Chapter Three
The Birth of Lord Krsna
As described in this chapter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, Hari in His original form, appeared as Visnu so that His father and mother could understand that their son was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because they were afraid of Kamsa, when the Lord appeared as an ordinary child they took Him to Gokula, the home of Nanda Maharaja.
Mother Devaki, being fully transcendental, sac-cid-ananda, does not belong to this material world. Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared with four hands, as if born from her womb. Upon seeing the Lord in that Visnu form, Vasudeva was struck with wonder, and in transcendental happiness he and Devaki mentally gave ten thousand cows in charity to the brahmanas. Vasudeva then offered prayers to the Lord, addressing Him as the Supreme Person, Parabrahman, the Supersoul, who is beyond duality and who is internally and externally all-pervading. The Lord, the cause of all causes, is beyond material existence, although He is the creator of this material world. When He enters this world as Paramatma, He is all-pervading (andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham), yet He is transcendentally situated. For the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this material world, the Lord appears as the guna-avataras--Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara. Thus Vasudeva offered prayers full of meaning to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Devaki followed her husband by offering prayers describing the transcendental nature of the Lord. Fearing Kamsa and desiring that the Lord not be understood by atheistic and materialistic nondevotees, she prayed that the Lord withdraw His transcendental four-armed form and appear like an ordinary child with two hands.
The Lord reminded Vasudeva and Devaki of two other incarnations in which He had appeared as their son. He had appeared as Prsnigarbha and Vamanadeva, and now this was the third time He was appearing as the son of Devaki to fulfill their desire. The Lord then decided to leave the residence of Vasudeva and Devaki, in the prison house of Kamsa, and at this very time, Yogamaya took birth as the daughter of Yasoda. By the arrangement of Yogamaya, Vasudeva was able to leave the prison house and save the child from the hands of Kamsa. When Vasudeva brought Krsna to the house of Nanda Maharaja, he saw that by Yogamaya's arrangement, Yasoda, as well as everyone else, was deeply asleep. Thus he exchanged the babies, taking Yogamaya from Yasoda's lap and placing Krsna there instead. Then Vasudeva returned to his own place, having taken Yogamaya as his daughter. He placed Yogamaya on Devaki's bed and prepared to be a prisoner as before. In Gokula, Yasoda could not understand whether she had given birth to a male or a female child.
TEXTS 1-5
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
atha sarva-gunopetah
kalah parama-sobhanah
yarhy evajana-janmarksam
santarksa-graha-tarakam
disah prasedur gaganam
nirmalodu-ganodayam
mahi mangala-bhuyistha-
pura-grama-vrajakara
nadyah prasanna-salila
hrada jalaruha-sriyah
dvijali-kula-sannada-
stavaka vana-rajayah
vavau vayuh sukha-sparsah
punya-gandhavahah sucih
agnayas ca dvijatinam
santas tatra samindhata
manamsy asan prasannani
sadhunam asura-druham
jayamane 'jane tasmin
nedur dundubhayah samam
SYNONYMS
sri-sukah uvaca--Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; atha--on the occasion of the Lord's appearance; sarva--all around; guna-upetah--endowed with material attributes or facilities; kalah--a favorable time; parama-sobhanah--all-auspicious and very favorable from all points of view; yarhi--when; eva--certainly; ajana janma-rksam--the constellation of stars known as Rohini; santa-rksa--none of the constellations were fierce (all of them were peaceful); graha-tarakam--and the planets and stars like Asvini; disah--all directions; praseduh--appeared very auspicious and peaceful; gaganam--all of outer space or the sky; nirmala-udu-gana-udayam--in which all the auspicious stars were visible (in the upper strata of the universe); mahi--the earth; mangala-bhuyistha-pura-grama-vraja-akarah--whose many cities, towns, pasturing grounds and mines became auspicious and very neat and clean; nadyah--the rivers; prasanna-salilah--the waters became clear; hradah--the lakes or large reservoirs of water; jalaruha-sriyah--appeared very beautiful because of blooming lotuses all around; dvija-ali-kula-sannada-stavakah--the birds, especially the cuckoos, and swarms of bees began to chant in sweet voices, as if praying to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vana-rajayah--the green trees and plants were also very pleasing to see; vavau--blew; vayuh--the breeze; sukha-sparsah--very pleasing to the touch; punya-gandha-vahah--which was full of fragrance; sucih--without pollution by dust; agnayah ca--and the fires (at the places of sacrifice); dvijatinam--of the brahmanas; santah--undisturbed, steady, calm and quiet; tatra--there; samindhata--blazed; manamsi--the minds of the brahmanas (who because of Kamsa had always been afraid); asan--became; prasannani--fully satisfied and free from disturbances; sadhunam--of the brahmanas, who were all Vaisnava devotees; asura-druham--who had been oppressed by Kamsa and other demons disturbing the discharge of religious rituals; jayamane--because of the appearance or birth; ajane--of Lord Visnu, who is always unborn; tasmin--in that situation; neduh--resounded; dundubhayah--kettledrums; samam--simultaneously (from the upper planets).
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, at the auspicious time for the appearance of the Lord, the entire universe was surcharged with all the qualities of goodness, beauty and peace. The constellation Rohini appeared, as did stars like Asvini. The sun, the moon and the other stars and planets were very peaceful. All directions appeared extremely pleasing, and the beautiful stars twinkled in the cloudless sky. Decorated with towns, villages, mines and pasturing grounds, the earth seemed all-auspicious. The rivers flowed with clear water, and the lakes and vast reservoirs, full of lilies and lotuses, were extraordinarily beautiful. In the trees and green plants, full of flowers and leaves, pleasing to the eyes, birds like cuckoos and swarms of bees began chanting with sweet voices for the sake of the demigods. A pure breeze began to blow, pleasing the sense of touch and bearing the aroma of flowers, and when the brahmanas engaging in ritualistic ceremonies ignited their fires according to Vedic principles, the fires burned steadily, undisturbed by the breeze. Thus when the birthless Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was about to appear, the saints and brahmanas, who had always been disturbed by demons like Kamsa and his men, felt peace within the core of their hearts, and kettledrums simultaneously vibrated from the upper planetary system.
PURPORT
As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, the Lord says that His appearance, birth, and activities are all transcendental and that one who factually understands them is immediately eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. The Lord's appearance or birth is not like that of an ordinary man, who is forced to accept a material body according to his past deeds. The Lord's appearance is explained in the previous chapter: He appears out of His own sweet pleasure.
When the time was mature for the appearance of the Lord, the constellations became very auspicious. The astrological influence of the constellation known as Rohini was also predominant because this constellation is considered very auspicious. Rohini is under the direct supervision of Brahma, who is born of Visnu, and it appears at the birth of Lord Visnu, who in fact is birthless. According to the astrological conclusion, besides the proper situation of the stars, there are auspicious and inauspicious moments due to the different situations of the different planetary systems. At the time of Krsna's birth, the planetary systems were automatically adjusted so that everything became auspicious.
