A Summary of the Srimad Bhagavata Mahapuranam ( 04/04/2013. )

Skandham-5. Chapter-1. Slokam-41. "As a great follower and devotee of the sage Narada, Maharaja Priyavrata considered hellish the opulence's he had achieved by dint of fruitier activities and mystic power, whether in the lower or heavenly planetary systems or in human society." Sri Rupa Gosvami has said that the position of a devotee is so super excellent that a devotee does not consider any material opulence worth having. There are different types of opulence's on earth, in the heavenly planets and even in the lower planetary system, known as Patala. A devotee, however, knows that they are all material, and consequently he is not at all interested in them. As stated in Bhagavadgeeta, param drstva nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. Sometimes yogis and Jnanis voluntarily give up all material opulences to practice their system of liberation and taste spiritual bliss. However, they frequently fall down because artificial renunciation of material opulenc

Skandham-5.  Chapter-1.  Slokam-40. "To stop the quarreling among different peoples, Maharaja Priyavrata marked boundaries at rivers and at the edges of mountains and forests so that no one would trespass upon another's property." The example set by Maharaja Priyavrata in marking off different states is still followed. As indicated here, different classes of men are destined to live in different areas, and therefore the boundaries of various tracts of land, which are described here as islands, should be defined by different rivers, forests and hills. This is also mentioned in relation to Maharaja Prthu, who was born from the dead body of his father by the manipulation of great sages. Maharaja Prthu's father was very sinful, and therefore a black man called Nisada was first born from his dead body. The Naisada race was given a place in the forest because by nature they are thieves and rogues. As animals are given places in various forests

Skandham-5. Chapter-1. Slokam-39. There are many famous slokams regarding Maharaja Priyavrata's activities: "No one but the Supreme Personality of Godhead could do what Maharaja Priyavrata has done. Maharaja Priyavrata dissipated the darkness of night, and with the rims of his great chariot, he excavated seven oceans." There are many excellent verses, famous all over the world, concerning the activities of Maharaja Priyavrata. He is so celebrated that his activities are compared to those of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes a sincere servant and devotee of the Lord is also called bhagavan. Sri Narada is called bhagavan, and Lord Siva and Vyasadeva are also sometimes called bhagavan. This designation, bhagavan, is sometimes conferred upon a pure devotee by the grace of the Lord so that he will be very highly esteemed. Maharaja Priyavrata was such a devotee. Continues...

Skandham-5 Chapter-1. Slokam-38. By the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Maharaja Priyavrata reawakened to his senses. He divided all his earthly possessions among his obedient sons. He gave up everything, including his wife, with whom he had enjoyed so much sense gratification, and his great and opulent kingdom, and he completely renounced all attachment. His heart, having been cleansed, became a  place of pastimes for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus he was able to  return to the path of Krishna consciousness, spiritual life, and resume the position he had attained by the grace of the great saint Narada. As enunciated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Siksastaka, ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-bavagni-nirvapanam: [Cc. Antya 20.12] as soon as one's heart is cleansed, the blazing fire of material existence is immediately extinguished. Our hearts are meant for the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This means that one shou

Skandham-5. Chapter-1. Slokam-37. The King thus began criticizing himself: Alas, how condemned I have become because of my sense gratification! I have now fallen into material enjoyment, which is exactly like a covered well. I have had enough! I am not going to enjoy any more. Just see how I have become like a dancing monkey in the hands of my wife. Because of this, I am condemned. How condemned is the advancement of material knowledge can be understood from the behavior of Maharaja Priyavrata. He performed such wonderful acts as creating another sun, which shined during the night, and creating a chariot so great that its wheels formed vast oceans. These activities are so great that modern scientists cannot even imagine how such things can be done. Maharaja Priyavrata acted very wonderfully in the material field of activities, but because he was dealing in sense gratification—ruling his kingdom and dancing to the indications of his beautiful wife—he personally

Skandham-5. Chapter-1. Slokam-36. While enjoying his material opulences with full strength and influence, Maharaja Priyavrata once began to consider that although he had fully surrendered to the great saint Narada and was actually on the path of Krishna consciousness, he had somehow become again entangled in material activities. Thus his mind now became restless, and he began to speak in a spirit of renunciation. "One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything." If one somehow or other comes to the shelter of a great Vaishnava, takes to Krishna consciousness because of sentiment or realization, but in course of time falls down because of immature understanding, he is not actually fallen, for his having

Skandham-5.  Chapter-1. Slokam-34. King Priyavrata then gave his daughter, Urjasvati, in marriage to Sukracarya, who begot in her a daughter named Devayani. Slokam-35. My dear King, a devotee who has taken shelter of the dust from the lotus feet of the Lord can transcend the influence of the six material whips—namely hunger, thirst, lamentation, illusion, old age and death—and he can conquer the mind and five senses. However, this is not very wonderful for a pure devotee of the Lord because even a person beyond the jurisdiction of the four castes—in other words, an untouchable—is immediately relieved of bondage to material existence if he utters the holy name of the Lord even once. Sukadeva Gosvami was speaking to Maharaja Parikshit about the activities of King Priyavrata, and since the King might have had doubts about these wonderful, uncommon activities, Sukadeva Gosvami reassured him. "My dear King," he said, "don't be doubtful about