Devotees
and Demigods
Demigods
Alvars
Budha
Ganesa
Visvaksena
and Ganesa
Kubja
narada
muni
Pitas
Rbhus
Demigods
chanting their names to attain Visnu (SB 2.6.27)
Vedanta-sutra 1.4.28: all names belong to Visnu
Visvanatha Cakravarti: worship of the Lord by meditating on
demigods as parts of Lord's body (Purusa-sukta)
- both favorable (SB 1.19.18) or unfavorable (SB 11.4.10) to human
sp. advancement. They play two roles, as does Maya (illusion and mercy),
protecting and testing us.
- considered liberated by Madhva: Madhva considers only one person
nitya-mukta - Visnu Himself, others are nitya-baddha. His commentary on SB
2.9.1 about the cause of jiva's falldown: isvara-iccha-pratimika (desire of the
Lord). God can, after all, do anything.
- in Krsna-lila as partial incarnations (Brahma-vaivarta Purana
6.177), only Yamaraja came personally as Vidura (B-v. P. 6.180)
- original, in the spiritual world (SB 11.17.29 - Ganesa, Durga)
Alvars
O.B.L. Kapoor, "The Philosophy and Religion of Sri
Caitanya", Munshiram Manoharlal, Delhi 1977, p.6. Quoted in Steven Rosen:
"India's spiritual renaissance - The life and times of Lord
Chaitanya", p. 6:
Great South Indian devotees regarded as personifications of 12
articles of Visnu's paraphernalia: Poygai (Poikai) Alvar, Bhutattar A., Pey A.,
Tirumalisai A., Namn-A. or Satakopa, Madhurkavi A., Kulasekhar A. (king; author
of Mukunda-mala- stotra), Perriy-A. or Visnucitta, Andal A. (woman),
Tondaradippodi A. (reformed sinner), Tiruppana A. (lower class origin),
Tirumangai A.
Buddha
Q: (Hare Krishna Das) According to Jiva Gosvami Lord Buddha
appears when two thousand years of the Kali age have passed: tatah iti ayam
kaler abda-sahasra-dvitiye gate vyaktah. (Krsna-sandarbha Vol. I anuccheda 24)
That means around 1102 BC. And in the first reconstruction of Hindu chronology
by Sir William Jones, Lord Buddha is appointed to 1027 BC. (Vid. in Rational
"Mythology", by Sadaputa Das, 1993 in BTG Jan/Feb 1994, p. 26)
But one researcher, Prasada Gokhale of Fredericton New Brunswick
University, shows very interesting evidences that after the identification of
Sandracottus (325 BC) mentioned by Megasthenes, the Greek historian, with the
Candragupta Maurya by Sir William Jones, was considered as the "sheet
anchor" and base on this assumption a chronology of India history
reconstructed by dating the Buddha in 500 BC under the presupposition that the
Asokavarna was the Buddhist convert. But there are difficulties in this
datation because the Greek records mention Xandramas and Sandracyptus as kings
immediately before and after Sandracottus. These names are not in any way
phonologically similar to Mahapadma Nanda and Bindusara or Asoka who were the
predecessor and successor of Candragupta Maurya respectively. However, if
Sandracottus refers to Candragupta Gupta, the Xandramas reckons to be his
predecessor Candrasi alias Candramas and Sandrocyptus to be Samudragupta. The
phonetic similarity becomes quite apparent and also with the assistance of
other evidence from Bhagavata Purana 12.1.12-13 confirm the identify of
Sandracottus to Candragupta Gupta. (Vid. Antiquity and Continuity of Indian
History in http: www.egroups.com/docvault/vediculture. or ask to Vrindavan das
vediculture@yahoogroups.com)
But the question is, what is the more accurate datation of Lord
Buddha? Because there are apparent historical, astronomical and archaeological
evidences that Lord Buddha was on the earth in 1887-1807 BC (idem. part 5 14).
