Jayanti

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JAYANTI

SB 1.9.45 T The Passing Away of Bhismadeva in the Presence of Lord Krsna

tatra dundubhayo nedur

deva-manava-vaditah

sasamsuh sadhavo rajnam

khat petuh puspa-vrstayah

SYNONYMS

tatra--thereafter; dundubhayah--drums; neduh--were sounded; deva--the demigods

from other planets; manava--men from all countries; vaditah--beaten by;

sasamsuh--praised; sadhavah--honest; rajnam--by the royal order; khat--from the

sky; petuh--began to fall; puspa-vrstayah--showers of flowers.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, both men and demigods sounded drums in honor, and the honest royal

order commenced demonstrations of honor and respect. And from the sky fell

showers of flowers.

PURPORT

Bhismadeva was respected both by the human beings and by the demigods. The human

beings live on earth and similar other planets in the Bhur and Bhuvar group of

planets, but the demigods live in the Svar, or heavenly planets, and all of

them knew Bhismadeva as a great warrior and devotee of the Lord. As a mahajana

(or authority) he was on the level of Brahma, Narada and Siva, although he was

a human being. Qualification on a par with the great demigods is possible only

on attainment of spiritual perfection. Thus Bhismadeva was known all over the

universes, and during his time interplanetary travel was effected by finer

methods than the futile endeavors of mechanical spacecraft. When the distant

planets were informed of the passing away of Bhismadeva, all the inhabitants of

the upper planets as well as of the earth dropped showers of flowers to show due

respect to the departed great personality. This showering of flowers from heaven

is a sign of recognition by great demigods, and it should never be compared to

the decoration of a dead body. The body of Bhismadeva lost its material effects

due to being surcharged with spiritual realization, and thus the body was

spiritualized as when iron becomes red-hot when in contact with fire. The body

of a fully self-realized soul is not, therefore, accepted as material. Special

ceremonies are observed for such spiritual bodies. THE RESPECT AND RECOGNITION

OF BHISMADEVA ARE NEVER TO BE IMITATED BY ARTIFICIAL MEANS, AS IT HAS BECOME A

FASHION TO OBSERVE THE SO-CALLED JAYANTI CEREMONY FOR ANY AND EVERY COMMON MAN.

ACCORDING TO AUTHORIZED SASTRAS, SUCH A JAYANTI CEREMONY FOR AN ORDINARY MAN,

HOWEVER EXALTED HE MAY BE MATERIALLY, IS AN OFFENSE TO THE LORD BECAUSE JAYANTI

IS RESERVED FOR THE DAY WHEN THE LORD APPEARS ON THE EARTH. Bhismadeva was

unique in his activities, and his passing away to the kingdom of God is also

unique.

SB 1.12.12 T Birth of Emperor Pariksit

tatah sarva-gunodarke

sanukula-grahodaye

jajne vamsa-dharah pandor

bhuyah pandur ivaujasa

SYNONYMS

tatah--thereupon; sarva--all; guna--good signs; udarke--having gradually

evolved; sa-anukula--all favorable; grahodaye--constellation of stellar

influence; jajne--took birth; vamsa-dharah--heir apparent; pandoh--of Pandu;

bhuyah--being; panduh iva--exactly like Pandu; ojasa--by prowess.

TRANSLATION

Thereupon, when all the good signs of the zodiac gradually evolved, the heir

apparent of Pandu, who would be exactly like him in prowess, took birth.

PURPORT

Astronomical calculations of stellar influences upon a living being are not

suppositions, but are factual, as confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Every living

being is controlled by the laws of nature at every minute, just as a citizen is

controlled by the influence of the state. The state laws are grossly observed,

but the laws of material nature, being subtle to our gross understanding,

cannot be experienced grossly. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (3.9), every

