Devotee Considers Oneself Lower

2009-01-06
Srimad Bhagavatam 07.10.46-48 - Devotee Considers Oneself Lower (download mp3)
by HG Adi keshava Prabhu at ISKCON Chowpatty
www.iskcondesiretree.net





SB 7.10.46
ya etat punyam akhyanam
visnor viryopabrmhitam
kirtayec chraddhaya srutva
karma-pasair vimucyate

Translation: 
One who hears and chants this narration about the omnipotence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, is certainly liberated from material bondage without fail.

SB 7.10.47
etad ya adi-purusasya mrgendra-lilam
daityendra-yutha-pa-vadham prayatah patheta
daityatmajasya ca satam pravarasya punyam
srutvanubhavam akuto-bhayam eti lokam

Translation: 
Prahlada Maharaja was the best among exalted devotees. Anyone who with great attention hears this narration concerning the activities of Prahlada Maharaja, the killing of Hiranyakasipu, and the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nrsimha-deva, surely reaches the spiritual world, where there is no anxiety.

SB 7.10.48
yuyam nr-loke bata bhuri-bhaga
lokam punana munayo 'bhiyanti
yesam grhan avasatiti saksad
gudham param brahma manusya-lingam

Translation: 
Narada Muni continued: My dear Maharaja Yudhisthira, all of you [the Pandavas] are extremely fortunate, for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, lives in your palace just like a human being. Great saintly persons know this very well, and therefore they constantly visit this house.

Purport: 
After hearing about the activities of Prahlada Maharja, a pure devotee should be very anxious to follow in his footsteps, but such a devotee might be disappointed, thinking that not every devotee can come to the standard of Prahlada Maharaja. This is the nature of a pure devotee; he always thinks himself to be the lowest, to be incompetent and unqualified. Thus after hearing the narration of Prahlada Maharaja's activities, Maharaja Yudhisthira, who was on the same standard of devotional service as Prahlada, might have been thinking of his own humble position. Narada Muni, however, could understand Maharaja Yudhisthira's mind, and therefore he immediately encouraged him by saying that the Pandavas were not less fortunate; they were as good as Prahlada Maharaja because although Lord Nrsimha-deva appeared for Prahlada, the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His original form as Krsna was always living with the Pandavas. Although the Pandavas, because of the influence of Krsna's yogamaya, could not think of their fortunate position, every saintly person, including the great sage Narada, could understand it, and therefore they constantly visited Maharaja Yudhisthira.

Any pure devotee who is constantly conscious of Krsna is naturally very fortunate. The word nr-loke, meaning "within the material world," indicates that before the Pandavas there had been many, many devotees, such as the descendants of the Yadu dynasty and Vasistha, Marici, Kasyapa, Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, who were all extremely fortunate. The Pandavas, however, were better than all of them because Krsna Himself lived with them constantly. Narada Muni therefore specifically mentioned that within this material world (nr-loke) the Pandavas were the most fortunate.