Canto 10 - Chapter 23: Redemption of the wives of some Brahmaas engaged in a sacrifice

Discourse XXIII

Redemption of the wives of some Brāhmaṇas engaged in a sacrifice

The cowherd boys said: O Balarāma, the delighter of souls and possessed of extraordinary valour, O Kṛṣṇa, the exterminator of the wicked, this hunger is actually pinching us; (therefore) be pleased to appease it. (1)

Śrī Śuka resumed: Thus requested by the cowherd boys, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Son of Devakī), who sought to shower His grace on certain Brāhmaṇa matrons devoted to Him, spoke as follows:—(2)
"Repair to the sacrificial hall where certain Brāhmaṇas, who are expositors of the Vedas, are actually conducting a sacrificial session, known by the name of Āṅgirasa with a desire to ascend to heaven (after death). (3)
Arriving there, O cowherd boys, as despatched by us, and mentioning the name of my venerable brother as well as my own, ask some cooked rice of them." (4)
Thus instructed by the Lord, they went and solicited the Brāhmaṇas as directed with joined palms and lying prostrate on the ground (in the following words):—(5)
"O Brāhmaṇas (lit., gods on the earth), listen to us! Know us, cowherd boys, to be the servants of Śrī Kṛṣṇa arrived (here) as directed by Balarāma. May Good betide you ! (6)
Pasturing their cows not very far (from this place) and stricken with hunger, Balarāma and Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the immortal Lord) long to have boiled rice from you. Give Them rice, O Brāhmaṇas, when They (earnestly) ask for it, provided you have it and if you possess (any) reverence for Them, foremost as you are of (all) knowers of Dharma (the principles of righteousness). (7)
Indeed anyone eating the food cooked in the house even of a householder consecrated for a sacrifice other than the one involving animal slaughter and different from a sacrifice known by the name of Sautrāmaṇī, O most righteous souls, is not defiled (thereby)." (8)
Though listening to the aforesaid solicitation of the Lord, the Brāhmaṇas paid no heed to it, cherishing as they did petty hopes (of ascending to heaven from which one is sure to fall one day) though engaged in elaborate undertakings, and ignorant as they were, though accounting themselves advanced (in knowledge). (9)
The foolish Brāhmaṇas, who regarded the mortal body as their own self, took no notice of Śrī Kṛṣṇa—who was no other than the almighty Lord Viṣṇu, the supreme Reality, constituting as He does the place and time (for the performance of a sacrifice), the diverse substance (for being offered to the sacrificial fire), the mystic formulas (employed in invoking the various deities and recited at the time of pouring oblations), the procedure (laid down for conducting a sacrifice), the priests (officiating at a sacrifice), the (sacrificial) fires, the divinities (intended to be propitiated through a sacrifice), the sacrificer, the act of sacrifice (itself) as well as the religious merit (resulting from the performance of a sacrifice)— looking upon Him as a mere human being. (10-11)
When the Brāhmaṇas neither said "yes" nor did they say "no", O chastiser of foes, the cowherd boys returned disappointed and informed Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma accordingly. (12)
On hearing of it the almighty Lord of the universe burst into laughter and spoke to the Gopas again (as follows) in order to show (to them) the conduct of the worldly people (who would) not feel humiliated much less relax their effort even when their prayer was turned down once):—(13)
"Communicate to their wives the fact of my having arrived (here) alongwith Saṅkarṣaṇa (Balarāma). They will give you food according to your desire, affectionate as they are (by nature) and living as they do in me through their mind." (14)

