Chapter 59 · Class prep
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BG 59.1
[King Parīkṣit said:] How was Bhaumāsura, who kidnapped so many women, killed by the Supreme Lord? Please narrate this adventure of Lord Śārṅgadhanvā’s.
Essence. Parīkṣit asks: how was Bhaumāsura, who kidnapped so many women, killed by the Lord? Please narrate. The audience asks for the rescue story; deliverance of the captive is the part the listener wants.
BG 59.2-3
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: After Bhauma had stolen the earrings belonging to Indra’s mother, along with Varuṇa’s umbrella and the demigods’ playground at the peak of Mandara mountain, Indra went to Lord Kṛṣṇa and informed Him of these misdeeds. The Lord, taking His wife Satyabhāmā with Him, then rode on Garuḍa to Prāgyotiṣa-pura, which was surrounded on all sides by fortifications consisting of hills, unmanned weapons, water, fire and wind, and by obstructions of mura-pāśa wire.
Essence. After Bhauma stole Aditi's earrings, Varuṇa's umbrella, and the demigods' Mandara peak playground, Indra went to Kṛṣṇa and informed Him. Even demigods report grievances to the Lord; cosmic governance has its complaint system.
BG 59.4
With His club the Lord broke through the rock fortifications; with His arrows, the weapon fortifications; with His disc, the fire, water and wind fortifications; and with His sword, the mura-pāśa cables.
Essence. With club the Lord breaks rock fortifications, with arrows weapon fortifications, with disc fire-water-wind fortifications, with sword the mura-pāśa cables. Different tools for different layers; spiritual combat is technical.
BG 59.5
With the sound of His conchshell Lord Gadādhara then shattered the magic seals of the fortress, along with the hearts of its brave defenders, and with His heavy club He demolished the surrounding earthen ramparts.
Essence. With conchshell sound, Gadādhara shatters the fortress's magic seals and the defenders' hearts; with His heavy club He demolishes earthen ramparts. Sound and weight together; vibration completes what force begins.
BG 59.6
The five-headed demon Mura, who slept at the bottom of the city’s moat, awoke and rose up out of the water when he heard the vibration of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Pāñcajanya conchshell, a sound as terrifying as the thunder at the end of the cosmic age.
Essence. Five-headed Mura, asleep at the moat's bottom, wakes and rises hearing Pāñcajanya's vibration — sound as terrifying as cosmic-age thunder. The right sound wakes specific demons; conchshell signals start the fight.
BG 59.7
Shining with the blinding, terrible effulgence of the sun’s fire at the end of a millennium, Mura seemed to be swallowing up the three worlds with his five mouths. He lifted up his trident and fell upon Garuḍa, the son of Tārkṣya, like an attacking snake.
Essence. Shining with sun-fire effulgence, Mura seems to swallow three worlds with five mouths; he lifts trident and attacks Garuḍa like an attacker. Powerful demons have terrifying first appearance; size doesn't change outcome.
BG 59.8
Mura whirled his trident and then hurled it fiercely at Garuḍa, roaring from all five mouths. The sound filled the earth and sky, all directions and the limits of outer space, until it reverberated against the very shell of the universe.
Essence. Mura whirls and hurls the trident, roaring from all five mouths; sound fills earth, sky, directions, outer space, reverberating against the universe's shell. Demonic noise can fill cosmic space; intimidation is total.
BG 59.9
Then with two arrows Lord Hari struck the trident flying toward Garuḍa and broke it into three pieces. Next the Lord hit Mura’s faces with several arrows, and the demon angrily hurled his club at the Lord.
Essence. With two arrows Hari breaks the trident into three pieces, then strikes Mura's faces with several arrows; the demon hurls his club. Surgical first strikes; then escalation continues.
BG 59.10
As Mura’s club sped toward Him on the battlefield, Lord Gadāgraja intercepted it with His own and broke it into thousands of pieces. Mura then raised his arms high and rushed at the unconquerable Lord, who easily sliced off his heads with His disc weapon.
Essence. Gadāgraja intercepts Mura's club and breaks it into thousands; the demon raises arms and rushes; the Lord slices off his heads with His sharp-edged disc. End comes by the Lord's chosen weapon.
BG 59.11
Lifeless, Mura’s decapitated body fell into the water like a mountain whose peak has been severed by the power of Lord Indra’s thunderbolt. The demon’s seven sons, enraged by their father’s death, prepared to retaliate.
Essence. Lifeless, Mura's decapitated body falls into water like a mountain whose peak Indra's thunderbolt has severed; his seven sons, enraged, prepare to retaliate. Death of the father activates the family; retaliation is patterned.
