Krsna Book Audio Dictation - Chapter 89
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Thirty-one. Eighty-nine: "Lord Kṛṣṇa the Supreme."
Sometimes long, long ago, there was a great assembly of great sages on the bank of the river Sarasvatī, and as usual they performed a great sacrifice of the name Satra-yajṣa. Usually in such a big assembly, all the great sages discuss many Vedic subject matter and philosophical topics. As such, there was a question amongst them that within this material world the three predominating deities, namely Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu and Lord Śiva, they are directing all the affairs of this material world, but who is the supreme? This question was raised. So after much discussion, the great sage of the name Bhṛgu, who is directly the son of Lord Brahmā, was deputed to test all these three predominating deities and report to the assembly who is the greatest.
The great sage Bhṛgu Muni thus being deputed, he first of all went to his father in the Brahmaloka, where Lord Brahmā is residing. The three deities are controller of three qualities, namely the quality of goodness, passion and ignorance. The test of the deities, as it was planned by the great sages and as it was decided to depute the great sage Bhṛgu, he was simply to test which of the predominating deities is possessing the quality of goodness in full. In other words, the test was made on the principle of testing the quality of goodness in each and every predominating deity.
So when Bhṛgu Muni reached to his father, Lord Brahmā, he wanted to test whether he has got the quality of goodness. Just to verify this, Bhṛgu Muni purposely did not offer any respect to his father, either by obeisances or by offering some prayer. It is the duty of a son or a disciple to approach the father or the spiritual master and offer respects, reciting some prayers. But Bhṛgu Muni did not do anything purposely, just to see the reaction of Lord Brahmā on this negligence on the part of his son, Bhṛgu Muni. Lord Brahmā, on the impudency of his son, was very much angry, and he showed some signs on his person which definitely proved that he was very, very angry about the behavior of his son. He was even prepared to condemn his son by cursing him, but because he was son, Lord Brahmā controlled his anger by his great intelligence.
This means although Lord Brahmā was prominent in the quality of passion, he had the power of controlling it. Lord Brahmā's controlling his anger is exemplified like the fire and water. Water is a production from fire, but at the same time fire can be extinguished with water. Similarly, although Lord Brahmā was very angry out of his quality of passion, still he could control such passionate exhibition of anger because Bhṛgu Muni was his personal son.
Next paragraph.
After this, Bhṛgu Muni directly went to the Kailāsa planet, where Lord Śiva resides. Bhṛgu Muni happens to be a brother of Lord Śiva. Therefore, as soon as Bhṛgu Muni approached Lord Śiva he was very glad, and he personally got up to embrace him. While Lord Śiva was approaching Bhṛgu Muni, he refused to embrace his brother, saying, "My dear brother, you are always very impure. You smear your body with the ashes of fire; therefore, you are not very clean. Please do not touch me."
When Bhṛgu Muni refused to embrace his brother on the ground that Lord Śiva was very impure, the latter became very much angry upon him. When somebody commits some offense, it is said that such offense can be committed either by body or the mind or by speeches. The first offense, committed by Bhṛgu Muni in relationship with Lord Brahmā, was offense within the mind. The second offense, committed by Bhṛgu Muni toward Lord Śiva, was the offence by speeches. That is to say he insulted Lord Śiva directly, speaking about his unclean habits.
When Lord Śiva heard this, because Lord Śiva is prominent in the quality of ignorance, immediately his eyes become red with anger, and not only that, he could not control that anger, took up his trident and was prepared to kill immediately Bhṛgu Muni. Lord Śiva's wife Pārvatī was present. She is also mixed with the three qualities; therefore, her name is Triguṇamayī. She saved the situation by developing his quality of goodness. Immediately she fell down on the feet of Lord Śiva, and with her sweet words stopped him killing Bhṛgu Muni on the spot.
Thus after being saved from the anger of Lord Śiva, he went directly to the Śvetadvīpa planet, where Lord Viṣṇu was lying on the bed of flowers accompanied by His wife, the goddess of fortune, who was engaged in massaging His lotus feet. There Bhṛgu Muni purposely committed the greatest sin by his bodily activities. As referred to above, it may be remembered the first offense committed by Bhṛgu Muni was mental, the second offense committed by Bhṛgu Muni was vocal, and the third offense he committed was corporal. All these different offenses are greater in degrees consecutively. Offense committed within the mind is positive, the same committed by words is comparative, and the same committed by bodily action is superlative.
So Bhṛgu Muni committed the superlative degree offense by touching his leg on the chest of the Lord in the presence of goddess of fortune. Of course, Lord Viṣṇu is all-merciful. He did not take any offense out of the activities of Bhṛgu Muni because he was a great brāhmaṇa. In this sense, a brāhmaṇa is to be excused even if he commits sometimes an offense.
This example is shown by Lord Viṣṇu, but it is said from this time the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, is not very favorably disposed towards the brāhmaṇas. The brāhmaṇas are therefore generally very poor, without being benedicted by the goddess of fortune. This incidence of Bhṛgu Muni touching the chest of Lord Viṣṇu with his leg is certainly a great offense, but Lord Viṣṇu is so great that He did not find such offense of a brāhmaṇa. The so-called brāhmaṇas of the Kali-yuga sometimes take very much pride that they can touch the chest of Lord Viṣṇu by their feet. The fact is, however, they are different because when Bhṛgu Muni touched the chest of Lord Viṣṇu by his feet it was the greatest offense, but it is the magnanimity of Lord Viṣṇu that He did not take very seriously of the offense committed by Bhṛgu Muni.
Next paragraph.
Lord Viṣṇu, instead of being angry or cursing Bhṛgu Muni, immediately got up from His bed along with His wife, goddess of fortune, and offered their respectful obeisances to the brāhmaṇa and began to speak as follows: "My dear brāhmaṇa, it is a great fortune for Me that you have come here. Please, therefore, sit down on this cushion for a few minutes. My dear brāhmaṇa, I am very much sorry that when you entered My apartment I could not receive you properly. So it was a great offense on My part, and I beg your pardon to excuse Me for this offence. You are so pure and great that you can purify even the pilgrimages by the washed water of your feet. Therefore, I request you to purify the Vaikuṇṭha planets where I am living along with My associates.
"My dear father, the great sage, I know that your feet is very soft, like lotus flower, and My chest is as hard as the thunderbolt. I am therefore afraid if you have not felt some pain by touching My chest with your feet. Let Me therefore touch your feet to pacify the pain you have suffered by touching My chest." Saying this, Lord Viṣṇu began to massage the feet of Bhṛgu Muni.
The Lord continued to say, addressing Bhṛgu Muni, "My dear lord, just now My chest has become sanctified on account of your feet being touched on it, and I am now assured that goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, will be very glad to live there perpetually." Goddess of fortune Lakṣmī's another name is Caṣcalā; she does not stay at any place for long time. Therefore we see one rich man, after some time or after a few generation, the family becomes poorer. Sometimes we see a poor man's family has become very rich. But this caṣcalā word is applicable to this material world, whereas in Vaikuṇṭha planets, Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, eternally lives under the lotus feet of the Lord. But because she is famous as Caṣcalā, so Lord Nārāyaṇa indicated that she may not be living for good on His chest, but because the chest is now touched by the feet of Bhṛgu Muni, it is now sanctified and there is no chance of goddess of fortune’s going away from there.
Bhṛgu Muni, however, could understand his position and the Lord's position, and he was struck with wonder by the behavior of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And out of gratitude towards the Lord, his voice became choked up, not to reply the words of the Lord. Simply tears were gliding down his eyes, and as such he could not speak anything. He stood still before the Lord.
After this test experience of Bhṛgu Muni, he came back to the assembly of great sages on the bank of river Sarasvatī and described his experience in relationship with Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu. After hearing him with great attention, all the sages concluded that Lord Viṣṇu is certainly the greatest of all predominating deities. In this meeting of great sages, in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated brahma-vādinām (SB 4.16.17).
(The king will respect all women as if they were his own mother, and he will treat his own wife as the other half of his body. He will be just like an affectionate father to his citizens, and he will treat himself as the most obedient servant of the devotees, who always preach the glories of the Lord.)
This brahma-vādinām means those who are talking on the Absolute Truth but not have come into conclusion. Generally, these brahma-vādīs are the impersonalists, or those who are students of the Vedas. Therefore, it is to be understood that all the sages gathered there, they were serious students of Vedic literatures, but they did not come into any definite conclusion who is the Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead. And this incidence of Bhṛgu Muni's meeting all the three predominating deities—Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā and Lord Viṣṇu—now they came to the conclusion that Lord Viṣṇu is the Supreme Truth, Personality of Godhead.
It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in this connection that the sages were astonished after hearing the details from Bhṛgu Muni. Actually it is astonishing, because Lord Brahmā was immediately agitated. Lord Śiva also immediately became agitated. But Lord Viṣṇu, in spite of His being kicked by the leg of Bhṛgu Muni, He was not the least agitated. The comparison is just like a small lamp or lightning sources become agitated by a little breeze, but the greatest lamp or the greatest illuminating source, the sun, is never moved even by the greatest hurricane. One's greatness has to be estimated how much he is tolerant in provocating situation.
The sages gathered there thus concluded that if anyone wants actual peace, at the same time wants to become free from all fearfulness, one should take shelter to the lotus feet of Viṣṇu. If Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva could not maintain their peaceful attitude by a slight provocation, how they can maintain peace and tranquility of their devotee? But so far Lord Viṣṇu is concerned, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that anyone who takes Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa as the supreme friend attains the highest perfection of peaceful life.
The sages thus concluded that by following the principles of vaiṣṇava-dharma one becomes actually perfect. Otherwise, if one follows all the religious principles of a particular sect and he does not become advanced in the matter of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu, all such labor of love becomes fruitless. To execute religious principle means one has come to the platform of perfect knowledge. If one has come to the platform of perfect knowledge, then he will be disinterested with material affairs.
Perfect knowledge means to know one's own self and to know the Supreme Self. The Supreme Self and the individual self, although one in quality, they are different in quantity. Such analytical study of knowledge is perfect. Otherwise, simply to understand that "I am not matter, I am spirit" is not perfect knowledge. Real religious principle is therefore devotional service, or bhakti. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Lord Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up all other religious principle and simply surrender unto Me." Therefore, the term dharma applies only to the vaiṣṇava-dharma or bhagavad-dharma, following which all other good qualities and advancement of life automatically become achieved.
The highest perfectional knowledge is to know the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord cannot be understood by any other process of religion except by devotional service. Therefore, the immediate result of perfect knowledge is achieved by executing devotional service. After attainment of knowledge, when one becomes disinterested in the material world, that is not dry philosophical speculation. The devotees become disinterested in the matter of material world not by simply understanding but by practical experience. When the devotee realizes the effect of association of the Supreme Lord, naturally he hates the association of so-called society, friendship and love. This detachment is not dry, but it is due to achievement of higher status of life by relishing a transcendental mellow.