At that time, in all directions, east, west, south, north, everywhere, there was an atmosphere of peace and prosperity. Auspicious stars were visible in the sky, and on the surface in all towns and villages or pasturing grounds and within the mind of everyone there were signs of good fortune. The rivers were flowing full of water, and the lakes were beautifully decorated with lotus flowers. The forests were full with beautiful birds and peacocks. All the birds within the forests began to sing with sweet voices, and the peacocks began to dance with their consorts. The wind blew very pleasantly, carrying the aroma of different flowers, and the sensation of bodily touch was very pleasing. At home, the brahmanas, who were accustomed to offer sacrifices in the fire, found their homes very pleasant for offerings. Because of disturbances created by the demoniac kings, the sacrificial fire had been almost stopped in the houses of brahmanas, but now they could find the opportunity to start the fire peacefully. Being forbidden to offer sacrifices, the brahmanas were very distressed in mind, intelligence and activities. But just on the point of Krsna's appearance, automatically their minds became full of joy because they could hear loud vibrations in the sky of transcendental sounds proclaiming the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
On the occasion of Lord Krsna's birth, seasonal changes took place throughout the entire universe. Krsna was born during the month of September, yet it appeared like springtime. The atmosphere, however, was very cool, although not chilly, and the rivers and reservoirs appeared just as they would in sarat, the fall. Lotuses and lilies blossom during the day, but although Krsna appeared at twelve o'clock midnight, the lilies and lotuses were in bloom, and thus the wind blowing at that time was full of fragrance. Because of Kamsa's disturbances, the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies had almost stopped. The brahmanas and saintly persons could not execute the Vedic rituals with peaceful minds. But now the brahmanas were very pleased to perform their daily ritualistic ceremonies undisturbed. The business of the asuras is to disturb the suras, the devotees and brahmanas, but at the time of Krsna's appearance these devotees and brahmanas were undisturbed.
TEXT 6
TEXT
jaguh kinnara-gandharvas
tustuvuh siddha-caranah
vidyadharyas ca nanrtur
apsarobhih samam muda
SYNONYMS
jaguh--recited auspicious songs; kinnara-gandharvah--the Kinnaras and Gandharvas, inhabitants of various planets in the heavenly planetary system; tustuvuh--offered their respective prayers; siddha-caranah--the Siddhas and Caranas, other inhabitants of the heavenly planets; vidyadharyah ca--and the Vidyadharis, another group of inhabitants of the heavenly planets; nanrtuh--danced in transcendental bliss; apsarobhih--the Apsaras, beautiful dancers in the heavenly kingdom; samam--along with; muda--in great jubilation.
TRANSLATION
The Kinnaras and Gandharvas began to sing auspicious songs, the Siddhas and Caranas offered auspicious prayers, and the Vidyadharis, along with the Apsaras, began to dance in jubilation.
TEXTS 7-8
TEXT
mumucur munayo devah
sumanamsi mudanvitah
mandam mandam jaladhara
jagarjur anusagaram
nisithe tama-udbhute
jayamane janardane
devakyam deva-rupinyam
visnuh sarva-guha-sayah
avirasid yatha pracyam
disindur iva puskalah
SYNONYMS
mumucuh--showered; munayah--all the great sages and saintly persons; devah--and the demigods; sumanamsi--very beautiful and fragrant flowers; muda anvitah--being joyous in their attitude; mandam mandam--very mildly; jala-dharah--the clouds; jagarjuh--vibrated; anusagaram--following the vibrations of the sea waves; nisithe--late at night; tamah-udbhute--when it was densely dark; jayamane--on the appearance of; janardane--the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu; devakyam--in the womb of Devaki; deva-rupinyam--who was in the same category as the Supreme Personality of Godhead (ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhih); visnuh--Lord Visnu, the Supreme Lord; sarva-guha-sayah--who is situated in the core of everyone's heart; avirasit--appeared; yatha--as; pracyam disi--in the east; induh iva--like the full moon; puskalah--complete in every respect.
TRANSLATION
The demigods and great saintly persons showered flowers in a joyous mood, and clouds gathered in the sky and very mildly thundered, making sounds like those of the ocean's waves. Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, who is situated in the core of everyone's heart, appeared from the heart of Devaki in the dense darkness of night, like the full moon rising on the eastern horizon, because Devaki was of the same category as Sri Krsna.
PURPORT
As stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.37):
ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabhis
tabhir ya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih
goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhuto
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
This verse indicates that Krsna and His entourage are of the same spiritual potency (ananda-cinmaya-rasa). Krsna's father, His mother, His friends the cowherd boys, and the cows are all expansions of Krsna, as will be explained in the brahma-vimohana-lila. When Brahma took away Krsna's associates to test the supremacy of Lord Krsna, the Lord expanded Himself again in the forms of the many cowherd boys and calves, all of whom, as Brahma saw, were visnu-murtis. Devaki is also an expansion of Krsna, and therefore this verse says, devakyam deva-rupinyam visnuh sarva-guha-sayah.
At the time for the Lord's appearance, the great sages and the demigods, being pleased, began to shower flowers. At the seashore, there was the sound of mild waves, and above the sea there were clouds in the sky which began to thunder very pleasingly.
When things were adjusted like this, Lord Visnu, who is residing within the heart of every living entity, appeared in the darkness of night as the Supreme Personality of Godhead before Devaki, who appeared as one of the demigoddesses. The appearance of Lord Visnu at that time could be compared to the rising of the full moon in the sky on the eastern horizon. The objection may be raised that since Lord Krsna appeared on the eighth day of the waning moon, there could be no rising of the full moon. In answer to this it may be said that Lord Krsna appeared in the dynasty which is in the hierarchy of the moon; therefore, although the moon was incomplete on that night, because of the Lord's appearance in the dynasty wherein the moon is himself the original person, the moon was in an overjoyous condition, so by the grace of Krsna he could appear as a full moon. To welcome the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the waning moon became a full moon in jubilation.
Instead of deva-rupinyam, some texts of Srimad-Bhagavatam clearly say visnu-rupinyam. In either case, the meaning is that Devaki has the same spiritual form as the Lord. The Lord is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, and Devaki is also sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. Therefore no one can find any fault in the way the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, appeared from the womb of Devaki.
Those who are not in full knowledge that the appearance and disappearance of the Lord are transcendental (janma karma ca me divyam) are sometimes surprised that the Supreme Personality of Godhead can take birth like an ordinary child. Actually, however, the Lord's birth is never ordinary. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is already situated within the core of everyone's heart as antaryami, the Supersoul. Thus because He was present in full potency in Devaki's heart, He was also able to appear outside her body.