BG 59.12
Ordered by Bhaumāsura, Mura’s seven sons — Tāmra, Antarikṣa, Śravaṇa, Vibhāvasu, Vasu, Nabhasvān and Aruṇa — followed their general, Pīṭha, onto the battlefield bearing their weapons.
Essence. Ordered by Bhaumāsura, Mura's seven sons — Tāmra, Antarikṣa, Śravaṇa, Vibhāvasu, Vasu, Nabhasvān, Aruṇa — follow general Pīṭha onto the battlefield. Demonic networks have specific names; opposition is enumerable.
BG 59.13
These fierce warriors furiously attacked invincible Lord Kṛṣṇa with arrows, swords, clubs, spears, lances and tridents, but the Supreme Lord, with unfailing prowess, cut this mountain of weapons into tiny pieces with His arrows.
Essence. These fierce warriors attack with arrows, swords, clubs, spears, lances, tridents; the Lord cuts the mountain of weapons into tiny pieces with His arrows. Multi-weapon attacks meet single Lord's response.
BG 59.14
The Lord severed the heads, thighs, arms, legs and armor of these opponents led by Pīṭha and sent them all to the abode of Yamarāja. Narakāsura, the son of the earth, could not contain his fury when he saw the fate of his military leaders. Thus he went out of the citadel with elephants born from the Milk Ocean who were exuding mada from their foreheads out of excitement.
Essence. The Lord severs heads, thighs, arms, legs, armor of opponents led by Pīṭha; Narakāsura, son of the earth, cannot contain fury seeing the fate of his leaders. Demolition of front line provokes the principal; the boss enters next.
BG 59.15
Lord Kṛṣṇa and His wife, mounted upon Garuḍa, looked like a cloud with lightning sitting above the sun. Seeing the Lord, Bhauma released his Śataghnī weapon at Him, whereupon all of Bhauma’s soldiers simultaneously attacked with their weapons.
Essence. Kṛṣṇa and His wife on Garuḍa look like a cloud with lightning above the sun; Bhauma releases his Śataghnī, soldiers attack simultaneously. The Lord's celestial mount image precedes coordinated enemy response.
BG 59.16
At that moment Lord Gadāgraja shot His sharp arrows at Bhaumāsura’s army. These arrows, displaying variegated feathers, soon reduced that army to a mass of bodies with severed arms, thighs and necks. The Lord similarly killed the opposing horses and elephants.
Essence. Gadāgraja shoots sharp variegated-feathered arrows, reducing the army to severed bodies; horses similarly killed. Variation in tool design; arrows aren't generic.
BG 59.17-19
Lord Hari then struck down all the missiles and weapons the enemy soldiers threw at Him, O hero of the Kurus, destroying each and every one with three sharp arrows. Meanwhile Garuḍa, as he carried the Lord, struck the enemy’s elephants with his wings. Beaten by Garuḍa’s wings, beak and talons, the elephants fled back into the city, leaving Narakāsura alone on the battlefield to oppose Kṛṣṇa.
Essence. Hari strikes down all missiles and weapons with three sharp arrows each, destroying every one; Garuḍa pummels enemy elephants with his wings. Coordinated attack from Lord and mount; multiple agents work as one.
BG 59.20
Seeing his army driven back and tormented by Garuḍa, Bhauma attacked him with his spear, which had once defeated Lord Indra’s thunderbolt. But though struck by that mighty weapon, Garuḍa was not shaken. Indeed, he was like an elephant hit with a flower garland.
Essence. Bhauma attacks Garuḍa with his spear that once defeated Indra's thunderbolt, but Garuḍa isn't shaken — like an elephant hit with a flower. What once defeated higher beings can't budge the Lord's mount.
BG 59.21
Bhauma, frustrated in all his attempts, took up his trident to kill Lord Kṛṣṇa. But even before he could release it, the Lord cut off his head with His razor-sharp cakra as the demon sat atop his elephant.
Essence. Bhauma, frustrated, takes up his trident to kill Kṛṣṇa; even before he can release it, the Lord cuts off his head with His razor-sharp cakra. Endings come before the next strike completes; the Lord doesn't always wait His turn.
BG 59.22
Fallen on the ground, Bhaumāsura’s head shone brilliantly, decorated as it was with earrings and an attractive helmet. As cries of “Alas, alas!” and “Well done!” arose, the sages and principal demigods worshiped Lord Mukunda by showering Him with flower garlands.
Essence. Bhauma's head, brilliantly decorated, falls; cries of 'Alas!' and 'Well done!' arise as sages and demigods worship Mukunda by showering flowers. Ambivalence at the end of a tyrant; both grief and celebration.