A: The Pancaratra Pradipa book, page 27, says: "This is the
Buddha we all know, namely Sakya Muni, who took birth 563 BC in Kapilavastu
(now in Nepal) as the son of Queen Maya devi. This Buddha is not the avatara
described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as the son of Anjana, born in the province
of Gaya (Bihar) (SB 1.3.24) who taught the original Buddhism. Unfortunately,
Sakya Simha Buddha is now considered THE Buddha, although he was just a scholar
with some inner realizations who later spread atheistic and nihilistic
philosophies."
Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja in his book "Vaisnava
Vijaya" gives a thorough description plus various evidences regarding who
was the Siddhartha Buddha and so on.
Vadiraja Tirtha from Madhva line (15th century) writes:
om sri buddhaya
namah, om sri kalkine namah
buddhavatarakavi
baddhanukampakuru baddhanjalau mayi dayam kuru
sauddhodanipramukha saiddhantika 'sugama bauddhagamapranayana
kruddhahitasuhrtisiddhasikhetadhara
suddhasvayanakamala
suddhantam rucipimaddhakhilanga nija maddhava kalkyabhidha bhoh
32
anvaya:
sauddhodanipramukha saiddhantika = one who is the son of
Suddhodana and preaches the Buddha philosophy in public, asugama = cannot
understand, bauddhagama = devatas (demigods) who are intellectuals (jnanis)
liked by the philosophy which is named Buddha, pranayana = one who is created,
kavibaddhanukampa = king among jnanis (intellectuals), buddhavatara = Sri Hari
who manifested as Buddha, baddhanjalu = saluting through hands, mayi = myself,
dayam kuru = be kind (bless me),
kruddha = got wild, ahita = enemies, asuhrti = matters concerning
to stealing of life (pranapahara), siddha = getting ready, asikheta = one who
is having sword and shield (gurane), suddhasvayana = one who is having pleasant
horse as the vehicle, kamalasuddhanta = one who has got Sri Laksmi as queen
(one who is staying in Sri Laksmi's palace), rucipimaddhakhilanga = one who is
covered by the radiance with all organs of the body, kalkyabhidha = named as
Kalki, bhoh = one who is Sri Hari, mam = myself, addha = more, ava = protect.
"There was a time, when the whole world (in Kali-yuga) was
full of divine culture and Vaidic (sacred) environment and at the same time
many demons (asuras) were also born and started following the divine culture
and learning divine knowledge. Because of this dharma started to decay in their
hands.
"During that time for the king of Sakya by name Suddhodana a
baby was born. It is understood that Sri Paramatma in the form of this baby
started talking and preached that this world is void (sunya, empty) and all
things which are happening are all miseries. This is supposed to be Buddha
philosophy. (Sri Hari in the form of baby has preached this).
"In order to prove to the people this philosophy is true Sri
Hari has swallowed all the weapons by which devatas has attacked the baby.
After seeing these wonders and these incidents the King Suddhodana and his
followers started believing the new philosophy and started practicing the same
by leaving aside the Vedic philosophy.
"After sometime the Paramatma who was in the form of baby has
disappeared and Suddhodana's son appeared again. Suddhodana's son grown up as
Buddha and started preaching Buddha philosophy which Paramatma has publicized
previously. Even in Devaloka (adobe of demigods) Sri Paramatma has preached to
devatas (demigods) the real essence of Buddha philosophy which He has preached
as Buddha in this world. Sri Paramatma preached to demigods the essence of
Buddha philosophy which is published as 'Prasantavidya' which even Suddhodana's
son Buddha and his followers cannot understand.
"Sri Vadiraja is praying to Sri Hari in the form of Buddha to
be kind to him by doing buddhanjali. Sri Vadiraja is praying to Sri Hari in the
form of Sri Kalki as one who is destroying (killing) bewildered enemies and one
who is wearing (holding) sword and shield and sitting on the pleasant horse.
