Canto 7: The Science of GodChapter 1: The Supreme Lord Is Equal to Everyone

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.1.37

pañca-ṣaḍḍhāyanārbhābhāḥ

pūrveṣām api pūrvajāḥ

dig-vāsasaḥ śiśūn matvā

dvāḥ-sthau tān pratyaṣedhatām

SYNONYMS

pañca-ṣaṭ-dhā — five or six years; āyana — approaching; arbha-ābhāḥ — like boys; pūrveṣām — the ancients of the universe (Marīci and the rest); api — even though; pūrva-jāḥ — born before; dik-vāsasaḥ — being naked; śiśūn — children; matvā — thinking; dvāḥ-sthau — the two gate guards, Jaya and Vijaya; tān — them; pratyaṣedhatām — forbade.

TRANSLATION

Although these four great sages were older than Brahmā's other sons like Marīci, they appeared like small naked children only five or six years old. When Jaya and Vijaya saw them trying to enter Vaikuṇṭhaloka, these two gatekeepers, thinking them ordinary children, forbade them to enter.

PURPORT

In this regard, Śrīla Madhvācārya says in his Tantra-sāra:

dvāḥ-sthāv ity anenādhikāra-sthatvam uktam

adhikāra-sthitāś caiva

vimuktāś ca dvidhā janāḥ

viṣṇu-loka-sthitās teṣāḿ

vara-śāpādi-yoginaḥ

adhikāra-sthitāḿ muktiḿ

niyataḿ prāpnuvanti ca

vimukty-anantaraḿ teṣāḿ

vara-śāpādayo nanu

dehendriyāsu-yuktaś ca

pūrvaḿ paścān na tair yutāḥ

apy abhimānibhis teṣāḿ

devaiḥ svātmottamair yutāḥ

The purport is that the personal associates of Lord Viṣṇu in Vaikuṇṭhaloka are always liberated souls. Even if sometimes cursed or blessed, they are always liberated and never contaminated by the material modes of nature. Before their liberation to Vaikuṇṭhaloka they possessed material bodies, but once they come to Vaikuṇṭha they no longer have them. Therefore even if the associates of Lord Viṣṇu sometimes descend as if cursed, they are always liberated.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness