Selected Verses From Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4

The abode known as Kailasha is full of different herbs and vegetables, and it is sanctified by Vedic Hymns and mystic yoga practice. Thus the residents of that abode are demigods by birth and have all mystic powers. Besides them there are other human beings, who are known as Kinnaras and Gandharvas and are accompanied by their beautiful wives, who are known as Apsarās.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 4.6.9

Lord Shiva, the spiritual master of the entire world, is free from enmity, is a peaceful personality, and is always satisfied in himself. He is the greatest among the Devas. How is it possible that Daksha could be hateful towards such an auspicious personality?

– Srimad Bhagavatam 4.2.2

It is better to execute one’s own occupational duty than to criticize others. Elevated Transcendentalists may sometimes forgo the rules and regulations of the Vedas, since they do not need to follow them, just as the Devas (and other divine species) travel in Space, whereas ordinary Men travel on the surface of the Earth.

In the Vedas there are directions for two kinds of activities — activities for those who are attached to material enjoyment and activities for those who are materially detached. In consideration of these two kinds of activities, there are two kinds of people, who have different symptoms.

If one wants to see two kinds of activities in one person, that is contradictory. But both kinds of activities may be neglected by a person who is transcendentally situated.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 4.4.19 – 20

The Absolute Truth is never subject to the understanding of imperfect sensory endeavor, nor is He subject to direct material experience.

He is the master of varieties of energies, like the full material energy, and no one can understand His plans or actions; therefore it should be concluded that although He is the original cause of all causes, no one can know Him only by mental speculation.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 4.11.23

When the great sages consulted one another, they saw that the people were in a dangerous position from both directions. When a fire blazes on both ends of a log, the ants in the middle are in a very dangerous situation.

Similarly, at that time the people in general were in a dangerous position due to an irresponsible king on one side, and thieves, rogues and criminals on the other.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 4.14.8

O King, one who is advanced in intelligence and eager to perform welfare activities for others is considered best amongst human beings. An advanced human being is never malicious to others. Those with advanced intelligence are always conscious that this material body is different from the soul.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 4.20.3

When a devotee takes shelter at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is completely cleansed of all misunderstanding or mental speculation, and he manifests renunciation. This is possible only when one is strengthened by practicing bhakti-yoga (Devotional Service).

Once having taken shelter at the root of the lotus feet of the Lord, a devotee never comes back to this material existence, which is full of the threefold miseries.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 4.21.32

As Mahārāja Prithu was being initiated to perform the sacrifice, he had to give up his valuable dress, and therefore his natural bodily beauty was visible. It was very pleasing to see him put only a Black Deerskin and wear Kuśa Grass on his finger for this was required (for performing the sacrifice) and it increased the natural beauty of his body. It appears that Mahārāja Prithu observed all the Regulative Principles before he performed the sacrifice.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 4.21.18 (explains the Uniform required for doing Sacrifice)

King Malayadhvaja could thus observe that the Supersoul was sitting by his side, and that he, as the individual soul, was sitting by the side of the Supersoul. Since both were together, there was no need for separate interests; thus he ceased from materialist activities.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.42

In that city (the body) there are five gardens, nine gates, one protector, three apartments, six families, five stores, five material elements, and one woman who is lord of the house.

My dear friend, the five gardens are the five objects of sense enjoyment, and the protector is the life air, which passes through the nine gates. The three apartments are the chief ingredients — fire, water and earth. The six families are the aggregate total of the mind and five senses.

The five stores are the five working sensory organs. They transact their business through the combined forces of the five elements, which are eternal. Behind all this activity is the soul.

The soul is a person and an enjoyer in reality. However, because he is now hidden within the city of the body, he is devoid of knowledge. My dear friend, when you enter such a body along with the woman of material desires, you become overly absorbed in sense enjoyment.

Because of this, you have forgotten your spiritual life. Due to your material conceptions, you are placed in various miserable conditions.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.56 – 59

As a person sees the reflection of his body in a mirror to be one with himself and not different, whereas others actually see two bodies, so in our material condition, in which the living being is affected and yet not affected, there is a difference between God and the living entity. In this way both swans live together in the heart. When the one swan is instructed by the other, he is situated in his constitutional position.

This means he regains his Original Krishna Consciousness, which was lost somewhere due to Material Attraction.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 4.28.63 – 64

A man may carry a burden on his head, and when he feels it to be too heavy, he sometimes gives relief to his head by putting the burden on his shoulder. In this way he tries to relieve himself of the burden.

However, whatever process he devises to counteract the burden does nothing more than put the same burden from one place to another.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 4.29.33

Therefore, my dear King, the living entity, who has a subtle mental covering, develops all kinds of thoughts and images because of his previous body. Take this from me as certain. There is no possibility of concocting anything mentally without having perceived it in the previous body.

O King, all good fortune unto you! The mind is the cause of the living entity’s attaining a certain type of body in accordance with his association with material nature. According to one’s mental composition, one can understand what the living entity was in his past life as well as what kind of body he will have in the future. Thus the mind indicates the past and future bodies.

Sometimes in a dream we see something never experienced or heard of in this life, but all these incidents have been experienced at different times, in different places and in different conditions.

The mind of the living entity continues to exist in various gross bodies, and according to one’s desires for sense gratification, the mind records different thoughts. In the mind these appear together in different combinations; therefore these images sometimes appear as things never seen or never heard before.

– Srimad Bhagavatam 4.29.65 – 68

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