His body with all organs of the body are shining like splendor and Sri Vadiraja
is praying that He personally protects him."
PS: The original Buddha philosophy was preached and published by
Sri Narayana in the form of Buddha. The preaching is meant in two ways. The
original meaning was told to demigods or devatas by himself in Devaloka. But
the sinful asuras or demons understood his preaching wrongly and started
practicing the same by blaming the Vaidic dharma. Like this Paramatma will
incarnate to get love from asuras to devatas as has been told in Bhagavata
Purana, Prathama Skanda, chapter 32, sloka 24.
In order to attract the asuras who are enemies of devatas Sri Hari
will incarnate as Buddha as son of Jinana in the place called Gaya in the land
of Magadha. This has been told in Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya, chapter 32,
sloka 139.
Further, it has also been told that after completing 1000 years of
Kali-yuga when all the devatas who were there in that yuga reached Lord's
abode, Tripurasura, who is killed by Rudra, was reborn in this world. At that
time even Sri Vedavyasa has disappeared and divine culture was existent by
removing all faulty practices. At that time even demons had the opportunity to
learn divine knowledge. But devatas and Paramatma did not like the idea of
demons gaining divine knowledge. All devatas went to the ocean of milk where
Sri Hari is residing and prayed to Him to bless them with the solution. During
the same time in the place called Gaya (land of Magadha) Tripurasura was born
to Suddhodana or Jinana. Paramatma disappeared from the newborn child and
incarnated as a child. When Suddhodana started doing ritual for the newborn
baby, the baby started smiling. They were all stunned by this happening and the
baby started preaching the new siddhanta called Buddha siddhanta. Because of
the prevailing situation, i.e. divine culture, they all did not believe the new
philosophy, Paramatma called His devatas and they started launching different
weapons on the newborn baby. But that baby swallowed all the weapons like
trisula etc. and even when Visnu attacked the baby with his discus (cakra), the
Paramatma in the form of baby made it its seat. On seeing the wonders of this
child, Suddhodana and his followers started believing and accepted the new
philosophy by leaving divine culture which they were following. After that the
Paramatma disappeared from there and preached the real meaning of the new
philosophy to the devatas but demons were attracted by this new preaching and
started following the same.
Even before this incident there is a mention in Bhagavata Purana
that Buddha manifested earlier to attract Tripurasura's wives.
The Buddha who was born in 563 BC is not the incarnation of Sri
Narayana. Gautama Buddha is one who has publicized the Buddha philosophy which
was preached by Sri Narayana as a child. It should be assumed that Gautama
Buddha is not the manifestation of Sri Narayana.
The original Kannada translation has been taken from the book:
Sri Vadiraja Viracita Sri Dasavatara Stuti Translated in to Kannada
by Acarya Saanur Bhima Bhattaru Published by Sri Parimala Samshodhana and
Publishing Mandira Nanajangud - Bangalore. 1995.
Q: It is stated in Srimad Bhagavatam that Lord Buddha was an
incarnation of Krsna but Lord Buddha did not accepted Vedas, neither he
accepted reincarnation, nor soul. So how is it possible that he was an
incarnation of Krsna?
A: In the purport to BG 4.7, SB 1.3.24, etc. Srila Prabhupada
explains that Buddha (different from widely known Sakyamuni, Siddharta Gautama)
had a special mission in Lord's plan to restore Vedic dharma. He came to
dismantle the degenerate approach of brahmanas of that time. They were killing
animals in the name of Vedic sacrifice. Thus he rejected the Vedas to deprive
them of the basis of their misconduct. Later Adi Sankara came and continued
this plan by establishing the authority of Vedas but he taught that the
Absolute is impersonal. After him came Vaisnava teachers like Ramanuja, Madhva
etc. who preached the genuine Vedic conclusion - Absolute is ultimately a
person. This supreme person is Visnu/Krsna. At last came Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu and established His doctrine of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva, the
ultimate Vedic siddhanta. This is the gist.
