Srimad Bhagavatham: 6.1.23, 24, 25, 26.

Skandham-6.


Chapter-1.


Slokam-s -23, 24, 25, 26.


Slokam- 23



evam    nivasatas    tasya    lalayanasya    tat-sutan,


kalotyagan    mahan    rajann    astasityayusah    samah.



evam   =   in this way; 

nivasatas   =   living; 

tasya   =   of him (Ajamila); 

lalayanasya   =   maintaining; 

tat   =   of her (the sudra?i); 

sutan   =   sons; 

kalah   =   time; 

atyagat   =   passed away; 

mahan   =   a great amount; 

rajan   =   O King; 

astasitya   =   eightyeight; 

ayusah   =   of the duration of life; 

samah   =   years.



My dear King, while he thus spent his time in abominable, sinful activities to maintain his family of many sons, eighty-eight years of his life passed by.



Slokam-24



tasya    pravayasah     putra    dasa    tesam    tu    yovamah,


balo    narayano    namna     pitros    ca     dayito    bhrsam.



tasya   =   of him (Ajamila); 

pravayasah   =   who was very old; 

putrah   =   sons; 

dasa   =   ten; 

tesam   =   of all of them; 

tu   =   but; 

yah   =   the one who; 

avamah   =   the youngest; 

balah   =   child; 

narayanah   =   Narayana; 

namna   =   by name; 

pitrah   =   of the father and mother; 

ca   =   and; 

dayitah   =   dear; 

bhrsam   =   very.



That old man Ajamila had ten sons, of whom the youngest was a baby named Narayana. Since Narayana was the youngest of all the sons, he was naturally very dear to both his father and his mother. 

The word pravayasah indicates Ajamila’s sinfulness because although he was eighty-eight years old, he had a very young child. According to Vedic culture, one should leave home as soon as he has reached fifty years of age; one should not live at home and go on producing children. Sex life is allowed for twenty-five years, between the ages of twenty-five and forty-five or, at the most, fifty. After that one should give up the habit of sex life and leave home as a vanaprastha and then properly take sannyasa. Ajamila, however, because of his association with a prostitute, lost all brahminical culture and became most sinful, even in his so-called household life.



Slokam- 25



sa baddha-hrdayas tasminn  arbhake kala-bhasini,


niriksamanas tal-lilam   mumude jaratho bhrsam.



sah   =   he;

baddha-hrdayah   =   being very attached; 

tasmin   =   to that; 

arbhake   =   small child; 

kala-bhasini   =   who could not talk clearly but talked in broken language; 

niriksamanah   =   seeing; 

tat   =   his; 

lilam    =    pastimes (such as walking and talking to his father); 

mumude   =   enjoyed; 

jarathah   =   the old man; 

bhrsam   =   very much.



Because of the child’s broken language and awkward movements, old Ajamila was very much attached to him. He always took care of the child and enjoyed the child’s activities.



Here it is clearly mentioned that the child Naraya?a was so young that he could not even speak or walk properly. Since the old man was very attached to the child, he enjoyed the child’s activities, and because the child’s name was Narayana, the old man always chanted the holy name of Narayana. Although he was referring to the small child and not to the original Narayana, the name of Narayana is so powerful that even by chanting his son’s name he was becoming purified  Sri Rupa Acharya has therefore declared that if one’s mind is somehow or other attracted by the holy name of Lord , one is on the path of liberation. It is customary in Hindu society for parents to give their children names like Krishna dasa, Govinda dasa, Narayana dasa and Vrndavana dasa. Thus they chant the names Krishna, Govinda, Narayana and Vrndavana and get the chance to be purified.



Slokam- 26



bhunjanah     prapiban    khadan  balakah    sneha-yantritah,



bhojayan    payayan    mudho    na    vedagatam    antakam.




bhunjanah   =   while eating; 

prapiban   =   while drinking; 

khadan   =   while chewing; 

balakam   =   unto the child; 

sneha-yantritah   =   being attached by affection; 

bhojayan   =   feeding; 

payayan   =   giving something to drink; 

mudhah   =   the foolish man; 

na   =   not; 

veda   =   understood; 

agatam   =   had arrived; 

antakam   =   ( his ) death.




When Ajamila chewed food and ate it, he called the child to chew and eat, and when he drank he called the child to drink also. Always engaged in taking care of the child and calling his name, Narayana, Ajamila could not understand that his own time was now exhausted and that death was upon him. 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is kind to the conditioned soul. Although this man completely forgot Narayana, he was calling his child, saying, “Narayana, please come eat this food. Narayana, please come drink this milk.” Somehow or other, therefore, he was attached to the name Narayana. This is called ajnata-sukrti. Although calling for his son, he was unknowingly chanting the name of Narayana, and the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so transcendentally powerful that his chanting was being counted and recorded.

To be continued  ...