SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 10

The King said: 'Please, o powerful one, describe that abominable act because of which the devarishi got angry and the two [sons of Kuvera] were cursed.'

King Parîkshit inquired from S'ukadeva Gosvâmî: O great and powerful saint, what was the cause of Nalakûvara's and Manigrîva's having been cursed by Nârada Muni? What did they do that was so abominable that even Nârada, the great sage, became angry at them? Kindly describe this to me. (Vedabase)

Text 2-3:

S'rî S'uka said: 'Proud of being elevated to the association of Rudra were the ones born from the Keeper of the Wealth madly fanatic about a beautiful park at the Mandâkinî river [upper-Ganges] near Kailâsa [S'iva's mountain]. Intoxicated from drinking vârunî with their eyes rolling wandered they in the garden full of flowers with women singing songs to them.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: O King Parîkshit, because the two sons of Kuvera had been elevated to the association of Lord S'iva, of which they were very much proud, they were allowed to wander in a garden attached to Kailâsa Hill, on the bank of the Mandâkinî River. Taking advantage of this, they used to drink a kind of liquor called Vârunî. Accompanied by women singing after them, they would wander in that garden of flowers, their eyes always rolling in intoxication. (Vedabase)

Text 4

Entering the Ganges full of lotus beds enjoyed they the company of the young girls like two male elephants with their she-elephants.

Within the waters of the Mandâkinî Ganges, which were crowded with gardens of lotus flowers, the two sons of Kuvera would enjoy young girls, just like two male elephants enjoying in the water with female elephants. (Vedabase)

Text 5

It so happened that Nârada, the all-mighty devarishi got to see them, o son of Kuru, and from the demigods their maddened eyes he understood what state they were in.

O Mahârâja Parîkshit, by some auspicious opportunity for the two boys, the great saint Devarishi Nârada once appeared there by chance. Seeing them intoxicated, with rolling eyes, he could understand their situation. (Vedabase)

Text 6

Seeing him were their adherents ashamed and covered they afraid of being cursed quickly with their garments the nakedness of their bodies, but they, the two guardians of Kuvera's treasures [S'iva-guhyaka], also being naked didn't.

Upon seeing Nârada, the naked young girls of the demigods were very much ashamed. Afraid of being cursed, they covered their bodies with their garments. But the two sons of Kuvera did not do so; instead, not caring about Nârada, they remained naked. (Vedabase)

Text 7

Seeing the two drunk, under the influence blind with their prestige and wealth, pronounced he, to teach the two sons of the light a lesson, a curse telling them the following.

Seeing the two sons of the demigods naked and intoxicated by opulence and false prestige, Devarishi Nârada, in order to show them special mercy, desired to give them a special curse. Thus he spoke as follows. (Vedabase)

Text 8

Nârada said: 'There is indeed for the one in the mode of passion enjoying the things of the world nothing as perplexing to the intelligence as the arrogance of wealth, a good birth, [a nice body, learning and riches] etc. in which one takes interest in women, wine and gambling.

Nârada Muni said: Among all the attractions of material enjoyment, the at traction of riches bewilders one's intelligence more than having beautiful bodily features, taking birth in an aristocratic family, and being learned. When one is uneducated but falsely puffed up by wealth, the result is that one engages his wealth in enjoying wine, women and gambling. (Vedabase)

Text 9

In this position killing the animals do the merciless out of control with themselves think that this body, wich is doomed to perish, wouldn't age, wouldn't die [see also 7.15: 7, B.G. 9: 26].

Unable to control their senses, rascals who are falsely proud of their riches or their birth in aristocratic families are so cruel that to maintain their perishable bodies, which they think will never grow old or die, they kill poor animals without mercy. Sometimes they kill animals merely to enjoy an excursion. (Vedabase)

Text 10

The body however deemed divine is there after death for the worms and turns into stool and ashes; someone acting that [destructive] harms his own interest - what does he know about the hell awaiting him [see also 5.26: 17]?

