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2024-03-28, 11:53 PM |
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Chapter 4: The
Characteristics
of Rishabhadeva
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Because He [the son of
king Nâbhi, see previous chapter and 2.7:
10] from the beginning of His
appearance distinguished Himself every day more and more with the authority
of all the characteristics of the Supreme Lord, like being equal minded
to all, being of perfect peace and renunciation and having all influence and powers, the ministers,
citizens, the brahmins and the gods longed greatly for the day that He
would rule the earth. (2) Considering
the in grand verses [by
the poets] glorified exalted state of His prowess, strength, beauty,
fame, influence and heroism, His father gave Him the name Rishabha, the
Best One. (3) King Indra
jealous of His greatness, allowed no rain in Bhârata-varsha, but
the Supreme Lord Rishabhadeva who knew [why that happened], as the
master of yoga smiled about it and then from His internal
[yogamâyâ] potency made the waters rain down on the
place where He resided called Ajanâbha. (4)
King Nâbhi who as he
wanted had gotten the most beautiful son he could wish for, was in a
state of illusion unto Him, the Supreme Lordship and oldest, Original
Person who in his eyes behaved like a normal human
being. Accepting Him as such he overwhelmed by
an
excess
of
great
jubilation in ecstacy with a faltering voice said
things like: 'my
dear son, my darling' and
thus achieved
transcendental
bliss
while
he
raised
Him.
(5) Knowing how
popular Rishabha
was in His service to the citizens and the state King Nâbhi, who
wanted to protect the people strictly to the principle, put his son on the throne. Entrusting Him to the brahmins he then
together with Merudevî in
Badarikâs'rama,
completely
absorbed in yoga with
great
satisfaction
skillfully
performed austerities
in worship of Nara-Nârâyana, [a plenary expansion of] the
Supreme Lord
Vâsudeva and thus he in the course of time reached His glorious
abode
[Vaikunthha].
(6) Oh son of Pându [Parîkchit, see family tree], two verses are recited about him: 'Which
person following the example of the pious king Nâbhi can do what
he
did and by the purity of his actions receive the Supreme Personality of
God as his son?' and: (7)
'Is there besides Nâbhi a better devotee of the brahmins? They
being satisfied and honored by him
were able to show him in the sacrificial arena the Supreme Enjoyer
of all sacrifices.'
(8)
The Supreme Lord Rishabha after accepting His
kingdom as His field of work, set an example by living with His
spiritual teachers and giving them gifts upon finishing His studies. Being
ordered to take up the
duties of a householder He
married with Jayantî who had been offered to Him by Indra and
taught by example how to perform both types of activities as mentioned
in the
scriptures [of defending the religion and fighting injustice]. He
begot a hundred sons [in her and in co-wives or via his sons
with daughters-in-law] that were exactly like Him. (9)
The eldest son Bharata was a great yoga practitioner. He had the best
qualities and it was because of him that this land by the people is called
Bhârata-varsha. (10)
Of the ninety-nine other sons who were born after Bharata, the eldest
ones were called Kus'âvarta, Ilâvarta, Brahmâvarta,
Malaya, Ketu, Bhadrasena, Indrasprik, Vidarbha and Kîkatha. (11-12) Of the rest of them Kavi, Havi, Antariksha,
Prabuddha, Pippalâyana, Avirhotra, Drumila, Camasa and
Karabhâjana were nine highly advanced devotees in defense of the
truth
of this Bhâgavatam. About their fine characters evincing the
glories
of the Lord, I will give you later on [in Canto 11] a colorful account
when I discuss the conversation between Vâsudeva and Nârada
that brings the mind the highest satisfaction. (13)
The eighty-one youngest sons of Jayantî were, faithful to their
fathers words, well cultured with a fine command of the scriptural
truths and were very skilled in performing sacrifices. Very
pure in their actions, they became great brahmins.
(14) The Supreme Lord named Rishabha was indeed a
completely independent Lordship full of transcendental bliss, a person
always transcendental to the miseries of material life [birth,
old age disease and death]. By executing strictly to
the tradition, He
equipoised
and unperturbed, friendly and merciful educated [by His example] the ignorant of whose neglect in performing the
dharma in the course of
time only contrary karmic actions are found, and regulated for the common people the righteousness
and
economy so that a good reputation, offspring, happiness in household
life and eternal life was within their reach [compare
B.G. 4: 13]. (15) Everything
that is
done by leading personalities is followed by the common people [see
also B.G 3: 21]. (16)
Despite of knowing everything about the duties relating to the
confidential Vedic instructions, He still [as a kshatriya] followed the path of the brahmins and ruled the people with equal rights
and
such. (17) He,
worshiping
[Vishnu] performed, with [also] respecting the different gods and
purposes and in line with the instructions providing for everything that was needed,
according to time and circumstance all
kinds
of
ceremonial
sacrifices
a
hundred
times
over
with priests of the proper
age and faith. (18)
Being
protected by the Supreme Lord
Rishabha no one on this planet, not even the most common man,
fostered a desire for but even the smallest thing whatever, whenever,
for himself or from
anyone else, just as one wouldn't desire a castle in the air. All one
cared about was an innerly ever increasing, great love for the one
carrying the burden. (19) When He, the
Supreme Lord, once toured around and reached the holy land
of Brahmâvarta [between the rivers the Sarasvatî and
Drishadvatî to the north west of Hastinâpura] he before an
audience of citizens in a meeting of prominent brahmins, said the
following to his attentive and well-behaved sons. He lectured them
despite of the fact that they excelled in self-control and devotion.'
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