tasminin that; prasna-stabakabunches of flowers; palapala trees; aokaaoka trees;
knanein the forest garden; vrbhiby the waters; sravadbhiflowing; udghuein sound; nirvindhyyof the River Nirvindhy; samantataeverywhere.
TRANSLATION
In that mountain valley flows a river named Nirvindhy. On the bank of the river are many aoka trees and other plants full of pala flowers, and there is always the sweet sound of water flowing from a waterfall. The husband and wife reached that beautiful place.
SYNONYMS prymenaby practice of the breathing exercise; sayamyacontrolling; manamind; vara- atamone hundred years; munithe great sage; atihatremained there; eka-pdenastanding on one leg; nirdvandvawithout duality; anilaair; bhojanaeating.
TRANSLATION
There the great sage concentrated his mind by the yogic breathing exercises, and thereby controlling all attachment, he remained standing on one leg only, eating nothing but air, and stood there on one leg for one hundred years.
araamtaking shelter; tamunto Him; prapadyesurrender; ahamI; yaone who; eva
certainly; jagat-varamaster of the universe; prajmson; tma-sammlike Himself; mahyam unto me; prayacchatulet Him give; itithus; cintayanthinking.
TRANSLATION
He was thinking: May the Lord of the universe, of whom I have taken shelter, kindly he pleased to offer me a son exactly like Him.
PURPORT
It appears that the great sage Atri Muni had no specific idea of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Of course, he must have been conversant with the Vedic information that there is a Supreme Personality of Godhead who is the creator of the universe, from whom everything emanated, who maintains this created manifestation, and in whom the entire manifestation is conserved after dissolution. Yato v imni bhtni (Taittirya Upaniad 3.1.1). The Vedic mantras give us information of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so Atri Muni concentrated his mind upon that Supreme Personality of Godhead, even without knowing His name, just to beg from Him a child exactly on His level. This kind of devotional service, in which knowledge of God's name is lacking, is also described in Bhagavad-gt where the Lord says that four kinds of men with backgrounds of pious activities come to Him asking for what they need. Atri Muni wanted a son exactly like the Lord, and therefore he is not supposed to have been a pure devotee, because he had a desire to be fulfilled, and that desire was material. Although he wanted a son exactly like the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this desire was material because he did not want the Personality of Godhead Himself, but only a child exactly like Him. If he had desired the Supreme Personality of Godhead as his child, he would have been completely free of material desires because he would have wanted the Supreme Absolute Truth, but because he wanted a similar child, his desire was material. Thus Atri Muni cannot be counted among the pure devotees.
tapyamnamwhile practicing austerities; tri-bhuvanamthe three worlds; prymapractice by
breathing exercise; edhasfuel; agninby the fire; nirgatenaissuing out; muneof the great sage; mrdhnathe top of the head; samkyalooking over; prabhava trayathe three great gods (Brahm, Viu and Mahevara).
TRANSLATION
While Atri Muni was engaged in these severe austerities, a blazing fire came out of his head by virtue of his breathing exercise, and that fire was seen by the three principal deities of the three worlds.
PURPORT
According to rla Jva Gosvm, the fire of pryma is mental satisfaction. That fire was perceived by the Supersoul, Viu, and thereby Lord Brahm and iva also perceived it. Atri Muni, by his breathing exercise, concentrated on the Supersoul, or the Lord of the universe. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gt, the Lord of the universe is Vsudeva (vsudeva sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]), and, by the direction of Vsudeva, Lord Brahm and Lord iva work. Therefore, on the direction of Vsudeva, both Lord Brahm and Lord iva perceived the severe penance adopted by Atri Muni, and thus they were pleased to come down, as stated in the next verse.
SB 4.1.22
TEXT 22
TEXT
APSaraeMauiNaGaNDavRiSaivaDaraerGaE" )
ivTaaYaMaaNaYaXaSaSTada[MaPad& YaYau" )) 22 ))
apsaro-muni-gandharva-
siddha-vidydharoragai
vityamna-yaasas
tad-rama-pada yayu
SYNONYMS
apsaraheavenly society women; munigreat sages; gandharvainhabitants of the Gandharva
At that time, the three deities approached the hermitage of Atri Muni, accompanied by the denizens of the heavenly planets, such as the celestial beauties, the Gandharvas, the Siddhas, the Vidydharas and the Ngas. Thus they entered the rama of the great sage, who had become famous by his austerities.
