S'rîmad Bhâgavatam - Canto 10
Sanskrit, word-for-word and original translation of Swami Prabhupâda his pupils
(for the purports one will have to consult the books under the copyright of the BBT)
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Canto 10: 'Summum Bonum'
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Chapter Fourty-nine: Akrûra's Mission in Hastinâpura
TEXTS 1 - 2
s'rî-s'uka uvâca
sa gatvâ hâstinapuram
pauravendra-yas'o-'nkitam
dadars'a tatrâmbikeyam
sa-bhîshmam viduram prithâm
saha-putram ca bâhlîkam
bhâradvâjam sa-gautamam
karnam suyodhanam draunim
pândavân suhrido 'parân
s'rî-s'ukah uvâca - S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said; sah - he (Akrûra); gatvâ - going; hâstina-puram - to Hastinâpura; paurava-indra - of the rulers of the dynasty of Pûru; yas'ah - by the glory; ankitam - decorated; dadars'a - he saw; tatra - there; âmbikeyam - the son of Ambikâ (Dhritarâshthra); sa - together with; bhîshmam - Bhîshma; viduram - Vidura; prithâm - Prithâ (Kuntî, the widow of King Pându);
saha-putram - with his son (namely, Somadatta); ca - and; bâhlîkam - Mahârâja Bâhlîka; bhâradvâjam - Drona; sa - and; gautamam - Kripa; karnam - Karna; suyodhanam - Duryodhana; draunim - the son of Drona (As'vatthâmâ); pândavân - the sons of Pându; suhridah - friends; aparân - other.
TRANSLATION
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: Akrûra went to Hastinâpura, the city distinguished by the glory of the Paurava rulers. There he saw Dhritarâshthra, Bhîshma, Vidura and Kunti, along with Bâhlika and his son Somadatta. He also saw Dronâcârya, Kripâcârya, Karna, Duryodhana, As'vatthâmâ, the Pândavas and other close friends.
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TEXT 3
yathâvad upasangamya
bandhubhir gândinî-sutah
samprishthas taih suhrid-vârtâm
svayam câpricchad avyayam
yathâ-vat - appropriately; upasangamya - meeting; bandhubhih - with his relatives and friends; gândinî-sutah - Akrûra, son of Gândinî; samprishthah - inquired from; taih - by them; suhrit - of their dear ones; vârtâm - for news; svayam - himself; ca - in addition; apricchat - asked; avyayam - about their well-being.
TRANSLATION
After Akrûra, the son of Gândinî, had appropriately greeted all his relatives and friends, they asked him for news of their family members, and he in turn asked about their welfare.
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TEXT 4
uvâsa katicin mâsân
râjño vritta-vivitsayâ
dushprajasyâlpa-sârasya
khala-cchandânuvartinah
uvâsa - resided; katicit - some; mâsân - months; râjñah - of the King (Dhritarâshthra); vritta - the activity; vivitsayâ - with the desire of finding out; dushprajasya - whose sons were wicked; alpa - weak; sârasya - whose determination; khala - of mischievous persons (like Karna); chanda - the desires; anuvartinah - who tended to follow.
TRANSLATION
He remained in Hastinâpura for several months to scrutinize the conduct of the weak-willed King, who had bad sons and who was inclined to give in to the whims of mischievous advisers.
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TEXTS 5 - 6
teja ojo balam vîryam
pras'rayâdîms' ca sad-gunân
prajânurâgam pârtheshu
na sahadbhis' cikîrishitam
kritam ca dhârtarâshthrair yad
gara-dânâdy apes'alam
âcakhyau sarvam evâsmai
prithâ vidura eva ca
tejah - the influence; ojah - skill; balam - strength; vîryam - bravery; pras'raya - humility; âdîn - and so on; ca - and; sat - excellent; gunân - qualities; prajâ - of the citizens; anurâgam - the great affection; pârtheshu - for the sons of Prithâ; na sahadbhih - of those who could not tolerate; cikîrshitam - the intentions;
kritam - had been done; ca - also; dhârtarâshthraih - by the sons of Dhritarâshthra; yat - what; gara - of poison; dâna - the giving; âdi - and so on; apes'alam - unbecoming; âcakhyau - told; sarvam - everything; eva - indeed; asmai - to him (Akrûra); prithâ - Kuntî; vidurah - Vidura; eva ca - both.
TRANSLATION
Kuntî and Vidura described to Akrûra in detail the evil intentions of Dhritarâshthra's sons, who could not tolerate the great qualities of Kuntî's sons - such as their powerful influence, military skill, physical strength, bravery and humility - or the intense affection the citizens had for them. Kuntî and Vidura also told Akrûra about how the sons of Dhritarâshthra had tried to poison the Pândavas and carry out other such plots.
