SB 10.8.48

SB 10.8.48

Devanagari

श्रीशुक उवाच द्रोणो वसूनां प्रवरो धरया भार्यया सह । करिष्यमाण आदेशान् ब्रह्मणस्तमुवाच ह ॥ ४८ ॥

Verse text

śrī-śuka uvāca droṇo vasūnāṁ pravaro dharayā bhāryayā saha kariṣyamāṇa ādeśān brahmaṇas tam uvāca ha

Synonyms

śrī śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said ; droṇaḥ by the name Droṇa ; vasūnām of the eight Vasus (a type of demigod) ; pravaraḥ who was the best ; dharayā with Dharā ; bhāryayā his wife ; saha with ; kariṣyamāṇaḥ just to execute ; ādeśān the orders ; brahmaṇaḥ of Lord Brahmā ; tam unto him ; uvāca said ; ha in the past .

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: To follow the orders of Lord Brahmā, Droṇa, the best of the Vasus, along with his wife, Dharā, spoke to Lord Brahmā in this way.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: To follow the orders of Lord Brahmā, Droṇa, the best of the Vasus, along with his wife, Dharā, spoke to Lord Brahmā in this way. KB 10.8.48 When the best of the Vasus, named Droṇa, and his wife Dharā were ordered to increase progeny by Lord Brahmā, they said unto him,

Purport

As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.37) : ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi When Kṛṣṇa descends anywhere, He is accompanied by His own associates. These associates are not ordinary living beings. Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes are eternal, and when He descends, He comes with His associates. Therefore Nanda and mother Yaśodā are the eternal father and mother of Kṛṣṇa. This means that whenever Kṛṣṇa descends, Nanda and Yaśodā, as well as Vasudeva and Devakī, also descend as the Lord’s father and mother. Their personalities are expansions of Kṛṣṇa’s personal body; they are not ordinary living beings. Mahārāja Parīkṣit knew this, but he was curious to know from Śukadeva Gosvāmī whether it is possible for an ordinary human being to come to this stage by sādhana-siddhi. There are two kinds of perfection — nitya-siddhi and sādhana-siddhi. A nitya-siddha is one who is eternally Kṛṣṇa’s associate, an expansion of Kṛṣṇa’s personal body, whereas a sādhana-siddha is an ordinary human being who, by executing pious activities and following regulative principles of devotional service, also comes to that stage. Thus the purpose of Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s inquiry was to determine whether an ordinary human being can attain the position of mother Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja. Śukadeva Gosvāmī answered this question as follows.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Because Krna’s appearance and his childhood pastimes are eternal, Nanda and Yasoda also should be nitya siddha. A sadhana siddha is not qualified for such prema. Knowing this and that his answer should be suitable to the devotional nature of the question, he replied to the king with indifferent attitude. Following the order of brahma means that order to appear as cowherds.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

The truth of the matter will be told in the next chapter. First however Śukadeva gives a shadow of truth till the end of this chapter in response to the question of “What pious acts did they do?” by explaining their sādhana. These expansions of Nanda and Yaśodā can be considered non-different from them. Droṇa was the best of the Vasus since he was an aṁśa of Nanda. Brahmā told them go to go the area of Mathurā, develop the mood of cowherds and be friendly with Vasudeva.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Such piety does not exist in this world. He asks the question with amazement. The two obtained the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s infant pastimes obtainable only by intense affection for the Lord, by praying for the highest bhakti. In order to give this answer later, first the previous lives of the two are described in three verses. Droṇa was the best of the Vasus since he was an avatāra of Nanda. Brahmā told them go to go the area of Mathurā (ādeśān) and protect the cows. Plural is used to show respect for the order’s greatness. Ha indicates joy or certainty: all this is well known.