Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.5.28

śrī-śuka uvāca

evam anuśāsyātmajān svayam anuśishtān api lokānuśāsanārtham mahānubhāvah parama-suhrid bhagavān rishabhāpadeśa upaśama-śīlānām uparata-karmanām mahā-munīnām bhakti-jñāna-vairāgya-lakshanam pāramahamsya-dharmam upaśikshamānah sva-tanaya-śata-jyeshtham parama-bhāgavatam bhagavaj-jana-parāyanam bharatam dharani-pālanāyābhishicya svayam bhavana evorvarita-śarīra-mātra-parigraha unmatta iva gagana-paridhānah prakīrna-keśa ātmany āropitāhavanīyo brahmāvartāt pravavrāja

SYNONYMS

śrī-śukah uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; evam — in this way; anuśāsya — after instructing; ātma-jān — His sons; svayam — personally; anuśishtān — highly educated in culture; api — although; loka-anuśāsana-artham — just to instruct the people; mahā-anubhāvah — the great personality; parama-suhrit — everyone's sublime well-wisher; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; rishabha-apadeśah — who is celebrated and known as Rishabhadeva; upaśama-śīlānām — of persons who have no desire for material enjoyment; uparata-karmanām — who are no longer interested in fruitive activities; mahā-munīnām — who are sannyāsīs; bhakti — devotional service; jñāna — perfect knowledge; vairāgya — detachment; lakshanam — characterized by; pāramahamsya — of the best of human beings; dharmam — the duties; upaśikshamānah — instructing; sva-tanaya — of His sons; śata — hundred; jyeshtham — the eldest; parama-bhāgavatam — a topmost devotee of the Lord; bhagavat-jana-parāyanam — a follower of the devotees of the Lord, brāhmanas and Vaishnavas; bharatam — Bharata Mahārāja; dharani-pālanāya — with a view to ruling the world; abhishicya — placing on the throne; svayam — personally; bhavane — at home; eva — although; urvarita — remaining; śarīra-mātra — the body only; parigrahah — accepting; unmattah — a madman; iva — exactly like; gagana-paridhānah — taking the sky as His dress; prakīrna-keśah — having scattered hair; ātmani — in Himself; āropita — keeping; āhavanīyah — the Vedic fire; brahmāvartāt — from the place known as Brahmāvarta; pravavrāja — began to travel all over the world.

TRANSLATION

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thus the great well-wisher of everyone, the Supreme Lord Rishabhadeva, instructed His own sons. Although they were perfectly educated and cultured, He instructed them just to set an example of how a father should instruct his sons before retiring from family life. Sannyāsīs, who are no longer bound by fruitive activity and who have taken to devotional service after all their material desires have been vanquished, also learn by these instructions. Lord Rishabhadeva instructed His one hundred sons, of whom the eldest, Bharata, was a very advanced devotee and a follower of Vaishnavas. In order to rule the whole world, the Lord enthroned His eldest son on the royal seat. Thereafter, although still at home, Lord Rishabhadeva lived like a madman, naked and with disheveled hair. Then the Lord took the sacrificial fire within Himself, and He left Brahmāvarta to tour the whole world.

PURPORT

Actually the instructions given to Lord Rishabhadeva's sons were not exactly meant for His sons because they were already educated and highly advanced in knowledge. Rather, these instructions were meant for sannyāsīs who intend to become advanced devotees. Sannyāsīs must abide by Lord Rishabhadeva's instructions while on the path of devotional service. Lord Rishabhadeva retired from family life and lived like a naked madman even while still with His family.

<<< >>>

Copyright ©r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness