Bhagavatam tenth canto study 28 – 10.5.15-20 When Krishna came to Vraja, so did the goddess of fortune

Bhagavatam, Canto 10, Chapter 5, entitled The Meeting of Vrindavan Maharaja and Vasudev Celebration of the Vajvasis on the appearance of Krishna is being discussed over here. Swaputrascho jayaya cha nando mahamanas te bhyo So now, all of the Vrajvasis have come to the house of Nanda Maharaj to celebrate the birth of Nanda Maharaj’s son, Krishna. And Nanda Maharaj, what is he doing? He is mahamanas, he has a great soul, he has a great mind, he is broad minded, he is generous.
Nando mahamanas te bhyo vaso alankara go dhanam So, now just as they gave him gifts, they brought various presentations and gave gifts, he also gave lavish gifts. Vaso alankara go dhanam And he gave clothes, he gave ornaments, and he gave cows. Go dhanam, cow itself is considered to be a great wealth.
Soota magadha van dibhyo And while he was giving charity, there were also the professional reciters, they were reciters of histories of royal dynasties. So, sootas, magadhas van dibhyos, general singers of praise, the glorifiers. So, sootas are basically to tell ancient stories, magadhas are specifically to tell histories of royal dynasties.
Van dibhyo, ye anye vidyopajivinah, vidyopajivinah Vidya upajivinah, others who by their learning, by their education, were maintaining their livelihood. So, they were also there. It’s interesting this word that normally brahmanas don’t take a salary, but at the same time, everybody has to maintain themselves.
In the past, like always, most people were householders. And like householders, they had to maintain their families. So, how did they do that? Vidyopajivinah, that they would share their knowledge.
By sharing this knowledge, others would, they would give charity. And that’s how they, vidyopajivinah, through vidya, through learning, they would maintain themselves. Now, we are moving more and more towards a knowledge economy or information economy, where information is considered very important.
The same principle applied in ancient times, but it was not so much of a transaction based on commerce as it was a reciprocation based on affection, in which the commercial part, the financial part was just one aspect of it. Normally, in the past, especially among kings and others, the dynasty was considered to be very important. And knowing one’s ancestors, knowing where one has come from, was considered important.
And we see in the Mahabharata, in the Ramayana, often, the protagonist, be it Ram or Lakshman or Yudhishthira or Arjuna, or even Krishna himself, they are referred to, by referring to their ancient ancestors. Not even immediate ancestors, but remote and distant ancestors. Ajamedha.
So, the Pandavas, Yudhishthira or Arjuna is referred to as Ajamedha, descendant of Ajamedha. Now, Ajamedha was quite a distant king in their lineage. So now, who is going to keep record of all this history? Usually, this is done by those who are unofficial historians.
Sometimes, say, in the western world, in Europe and other places, the churches would keep a record of all the births, because if the people were religious, and most people in the past were religious, then the baptism would be done, and the account of the baptism would be there. So, there can be a record kept in the books, but along with that, record has to be kept in people’s minds, somebody has to know it. So, those professionals who would devote themselves to learning this and sharing this, they were also abundantly remunerated at special times, when such recitations would be a part of the celebration.
So, knowing about one’s past helps us connect with one’s roots, and helping, you see, the plant grows from the roots. Similarly, we all have emerged from some roots, and knowing about it was considered an important part of spiritual education. उपिद्या उपजीविन So, these people would live based on the charity that they would get from the knowledge that they would share.
तैस्तै कामर अधिनात्मा So, whatever desires they had, those desires were fulfilled. All these people, Sutas, Magadhas and others, वन्धिभ्यो, according to their desire, कामर, तैस्तै, according to that, अधिनात्मा. So, अधिनात्मा means one who was not small-hearted, one who was large-hearted.
Earlier also, the word महामनस was used, that he was very broad-minded, he was very generous. So, according to their desire and their position, तोचितं अपूजयत् as was appropriate, and the Maharaj worshipped and satisfied them. विश्णूराराधनार्थाय And then, the whole point of all these elaborate rituals and cultural practices were all centered on विश्णूराराधनार्थाय It is all for the worship of Lord Vishnu.
So, पुत्रस्य उध्याय च So, पुत्रस्य उध्याय उध्याय, that means, उध्याय, for his improvement in all respects, he worshipped Lord Vishnu and sought the blessings for the well-being of his son. In general, in traditional culture, there is a clear understanding that there is much that is not in our control. And, in our lives, we do have to put in our efforts, but what happens in our life is not determined by us alone.
So, if we can collect good wishes and blessings, then, whatever things are beyond our control, those blessings will give the positive energy by which those things will align favourably for us. And along with that, the blessings will also help us to ourselves work positively. That’s why when a newborn child is there, his journey into life is adventurous as well as perilous.