While living one may be proud of one's body, thinking oneself a very big man, minister, president or even demigod, but whatever one may be, after death this body will turn either into worms, into stool or into ashes. If one kills poor animals to satisfy the temporary whims of this body, one does not know that he will suffer in his next birth, for such a sinful miscreant must go to hell and suffer the results of his actions. (Vedabase)

Text 11

This body, does it belong to the employer, to oneself, to him who gave the seed, to the mother, or does it belong to the father of one's mother or to him who took it by force, to a buyer, to the fire or to the scavengers even?

While alive, does this body belong to its employer, to the self, to the father, the mother, or the mother's father? Does it belong to the person who takes it away by force, to the slave master who purchases it, or to the sons who burn it in the fire? Or, if the body is not burned, does it belong to the dogs that eat it? Among the many possible claimants, who is the rightful claimant? Not to ascertain this but instead to maintain the body by sinful activities is not good. (Vedabase)

Text 12

The question is: who would on this basis actually be that person [that Proprietor] to the body that, having manifested from the unmanifested, will vanish again? Who else but the ignorant [animals], who take their bodies for their true self, would kill the poor creatures [see also 4.11: 10]?

This body, after all, is produced by the unmanifested nature and again annihilated and merged in the natural elements. Therefore, it is the common property of everyone. Under the circumstances, who but a rascal claims this property as his own and while maintaining it commits such sinful activities as killing animals just to satisfy his whims? Unless one is a rascal, one cannot commit such sinful activities. (Vedabase)

Text 13

For materialists who mad about wealth are blinded is being destitute the best ointment to their eyes, because a man in need, compared to others, is much better capable of seeing things the way they are [*].

Atheistic fools and rascals who are very much proud of wealth fail to see things as they are. Therefore, returning them to poverty is the proper ointment for their eyes so they may see things as they are. At least a poverty-stricken man can realize how painful poverty is, and therefore he will not want others to be in a painful condition like his own. (Vedabase)

Text 14

It is like someone who pricked by a pin understands that it is likewise for other souls with a body: he does not wish any creature such pain; but not so a person who was never pricked by a pin.

By seeing their faces, one whose body has been pricked by pins can understand the pain of others who are pinpricked. Realizing that this pain is the same for everyone, he does not want others to suffer in this way. But one who has never been pricked by pins cannot understand this pain. (Vedabase)

Text 15

A poor man free from the falsehood of the self is liberated from all the conceit associated with it; the great difficulty that one in this world may encounter by providence is for him indeed the best austerity.

A poverty-stricken man must automatically undergo austerities and penances because he does not have the wealth to possess anything. Thus his false prestige is vanquished. Always in need of food, shelter and clothing, he must be satisfied with what is obtained by the mercy of providence. Undergoing such compulsory austerities is good for him because this purifies him and completely frees him from false ego. (Vedabase)

Text 16

Weak of hunger constantly in need of food [**] are of the body of a man [vowed to or] of poverty the senses less and less dominant and is also the violence [that is the counterpart of the lust (to eat)] diminished.

Always hungry, longing for sufficient food, a poverty-stricken man gradually becomes weaker and weaker. Having no extra potency, his senses are automatically pacified. A poverty-stricken man, therefore, is unable to perform harmful, envious activities. In other words, such a man automatically gains the results of the austerities and penances adopted voluntarily by saintly persons. (Vedabase)

Text 17

Saintly people indeed may easily seek the company of the poor; the meeting [of the poor] with such honest people reduces the cause of the suffering as well as the hankering so that soon thereafter purification is found [see also 10.8: 4].

