SB 1.9.6 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 6
Parvato narado dhoumya bhagawan vadarayana. Brihadaswa bharadwajah sasisya renukasutah.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Parvato—Parvat Muni, Narado—Naradmuni, Dhoumya—of the name, Bhagawan—incarnation of Godhead, Vadarayana—Vyasdeva, Brihadswa—of the name, Bharadwaj—of the name, sasisya—along with disciples, Renkasutah—Parsurama.
TRANSLATION
All the sages like Parvat muni, Narada, Dhoumya, Vyasa the incarnation of God, Bharadwaj, and Parsurama along with disciples all were there.
PURPORT
Parvat Muni is considered to be one of the oldest sages and he is almost always a constant companion of Narada Muni. They are also spacemen competent to travel in the air without any help of material vehicle. Parvat Muni is also a Devarsi or a great sage amongst the demigods, like Narada. He was present along with Narada in the sacrificial ceremony of Maharaj Janmanjoya, son of Maharaj Parikshit. In this sacrifice all the snakes of the world were to be killed. Parvat Muni and Narada Muni are called Gandharbhas also because they can travel in the air singing the glories of the Lord. As they can travel in the air, they observed the Sayambara ceremony (selecting her own husband) of Droupadi from the air. Like Narada Muni, Parvat Muni also used to visit the royal assembly of Maharaj Yudhisthir and similarly he could visit the royal assembly in the heaven of King Indra. As Gandharva sometimes he visited the royal assembly of Kuvera one of the important demigods. Both Narada and Parvat were in trouble sometime in the matter of the daughter of Maharaj Srinjay. Maharaj Srinjay got the benediction of a son by Parvat Muni,
Narada Muni is inevitably associated with the narrations of the Puranas. He is described in the Bhagwatam. In His previous life He was the son of a maid servant but by good association of pure devotees, He became enlightened in devotional service and in the next life he became a perfect man comparable with Himself only. In the Mahabharata His name is mentioned in many places. He is one of the Devarshis or the principal Devarshi or the chief sage amongst the demigods. He is the son and disciple of Brahmaji and from Him the disciplic succession in the line of Brahma has been spread up. He initiated Prahlad Maharaj, Dhruva Maharaj and many such celebrated devotees of the Lord. He initiated even Vyasadeva the author of Vedic literatures and from Vysadeva, Madhvacarya was initiated and thus the Madhya-Sampradaya in which the Goudiya Sampradaya is also included, have spread up all over the universe. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu belonged to this Madhya Sampradaya and as such Brahmaji, Narada, Vyasa, down to Madhya, Chaitanya and the Goswamins all belonged to the same line of disciplec succession. Naradji has instructed many kings from time immemorial. In the Bhagwatam we can see that He instructed Prahlad Maharaj while he was in the womb of his mother so also he instructed Vasudeva, father of Krishna, as well as Maharaj Yudhisthir.
Dhoumya. A great sage who practised severe penances at Utkochak Tirtha and was appointed royal priest of the Pandava Kings. He acted as the priest in many religious functions of the Pandavas and not only he performed the purificatory rites of the Pandavas (Sanskara) but also each of the Pandavas were attended by him in the matter of betrothal of Droupadi with them. He was present even during the exile of the Pandavas and used to advise them in circumstances when they were more perplexed. He instructed them how to live incognito for one year and his instructions were strictly followed by the Pandavas during that time. His name is mentioned also when the general funeral ceremony was performed after the battle of Kurukshetra. In the Anusasan Parva of Mahabhart (Ch. 127.15-16) he described very elaborately before Maharaj Yudhisthir in the matter of religious instructions. He was actually the right type of priest of a householder who could guide the Pandavas on the right path of religiosity. A priest is meant for the purpose that he should guide the householder progressively in the right path of Ashram Dharma or the occupational duty of a particular caste. There is practically no difference between the family priest and the spiritual master and the sages, saints and Brahmins were specially meant for such functions.
