SB 10.51.8 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

पलायनं यदुकुले जातस्य तव नोचितम् । इति क्षिपन्ननुगतो नैनं प्रापाहताशुभ: ॥ ८ ॥

Verse text

palāyanaṁ yadu-kule jātasya tava nocitam iti kṣipann anugato nainaṁ prāpāhatāśubhaḥ

Synonyms

palāyanam — fleeing ; yadu — kule — in the Yadu dynasty ; jātasya — who have been born ; tava — for You ; na — is not ; ucitam — proper ; iti — in these words ; kṣipan — insulting ; anugataḥ — in pursuit ; na — not ; enam — Him ; prāpa — reached ; ahata — not cleansed or eliminated ; aśubhaḥ — whose sinful reactions .

Translation

While chasing the Lord, the Yavana cast insults at Him, saying “You took birth in the Yadu dynasty. It’s not proper for You to run away!” But still Kālayavana could not reach Lord Kṛṣṇa, because his sinful reactions had not been cleansed away.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

While chasing the Lord, the Yavana cast insults at Him, saying "You took birth in the Yadu dynasty. It's not proper for You to run away!" But still Kālayavana could not reach Lord Kṛṣṇa, because his sinful reactions had not been cleansed away. KB 10.51.8 He rebuked Him with the following words: “O Kṛṣṇa! I heard that You are a great hero born in the dynasty of Yadu, but I see that You are running away from fighting, like a coward. It is not worthy of Your good name and family tradition.” Kālayavana was following, running very fast, but still he could not catch Kṛṣṇa because he was not freed from all contaminations of sinful life. According to Vedic culture, anyone who does not follow the regulative principles observed by the higher castes (the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas) or even those observed by the laborer class (the śūdras) is called a mleccha or yavana. The Vedic social situation is so planned that persons accepted as śūdras can gradually be elevated to the position of brāhmaṇas by the cultural advancement known as saṁskāra, or the purificatory process. The verdict of the Vedic scriptures is that no one becomes a brāhmaṇa or a mleccha simply by birth; by birth everyone is accepted as a śūdra. One has to elevate himself by the purificatory process to the stage of brahminical life. If he doesn’t, if he degrades himself further, he is then called a mleccha or yavana. Kālayavana belonged to the class of mlecchas and yavanas. Contaminated by sinful activities, he could not approach Kṛṣṇa. The principles from which higher-class men are restricted, namely illicit sexual indulgence, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication, are an integral part of the lives of the mlecchas and yavanas. Being bound by such sinful activities, one cannot make any advancement in God realization. The Bhagavad-gītā confirms that only one who is completely freed from all sinful reactions can engage in devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Seeing he could not catch Kṛṣṇa, Kālayavana began scolding him in order to stop him. Since Kṛṣṇa was famous among the Yadus for his courage, he should not flee. Scolding him, he followed him, but could not catch him at all (pra—āpa). The reason is ahata-śubhaḥ, literally “he had not destroyed his sins.” Since his sins were eradicated by suddenly seeing the Lord, presence of sin cannot be the cause of his not attaining the Lord. One could propose that if Kālayavana’s auspiciousness were unimpeded, he would have caught his enemy. However, he could not catch Kṛṣṇa because of his inimical mentality and actions. One should not lament that Kālayavana did not get libration, since he did attain liberation later. However, just with the destruction of their sins, demons do not attain the Lord: ye ca pralamba-khara-dardura-keśy-ariṣṭa- mallebha-kaṁsa-yavanāḥ kapi-pauṇḍrakādyāḥ | anye ca śālva-kuja-balvala-dantavakra- saptokṣa-śambara-vidūratha-rukmi-mukhyāḥ || ye vā mṛdhe samiti-śālina ātta-cāpāḥ kāmboja-matsya-kuru-sṛñjaya-kaikayādyāḥ | yāsyanty adarśanam alaṁ bala-pārtha-bhīma- vyājāhvayena hariṇā nilayaṁ tadīyam || The demons headed by Pralambha, Dhenuka, Baka, Keśī, Ariṣṭa, the wrestlers, Kuvalayāpīḍa, Kaṁṣa, Kālayavana, Dvivida, Pauṇḍraka, Śālva, Narakāsura, Balvala, Dantavakra, the seven bulls, Śambara, Vidūratha and Rukmi, as well as those with bow in hand glorious in fighting on the battlefield, such as the Kāmbojas, Matsyas, Kurus, Sṛñjayas, and Kaikayas will attain sāyujya or Vaikuṇṭha by the Lord or through his instruments Balarāma, Arjuna, Bhīma and others. SB 2.7.34 The Lord cannot be attained by any ordinary means: yat-pāda-pāṁsur bahu-janma-kṛcchrato dhṛtātmabhir yogibhir apy alabhyaḥ sa eva yad-dṛg-viṣayaḥ svayaṁ sthitaḥ kiṁ varṇyate diṣṭam ato vrajaukasām Svayam Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, whose foot dust cannot be seen by yogīs in samādhi who have controlled their mind by severe hardship for many births, is eternally situated here, directly visible to the eyes of the people of Vraja. Ah! How can the good fortune of the people of Vraja be described? SB 10.12.12 The special means is indicated for attaining the Lord: bhaktyāham ekayā grāhyaḥ śraddhayātmā priyaḥ satām bhaktiḥ punāti man-niṣṭhā śva-pākān api sambhavāt Only by bhakti with full faith can the devotees obtain me, Paramātmā, the object of love. Bhakti fixed in me purifies even a dog eater of his low birth. SB 11.14.21 pāda-saṁvāhanaṁ cakruḥ kecit tasya mahātmanaḥ apare hata-pāpmāno vyajanaiḥ samavījayan Some of the cowherd boys, who were all great souls, would then massage his lotus feet, and others, qualified by being free of all sin, would expertly fan the Supreme Lord. SB 10.15.17 In the above verse hata-pāpmānaḥ refers to the highest bhakti devoid completely of indifferent or hostile attitude towards the Lord. Thus in the verse the phrase ahata-aśubhaḥ means his inimical attitude towards the Lord. How could he attain the Lord in the manner that Yaśodā caught him as he ran away?