MODULE 2 CBA-1 (SB 3.

1-5)

(One may or may not quote shlokas, unless specifically mentioned. The
notes are exhaustive and indicative for study purposes.)

Section I: Short Answer Questions (~75 words)

1. Why did Vidura give up the palace, which was like a dhāma? (3.1-5)
When Vidura’s advised Dhṛtarāṣṭra to return the legitimate share of the
kingdom to the Pandavas, Duryodhana insulted him, calling him a dasi putra.
Struck by those sharp words, and placing his bow on the door, Vidura left his
brother’s palace without being sorry (gata vyataḥ), considering the acts of
the Lord’s māyā to be supreme. Vidura understood the influence of the Lord’s
“external” energy on Duryodhana who was heading towards his own ruin. He
also saw how the Lord’s “internal” energy was helping him to engage fully in
devotional service.
Vidura thus renounced his prosperous home. The reason for his quitting the
house was not exactly family misunderstanding; rather, Vidura took the
opportunity to meet Ṛṣi Maitreya and discuss transcendental
knowledge.
The Pāṇḍavas’ house was considered by Lord Kṛṣṇa as His own and He
entered it without invitation, neglecting the house of Duryodhana. Thus, it is
referred to as dhāma.

2. Write a Brief Note on:

i) Service attitude (3.2.3P)
The service attitude of the devotee gradually increases and never
becomes slackened. In old age a person is allowed retirement from
mundane service, but in the transcendental service of the Lord there is no
retirement at all; on the contrary, the service attitude increases more and
more with the progress of age. In the transcendental service there is no
satiation, and therefore there is no retirement. There is no fatigue because
it is spiritual service and is not on the bodily plane. Service on the bodily
plane dwindles as the body grows older, but the spirit is never old, and
therefore on the spiritual plane the service is never tiresome.
ii) Sunset vs. Krishna’s disappearance (3.2.7P)
 Sun and Sunset
Sun appears in the morning and
gradually rises to the meridian and
sets in one hemisphere while
simultaneously rising in another
hemisphere.
Sun rises once in 24 hours
Sunset: World becomes dark,
snakes become powerful, ghosts
become active, lotus is disfigured,
and cakravākī laments.
Kṛṣṇa and His Disappearance
Kṛṣṇa disappears in one universe
and simultaneously appears in
another universe and performs His
pastimes eternally (nitya-līlā)
Kṛṣṇa appears once in a day of
Brahmā
Kṛṣṇa’s disappearance: Universe
is put into darkness; atheists feel
enlivened and devotees become
sorry.

3. Write a Brief Note on:

i) The Lord acts through His devotees (3.3.10P)
Kālayavana and the King of Magadha (Jarasandha) were killed by
Mucukunda and Bhīma respectively. The Lord refrained from killing them
personally, just to give fame to His devotees. In the Battle of Kurukṣetra, he
played the part of the charioteer, while Arjuna was given the chance to play
the hero, just to give credit to His devotee Arjuna (nimitta-mātraṁ bhava
savyasācin). Therefore, we can understand that The Lord acts through His
devotees just to give them the glory.
ii) The Lord punishes but unwillingly (3.3.13P)
SB 3.3.13 states that Duryodhana was bereft of his good fortune because of
the ill advice of his associates – Karṇa, Duḥśāsana and Śakuni. Lord was
not happy to see Duryodhana lying on the ground with broken thighs. The
Lord is harder than the thunderbolt for the wrongdoer and softer than the
rose for the faithful. The fall of the leading son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, was not
pleasing to the Lord, although He was on the side of Arjuna and it was He
who advised Bhīma while the fight was going on. This is because all living
entities are His parts and parcels and Kṛṣṇa doesn’t rejoice to see them
suffer,The Lord punishes but unwillingly.
iii) Burden of beast and burden of love (3.3.14P)
There are two kinds of burdens. The burden of the beast is unbearable. It
refers to miscreants who violate the desire of the Lord. However, the burden
of love is a source of pleasure to the Earth i.e. If the people are exactly in
line with God consciousness and are not miscreants.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī describes the burden of love very practically. He
says that the burden of the husband on the young wife, the burden of the
child on the lap of the mother, and the burden of wealth on the businessman,
although actually burdens from the viewpoint of heaviness, are sources of
pleasure, and in the absence of such burdensome objects, one may feel the
burden of separation, which is heavier to bear than the actual burden of love.