Vadarayana. (Vyasadeva) is known as Krishna, Krishna Dwaipayana, Dwayipayana, Styavatisuta, Parasarya, Parasaratmaja, Vadrayana, Vedavyas etc. He is the son of Mahamuni Parasara in the womb of Satyavati prior to her betrothal with Maharaj Santanu the father of the great general Grandfather Bhismadeva. He is a powerful incarnation of Narayana for broadcasting the Vedic wisdom in the world. As such Vayasdeva is offered respects before chanting of the Vedic literature specially the Purnas. Sukadeva Goswami was his son and Rishis like Vaisyampayana etc. were his disciples for different branches of the Vedas. He is the author of the great epic Mahabharata and the great transcendental literature Bhagwatam. Brahma-Sutras or the Vedanta-Sutras or Vadrayana-Sutras all the same is compiled by him. Amongst sages he is the most respectful literator by dint of severe penances. When he wanted to record the great epic Mahabharata for the welfare of all people in general in the age of Kali, he was feeling the necessity of a powerful writer who could take up his dictation. By the order of Brahmaji Sri Ganeshji took up the charge of noting down the dictation on condition that Vyasdeva would not stop dictation for a moment. The Mahabharata was thus compiled by joint endeavour of Vyasa and Ganesha.
By the order of his mother Satyavati who was later on married with Maharaj Santanu and by the request of Bhismadeva the eldest son of Maharaj Santanu by his first wife the Ganges, he begot three brilliant sons whose names are Dhritarastra, Pandu and Vidur. Mahabharata was compiled by Vyasdeva after the battle of Kurukshetra and after the death of all the heroes of Mahabharata. It was first spoken in the Royal assembly of Maharaj Janmenjoya the son of Maharaj Parikshit.
Vrihadaswa. An ancient sage who used to meet Maharaj Yudhisthir now and then. First of all he met Maharaj Yudhisthir at Kamyavana. This sage narrated the history of Maharaj Nala. There is another Vrihadaswa of the name who is the son of the Ikshaku dynasty (Maha. Van. 209.4-5)
Bharadwaj. He is one of the seven great Rishis and was present at the time of birth ceremony of Arjuna. The powerful Rishi sometimes undertook severe penances on the shore of the Ganges and his Ashram is still celebrated at Prayagdham. It is learnt that this Rishi while taking bath in the Ganges happened to meet Ghritachi one of the beautiful society girls of heaven, and thus he discharged semina which was kept and preserved in an earthen pot and thus Drona was born. So Dronacharya is the son of Bharadwaj Muni. Others say that Bhardwaj the father of Drona is a different person from Maharshi Bhardwaj. He was a great devotee of Brahma. Sometimes he approached Dronacharya and requested him to stop the battle of Kurukshetra.
Parsurama or Renukasuta. He is the son of Maharshi Jamadagni and Srimati Renuka. As such he is known as the Renukasuta also. He is one of the powerful incarnations of God for killing the Kshatriya community as a whole for twenty one times. With blood of the Kshatriyas he pleased the souls of his forefathers. Later on he underwent severe penaces at the Mohendra Parvat. After taking it from the Kshatryas. He gave in charity the whole of the earth to Kasyapa Muni. Parsurama instructed the Dhanurveda or the science of fighting to Dronacharya, because he happened to be a Brahmin. He was present during the coronation of Maharaj Yudhisthir and he celebrated the function along with other great Rishis.
Parsurama is so old that He met both Rama and Krishna at different times. He fought with Rama but He accepted Krishna as the Supreme Personality Godhead. He also praised Arjuna when He saw him along with Krishna. When Bhisma refused to marry Amba who wanted him to become her husband, Amba met Persurama and by her request only He asked Bhismadeva to accept her as his wife. Bhisma refused to obey His order, although He was one of the spiritual masters of Bhismadeva. He fought with Bhismadeva when he neglected His warning. Both of them fought very severely and at last Parsuram was pleased with Bhisma and gave him benediction, of becoming the greatest fighter in the world.