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TEXT 7
prithâ tu bhrâtaram prâptam
akrûram upasritya tam
uvâca janma-nilayam
smaranty as'ru-kalekshanâ
prithâ - Kuntî; tu - and; bhrâtaram - her brother (more exactly, the grandson of Vrishni, her own and Vasudeva's tenth-generation ancestor); prâptam - obtained; akrûram - Akrûra; upasritya - approaching; tam - him; uvâca - she said; janma - of her birth; nilayam - the home (Mathurâ); smarantî - remembering; as'ru - of tears; kalâ - with traces; îkshanâ - whose eyes.
TRANSLATION
Kuntîdevî, taking advantage of her brother Akrûra's visit, approached him confidentially. While remembering her birthplace, she spoke with tears in her eyes.
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TEXT 8
api smaranti nah saumya
pitarau bhrâtaras' ca me
bhaginyau bhrâtri-putrâs' ca
jâmayah sakhya eva ca
api - whether; smaranti - they remember; nah - us; saumya - O gentle one; pitarau - parents; bhrâtarah - brothers; ca - and; me - my; bhaginyau - sisters; bhrâtri-putrâh - brother's sons; ca - and; jâmayah - women of the family; sakhyah - girlfriends; eva ca - also.
TRANSLATION
[Queen Kuntî said:] O gentle one, do my parents, brothers, sisters, nephews, family women and girlhood friends still remember us?
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TEXT 9
bhrâtreyo bhagavân krishnah
s'aranyo bhakta-vatsalah
paitri-shvasreyân smarati
râmas' câmburuhekshanah
bhrâtreyah - brother's son; bhagavân - the Supreme Lord; krishnah - Krishna; s'aranyah - the giver of shelter; bhakta - to His devotees; vatsalah - compassionate; paitri-svasreyân - the sons of His father's sister; smarati - remembers; râmah - Lord Balarâma; ca - and; amburuha - like lotus petals; îkshanah - whose eyes.
TRANSLATION
Does my nephew Krishna, the Supreme Personality and the compassionate shelter of His devotees, still remember His aunt's sons? And does lotus-eyed Râma remember them also?
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TEXT 10
sapatna-madhye s'ocantîm
vrikânâm harinîm iva
sântvayishyati mâm vâkyaih
pitri-hînâms' ca bâlakân
sapatna - of enemies; madhye - in the midst; s'ocantîm - who is lamenting; vrikânâm - of wolves; harinîm - a doe; iva - like; sântvayishyati - will He console; mâm - me; vâkyaih - with His words; pitri - of their father; hînân - deprived; ca - and; bâlakân - young boys.
TRANSLATION
Now that I am suffering in the midst of my enemies like a doe in the midst of wolves, will Krishna come to console me and my fatherless sons with His words?
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TEXT 11
krishna krishna mahâ-yogin
vis'vâtman vis'va-bhâvana
prapannâm pâhi govinda
s'is'ubhis' câvasîdatîm
krishna krishna - O Krishna, Krishna; mahâ-yogin - possessor of the greatest spiritual power; vis'va-âtman - O Supreme Soul of the universe; vis'va-bhâvana - O protector of the universe; prapannâm - a surrendered lady; pâhi - please protect; govinda - O Govinda; s'is'ubhih - along with my children; ca - and; avasîdatîm - who am sinking down in distress.
TRANSLATION
Krishna, Krishna! O great yogi! O Supreme Soul and protector of the universe! O Govinda! Please protect me, who have surrendered to You. I and my sons are being overwhelmed by trouble.
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TEXT 12
nânyat tava padâmbhojât
pas'yâmi s'aranam nrinâm
bibhyatâm mrityu-samsârâd
îsvarasyâpavargikât
na - no; anyat - other; tava - Your; pada-ambhojât - than the lotus feet; pas'yâmi - I see; s'aranam - shelter; nrinâm - for men; bibhyatâm - fearful; mrityu - of death; samsârât - and rebirth; îs'varasya - of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; âpavargikât - which give liberation.
TRANSLATION
For persons fearful of death and rebirth, I see no shelter other than Your liberating lotus feet, for You are the Supreme Lord.
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TEXT 13
namah krishnâya s'uddhâya
brahmane paramâtmane
yoges'varâya yogâya
tvâm aham s'aranam gatâ
namah - obeisances; krishnâya - to Krishna; s'uddhâya - the pure; brahmane - the Absolute Truth; parama-âtmane - the Supersoul; yoga - of pure devotional service; îs'varâya - the controller; yogâya - the source of all knowledge; tvâm - You; aham - I; s'aranam - for shelter; gatâ - have approached.
