es to be vanquished by another in
respect of anything. The only one whose victory or superiority, however,
is bearable or, rather, prayed for, is the son. Hence, the Rishis wish
unto Krishna a son even superior to him.

585. The ward Pushti literally signifies growth or advancement. Hence, it
stands generally for excellence of greatness.

586. The correct reading is not pratisrayam but pratisravam which means
promise or pledge.

587. The pledge, probably, refers to the oaths taken by Bhima and others
about the slaughter of the Kauravas.

588. The sense is this: the king acquires great merit by wielding the rod
of chastisement properly, i.e., by punishing those that deserve
punishment. The infliction of punishment is what keeps the subjects
within the restraints of duty. The rod of chastisement, therefore, is the
very embodiment of the righteousness or merit of the king.

589. Vasudeva is Narayana, and Arjuna is Nara. Nara and Narayana had
practised severe penances at Vadari on the breast of the Himavat for many
thousand years. Vyasa afterwards adopted Vadari as his retreat.

590. The Hindu sages never attempt to speculate on the original creation
of the universe. Their speculations, however, are concerned with what is
called Avantara srishti or that creation which springs forth with the
awakening of Brahman. Creation and Destruction have occurred ceaselessly
and will occur ceaselessly. The original creation is impossible to
conceive as Eternity cannot have a beginning.

591. Putatman means, of cleansed Soul. This implies that though He is the
Lord or ruler of all existent objects, yet He is dissociated from them.
The Refuge of the Emancipated--Comp. Gita, 'Mamupetya tu Kaunteya
punarjanma na vidyate,' etc., Purusha is He that lies in a pura or the
nine-doored mansion, i.e., the body. Sakshi or Witness implies that He
sees all things directly, without any medium obstructing His vision.
Kshetrajna implies the Chit lying within the body and who knows the body;
however, being inert, is not cognisant of the Chit it holds.

592. He is called Yoga because of the mind resting upon Him while it is
in Yoga abstraction. Pradhana, in Sankhya philosophy, is another name of
Prakriti or original Nature. All things have sprung from the union of
Prakriti and Purusha. Vasudeva, however, transcends Prakriti and Purusha
and is their Lord. Narasinghavapu--He assumed the human form with a
lion's head for slaying the Asura Hiranyakasi