One of the twelve great personalities is Bhismadeva (svayambhur naradah sambhuh kumarah kapilo manuh prahlada, janako bhismah). In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.9.42), Bhisma, a great authority to be followed by devotees, says that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in the core of everyone's heart, just as the sun may be on everyone's head. Yet although the sun may be on the heads of millions and millions of people, this does not mean that the sun is variously situated. Similarly, because the Supreme Personality of Godhead has inconceivable potencies, He can be within everyone's heart and yet not be situated variously. Ekatvam anupasyatah (Isopanisad 7). The Lord is one, but He can appear in everyone's heart by His inconceivable potency. Thus although the Lord was within the heart of Devaki, He appeared as her child. According to the Visnu purana, therefore, as quoted in the Vaisnava-tosani, the Lord appeared like the sun (anugrahasaya). The Brahma-samhita (5.35) confirms that the Lord is situated even within the atom (andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham). He is situated in Mathura, in Vaikuntha and in the core of the heart. Therefore one should clearly understand that He did not live like an ordinary child in the heart or the womb of Devaki. Nor did He appear like an ordinary human child, although He seemed to do so in order to bewilder asuras like Kamsa. I he asuras wrongly think that Krsna took birth like an ordinary child and passed away from this world like an ordinary man. Such asuric conceptions are rejected by persons in knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ajo 'pi sann avyayatma bhutanam isvaro 'pi san (Bg. 4.6). As stated in Bhagavad-gita, the Lord is aja, unborn, and He is the supreme controller of everything. Nonetheless, He appeared as the child of Devaki. This verse describes the inconceivable potency of the Lord, who appeared like the full moon. Understanding the special significance of the appearance of the Supreme Godhead, one should never regard Him as having taken birth like an ordinary child.
TEXTS 9-10
TEXT
tam adbhutam balakam ambujeksanam
catur-bhujam sankha-gadady-udayudham
srivatsa-laksmam gala-sobhi-kaustubham
pitambaram sandra-payoda-saubhagam
maharha-vaidurya-kirita-kundala-
tvisa parisvakta-sahasra-kuntalam
uddama-kancy-angada-kankanadibhir
virocamanam vasudeva aiksata
SYNONYMS
tam--that; adbhutam--wonderful; balakam--child; ambuja-iksanam--with eyes resembling lotuses; catuh-bhujam--with four hands; sankha-gada-adi--bearing a conchshell, club, disc and lotus (in those four hands); udayudham--different weapons; srivatsa-laksmam--decorated with a particular type of hair called Srivatsa, which is visible only on the chest of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; gala-sobhi-kaustubham--on His neck was the Kaustubha gem, which is particularly available in Vaikunthaloka; pita-ambaram--His garments were yellow; sandra-payoda-saubhagam--very beautiful, being present with the hue of blackish clouds; maha-arha-vaidurya-kirita-kundala--of His helmet and earrings, which were studded with very valuable Vaidurya gems; tvisa--by the beauty; parisvakta-sahasra-kuntalam--brilliantly illuminated by scattered, fully grown hair; uddama-kanci-angada-kankana-adibhih--with a brilliant belt on His waist, armbands on His arms, bracelets on His wrists, etc.; virocamanam--very beautifully decorated; vasudevah--Vasudeva, the father of Krsna; aiksata--saw.
TRANSLATION
Vasudeva then saw the newborn child, who had very wonderful lotuslike eyes and who bore in His four hands the four weapons sankha, cakra, gada and padma. On His chest was the mark of Srivatsa and on His neck the brilliant Kaustubha gem. Dressed in yellow, His body blackish like a dense cloud, His scattered hair fully grown, and His helmet and earrings sparkling uncommonly with the valuable gem Vaidurya, the child, decorated with a brilliant belt, armlets, bangles and other ornaments, appeared very wonderful.
PURPORT
To support the word adbhutam, meaning "wonderful," the decorations and opulences of the newborn child are fully described. As confirmed in the Brahma-samhita (5.30), barhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam: the hue of the Lord's beautiful form resembles the blackish color of dense clouds (asita means "blackish," and ambuda means "cloud"). It is clear from the word catur-bhujam that Krsna first appeared with four hands, as Lord Visnu. No ordinary child in human society has ever been born with four hands. And when is a child born with fully grown hair? The descent of the Lord, therefore, is completely distinct from the birth of an ordinary child. The Vaidurya gem, which sometimes appears bluish, sometimes yellow and sometimes red, is available in Vaikunthaloka. The Lord's helmet and earrings were decorated with this particular gem.
TEXT 11
TEXT
sa vismayotphulla-vilocano harim
sutam vilokyanakadundubhis tada
krsnavatarotsava-sambhramo 'sprsan
muda dvijebhyo 'yutam apluto gavam
SYNONYMS
sah--he (Vasudeva, also known as Anakadundubhi); vismaya-utphulla-vilocanah--his eyes being struck with wonder at the beautiful appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; harim--Lord Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sutam--as his son; vilokya--observing; anakadundubhih--Vasudeva; tada--at that time; krsna-avatara-utsava--for a festival to be observed because of Krsna's appearance; sambhramah--wishing to welcome the Lord with great respect; asprsat--took advantage by distributing; muda--with great jubilation; dvijebhyah--to the brahmanas; ayutam--ten thousand; aplutah--overwhelmed, surcharged; gavam--cows.
TRANSLATION
When Vasudeva saw his extraordinary son, his eyes were struck with wonder. In transcendental jubilation, he mentally collected ten thousand cows and distributed them among the brahmanas as a transcendental festival.
PURPORT
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has analyzed the wonder of Vasudeva upon seeing his extraordinary child. Vasudeva was shivering with wonder to see a newborn child decorated so nicely with valuable garments and gems. He could immediately understand that the Supreme Personality of Godhead had appeared, not as an ordinary child but in His original, fully decorated, four-handed form. The first wonder was that the Lord was not afraid to appear within the prison house of Kamsa, where Vasudeva and Devaki were interned. Second, although the Lord, the Supreme Transcendence, is all-pervading, He had appeared from the womb of Devaki. The third point of wonder, therefore, was that a child could take birth from the womb so nicely decorated. Fourth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was Vasudeva's worshipable Deity yet had taken birth as his son. For all these reasons, Vasudeva was transcendentally jubilant, and he wanted to perform a festival, as ksatriyas do to celebrate the birth of a child, but because of his imprisonment he was unable to do it externally, and therefore he performed the festival within his mind. This was just as good. If one cannot externally serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can serve the Lord within one's mind, since the activities of the mind are as good as those of the other senses. This is called the nondual or absolute situation (advaya jnana). People generally perform ritualistic ceremonies for the birth of a child. Why then should Vasudeva not have performed such a ceremony when the Supreme Lord appeared as his son?
TEXT 12
TEXT
athainam astaud avadharya purusam
param natangah krta-dhih krtanjalih
sva-rocisa bharata sutika-grham
virocayantam gata-bhih prabhava-vit
SYNONYMS
atha--thereafter; enam--to the child; astaut--offered prayers; avadharya--understanding surely that the child was the Supreme Personality of Godhead; purusam--the Supreme Person; param--transcendental; nata-angah--falling down; krta-dhih--with concentrated attention; krta-anjalih--with folded hands; sva-rocisa--by the brilliance of His personal beauty; bharata--O Maharaja Pariksit, descendant of Maharaja Bharata; sutika-grham--the place where the Lord was born; virocayantam--illuminating all around; gata-bhih--all his fear disappeared; prabhava-vit--he could now understand the influence (of the Supreme Personality of Godhead).
TRANSLATION
O Maharaja Pariksit, descendant of King Bharata, Vasudeva could understand that this child was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana. Having concluded this without a doubt, he became fearless. Bowing down with folded hands and concentrating his attention, he began to offer prayers to the child, who illuminated His birthplace by His natural influence.
