Site menu
Chapter
33: The
Renunciation of Devahûti
(1) Maitreya said: 'After the dear wife of
Kardama, the mother named Devahûti, thus had listened to the
words
of Lord Kapila, she, being freed from the veil of ignorance and
having offered Him her obeisances, recited prayers to the author in the
matter of the fundamental [Sânkhya-yoga] truths that constitute
the foundation of
liberation. (2) Devahûti said: 'One says that the Unborn One [Brahmâ] who was born from the lotus flower
[sprouting] from
Your abdomen, meditated upon Your body lying in the water that is the
source of the stream of the modes of nature and the seed pervading all
that is manifest of the material elements, the senses, the
sense-objects and the mind. (3)
As that single person of the
universe who through the
interaction of the modes divided
the creation and
all of that, You stand firm
on the basis of Your heroism. You thereto with distinguishing Yourself
as the infallible non-doer make the difference as the Lord of all
living beings
whose thousands of
energies are inconceivable. (4) How
can it be that You as that same person took birth from
my abdomen oh my Lord, You whose powers are inconceivable and in whose
belly this universe has its place, oh You who as a baby
licking Your toe all alone lay Yourself
down
on
the
leaf
of
a
banyan
tree at the end of
the millennium? (5) You
have assumed this body to counter sinful activities oh my Lord and provide
instructions for devotional service. Just as with Your incarnations as
the
boar
incarnation and others, You are there also as this one in order to
reveal the
path of self-realization. (6) With
You even someone of the lowest
birth is at any moment with
hearing the chanting of
Your name, offering obeisances to You or even by simply remembering
You, immediately
enabled to perform the Vedic rituals, and how would it be if they would see You
face to
face oh Fortunate One! (7)
Oh how
blessed
and hence worshipable is he who has Your holy name on his tongue, even when he's but cooking
for himself alone. For Your sake the ones of spiritual education [the
Aryans] who studied the Vedas and have accepted Your holy name, perform
austerities, execute fire sacrifices and take a bath in the sacred
rivers. (8) I
offer You my
obeisances, You
the Highest Spirit, the Supreme Personality, Lord Vishnu carrying the
name of Kapila, He who is the source of the Vedas, to whom I
turned
inwards to listen, whom I perceived in my mind, meditated upon and
by whose potency the influence of the modes vanished.'
(9) Maitreya said: 'The Supreme Lord carrying the name of Kapila thus being praised full of love for His mother replied with words of gravity. (10) Lord Kapila said: 'By following this easy to execute path I instructed to you My dear mother, you very soon will attain the supreme goal. (11) You may rest assured that with this instruction of Mine that is followed by the transcendentalists, you shall reach Me free from fear, while [the cycle of birth and] death is what is attained by the ones not conversant with this.'
(12) Maitreya said: 'After this
instruction the venerable Supreme Lord of the path of
self-realization, Kapila, the teacher of the Absolute Truth took
permission from His
mother and left. (13)
The way her
son
had told
her in His instruction on yoga, she in that abode [Kardama's palace], that with its wealth of flowers was
the
jewel of the
Sarasvatî river, fixed her attention to be connected in the science of
uniting
consciousness. (14) As she bathed regularly, her curly matted hair turned
gray
and her body, clad in old garments, got thin because of the severe
austerities. (15) By the
austerity of his yoga Kardama Muni, the progenitor of mankind, had developed
his unequaled home with all its paraphernalia, which was even
envied by the denizens of heaven.
(16) The ivory beds white as the foam of milk had gold
filigree
covers and the chairs and benches were made of gold and had cushions
soft to the touch. (17) The
walls were of
pure marble inlaid with valuable emeralds and lamps shone with the same
jewels the women decorated themselves with. (18) The
garden of
the house was beautiful with its flowers and fruits, many trees with
pairs of singing birds and the humming of intoxicated bees. (19) When
she entered the pond fragrant with
lotuses, the
heavenly associates sang to her about the great care of Kardama.
(20) [But] leaving that most desirable garden that was even envied by the wives of Indra, she had a sorry look on her face because she was afflicted by her being separated from her son. (21) With her husband having left for the forest and her son separated from her she, despite of the truth she knew, became as sad as a caring cow that lost her calf. (22) Meditating upon Him, her divine son Lord Kapiladeva, she very soon oh dear Vidura, became detached from her fine home. (23) Meditating upon the form of the Supreme Lord the way He instructed it, she kept as her object of meditation the complete and the parts of the smiling face of her son in mind. (24-25) By performing her duties the proper way on the basis of the knowledge of the Absolute Truth, she was continuously engaged in devotional service and very strong in renunciation. Spiritually purified in meditation upon the Great Soul whose face is seen everywhere, she then saw how in her self-realization the symptoms of the modes of nature disappeared. (26) With her mind situated in Brahman and engaged in serving the Supreme Lord who resides in all living beings, the material pangs of the unfortunate condition of her soul disappeared and she attained transcendental bliss. (27) Situated in the eternal state of absorption she, being freed from the modes, no longer was reminded of her material body, just as someone who awakened forgets what he saw in a dream. (28) Her body was maintained by others [by her heavenly maidens] but because she suffered no fears she didn't lose weight; with the impurities [of her luxury] she shone just like a fire covered by smoke. (29) With her body engaged in the austerity of yoga she under divine protection being absorbed in thoughts about Vâsudeva, lost the awareness of her hair hanging loose or her clothes being in disarray. (30) She thus following the path as instructed by Kapila, soon without fail in the spirit of the Absolute Truth of the Supreme Soul achieved the cessation of her material existence and the [abode of the] Supreme Lord.