TRANSLATION
I offer my obeisances unto You, Krishna, the supreme pure, the Absolute Truth and the Supersoul, the Lord of pure devotional service and the source of all knowledge. I have come to You for shelter.
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TEXT 14
s'rî-s'uka uvâca
ity anusmritya sva-janam
krishnam ca jagad-îs'varam
prârudad duhkhitâ râjan
bhavatâm prapitâmahî
s'rî-s'ukah uvâca - S'rî S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said; iti - as expressed in these words; anusmritya - remembering; sva-janam - her own relatives; krishnam - Krishna; ca - and; jagat - of the universe; îs'varam - the Supreme Lord; prârudat - she cried loudly; duhkhitâ - unhappy; râjan - O King (Parîkchit); bhavatâm - of your good self; prapitâmahî - the great-grandmother.
TRANSLATION
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: Thus meditating on her family members and also on Krishna, the Lord of the universe, your great-grandmother Kuntîdevî began to cry out in grief, O King.
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TEXT 15
sama-duhkha-sukho 'krûro
viduras' ca mahâ-yas'âh
sântvayâm âsatuh kuntîm
tat-putrotpatti-hetubhih
sama - equal (with her); duhkha - in distress; sukhah - and happiness; akrûrah - Akrûra; vidurah - Vidura; ca - and; mahâ-yas'âh - most famous; sântvayâm âsatuh - the two of them consoled; kuntîm - S'rîmatî Kuntîdevî; tat - her; putra - of the sons; utpatti - of the births; hetubhih - with explanations about the origins.
TRANSLATION
Both Akrûra, who shared Queen Kuntî's distress and happiness, and the illustrious Vidura consoled the Queen by reminding her of the extraordinary way her sons had taken birth.
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TEXT 16
yâsyan râjânam abhyetya
vishamam putra-lâlasam
avadat suhridâm madhye
bandhubhih sauhridoditam
yâsyan - when he was about to go; râjânam - the King (Dhritarâshthra); abhyetya - going up to; vishamam - biased; putra - toward his sons; lâlasam - ardently affectionate; avadat - he spoke; suhridâm - relatives; madhye - among; bandhubhih - by well-wishing relatives (Lord Krishna and Lord Balarâma); sauhrida - in friendship; uditam - what had been said.
TRANSLATION
The ardent affection King Dhritarâshthra felt for his sons had made him act unjustly toward the Pândavas. Just before leaving, Akrûra approached the King, who was seated among his friends and supporters, and related to him the message that his relatives - Lord Krishna and Lord Balarâma - had sent out of friendship.
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TEXT 17
akrûra uvâca
bho bho vaicitravîrya tvam
kurûnâm kîrti-vardhana
bhrâtary uparate pândâv
adhunâsanam âsthitah
akrûrah uvâca - Akrûra said; bhoh bhoh - O my dear, my dear; vaicitravîrya - son of Vicitravîrya; tvam - you; kurûnâm - of the Kurus; kîrti - the glory; vardhana - O you who increase; bhrâtari - your brother; uparate - having passed away; pândau - Mahârâja Pându; adhunâ - now; âsanam - the throne; âsthitah - have assumed.
TRANSLATION
Akrûra said: O my dear son of Vicitravîrya, O enhancer of the Kurus' glory, your brother Pându having passed away, you have now assumed the royal throne.
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TEXT 18
dharmena pâlayann urvîm
prajâh s'îlena rañjayan
vartamânah samah sveshu
s'reyah kîrtim avâpsyasi
dharmena - religiously; pâlayan - protecting; urvîm - the earth; prajâh - the citizens; s'îlena - by good character; rañjayan - delighting; vartamânah - remaining; samah - equally disposed; sveshu - to your relatives; s'reyah - perfection; kîrtim - glory; avâpsyasi - you will achieve.
TRANSLATION
By religiously protecting the earth, delighting your subjects with your noble character, and treating all your relatives equally, you will surely achieve success and glory.
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TEXT 19
anyathâ tv âcaraû loke
garhito yâsyase tamah
tasmât samatve vartasva
pândaveshv âtmajeshu ca
anyathâ - otherwise; tu - however; âcaran - acting; loke - in this world; garhitah - condemned; yâsyase - you will attain; tamah - darkness; tasmât - therefore; samatve - in equanimity; vartasva - remain situated; pândaveshu - toward the Pândavas; âtma-jeshu - toward your sons; ca - and.
