CHAPTER FIVE
Durvasa Muni’s Life Spared
In this chapter we find Maharaja Ambarisa offering prayers to the
Sudarsana cakra and we find how the Sudargana cakra became merciful
to Durvasa Muni.

By the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, Durvasa
Muni immediately went to Maharaja Ambarisa and fell at his lotus feet.
Maharaja Ambarisa, being naturally very humble and meek, felt shy and
ashamed because Durvasa Muni had fallen at his feet, and thus he began
to offer prayers to the Sudarsana cakra just to save Durvasa. What is this
Sudarsana cakra? The Sudarsana cakra is the glance of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead by which He creates the entire material world. Sa
aiksata, sa asrjata. This is the Vedic version. The Sudarsana cakra,
which is the origin of creation and is most dear to the Lord, has thou-
sands of spokes. This Sudarsana cakra is the killer of the prowess of all
other weapons, the killer of darkness, and the manifester of the prowess
of devotional service; it is the means of establishing religious principles,
and it is the killer of all irreligious activities. Without his mercy, the uni-
verse cannot be maintained, and therefore the Sudarsana cakra is em-
ployed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Maharaja
Ambarisa_ thus prayed that the Sudarsana cakra be merciful, the
Sudarsana cakra, being appeased, refrained from killing Durvasé Muni,
who thus achieved the Sudarsana cakra’s mercy. Durvasé Muni thus
learned to give up the nasty idea of considering a Vaisnava an ordinary
person (vaisnave jati-buddhi). Maharaja Ambarisa belonged to the
ksatriya group, and therefore Durvasa Muni considered him lower than
the brdhmanas and wanted to exercise brahminical power against him.
By this incident, everyone should learn how to stop mischievous ideas of
neglecting Vaisnavas. After this incident, Maharaja Ambarisa gave
Durvasé Muni sumptuous food to eat, and then the King, who had been
standing in the same place for one year without eating anything, also
took prasdda. Maharaja Ambarisa later divided his property among his
sons and went to the bank of the Manasa-sarovara to execute devotional
meditation.

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