It is further stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in this connection that after attainment of such knowledge and detachment for material sense gratification, one's advancement in the eight kinds of opulences, as they are supposed to be attained by mystic yoga practice, namely aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti siddhi etc., such perfections are also achieved without any different effort. The example is Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. He was not a mystic yogī, but he was a great devotee. But a great mystic yogī, Durvāsā, became defeated in the presence of devotional attitude of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. In other words, a devotee does not require to practice the mystic yoga system to achieve some power. The power is behind him by the grace of the Lord, which is exactly like a small child who is surrendered to a powerful father; all the powers of the father is behind the small child. And when a person becomes famous as the devotee of the Lord, such reputation is never to be extinguished.
Lord Caitanya, while discussing with Rāmānanda Rāya, questioned, "What is the greatest reputation?" Rāmānanda Rāya replied that a person who is reputed as the perfect devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, his reputation is perfect. The conclusion is, therefore, that viṣṇu-dharma, or the religion of devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is meant for persons who are thoughtful. By proper execution of thoughtfulness, one comes to the stage of thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead means one becomes uncontaminated from all sorts of faulty association in the material world. Thus such thoughtful devotees become peaceful.
The world is in disturbed condition on account of scarcity of such peaceful devotees in the human society. Without being a devotee, nobody can be equiposed (sic) to all living entities. A devotee is equally disposed to the animals, to the human being or to any living entity because he sees every living entity as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. In the Īśopaniṣad, it is clearly stated that one who has come to the stage of seeing equally all living entities, he does not hate anyone in preference to other. The devotee therefore has no hankering for possessing more than what he requires. Devotees are therefore called akiṣcana; in any condition of life, a devotee is satisfied. It is said about them that a devotee is equiposed either he is in the hell or he is in the heaven. A devotee is callous to any other subject except his engagement in devotional service. Such mode of life is called the highest perfectional stage, by which one can be elevated to the spiritual world, back to home, back to Godhead.
Such devotees are especially attracted by the first-class material quality goodness. A qualified brāhmaṇa is the symbolic representation of this goodness. Therefore, a devotee is attached to the brahminical stage of life. He is not very much interested in the stage of passion or ignorance, although all these three qualities are emanating from the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu. The devotees are described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in this connection as nipuṇa-buddhayaḥ, which means the devotees are the most intelligent class of men. But without being influenced by attachment or hatred, a devotee lives very peacefully, without being agitated by the influence of passion and ignorance.
It may be questioned here why a devotee should be attached to the goodness quality of the material world if he is transcendental to the all qualities. The answer is, in the modes of material nature there are different kinds of people existing. Those who are in the modes of material nature of ignorance, they are called rākṣasas; persons who are in the modes of passion are called asuras; and persons who are in the modes of goodness are called suras, or demigods. Under the direction of the Supreme Lord, these three classes of men are there, created by the material nature, but the persons who are in the modes of goodness, their chance is greater than others for being elevated in the spiritual world, back to home, back to Godhead.
Next paragraph.
In this way, all the sages who assembled on the bank of the river Sarasvatī to discuss the conclusion who is the supreme predominating deity, all of them became freed from all doubts about Viṣṇu worship, and thus after that all of them became engaged in devotional service, and thus they achieved the desired result: back to home, back to Godhead.
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Those who are actually anxious to get liberated from this material entanglement would better accept the conclusion given by Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī. In the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam becomes very, very conducive to hear because it is spoken by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. The same fact is again confirmed by Sūta Gosvāmī: that anyone who is traveling aimlessly within this material world, if he cares to hear the nectarean words spoken by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, certainly such person will have the right conclusion that simply by discharging devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead one would be able to stop the fatigue caused by migrating from one material body to another perpetually. In other words, one who will be fixed up in the loving devotional service to Viṣṇu, certainly he will be able to get relief from this material journey of life. And the process is very simple: one has got picked-up ears, and one has to give simply aural reception to the sweet words spoken by Śukadeva Gosvāmī in the form of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Another conclusion is that we should never place Lord Viṣṇu on the same level along with other demigods, including Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā. If we do so, according to Padma Purāṇa, then immediately we become in the category of the atheist. In the Vedic literature known as Hari-vaṁśa it is also stated that only the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, is to be worshiped. Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, or any such viṣṇu-mantra, is always to be chanted. In the Second Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Lord Brahmā says, (within quotation) "Either Lord Śiva or myself, we are all engaged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to act in different capacity under His direction." In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is also stated that the only master is Kṛṣṇa, and anyone in any category of life is only a servant of Kṛṣṇa. Śukadeva Gosvāmī also narrated in this connection the incidents when Lord Kṛṣṇa was present in order to draw our attention to the fact that among all viṣṇu-tattva forms, Lord Kṛṣṇa is hundred percent Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed by the Lord that there is no more superior truth beyond Kṛṣṇa.
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Once upon a time, a brāhmaṇa's wife gave birth to a child, but unfortunately the child, just after being born and touching the ground, immediately became dead. Then the brāhmaṇa's father took the dead child and went directly to the palace of the king in Dvārakā. The brāhmaṇa was very much upset on account of untimely death of a child in the presence of his young father and mother. Thus his mind became too much disturbed. Formerly, when there were responsible kings, it appears up to the time of Dvāpara-yuga when Lord Kṛṣṇa was present, the responsible king was liable to be blamed on account of untimely death of a child in the presence of his parents. Similarly, responsibility was there during the time of Lord Rāmacandra.
