Hare Krishna!

Ambitions are something everyone has, someone has high ambitions, someone has low ambitions, someone has ordinary ambitions, someone has extraordinary ambitions.

Someone wants to be very famous… someone wants to be very rich… someone wants to be very knowledgeable… someone aspires for strength and power…. someone may have a combination of different categories of ambitions.

Why does someone have any ambition?

What is a worthy ambition and what is an unworthy ambition?

If we take “ambitions” as a broad category, then what is the ultimate goal of all ambitions?

What is the ultimate goal of all ambition?

TOPIC: Srimad Bhagavatam verse 6.18.75

DATE📆: Sunday, 21st July 2024

TIME⌚: 7:30 AM. ET USA+Canada/ 6:30 AM. CT USA/ 4:30 AM PST USA/ 12:30 PM UK/ 8:30 PM MYT/ 5:00 PM IST

The class will be available on ISKCON Toronto’s Youtube Channel, and I will also record audio separately.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIkoQgJea7Bo3zLiJRGdf_Q

Please join online if you’re interested in joining this class, or let me know if you want to get a link to the recording.

Diti Vows to Kill King Indra

This chapter gives the history of Diti, the wife of Kaśyapa, and how she followed a vow to have a son who would kill Indra. It also describes how Indra attempted to foil her plan by cutting to pieces the son within her womb.

In relation to Tvaṣṭā and his descendants, there is a description of the dynasty of the Ādityas (sons of Aditi) and other demigods. Pṛśni, the wife of Aditi’s fifth son named Savitā, had three daughters — Sāvitrī, Vyāhṛti and Trayī — and very exalted sons named Agnihotra, Paśu, Soma, Cāturmāsya and the five Mahāyajñas. Siddhi, the wife of Bhaga, had three sons, named Mahimā, Vibhu and Prabhu, and she also had one daughter, whose name was Āśī. Dhātā had four wives — Kuhū, Sinīvālī, Rākā and Anumati — who had four sons, named Sāyam, Darśa, Prātaḥ and Pūrṇamāsa respectively. Kriyā, the wife of Vidhātā, gave birth to the five Purīṣyas, who are representatives of five kinds of fire-gods. Bhṛgu, the mind-born son of Brahmā, took his birth again from Carṣaṇī, the wife of Varuṇa, and the great sage Vālmīki appeared from Varuṇa’s semen. Agastya and Vasiṣṭha were two sons of Varuṇa and Mitra. Upon seeing the beauty of Urvaśī, Mitra and Varuṇa discharged semen, which they kept in an earthen pot. From that pot, Agastya and Vasiṣṭha appeared. Mitra had a wife named Revatī, who gave birth to three sons — Utsarga, Ariṣṭa and Pippala. Aditi had twelve sons, of whom Indra was the eleventh. Indra’s wife was named Paulomī (Śacīdevī). She gave birth to three sons — Jayanta, Ṛṣabha and Mīḍhuṣa. By His own powers, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared as Vāmanadeva. From His wife, whose name was Kīrti, appeared a son named Bṛhatśloka. Bṛhatśloka’s first son was known as Saubhaga. This is a description of the sons of Aditi. A description of Āditya Urukrama, who is an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, will be offered in the Eighth Canto.

The demons born of Diti are also described in this chapter. In the dynasty of Diti appeared the great saintly devotee Prahlāda and also Bali, Prahlāda’s grandson. Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyākṣa were the first sons of Diti. Hiraṇyakaśipu and his wife, whose name was Kayādhu, had four sons — Saṁhlāda, Anuhlāda, Hlāda and Prahlāda. They also had one daughter, whose name was Siṁhikā. In association with the demon Vipracit, Siṁhikā bore a son named Rāhu, whose head was severed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛti, the wife of Saṁhlāda, bore a son named Pañcajana. Hlāda’s wife, whose name was Dhamani, gave birth to two sons — Vātāpi and Ilvala. Ilvala put Vātāpi into the form of a ram and gave him to Agastya to eat. Anuhlāda, in the womb of his wife, Sūryā, begot two sons, named Bāṣkala and Mahiṣa. Prahlāda’s son was known as Virocana, and his grandson was known as Bali Mahārāja. Bali Mahārāja had one hundred sons, of whom Bāṇa was the eldest.

After describing the dynasty of the Ādityas and the other demigods, Śukadeva Gosvāmī describes Diti’s sons known as the Maruts and how they were elevated to the position of demigods. Just to help Indra, Lord Viṣṇu had killed Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu. Because of this, Diti was very envious, and she was eager to have a son who could kill Indra. By her service, she enchanted Kaśyapa Muni in order to beg from him a greater son to do this. In corroboration of the Vedic injunction vidvāṁsam api karṣati, Kaśyapa Muni was attracted to his beautiful wife and promised to grant her any request. When, however, she requested a son who would kill Indra, he condemned himself, and he advised his wife Diti to follow the Vaiṣṇava ritualistic ceremonies to purify herself. When Diti, following the instructions of Kaśyapa, engaged in devotional service, Indra could understand her purpose, and he began observing all her activities. One day, Indra had the opportunity to see her deviating from devotional service. Thus he entered her womb and cut her son into forty-nine parts. In this way the forty-nine kinds of air known as the Maruts appeared, but because Diti had performed the Vaiṣṇava ritualistic ceremonies, all the sons became Vaiṣṇavas.

ŚB 6.18.75

आराध्यात्मप्रदं देवं स्वात्मानं जगदीश्वरम् ।
को वृणीत गुणस्पर्शं बुध: स्यान्नरकेऽपि यत् ॥ ७५ ॥

ārādhyātma-pradaṁ devaṁ
svātmānaṁ jagad-īśvaram
ko vṛṇīta guṇa-sparśaṁ
budhaḥ syān narake ’pi yat

Synonyms

ārādhya — after worshiping; ātma–pradam — who gives Himself; devam — the Lord; sva–ātmānam — the most dear; jagat–īśvaram — the Lord of the universe; kaḥ — what; vṛṇīta — would choose; guṇa–sparśam — material happiness; budhaḥ — intelligent person; syāt — is; narake — in hell; api — even; yat — which.

Translation

The ultimate goal of all ambitions is to become a servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If an intelligent man serves the most dear Lord, who gives Himself to His devotees, how can he desire material happiness, which is available even in hell?

Purport

An intelligent man will never aspire to become a devotee to achieve material happiness. That is the test of a devotee. As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches:

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

“O almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor do I desire beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service birth after birth.” A pure devotee never begs the Lord for material happiness in the shape of riches, followers, a good wife or even mukti. The Lord promises, however, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: “I voluntarily bring everything necessary for My service.”