Krsna’s Planet (Sri Garga-Samhita) and Purport: First Canto (Part One Chapters 1-6) (Sanskrit Text, Transliteration, Word-to-word Meaning, English Translation)

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Preface As we begin writing a commentary on Sri Garga-samhita, we humbly bow to the lotus feet of our beloved spiritual master, Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya 108 Sri Srimad His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the International Soceity for Krishna Consciousness.

nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine

namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine I offer my respectful unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krsna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.

We also fall at the lotus feet of His Divine Grace Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya 108 Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada.

nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale srimate bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvatiti namine I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, who is very dear to Lord Krsna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.

sri-versabhanavi-devi-dayitaya krpabdhaye krsna-sambandha-vijnana-dayine prabhave namah I offer my respectful obeisances to Sri Varsabhanavi-devi-dayita dasa [another name of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati], who is favored by Srimati Radharani and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Krsna.

The Identity of Garga Muni

Since the Garga-samhita was spoken by the sage Sri Garga Muni, it is appropriate to discuss his identity. Sri Garga Muni recognized as highly elevated in austerity and penance (su-maha-tapah), lived at the time of Lord Krsna’s appearance on earth as the family priest (purohitah) of the yadu-vamsa. Nanda Maharaja could appreciate that Garga Muni was adhoksaja; that is, he was not an ordinary person seen by material senses. In addition, Garga Muni was a great authority in the knowledge of astrology. He was engaged by Vasudeva and Nanda Maharaja to perform the name-giving ceremony for Krsna and Balarama in a solitary place. The Srimad-Bhagavatam, Tenth Canto, Chapter 10 summary describes this as follows:

One day, Vasudeva [the father of Lord Krsna] sent for Garga Muni, the family priest of the yadu-vamsa [dynasty], and thus Garga Muni went to the house of Nanda Maharaja, who received him very well and requested him to give names to Krsna and Balarama. Garga Muni, of course, reminded Nanda Maharaja that Kamsa was looking for the son of Devaki and said that if he performed the ceremony very gorgeously, the ceremony would come to the notice of Kamsa, who would then suspect that Krsna was the son of Devaki. Nanda Maharaja therefore requested Garga Muni to perform this ceremony without anyone’s knowledge and Garga Muni did so… After thus informing Nanda Maharaja and completing the name-giving ceremony, Garga Muni advised Nanda Maharaja to protect his very carefully and then departed.

Garga Muni gave the names for Balarama and Krsna.

Garga Muni said, “This child, the son of Rohini, will give happiness to His relatives and friends by His transcendental qualities. Therefore, He will be known as Rama. And because He will manifest extraordinary bodily strength, He will also be known as Bala. Moreover, because He unities two families – Vasudeva’s family and the family of Nanda Maharaja – He will be known as Sankarsana.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.8.12)

asan varnas trayo hy asya grhnato ‘nuyugam tanuh suklo raktas tatha pita idanim krsnatam gatah Your son Krsna appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the past, He assumed three different colors – white, red and yellow – and now He has appeared in a blackish color. [In another Dvapara-yuga, He appeared (as Lord Ramacandra) in the color of suka, a parrot.] All such incarnations have now assembled in Krsna. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.8.13)

The famous verse above, beginning with asan varnas states, that the Lord incarnates in a yellow feature (pita) indicating Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Garga Muni explained precisely the position of Sri Krsna as having appeared previously as Narayana to annihilate the miscreants and to protect the devotees.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Introduction	xxvii
Regarding the Merit of Garga-samhita	xxvii
Garga-samhita Mahatmya	xxix
Narada Inspires Garga for the Creation of the samhita	xxxix
The Sage Garga Composes the Garga-samhita	xli
The Merit and Method of Listening	xlii
Listening to Garga-samhita, King Pratibahu Gets a Son	xliv
Radha and Krsna Personally Appear at the Recitation	xlv
Siva Speaks to Parvati about Garga-samhita	xlvi
CHAPTER ONE
Description of Sri-Krsna’s Glories	1
Obeisances to the Lord and the Spiritual Masters	1
Six Questions to Sri Suta Gosvami	2
Garga Mentions the Name of Radha	6
Sri Garga Muni Meets Saunaka Muni	10
How Often Does Lord Visnu Descend to this World?	16
One’s Sins are Removed by Hearing about the Lord	19
Magicians Cannot Compare to the Master of Mysticism	22
The Definition of Amsamsa	25
Bhagavad-Gita Recommends a State of Elevated Consciousness	28
Garbhodakasayi Visnu Expands Himself as Brahma	31
Lord Krsna in the Womb of Devaki	34
Incarnations Appear in Every Millennium	37
Demons are Relegated by Expansions of Visnu	40
Why Should God Come to Earth?	43
Will He Appear Before Me?	46
A Discussion Before the Battle of Kuruksetra	49
CHAPTER TWO
Description of the Abode of Sri Goloka	51
Devotees Perform Penances to Achieve the Highest Position	52
Siva Accompanies the Demigods on a Spiritual Journey	55
A Visit to Svetadvipa, the Abode of the Collective Supersoul	58
The Demigods See Universes Bobbing in The Karana Ocean	61
The Spiritual World is Opposite to the Material World	64
Devotional Service is the Highest Religions Principle	67
The Demigods Recognize their Subordinate Position	70
The Demigods are Surprised	73
Lord Trivikarma’s Toenail Broke a Hole in the Universe	77
The Thousand-Petalled Lotus	81
Goloka, the Misery-Free Abode	84
Where the Cows have Gold-Plated Horns	87
The Demigods Enter the Lord’s Personal Forest Grove	90
The Supreme Lord has No Business to Perform	94
Chanting Hare Krsna Removes the Dust and Rust from the Heart	97
CHAPTER THREE
Description of the Lord’s Appearance	100
A Helmet as Dazzling as the Sun	100
The Half-Man Half-Lion Incarnation	108
The Lord with Four Arms	117
Air is Among the Twenty-Four Material Elements	126
The Demigods Prostrate Themselves	132
The Mystery of Sri Caitanya’s Reva River	145
CHAPTER FOUR
Description of Questions About the Lord’s Appearance	157
The Lord Selects His Cast	167
Sabara Women Become Fortunate	171
Transcendental Intoxication	180
Sita’s Svayamvara Ceremony	190
The Married Women of Mithila Will Become Gopis	193
Rama Kills Nocturnal Demons	215
Is Deity Worship Idol Worship?	218
Lord Ramacandra is Untinged by Anger	221
CHAPTER FIVE
The Lord’s Appearance	223
The Ability to Know Past, Present and Future	228
The Extraordinary Gigantic Fish Attracts Varuna’s Daughters	234
The Highest Form of Meditation	237
The Rasa Dance – by Invitation Only	241
All These Kings Existed in the Past	246
CHAPTER SIX
Description of Kamsa’s Strength	257
Bahulasva Asks Questions about Kamsa	257
Drinking Durva-Grass Juice	260
The Return of Demon Kalanemi	263
The Great Wrestlers Meet Their Match	266
Kamsa Appears to be Unconquerable	269
Hiranyakasipu as a Role-Model for Demons	275
Nobody Defeats Parasurama	278
Demonic Diplomacy	282
Pride of Oil Production Fuel	288
Rediscovering Lord Sri Krsna	292
Trnavarta Surpasses Hurricane Katrina	295
Dimon Baka Swallows His Opponents	299
Appendixes	301
About the Authors	303
About Srila Prabhupada	307
References	309
Glossary	311
Sanskrit Pronunciation Guide	323
Index of Sanskrit Verses	325
General Index	333
ISKON Centers	371