Srimad Bhagavatam 08.15.01-28 - Receiving The Armour Of Instructions (download mp3)
by Radha Dyuti Prabhu at ISKCON Chowpatty
www.iskcondesiretree.net
SB 8.15.1-2
sri-rajovaca
baleh pada-trayam bhumeh
kasmad dharir ayacata
bhutesvarah krpana-val
labdhartho 'pi babandha tam
etad veditum icchamo
mahat kautuhalam hi nah
yacñesvarasya purnasya
bandhanam capy anagasah
Translation:
Maharaja Pariksit inquired: The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the proprietor of everything. Why did He beg three paces of land from Bali Maharaja like a poor man, and when He got the gift for which He had begged, why did He nonetheless arrest Bali Maharaja? I am very much anxious to know the mystery of these contradictions.
SB 8.15.3
sri-suka uvaca
parajita-srir asubhis ca hapito
hindrena rajan bhrgubhih sa jivitah
sarvatmana tan abhajad bhrgun balih
sisyo mahatmartha-nivedanena
Translation:
Sukadeva Gosvami said: O King, when Bali Maharaja lost all his opulence and died in the fight, Sukracarya, a descendant of Bhrgu Muni, brought him back to life. Because of this, the great soul Bali Maharaja became a disciple of Sukracarya and began to serve him with great faith, offering everything he had.
SB 8.15.4
tam brahmana bhrgavah priyamana
ayajayan visvajita tri-nakam
jigisamanam vidhinabhisicya
mahabhisekena mahanubhavah
Translation:
The brahmana descendants of Bhrgu Muni were very pleased with Bali Maharaja, who desired to conquer the kingdom of Indra. Therefore, after purifying him and properly bathing him according to regulative principles, they engaged him in performing the yajña known as Visvajit.
SB 8.15.5
tato rathah kañcana-patta-naddho
hayas ca haryasva-turanga-varnah
dhvajas ca simhena virajamano
hutasanad asa havirbhir istat
Translation:
When ghee [clarified butter] was offered in the fire of sacrifice, there appeared from the fire a celestial chariot covered with gold and silk. There also appeared yellow horses like those of Indra, and a flag marked with a lion.
SB 8.15.6
dhanus ca divyam puratopanaddham
tunav ariktau kavacam ca divyam
pitamahas tasya dadau ca malam
amlana-puspam jalajam ca sukrah
Translation:
A gilded bow, two quivers of infallible arrows, and celestial armor also appeared. Bali Maharaja's grandfather Prahlada Maharaja offered Bali a garland of flowers that would never fade, and Sukracarya gave him a conchshell.
SB 8.15.7
evam sa viprarjita-yodhanarthas
taih kalpita-svastyayano 'tha vipran
pradaksini-krtya krta-pranamah
prahradam amantrya namas-cakara
Translation:
When Maharaja Bali had thus performed the special ritualistic ceremony advised by the brahmanas and had received, by their grace, the equipment for fighting, he circumambulated the brahmanas and offered them obeisances. He also saluted Prahlada Maharaja and offered obeisances to him.
SB 8.15.8-9
atharuhya ratham divyam
bhrgu-dattam maharathah
susrag-dharo 'tha sannahya
dhanvi khadgi dhrtesudhih
hemangada-lasad-bahuh
sphuran-makara-kundalah
raraja ratham arudho
dhisnya-stha iva havyavat
Translation:
Then, after getting on the chariot given by Sukracarya, Bali Maharaja, decorated with a nice garland, put protective armor on his body, equipped himself with a bow, and took up a sword and a quiver of arrows. When he sat down on the seat of the chariot, his arms decorated with golden bangles and his ears with sapphire earrings, he shone like a worshipable fire.
