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2024-04-25, 6:53 AM |
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Chapter 80: An Old Brahmin Friend Visits Krishna
(1)
The honorable king said: 'My lord, I would
like to hear some more about the valorous deeds, o master, of Lord
Krishna, the Supreme Soul of Unlimited Powers. (2) How can anyone who is disgusted with running
after material desires and knows the essence, o brahmin, desist from
listening to the transcendental topics of the Lord Hailed in the
Scriptures after repeatedly having heard them? (3) The actual power of speech is the one
describing His qualities, the factual hands are the ones that do His
work, the true mind is the mind remembering Him as dwelling with the
moving and unmoving, and what really hears is the ear turned to His
sanctifying topics [compare 2.3:
20-24]. (4) It is about the head that bows to both the
manifestations [moving/nonmoving] of Him, the eye indeed that sees Him
only and the limbs which regularly honor the water that washed the feet
of Vishnu or His devotees'."
(5) Sûta [1.2: 1] said: "Well questioned by Vishnurâta
[Parîkchit as being Vishnu-sent] spoke the powerful sage, the son
of Vyâsa whose heart was fully absorbed in Vâsudeva. (6) S'rî S'uka said: 'There was a certain
friend of Krishna [called Sudâmâ, not the same as mentioned
in 10.41: 43], a
brahmin well versed in the Vedas, who peaceful of mind and in control
with the senses was detached from the sense objects. (7) Existing as a householder by what came on
its own accord was his wife, just like him, poorly dressed and
emaciated of hunger. (8) With her face
dried up, distressed of the poverty trembling, approached she, faithful
to her husband, him and said: (9)
'Isn't it, o brahmin, that your friend, o master of devotion, the
Husband of S'rî who is compassionate with the brahmins, as the
best of the Sâtvatas is willing to give shelter? (10) Approach Him, my most gracious, and He, the
Ultimate Shelter of the Saintly, will give wealth in plenty to you who
is suffering to maintain a family. (11)
If the Lord of the Bhojas, Vrishnis and Andhakas who is now present in
Dvârakâ, gives even Himself to the one who remembers the
lotus feet of Him, the Master of the Universe, what wouldn't He do then
for he ones of worship who are not that eager for economic success and
sensual gratification?
(12-13) The brahmin this way repeatedly in various
ways entreated by his wife thus thought: 'The sight of Uttamas'loka
indeed is the highest attainment', and having made up his mind to go he
asked her: 'Is there anything in the house I can take as a gift my good
woman, please give it to me!' (14)
She begged four fists of husked and parched rice from the other
brahmins, wrapped them in a piece of cloth and gave that to her husband
for a gift.
(15) He, the best of the learned, took it with him
and wondered on his way to Dvârakâ: 'How will this audience
with Krishna ever happen to me?' (16-17) Passing with a couple of local brahmins three gates and
guard stations, walked he between the houses of Acyuta's faithful
followers, the Andakas and Vrishnis. One normally couldn't go there and
so felt he as if he had attained the bliss of the Pure Spirit. He then
entered one of the opulent sixteen thousand residences of the Lord His
queens [*]. (18)
Acyuta sitting on His consort's bed, seeing him from a distance
immediately rose and came forward to close him gladly in His arms. (19) The Lotus-eyed One, in contact with His dear
friend's saintly and wise body, extremely ecstatic released
affectionately some teardrops from His eyes. (20-22) Having him seated on the bed fetched He some
items to honor His friend and wash his feet. The water took the Supreme
Lord of All the Worlds on His head, o King. Then the Purifier anointed
him with divinely fragrant sandalwood and aloe-wood [lignaloes or
aguru] paste and kunkuma. Glad to worship His friend with
aromatic incense and series of lamps, welcomed He him, offering bethel
nut and a cow. (23) Carefully
fanning with a yak's tail the dirty and poorly dressed emaciated
twice-born, whose veins could be seen, was the goddess [Rukminî]
personally of service. (24) The people in
the palace seeing Krishna spotless in His glory, fell in amazement
about the intense love with which the one who was so repudiate [the avadhûta]
was honored: (25-26) 'What
pious deeds performed he, this unclean, condemned and lowly mendicant
deprived of all prosperity in the world, to be served with reverence by
the Spiritual Master of the Three Worlds who is the abode of
S'rî. Sitting on her bed embraced He him as an older brother
leaving aside the goddess!'
(27)
Taking hold of each other's hands, o King,
they discussed the topics of the past in which they together lived in
the school of their spiritual master [see 10.45:
31-32]. (28) The Supreme Lord said: 'O brahmin, after the
guru received his remuneration from you and, o knower of the dharma,
you returned, did you marry a suitable wife or not? (29) With your mind occupied by household matters
were you not driven by desires, neither, so I know to be true, do you
take much pleasure, o wise one, in the pursuit of material happiness. (30) Some people execute their worldly duties
without in their minds being disturbed by desires; acting as I do to
set an example, they shake off the propensities that naturally rise. (31) Do you, o brahmin, still remember our stay
in the gurukula? It is there that a twice-born person learns to understand
what needs to be known and thus may experience what is transcendent to
the ignorance. (32) The first
birth of someone twice-born, my friend, is this material life, that
indeed under the direct supervision of a spiritual master, the bestower
of spiritual knowledge who is as Myself, is sanctified [in a 'second
birth'] by the duties he teaches for all spiritual orders [see âs'rama
and 7.12]. (33) For sure are of those engaged in the varnâs'rama system [see also B.G.
4: 13] in this world they the
expert knowers of the true welfare, o brahmin, who cross over the ocean
of a material existence with the help of the words stemming from Me as
the spiritual master. (34) I, the Soul
of All Beings, am not as satisfied by ritual worship, brahminical
initiation, austerity or self-control as I am by faithful service
[compare 7.14: 17]. (35-36) O brahmin,
do you remember what we, living with our spiritual master, did when we
once by the wife of our guru were sent to fetch firewood? Having
entered a big forest arose, o twice-born one, all out of season, a
fierce harsh thundering wind and rain. (37)
With the sun having set overcome by darkness could with all the water
around us not the direction nor high or low areas be recognized. (38) We, constantly heavily besieged by the
fierce wind and water there, were in the flooding unable to make out
which way to go. We then wandering distressed in the forest, held each
other's hands. (39) Knowing this
set our guru Sândîpani at sunrise out to search for us, his
disciples. So found the âcârya us then in distress:
(40) 'Oh you children, how much have you suffered
because of me; in your devotion for me have you disregarded the
[comfort of your own] body that indeed to all living beings is most
dear! (41) This now is the truth valid for disciples:
to repay, perfectly pure in one's love, one's debt to the guru by
offering the spiritual master one's self and one's property. (42) Satisfied I am, my dear ones, o best of
brahmins, may your desires be fulfilled and may in this world as well
as in the next that what evolves from your attraction [your words, your
mantras] never fade [compare 10.45: 48].' (43) And many
things like this happened when we were living in the home of the guru;
simply by the mercy of the spiritual master is a person fulfilled in
his quest for peace.'
(44) The brahmin said: 'What more is there for me
to achieve in life, o God of Gods, o Guru of the Universe, than to have
lived at the guru's house with You whose every desire is fulfilled? (45) O Almighty One in Your body, that is the
fertile field of all welfare, is found the praise relating to the
Absolute Truth [of the Vedas]; Your residing with spiritual masters is
all roleplaying [see also e.g. 10.69:
44 and 10.77:
30]!'
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