TEXT 13
candavega iti khyato
gandharvadhipatir nrpa
gandharvas tasya balinah
sasty-uttara-sata-trayam
SYNONYMS
candavegahCandavega; itithus; khyatahcelebrated; gandharvabelonging to the Gandharvaloka; adhipatihking; nrpaO King; gandharvahother Gandharvas; tasyahis; balinahvery powerful soldiers; sastisixty; uttarasurpassing; satahundred; trayamthree.
TRANSLATION
O King! In Gandharvaloka there is a king named Candavega. Under him there are 360 very powerful Gandharva soldiers.
PURPORT
Time is figuratively described here as Candavega. Since time and tide wait for no man, time is herein called Candavega, which means very swiftly passing away. As time passes, it is calculated in terms of years. One year contains 360 days, and the soldiers of Candavega herein mentioned represent these days. Time passes swiftly; Candavegas powerful soldiers of Gandharvaloka very swiftly carry away all the days of our life. As the sun rises and sets, it snatches away the balance of our life-span. Thus as each day passes, each one of us loses some of lifes duration. It is therefore said that the duration of ones life cannot be saved. But if one is engaged in devotional service, his time cannot be taken away by the sun. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.3.17), ayur harati vai pumsam udyann astam ca yann asau. The conclusion is that if one wants to make himself immortal, he should give up sense gratification. By engaging oneself in devotional service, one can gradually enter into the eternal kingdom of God.
Mirages and other illusory things are sometimes called Gandharvas. Our losing our life-span is taken as advancement of age. This imperceptible passing away of the days of life is figuratively referred to in this verse as Gandharvas. As explained in later verses, such Gandharvas are both male and female. This indicates that both men and women lose their life-span imperceptibly by the force of time, which is herein described as Candavega.

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