SB 8.15.10-11
tulyaisvarya-bala-sribhih
sva-yuthair daitya-yuthapaih
pibadbhir iva kham drgbhir
dahadbhih paridhin iva
vrto vikarsan mahatim
asurim dhvajinim vibhuh
yayav indra-purim svrddham
kampayann iva rodasi
Translation:
When he assembled with his own soldiers and the demon chiefs, who were equal to him in strength, opulence and beauty, they appeared as if they would swallow the sky and burn all directions with their vision. After thus gathering the demoniac soldiers, Bali Maharaja departed for the opulent capital of Indra. Indeed, he seemed to make the entire surface of the world tremble.
SB 8.15.12
ramyam upavanodyanaih
srimadbhir nandanadibhih
kujad-vihanga-mithunair
gayan-matta-madhuvrataih
pravala-phala-pusporu-
bhara-sakhamara-drumaih
Translation:
King Indra's city was full of pleasing orchards and gardens, such as the Nandana garden. Because of the weight of the flowers, leaves and fruit, the branches of the eternally existing trees were bending down. The gardens were visited by pairs of chirping birds and singing bees. The entire atmosphere was celestial.
SB 8.15.13
hamsa-sarasa-cakrahva-
karandava-kulakulah
nalinyo yatra kridanti
pramadah sura-sevitah
Translation:
Beautiful women protected by the demigods sported in the gardens, which had lotus ponds full of swans, cranes, cakravakas and ducks.
SB 8.15.14
akasa-gangaya devya
vrtam parikha-bhutaya
prakarenagni-varnena
sattalenonnatena ca
Translation:
The city was surrounded by trenches full of Ganges water, known as Akasa-ganga, and by a high wall, which was the color of fire. Upon this wall were parapets for fighting.
SB 8.15.15
rukma-patta-kapatais ca
dvaraih sphatika-gopuraih
justam vibhakta-prapatham
visvakarma-vinirmitam
Translation:
The doors were made of solid gold plates, and the gates were of excellent marble. These were linked by various public roads. The entire city had been constructed by Visvakarma.
SB 8.15.16
sabha-catvara-rathyadhyam
vimanair nyarbudair yutam
srngatakair manimayair
vajra-vidruma-vedibhih
Translation:
The city was full of courtyards, wide roads, assembly houses, and not less than one hundred million airplanes. The crossroads were made of pearl, and there were sitting places made of diamond and coral.
SB 8.15.17
yatra nitya-vayo-rūpāḥ
śyāmā viraja-vāsasaḥ
bhrājante rūpavan-nāryo
hy arcirbhir iva vahnayaḥ
Translation:
Everlastingly beautiful and youthful women, who were dressed with clean garments, glittered in the city like fires with flames. They all possessed the quality of śyāmā.
Purport:
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura gives a hint of the quality of the śyāmā woman.
śīta-kāle bhaved uṣṇā
uṣma-kāle suśītalāḥ
stanau sukaṭhinau yāsāṁ
tāḥ śyāmāḥ parikīrtitāḥ
A woman whose body is very warm during the winter and cool during the summer and who generally has very firm breasts is called śyāmā.
SB 8.15.18
sura-stri-kesa-vibhrasta-
nava-saugandhika-srajam
yatramodam upadaya
marga avati marutah
Translation:
The breezes blowing in the streets of the city bore the fragrance of the flowers falling from the hair of the women of the demigods.
SB 8.15.19
hema-jalaksa-nirgacchad-
dhumenaguru-gandhina
pandurena praticchanna-
marge yanti sura-priyah
Translation:
Apsaras passed on the streets, which were covered with the white, fragrant smoke of aguru incense emanating from windows with golden filigree.
SB 8.15.20
mukta-vitanair mani-hema-ketubhir
nana-pataka-valabhibhir avrtam
sikhandi-paravata-bhrnga-naditam
vaimanika-stri-kala-gita-mangalam
Translation:
The city was shaded by canopies decorated with pearls, and the domes of the palaces had flags of pearl and gold. The city always resounded with the vibrations of peacocks, pigeons and bees, and above the city flew airplanes full of beautiful women who constantly chanted auspicious songs that were very pleasing to the ear.