Durga - additional
info
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his purports on Sri Brahma Samhita,
especially in 5.41 and 5.44, clearly describes Sri Durgadevi as sakti-tattva,
who is related to the original sakti, RamA, as Lord Siva is related to
Maha-Sankarsana.
It is described that as Lord Sankarsana gets reflected in the water
of the Causal Ocean, and His reflection becomes Lord Sambhu, a tattva on his
own, similarly Laksmidevi, or RamA, who is service the lotus feet of
Maha-Sankarsana, gets reflected in the Causal Ocean thus manifesting as Sri
Durgadevi. That is why Durgadevi is sometimes called jagal-laksmi, or 'Laksmi
of this Universe".
There are a few references which shed some more light on the
position of Srimati Durga devi:
"The Brahma-samhita says, chayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti
durga. Durga is not different from yogamaya. When one understands Durga
properly, he is immediately liberated, for Durga is originally the spiritual
potency, hladini-sakti, by whose mercy one can understand the Supreme
Personality of Godhead very easily. Radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini-saktir
asmad. The mahamaya-sakti, however, is a covering of yogamaya, and she is
therefore called the covering potency. By this covering potency, the entire
material world is bewildered (yaya sammohitau jagat). In conclusion,
bewildering the conditioned souls and liberating the devotees are both
functions belonging to yogamaya." (SB 10.1.69 add. notes)
There are two kinds of maya-yogamaya and mahamaya. Mahamaya is an
expansion of yogamaya, and both these mayas are different expressions of the
Lord's internal potencies. (SB 4.16.2 purp.)
yan
maya-cestitam pumsah
sthity-utpatty-apyayaya hi
anugrahas tan-nivrtter
atma-labhaya cesyate
The Supreme Personality of Godhead acts through His material
energy in the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this cosmic manifestation
just to deliver the living entity by His compassion and stop the living
entity's birth, death and duration of materialistic life. Thus He enables the
living being to return home, back to Godhead. (SB 9.24.58)
aparam tv
aksaram ya sa
prakrtir jada-rupika
srih para prakrtih prokta
cetana visnu-samsraya
tam aksaram param prahuh
paratah param aksaram
harir evakhila-guno 'py
aksara-trayam iritam
"The inferior infallible entity is that nature who manifests
as the material world. The goddess of fortune, on the other hand, is known as
the superior nature. She is pure consciousness and is under the direct shelter
of Lord Visnu. While she is said to be the superior infallible entity, that
infallible entity who is greater than the greatest is Lord Hari Himself, the
original possessor of all transcendental qualities. In this way, three distinct
infallible entities are described." (from Skanda Purana, quoted in SB
12.11.20 purp.)
Ganesa - Remover of
Obstacles
Satyaraja Dasa (c) BTG
The joyous elephant-faced deity known as Ganesa is revered by one
billion Hindus worldwide, and though his worship has little place in the
modern-day Hare Krsna movement, his personality and pastimes are part of
ISKCON's heritage.
Ganesa is often seen as the creator and remover of obstacles, as
the guardian at entrances and as a spiritually potent figure who can avert all
evil influences. In popular Hindu lore he is thus the god to be worshiped
first, before all religious ceremonies, public and private. Things tend to
start off with Ganesa and this is reflected even in common idiomatic phrases.
For example, in Maharashtra when a dedication or inauguration is to be
performed, a Marathi speaker may refer to the occasion as Sri ganesa karane
("doing the Sri Ganesa"). Another such expression is ganapatice kele
("to conceive a child"). Similar phrases are found in other Indian
languages.
Since Ganesa is considered the lord of beginnings, for the first
installment in this series about the demigods we start with him.
According to the Vedic literature, behind the workings of the
cosmos stand powerful controllers known as devas, or demigods. As we people in
this world control our cars or homes, the devas control various aspects of the
cosmos.