As we have explained in the First Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that king was so much responsible to the comforts of the citizens that there was not even excessive heat and excessive cold. Now here is an instance that a brāhmaṇa having a dead child, although he had no fault on his part, immediately went to the palace door, began to accuse the king as follows: "The present king, Ugrasena, is envious of the brāhmaṇas!" The exact word used in this connection is brahma-dviṣaḥ. One who is envious of the Vedas or one who is envious of a qualified brāhmaṇa or one who is envious of the brāhmaṇa caste, he is called brahma-dviṣaḥ. So the king was accused as brahma-dviṣaḥ and falsely intelligent.
The use of this particular word śaṭha-dhī means falsely intelligent. This word also used against the king, which means, "The executive head of a state must be very intelligent to see to the comforts of the citizens; but this king is not at all intelligent, and still he has occupied the royal throne. Therefore he is lubdha."Lubdha means "greedy." In other words, a king or an executive head of a state should not occupy the exalted post of presidency or kingship if he is greedy and interested for his personal benefit. But it is naturally that executive head becomes personally interested when he is too much attached to material enjoyment. Therefore, another particular word is used in this connection: viṣayātmanaḥ.
When the brāhmaṇa accused the king as kṣatra-bandhu, this kṣatra-bandhu means a person born in the family of kṣatriyas, or royal order, but has no qualification of the king. Similarly, he should be protecting to the brahminical culture. He should be very much intelligent for the welfare of the citizens. He should not at all be greedy on account of his attachment to the material enjoyment. But if a person presenting himself as a kṣatriya, royal order, but has no such qualification, he is not called a kṣatriya but called a kṣatr…, kṣatra-bandhu. Similarly, a brāhmaṇa also, when he is born of a brāhmaṇa father but has no brahminical qualification, he is also called brahma-bandhu or dvija-bandhu. This means either a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya is not accepted simply by birth. One has to qualify himself to the particular position; then he is accepted as a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya.
Thus the brāhmaṇa accused the king that on account of his disqualification to become a king, his newly born baby was dead. The brāhmaṇa took it most unnatural, and therefore he accused the king to be responsible for such untoward act. We find also in the Vedic history that if a kṣatriya king was thus irresponsible, sometimes the consulting board of the brāhmaṇas maintained by a monarch would dethrone the king. Considering all these points, it appears that the monarchy in the Vedic civilization is a very responsible post.
This brāhmaṇa thus began to say (within quotation) that "Any person who offers respects or worships a king whose only business is enviousness—either killing animals in the forest hunting or killing the citizens on ground of his criminal acts, without any self-control, possessing bad characteristics—if such king is worshiped or honored by the citizen, the citizen would never be happy. They will remain always in poor condition of life, full of anxieties and aggrievement, and unhappy all the time."
In the modern politics, although the monarchical post is abolished, the people do not take account of the president how far he is responsible to the comforts of the citizen. In this age of Kali, the executive head of a state gets somehow or other votes to be elected on that exalted post, but the condition of the citizens continues to be full of anxieties, distress, unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
The brāhmaṇa, however, had for the second time a dead child and for the third time a dead child, up to the end of a ninth child, and every time he used to come to the front of the doorkeeper of the palace and used to accuse the king in this…
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Tape number LA thirty-two. Kṛṣṇa, Chapter Eighty-nine continued.
On the ninth occasion of the brāhmaṇa’s accusing the king of Dvārakā, Arjuna happened to be present with Kṛṣṇa. When he heard the incidence that a brāhmaṇa was accusing of not being protected by the king properly, he became a little inquisitive and approached the brāhmaṇa. He said, (within quotation) "My dear brāhmaṇa, how is it that you say there is no protector in your country and there is no proper kṣatriya carrying the bows and arrows for protection of the citizen? Do you think that there is not even a so-called kṣatriya who can carry the bows and arrow at least to make a show of protection? Do you think that all the royal personalities in this country, they are simply engaged with the brāhmaṇas in the matter of performing sacrifices without any chivalrous power?"
In other words, Arjuna indicated that the kṣatriyas should not sit very comfortably on the pretext of being engaged in performing Vedic rituals only, but the kṣatriyas must be very active in the matter of protecting the citizens by chivalrous activity. The brāhmaṇas, being engaged in spiritual activities, they are not expected to do something which requires physical endeavor. As such, the brāhmaṇas especially require to be protected by the kṣatriyas without being disturbed in their highest occupational duties.
"As such, if the brāhmaṇas feels unwanted separation from wife and children in the family and the kṣatriyas do not take care of them, then such kṣatriya kings are to be considered as a stage player. In the theatrical stage when there are some dramatical performances, somebody playing the part of a king, nobody expects any benefit from such dressed king. Similarly, if the king or the executive head of a state cannot give protection to the head of the social construction, such executive head or king is considered as show-bottle. Such kings or executive head of the state simply live for their livelihood on the exalted post of being the chief of the state. My lord, I give you promise that I shall give protection to your children, and if I do not carry out my promise or if I am unable to do so, then I promise also that I shall enter into a blazing fire so that the sinful contamination which may have infected me will be counteracted."