PURPORT
Struck with such great wonder, Vasudeva now concentrated his attention on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Understanding the influence of the Supreme Lord, he was surely fearless, since he understood that the Lord had appeared to give him protection (gata-bhih prabhava-vit). Understanding that the Supreme Personality of Godhead was present, he appropriately offered prayers as follows.
TEXT 13
TEXT
sri-vasudeva uvaca
vidito 'si bhavan saksat
purusah prakrteh parah
kevalanubhavananda-
svarupah sarva-buddhi-drk
SYNONYMS
sri-vasudevah uvaca--Sri Vasudeva prayed; viditah asi--now I am fully conscious of You; bhavan--Your Lordship; saksat--directly; purusah--the Supreme Person; prakrteh--to material nature; parah--transcendental, beyond everything material; kevala-anubhava-ananda-svarupah--Your form is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, and whoever perceives You becomes transcendentally blissful; sarva-buddhi-drk--the supreme observer, the Supersoul, the intelligence of everyone.
TRANSLATION
Vasudeva said: My Lord, You are the Supreme Person, beyond material existence, and You are the Supersoul. Your form can be perceived by transcendental knowledge, by which You can be understood as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I now understand Your position perfectly.
PURPORT
Within Vasudeva's heart, affection for his son and knowledge of the Supreme Lord's transcendental nature both awakened In the beginning Vasudeva thought, "Such a beautiful child has been born, but now Kamsa will come and kill Him." But when he understood that this was not an ordinary child but the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he became fearless. Regarding his son as the Supreme Lord, wonderful in everything, he began offering prayers appropriate for the Supreme Lord. Completely free from fear of Kamsa's atrocities, he accepted the child simultaneously as an object of affection and as an object of worship by prayers.
TEXT 14
TEXT
sa eva svaprakrtyedam
srstvagre tri-gunatmakam
tad anu tvam hy apravistah
pravista iva bhavyase
SYNONYMS
sah--He (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); eva--indeed; sva-prakrtya--by Your personal energy (mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram); idam--this material world; srstva--after creating; agre--in the beginning; tri-guna-atmakam--made of three modes of energy (sattva-rajas-tamo-guna); tat anu--thereafter; tvam--Your Lordship; hi--indeed; apravistah--although You did not enter; pravistah iva--You appear to have entered; bhavyase--are so understood.
TRANSLATION
My Lord, You are the same person who in the beginning created this material world by His personal external energy. After the creation of this world of three gunas [sattva, rajas and tamas], You appear to have entered it, although in fact You have not.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gita (7.4) the Supreme Personality of Godhead clearly explains:
bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh
kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakrtir astadha
This material world of three modes of nature--sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna--is a composition of earth, water, fire, air, mind, intelligence and false ego, all of which are energies coming from Krsna, yet Krsna, being always transcendental, is aloof from this material world. Those who are not in pure knowledge think that Krsna is a product of matter and that His body is material like ours (avajananti mam mudhah). In fact, however, Krsna is always aloof from this material world.
In the Vedic literature, we find the creation described in relationship to Maha-Visnu. As stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.35):
eko 'py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim
yac-chaktir asti jagad-anda-caya yad-antah
andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
"I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, the original Personality of Godhead. By His partial plenary expansion as Maha-Visnu, He enters into material nature. Then He enters every universe as Garbhodakasayi Visnu, and He enters all the elements, including every atom of matter, as Ksirodakasayi Visnu. Such manifestations of cosmic creation are innumerable, both in the universes and in the individual atoms." Govinda is partially exhibited as antaryami, the Supersoul, who enters this material world (andantara-stha) and who is also within the atom. The Brahma-samhita (5.48) further says:
yasyaika-nisvasita-kalam athavalambya
jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah
visnur mahan sa iha yasya kala-viseso
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
This verse describes Maha-Visnu as a plenary expansion of Krsna. Maha-Visnu lies on the Causal Ocean, and when He exhales, millions of brahmandas, or universes, come from the pores of His body. Then, when Maha-Visnu inhales, all these brahmandas disappear. Thus the millions of brahmandas controlled by the Brahmas and other demigods come and go in this material world through the breathing of Maha-Visnu.
Foolish persons think that when Krsna appears as the son of Vasudeva, He is limited like an ordinary child. But Vasudeva was aware that although the Lord had appeared as his son, the Lord had not entered Devaki's womb and then come out. Rather, the Lord was always there. The Supreme Lord is all-pervading, present within and without. pravista iva bhavyase: He only seemed to have entered the womb of Devaki and to have now appeared as Vasudeva's child. The expression of this knowledge by Vasudeva indicates that Vasudeva knew how these events took place. Vasudeva was certainly a devotee of the Lord in full knowledge, and we must learn from devotees like him. Bhagavad-gita (4.34) therefore recommends:
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth." Vasudeva begot the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yet he was in full knowledge of how the Supreme Lord appears and disappears. He was therefore tattva-darsi, a seer of the truth, because he personally saw how the Supreme Absolute Truth appeared as his son. Vasudeva was not in ignorance, thinking that because the Supreme Godhead had appeared as his son, the Lord had become limited. The Lord is unlimitedly existing and all-pervading, inside and outside. Thus there is no question of His appearance or disappearance.
TEXTS 15-17
TEXT
yatheme 'vikrta bhavas
tatha te vikrtaih saha
nana-viryah prthag-bhuta
virajam janayanti hi
sannipatya samutpadya
drsyante 'nugata iva
prag eva vidyamanatvan
na tesam iha sambhavah
evam bhavan buddhy-anumeya-laksanair
grahyair gunaih sann api tad-gunagrahah
anavrtatvad bahir antaram na te
sarvasya sarvatmana atma-vastunah
SYNONYMS
yatha--as; ime--these material creations, made of material energy; avikrtah--actually not disintegrated; bhavah--with such a conception; tatha--similarly; te--they; vikrtaih saha--association with these different elements coming from the total material energy; nana-viryah--every element is full of different energies; prthak--separated; bhutah--becoming; virajam--the whole cosmic manifestation; janayanti--create; hi--indeed; sannipatya--because of association with the spiritual energy; samutpadya--after being created; drsyante--they appear; anugatah--entered within it; iva--as if; prak--from the very beginning, before the creation of this cosmic manifestation; eva--indeed; vidyamanatvat--due to the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; na--not; tesam--of these material elements; iha--in this matter of creation; sambhavah--entering would have been possible; evam--in this way; bhavan--O my Lord; buddhi-anumeya-laksanaih--by real intelligence and by such symptoms; grahyaih--with the objects of the senses; gunaih--with the modes of material nature; san api--although in touch; tat-guna-agrahah--are not touched by the material qualities; anavrtatvat--because of being situated everywhere; bahih antaram--within the external and internal; na te--there is no such thing for You; sarvasya--of everything; sarva-atmanah--You are the root of everything; atma-vastunah--everything belongs to You, but You are outside and inside of everything.