(31) That most sacred place where she attained perfection oh brave one, was known in the three worlds under the name of Siddhapada [the refuge of perfection]. (32) The material elements of her mortal body that was relinquished by the practice of yoga became a river that is the foremost of all rivers oh gentle one, sought by all who desire perfection for conferring that fulfillment. (33) When Lord Kapila, the great yogi and Supreme Lord, after taking leave of His mother left the hermitage of His father, He headed in the northeastern direction. (34) He was extolled by the Siddhas, the Cânaras, the Gandharvas, munis and Apsaras, and the ocean offered Him oblations and a place to stay *. (35) There being worshiped by the teachers of example who practice the Sânkhya yoga system, He remains permanently in samâdhi to ensure the deliverance of [all the souls in] the three worlds. (36) Dear sinless one, this what I upon your request told you about Kapila and His conversation with Devahûti, purifies [the one who hears about it]. (37) Whoever listens to or expounds on these confidential teachings of Kapila Muni about the union of the soul and thus has set his mind to the Fortunate One who carries the banner of Garuda, will attain the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.'
(9) Maitreya said: 'The Supreme Lord carrying the name of Kapila thus being praised full of love for His mother replied with words of gravity. (10) Lord Kapila said: 'By following this easy to execute path I instructed to you My dear mother, you very soon will attain the supreme goal. (11) You may rest assured that with this instruction of Mine that is followed by the transcendentalists, you shall reach Me free from fear, while [the cycle of birth and] death is what is attained by the ones not conversant with this.'
(12) Maitreya said: 'After this
instruction the venerable Supreme Lord of the path of
self-realization, Kapila, the teacher of the Absolute Truth took
permission from His
mother and left. (13)
The way her
son
had told
her in His instruction on yoga, she in that abode [Kardama's palace], that with its wealth of flowers was
the
jewel of the
Sarasvatî river, fixed her attention to be connected in the science of
uniting
consciousness. (14) As she bathed regularly, her curly matted hair turned
gray
and her body, clad in old garments, got thin because of the severe
austerities. (15) By the
austerity of his yoga Kardama Muni, the progenitor of mankind, had developed
his unequaled home with all its paraphernalia, which was even
envied by the denizens of heaven.
(16) The ivory beds white as the foam of milk had gold
filigree
covers and the chairs and benches were made of gold and had cushions
soft to the touch. (17) The
walls were of
pure marble inlaid with valuable emeralds and lamps shone with the same
jewels the women decorated themselves with. (18) The
garden of
the house was beautiful with its flowers and fruits, many trees with
pairs of singing birds and the humming of intoxicated bees. (19) When
she entered the pond fragrant with
lotuses, the
heavenly associates sang to her about the great care of Kardama. (20) [But] leaving that most desirable garden that was even envied by the wives of Indra, she had a sorry look on her face because she was afflicted by her being separated from her son. (21) With her husband having left for the forest and her son separated from her she, despite of the truth she knew, became as sad as a caring cow that lost her calf. (22) Meditating upon Him, her divine son Lord Kapiladeva, she very soon oh dear Vidura, became detached from her fine home. (23) Meditating upon the form of the Supreme Lord the way He instructed it, she kept as her object of meditation the complete and the parts of the smiling face of her son in mind. (24-25) By performing her duties the proper way on the basis of the knowledge of the Absolute Truth, she was continuously engaged in devotional service and very strong in renunciation. Spiritually purified in meditation upon the Great Soul whose face is seen everywhere, she then saw how in her self-realization the symptoms of the modes of nature disappeared. (26) With her mind situated in Brahman and engaged in serving the Supreme Lord who resides in all living beings, the material pangs of the unfortunate condition of her soul disappeared and she attained transcendental bliss. (27) Situated in the eternal state of absorption she, being freed from the modes, no longer was reminded of her material body, just as someone who awakened forgets what he saw in a dream. (28) Her body was maintained by others [by her heavenly maidens] but because she suffered no fears she didn't lose weight; with the impurities [of her luxury] she shone just like a fire covered by smoke. (29) With her body engaged in the austerity of yoga she under divine protection being absorbed in thoughts about Vâsudeva, lost the awareness of her hair hanging loose or her clothes being in disarray. (30) She thus following the path as instructed by Kapila, soon without fail in the spirit of the Absolute Truth of the Supreme Soul achieved the cessation of her material existence and the [abode of the] Supreme Lord.
(31) That most sacred place where she attained perfection oh brave one, was known in the three worlds under the name of Siddhapada [the refuge of perfection]. (32) The material elements of her mortal body that was relinquished by the practice of yoga became a river that is the foremost of all rivers oh gentle one, sought by all who desire perfection for conferring that fulfillment. (33) When Lord Kapila, the great yogi and Supreme Lord, after taking leave of His mother left the hermitage of His father, He headed in the northeastern direction. (34) He was extolled by the Siddhas, the Cânaras, the Gandharvas, munis and Apsaras, and the ocean offered Him oblations and a place to stay *. (35) There being worshiped by the teachers of example who practice the Sânkhya yoga system, He remains permanently in samâdhi to ensure the deliverance of [all the souls in] the three worlds. (36) Dear sinless one, this what I upon your request told you about Kapila and His conversation with Devahûti, purifies [the one who hears about it]. (37) Whoever listens to or expounds on these confidential teachings of Kapila Muni about the union of the soul and thus has set his mind to the Fortunate One who carries the banner of Garuda, will attain the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.'
Thus the third Canto of the S'rîmad Bhâgavatam ends named: The Status Quo.