On hearing Arjuna speaking like that, the brāhmaṇa replied as follows: "My dear Arjuna, here Lord Balarāma is present, but He could not give protection to my children. Here Lord Kṛṣṇa is also present; He also could not give any protection to my children. Besides them, there are many other heroes like Pradyumna and Aniruddha carrying the bows and arrows, and still they could not give protection to my children." The brāhmaṇa directly hinted that the thing which was impossible to be done by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, "How you could perform?" It appeared to him impossible. Rather, he indicated that Arjuna was promising something which was beyond his power, or he did not know how far he could perform a thing which was impossible for their Lordships. The brāhmaṇa said that "I consider your promise just like the promise of a child without any experience. I cannot put my faith on your promise."
Then Arjuna understood that the brāhmaṇa had lost all faith on the kṣatriya kings. Therefore, he wanted to encourage him by speaking in a mood of criticizing even his friend Lord Kṛṣṇa, and he began to reply while Lord Kṛṣṇa and others were hearing him. He specifically attacked Kṛṣṇa by saying that (within quotation) "My dear brāhmaṇa, I am neither Saṅkarṣaṇa nor Kṛṣṇa nor Kṛṣṇa's sons like Pradyumna or Aniruddha. My name is Arjuna, and I carry the bow and arrows known as Gāṇḍīva. You cannot insult my prowess, because with my prowess I have satisfied even Lord Śiva. In the forest, when both of us were engaged in hunting, I had some fight with Lord Śiva, who appeared before me as a hunter, and I satisfied him with my prowess and he gave me with full satisfaction the weapon known as pāśupata-astra. Do not doubt about my chivalrous activities. I shall bring your sons back even I have to fight with death personified." (quotation close)
When the brāhmaṇa was assured by Arjuna in such exalting words, somehow or other he was convinced about the promise of Arjuna, and thus being assured, he went back home.
Next paragraph.
In this way, when the brāhmaṇa was faced with another delivery case of his wife, he began to chant, "My dear Arjuna, please come now and save my child." Arjuna also, after hearing him, immediately he prepared himself after touching sanctified water for uttering the holy mantras to protect his bows and arrows from some dangers, and he specifically took the arrow which was presented to him by Lord Śiva, and while going out he began to remember Lord Śiva and his great favor. In this way, he took away his bow known as Gāṇḍīva, and thus he appeared in front of the maternity home, equipped with various kinds of weapons.
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It appears that Arjuna did not leave Dvārakā in order to fulfill his promise to the brāhmaṇa, and he was called at night when the brāhmaṇa's wife was to deliver the child. Besides that, while going to the brāhmaṇa's place to attend the delivery case of his wife, Arjuna remembered Lord Śiva and not his friend Kṛṣṇa, thinking that Kṛṣṇa could not give protection to the brāhmaṇa so it was better to take shelter of Lord Śiva. This is another instance of how a person takes the shelter of other demigods, which is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jṣānāḥ." (BG 7.20)
Which means that a person who becomes lost of his intelligence out of too much greediness and lust, he forgets the shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and takes shelter of other demigods."
Of course, Arjuna was not an ordinary living entity, but out of his friendly dealings with Kṛṣṇa he thought that Kṛṣṇa was unable to give protection to the brāhmaṇa, so better he should remember Lord Śiva. But later on, it was proved that Arjuna's taking shelter of Lord Śiva instead of Kṛṣṇa was not at all successful. Arjuna, however, did his best by chanting different kinds of mantras, taking his arrow up and down, with the purpose of guarding the maternity home from all directions.
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Thus the brāhmaṇa's wife delivered a male child, and as usual the child began to cry over and over again. But only a few minutes after, both the child and the arrows of Arjuna disappeared in the sky. It appears that the brāhmaṇa's house was nearby Kṛṣṇa's residence, and everything that took place defying the authority of Kṛṣṇa, they were enjoyed by the Lord, and He played the trick of taking away again the brāhmaṇa's baby as well as Arjuna's arrows, of which Arjuna was so much proud—which means that people out of bewilderment take shelter of the demigods for some temporary benefit only, which satisfies less intelligent class of men.
Next paragraph.
At that time, in the presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa and others, the brāhmaṇa began to accuse Arjuna and said, "Oh, everyone see my foolishness! I put my faith on the words of Arjuna, who is so impotent and who is so expert in promising false things. How much foolish I was to believe Arjuna, because he promised to protect my child, who was not protected even by Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Lord Balarāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa. If such great personalities could not protect my child, who then can be more than them to give protection to my child? I therefore condemn Arjuna for his false promise, and I also condemn his celebrated bow Gāṇḍīva and his impudency of declaring himself more than Lord Balarāma, Kṛṣṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha. How one can save my child, who is already transferred to some other planet? Out of his sheer foolishness, Arjuna wanted to bring back my child from other planet."
When Arjuna was thus condemned by the brāhmaṇa, he empowered himself with mystic yoga perfection so that he could travel to any planet to find out the baby of the brāhmaṇa. It seems that Arjuna also knew the mystic yogic power by which the yogīs can travel to any planet they desire. Arjuna first of all went to the planet which is known as Yamaloka, where the superintendent of death, Yamarāja, lives. He searched out there to find the baby of the brāhmaṇa, but he was unable to see him. Then he immediately went to the planet where king of heaven, Indra, lives. When he was unable to find out the baby there, then he went one after another to the planets of the fire demigod, Nirṛti demigod, then to the moon planet, after that to the Vāyuloka, then to the Varuṇaloka. When he was unable to find out the baby in those planets, then he went down to the Rasātala planet, the lowest of the planetary system.