TRANSLATION
The mahat-tattva, the total material energy, is undivided, but because of the material modes of nature, it appears to separate into earth, water, fire, air and ether. Because of the living energy [jiva-bhuta], these separated energies combine to make the cosmic manifestation visible, but in fact, before the creation of the cosmos, the total energy is already present. Therefore, the total material energy never actually enters the creation. Similarly, although You are perceived by our senses because of Your presence, You cannot be perceived by the senses, nor experienced by the mind or words [avan-manasa-gocara]. With our senses we can perceive some things, but not everything; for example, we can use our eyes to see, but not to taste. Consequently, You are beyond perception by the senses. Although in touch with the modes of material nature, You are unaffected by them. You are the prime factor in everything, the all-pervading, undivided Supersoul. For You, therefore, there is no external or internal. You never entered the womb of Devaki; rather, You existed there already.
PURPORT
This same understanding is explained by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (9.4):
maya tatam idam sarvam
jagad-avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na caham tesv avasthitah
"By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them."
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is not perceivable through the gross material senses. It is said that Lord Sri Krsna's name, fame, pastimes, etc., cannot be understood by material senses. Only to one who is engaged in pure devotional service under proper guidance is He revealed. As stated in Brahma-samhita (5.38):
premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti
One can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, always, within oneself and outside oneself, if one has developed the transcendental loving attitude toward Him. Thus for people in general, He is not visible. In the above-mentioned verse from Bhagavad-gita, therefore, it is said that although He is all-pervading, everywhere present, He is not conceivable by the material senses. But actually, although we cannot see Him, everything is resting in Him. As discussed in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, the entire material cosmic manifestation is only a combination of His two different energies, the superior, spiritual energy and the inferior, material energy. Just as the sunshine is spread all over the universe, the energy of the Lord is spread all over the creation, and everything is resting in that energy.
Yet one should not conclude that because He is spread all over He has lost His personal existence. To refute such arguments, the Lord says, "I am everywhere, and everything is in Me, but still I am aloof." For example, a king heads a government which is but the manifestation of the king's energy; the different governmental departments are nothing but the energies of the king, and each department is resting on the king's power. But still one cannot expect the king to be present in every department personally. That is a crude example. Similarly, all the manifestations that we see, and everything that exists, both in this material world and in the spiritual world, are resting on the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The creation takes place by the diffusion of His different energies, and, as stated in the Bhagavad-gita, He is everywhere present by His personal representation, the diffusion of His different energies.
One may argue that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who creates the whole cosmic manifestation simply by His glance, cannot come within the womb of Devaki, the wife of Vasudeva. To eradicate this argument, Vasudeva said, "My dear Lord, it is not very wonderful that You appeared within the womb of Devaki, for the creation was also made in that way. You were lying in the Causal Ocean as Maha-Visnu, and by Your breathing, innumerable universes came into existence. Then You entered into each of the universes as Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Then again You expanded Yourself as Ksirodakasayi Visnu and entered into the heart of all living entities and entered even within the atoms. Therefore Your entrance into the womb of Devaki is understandable in the same way. You appear to have entered, but You are simultaneously all-pervading. We can understand Your entrance and nonentrance from material examples. The total material energy remains intact even after being divided into sixteen elements. The material body is nothing but a combination of the five gross elements--namely earth, water, fire, air and ether. Whenever there is a material body, it appears that such elements are newly created, but actually the elements are always existing outside of the body. Similarly, although You appear as a child in the womb of Devaki, You are also existing outside. You are always in Your abode, but still You can simultaneously expand Yourself into millions of forms.
"One has to understand Your appearance with great intelligence because the material energy is also emanating from You. You are the original source of the material energy, just as the sun is the source of the sunshine. The sunshine cannot cover the sun globe, nor can the material energy--being an emanation from You--cover You. You appear to be in the three modes of material energy, but actually the three modes of material energy cannot cover You. This is understood by the highly intellectual philosophers. In other words, although You appear to be within the material energy, You are never covered by it."
We hear from the Vedic version that the Supreme Brahman exhibits His effulgence and therefore everything is illuminated. We can understand from Brahma-samhita that the brahmajyoti, or the Brahman effulgence, emanates from the body of the Supreme Lord. And from the Brahman effulgence, all creation takes place. It is further stated in the Bhagavad-gita that the Lord is the support of the Brahman effulgence. Originally He is the root cause of everything. But persons who are less intelligent think that when the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes within this material world, He accepts material qualities. Such conclusions are not mature, but are, made by the less intelligent.
TEXT 18
TEXT
ya atmano drsya-gunesu sann iti
vyavasyate sva-vyatirekato 'budhah
vinanuvadam na ca tan manisitam
samyag yatas tyaktam upadadat puman
SYNONYMS
yah--anyone who; atmanah--of his own real identity, the soul; drsya-gunesu--among the visible objects, beginning with the body; san--being situated in that position; iti--thus; vyavasyate--continues to act; sva-vyatirekatah--as if the body were independent of the soul; abudhah--a rascal; vina anuvadam--without proper analytical study; na--not; ca--also; tat--the body and other visible objects; manisitam--such considerations having been discussed; samyak--fully; yatah--because he is a fool; tyaktam--are rejected; upadadat--accepts this body as reality; puman--a person.
TRANSLATION
One who considers his visible body, which is a product of the three modes of nature, to be independent of the soul is unaware of the basis of existence, and therefore he is a rascal. Those who are learned have rejected his conclusion because one can understand through full discussion that with no basis in soul, the visible body and senses would be insubstantial. Nonetheless, although his conclusion has been rejected, a foolish person considers it a reality.
PURPORT
Without the basic principle of soul, the body cannot be produced. So-called scientists have tried in many ways to produce a living body in their chemical laboratories, but no one has been able to do it because unless the spirit soul is present, a body cannot be prepared from material elements. Since scientists are now enamored of theories about the chemical composition of the body, we have challenged many scientists to make even a small egg. The chemicals in eggs can be found very easily. There is a white substance and a yellow substance, covered by a shell, and modern scientists should very easily be able to duplicate all this. But even if they were to prepare such an egg and put it in an incubator, this man-made chemical egg would not produce a chicken. The soul must be added because there is no question of a chemical combination for life. Those who think that life can exist without the soul have therefore been described here as abudhah, foolish rascals.
Again, there are those who reject the body, regarding it as insubstantial. They are of the same category of fools. One can neither reject the body nor accept it as substantial. The substance is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and both the body and the soul are energies of the Supreme Godhead, as described by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (7.4-5):
bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh
kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakrtir astadha
apareyam itas tv anyam
prakrtim viddhi me param
jiva-bhutam maha-baho
yayedam dharyate jagat
"Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego--all together these eight comprise My separated material energies. But besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which consists of all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe."
The body, therefore, has a relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just as the soul does. Since both of them are energies of the Lord, neither of them is false, because they come from the reality. One who does not know this secret of life is described as abudhah. According to the Vedic injunctions, aitadatmyam idam sarvam, sarvam khalv idam brahma: everything is the Supreme Brahman. Therefore, both the body and the soul are Brahman, since matter and spirit emanate from Brahman.
Not knowing the conclusions of the Vedas, some people accept the material nature as substance, and others accept the spirit soul as substance, but actually Brahman is the substance. Brahman is the cause of all causes. The ingredients and the immediate cause of this manifested material world are Brahman, and we cannot make the ingredients of this world independent of Brahman. Furthermore, since the ingredients and the immediate cause of this material manifestation are Brahman, both of them are truth, satya; there is no validity to the expression brahma satyam jagan mithya. The world is not false.
Jnanis reject this world, and foolish persons accept this world as reality, and in this way they are both misguided. Although the body is not as important as the soul, we cannot say that it is false. Yet the body is temporary, and only foolish, materialistic persons, who do not have full knowledge of the soul, regard the temporary body as reality and engage in decorating this body. Both of these pitfalls--rejection of the body as false and acceptance of the body as all in all--can be avoided when one is fully situated in Krsna consciousness. If we regard this world as false, we fall into the category of asuras, who say that this world is unreal, with no foundation and no God in control (asatyam apratistham te jagad ahur anisvaram). As described in the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita, this is the conclusion of demons.
TEXT 19
TEXT
tvatto 'sya janma-sthiti-samyaman vibho
vadanty anihad agunad avikriyat
tvayisvare brahmani no virudhyate
tvad-asrayatvad upacaryate gunaih
SYNONYMS
tvattah--are from Your Lordship; asya--of the entire cosmic manifestation; janma--the creation; sthiti--maintenance; samyaman--and annihilation; vibho--O my Lord; vadanti--the learned Vedic scholars conclude; anihat--who are free from endeavor; agunat--who are unaffected by the modes of material nature; avikriyat--who are unchanging in Your spiritual situation; tvayi--in You; isvare--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; brahmani--who are Parabrahman, the Supreme Brahman; no--not; virudhyate--there is a contradiction; tvat-asrayatvat--because of being controlled by You; upacaryate--things are going on automatically; gunaih--by the operation of the material modes.
TRANSLATION
O my Lord, learned Vedic scholars conclude that the creation, maintenance and annihilation of the entire cosmic manifestation are performed by You, who are free from endeavor, unaffected by the modes of material nature, and changeless in Your spiritual situation. There are no contradictions in You, who are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Parabrahman. Because the three modes of material nature--sattva, rajas and tamas--are under Your control, everything takes place automatically.
PURPORT
As stated in the Vedas:
na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate
na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate
parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate
svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca
"The Supreme Lord has nothing to do, and no one is found to be equal to or greater than Him, for everything is done naturally and systematically by His multifarious energies." (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.8) Creation, maintenance and annihilation are all conducted personally by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram). Yet ultimately the Lord does not need to do anything, and therefore He is nirvikara, changeless. Because everything is done under His direction, He is called srsti-karta, the master of creation. Similarly, He is the master of annihilation. When a master sits in one place while his servants work in different duties, whatever the servants are doing is ultimately an activity of the master, although he is doing nothing (na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate). The Lord's potencies are so numerous that everything is nicely done. Therefore, He is naturally still and is not directly the doer of anything in this material world.
TEXT 20
TEXT
sa tvam tri-loka-sthitaye sva-mayaya
bibharsi suklam khalu varnam atmanah
sargaya raktam rajasopabrmhitam
krsnam ca varnam tamasa janatyaye
SYNONYMS
sah tvam--Your Lordship, who are the same person, the Transcendence; tri-loka-sthitaye--to maintain the three worlds, the upper, middle and lower planetary systems; sva-mayaya--by Your personal energy (atma-mayaya); bibharsi--assume; suklam--the white form of Visnu in goodness; khalu--as well as; varnam--color; atmanah--of the same category as You (visnu-tattva); sargaya--for the creation of the entire world; raktam--the reddish color of rajo-guna; rajasa--with the quality of passion; upabrmhitam--being charged; krsnam ca--and the quality of darkness; varnam--the color; tamasa--which is surrounded by ignorance; jana-atyaye--for the ultimate destruction of the entire creation.
TRANSLATION
My Lord, Your form is transcendental to the three material modes, yet for the maintenance of the three worlds, You assume the white color of Visnu in goodness; for creation, which is surrounded by the quality of passion, You appear reddish; and at the end, when there is a need for annihilation, which is surrounded by ignorance, You appear blackish.
PURPORT
Vasudeva prayed to the Lord, "You are called suklam. Suklam, or 'whiteness,' is the symbolic representation of the Absolute Truth because it is unaffected by the material qualities. Lord Brahma is called rakta, or red, because Brahma represents the qualities of passion for creation. Darkness is entrusted to Lord Siva because he annihilates the cosmos. The creation, annihilation and maintenance of this cosmic manifestation are conducted by Your potencies, yet You are always unaffected by those qualities." As confirmed in the Vedas, harir hi nirgunah saksat: the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always free from all material qualities. It is also said that the qualities of passion and ignorance are nonexistent in the person of the Supreme Lord.
In this verse, the three colors mentioned--sukla, rakta and krsna--are not to be understood literally, in terms of what we experience with our senses, but rather as representatives of sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna. After all, sometimes we see that a duck is white, although it is in tamo-guna, the mode of ignorance. Illustrating the logic called bakandha-nyaya, the duck is such a fool that it runs after the testicles of a bull, thinking them to be a hanging fish that can be taken when it drops. Thus the duck is always in darkness. Vyasadeva, however, the compiler of the Vedic literature, is blackish, but this does not mean that he is in tamo-guna; rather, he is in the highest position of sattva-guna, beyond the material modes of nature. Sometimes these colors (sukla-raktas tatha pitah) are used to designate the brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras. Lord Ksirodakasayi Visnu is celebrated as possessing a blackish color, Lord Siva is whitish, and Lord Brahma is reddish, but according to Srila Sanatana Gosvami in the Vaisnava-tosani-tika, this exhibition of colors is not what is referred to here.
The real understanding of sukla, rakta and krsna is as follows. The Lord is always transcendental, but for the sake of creation He assumes the color rakta as Lord Brahma. Again, sometimes the Lord becomes angry. As He says in Bhagavad-gita (16.19):
tan aham dvisatah kruran
samsaresu naradhaman
ksipamy ajasram asubhan
asurisv eva yonisu
"Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life." To destroy the demons, the Lord becomes angry, and therefore He assumes the form of Lord Siva. In summary, the Supreme personality of Godhead is always beyond the material qualities, and we should not be misled into thinking otherwise simply because of sense perception. One must understand the position of the Lord through the authorities, or mahajanas. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.28), ete camsa-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam.
TEXT 21
TEXT
tvam asya lokasya vibho riraksisur
grhe 'vatirno 'si mamakhilesvara
rajanya-samjnasura-koti-yuthapair
nirvyuhyamana nihanisyase camuh
SYNONYMS
tvam--Your Lordship; asya--of this world; lokasya--especially of this martya-loka, the planet earth; vibho--O Supreme; riraksisuh--desiring protection (from the disturbance of the asuras); grhe--in this house; avatirnah asi--have now appeared; mama--my; akhila-isvara--although You are the proprietor of the entire creation; rajanya-samjna-asura-koti-yutha-paih--with millions of demons and their followers in the roles of politicians and kings; nirvyuhyamanah--which are moving here and there all over the world; nihanisyase--will kill; camuh--the armies, paraphernalia, soldiers and retinues.