TRANSLATION
If you act otherwise, however, people will condemn you in this world, and in the next life you will enter the darkness of hell. Remain equally disposed, therefore, toward Pându's sons and your own.
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TEXT 20
neha câtyanta-samvâsah
kasyacit kenacit saha
râjan svenâpi dehena
kim u jâyâtmajâdibhih
na - not; iha - in this world; ca - and; atyanta - perpetual; samvâsah - association (dwelling together); kasyacit - of anyone; kenacit saha - with anyone; râjan - O King; svena - with one's own; api - even; dehena - body; kim u - what to speak then; jâyâ - with wife; âtma-ja - children; âdibhih - and so on.
TRANSLATION
In this world no one has any permanent relationship with anyone else, O King. We cannot stay forever even with our own body, what to speak of our wife, children and the rest.
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TEXT 21
ekah prasûyate jantur
eka eva pralîyate
eko 'nubhunkte sukritam
eka eva ca dushkritam
ekah - alone; prasûyate - is born; jantuh - a living creature; ekah - alone; eva - also; pralîyate - meets his demise; ekah - alone; anubhunkte - enjoys as is due him; sukritam - his good reactions; ekah - alone; eva ca - and surely; dushkritam - bad reactions.
TRANSLATION
Every creature is born alone and dies alone, and alone one experiences the just rewards of his good and evil deeds.
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TEXT 22
adharmopacitam vittam
haranty anye 'lpa-medhasah
sambhojanîyâpades'air
jalânîva jalaukasah
adharma - by irreligious means; upacitam - gathered; vittam - wealth; haranti - steal; anye - other persons; alpa-medhasah - of one who is unintelligent; sambhojanîya - as requiring support; apades'aih - by the false designations; jalâni - water; iva - as; jala-okasah - of a resident of the water.
TRANSLATION
In the guise of dear dependents, strangers steal the sinfully acquired wealth of a foolish man, just as the offspring of a fish drink up the water that sustains the fish.
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TEXT 23
pushnâti yân adharmena
sva-buddhyâ tam apanditam
te 'kritârtham prahinvanti
prânâ râyah sutâdayah
pushnâti - nourishes; yân - which things; adharmena - by sinful activity; sva- buddhyâ - thinking them to be his own; tam - him; apanditam - uneducated; te - they; akrita-artham - his purposes frustrated; prahinvanti - abandon; prânâh - life air; râyah - wealth; suta-âdayah - children and others.
TRANSLATION
A fool indulges in sin to maintain his life, wealth and children and other relatives, for he thinks, "These things are mine." In the end, however, these very things all abandon him, leaving him frustrated.
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TEXT 24
svayam kilbisham âdâya
tais tyakto nârtha-kovidah
asiddhârtho vis'aty andham
sva-dharma-vimukhas tamah
svayam - for himself; kilbisham - sinful reaction; âdâya - taking on; taih - by them; tyaktah - abandoned; na - not; artha - the purpose of his life; kovidah - knowing properly; asiddha - unfulfilled; arthah - whose goals; vis'ati - he enters; andham - blind; sva - his own; dharma - to the religious duty; vimukhah - indifferent; tamah - darkness (of hell).
TRANSLATION
Abandoned by his so-called dependents, ignorant of the actual goal of life, indifferent to his real duty, and having failed to fulfill his purposes, the foolish soul enters the blindness of hell, taking his sinful reactions with him.
PURPORT
It is sadly ironic that materialistic persons, who labor so assiduously to accumulate insurance, security, property and family, enter the darkness of hell equipped with nothing but the painful reactions of their sins. On the other hand, those who cultivate Krishna consciousness, spiritual life, while apparently neglecting to accumulate property, a large family and so on, enter the next life enriched with many spiritual assets and thus enjoy the deep pleasures of the soul.
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TEXT 25
tasmâl lokam imam râjan
svapna-mâyâ-manoratham
vîkshyâyamyâtmanâtmânam
samah s'ânto bhava prabho
tasmât - therefore; lokam - world; imam - this; râjan - O King; svapna - as a dream; mâyâ - a magic trick; manah-ratham - or a fantasy in the mind; vîkshya - seeing; âyamya - bringing under control; âtmanâ - by intelligence; âtmânam - the mind; samah - equal; s'ântah - peaceful; bhava - become; prabho - my dear master.
TRANSLATION
Therefore, O King, looking upon this world as a dream, a magician's illusion or a flight of fancy, please control your mind with intelligence and become equipoised and peaceful, my lord.