4. What lessons does Srila Prabhupada give from the pastime of the
annihilation of the Yadus? (3.3.24-28)
1) One should therefore take great care and attention not to commit an
offence at the feet of a devotee of the Lord.
The princes were cursed in order that one may know that even the
descendants of the Lord were subjected to the reactions of anger by great
devotees of the Lord.
2) For pure devotees of the Lord who are completely satisfied with the
transcendental loving service of the Lord, have no necessity to visit the
various places of pilgrimage. But those who are not so advanced have the
prescribed duties of visiting pilgrimage sites and regularly performing
the rituals.
3)The perfection of human life is attained by following three principles
of civilization: protecting the cows, maintaining the brahminical culture and
becoming a pure devotee of the Lord.
4) The whole incident was a warning to all concerned that no one should
behave lightly with brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas.

5. Write a Brief Note on nitya-siddha and sadhana-siddha. (3.3.26P)

Nitya-siddha Sadhana-siddha

The nitya-siddha devotees never fall The sādhana-siddha devotees are

down to the region of the material
atmosphere, even though they
sometimes come onto the material
plane to execute the mission of the
Lord.
The pure devotees are completely
absorbed in the service of the Lord,
regardless of how and where they are
situated.
Pure devotees of the Lord are not Those who are not so advanced
chosen from the conditioned souls.
And accompany the nitya-siddha
devotee in the pastimes in the
material plane.
The mixed devotees are
sometimes enthusiastic about
fruitive activities and are habituated
to philosophical speculation.
enthusiastic to put aside their service have the prescribed duties of
to the Lord in order to go visit holy visiting pilgrimage sites and
places of pilgrimage. regularly performing the rituals.

6. Write a Brief Note on:

i) Krishna’s sitting posture (3.4.8P)
The Lord was sitting, resting against a young banyan tree, with His
right lotus foot on His left thigh, and although He had left all household
comforts, He looked quite cheerful in that posture.
According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the Lord’s sitting posture
— keeping His back against the newly grown banyan tree — is also
meaningful. Aśvattha, the banyan tree, is so called because the tree does
not die very quickly; it continues to live for many, many years. His legs and
their energies are the material ingredients, which are five in all: earth, water,
fire, air and sky. The material energies represented by the banyan tree are
all products of His external potency and are therefore kept to His back. And
because this particular universe is the smallest of all, the banyan tree is
therefore designated as small, or as a child.
ii) Ajnata-sukrti (3.4.9P) - Unknown devotional service
By some fortunate accident, Maitreya reached the place where Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa was resting. To meet the Lord is not an ordinary incident. Maitreya
was a great sage and a learned scholar-philosopher but not a pure devotee
of the Lord, and therefore his meeting with the Lord at that time may have
been due to ajñāta-sukṛti,or some unknown devotional service. Pure
devotees always engage in pure devotional activities, and therefore their
meeting with the Lord is natural. But when those who are not up to that
standard meet the Lord, it is due to the unforeseen fortune of accidental
devotional service.

9. Write a Brief Note on the misconception of the modern theory of

starvation (49P). [3.5.39-51]
The modern theory that starvation is due to an increase in population is not
accepted by the demigods or the devotees of the Lord. The Lord can
maintain any number of living entities, provided they are conscious of how
to eat. If they want to eat like ordinary animals, who have no God
consciousness, then they must live in starvation, poverty and want, like the
jungle animals in the forest. Human beings are provided with food grains,
vegetables, fruits and milk by the grace of the Lord, but due to the elevated
consciousness, it is the duty of human beings to acknowledge the mercy
of the Lord. They must first offer Him food in sacrifice and then partake of
the remnants. (Bg 3.13) else he eats only. Such sinful eating can never make
one happy or free from scarcity.
Famine is not due to an increase in population, as less intelligent economists
think. When men are unaware of the intrinsic value of the gifts from the Lord,
they are always in want. He may live in opulence for the time being due to
his past virtuous acts, but must await the stage of starvation by the law of
maya in the future. One cannot escape the vigilance of the powerful material
nature unless he leads a God conscious or devotional life.