PURPORT
It is advised in the Vedic literatures that one should take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the Lord of the universe and the master of creation, maintenance and dissolution. He is known as the Supersoul, and when one worships the Supersoul, all other deities, such as Brahm and iva, appear with Lord Viu because they are directed by the Supersoul.
the mind; munithe great sage; uttihanbeing awakened; eka-pdenaeven on one leg; dadarasaw; vibudhademigods; abhnthe great personalities.
TRANSLATION
The sage was standing on one leg, but as soon as he saw that the three deities had appeared before him, he was so pleased to see them all together that despite great difficulty he approached them on one leg.
TRANSLATION Thereafter he began to offer prayers to the three deities, who were seated on different carriersa bull, a swan and Garuaand who held in their hands a drum, kua grass and a discus. The sage offered them his respects by falling down like a stick.
PURPORT
Daa means "a long rod," and vat means "like." Before a superior, one has to fall down on the ground just like a stick, and this sort of offering of respect is called daavat. Atri i offered his respect to the three deities in that way. They were identified by their different carriers and different symbolic representations. In that connection it is stated here that Lord Viu was sitting on Garua, a big aquiline bird, and was carrying in His hand a disc, Brahm was sitting on a swan and had in his hand kua grass, and Lord iva was sitting on a bull and carrying in his hand a small drum called a amaru. Atri i recognized them by their symbolic representations and different carriers, and thus he offered them prayers and respects.
kp-avalokenaglancing with mercy; hasatsmiling; vadanenawith faces; upalambhitnappearing
very much satisfied; tattheir; rociby the glaring effulgence; pratihatebeing dazzled; nimlya closing; munithe sage; akihis eyes.
TRANSLATION
Atri Muni was greatly pleased to see that the three devas were gracious towards him. His eyes were dazzled by the effulgence of their bodies, and therefore he closed his eyes for the time being.
PURPORT
Since the deities were smiling, he could understand that they were pleased with him. Their glaring bodily effulgence was intolerable to his eyes, so he closed them for the time being. SB 4.1.26, SB 4.1.27, SB 4.1.26-27
TEXTS 26-27
TEXT
ceTaSTaTPa[v<a& YauSTaavqTSa&hTaail/" )
+<aYaa SaU-Yaa vaca SavRl/aek-GarqYaSa" )) 26 ))
Ai}avac
ivaeviSQaiTal/Yaezu iv>aJYaMaaNaE
MaaRYaaGau<aErNauYauGa& ivGa*hqTadeha" )
Tae b]ivZ<auiGairXaa" Pa[<aTaae_SMYah& v
STae>Ya" k- Wv >avTaa& Ma whaePahUTa" )) 27 ))
cetas tat-pravaa yujann
astvt sahatjali
lakay sktay vc
sarva-loka-garyasa
atrir uvca
vivodbhava-sthiti-layeu vibhajyamnair
my-guair anuyuga vighta-deh
te brahma-viu-giri praato 'smy aha vas
tebhya ka eva bhavat ma ihopahta
SYNONYMS
cetaheart; tat-pravaamfixing on them; yujanmaking; astvtoffered prayers; sahata-
ajaliwith folded hands; lakayecstatic; sktayprayers; vcwords; sarva-lokaall over the world; garyasahonorable; atri uvcaAtri said; vivathe universe; udbhavacreation; sthitimaintenance; layeuin destruction; vibhajyamnaibeing divided; my-guaiby the external modes of nature; anuyugamaccording to different millenniums; vightaaccepted; deh bodies; tethey; brahmaLord Brahm; viuLord Viu; giriLord iva; praatabowed; asmiam; ahamI; vaunto you; tebhyafrom them; kawho; evacertainly; bhavatmof you; meby me; ihahere; upahtacalled for. TRANSLATION
But since his heart was already attracted by the deities, somehow or other he gathered his senses, and with folded hands and sweet words he began to offer prayers to the predominating deities of the universe. The great sage Atri said: O Lord Brahm, Lord Viu and Lord iva, you have divided yourself into three bodies by accepting the three modes of material nature, as you do in every millennium for the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all of you and beg to inquire whom of you three I have called by my prayer.
PURPORT
Atri i called for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, jagad-vara, the Lord of the universe. The Lord must exist before the creation, otherwise how could He be its Lord? If someone constructs a big building, this indicates that he must have existed before the building was constructed. Therefore the Supreme Lord, the creator of the universe, must be transcendental to the material modes of