TRANSLATION
O my Lord, proprietor of all creation, You have now appeared in my house, desiring to protect this world. I am sure that You will kill all the armies that are moving all over the world under the leadership of politicians who are dressed as ksatriya rulers but who are factually demons. They must be killed by You for the protection of the innocent public.
PURPORT
Krsna appears in this world for two purposes, paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam: to protect the innocent, religious devotees of the Lord and to annihilate all the uneducated, uncultured asuras, who unnecessarily bark like dogs and fight among themselves for political power. It is said, kali-kale nama-rupe krsna avatara. The Hare Krsna movement is also an incarnation of Krsna in the form of the holy name (nama-rupe). Every one of us who is actually afraid of the asuric rulers and politicians must welcome this incarnation of Krsna: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Then we will surely be protected from the harassment of asuric rulers. At the present moment these rulers are so powerful that by hook or by crook they capture the highest posts in government and harass countless numbers of people on the plea of national security or some emergency. Then again, one asura defeats another asura, but the public continues to suffer. Therefore the entire world is in a precarious condition, and the only hope is this Hare Krsna movement. Lord Nrsimhadeva appeared when Prahlada was excessively harassed by his asuric father. Because of such asuric fathers--that is, the ruling politicians--it is very difficult to press forward the Hare Krsna movement, but because Krsna has now appeared in His holy name through this movement, we can hope that these asuric fathers will be annihilated and the kingdom of God established all over the world. The entire world is now full of many asuras in the guise of politicians, gurus, sadhus, yogis and incarnations, and they are misleading the general public away from Krsna consciousness, which can offer true benefit to human society.
TEXT 22
TEXT
ayam tv asabhyas tava janma nau grhe
srutvagrajams te nyavadhit suresvara
sa te 'vataram purusaih samarpitam
srutvadhunaivabhisaraty udayudhah
SYNONYMS
ayam--this (rascal); tu--but; asabhyah--who is not civilized at all (asura means "uncivilized," and sura means "civilized"); tava--of Your Lordship; janma--the birth; nau--our; grhe--into the home; srutva--after hearing; agrajan te--all the brothers born before You; nyavadhit--killed; sura-isvara--O Lord of the suras, the civilized persons; sah--he (that uncivilized Kamsa); te--Your; avataram--appearance; purusaih--by his lieutenants; samarpitam--being informed of; srutva--after hearing; adhuna--now; eva--indeed; abhisarati--will come immediately; udayudhah--with raised weapons.
TRANSLATION
O my Lord, Lord of the demigods, after hearing the prophecy that You would take birth in our home and kill him, this uncivilized Kamsa killed so many of Your elder brothers. As soon as he hears from his lieutenants that You have appeared, he will immediately come with weapons to kill You.
PURPORT
Kamsa has here been described as asabhya, meaning "uncivilized" or "most heinous," because he killed the many children of his sister. When he heard the prophecy that he would be killed by her eighth son, this uncivilized man, Kamsa, was immediately ready to kill his innocent sister on the occasion of her marriage. An uncivilized man can do anything for the satisfaction of his senses. He can kill children, he can kill cows, he can kill brahmanas, he can kill old men; he has no mercy for anyone. According to the Vedic civilization, cows, women, children, old men and brahmanas should be excused if they are at fault. But asuras, uncivilized men, do not care about that. At the present moment, the killing of cows and the killing of children is going on unrestrictedly, and therefore this civilization is not at all human, and those who are conducting this condemned civilization are uncivilized asuras.
Such uncivilized men are not in favor of the Krsna consciousness movement. As public officers, they declare without hesitation that the chanting of the Hare Krsna movement is a nuisance, although Bhagavad-gita clearly says, satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah. According to this verse, it is the duty of the mahatmas to chant the Hare Krsna mantra and try to spread it all over the world to the best of their ability. Unfortunately, society is in such an uncivilized state that there are so-called mahatmas who are prepared to kill cows and children and stop the Hare Krsna movement. Such uncivilized activities were actually demonstrated in opposition to the Hare Krsna movement's Bombay center, Hare Krsna Land. As Kamsa was not expected to kill the beautiful child of Devaki and Vasudeva, the uncivilized society, although unhappy about the advancement of the Krsna consciousness movement, cannot be expected to stop it. Yet we must face many difficulties in many different ways. Although Krsna cannot be killed, Vasudeva, as the father of Krsna, was trembling because in affection he thought that Kamsa would immediately come and kill his son. Similarly, although the Krsna consciousness movement and Krsna are not different and no asuras can check it, we are afraid that at any moment the asuras can stop this movement in any part of the world.
TEXT 23
TEXT
sri-suka uvaca
athainam atmajam viksya
maha-purusa-laksanam
devaki tam upadhavat
kamsad bhita suvismita
SYNONYMS
sri-sukah uvaca--Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; atha--after this offering of prayers by Vasudeva; enam--this Krsna; atmajam--their son; viksya--observing; maha-purusa-laksanam--with all the symptoms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu; devaki--Krsna's mother; tam--unto Him (Krsna); upadhavat--offered prayers; kamsat--of Kamsa; bhita--being afraid; su-vismita--and also being astonished by seeing such a wonderful child.
TRANSLATION
Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Thereafter, having seen that her child had all the symptoms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Devaki, who was very much afraid of Kamsa and unusually astonished, began to offer prayers to the Lord.
PURPORT
The word suvismita, meaning "astonished," is significant in this verse. Devaki and her husband, Vasudeva, were assured that their child was the Supreme Personality of Godhead and could not be killed by Kamsa, but because of affection, as they thought of Kamsa's previous atrocities, they were simultaneously afraid that Krsna would be killed. This is why the word suvismita has been used. Similarly, we are also astounded upon thinking of whether this movement will be killed by the asuras or will continue to advance without fear.
TEXT 24
TEXT
sri-devaky uvaca
rupam yat tat prahur avyaktam adyam
brahma jyotir nirgunam nirvikaram
satta-matram nirvisesam niriham
sa tvam saksad visnur adhyatma-dipah
SYNONYMS
sri-devaki uvaca--Sri Devaki said; rupam--form or substance; yat tat--because You are the same substance; prahuh--You are sometimes called; avyaktam--not perceivable by the material senses (atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih); adyam--You are the original cause; brahma--You are known as Brahman; jyotih--light; nirgunam--without material qualities; nirvikaram--without change, the same form of Visnu perpetually; satta-matram--the original substance, the cause of everything; nirvisesam--You are present everywhere as the Supersoul (within the heart of a human being and within the heart of an animal, the same substance is present); niriham--without material desires; sah--that Supreme Person; tvam--Your Lordship; saksat--directly; visnuh--Lord Visnu; adhyatma-dipah--the light for all transcendental knowledge (knowing You, one knows everything: yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati).
TRANSLATION
Sri Devaki said: My dear Lord, there are different Vedas, some of which describe You as unperceivable through words and the mind. Yet You are the origin of the entire cosmic manifestation. You are Brahman, the greatest of everything, full of effulgence like the sun. You have no material cause, You are free from change and deviation, and You have no material desires. Thus the Vedas say that You are the substance. Therefore, my Lord, You are directly the origin of all Vedic statements, and by understanding You, one gradually understands everything. You are different from the light of Brahman and Paramatma, yet You are not different from them. Everything emanates from You. Indeed, You are the cause of all causes, Lord Visnu, the light of all transcendental knowledge.