BG 59.23
The goddess of the earth then approached Lord Kṛṣṇa and presented Him with Aditi’s earrings, which were made of glowing gold inlaid with shining jewels. She also gave Him a Vaijayantī flower garland, Varuṇa’s umbrella and the peak of Mandara Mountain.
Essence. Bhūmi, the earth-goddess, approaches the Lord and presents Aditi's earrings, a Vaijayantī garland, Varuṇa's umbrella, and Mandara's peak. Returning stolen items from the source; recovery is publicly handed over.
BG 59.24
O King, after bowing down to Him and then standing with joined palms, the goddess, her mind filled with devotion, began to praise the Lord of the universe, whom the best of demigods worship.
Essence. Bowing with joined palms, mind filled with devotion, the goddess begins to praise the Lord whom even chief demigods worship. After service comes praise; she takes up prayer posture.
BG 59.25
Goddess Bhūmi said: Obeisances unto You, O Lord of the chief demigods, O holder of the conchshell, disc and club. O Supreme Soul within the heart, You assume Your various forms to fulfill Your devotees’ desires. Obeisances unto You.
Essence. Obeisances unto You, O Lord of chief demigods, holder of conch, disc, club; Supreme Soul within the heart who assumes forms to fulfill devotees' desires. Form-taking for desires-fulfilling is named explicitly.
BG 59.26
My respectful obeisances are unto You, O Lord, whose abdomen is marked with a depression like a lotus flower, who are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers, whose glance is as cool as the lotus and whose feet are engraved with lotuses.
Essence. Obeisances to You, lotus-marked abdomen, lotus-garlanded, lotus-glance, lotus-engraved feet — same prayer Kuntī offered. Specific imagery is shared across great devotees; tradition lends words.
BG 59.27
Obeisances unto You, the Supreme Lord Vāsudeva, Viṣṇu, the primeval person, the original seed. Obeisances unto You, the omniscient one.
Essence. Obeisances to Vāsudeva, Viṣṇu, primeval person, original seed, omniscient. Multiple names accumulate; titles are part of prayer.
BG 59.28
Obeisances unto You of unlimited energies, the unborn progenitor of this universe, the Absolute. O Soul of the high and the low, O Soul of the created elements, O all-pervading Supreme Soul, obeisances unto You.
Essence. Obeisances to You of unlimited energies, unborn progenitor, Absolute — Soul of high and low, of elements, all-pervading. Cosmic scope coexists with personal address.
BG 59.29
Desiring to create, O unborn master, You increase and then assume the mode of passion. You do likewise with the mode of ignorance when You wish to annihilate the universe and with goodness when You wish to maintain it. Nonetheless, You remain uncovered by these modes. You are time, the pradhāna, and the puruṣa, O Lord of the universe, yet still You are separate and distinct.
Essence. Desiring to create, You assume passion; for annihilation, ignorance; for maintenance, goodness — yet remain unaffected. The Lord uses modes without being used by them; engagement without entanglement.
BG 59.30
This is illusion: that earth, water, fire, air, ether, sense objects, demigods, mind, the senses, false ego and the total material energy exist independent of You. In fact, they are all within You, my Lord, who are one without a second.
Essence. This is illusion: that earth, water, fire, air, ether, sense objects, demigods, mind, senses, false ego, total material energy exist independent of You — all are within You, one without a second. Monism without losing specificity.
BG 59.31
Here is the son of Bhaumāsura. Frightened, he is approaching Your lotus feet, since You remove the distress of all who seek refuge in You. Please protect him. Place Your lotus hand, which dispels all sins, upon his head.
Essence. Here is Bhaumāsura's son; frightened, approaching Your feet. Protect him; place Your lotus hand upon his head. Grandmothers protect grandchildren by going to the Lord; intercession is real.
BG 59.32
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus entreated by Goddess Bhūmi in words of humble devotion, the Supreme Lord bestowed fearlessness upon her grandson and then entered Bhaumāsura’s palace, which was filled with all manner of riches.
Essence. Entreated by Bhūmi in humble devotion, the Lord bestows fearlessness on her grandson and enters Bhaumāsura's palace, filled with riches. After protection comes recovery; the next act is to enter the palace.
BG 59.33
There Lord Kṛṣṇa saw sixteen thousand royal maidens, whom Bhauma had taken by force from various kings.
Essence. Kṛṣṇa sees sixteen thousand royal maidens whom Bhauma had taken from various kings. The Lord doesn't just defeat the tyrant — He inspects the captives.
BG 59.34
The women became enchanted when they saw that most excellent of males enter. In their minds they each accepted Him, who had been brought there by destiny, as their chosen husband.