Section II: Short Essay Questions (~200 words)

1. List any 8 questions asked by Vidura to Uddhava. (3.1.26-45)

Q1. Asked if the Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma who descended on the request
of lord Brahmā in the house of Śūrasena were doing well?
Q2. Inquiries about Yadus: How are Vasudeva, Pradyumna, Ugrasena,
Sāmba, Yuyudhāna, Akrūra, Devakī, Aniruddha, Hṛdīka, Cārudeṣṇa, Gada
and others?
Inquiries about Kurus: How are the Pāṇḍavas and Kuntī?
Q3. Is Yudhisthira Maharaj ruling as per religious principles? (3.1.36)
Q4. Is Bhima anger calmed against sinners? (3.1.37)
Q5. Is Prtha still alive? (3.1.40)
Q6. About Arjuna & the Twin brothers' welfare?
Q7. Laments about Dhṛtarāṣṭra – who drove him out although he was a
sincere well-wisher.
Q8. Why should the Supreme Lord, full of knowledge and bliss, involve
himself in the material world of sin and piety?”
Vidura says that he is happily travelling and not astonished at this action
of Lord’s māyā, which bewilders people in general, because he knew Lord’s
greatness by His grace.
Kṛṣṇa refrained from killing Kurus personally and immediately,
although He is always willing to relieve the distress of surrendered devotees
(prapannārti-jihīrṣaya) and saw the kings going astray by three kinds of
pride (tri-madotpathānāṁ – wealth, education and followers).
Q9. Why would the transcendental Lord come to the earth?
Two reasons for Lord’s appearance
i. The Unborn Lord takes birth (ajasya janma) to kill the wicked (utpatha-
nāśanāya).
ii. Although without action (karmāṇy akartur), He acts to attract all kinds of
people (grahaṇāya puṁsām) – karmīs, jñānīs and bhaktas, to Him.
Q10.Please glorify the merciful Lord

2. WBN on:
i) The servants of the Lord are actually servants of society (3.4.25P)
The servants of the Lord are actually the servants of society. They have no
interest in human society other than to enlighten it in transcendental
knowledge; they are interested in imparting knowledge of the relationship of
the living being with the Supreme Lord, the activities in that transcendental
relationship, and the ultimate goal of human life. That is the real knowledge
which can help society achieve the real aim of human welfare.
Knowledge in the matter of the bodily necessities of eating, sleeping, mating
and fearing, transformed into various branches of advancement of
knowledge, is all temporary. A living being is not the material body but an
eternal part and parcel of the Supreme Being, and thus revival of his self-
knowledge is essential. Without this knowledge, human life is baffled. The
servants of the Lord are entrusted with this responsible work, and so they
wander over the earth and to all other planets in the universe. This is
beneficial for the society as a whole.

ii) Maryada-vyatikrama (3.4.26P)

Maryādā-vyatikrama - impertinently surpassing a greater personality -
According to scriptural injunction one should be very careful of maryādā-
vyatikrama because by doing so one loses his duration of life, his opulence,
fame and piety and the blessings of all the world.
Vidura wanted to accept Uddhava as his spiritual master, but Uddhava did
not accept the post because Vidura was as old as Uddhava’s father and
therefore Uddhava could not accept him as his disciple, especially when
Maitreya was present nearby. The rule is that in the presence of a higher
personality one should not be very eager to impart instructions, even
if one is competent and well versed.
Since both Uddhava and Maitreya were directly instructed by the Lord, both
had the authority to become the spiritual master of Vidura or anyone else,
but Maitreya, being elderly, had the first claim to becoming the spiritual
master, especially for Vidura, who was much older than Uddhava.
One should not be eager to become a spiritual master cheaply for the sake
of profit and fame, but should become a spiritual master only for the service
of the Lord.
The Lord never tolerates the impertinence of maryādā-vyatikrama. One
should never pass over the honour due to an elderly spiritual master in
the interests of one’s own personal gain and fame. Impertinence on the
part of the pseudo spiritual master is very risky to progressive spiritual
realisation.

3. Mention some of the Lord’s apparently contradictory activities with

reference to 3.4.16 and the spirit of understanding them based on
Bhaktivedanta purports.
The intelligence of even the learned sages become disturbed (khidyati dhīr
vidām) by the Lord's activities…
1. karmāṇy anīhasya → You engage in fruitive work, although You are free
from all desires.
2. bhavo abhavasya → You take birth, although You are unborn. If the Lord
is ever unborn, how then is He born as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī?
3. durgāśrayo ’thāri-bhayāt palāyanam kālātmano → You flee in fear of
the enemy and take shelter of a fort, although You are the controller of
invincible time.
4. pramadā-yutāśramaḥ svātman-rateḥ → You enjoy householder life with
many women, although You enjoy within Yourself.
The Lord has nothing to do with anything mundane. All His activities are
transcendental. For the mundane speculators there is certainly a kind of
bewilderment, but for the transcendental devotees there is nothing
astonishing in this. The Brahman conception of the Absolute Truth is
certainly the negation of all mundane activities, but the Parabrahman
conception is full with transcendental activities. The Lord Himself also
declares in Bhagavad-gītā (10.2), “Even the great sages and demigods can
know hardly anything about My activities and transcendental potencies.” The
right explanation of the Lord’s activities is given by Grandfather Bhīṣmadeva
(SB 1.9.16) as follows:
na hy asya karhicid rājan
pumān veda vidhitsitam
yad-vijijñāsayā yuktā
muhyanti kavayo ’pi hi

O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [Śrī Kṛṣṇa]. Even though great
philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered.
4. Write a brief note on:

(i) Miracles of meditation on the Lord’s lotus feet (3.5.42P)

The miracles of meditating on the lotus feet of the Lord with eagerness and
devotion are so great that no other process can compare to it. The minds of
materialistic persons are so disturbed that it is almost impossible for them to
search after the Supreme Truth by personal regulative endeavours. But even
such people, with a little eagerness for hearing about the transcendental
name, fame, qualities, etc., can surpass all other methods of attaining
knowledge and detachment. A devotee of the Lord becomes an elevated
dhīra by the simple process of meditating in eagerness on the lotus feet of
the Lord.
The lotus feet of the lord are glorified as follows:
39. Umbrella for miseries: Your lotus feet are like an umbrella for the
surrendered souls (prapanna-tāpopaśamātapatram) by which they throw
off all miseries. Suffering is due to ignorance and knowledge alleviates
ignorance.
40. Full of Knowledge: Overwhelmed by tāpa-traya, the jīvas can never
have any happiness. Therefore, we all take shelter (āśrayema) of the shade
of Your lotus feet (āṅghri-cchāyāṁ), which are full of knowledge (sa-
vidyām).
41. Vanquishes Sinful Reactions: The great sages, carried by the wings of
the Vedas (chandaḥ-suparṇair), always search after the nest of Your lotus
like face (mukha-padma-nīḍaiḥ). By taking shelter of the Ganges (sarid-
varāyāḥ), they surrender to Your lotus feet (tīrtha-padaḥ) that vanquish
sinful reactions (agha-marṣoda).
42. Reveals Knowledge and Detachment: Hearing about and by
meditating upon Your lotus feet (aṅghri-saroja-pīṭham) in devotion gives
knowledge and detachment. These two essentials for self-realisation —
knowledge and detachment — become manifest very quickly if one
performs devotional service to the lotus feet of the Lord.
43. Awards Remembrance and Courage: You assume incarnations for the
creation, maintenance and dissolution of this world, and Your lotus feet
awards remembrance (smṛtaṁ) and courage (abhayaṁ) to the devotees.
(ii) Pure devotee vs. impersonalist (3.5.46-47P)
 Pure devotee Impersonalist