So, at that time, it is important that the parents seek blessings. And the Maharaj doesn’t just seek blessings, there is always a reciprocation. So, when blessings are sought, charity is given.
And lavish charity is given so that lavish blessings may also be given. And the Maharaj’s generosity is being highlighted in this verse. And now, when there are many, many songs which describe how lavishly when the Maharaj gave charity on the occasion of the birth of Krishna and the celebration that happened thereafter.
Rohini was also very fortunate. Now, what was her fortune? Now, for a mother to have a child itself is a fortune, it’s a gift of providence. For a mother to have a male child as illustrious as Balaram, that’s even more fortunate.
At one level, Rohini might consider herself unfortunate because her husband was not there with her to share this joyous moment. But she is considered fortunate because she was, it was Sudev and Nanda Maharaj, who were very close and well-wishing relatives and who would help and who, and it was how she would get the opportunity to raise Balaram with Krishna. So, normally, if a parent has only one child, then the parents will entertain the child and take care of the child, but the child can often feel lonely because the child has no one of his or her age level to connect with.
So, if there are two children, then the child is happy because the child can always have someone to play with, to have fun with, to relate with. So, Balaram and Krishna, of course, are eternal associates. They are both two manifestations of the Supreme Personality.
And at the same time, here, when Balaram appears, Balaram is demonstrating, Balaram appears, his appearance and the opportunity to help raise Balaram with Krishna, that is a great benediction. So, nisho nitya mahabhaga, Nanda Gopabhinandita. Now, she also had a child, so, therefore, Nanda Gopabhinandita, Nanda Maharaja Yashoda, they also felicitated her.
Now, the main celebration was the appearance of Krishna, but Balaram was also there and that was also a celebration. And in his jubilation, she also was included in the celebration. Vecharath, Divyavas, Srag, Vecharath.
Everybody was moving around, and she was also joining them and moving around. Divyavas, she also dressed herself very beautifully on this occasion. Divyavas, Srag, beautiful dress, garland, Kantha Baran Bhusita, ornament around her neck, and she was decorated by this.
Normally, a woman does not decorate herself very beautifully, especially a married woman, if her husband is not nearby. But in this case, the celebration was so great, that although Vasudeva was not there, she also felt inspired to join in the celebration. After all, a family, and there was joy in her own family as well as in her extended family.
She joined in the celebration by also dressing beautifully and moving around cheerfully amidst the festivities. Text 18, Tatraarambhinandasya vrajasarvasamruddhiman Harer nivasatmagunai Ramakridamabhundrupam So, Tatraarambhinandasya So, at that time, from that time, Nandasya, vrajasarvasamruddhiman So, vraja, the word vraja refers to the geographical address of a particular place, geographical name for addressing a particular place, but also generically refers to that place where cows are protected and bred. So, sarvasamruddhiman, just by the appearance of Krishna, vraja became immensely prosperous.
Harer nivasatmagunai Harer nivasat The abode of Hari, one who is the bestower of all good fortune, one who is the stealer of all distresses. nivasatmagunai So, his own divine qualities were manifesting and enriching that place. Ramakridamabhundrupam So, it became opulent because where the lord is, his consort, the goddess of fortune also comes over there.
And this goddess of fortune, Ramakridam, she came and started performing pastime there. Abhundhrupa, O Maharaj Parishad, is what happened. So, this festivity and this prosperity was not just a one-time occasion.
Of course, the specific festival when Krishna appeared happened once, but thereafter the vrajavasis were jubilant and continuing their jubilance, nature also smiled on them because the supreme goddess of nature, that is Lakshmidevi, she also smiled. She came herself over there and ensured that there was abundant prosperity for all the vrajavasis. Ramakridamabhundhruparamakridam Ramakridam So, she performed pastimes over there with her lord.
She restored abundant fortune on Vrindavan. Text 19 Gopan Gokulrakshayam Nirupyamathurangatah Nandhakamsasyavarsikhyam Karamdhatumkurudvaham Now, the incident of the celebration of Krishna’s birth ended in the 17th verse. And the 18th verse, what happened thereafter in a broad generic sense is said in one verse that the place became very prosperous.
And now in this verse, thereafter another incident is being told. The incident of Nanda Maharaj going to pay tax to Kamsa. Normally, when history is narrated, there always has to be some amount of selection done in the narration of history.
Because otherwise, one day itself, so many things may happen. How can we narrate all those things that have happened in one day? If somebody asks, at the end of the day, how was your day? We won’t go about giving a detailed chronological narrative of all the events that happened. We may tell a broad tenor of how the day was and maybe tell some highlights.
So, similarly, when we look back at the past, all the incidents from the past cannot be described. For example, if somebody writes a biography of someone or somebody writes their own autobiography or a memoir of certain phase of their life, they always have to select which incidents they want to highlight while writing this. Because history is always based on selection and certain things are highlighted, certain things are mentioned and certain things are left out.
Otherwise, everything will become overwhelming and not everything is important to be recorded and told to others. Similarly, here, the jubilation of the Vrajavasis is described in significant detail in the fifth chapter of the tenth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam. And thereafter, a general statement is said given that it was not just one time prosperous but always prosperous.
The prosperity of Vraja is indicated by the by the lavish generosity as well as the grand celebration on the appearance of Krishna that has just been described. Now, wherever there is money, there are many other things also come into the picture. So, normally, people who have lot of money, they often worry about taxes.
The tax department will come and deduct taxes and take so much money from me, take that much money from me. So, to prevent all this from happening, what is needed is that those things be done that the taxes have to be given. So, similarly, at that time, when Nanda Maharaj, he was in prosperity, he recognized that now is the time for me to go to Kamsa and give taxes to him, to give my tribute to him.
The system at that time was that every area had its own, you could say, authority like a landlord who would collect the taxes from the people in that locality and that landlord would give a portion of the taxes to some higher authority. Maybe some minister who was in charge of that place or maybe if it’s a small kingdom, a king. And like that, the king would give tributes to the emperor.
So, in that way, there was a hierarchy. So, here, Nanda Maharaj, who was in charge of the prosperous kingdom of Raja, he now decided to go to Kamsa who was at that time the king of that area. The Mathura area of the kingdom in which Raja was there.
So, he went to pay taxes. Gopan Gokul Rakshayam. So, when he was going to depart, he appointed certain Gopas to be in charge because in this world always things can go wrong.
So, he appointed during his absence who will take care of things. So, he delegated that responsibility to someone. Some of the senior Gopas over there.
Then, after appointing, he decided to go to Mathura. He started off Mathura. Nanda went to Kamsa to give to Kamsa.
Varsha is the year. Varsha is the annual tax that is to be given. Karam Dhatum Kurudvaha Karam Dhatum to give the annual tax.
Kurudvaha is again a reference to the greatest among the Kurus, the protector of the Kurus, the destroyer of the enemies of the Kurus, that is Parikshit Maharaj. Text 20 Vasudeva Upashrutya Bhrataram Nandam Agatam Jnatvadatta Karam Ragye Yayautad Avamochanam Then Vasudeva heard Upashrutya Bhrataram Nandam Agatam That is brother Nanda has come there. Agatam Jnatvadatta Karam Ragye On knowing that he has come to pay the taxes, Yayautad Avamochanam he went to the place where Avamochanam where he was camping.
Yayautad Avamochanam It’s interesting that when we are connected with someone, when we have a loving relationship with someone, we keep track of what is happening in their lives. And thus, when something significant is happening, Nanda Maharaj and Vasudeva, their friends, and Vasudeva, if we remember now from the earlier incidents, that Kamsa had become repentant and he had released Vasudeva and Devaki from the prison and had sought forgiveness from them. So Vasudeva was now free and when he heard that Nanda has come, Nanda Maharaj had some potters which he had taken for his residence while he was there in Mathura and Vasudeva went to meet him.
There is always a natural joy in meeting those with whom we have affectionate relationships. And that joy when we reciprocate, we nourish the relationship and nourish our own hearts. So Nanda Maharaj went there to meet Vasudeva.
And Bhrataram, it’s interesting, Bhrataram is brother. They were cousin brothers. They were not very distant relatives.
They were actually fairly close relatives and just that one of them was a Vaishya, the other was a Kshatriya. Vasudeva was a Kshatriya, but still they were both very close to each other and that’s why Vasudeva had sent his wife to be taken care of by Nanda Maharaj. So actually now when he heard that, now that he was also free and he also heard that Nanda Maharaj is there, so they were close, like brothers.
They were cousins, but they were almost like brothers. Nanda was the cousin brother of Vasudeva and in this way actually it is described that Parajanya was the king of Gokula. Devamedha was the Yadu king and Devamedha married Arya and was Vopika and from her Parajanya was the Gokula king who was born and he married Varyasi who was also Vopika and from them Nanda Baba, Nanda Maharaj was born and he became the king of Vrindavan.
So that’s how the hierarchy goes back. Now Devamedha through another lineage, he had another son and through that son he begot Vasudeva. So Surasena was the father of Krishna.
Sorry, Surasena was the father of Vasudeva and in this way actually the name Vasudeva of course refers to many other people also. It’s become a generic name, but here the principle that is being stressed is that they were brothers and because of the natural affection they also met and what happened in their meeting we’ll discuss in our next session. Thank you.