PURPORT
Visnu is the origin of everything, and there is no difference between Lord Visnu and Lord Krsna because both of Them are visnu-tattva. From the Rg Veda we understand, om tad visnoh paramam padam: the original substance is the all-pervading Lord Visnu, who is also Paramatma and the effulgent Brahman. The living entities are also part and parcel of Visnu, who has various energies (parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca). Visnu, or Krsna, is therefore everything. Lord Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita (10.8), aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate: "I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me." Krsna, therefore, is the original cause of everything (sarva-karana-karanam). When Visnu expands in His all-pervading aspect, we should understand Him to be the nirakara-nirvisesa-brahmajyoti.
Although everything emanates from Krsna, He is ultimately a person. Aham adir hi devanam: He is the origin of Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara, and from them many other demigods are manifested. Krsna therefore says in Bhagavad-gita (14.27), brahmano hi pratisthaham; "Brahman rests upon Me." The Lord also says:
ye 'py anya-devata-bhakta
yajante sraddhayanvitah
te 'pi mam eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-purvakam
"Whatever a man may sacrifice to other gods, O son of Kunti, is really meant for Me alone, but it is offered without true understanding." (Bg. 9.23) There are many persons who worship different demigods, considering all of them to be separate gods, which in fact they are not. The fact is that every demigod, and every living entity, is part and parcel of Krsna (mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah). The demigods are also in the category of living entities; they are not separate gods. But men whose knowledge is immature and contaminated by the modes of material nature worship various demigods, according to their intelligence. Therefore they are rebuked in Bhagavad-gita (kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah prapadyante 'nya-devatah). Because they are unintelligent and not very advanced and have not properly considered the truth, they take to the worship of various demigods or speculate according to various philosophies, such as the Mayavada philosophy.
Krsna, Visnu, is the actual origin of everything. As stated in the Vedas, yasya bhasa sarvam idam vibhati. The Absolute Truth is described later in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.28.15) as satyam jnanam anantam yad brahma-jyotih sanatanam. The brahmajyoti is sanatana, eternal, yet it is dependent on Krsna (brahmano hi pratisthaham). The Brahma-samhita states that the Lord is all-pervading. Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham: He is within this universe, and He is within the atom as Paramatma. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti-kotisv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhu-ti-bhinnam: Brahman is also not independent of Him. Therefore whatever a philosopher may describe is ultimately Krsna, or Lord Visnu (sarvam khalv idam brahma, param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan). According to different phases of understanding, Lord Visnu is differently described, but in fact He is the origin of everything.
Because Devaki was an unalloyed devotee, she could understand that the same Lord Visnu had appeared as her son. Therefore, after the prayers of Vasudeva, Devaki offered her prayers. She was very frightened because of her brother's atrocities. Devaki said, "My dear Lord, Your eternal forms, like Narayana, Lord Rama, Sesa, Varaha, Nrsimha, Vamana, Baladeva, and millions of similar incarnations emanating from Visnu, are described in the Vedic literature as original. You are original because all Your forms as incarnations are outside of this material creation. Your form was existing before this cosmic manifestation was created. Your forms are eternal and all-pervading. They are self-effulgent, changeless and uncontaminated by the material qualities. Such eternal forms are ever-cognizant and full of bliss; they are situated in transcendental goodness and are always engaged in different pastimes. You are not limited to a particular form only; all such transcendental, eternal forms are self-sufficient. I can understand that You are the Supreme Lord Visnu." We may conclude, therefore, that Lord Visnu is everything, although He is also different from everything. This is the acintya-bhedabheda-tattva philosophy.
TEXT 25
TEXT
naste loke dvi-parardhavasane
maha-bhutesv adi-bhutam gatesu
vyakte 'vyaktam kala-vegena yate
bhavan ekah sisyate 'sesa-samjnah
SYNONYMS
naste--after the annihilation; loke--of the cosmic manifestation; dvi-parardha-avasane--after millions and millions of years (the life of Brahma); maha-bhutesu--when the five primary elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether); adi-bhutam gatesu--enter within the subtle elements of sense perception; vyakte--when everything manifested; avyaktam--into the unmanifested; kala-vegena--by the force of time; yate--enters; bhavan--Your Lordship; ekah--only one; sisyate--remains; asesa-samjnah--the same one with different names.
TRANSLATION
After millions of years, at the time of cosmic annihilation, when everything, manifested and unmanifested, is annihilated by the force of time, the five gross elements enter into the subtle conception, and the manifested categories enter into the unmanifested substance. At that time, You alone remain, and You are known as Ananta Sesa-naga.
PURPORT
At the time of annihilation, the five gross elements--earth, water, fire, air and ether--enter into the mind, intelligence and false ego (ahankara), and the entire cosmic manifestation enters into the spiritual energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who alone remains as the origin of everything. The Lord is therefore known as Sesa-naga, as Adi-purusa and by many other names.
Devaki therefore prayed, "After many millions of years, when Lord Brahma comes to the end of his life, the annihilation of the cosmic manifestation takes place. At that time the five elements--namely earth, water, fire, air and ether--enter into the mahat-tattva. The mahat-tattva again enters, by the force of time, into the nonmanifested total material energy; the total material energy enters into the energetic pradhana, and the pradhana enters into You. Therefore after the annihilation of the whole cosmic manifestation, You alone remain with Your transcendental name, form, quality and paraphernalia.
"My Lord, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You because You are the director of the unmanifested total energy, and the ultimate reservoir of the material nature. My Lord, the whole cosmic manifestation is under the influence of time, beginning from the moment up to the duration of the year. All act under Your direction. You are the original director of everything and the reservoir of all potent energies."
TEXT 26
TEXT
yo 'yam kalas tasya te 'vyakta-bandho
cestam ahus cestate yena visvam
nimesadir vatsaranto mahiyams
tam tvesanam ksema-dhama prapadye
SYNONYMS
yah--that which; ayam--this; kalah--time (minutes, hours, seconds); tasya--of Him; te--of You; avyakta-bandho--O my Lord, You are the inaugurator of the unmanifested (the original mahat-tattva or prakrti); cestam--attempt or pastimes; ahuh--it is said; cestate--works; yena--by which; visvam--the entire creation; nimesa-adih--beginning with minute parts of time; vatsara-antah--up to the limit of a year; mahiyan--powerful; tam--unto Your Lordship; tva isanam--unto You, the supreme controller; ksema-dhama--the reservoir of all auspiciousness; prapadye--I offer full surrender.
TRANSLATION
O inaugurator of the material energy, this wonderful creation works under the control of powerful time, which is divided into seconds, minutes, hours and years. This element of time, which extends for many millions of years, is but another form of Lord Visnu. For Your pastimes, You act as the controller of time, but You are the reservoir of all good fortune. Let me offer my full surrender unto Your Lordship.
PURPORT
As stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.52):
yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam
raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah
ya