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TEXT 26
dhritarâshthra uvâca
yathâ vadati kalyânîm
vâcam dâna-pate bhavân
tathânayâ na tripyâmi
martyah prâpya yathâmritam
dhritarâshthrah uvâca - Dhritarâshthra said; yathâ - as; vadati - speak; kalyânîm - auspicious; vâcam - words; dâna - of charity; pate - O master; bhavân - you; tathâ - so; anayâ - by this; na tripyâmi - I am not satiated; martyah - a mortal; prâpya - attaining; yathâ - as if; amritam - the nectar of immortality.
TRANSLATION
Dhritarâshthra said: O master of charity, I can never be satiated while hearing your auspicious words. Indeed, I am like a mortal who has obtained the nectar of the gods.
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TEXT 27
tathâpi sûnritâ saumya
hridi na sthîyate cale
putrânurâga-vishame
vidyut saudâmanî yathâ
tathâ api - nevertheless; sûnritâ - pleasing words; saumya - O gentle one; hridi - in my heart; na sthîyate - do not remain steady; cale - which is unsteady; putra - for my sons; anurâga - by affection; vishame - prejudiced; vidyut - lightning; saudâmanî - in a cloud; yathâ - as.
TRANSLATION
Even so, gentle Akrûra, because my unsteady heart is prejudiced by affection for my sons, these pleasing words of yours cannot remain fixed there, just as lightning cannot remain fixed in a cloud.
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TEXT 28
îs'varasya vidhim ko nu
vidhunoty anyathâ pumân
bhûmer bhârâvatârâya
yo 'vatîrno yadoh kule
îs'varasya - of the Supreme Lord; vidhim - the law; kah - what; nu - at all; vidhunoti - can shake off; anyathâ - otherwise; pumân - person; bhûmeh - of the earth; bhâra - the burden; avatârâya - in order to diminish; yah - who; avatîrnah - has descended; yadoh - of Yadu; kule - in the family.
TRANSLATION
Who can defy the injunctions of the Supreme Lord, who has now descended in the Yadu dynasty to diminish the earth's burden?
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TEXT 29
yo durvimars'a-pathayâ nija-mâyayedam
srishthvâ gunân vibhajate tad-anupravishthah
tasmai namo duravabodha-vihâra-tantra-
samsâra-cakra-gataye parames'varâya
yah - who; durvimars'a - inconceivable; pathayâ - whose path; nija - by His own; mâyayâ - creative energy; idam - this universe; srishthvâ - creating; gunân - its modes; vibhajate - He distributes; tat - within it; anupravishthah - entering; tasmai - to Him; namah - obeisances; duravabodha - unfathomable; vihâra - of whose pastimes; tantra - the purport; samsâra - of birth and death; cakra - the cycle; gataye - and liberation (coming from whom); parama-îs'varâya - to the supreme controller.
TRANSLATION
I offer my obeisances to Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who creates this universe by the inconceivable activity of His material energy and then distributes the various modes of nature by entering within the creation. From Him, the meaning of whose pastimes is unfathomable, come both the entangling cycle of birth and death and the process of deliverance from it.
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TEXT 30
s'rî-s'uka uvâca
ity abhipretya nripater
abhiprâyam sa yâdavah
suhridbhih samanujñâtah
punar yadu-purîm agât
s'rî-s'ukah uvâca - S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said; iti - thus; abhipretya - ascertaining; nripateh - of the King; abhiprâyam - the mentality; sah - he; yâdavah - Akrûra, the descendant of King Yadu; suhridbhih - by his well-wishers; samanujñâtah - given permission to leave; punah - again; yadu-purîm - to the city of the Yadu dynasty; agât - went.
TRANSLATION
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: Having thus apprised himself of the King's attitude, Akrûra, the descendant of Yadu, took permission from his well-wishing relatives and friends and returned to the capital of the Yâdavas.
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TEXT 31
s'as'amsa râma-krishnâbhyâm
dhritarâshthra-viceshthitam
pândavân prati kauravya
yad-artham preshitah svayam
s'as'amsa - he reported; râma-krishnâbhyâm - to Lord Balarâma and Lord Krishna; dhritarâshthra-viceshthitam - the behavior of King Dhritarâshthra; pândavân prati - toward the sons of Pându; kauravya - O descendant of the Kurus (Parîkchit); yat - for which; artham - purpose; preshitah - sent; svayam - himself.
TRANSLATION
Akrûra reported to Lord Balarâma and Lord Krishna how Dhritarâshthra was behaving toward the Pândavas. Thus, O descendant of the Kurus, he fulfilled the purpose for which he had been sent.
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupâda to the Tenth Canto, Forty-ninth Chapter, of the S'rîmad-Bhâgavatam, entitled "Akrûra's Mission in Hastinâpura."
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