Site menu
Chapter 2: Ajâmila
Delivered
by
the
Vishnudûtas:
the Motivation for the Holy Name(1) The son of Vyâsadeva said: 'Oh King,
after the servants of the Supreme Lord had heard what the
Yamadûtas said, they replied
as experts in the doctrine. (2) The Vishnudûtas said: 'Alas, how painful it is
to
see
how irreligion affects the community of the knowers of dharma, to see
how from those being allotted the task, sinless people unnecessarily have to undergo punishment. (3) To
whom must the citizens
turn for shelter if there is iniquity among those who as their
protectors, endowed with all good qualities and equal to all, [want to]
defend the law? (4) Whatever the better man does is copied by
the rest of the population, whatever he does is by the general public accepted as the standard to follow [see also B.G.
3:
21]. (5-6) The common people not knowing what exactly would be
dharma
or adharma,
lay their head in his lap to sleep in peace. How can a respectable
person who kindly disposed towards everyone enjoys the trust of the
living beings, cause pain to the ignorant mass that as a [herd of]
animal[s] surrendered to him in good faith and friendship? (7) This
person here has already
atoned for the sins of millions of births because he, being helpless,
chanted the holy name of the Lord, which is the way to attain [His]
fortune. (8) When he said 'Oh Nârâyana,
please
come', he, thus pronouncing the four syllables [nâ-râ-ya-na],
realized
the
complete
atonement
for
all
the
mischief
he
as
a sinner was
guilty of. (9-10) Irrespective
the
gravity
of
the
sin
one might have committed as a thief, an alcoholic,
as someone who betrays a friend, as a killer of a brahmin, as someone
who
lusted for his guru's wife or as a murderer of a woman, a king, cows or
one's father, or as any other type of sinner, one will have the
attention of Lord Vishnu because of one's concern with His name. He
[Vishnu] considers the chanting of the holy name the perfection of
atonement [*]. (11)
A sinner is not as much purified by the atonement in keeping to vows
that brahminically are prescribed as he is by uttering the syllables of
the name of the Lord. For that repetition brings to mind the
qualities of Uttamas'loka [the Lord glorified in the scriptures, compare
6.1: 16]. (12) Because
the
heart,
despite
of
one's
penance, is not completely
purified [when one doesn't chant His name], the mind will tire itself again on the path of
temporary
matters. Therefore they who are seriously interested in putting an end
to their karma [see B.G. 4: 16], purify their existence by repeating the glories of the Lord [compare 1.2:
17]. (13)
Therefore do not try to take this man with you. Because he on his
deathbed pronounced the name of the Supreme Lord he has already put behind him all his sins [see also B.G. 7:
27 and 8:
5]. (14) Know
that, whether one does it for other
purposes, for fun, as entertainment or just casually, resounding the
name [of the Lord] of Vaikunthha carries an unlimited capacity to
neutralize
sin. (15) A
person
who has fallen, slipped, broken his
bones, has been bitten, is plagued by a disease or struck, no [longer]
deserves a hellish life when he thus involuntarily speaks [the name] of
the Lord
[see also B.G.
8:
6]. (16) Great
sages well versed in the matter prescribe heavy and light penance for
[respectively] heavy and light sins. (17) But
all the sinfulness that according
to them is vanquished by austerity, charity and vows and such, does not
dissolve the effects of adharma in the heart [one's material
desires or conditioning], for that is attained [only] in service of
feet of the Lord. (18) Consciously
or
involuntarily
chanting
the
name
of
Uttamas'loka burns
to ashes the sins of a
person, just like fire does with
dry grass. (19) A
mantra uttered, just
like a powerful medicine taken, manifests
its
potency
even when it somehow
or other is used the proper
way by an ignorant person.'
(20) S'rî S'uka said: 'They [the Vishnudûtas] perfectly making sure what dharma is in terms of devotional service oh King, thus released him from the noose of Yamarâja and rescued him from the clutches of death. (21) Oh subduer of the enemies, the Yamadûtas thus replied went to the abode of Yamarâja to inform him faithfully in detail about everything that had happened. (22) The brahmin released from the noose, now free from fear regained his original nature and pleased to see them offered his respects bowing his head before the servants of Vishnu.