action of life produces another reaction, which is binding upon us, and only

those who are acting on behalf of Yajna (Visnu) are not bound by reactions. Our

actions are judged by the higher authorities, the agents of the Lord, and thus

we are awarded bodies according to our activities. The law of nature is so

subtle that every part of our body is influenced by the respective stars, and a

living being obtains his working body to fulfill his terms of imprisonment by

the manipulation of such astronomical influence. A man's destiny is therefore

ascertained by the birthtime constellation of stars, and a factual horoscope is

made by a learned astrologer. It is a great science, and misuse of a science

does not make it useless. Maharaja Pariksit or even the Personality of Godhead

appear in certain constellations of good stars, and thus the influence is

exerted upon the body thus born at an auspicious moment. THE MOST AUSPICIOUS

CONSTELLATION OF STARS TAKES PLACE DURING THE APPEARANCE OF THE LORD IN THIS

MATERIAL WORLD, AND IT IS SPECIFICALLY CALLED JAYANTI, A WORD NOT TO BE ABUSED

FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSES. Maharaja Pariksit was not only a great ksatriya

emperor, but also a great devotee of the Lord. Thus he cannot take his birth at

any inauspicious moment. As a proper place and time is selected to receive a

respectable personage, so also to receive such a personality as Maharaja

Pariksit, who was especially cared for by the Supreme Lord, a suitable moment

is chosen when all good stars assembled together to exert their influence upon

the King. Thus he took his birth just to be known as the great hero of

Srimad-Bhagavatam. This suitable arrangement of astral influences is never a

creation of man's will, but is the arrangement of the superior management of

the agency of the Supreme Lord. Of course, the arrangement is made according to

the good or bad deeds of the living being. Herein lies the importance of pious

acts performed by the living being. Only by pious acts can one be allowed to

get good wealth, good education and beautiful features. The samskaras of the

school of sanatana-dharma (man's eternal engagement) are highly suitable for

creating an atmosphere for taking advantage of good stellar influences, and

therefore garbhadhana-samskara, or the first seedling purificatory process

prescribed for the higher castes, is the beginning of all pious acts to receive

a good pious and intelligent class of men in human society. There will be peace

and prosperity in the world due to good and sane population only; there is hell

and disturbance only because of the unwanted, insane populace addicted to sex

indulgence.

 

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yoginam api sarvesam

mad-gatenantaratmana

sraddhavan bhajate yo mam

sa me yuktatamo matah

"That yogi's perfect who's always thinking of Me," mayy asakta-manah. This is

being taught. "Always thinking." And Bhagavad-gita, in another different place

it is said, man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah mad-yaji mam namaskuru mam evaisyasi.

Asamsaya. The aim of life should be, especially of the human body, that try to

understand Krsna. And as far as possible... Krsna cannot be understood fully

because He is unlimited, and we have got limited knowledge. But still, as far

as possible and as much as possible, if we try to understand Krsna, janma karma

ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah. Krsna advents Himself, comes on this

planet. He executes so many duties, takes part in so many occupational

functions as human being, but everything is full of instructions. Therefore

Krsna says, "Don't try to understand, even that is also good superficially, but

in truth." Janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah. Tattvatah means "in

truth, in fact." So if anyone... Janma karma ca me divyam. Divyam means His

birth is not ordinary birth. If it had been ordinary birth, then why we are

still performing the Janmastami ceremony, Krsna's birthday ceremony? Many big,

big kings came and gone. Who is performing the birthday ceremony of that king?

But we perform according to Vedic system the birthday ceremony of Lord

Ramacandra. NOWADAYS WE HAVE IMITATED SO MANY OTHER BIRTHDAY CEREMONIES, BUT IN

THE SASTRA IT IS ENJOINED THE BIRTHDAY CEREMONY OF THE ADVENT OF GOD SHOULD BE

OBSERVED. THE BIRTHDAY CEREMONY OF GOD IS CALLED JAYANTI. THAT IS SPECIAL

CONSTELLATION OF THE STARS. BUT NOW THE JAYANTI HAS BEEN USED FOR SO MANY

RASCALS AND FOOLS. THIS IS NOT SASTRIC. So because Krsna's janma and ordinary

man's janma is not the same thing, therefore Krsna says, janma karma ca me

divyam. Divyam means transcendental, not material. Not material. It is

spiritual or transcendental, divyam. Janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti

tattvatah. Still you have to learn it in