Ganesa is a popular hero whose image adorns the walls of shops,
homes, and temples throughout India. Even for people unfamiliar with Indian
culture or the Vedic literature, Ganesa is perhaps the easiest of all demigods
to identify, with his human body, elephant head, and potbelly. He is usually
pictured standing, sitting, or dancing, with his jolly elephant face looking
straight ahead. Ganesa is at times depicted with quill on palm leaf, for as
Vyasa dictated the Mahabharata, Ganesa served as the scribe to write it down.
Ganesa is missing one tusk, a piece of which can sometimes be
found in one of his four hands. In another hand he sometimes holds a hatchet
(parasu), which, according to some texts, is for cutting away illusion and
false teachings. Another of Ganesa's hands often gestures fearlessness and reassurance
(varada-hasta-mudra). He also holds a goad (ankusa) like that used by an
elephant trainer, symbolizing his insistence on proper training or spiritual
discipline. He sometimes holds a noose (pasa) used for restraining wild
animals, here representing the restraint of passion and lustful desires.
Sometimes he is seen holding sweets (modaka), for which he is said to have an
inordinate fondness. Hence the belly.
Who is this strange-looking god, and what, if anything, does he
have to do with the worship of Krsna or Visnu?
Vedic texts reveal that Ganesa is the son of Siva and Parvati,
although his sonship like that of his half-brother, Skanda-Subrahmanya, is
peculiar. According to one version, Siva "emits" from his body a
handsome son who becomes a seducer of women. Parvati is offended by her son's
exploits and curses him to have the head of an elephant and a big belly - in
other words, to be ugly. Though with this he would seem fated to celibacy, he
gradually settles down with two wives, Buddhi ("wisdom") and Siddhi
("success"), who can see beyond his physical ugliness.
As time passes, Ganesa becomes the commander of Siva's troops
(gana-isa or gana-pati) and because he becomes famous as one who creates
obstacles for the demons and removes obstacles for the demigods or the
devotees, he is known as Vighnesvara ("lord of obstacles") and
Vinayaka ("one who removes [obstacles]"). The "obstacle"
theme also tells us why Ganesa uses a rat as his vehicle. As rodents generally
succeed in gnawing their way through any obstruction, the rat, it is said,
symbolizes Ganesa's ability to destroy every obstacle.
In another, more popular version of the Ganesa story, Parvati,
wanting to seclude herself from her passionate husband, Siva, especially while
bathing, creates a son from her perspiration and appoints him the guardian of
her quarters. Soon after, when Siva seeks admission into Parvati's inner
chambers, Ganesa, unaware of Siva's identity, refuses him, pushing him away
from Parvati's door. Not one to be slighted, the enraged Siva summons his
attendants (ganas) to do away with this bothersome upstart. But Ganesa defeats
them one by one. Finally Visnu arrives and drawing upon His maya (mystic
potency) He creates confusion on all sides. This enables Siva to cut off
Ganesa's head.
Parvati, furious at what has become of her "son,"
decides to send a multitude of goddesses to harass the demigods. These
celestial women succeed in making it clear to the noble gods that their queen
can be appeased only if her guardian is revived. Siva then tells the gods to go
north and cut off the head of the first living being they see. The head is to
be mystically placed on the body of the decapitated Ganesa, who will then come
back to external consciousness. As fate would have it, the first living being
to cross the path of the gods is an elephant.
The various Ganesa stories described above - found primarily in
the Siva Purana and the Brahma-vaivarta Purana - are somewhat divergent, and
tradition accounts for this by placing the variations in different cycles of
cosmic time. "Because of the distinction between kalpas [ages]," the
Siva Purana explains, "the story of Ganesa's birth is told in different
ways." The cyclical structure of Vedic time allows for repeated descents
of the Lord and His devotees, so details of the pastimes may vary.
