The Deliverance of King Nṛga

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī states that the story of King Nṛga, narrated in this chapter, is meant to give sober instructions to all proud kings. Through this incident Lord Kṛṣṇa also gave serious lessons to the members of His own family who had become proud of their opulences.

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains that because in this chapter the Yadu boys, even Śrī Pradyumna, are described as quite young, this must be an early pastime.

The ācāryas point out here that although a tentative expression is used — “perhaps You have heard of me” — the implication is that there is no doubt.

Since the Lord knows everything, there is no need to inform Him about anything. Still, to fulfill the Lord’s purpose King Nṛga will speak.

The idea here is that the King gave innumerable cows in charity.

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that the term dvija-mukhya, “first-class brāhmaṇa,” here indicates a brāhmaṇa who has stopped accepting charity and would thus refuse to accept even one hundred thousand cows in exchange for the cow that had been improperly given away.

In Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrīla Prabhupāda comments: “Thus disagreeing with the King’s proposal, both brāhmaṇas left the palace in anger, thinking that their lawful possession had been usurped.”

According to the ācāryas, the King’s performance of fruitive activities had previously been flawless. But now an inadvertent discrepancy had arisen, and so when the King died the Yamadūtas took him to the abode of Yamarāja, called Saṁyamanī.

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī comments on this verse as follows: “Since King Nṛga openly declared that he had two outstanding qualities — namely devotion to the brāhmaṇas, and generosity — it is clear that he possessed these qualities only partially, since someone who is truly pure would not boast about them. It is also clear that King Nṛga considered such piety to be a separate goal, desirable for its own sake. Thus he did not fully appreciate pure devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa had not been the only goal of Nṛga’s life, as He was for Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, even in the stage of regulative practice. Nor do we find that King Nṛga overcame obstacles like those Ambarīṣa did when Durvāsā Muni became angry at him. Still, we can conclude that since Nṛga was able to see the Lord for some reason or another, he must have had the good quality of sincerely desiring the Lord’s association.”

Śrīla Prabhupāda confirms the above analysis in Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead: “On the whole, [Nṛga] had not developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Kṛṣṇa conscious person develops love of God, Kṛṣṇa, not love for pious or impious activities; therefore he is not subjected to the results of such action. As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, a devotee, by the grace of the Lord, does not become subjected to the resultant reactions of fruitive activities.”

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī offers the following commentary: “When Nṛga mentioned ‘one who hankered to have Your audience,’ he was referring to an incident concerning a certain great devotee King Nṛga had once met. This devotee was very eager to acquire a temple for a most beautiful Deity of the Supreme Lord, and he also wanted copies of such scriptures as the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Being very generous, Nṛga arranged for these things, and the devotee was so satisfied that he blessed the King: ‘My dear King, may you have the audience of the Supreme Lord.’ From that time on, Nṛga desired to see the Lord.”

Even in the body of a lizard, King Nṛga could remember his previous life. And now that he had the opportunity to see the Lord, he could understand that he had received special mercy from the Personality of Godhead.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments as follows on this verse: His faith emboldened upon receiving the Lord’s mercy and thus attaining the status of servitude, King Nṛga properly glorifies the Lord by chanting His names and then asks the Lord’s permission to take his leave. The spirit of his prayer is as follows: “You are Devadeva, God even of the gods, and Jagannātha, the master of the universe, so please be my master. O Govinda, please make me Your property with the same merciful glance You use to enchant the cows. You can do this because You are Puruṣottama, the supreme form of Godhead. O Nārāyaṇa, since You are the foundation of the living entities, please be my support, even though I am a bad living entity. O Hṛṣīkeśa, please make my senses Your own. O Puṇyaśloka, now You have become famous as the deliverer of Nṛga. O Acyuta, please never be lost to my mind. O Avyaya, You will never diminish in my mind.” Thus the great Bhāgavatam commentator Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains the purport of these verses.

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī comments that King Nṛga here offers his obeisances to Brahman — that is, the Absolute Truth — who is unchanged in spite of performing activities. Since ancient times, Western philosophers have puzzled over the question of how God can be unchanging and yet perform activities. Śrīdhara Svāmī states that this doubt is answered here by the term ananta-śaktaye, which describes the Lord as “the possessor of unlimited potency.” Thus through the Lord’s infinite potencies He can perform innumerable activities without changing His essential nature.

The King further offers his obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the possessor of the form of eternal bliss and the supreme goal of life. The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is analyzed in a verse from the Mahābhārata (Udyoga-parva 71.4), which is quoted in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 9.30):

“The word kṛṣ is the attractive feature of the Lord’s existence, and na means ‘spiritual pleasure.’ When the verb kṛṣ is added to na, it becomes kṛṣṇa, which indicates the Absolute Truth.”

King Nṛga offers the above prayers as he is about to leave the personal association of the Supreme Lord.

Even those made powerful by austerity, mystic yoga and so on cannot enjoy property stolen from a brāhmaṇa, and what to speak of others.

One who takes a brāhmaṇa’s property, thinking to enjoy it, has actually taken the most deadly poison.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī compares the fire ignited by stealing a brāhmaṇa’s property to the fire that blazes within the cavity of an old tree. Such a fire cannot be put out even with the water of numerous rainfalls. Rather, it burns the whole tree from within, all the way down to the roots in the ground. Similarly, the fire ignited by stealing a brāhmaṇa’s property is the most deadly and should be avoided at all costs.

According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, tri-pūruṣa refers to oneself, one’s sons and one’s grandsons.

Lord Kṛṣṇa offers this instruction not only to His personal associates but to all those who claim to be followers of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The Lord here demonstrates that His instructions are not theoretical but practical, as seen concretely in the case of Nṛga Mahārāja.