam prakrtayah
praja brahmana devatas cavani-tala-samavanayatitaram jagrdhuh.
Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: As soon as the Lord was born as the son of
Maharaja Nabhi, He manifested symptoms of the Supreme Lord, such as marks
on the bottoms of His feet [the flag, thunderbolt, etc.]. This son was
equal to everyone and very peaceful. He could control His senses and His
mind, and, possessing all opulence, He did not hanker for material
enjoyment. Endowed with all these attributes, the son of Maharaja Nabhi
became more powerful day after day. Due to this, the citizens, learned
brahmanas, demigods and ministers wanted Rsabhadeva to be appointed ruler
of the earth.
TEXT 2
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tasya ha va ittham varsmana variyasa brhac-chlokena caujasa balena sriya
yasasa virya-sauryabhyam ca pita rsabha itidam nama cakara.
When the son of Maharaja Nabhi became visible, He evinced all good
qualities described by the great poets–namely, a well-built body with
all the symptoms of the Godhead, prowess, strength, beauty, name, fame,
influence and enthusiasm. When the father, Maharaja Nabhi, saw all these
qualities, he thought his son to be the best of human beings or the
supreme being. Therefore he gave Him the name Rsabha.
TEXT 3
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yasya hindrah spardhamano bhagavan varse na vavarsa tad avadharya
bhagavan rsabhadevo yogesvarah prahasyatma-yogamayaya sva-varsam
ajanabham namabhyavarsat.
Indra, the King of heaven, who is very materially opulent, became
envious of King Rsabhadeva. Consequently he stopped pouring water on the
planet known as Bharata-varsa. At that time the Supreme Lord, Rsabhadeva,
the master of all mystic power, understood King Indra’s purpose and
smiled a little. Then, by His own prowess, through yogamaya [His internal
potency], He profusely poured water upon His own place, which was known
as Ajanabha.
TEXT 4
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nabhis tu yathabhilasitam suprajastvam avarudhyati-pramoda-bhara-vihvalo
gadgadaksaraya gira svairam grhita-naraloka-sadharmam bhagavantam puranapurusam
maya-vilasita-matir vatsa tateti sanuragam upalalayan param
nirvrtim upagatah.
Due to getting a perfect son according to his desire, King Nabhi was
always overwhelmed with transcendental bliss and was very affectionate to
his son. It was with ecstasy and a faltering voice that he addressed Him,
“My dear son, my darling.” This mentality was brought about by yogamaya,
whereby he accepted the Supreme Lord, the supreme father, as his own son.
Out of His supreme good will, the Lord became his son and dealt with
everyone as if He were an ordinary human being. Thus King Nabhi began to
raise his transcendental son with great affection, and he was overwhelmed
with transcendental bliss, joy and devotion.
TEXT 5
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viditanuragam apaura-prakrti jana-pado raja nabhir atmajam samaya-seturaksayam
abhisicya brahmanesupanidhaya saha merudevya visalayam prasannanipunena
tapasa samadhi-yogena nara-narayanakhyam bhagavantam vasudevam
upasinah kalena tan-mahimanam avapa.
King Nabhi understood that his son, Rsabhadeva, was very popular among
the citizens and among government officers and ministers. Understanding
the popularity of his son, Maharaja Nabhi enthroned Him as the emperor of
the world to give protection to the general populace in terms of the
Vedic religious system. To do this, he entrusted Him into the hands of
learned brahmanas, who would guide Him in administrating the government.
Then Maharaja Nabhi and his wife, Merudevi, went to Badarikasrama in the
Himalaya Mountains, where the King engaged Himself very expertly in
austerities and penances with great jubilation. In full samadhi he
worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nara-Narayana, who is Krsna
in His plenary expansion. By doing so, in course of time Maharaja Nabhi
was elevated to the spiritual world known as Vaikuntha.
TEXT 6
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yasya ha pandaveya slokav udaharanti—-
ko nu tat karma rajarser
nabher anv acaret puman
apatyatam agad yasya
harih suddhena karmana
O Maharaja Pariksit, to glorify Maharaja Nabhi, the old sages composed
two verses. One of them is this: “Who can attain the perfection of
Maharaja Nabhi? Who can attain his activities? Because of his devotional
service, the Supreme Personality of Godhead agreed to become his son.”
TEXT 7
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brahmanyo ‘nyah kuto nabher
vipra mangala-pujitah
yasya barhisi yajnesam
darsayam asur ojasa
[The second prayer is this.] “Who is a better worshiper of brahmanas
than Maharaja Nabhi? Because he worshiped the qualified brahmanas to
their full satisfaction, the brahmanas, by their brahminical prowess,
showed Maharaja Nabhi the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, in
person.”
TEXT 8
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atha ha bhagavan rsabhadevah sva-varsam karma-ksetram anumanyamanah
pradarsita-gurukula-vaso labdha-varair gurubhir anujnato grhamedhinam
dharman anusiksamano jayantyam indra-dattayam ubhaya-laksanam karma
samamnayamnatam abhiyunjann atmajanam atma-samananam satam janayam asa.
After Nabhi Maharaja departed for Badarikasrama, the Supreme Lord,
Rsabhadeva, understood that His kingdom was His field of activities. He
therefore showed Himself as an example and taught the duties of a
householder by first accepting brahmacarya under the direction of
spiritual masters. He also went to live at the spiritual masters’ place,
gurukula. After His education was finished, He gave gifts (guru-daksina)
to His spiritual masters and then accepted the life of a householder. He
took a wife named Jayanti and begot one hundred sons who were as powerful
and qualified as He Himself. His wife Jayanti had been offered to Him by
Indra, the King of heaven. Rsabhadeva and Jayanti performed householder
life in an exemplary way, carrying out ritualistic activities ordained by
the sruti and smrti sastra.
TEXT 9
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yesam khalu maha-yogi bharato jyesthah srestha-guna asid yenedam varsam
bharatam iti vyapadisanti.
Of Rsabhadeva’s one hundred sons, the eldest, named Bharata, was a
great, exalted devotee qualified with the best attributes. In his honor,
this planet has become known as Bharata-varsa.
TEXT 10
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tam anu kusavarta ilavarto brahmavarto malayah ketur bhadrasena indrasprg
vidarbhah kikata iti nava navati pradhanah.
Following Bharata, there were ninety-nine other sons. Among these were
nine elderly sons, named Kusavarta, Ilavarta, Brahmavarta, Malaya, Ketu,
Bhadrasena, Indrasprk, Vidarbha and Kikata.
TEXTS 11-12
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kavir havir antariksah
prabuddhah pippalayanah
avirhotro ‘tha drumilas
camasah karabhajanahupasamayanam uparistad varnayisyamah.
In addition to these sons were Kavi, Havi, Antariksa, Prabuddha,
Pippalayana, Avirhotra, Drumila, Camasa and Karabhajana. These were all
very exalted, advanced devotees and authorized preachers of Srimad-
Bhagavatam. These devotees were glorified due to their strong devotion to
Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore they were very
exalted. To satisfy the mind perfectly, I [Sukadeva Gosvami] shall
hereafter describe the characteristics of these nine devotees when I
discuss the conversation between Narada and Vasudeva.
TEXT 13
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yaviyamsa ekasitir jayanteyah pitur adesakara maha-salina maha-srotriya
yajna-silah karma-visuddha brahmana babhuvuh.
In addition to these nineteen sons mentioned above, there were eightyone
younger ones, all born of Rsabhadeva and Jayanti. According to the
order of their father, they became well cultured, well behaved, very pure
in their activities and expert in Vedic knowledge and the performance of
Vedic rituals. Thus they all became perfectly qualified brahmanas.
TEXT 14
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bhagavan rsabha-samjna atma-tantrah svayam nitya-nivrttanartha-paramparah
kevalanandanubhava isvara eva viparitavat karmany arabhamanah
kalenanugatam dharmam acaranenopasiksayann atad-vidam sama upasanto
maitrah karuniko dharmartha-yasah-prajanandamrtavarodhena grhesu lokam
niyamayat.
Being an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord
Rsabhadeva was fully independent because His form was spiritual, eternal
and full of transcendental bliss. He eternally had nothing to do with the
four principles of material misery [birth, death, old age and disease].
Nor was He materially attached. He was always equipoised, and He saw
everyone on the same level. He was unhappy to see others unhappy, and He
was the well-wisher of all living entities. Although He was a perfect
personality, the Supreme Lord and controller of all, He nonetheless acted
as if He were an ordinary conditioned soul. Therefore He strictly
followed the principles of varnasrama-dharma and acted accordingly. In
due course of time, the principles of varnasrama-dharma had become
neglected; therefore through His personal characteristics and behavior,
He taught the ignorant public how to perform duties within the
varnasrama-dharma. In this way He regulated the general populace in
householder life, enabling them to develop religion and economic wellbeing
and to attain reputations, sons and daughters, material pleasure
and finally eternal life. By His instructions, He showed how people could
remain householders and at the same time become perfect by following the
principles of varnasrama-dharma.
TEXT 15
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yad yac chirsanyacaritam tat tad anuvartate lokah.
Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow.
TEXT 16
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yadyapi sva-viditam sakala-dharmam brahmam guhyam brahmanair darsitamargena
samadibhir upayair janatam anusasasa.
Although Lord Rsabhadeva knew everything about confidential Vedic
knowledge, which includes information about all types of occupational
duties, He still maintained Himself as a ksatriya and followed the
instructions of the brahmanas as they related to mind control, sense
control, tolerance and so forth. Thus He ruled the people according to
the system of varnasrama-dharma, which enjoins that the brahmanas
instruct the ksatriyas and the ksatriyas administer to the state through
the vaisyas and sudras.
TEXT 17
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dravya-desa-kala-vayah-sraddhartvig-vividhoddesopacitaih sarvair api
kratubhir yathopadesam sata-krtva iyaja.
Lord Rsabhadeva performed all kinds of sacrifices one hundred times
according to the instructions of the Vedic literatures. Thus He satisfied
Lord Visnu in every respect. All the rituals were enriched by first-class
ingredients. They were executed in holy places according to the proper
time by priests who were all young and faithful. In this way Lord Visnu
was worshiped, and the prasada was offered to all the demigods. Thus the
functions and festivals were all successful.
TEXT 18
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bhagavatarsabhena pariraksyamana etasmin varse na kascana puruso vanchaty
avidyamanam ivatmano ‘nyasmat kathancana kimapi karhicid aveksate
bhartary anusavanam vijrmbhita-snehatisayam antarena.
No one likes to possess anything that is like a will-o’-the-wisp or a
flower in the sky, for everyone knows very well that such things do not
exist. When Lord Rsabhadeva ruled this planet of Bharatavarsa, even
common men did not want to ask for anything, at any time or by any means.
No one ever asks for a will-o’-the-wisp. In other words, everyone was
completely satisfied, and therefore there was no chance of anyone’s
asking for anything. The people were absorbed in great affection for the
King. Since this affection was always expanding, they were not inclined
to ask for anything.
TEXT 19
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sa kadacid atamano bhagavan rsabho brahmavarta-gato brahmarsi-pravarasabhayam
prajanam nisamayantinam atmajan avahitatmanah prasraya-pranayabhara-
suyantritan apy upasiksayann iti hovaca.
Once while touring the world, Lord Rsabhadeva, the Supreme Lord,
reached a place known as Brahmavarta. There was a great conference of
learned brahmanas at that place, and all the King’s sons attentively
heard the instructions of the brahmanas there. At that assembly, within
the hearing of the citizens, Rsabhadeva instructed His sons, although
they were already very well behaved, devoted and qualified. He instructed
them so that in the future they could rule the world very perfectly. Thus
he spoke as follows.
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