According to popular Indian tradition, Ganesa is a benign and
helpful deity who brings success and assures worldly well-being. Since devotees
of Krsna are more interested in spiritual realization than in worldly security,
ISKCON tends to forgo the worship of Ganesa. Lord Krsna says in the
Bhagavad-gita (9.23), "Those who are devotees of other gods and worship
them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kunti, but they do so in a
wrong way." Lord Krsna uses the word avidhi purvakam, "in an
inappropriate way." Why is such worship of demigods inappropriate? Because
it is materially motivated. As Lord Krsna says, "Men in this world desire
success in fruitive activities, and therefore they worship the demigods."
(Bg. 4.12)
Since we are essentially spiritual beings in a material body,
material rewards can never truly satisfy us. Only spiritual rewards are
satisfying for a spirit soul. Therefore Srila Prabhupada concurring with the
above two Gita texts, says "[To worship] Ganapati is not required, but
sometimes we do it. Just like the gopis - they worshiped Goddess Durga,
Katyayani. They did not require to worship her, but that was part of the social
system. But they asked, Mother Katyayani, give us the opportunity to have Krsna
as our husband. Their aim was Krsna." (Morning walk, Los Angeles, January
10, 1974)
So the worship of Ganesa, like that of his mother, Durga
(Parvati), is not condemned, but it should be done for the proper reasons:
Ganesa is a devotee of Lord Krsna and we can pray to him to remove obstacles on
the road to Krsna consciousness. In this regard, Brahma-samhita (5.50) explains
that Ganesa is Krsna's devotee. The success achieved by worshiping Ganesa
depends on Lord Krsna and therefore such worship should ultimately be directed
to Krsna: "For the power to destroy all obstacles to progress in the three
mundane worlds, Ganesa holds on his elephant head the lotus feet of Govinda. I
worship Govinda, Krsna, the primeval Lord."
(Satyaraja Dasa is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and a regular
contributor to Back to Godhead. He has written several books on Krsna
consciousness. He and his wife live in New York City.)
Reason for
Ganesa having one tusk
He broke one of his tusks because he agreed to write Mahabharata only
if Vyasadeva will dictate nonstop. So because it was his condition he didn't
had time to go and find new pen every time it get finished, so he used his own
tusk.
Brahma-vaivarta Purana, 3rd (Ganesa) khanda, gives another
version:
When Parasurama visited Kailasa he was prevented from seeing Siva
by Ganesa. The ensuing dialogue between them ends in a fight in which Ganesa
catches Parasurama's ax on one of his tusks, and become at once Ekadanta
(one-tusked).
Ganesa and
Vaisnavas
Srila Gopal Bhatta Gosvami compiled Sat Kriya Sara Dipika as a
vaidic samskara manual for the Vaisnava. The usual samskara manuals are
compiled by those who are interested in karma (accumulating material fruits),
and prescribe worship of the devatas and pitrs for material prosperity. Gopal
Bhatta Gosvami recognizing that most of the Vaisnavas are grhasthas, and that
they should perform the samskaras, he has given a procedure that is not
contradictory or offensive to the Vaisnava ideals.
The first half of his manual is an argument for the worship of
Visnu to the exclusion of devatas, with ample scriptural evidence. Accordingly,
in his practical procedure for samskaras, he substitutes worship of Visnu and
His associates for worship of Ganesa, the material saktis, and planetary
deities. Whereas worship of devatas (who are mixed devotees), brings only
material auspiciousness, worship of Visnu and His associates (who are pure
devotees), brings spiritual deliverance. Gopal Bhatta Gosvami cites the
alternative for the Vaisnava according to the Padma Purana:
ananya sarano
bhakto nama mantresu diksitah
kada cin narcayed devan ganesadims tu vaisnavah
yatra yatra surah pujya ganesadyas tu karminam
visvaksenam sa sanakam sanatana matah param
sananda sanat kumara pancaitan pujayet tatah
"The devotee interested in pure devotion to the Lord, and
initiated with Vaisnava mantra should never worship Ganesa and other devatas.