After traveling all these different planets, then he went to the Brahmaloka, where even the mystic yogīs also cannot go. But Arjuna, by the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa, got that power, and he went above the heavenly planets to the Brahmaloka. In this way, when he was unable to find out the baby searching out even all the possible planets, at that time he attempted to enter into the fire, as he had already promised to the brāhmaṇa that on his being unable to bring back his baby he would enter into the fire. Lord Kṛṣṇa, however, was very kind upon him, because Arjuna happened to be the most intimate friend of the Lord. So Lord Kṛṣṇa assured Arjuna not to enter into the fire, so much regrettable. Kṛṣṇa indicated Arjuna that he, being the friend of Kṛṣṇa, if he would enter into fire being hopeless, indirectly it would be a blemish on Him. Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore checked Arjuna, assuring him that He would find out the baby. "Do not be prepared foolishly to commit suicide."
Next paragraph.
After addressing Arjuna in this way, Lord Kṛṣṇa called for His transcendental chariot, and He got on it along with Arjuna and began to proceed towards the northern side. Lord Kṛṣṇa, the all-powerful Personality of Godhead, could have brought the child back immediately without any such attempt, but we should always remember that He was playing the part of a human being. As a human being has to endeavor for achieving certain result, similarly, Lord Kṛṣṇa also, like ordinary human being, or like His friend Arjuna, He also wanted to go away from Dvārakā to bring back the baby of the brāhmaṇa. By His pastimes as a human being it is necessary to record in the history of the human society that there was not a single greater personality than Kṛṣṇa. "God is great." That is the definition of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So at least within this material world, while He was present, He proved that there was no other greater personality than Kṛṣṇa, even within this universe.
Thus Kṛṣṇa on His chariot, along with Arjuna, began to proceed towards the northern direction, crossing over many planetary system. It is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as sapta-dvīpa. Dvīpa means "island." All these planets are sometimes described in the Vedic literatures as dvīpas. This planet on which we are living is called Jambūdvīpa. The idea is that the whole outer space is taken as a great ocean of air, and within that great ocean of air there are many islands and which are the different types of planet. In each and every planet there are particular types of oceans also. In some of the planets there are salted water, and in some of them there are the oceans of milk. In others there are oceans of liquor. In others there are oceans of ghee or oil. And in such planets there are different kinds of mountains also, and each and every planet has a different type of atmosphere.
In this way, Kṛṣṇa passed over all these planets and reached up to the end of the covering of the universe, entered into it, which is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as great darkness. This material world as a whole is described as darkness. The open space there is sunlight, therefore it is illuminated. But in the covering, on account of absence of sunlight, naturally it should be dark. So Kṛṣṇa entered into the covering layers of this universe, which is described as dark. The four horses which were drawing the chariot of Lord Kṛṣṇa were named as Śaibya, Sugrīva, Meghapuṣpa, Balāhaka. All these four horses appeared to be hesitating to enter into the darkness.
This hesitation of the horses to enter into darkness is also a part of the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, because the horses of Kṛṣṇa are not ordinary horses. It was not possible for the ordinary horses to go all over the planets and then enter into the outer covering layers of the universe. As Kṛṣṇa is transcendental, similarly His chariot and His horses—everything—all of them are transcendental, beyond the qualities of this material world. As we should always remember that Kṛṣṇa was playing the part of ordinary human being, His horses also, by the will of Kṛṣṇa, played such part as ordinary horses hesitate to enter into the darkness.
As Kṛṣṇa is known as Yogeśvara, as it is stated in the last portion of the Bhagavad-gītā, yogeśvaro hariḥ (BG 18.78).
All kinds of mystic powers are under His control. In our experience we can see many human beings empowered by the yogic mystic power sometimes perform very, very wonderful acts. But Kṛṣṇa is understood to be master of all mystic power. Therefore, when He saw that His horses were hesitant to proceed into the darkness, He immediately forwarded His disc, known as Sudarśana cakra, and the disc illuminated a thousand times brighter than the sunlight.
This darkness of the covering of the universe is also creation of Kṛṣṇa, and the Sudarśana cakra is also the constant companion of Kṛṣṇa. Thus the darkness was penetrated. Keeping the Sudarśana cakra forward, as it is stated herein in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that the Sudarśana cakra began to penetrate through the darkness exactly like the arrow released from the Śārṅga bow of Lord Rāmacandra penetrated through the army of Rāvaṇa. The disc of Lord Kṛṣṇa known as Sudarśana means…, su means "very nice," and darśana means "observation." By the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa's disc Sudarśana, everything can be seen very…
(break)
…permanent, temporary. Similarly, the ups and downs of life may come and go. When they come, one should tolerate them like the trees, and becoming humble and meek like the straws in the street. But certainly he must engage oneself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by chanting the simple method, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, the Supersoul of all living entities, out of His causeless mercy comes down and manifests His different pastimes in different forms of incarnation, and all of them are full of transcendental activities. The pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa by Himself or by His different incarnation are chances for the conditioned soul for liberation simply by hearing those activities. And the most fascinating and pleasing activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa are still more attractive because Lord Kṛṣṇa personally is so all-attractive.
