Srimad Bhagavatam 07.10.52-59 - Misery Is For Everyone (download mp3)
by HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj at ISKCON Chowpatty
www.iskcondesiretree.net
SB 7.10.52
rajovaca
kasmin karmani devasya
mayo 'hañ jagad-isituh
yatha copacita kirtih
krsnenanena kathyatam
Translation:
Maharaja Yudhisthira said: For what reason did the demon Maya Danava vanquish Lord Siva's reputation? How did Lord Krsna save Lord Siva and expand his reputation again? Kindly describe these incidents.
SB 7.10.53
sri-narada uvaca
nirjita asura devair
yudhy anenopabrmhitaih
mayinam paramacaryam
mayam saranam ayayuh
Translation:
Narada Muni said: When the demigods, who are always powerful by the mercy of Lord Krsna, fought with the asuras, the asuras were defeated, and therefore they took shelter of Maya Danava, the greatest of the demons.
SB 7.10.54-55
sa nirmaya puras tisro
haimi-raupyayasir vibhuh
durlaksyapaya-samyoga
durvitarkya-paricchadah
tabhis te 'sura-senanyo
lokams trin sesvaran nrpa
smaranto nasayam cakruh
purva-vairam alaksitah
Translation:
Maya Danava, 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 Yudhisthira, 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
tatas te sesvara loka
upasadyesvaram natah
trahi nas tavakan deva
vinastams tripuralayaih
Translation:
Thereafter, when the demons had begun to destroy the higher planetary systems, the rulers of those planets went to Lord Siva, 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
athanugrhya bhagavan
ma bhaisteti suran vibhuh
saram dhanusi sandhaya
puresv astram vyamuñcata
The most powerful and able Lord Siva 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
tato 'gni-varna isava
utpetuh surya-mandalat
yatha mayukha-sandoha
nadrsyanta puro yatah
The arrows released by Lord Siva 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
taih sprsta vyasavah sarve
nipetuh sma puraukasah
tan aniya maha-yogi
mayah kupa-rase 'ksipat
Attacked by Lord Siva's golden arrows, all the demoniac inhabitants of those three dwellings lost their lives and fell down. Then the great mystic Maya Danava dropped the demons into a nectarean well that he had created.
The asuras are generally extremely powerful because of their mystic yogic power. However, as Lord Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (6.47):
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
"Of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all." The actual purpose of mystic yoga is to concentrate one's attention fully on the Personality of Godhead, Krsna, and always think of Him (mad-gatenantaratmana). To attain such perfection, one must undergo a certain process—hatha-yoga—and through this yoga system the practitioner achieves some uncommon mystic power. The asuras, however, instead of becoming devotees of Krsna, utilize this mystic power for their personal sense gratification. Maya Danava, for example, is mentioned here as maha-yogi, a great mystic, but his business was to help the asuras. Nowadays we are actually seeing that there are some yogis who cater to the senses of materialists, and there are imposters who advertise themselves as God. Maya Danava was such a person, a god among the demons, and he could perform some wonderful feats, one of which is described here: he made a well filled with nectar and dipped the asuras into that nectarean well. This nectar was known as mrta-sanjivayitari, for it could bring a dead body to life. Mrta-sanjivayitari is also an Ayur-vedic preparation. It is a kind of liquor that invigorates even a person on the verge of death.
