Srimad Bhagavatam 10.72.01-03 - Drawing Parallel between Yudhisthira Maharaja and Srila Prabhupada (download mp3)
by Purushottam Prabhu at ISKCON Chowpatty
www.iskcondesiretree.com
SB 10.72.1-2
sri-suka uvaca
ekada tu sabha-madhya
asthito munibhir vrtah
brahmanaih ksatriyair vaisyair
bhratrbhis ca yudhisthirah
acaryaih kula-vrddhais ca
jñati-sambandhi-bandhavaih
srnvatam eva caitesam
abhasyedam uvaca ha
Translation:
Sukadeva Gosvami said: One day, as King Yudhisthira sat in the royal assembly surrounded by eminent sages, brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas, and also by his brothers, spiritual masters, family elders, blood relations, in-laws and friends, he addressed Lord Krsna as everyone listened.
SB 10.72.3
sri-yudhisthira uvaca
kratu-rajena govinda
rajasuyena pavanih
yaksye vibhutir bhavatas
tat sampadaya nah prabho
Translation:
Sri Yudhisthira said: O Govinda, I desire to worship Your auspicious, opulent expansions by the Rajasuya sacrifice, the king of Vedic ceremonies. Please make our endeavor a success, my Lord.
Purport:
Srila Sridhara Svami states that the word vibhutih refers to Lord Krsna’s expansions (amsan), and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura further explains that here the word vibhutih refers to Lord Krsna’s opulent expansions within this world, such as the demigods and other empowered beings. Thus Srila Prabhupada treats this verse as follows in Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead: “My dear Lord Krsna, the sacrifice known as the Rajasuya-yajña is to be performed by the emperor, and it is considered to be the king of all sacrifices. By performing this sacrifice, I wish to satisfy all the demigods, who are Your empowered representatives within this material world, and I wish that You will kindly help me in this great adventure so that it may be successfully executed. As far as the Pandavas are concerned, we have nothing to ask from the demigods. We are personally fully satisfied by being Your devotees. As you say in the Bhagavad-gita, ‘Persons who are bewildered by material desires worship the demigods,’ but our purpose is different. I want to perform this Rajasuya sacrifice and invite the demigods to show them that they have no power independent of You. They are all Your servants and You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Foolish persons with a poor fund of knowledge consider Your Lordship an ordinary human being. Sometimes they try to find fault in You, and sometimes they defame You. Therefore I wish to perform the Rajasuya-yajña. I wish to invite all the demigods, beginning from Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and other exalted chiefs of the heavenly planets, and in that great assembly of the demigods from all parts of the universe, I want to substantiate that You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that everyone is Your servant.”
