Verse 2.2.26

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 2.2.26:

ततोऽदितिं शचीं जीवं ब्राह्मणान् अपि मानयन् ।
त्रैलोक्ये वैष्णवीं भक्तिं पूर्णां प्रावर्तयं सदा ॥ २६ ॥

tato'ditiṃ śacīṃ jīvaṃ brāhmaṇān api mānayan |
trailokye vaiṣṇavīṃ bhaktiṃ pūrṇāṃ prāvartayaṃ sadā || 26 ||

tataḥ–then; aditim–Aditi (Indra’s mother); śacīm–Śacī (Indra’s wife); jīvam–Bṛhaspati (Indra’s guru); brāhmaṇān–the persons who have realized Brahman; api–also; mānayan–honoring; trai-lokye–throughout the three worlds; vaiṣṇavīm–to Lord Viṣṇu; bhaktim–devotion; pūrṇām–full (unadulterated); prāvartayam–preached; sadā–incessantly.

Thereafter, I showed proper respect to Aditi, Śacī, and the brāhmaṇas like Bṛhaspati, and throughout the three worlds, I preached pure devotional service to Śrī Viṣṇu, with my full energy.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

This verse beginning with tat explains how Śrī Gopa-kumāra propagated devotional service to Śrī Bhagavān everywhere. He says, “Although I became master of the opulence of the three worlds, I did not become overwhelmed by the intoxicating sense enjoyment available to me, unlike kings such as Nahuṣa. Because of this, I did not disrespect anyone; rather I gave special honor to deva-mātā (mother of the demigods) Aditi, Śacī, and to the brāhmaṇas, including Bṛhaspati, Agastya, and Gautama. Moreover, I propagated bhakti in its complete form–the ninefold process of devotional service to Bhagavān–everywhere in the three worlds.” This reveals the superiority of Gopa-kumāra over Purandara (Indra), the son of Aditi.

Now, one might ask, “In which manvantara (lifespan of Manu) of which kalpa (day of Brahmā) did Gopa-kumāra fill the post of Indra?”

It may be answered, “Gopa-kumāra obtained the position of Indra in the Vaivasvata manvantara of the present Varāha kalpa.” However, this answer does not seem consistent with a statement found in a verse spoken later in this treatise (Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta 2.143): “From Brahmaloka, Gopa-kumāra saw that the fire emanating from the mouth of Saṅkarṣaṇa had consumed the three planetary systems–Svarga, martya-loka (earth, the planet of mortals), and Pātāla (the lower planetary system).” [This only happens during the night of Brahmā.]

These two statements appear inconsistent because the first halfportion of Brahmā’s lifespan has now elapsed, and the present time period is within the first part of the second half of Brahmā’s life. This time period is within the particular kalpa in which the Lord’s Śveta-varāha, or white boar incarnation, appears, and therefore, this present day of Brahmā is called the Śveta-varāha kalpa. Because the Śveta-varāha kalpa is still going on, this means that the night of Brahmā has not yet arrived. [With the night of Brahmā comes a partial cosmic annihilation.] Therefore, it is not possible that Gopakumāra could have seen the cosmic annihilation (pralaya) that destroyed this kalpa. This proves that Gopa-kumāra received the post of Indra in a previous kalpa (day of Brahmā) and not in the Vaivasvata manvantara of the present Varāha kalpa.

The commentary of this verse states: “evaṃ aditi-suta–purandarāt api vaiśiṣṭyam dhvanitam–This reveals Gopa-kumāra’s superiority over Purandara, the son of Aditi.” From this statement, it seems that it was indeed during the Vaivasvata manvantara that Gopa-kumāra had obtained the position of the lord of heaven, because Purandara is the name of Indra during the Vaivasvata manvantara. (By the Lord’s desire, sometimes Indra has different names.) Therefore, the conclusion is that this incident happened during a Vaivasvata manvantara in some kalpa before this present Varāha kalpa.

One more aspect of this topic is worthy of consideration. Aditi, the wife of Kaśyapa, is the mother of Indra in every kalpa. Similarly, the posts of Indra’s wife Śacī-devī and those of the other presiding demigods are manifested in every manvantara. So in every manvantara, the name ‘Indra’ is found. Nevertheless, by the desire of Bhagavān, in some manvantaras, Indra may have a different name. For instance, the name of Indra is ‘Purandara’ in the Vaivasvata manvantara and ‘Mantradruma’ in the Cākṣuṣa manvantara. Moreover, in some manvantaras, superior living beings who are known by different names can also become Indra.

During every day of Brahmā, the posts of all the Prajāpatis, or progenitors of the living beings, are filled as they appear along with their family members.

It is stated in Śrī Viṣṇu Purāṇa:

युगे युगे भवन्त्य् एते दक्षाद्या मुनि सत्तम
पुनश् चैव निरुध्यन्ते विद्वांस् तत्र न मुह्यति

yuge yuge bhavanty ete dakṣādyā muni sattama
punaś caiva nirudhyante vidvāṃs tatra na muhyati

The great sages such as Dakṣa appear and disappear in every millennium. Those who are intelligent are not bewildered by this.

When the day of Brahmā comes to an end, the cosmic annihilation, or pralaya, takes place, and again at the beginning of the new creation, the religious duty of the age (yuga-dharma) needs to be propagated.

Śrī Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya states:

सर्व-कल्पेषु चाप्य् एवं
सृष्टि-पुष्टि-विनष्टयः

sarva-kalpeṣu cāpy evaṃ
sṛṣṭi-puṣṭi-vinaṣṭayaḥ

During every kalpa (day of Brahmā), creation, sustenance, and destruction take place.