Presently the cowherd boys went and found the virtuous wives of the Brāhmaṇas seated in the apartment reserved for the wives of the sacrificers, well adorned and, bowing to them, submissively spoke as follows:—(15)
"Hail to you, Brāhmaṇa ladies ! (Pray) listen to our words. We have been sent here by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is rambling not very far from this place. (16)
Pasturing the cows in the company of (other) cowherd boys and accompanied by Balarāma, he has come far away (from home). Let some food be given to him, hungry as he is along with his followers." (17)
Hearing of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the immortal Lord) having come (so) near, the Brāhmaṇa ladies—who had been ever anxious to have a look at Him, their mind having been lured by His stories—were seized with a flurry. (18)
Taking (with them) in vessels excellent food of four* kinds, they all marched towards their beloved Lord, like rivers flowing towards the ocean, even though they were being stopped by their husbands, brothers and other relations, as well as by their sons, their mind being set on the illustrious Lord because of their having heard of Him for a long time. (19-20)
The ladies (presently) beheld Śrī Kṛṣṇa sauntering in a grove on the bank of the Yamunā—beautified by fresh leaves of Aśoka trees—surrounded by (other) cowherd boys and accompanied by His elder brother.(21)
Dark-brown of hue He had about His loins a golden piece of silk; adorned with a garland of sylvan flowers, peacock feathers and tender leaves and painted with minerals, He presented the appearance of an actor (on the stage); He rested one hand on the shoulder of a devoted companion and was swinging a lotus with the other; He wore a pair of water-lilies on His ears and a smile on His lotus-face, His curly locks hanging on His cheeks. (22)
Ushering into their heart by the gates of their eyes Him on whom they had set their mind through the glories of that most loved One—which they had often heard and which had served as an embellishment for their ears—and embracing Him (there) for a pretty long time, they shook off their agony (of separation from Him), even as men with an egotistic turn of mind are rid of their anguish on embracing an enlightened soul, O ruler of men! (23)

Even though He had come to know that they had arrived (there) under the aforesaid circumstances (in the teeth of opposition of all their people) with the (sole) desire to see Him and having given up all hopes (of returning to their home and being welcomed again by their husbands and other relations), Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Witness of all minds) addressed them as follows with a smiling face:—(24)
"Welcome is your visit (to this place), O highly blessed ladies! Let yourselves be (comfortably) seated. What can We do for you? It is but proper for you that you have come with a longing to see Me (disregarding all impediments). (25)
Surely the wise, who realize their own interests, duly practise disinterested and uninterrupted devotion direct to Me, their own beloved Self. (26)
Indeed, who else could be dearer than one's own self, through contact with whom life and intellect, mind and body, kinsfolk, wife, progeny and wealth etc., are dear? (27)
Therefore, return to the sacrificial hall, where your husbands—who are Brāhmaṇa householders—will successfully, conclude their sacrificial session with your help." (28)

• The four kinds of food mentioned in our scriptures are:—
  (1)
  भक्ष्य, that which can be easily gulped, such as porridge;
  (2)
  भोज्य, that which has to be masticated before it can be swallowed;
  (3)
  लेख, that which can be licked, e. g., chutney; and
  (4)
  भोज्य, that which is sucked, e.g., an orange or sugarcane.

The wives (of the Brāhmaṇas) said : It is not becoming of You, O almighty Lord, to utter such cruel words. (Pray) vindicate the Vedic dictum, "One does not return" (on having attained to Me). Ignoring all our near and dear ones we have sought the soles of Your feet in order to wear on our locks the wreath of Tulasi leaves kicked off (even indifferently at us) by You. (29)
Neither our husbands, parents, and sons, nor our brothers, kinsmen and other relations would accept us; how, then, would others receive us ? Therefore, (pray) so ordain, O subduer of foes, that no other asylum may be left to us, whose body has fallen down at the fore part of Your feet. (30)

The glorious Lord said : Your husbands, parents, brothers, sons and other people will not be angry with you since you have been favoured by Me; (nay) even the gods (over there) approve of your conduct. (31)
Indeed bodily contact (with Me) does not tend to the gratification or to heighten the love of men in this world. Therefore, devoting your mind to Me you will attain to Me before long. (32)

Śrī Śuka continued : Thus addressed (by the Lord), the sages' wives mentioned before returned to the sacrificial grounds. (Nay,) not finding fault with them, the sages too successfully concluded the sacrificial session with the help of their wives. (33)
One of those ladies, who was (forcibly) held back by her husband, mentally embraced the Lord even as she had heard of Him, and cast off the body, that had been brought about as a result of her (past) actions. (34)
Having fed the cowherd boys with the same food of four kinds, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Protector of cows) too, though all powerful Himself, partook of it (in the end). (35)
Thus imitating the ways of men and delighting the cows and cowherds as well as the cowherdesses by His personal charm, speech and doings, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (who had assumed a human semblance for the sake of sport) carried on His pastimes (in Vraja). (36)