The devotees enter into the kingdom They pass through a miserable
of all pleasures even from the understanding of the Absolute Truth
beginning of their attempt. at every stage.
The devotee has only to hear about The mental speculator has to pass
devotional activities, which are as through a jugglery of words, which
simple as anything in ordinary life, are partially facts and partially a
and he acts very simply. make-show for the maintenance of
an artificial impersonal status.
The devotees derive more They derive less pleasure even after
transcendental pleasure while extraneous efforts. (Brahmananda)
engaged continuously in the service
of the Lord. (Bhakti Ananda)
The devotees attain the highest In spite of his strenuous efforts to
stage of knowledge and attain perfect knowledge, the
renunciation and achieve the impersonalist attains merging into
Vaikuṇṭhalokas, the planets in the the impersonal oneness of the
spiritual sky. Brahmajyoti of the Lord, which is
also attained by the enemies of the
Lord.
The devotee attains to the planets The impersonalist attains only the
where real spiritual life prevails. sky, and does not achieve any
tangible transcendental bliss.

Section III: Long Essay Questions (~500 words)

1. Which activities of the Lord that bewilder the intelligence of learned

sages are mentioned by Uddhava? What is the correct understanding
of the Lord’s activities? (3.4.14-18)
14.Uddhava told Vidura that he was overwhelmed by the Lord’s
reciprocation, his words failed in tears and hair erupted. Smearing his tears,
with folded hands, Uddhava to the Lord as follows:

15. I prefer Your service, not four puruṣārthas – Devotees who engage
in Your loving service, have no difficulty in achieving anything including
liberation. But I am anxious only to serve Your lotus feet. (SB 3.4.15)
 ko nv īśa te pāda-saroja-bhājāṁ
sudurlabho ’rtheṣu caturṣv apīha
tathāpi nāhaṁ pravṛṇomi bhūman
bhavat-padāmbhoja-niṣevaṇotsukaḥ

16. Contradictions in The Lord – The intelligence of even the learned

sages become disturbed (khidyati dhīr vidām) by his activities.
1. karmāṇy anīhasya → You engage in fruitive work, although You are free
from all desires. The Lord does so to lead by example even though he has
no desires (Bg 3.21, 4.14)
2. bhavo abhavasya → You take birth, although You are unborn. He does
so to reciprocate with his devotees and annihilate the miscreants.
3. durgāśrayo ’thāri-bhayāt palāyanam kālātmano → You flee in fear of
the enemy and take shelter in a fort, although You are the controller of
invincible time. In spite of being kālo ’smi loka-kṣaya-kṛt pravṛddho (Bg
11.32) he flees to protect his citizens and give the glory of killing the
miscreants to his devotees.
4. pramadā-yutāśramaḥ svātman-rateḥ → You enjoy householder life with
many women, although You enjoy within Yourself. He does so just for the
satisfaction of his queens.

17. The Lord called upon Uddhava for consultation, as if bewildered,

although he is never bewildered. The Lord used to call Uddhava for
consultation when the city was attacked by Jarāsandha and others and when
He executed great sacrifices as part of His routine royal work as Lord of
Dvārakā. The Lord has no past, present and future because He is
unhampered by the influence of eternal time and thus nothing is hidden from
Him. He is eternally self-intelligent.
Prabhupada explains that all these actions of the Lord appear to be
contradictory, although there is no contradiction in the routine activities of the
Lord. Therefore, it is better to see them as they are and not attempt to explain
them. Lord bewildering activities can be understood as his love for his
devotees. He takes up many activities just to satisfy his devotees.
VCT explains that one cannot understand the Lord’s activities as they are
beyond our perception. He is the SPOG and no one can understand his
actions.
Even though both these commentaries are opposite, still they both are
correct and glorify the Lord. They are two different flavours - two sides of the
same coin.
18. Finally Uddhava requests the Lord: Kindly explain the knowledge of
Yourself which You have spoken to Brahmā (3.4.13; and also, that which
solves all the above contradictions), if You think I am competent. By that I
will cross over this ocean of sorrow (after Your disappearance).

------------------------------ KRISHNARPANAM ASTU --------------------------------