Following the holy footsteps of Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, we have tried to present this book, Kṛṣṇa, for being read and heard by the conditioned souls of this age, and simply by hearing the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one is sure and certain to get salvation and be transferred back to home, back to Godhead. It is recommended by Śukadeva Gosvāmī as we hear the transcendental pastimes and activities of the Lord, we gradually cut off the knots of material contamination. Anyone, therefore, never mind whatever he is, if one wants the association of Lord Kṛṣṇa in the transcendental kingdom of God for eternity in blissful existence, one must hear about the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa and chant the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
The desire for salvation by becoming one with the Supreme is not transcendental...
(break) ...by the arrow released from the Śārṅga bow of Lord Rāmacandra penetrated through the army of Rāvaṇa. The disc of Lord Kṛṣṇa known as Sudarśana means…, su means "very nice," and darśana means "observation." By the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa's disc Sudarśana, anything can be seen very nicely. By the grace of Lord’s Sudarśana disc, nothing can remain in darkness. In this way, both Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna crossed over the great darkness region covering the material universes.
Arjuna saw the effulgence of light known as brahma-jyoti. This brahma-jyoti is situated outside the covering of this material universes, and because this brahma-jyoti is not possible to be seen by our present eyes, this brahma-jyoti is sometimes explained as avyakta. This spiritual effulgence is the ultimate destination of the impersonalists known as Vedāntist. This brahma-jyoti is described as ananta-pāram, unlimited and unfathomed. So as soon as Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna reached this region of brahma-jyoti, Arjuna could not tolerate the glaring effulgence of brahma-jyoti and closed his eyes. This incidence of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna's reaching the brahma-jyoti region is described in Hari-vaṁśa. In that portion of the Vedic literature, Kṛṣṇa informed Arjuna, (within quotation) "My dear Arjuna, the glaring effulgence, transcendental light, which you are seeing, this is My bodily rays. My dear chief of the descendants of Bharata, this brahma-jyoti is Myself." (quotation close)
As the sun disc and the sunshine cannot be separated, similarly Kṛṣṇa and His bodily rays, the brahma-jyoti, cannot be separated. As such, Kṛṣṇa claimed that the brahma-jyoti is He Himself. It is clearly stated in the Hari-vaṁśa, Kṛṣṇa says ahaṁ saḥ. This brahma-jyoti is also as combination of the minute particles known as spiritual sparks, or the living entities, known as cit-kaṇa. The Vedic words so 'ham, or "I am the brahma-jyoti," can be also be applied to the living entities. The living entities also can claim that "I belong to the brahma-jyoti." In the Hari-vaṁśa it is still further explained, (within quotation) "This brahma-jyoti is expansion of My spiritual energy." (quotation close)
Continued, Kṛṣṇa.
"This brahma-jyoti is beyond the region of My external energy, known as māyā-śakti." When one is situated within this material world, it is not possible to experience this Brahma effulgence. Therefore, in the material world this effulgence is nonmanifested, whereas in the spiritual world that is manifested. That is the purport of vyaktāvyaktā. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, avyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20): both these energies are eternal manifested.
After this, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna entered a vast, extensive spiritual water. This spiritual water is called Kāraṇārṇava Ocean, or Virajā, which means the..., this ocean is the origin of creation of the material world, and the place is known as Virajā because this place is freed from the influence of the three qualities of material world. In the Mṛtyuṣjaya-tantra Vedic literature, there is a vivid description of this Kāraṇa Ocean, or Virajā, and it is stated there that the highest planetary system within the material world is Satyaloka, or Brahmaloka. Beyond that there is Rudraloka, or Mahā-Viṣṇuloka. This Mahā-Viṣṇuloka is here, as it is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā about the description of Mahā-Viṣṇu: yaḥ kāraṇārṇava-jale bhajati sma yoga (Bs 5.47):
"Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying down in this water of Kāraṇa, and from His breathing innumerable universes are coming into existence, and when He withdraws the breathing, innumerable universes go within Him." In this way, the material creation is being advented and again being withdrawn.
When Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna entered the water, it appeared that there was a strong hurricane of transcendental effulgence was blowing on, and the water of the Kāraṇa Ocean was too much agitated. So it was an unique experience of Arjuna by the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa that he saw the Kāraṇa Ocean, very, very beautiful.
Arjuna, accompanied by Kṛṣṇa, saw there was a large palace within the water wherein thousands of pillars and columns were standing made of valuable jewels. The glaring effulgence of those columns were so beautiful that Arjuna became charmed with it. Within that palace, Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa saw the gigantic form of Anantadeva, who is also known as Śeṣa. The Anantadeva, or Śeṣa Nāga, was in the form of great serpent having thousands of hoods, and each one of them was decorated with valuable jewels, which was dazzling very beautifully and effulgently. Each hood was seen with two eyes, but the eyes of Anantadeva appeared to be very fearful. The body of Anantadeva was as white as the mountain head of Kailāsa, which is always covered with snow. The neck of Anantadeva was bluish, as well as the tongues were of bluish color.
In this way, Arjuna saw the Śeṣa Nāga form, and he saw also that on the very soft, white body of Śeṣa Nāga, Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu was lying down very comfortably. He appeared to be very, very powerful and all-pervading, and he could understand that the Supreme Personality of Godhead in that form is known as Puruṣottama. He is known as Puruṣottama, or the best or Supreme Personality of Godhead, because from this form another form of Viṣṇu emanates, which is known Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, within this material world. This form of the Lord, Puruṣottama, is beyond the material world. He is known therefore uttama. Uttama means "above the darkest region of material world." Tama means "darkness," and ut means "above," or "transcendental."