Saintly persons may freely associate with those who are poverty-stricken, but not with those who are rich. A poverty-stricken man, by association with saintly persons, very soon becomes uninterested in material desires, and the dirty things within the core of his heart are cleansed away. (Vedabase)

Text 18

Would it be the business of the saintly [the sâdhus], those equal to all whose only interest it is to serve Mukunda, to associate with the rich and proud materialists who seek the company of the nondevoted? They pay no attention to them! [see also B.G. 7: 15]

Saintly persons [sâdhus] think of Krishna twenty-four hours a day. They have no other interest. Why should people neglect the association of such exalted spiritual personalities and try to associate with materialists, taking shelter of nondevotees, most of whom are proud and rich? (Vedabase)

Text 19

Therefore will I of these womanizing drunkards, who from drinking vârunî arrogantly are blinded with the opulence and are out of control with themselves, take away this ignorant conceit.

Therefore, since these two persons, drunk with the liquor named Vârunî, or Mâdhvî, and unable to control their senses, have been blinded by the pride of celestial opulence and have become attached to women, I shall relieve them of their false prestige. (Vedabase)

Text 20-22

Since these two sons because of their worldly comforts have become so absorbed in the mode of ignorance and in their pride being indifferent to witnesses care for no dress to their bodies at all, do they therefore deserve to become immobile [like trees] so that they do not become like this again. On top of that is it my mercy that their remembrance may continue and is it my special favor that they after a hundred years as counted by the gods [: a day is a year] obtain the personal association of Vâsudeva so that they again may rise to the celestial world with their bhakti revived.'

These two young men, Nalakûvara and Manigrîva, are by fortune the sons of the great demigod Kuvera, but because of false prestige and madness after drinking liquor, they are so fallen that they are naked but cannot understand that they are. Therefore, because they are living like trees (for trees are naked but are not conscious), these two young men should receive the bodies of trees. This will be proper punishment. Nonetheless, after they become trees and until they are released, by my mercy they will have remembrance of their past sinful activities. Moreover, by my special favor, after the expiry of one hundred years by the measurement of the demigods, they will be able to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vâsudeva, face to face, and thus revive their real position as devotees. (Vedabase)

Text 23

S'rî S'uka said: 'The devarishi having spoken so left that place for Nârâyana-âs'rama [his own place], leaving Nalakûvara and Manigrîva to become twin arjuna [***] trees.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued: Having thus spoken, the great saint Devarishi Nârada returned to his âs'rama, known as Nârâyana-âs'rama, and Nalakûvara and Manigrîva became twin arjuna trees. (Vedabase)

Text 24

[and now..] To prove the words of the seer, His topmost, true devotee, moved the Lord [bound to the mortar] very slowly to the spot where the pair of arjuna trees was standing.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, S'rî Krishna, to fulfill the truthfulness of the words of the greatest devotee, Nârada, slowly went to that spot where the twin arjuna trees were standing. (Vedabase)

Text 25

[He thought:]' The devarishi is most dear to Me and although these two were born from the rich man, will I just so execute to the words as the great soul has stated.

"Although these two young men are the sons of the very rich Kuvera and I have nothing to do with them, Devarishi Nârada is My very dear and affectionate devotee, and therefore because he wanted Me to come face to face with them, I must do so for their deliverance." (Vedabase)

Text 26

Thus decided moved Krishna in between the arjunas and doing so got the big mortar stuck across.

Having thus spoken, Krishna soon entered between the two arjuna trees, and thus the big mortar to which He was bound turned crosswise and stuck between them. (Vedabase)

Text 27

The boy dragging the wooden mortar that was tied to His belly behind Him, with great force pulled over the two trees that by His supreme power shook heavily and with trunk, branches and leaves, roots up came down making a tremendous noise [*4].

By dragging behind Him with great force the wooden mortar tied to His belly, the boy Krishna uprooted the two trees. By the great strength of the Supreme Person, the two trees, with their trunks, leaves and branches, trembled severely and fell to the ground with a great crash. (Vedabase)

Text 28

Right there then came out of the two trees resplendently beautiful, illuminating all directions, two persons like fire personified who offered Krishna with folded hands, head down, their obeisances while they before the Lord of the Whole World completely purified uttered the following:

Thereafter, in that very place where the two arjuna trees had fallen, two great, perfect personalities, who appeared like fire personified, came out of the two trees. The effulgence of their beauty illuminating all directions, with bowed heads they offered obeisances to Krishna, and with hands folded they spoke the following words. (Vedabase)

Text 29

'Krishna, o Krishna, o Greatest of Yoga, You are the root cause, the Original Person in the beyond of this world, of this creation gross and subtle, that the brahmins know as Your form.

