Verse Text
tathā hi śruyate śāstre kaścit kurupurī-sthitaḥ |
nanda-sūnor adhiṣṭhānaṁ tatra putratayā bhajan |
nāradasyopadeśena siddho ’bhūd vṛddha-vardhakiḥ ||307||
Translation
It is said in the scriptures that some old carpenter living in Hastināpura worshipped a deity form of Kṛṣṇa as his son, on the instructions of Nārada, and attained the perfection of having Kṛṣṇa as his son.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The Skanda Purāṇa offers proof that one should perform service, following the sādhaka-bhaktas, using one’s sādhaka-deha. [Note: “One performs service with sādhaka rūpa--the present body, and with the siddha rūpa--the body suitable for one’s desired service to Kṛṣṇa appearing through inner contemplation, with a desire for a particular rati directed to one’s beloved Kṛṣṇa situated in Vṛndāvana (tad–bhāva-lipsunā).” This is from the commentary of Viśvanātha on verse 295.] He installed the deity form (adhiṣṭhānam) of Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda. His service to the deity indicates that he did not meditate on the service and mood of the Nanda (which he could do without direct deity service), but performed physical service using his sādhaka-deha, thinking that the deity was directly Kṛṣṇa, not to a deity form. Therefore, the sādhaka should perform service to the deity form, since he does not have direct contact with the Lord. It should be understood that the aged carpenter performed service to the deity as his son, following after other great sādhakas. Vardhaki means carpenter. He attained perfection (siddho ’bhūt) during the pastime in which Brahmā stole the calves. At that time, Kṛṣṇa became the sons of all the cowherd men.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
This verse shows the first type of identity, which is approved. Adhiṣṭhānam here means the deity form. Attaining perfection means that he attained the form of an elderly cowherd parent of the Lord during the pastime in which Brahmā stole the boys and calves, and Kṛṣṇa Himself became the sons of the cowherd men. In the Skanda Purāṇa, in the part spoken by Sanat-kumāra, there is the story of King Prabhākara.
aputro ’pi sa vai naicchat putraṁ karmānucintayan |
vāsudevaṁ jagannāthaṁ sarvātmānaṁ sanātanam ||
aśeṣopaniṣad-vedyaṁ putrīkṛtya vidhānataḥ |
abhiṣecayituṁ rājā svarājya upacakrame ||
na putram abhyarthitavān sākṣād bhūtāj janārdanāt ||
Though the king was without a son, he did not desire one, because he thought that was his karma. Thinking of Kṛṣṇa, the eternal lord of the universe, the soul of all, and the object of Upaniṣadic knowledge as his son, he installed Him with abhiṣeka as the king. He did not pray for a son, but the Lord became his son.
Then, the Lord Himself said, “I have become your son.”
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a story of an old man residing in Hastināpura, capital of the kingdom of the Pāṇḍus, who desired Kṛṣṇa as his beloved son. This old man was instructed by Nārada to follow in the footsteps of Nanda Mahārāja, and thus he achieved success.