(23) But
the servants of the Supreme
Personality understanding oh sinless one, that he wanted to say
something, suddenly disappeared before his eyes. (24-25) Ajâmila
who
because
of
the talks of Vishnu's and
Yamarâja's servants about
Lord Hari had learned more about what being pure of dharma in relation
to the Lord [the
Bhâgavatam] meant,
how that is described in the three Vedas and how someone conditioned by
the modes of
nature in devotion unto the Supreme Lord immediately finds purification
by listening to the glorification of His name,
greatly regretted all the evil deeds he remembered: (26) 'Alas,
because
I
lost
the
control
over
myself
making babies with this low class woman, I destroyed all my
brahminical qualities and ended up in utter misery. (27)
Honest men will condemn him who has abandoned his chaste young wife to associate with an unchaste maid given to
drinking. Doomed I am having
fallen in sin and defamed
my family! (28) My
helpless old father and mother
with no other relative to look after them, were distressed when I,
ungrateful as someone with no class, alas gave up on them. (29)
It
may
be
clear
that
I
who
as such an extremely pitiless person all too
lusty broke with the dharma, should land in hell to undergo there the
pains of retribution. (30) Have I been dreaming or did I
witness a miracle here? Where have all those gone to now, who were
dragging me away with the noose in their hands? (31) And
where have those perfect four personalities of extreme beauty gone to
who
released me when I being
captured
in ropes was carried away to hell?
(32) Because
having
seen
these
exalted
devotees
auspicious
things
were
bound
to
occur,
I
despite
of my ill fortune found myself back again! (33) How
else would a man impurely engaged with a lower class woman, on his deathbed be capable of having his tongue speak the holy name of
the
Lord of Vaikunthha? (34) Where am I as a cheater, sinner
personified and a shameless destroyer of his own culture with this all-auspicious name of Lord Nârâyana? (35) I who was engaged in that way am decided to
gain control over my senses, mind and breath, so that my soul not
again
because of ignorance will be drawn into the darkness. (36-37) Abandoning this being bound in karmic actions out of
ignorance and lust, I as a
self-realized, most kind, merciful and peaceful friend of all living
entities, will free my soul from the encasement of being
caught in mâyâ in the form of a woman, a woman who
played with me, fallen as I was, like with a pet animal. (38) Thus
giving up on the 'I' and
'mine' of the body and matters related to it, I will, without the
falsehood, in meditation on the purpose devote my mind to the
Supreme Lord with the help of the purification of singing His name and
such.'
(39) He, being freed from all bondage by only for a moment associating with the saintly devotees, thus relinquished the idea of a material life and went to the place where the Ganges enters the plains [Hardvar as 'the doorway to Hari']. (40) Residing there in an abode for disciplining the spirit [an ashram or temple] he, engaging in yoga exercises, turned inwards away from his senses and fixed his mind on the true self. (41) Fully absorbed in that self he detached himself from the [direction of] the modes [the time], and devoted himself to the Absolute in the form of the Lord who is pure consciousness. (42) As soon as his mind and intelligence found their anchor, he saw before him the very same [four divine] personalities he formerly had seen, whereupon the brahmin reverentially bowed his head. (43) He at that holy place at the Ganges seeing them, immediately gave up his vehicle of time, his body, to assume the original spiritual form [svarûpa] that befits an associate of the Lord. (44) The man of knowledge together with the servants of the Lord then boarded a celestial chariot [vimâna] made of gold and went to heaven where the husband of the Goddess of Fortune [Vishnu] resides. (45) He who had forsaken all dharma, who had married a low class maid, had fallen into abominable activities, had broken with all his vows and had landed in a hellish life, thus immediately found liberation the moment he relied on the name of the Supreme Lord. (46) Therefore, in order not to get attached again to fruitive activities with a mind contaminated by passion and ignorance, there is for persons desiring to escape from material bondage no better means to cut with the karmic consequence than the repeated singing of the name of Him who is the refuge of all holy places. (47-48) Any person who with faith hears about or with great devotion recounts this confidential history which frees one from all sins, will not judged by the servants of Yamarâja be lead to hell, but will be welcomed in the spiritual world of Vishnu, whatever inauspicious thing [he did in his material life]. (49) If Ajâmila at the time of his death by using the name of the Lord went to heaven, even though he meant his son, then what wouldn't that mean for the one who with love and faith holds on to the name?'
(20) S'rî S'uka said: 'They [the Vishnudûtas] perfectly making sure what dharma is in terms of devotional service oh King, thus released him from the noose of Yamarâja and rescued him from the clutches of death. (21) Oh subduer of the enemies, the Yamadûtas thus replied went to the abode of Yamarâja to inform him faithfully in detail about everything that had happened. (22) The brahmin released from the noose, now free from fear regained his original nature and pleased to see them offered his respects bowing his head before the servants of Vishnu.