Wherever the karmis prescribe worship of Ganesa and the devatas, the Vaisnava
should worship the pure devotees of Visnu. Thus instead of worshiping Ganesa to
remove material obstacles, the devotee should worship Visvaksena and the four
Kumara brothers to remove obstacles on the spiritual path." (Padma Purana)
In the same way, instead of worshiping the nine planetary deities
one should worship the nine yogendras, and instead of worshiping the dik palas
(protectors of the directions) one should worship the maha bhagavatas. Instead
of worshiping the matr gana (sixteen expansions of Durga, in charge of material
energy) one should worship the Lord's consorts who are the shelter of spiritual
energies.
Visvaksena and
Ganesa
Jayapataka Swami
The Vedas describe the guru as "sarva-devamayo guru".
That all devas are within the spiritual master. By worshiping and respecting
guru one respects the SPoG and also all devas. Also by worshiping spiritual
master one removes obstacles in the path of devotional service (which is why
one worships Ganesa). Therefore most Vaisnavas worship guru initially to remove
all obstacles rather than worship Ganesa. I also heard Srila Prabhupada say to
chant the Om ajnana mantra to remove offenses and that Ganesa worship was
included in the guru worship. I hope that this is clear now.
I have been told by authorities on the Sri-sampradaya that
according to their siddhanta in the Vaikuntha planets Visvaksena, the general
or faithful assistant of Lord Visnu, removes obstacles and he is represented in
the material world as Ganesa. So karma kandis worship Ganesa and Sri Vaisnavas
worship Visvaksena and Gaudiya Vaisnavas worship guru.
Kubja
Ekanath Das
Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says in his tika to SB 10.48.10:
kubjeyah bhu-saktir vibhutir jneyah purva-vyakhyanat, "This Kubja,
according to my earlier explanation, is the energy known as Bhu-sakti."
When VCT says "earlier explanation", that must refer to
his tika to SB 10.42.1, which was quoted in the BBT edition as follows:
According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, the young
hunchbacked girl was actually a partial expansion of the Lord's wife
Satyabhama. Satyabhama is the Lord's internal energy known as Bhu-sakti, and
this expansion of hers, known as Prthivi, represents the earth, which was bent
down by the great burden of countless wicked rulers. Lord Krsna descended to
remove these wicked rulers, and thus His pastime of straightening out the
hunchback Trivakra, as explained in these verses, represents His rectifying the
burdened condition of the earth. At the same time, the Lord awarded Trivakra a
conjugal relationship with Himself.
In addition to the given meaning, the word rasa-pradah indicates
that the Lord amused His cowherd boyfriends by His dealings with the young
hunchback.
Narada Muni
Suhotra Swami
He is at the same time inhabitant of material Siddhaloka (SB
4.29.80p.) and spiritual Siddhaloka. Their relation is like Bhauma and Divya
Vrndavan (non different). Siddhaloka, Brahmaloka are also another names for
Vaikuntha (SB 5.1.7p., 6.3.8-9). His Narayana-asrama (SB 10.10.23, 7.714) is
Badarikasram in Himalayas.
SB 1.6.21-22:
Lord says Narada "is not free from all material taints"
and therefore He can hardly see Him. Lord wants to increase his desire for Him
and further purification (although he was already pure, SB 1.5.25-29).
Pitas (Pitrs)
1. one's deceased father, grandfather and great-grandfather 2.
progenitors of mankind in general
If they are given sraddha they enjoy on Pitrloka, if not or they
were sinful they suffer in hell or as ghosts (BG 1.41, SB 6.14.26).
Rbhus
(Garuda Purana 3.5.37, footnote; Rg Veda 1.111)
A group of divine beings who attained divinity by performing
tapas. Angira, son of Brahma, had a son Sudhanva who had three sons: Rbhusan,
Vibhvas and Vaja. They are named Rbhus.