Chapter Four
Ambarīṣa Mahārāja Offended by Durvāsā Muni
TEXT 29
ārirādhayiṣuḥ kṛṣṇaṁ
mahiṣyā tulya-śīlayā
yuktaḥ sāṁvatsaraṁ vīro
dadhāra dvādaśī-vratam
SYNONYMS
ārirādhayiṣuḥ—aspiring to worship; kṛṣṇam—the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa; mahiṣyā—with his queen; tulya-śīlayā—who was equally as qualified as Mahārāja Ambarīṣa; yuktaḥ—together; sāṁvatsaram—for one year; vīraḥ—the King; dadhāra—accepted; dvādaśī-vratam—the vow for observing Ekādaśī and Dvādaśī.
TRANSLATION
To worship Lord Kṛṣṇa, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, along with his queen, who was equally qualified, observed the vow of Ekādaśī and Dvādaśī for one year.
PURPORT
To observe Ekādaśī-vrata and Dvādaśī-vrata means to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Those interested in advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness must observe Ekādaśī-vrata regularly. Mahārāja Ambarīṣa’s queen was equally as qualified as the King. Therefore it was possible for Mahārāja Ambarīṣa to engage his life in household affairs. In this regard, the word tulya-śīlayā is very significant. Unless a wife is equally as qualified as her husband, household affairs are very difficult to continue. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita advises that a person in such a situation should immediately give up household life and become a vānaprastha or sannyāsī:
mātā yasya gṛhe nāsti
bhāryā cāpriya-vādinī
araṇyaṁ tena gantavyaṁ
yathāraṇyaṁ tathā gṛham
A person who has no mother at home and whose wife is not agreeable with him should immediately go away to the forest. Because human life is meant for spiritual advancement only, one’s wife must be helpful in this endeavor. Otherwise there is no need of household life.
TEXT 30
vratānte kārtike māsi
tri-rātraṁ samupoṣitaḥ
snātaḥ kadācit kālindyāṁ
hariṁ madhuvane ’rcayat
SYNONYMS
vrata-ante—at the end of observing the vow; kārtike—in the month of Kārtika (October–November); māsi—in that month; tri-rātram—for three nights; samupoṣitaḥ—after completely observing the fast; snātaḥ—after bathing; kadācit—once upon a time; kālindyām—on the bank of the Yamunā; harim—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; madhuvane—in that part of the Vṛndāvana area known as Madhuvana; arcayat—worshiped the Lord.
TRANSLATION
In the month of Kārtika, after observing that vow for one year, after observing a fast for three nights and after bathing in the Yamunā, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, in Madhuvana.
TEXTS 31–32
mahābhiṣeka-vidhinā
sarvopaskara-sampadā
abhiṣicyāmbarākalpair
gandha-mālyārhaṇādibhiḥ
tad-gatāntara-bhāvena
pūjayām āsa keśavam
brāhmaṇāṁś ca mahā-bhāgān
siddhārthān api bhaktitaḥ
SYNONYMS
mahā-abhiṣeka-vidhinā—by the regulative principles for bathing the Deity; sarva-upaskara-sampadā—by all the paraphernalia for worshiping the Deity; abhiṣicya—after bathing; ambara-ākalpaiḥ—with nice clothing and ornaments; gandha-mālya—with fragrant flower garlands; arhaṇa-ādibhiḥ—and with other paraphernalia to worship the Deity; tat-gata-antara-bhāvena—his mind saturated with devotional service; pūjayām āsa—he worshiped; keśavam—unto Kṛṣṇa; brāhmaṇān ca—and the brāhmaṇas; mahā-bhāgān—who were greatly fortunate; siddha-arthān—self-satisfied, without waiting for any worship; api—even; bhaktitaḥ—with great devotion.
TRANSLATION
Following the regulative principles of mahābhiṣeka, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa performed the bathing ceremony for the Deity of Lord Kṛṣṇa with all paraphernalia, and then he dressed the Deity with fine clothing, ornaments, fragrant flower garlands and other paraphernalia for worship of the Lord. With attention and devotion, he worshiped Kṛṣṇa and all the greatly fortunate brāhmaṇas who were free from material desires.
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