(23) But
the servants of the Supreme
Personality understanding oh sinless one, that he wanted to say
something, suddenly disappeared before his eyes. (24-25) Ajâmila
who
because
of
the talks of Vishnu's and
Yamarâja's servants about
Lord Hari had learned more about what being pure of dharma in relation
to the Lord [the
Bhâgavatam] meant,
how that is described in the three Vedas and how someone conditioned by
the modes of
nature in devotion unto the Supreme Lord immediately finds purification
by listening to the glorification of His name,
greatly regretted all the evil deeds he remembered: (26) 'Alas,
because
I
lost
the
control
over
myself
making babies with this low class woman, I destroyed all my
brahminical qualities and ended up in utter misery. (27)
Honest men will condemn him who has abandoned his chaste young wife to associate with an unchaste maid given to
drinking. Doomed I am having
fallen in sin and defamed
my family! (28) My
helpless old father and mother
with no other relative to look after them, were distressed when I,
ungrateful as someone with no class, alas gave up on them. (29)
It
may
be
clear
that
I
who
as such an extremely pitiless person all too
lusty broke with the dharma, should land in hell to undergo there the
pains of retribution. (30) Have I been dreaming or did I
witness a miracle here? Where have all those gone to now, who were
dragging me away with the noose in their hands? (31) And
where have those perfect four personalities of extreme beauty gone to
who
released me when I being
captured
in ropes was carried away to hell?
(32) Because
having
seen
these
exalted
devotees
auspicious
things
were
bound
to
occur,
I
despite
of my ill fortune found myself back again! (33) How
else would a man impurely engaged with a lower class woman, on his deathbed be capable of having his tongue speak the holy name of
the
Lord of Vaikunthha? (34) Where am I as a cheater, sinner
personified and a shameless destroyer of his own culture with this all-auspicious name of Lord Nârâyana? (35) I who was engaged in that way am decided to
gain control over my senses, mind and breath, so that my soul not
again
because of ignorance will be drawn into the darkness. (36-37) Abandoning this being bound in karmic actions out of
ignorance and lust, I as a
self-realized, most kind, merciful and peaceful friend of all living
entities, will free my soul from the encasement of being
caught in mâyâ in the form of a woman, a woman who
played with me, fallen as I was, like with a pet animal. (38) Thus
giving up on the 'I' and
'mine' of the body and matters related to it, I will, without the
falsehood, in meditation on the purpose devote my mind to the
Supreme Lord with the help of the purification of singing His name and
such.'(39) He, being freed from all bondage by only for a moment associating with the saintly devotees, thus relinquished the idea of a material life and went to the place where the Ganges enters the plains [Hardvar as 'the doorway to Hari']. (40) Residing there in an abode for disciplining the spirit [an ashram or temple] he, engaging in yoga exercises, turned inwards away from his senses and fixed his mind on the true self. (41) Fully absorbed in that self he detached himself from the [direction of] the modes [the time], and devoted himself to the Absolute in the form of the Lord who is pure consciousness. (42) As soon as his mind and intelligence found their anchor, he saw before him the very same [four divine] personalities he formerly had seen, whereupon the brahmin reverentially bowed his head. (43) He at that holy place at the Ganges seeing them, immediately gave up his vehicle of time, his body, to assume the original spiritual form [svarûpa] that befits an associate of the Lord. (44) The man of knowledge together with the servants of the Lord then boarded a celestial chariot [vimâna] made of gold and went to heaven where the husband of the Goddess of Fortune [Vishnu] resides. (45) He who had forsaken all dharma, who had married a low class maid, had fallen into abominable activities, had broken with all his vows and had landed in a hellish life, thus immediately found liberation the moment he relied on the name of the Supreme Lord. (46) Therefore, in order not to get attached again to fruitive activities with a mind contaminated by passion and ignorance, there is for persons desiring to escape from material bondage no better means to cut with the karmic consequence than the repeated singing of the name of Him who is the refuge of all holy places. (47-48) Any person who with faith hears about or with great devotion recounts this confidential history which frees one from all sins, will not judged by the servants of Yamarâja be lead to hell, but will be welcomed in the spiritual world of Vishnu, whatever inauspicious thing [he did in his material life]. (49) If Ajâmila at the time of his death by using the name of the Lord went to heaven, even though he meant his son, then what wouldn't that mean for the one who with love and faith holds on to the name?'