O Lord Krishna, Lord Krishna, Your opulent mysticism is inconceivable. You are the supreme, original person, the cause of all causes, immediate and remote, and You are beyond this material creation. Learned brâhmanas know [on the basis of the Vedic statement sarvam khalv idam brahma] that You are everything and that this cosmic manifestation, in its gross and subtle aspects, is Your form. (Vedabase)

Text 30-31

You are the One for all living beings, You are the master of the living force, of the body, of the soul and the senses; You indeed are the time, the Supreme Lord Vishnu, the imperishable controller. You as the greatest, the cosmic creation ànd the subtle are, consisting of the passion, goodness and slowness, indeed the Original Personality and Proprietor, the knower of the restless mind in all fields.

You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of everything. The body, life, ego and senses of every living entity are Your own self. You are the Supreme Person, Vishnu, the imperishable controller. You are the time factor, the immediate cause, and You are material nature, consisting of the three modes passion, goodness and ignorance. You are the original cause of this material manifestation. You are the Supersoul, and therefore You know everything within the core of the heart of every living entity. (Vedabase)

Text 32

Who, locked up in a body with a mind agitated by the modes of nature, is capable of knowing You who are not confined to a body; who now out here covered by the modes is worthy of You who existed before the creation?

O Lord, You exist before the creation. Therefore, who, trapped by a body of material qualities in this material world, can understand You? (Vedabase)

Text 33

Therefore unto You, Vâsudeva, the Supreme Personality, the Origin of Creation, unto You whose own light is covered by the great of Your natural modes, unto the Brahman [the inside and the outside], our respectful obeisances.

O Lord, whose glories are covered by Your own energy, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are Sankarshana, the origin of creation, and You are Vâsudeva, the origin of the caturvyûha. Because You are everything and are therefore the Supreme Brahman, we simply offer our respectful obeisances unto You. (Vedabase)

Text 34-35

Of the nonmaterial of Your different embodiments as avatâras, we by and by may witness the incomparable, the unlimited strength that is out of reach for the ones [normally] embodied. That same Lordship, that Master Benevolent there for the liberation and elevation of everyone, has now appeared with all His potencies and expansions!

Appearing in bodies like those of an ordinary fish, tortoise and hog, You exhibit activities impossible for such creatures to perform - extraordinary, incomparable, transcendental activities of unlimited power and strength. These bodies of Yours, therefore, are not made of material elements, but are incarnations of Your Supreme Personality. You are the same Supreme Personality of Godhead, who have now appeared, with full potency, for the benefit of all living entities within this material world. (Vedabase)

Text 36

Our respects for the Highest Virtue, our respects for the Supreme Auspiciousness; unto Vâsudeva, the Peaceful One, unto the Master of the Yadus, our reverence.

O supremely auspicious, we offer our respectful obeisances unto You, who are the supreme good. O most famous descendant and controller of the Yadu dynasty, O son of Vasudeva, O most peaceful, let us offer our obeisances unto Your lotus feet. (Vedabase)

Text 37

May we, who from the mercy of the rishi, that most confidential devotee, as servants could see You, the Supreme Lord in person, resume our lives, o Greatest Universal Form?

O supreme form, we are always servants of Your servants, especially of Nârada Muni. Now give us permission to leave for our home. It is by the grace and mercy of Nârada Muni that we have been able to see You face to face. (Vedabase)

Text 38

May our words always concern Your pastimes, may our ears hear the talks about You, may our limbs be working for You, may the mind always remember Your lotus feet, may our heads bow to You the All-pervading One, may our sight be of the truthful [the Vaishnavas especially] and may we see them all as being non-different from You!'