Essence. Enchanted by His arrival, each princess inwardly accepts Him as her chosen husband brought by destiny. Recognition of the Lord as proper bridegroom happens unanimously and individually.
BG 59.35
With the thought “May providence grant that this man become my husband,” each and every princess absorbed her heart in contemplation of Kṛṣṇa.
Essence. With the thought 'may providence grant that this man become my husband,' each princess absorbs her heart in Him. Petition plus absorption; the prayer continues as meditation.
BG 59.36
The Lord had the princesses arrayed in clean, spotless garments and then sent them in palanquins to Dvārakā, together with great treasures of chariots, horses and other valuables.
Essence. The Lord has the princesses in clean spotless garments sent to Dvārakā in palanquins with great treasures, chariots, horses, valuables. Liberated captives are sent home with abundant provision; freedom comes with means.
BG 59.37
Lord Kṛṣṇa also dispatched sixty-four swift white elephants, descendants of Airāvata, who each sported four tusks.
Essence. He also dispatches sixty-four swift white four-tusked elephants, descendants of Airāvata. Specific exotic gifts continue; the Lord doesn't end at minimum.
BG 59.38-39
The Lord then went to the abode of Indra, the demigods’ king, and gave mother Aditi her earrings; there Indra and his wife worshiped Kṛṣṇa and His beloved consort Satyabhāmā. Then, at Satyabhāmā’s behest the Lord uprooted the heavenly pārijāta tree and put it on the back of Garuḍa. After defeating Indra and all the other demigods, Kṛṣṇa brought the pārijāta to His capital.
Essence. The Lord goes to Indra's abode, gives Aditi her earrings; Indra and his wife worship Him and Satyabhāmā; at Satyabhāmā's behest the pārijāta tree is uprooted and brought. After returning stolen items, the Lord even gives a parijāta to His own wife.
BG 59.40
Once planted, the pārijāta tree beautified the garden of Queen Satyabhāmā’s palace. Bees followed the tree all the way from heaven, greedy for its fragrance and sweet sap.
Essence. The pārijāta beautifies Satyabhāmā's palace garden; bees follow from heaven, greedy for its fragrance. Once relocated, divine plants attract divine bees; presence creates pilgrimage.
BG 59.41
Even after Indra had bowed down to Lord Acyuta, touched His feet with the tips of his crown and begged the Lord to fulfill his desire, that exalted demigod, having achieved his purpose, chose to fight with the Supreme Lord. What ignorance there is among the gods! To hell with their opulence!
Essence. Even after bowing to Acyuta and touching His feet with the tip of his crown, Indra fights with the Lord — what ignorance opulence produces. Power and arrogance recur in the same person; even Indra forgets quickly.
BG 59.42
Then the imperishable Supreme Personality, assuming a separate form for each bride, duly married all the princesses simultaneously, each in her own palace.
Essence. The imperishable Personality, assuming a separate form for each bride, simultaneously marries all the princesses, each in her own palace. The Lord multiplies to honor each individually; no devotee is queued.
BG 59.43
The Lord, performer of the inconceivable, constantly remained in each of His queens’ palaces, which were unequaled and unexcelled by any other residence. There, although fully satisfied within Himself, He enjoyed with His pleasing wives, and like an ordinary husband He carried out His household duties.
Essence. Performer of the inconceivable, the Lord constantly remains in each queen's palace, fully satisfied within Himself, yet enjoys His pleasing wives. Self-satisfaction and enjoyment coexist; logic doesn't restrict Him.
BG 59.44
Thus those women obtained as their husband the husband of the goddess of fortune, although even great demigods like Brahmā do not know how to approach Him. With ever-increasing pleasure they experienced loving attraction for Him, exchanged smiling glances with Him and reciprocated with Him in ever-fresh intimacy, replete with joking and feminine shyness.
Essence. The women obtain as husband the husband of Lakṣmī, whom even Brahmā doesn't know how to approach; their pleasure ever-increases as they exchange smiles and glances. The most exalted partner produces ever-increasing pleasure; relationship doesn't decay.
BG 59.45
Although the Supreme Lord’s queens each had hundreds of maidservants, they chose to personally serve the Lord by approaching Him humbly, offering Him a seat, worshiping Him with excellent paraphernalia, bathing and massaging His feet, giving Him pān to chew, fanning Him, anointing Him with fragrant sandalwood paste, adorning Him with flower garlands, dressing His hair, arranging His bed, bathing Him, and presenting Him with various gifts.
Essence. Though they had hundreds of maidservants, the queens personally serve the Lord — humbly approaching, offering seat, worshiping, bathing and massaging His feet, giving betel. Even with servants available, personal service is preferred.