Arjuna saw that the bodily color of Puruṣottama, Mahā-Viṣṇu, was as dark as the new cloud in the rainy season. He was dressed with very nice clothing of yellow color. His face was always beautiful with smiling attitude, and the lotus petal-like eyes were very much attractive. Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu's helmet was bedecked with valuable jewels, and the beautiful earrings on His ears enhanced the beauty of His curling hair on the head. Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu had eight hands, all very long, up to the limit of the knee, and His neck was decorated with Kaustubha jewel, and His chest was impressed with the symbol of Śrīvatsa. The Śrīvatsa means "the resting place of the goddess of fortune." And the Lord was garlanded with lotus flower up to the end of His knees. This long garland is known as Vaijayantī garland.
The Lord was surrounded by His personal associates known as Nanda, Sunanda, and the Sudarśana disc was also standing as personified. And as it is stated in the Vedas that the Lord has immense and unlimited number of energies, they were also standing there personified, and the chief of them was known as Puṣṭi, or the energy for nourishment; Śrī, or the energy for beauty; Kīrti, or the energy of reputation; and Ajā, or the energy of material creation. All these energies are invested in the governors of the material world, namely Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Lord Viṣṇu, or the king of the heavenly planets Indra, Candra, Varuṇa, sun-god. In other words, all these demigods, being empowered by the Lord with these energies, are engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
This Mahā-Viṣṇu feature is expansion of Kṛṣṇa's body. This is also confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā, that the Mahā-Viṣṇu is the part of the plenary expansion of Kṛṣṇa, and all such expansions are nondifferent. But still, as Kṛṣṇa appeared within this material world to manifest His pastimes as human being, so Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna immediately offered their respects to Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu by bowing down before Him.
It is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that Lord Kṛṣṇa offered respect to Mahā-Viṣṇu; that means He offered obeisances unto Him only because Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu is nondifferent from Him. This offering of obeisances by Kṛṣṇa to Mahā-Viṣṇu is not, however, a form of worship known as ahaṅgrahopāsanā. This ahaṅgrahopāsanā is sometimes recommended for persons who are trying to elevate themselves to the spiritual world by performing the sacrifice of knowledge. This is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: jṣāna-yajṣena cāpy anye yajanto mām upāsate (BG 9.15).
When Lord Kṛṣṇa, although there was no necessity of offering obeisances, but still, because He is the master teacher, He taught Arjuna how respect should be offered to Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu. Arjuna, however, was very much afraid to see the gigantic form and everything distinct from the material experience. So when Arjuna saw that Kṛṣṇa offered obeisances to Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu, he immediately followed Him and stood before the Lord with folded hands. After this, the great, gigantic form of Mahā-Viṣṇu with great pleasure and pleasing attitude began to smile and speak as follows.
(within quotation) "My dear Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, I was very much anxious to see you both, and therefore I arranged to take away the babies of the brāhmaṇa and keep them here, so that I was expecting to see you both at this place. You have appeared on the material world as My incarnation in order to minimize the overburden of the world due to overgrowth of demoniac persons. Now, after killing all these unwanted demons, you will please again come back to Me again. Both of you are incarnation of the great sage Nara-Nārāyaṇa. Although both of you are complete in yourself, still, for the protection of the devotees and annihilation of the demons, especially to establish the religious principles in the world so that peace and tranquility may continue, you are teaching the factual basic principles of religion so that the people of the world may follow you and thereby let there be peace and prosperity." (quotation close)
After this, both Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna offered their obeisances to Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu and, taking delivery of the children of the brāhmaṇas, they again returned back to Dvārakā via the same route and ways as they entered in the spiritual world previously. All the children of the brāhmaṇas had duly grown up to the respective ages, but there was no difference of their identification from the shape and color during the time of their birth. So Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, after returning at Dvārakā, the brāhmaṇa was delivered of all his sons.
Arjuna was, however, struck with great wonder after visiting the transcendental world by the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, he could understand that whatever opulence may be there within this material world, it is due to Kṛṣṇa's mercy. One should therefore be always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in complete gratefulness to Lord Kṛṣṇa, because whatever one may possess, it is all bestowed by Lord Kṛṣṇa.
This wonderful experience of Arjuna due to the mercy of Kṛṣṇa is one of the many thousands of pastimes performed by Lord Kṛṣṇa during His stay within this material world. All of them were unique and without any parallel in the history of the world. All these pastimes prove fully that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and still, while He was present within this material world He played actually just like an ordinary man has so many worldly duties in different position of status quo. He played the part of an ideal householder, although He possessed 16,000 wives and 16,000 palaces and relative children also. But still, He performed many sacrifices just to teach the royal order how to live in the material world for the welfare of greater humanity.
As an ideal Supreme Personality, He fulfilled the desires of everyone, beginning from the brāhmaṇa, the highest position in the human society, down to the ordinary living entities, including the fourth- and fifth-grade persons. As King Indra is in charge of distribution of rains all over the world and he satisfies in due course everyone by pouring down rain, similarly, Lord Kṛṣṇa satisfies everyone by pouring down His causeless mercy. His mission was to give protection to the devotees and to kill the demoniac kings. So He killed so many hundreds and thousands of demons. Some of them were killed personally by Him, and some of them were killed by deputing Arjuna to do the act. In this way, He established many pious kings like Yudhiṣṭhira on the helm of the world affairs. Thus, by His divine arrangement there was all peace and tranquility under good government headed by King Yudhiṣṭhira.
Next paragraph.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Eighty-ninth Chapter Kṛṣṇa in the matter of "The Superexcellence Power of Kṛṣṇa."
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