Henceforward, may all our words describe Your pastimes, may our ears engage in aural reception of Your glories, may our hands, legs and other senses engage in actions pleasing to You, and may our minds always think of Your lotus feet. May our heads offer our obeisances to everything within this world, because all things are also Your different forms, and may our eyes see the forms of Vaishnavas, who are nondifferent from You. (Vedabase)

Text 39

S'rî S'uka said: 'This way being glorified by the two spoke the Supreme Lord, the Master of Gokula who with ropes was bound to the mortar, smiling to the Guhyakas.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued: The two young demigods thus offered prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although S'rî Krishna, the Supreme Godhead, is the master of all and was certainly Gokules'vara, the master of Gokula, He was bound to the wooden mortar by the ropes of the gopîs, and therefore, smiling widely, He spoke to the sons of Kuvera the following words. (Vedabase)

Text 40

The Supreme Lord said: 'Everything of this incident that happened in the past with Nârada is known to Me: what a great favor he did being so kind to you in his condemning you of your being fallen blind in madness about the wealth.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The great saint Nârada Muni is very merciful. By his curse, he showed the greatest favor to both of you, who were mad after material opulence and who had thus become blind. Although you fell from the higher planet Svargaloka and became trees, you were most favored by him. I knew of all these incidents from the very beginning. (Vedabase)

Text 41

The way the eyes of a person facing the sun [are freed from darkness] is one simply by being in the presence of the saintly who are equal to all, with persons fully dedicated to Me, freed from all bondage.

When one is face to face with the sun, there is no longer darkness for one's eyes. Similarly, when one is face to face with a sâdhu, a devotee, who is fully determined and surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one will no longer be subject to material bondage. (Vedabase)

Text 42

Now, you reeds [*5] of Kuvera, saturated with love towards Me, return to your home with Me as the Supreme Destination, Me, the Highest of your desire, from whom one never turns back [see also B.G. 5: 17].'

O Nalakûvara and Manigrîva, now you may both return home. Since you desire to be always absorbed in My devotional service, your desire to develop love and affection for Me will be fulfilled, and now you will never fall from that platform. (Vedabase)

Text 43

S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus addressed circumambulated the two Him who was bound to the mortar, offering their repeated respects and took they leave departing in the northern direction [where Kailâsa is].'

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: The Supreme Personality of Godhead having spoken to the two demigods in this way, they circumambulated the Lord, who was bound to the wooden mortar, and offered obeisances to Him. After taking the permission of Lord Krishna, they returned to their respective homes. (Vedabase)

*: To this Prabhupâda comments: 'There is an instructive story called punar mûshiko bhava, "Again Become a Mouse." A mouse was very much harassed by a cat, and therefore the mouse approached a saintly person to request to become a cat. When the mouse became a cat, he was harassed by a dog, and then when he became a dog, he was harassed by a tiger. But when he became a tiger, he stared at the saintly person, and when that saintly person asked him, "What do you want?" the tiger said, "I want to eat you." Then the saintly person cursed him, saying, "May you again become a mouse".'

**: In fact is systematic hunger or regular fasting a standard procedure for the devotees who regularly fast for a day like with ekâdas'i: each eleventh day after the new and full moon the Vaishnava fasts from cereal and beans and chants he. Modern medicine confirms that a regular fast, or systematic hunger prolongs one's life. See also 8.16: payo vrata, fasting from solid food as the best of all sacrifices.

***: Arjuna trees are still found in many forests. The bark is used by cardiologists to prepare medicine against heart trouble.

*4: It is because of this dâmodara-lîlâ that Lord Krishna as a toddler is sometimes called Dâmodara: tied to the belly [see also the bhajan Damodarâshthaka].

*5: 'reeds' is an expression referring to the hollowness of being surrendered.