SB 8.15.21
mrdanga-sankhanaka-dundubhi-svanaih
satala-vina-murajesta-venubhih
nrtyaih savadyair upadeva-gitakair
manoramam sva-prabhaya jita-prabham
Translation:
The city was filled with the sounds of mrdangas, conchshells, kettledrums, flutes and well-tuned stringed instruments all playing in concert. There was constant dancing and the Gandharvas sang. The combined beauty of Indrapuri defeated beauty personified.
SB 8.15.22
yam na vrajanty adharmisthah
khala bhuta-druhah sathah
maninah kamino lubdha
ebhir hina vrajanti yat
Translation:
No one who was sinful, envious, violent toward other living entities, cunning, falsely proud, lusty or greedy could enter that city. The people who lived there were all devoid of these faults.
SB 8.15.23
tam deva-dhanim sa varuthini-patir
bahih samantad rurudhe prtanyaya
acarya-dattam jalajam maha-svanam
dadhmau prayuñjan bhayam indra-yositam
Translation:
Bali Maharaja, who was the commander of numberless soldiers, gathered his soldiers outside this abode of Indra and attacked it from all directions. He sounded the conchshell given him by his spiritual master, Sukracarya, thus creating a fearful situation for the women protected by Indra.
SB 8.15.24
maghavams tam abhipretya
baleh paramam udyamam
sarva-deva-ganopeto
gurum etad uvaca ha
Translation:
Seeing Bali Maharaja's indefatigable endeavor and understanding his motive, King Indra, along with the other demigods, approached his spiritual master, Brhaspati, and spoke as follows.
SB 8.15.25
bhagavann udyamo bhuyan
baler nah purva-vairinah
avisahyam imam manye
kenasit tejasorjitah
Translation:
My lord, our old enemy Bali Maharaja now has new enthusiasm, and he has obtained such astonishing power that we think that perhaps we cannot resist his prowess.
SB 8.15.26
nainam kascit kuto vapi
prativyodhum adhisvarah
pibann iva mukhenedam
lihann iva diso dasa
dahann iva diso drgbhih
samvartagnir ivotthitah
Translation:
No one anywhere can counteract this military arrangement of Bali's. It now appears that Bali is trying to drink up the entire universe with his mouth, lick up the ten directions with his tongue, and raise fire in every direction with his eyes. Indeed, he has arisen like the annihilating fire known as samvartaka.
SB 8.15.27
bruhi karanam etasya
durdharsatvasya mad-ripoh
ojah saho balam tejo
yata etat samudyamah
Translation:
Kindly inform me. What is the cause for Bali Maharaja's strength, endeavor, influence and victory? How has he become so enthusiastic?
SB 8.15.28
sri-gurur uvaca
janami maghavañ chatror
unnater asya karanam
sisyayopabhrtam tejo
bhrgubhir brahma-vadibhih
Translation:
Brhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods, said: O Indra, I know the cause for your enemy's becoming so powerful. The brahmana descendants of Bhrgu Muni, being pleased by Bali Maharaja, their disciple, endowed him with such extraordinary power.
Purport:
Brhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods, informed Indra, "Ordinarily, Bali and his forces could not achieve such strength, but it appears that the brahmana descendants of Bhrgu Muni, being pleased with Bali Maharaja, endowed them with this spiritual power." In other words, Brhaspati informed Indra that Bali Maharaja's prowess was not his own but that of his exalted guru, Sukracarya. We sing in our daily prayers, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi **. By the pleasure of the spiritual master, one can get extraordinary power, especially in spiritual advancement. The blessings of the spiritual master are more powerful than one's personal endeavor for such advancement. Narottama dasa Thakura therefore says:
guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete kariya aikya,
ara na kariha mane asa **
Especially for spiritual advancement, one should carry out the bona fide order of the spiritual master. By the parampara system, one can thus be endowed with the original spiritual power coming from the Supreme Personality of Godhead (evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]).