Presently the aforesaid Brāhmaṇas were filled with remorse to realize (through the fellowship of their pious and devoted wives) that they had committed an offence in that they turned down the solicitation of Balarāma and Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Rulers of the universe), who were behaving as men. (37)
Perceiving the transcendent devotion of their womenfolk to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and full of regret to find themselves devoid of it, they severely condemned themselves (as follow):—(38)
"Fie upon our threefold birth (in the shape of our being born of Brāhmaṇa parents, investiture with the sacred thread and consecration for the sacrifice in which we are engaged) and learning (mastery of the Vedas); fie upon our sacred vow (of continence for the period of the sacrifice); fie upon our versatile knowledge; fie upon our pedigree and fie upon our proficiency in rituals when we have actually turned our face away from Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (who is above sense-perception). (39)
Indeed the Lord's Māyā (deluding potency) is capable of infatuating even those who are adept in Yoga (abstract meditation). That is why we, who are Brāhmaṇas and (therefore) teachers of men, are ignorant of our real interest.(40)
O look at the devotion even of (our) women to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Father of the universe, the depth of which cannot be easily fathomed by us and which has cut asunder the snares of death going by the name of household ties (that bound them) ! (41)
Neither was the purificatory rite, (viz., that of investiture with the sacred thread) which is peculiar to the males of the twice-born classes undergone by them, nor did they reside in the preceptor's house (for learning the Vedas). No austerities were ever performed by them, nor was any enquiry made about the Spirit. Nor is purity (of personal habits) seen in them, nor (again) do any virtuous acts characterize them. (42)
Yet there is actually found in them unswerving devotion to Śrī Kṛṣṇa of excellent renown, the Lord of (all) masters of Yoga; while it does not appear in us, who have undergone the aforesaid purificatory rite and are endowed with all the other qualifications (mentioned in the foregoing verse). (43)
Oh, the Lord (who is the mainstay and the goal of the virtuous) awakened through the words of the cowherd boys us, who were surely deluded in the matter of our (real) self-interest and whose judgment had been vitiated by our household activities ! (44)
Otherwise what could He gain through us, who are subject to His control—He who has all His desires fulfilled and who is capable of bestowing all blessings, the highest of them being final beatitude ? And His begging food of us (too) was a mere imitation. (45)
Supplication (for boiled rice) on the part of the Lord—whom Śrī (the goddess of beauty and prosperity) constantly waits upon with the hope of securing the touch of His feet, renouncing all others (Brahmā and so on, who sought Her favour) and giving up Her own faults of fickleness etc.—deludes the (common) people. (46)
We have actually heard that the selfsame Lord Viṣṇu, the Ruler of (all) masters of Yoga—who constitutes the time and place of performing a sacrifice, the diverse substances (intended for being offered to the sacrificial fire), the mystic formulae (employed for invoking the various deities and recited while pouring oblations into the sacred fire), the procedure of conducting a sacrifice, the priests officiating at a sacrifice, the sacrificial fires, the divinities (sought to be propitiated through a sacrifice), the sacrificer, the act of sacrifice (itself) and the religious merit (flowing from a sacrificial performance)—has Himself appeared in the race of the Yadus; yet we could not recognize Him, fools that we are. (47-48)
Oh most blessed are we, in whose lot have fallen such wives as these, through whose devotion our mind (too) has been irrevocably fixed on Śrī Hari. (49)
Hail to You, the almighty Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose intellect knows no obstruction. It is (only) because our judgment has been clouded by Your Māyā (deluding potency) that we are wandering in the alleys of Karma. (50)
May that most ancient Person be pleased as a matter of fact to forgive the transgression on our part, who did not know His glory, infatuated as we were by His Māyā." (51)

Recalling thus their own offence again and again the aforesaid Brāhmaṇas, who had shown disrespect to Śrī Kṛṣṇa (by turning a deaf ear to His request for being supplied with boiled rice), did not stir out, afraid as they were of Karhsa, though eager to behold the two immortal Brothers. (52)

Thus ends the twenty-third discourse entitled "The Redemption of the wives of some Brāhmaṇas engaged in a sacrifice", in the first half of Book Ten of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahārhsa-Sarhhitā.