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The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Africa (BBT) hosted the 10th Annual Bhaktivedanta Swami Lecture, presented in honour of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977), the founder of ISKCON and the BBT. His literary contribution continues to be appreciated by global audiences for his Vedic commentary on national priorities like education and leadership. ย The […]
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In commemoration of the departure of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on the Jaladhuta. O Prabhupada You are a treasure Who has brought the Treasure You are eternally wakeful Calling the sleepers to awaken You are the Vaikuntha traveler Transversing the world First in your vapu and then your vani You are the […]
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By Mayapur Sasi dasaFor the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of July 2023. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Individuals, Monthly Top 5, Cumulative Countries, Cumulative Temples, Cumulative Top 100 Individuals, Cumulative Top 5
Continue reading "North American Sankirtan Newsletter July 2023
โ Dandavats"
Today is the appearance day of Lord Balarama, the Personality of Godhead who is the first expansion of Lord Krishna, the original Personality of Godhead. Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gita (4.7):
yada yada hi dharmasya
ย glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
ย tadatmanam srjamy aham
โWhenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligionโat that time I descend Myself.โ
Krishna says, srjamy aham: โI manifest Myself.โ He doesnโt take birth like an ordinary human being but manifests Himself in His original spiritual form. For what purpose?
paritranaya sadhunam
ย vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
ย sambhavami yuge yuge
โTo deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.โ (Gita 4.8) He manifests Himself to protect the devotees, annihilate the demons, and reestablish the principles of religion.
In every sphere of activity in the material world there is deteriorationโeverything declines. For example, a new house is very nice, but it gradually deteriorates, and eventually, when too old, it has to be rebuilt. Similarly, over time our performance of spiritual duties deteriorates, whether we are individuals, families, communities, or a society. And so the Lord comes repeatedly to reestablish religious practice. He appears in order to establish religious principles (dharma), but over time religious practice declines, and so He manifests Himself again and again. We all know how prone we are to allow our practice to deteriorate. Thus, on auspicious occasions like today, Lord Balaramaโs appearance day,we can pray to the Lord to manifest Himself and help us to become reestablished in our religious principles and practice.
What Lord Krishna said in the two verses quoted from the Bhagavad-gita is explained elaborately in Srimad-Bhagavatam: When the earth was overburdened by demonic rulers who had amassed large military forces armed with deadly weapons to wage war for personal gain, Lord Brahma, the chief of the demigods in this universe, approached the shore of the ocean of milk. There, accompanied by Lord Shiva and other celestial beings, he worshipped Lord Vishnu, the supreme God of all gods. And in response, Lord Vishnu imparted instructions, which Lord Brahma in turn conveyed to the demigods. He told them that very soon the Lord would appear on earth to diminish the burden of the world and that the demigods, to assist Him, should take birth in the Yadu dynasty. Lord Brahma further stated that Lord Balarama, who is also known as Sankarsana, would precede the Lord and serve Him in every respect:
vasudeva-kalanantah
ย sahasra-vadanah svarat
agrato bhavita devo
ย hareh priya-cikirsaya
โThe foremost manifestation of Krsna is Sankarsana, who is known as Ananta. He is the origin of all incarnations within this material world. Previous to the appearance of Lord Krsna, this original Sankarsana will appear as Baladeva, just to please the Supreme Lord Krsna in His transcendental pastimes.โ (SB 10.1.24)
Lord Brahma told them as well that Yogamaya, the personal potency of the Lord, would also appear and assist the Lord in His mission.
Preceding the appearance of Krishna and Balarama, Vasudeva, a great devotee in the Yadu dynasty, wedded Devaki, another pure devotee. After their marriage, Vasudeva mounted his chariot with his bride to return home, and Devakiโs brother Kamsa, to please his sister, took the reins of the horses to drive the chariot. Along the way, Kamsa heard a voice from an invisible source, which told him, โYou fool, the eighth child of the woman you are carrying will kill you!โ
Kamsa, a great demon, became enraged and was ready to kill his own sister on the day of her marriage. But Vasudeva intervened and appealed to him to desist. He said, โHow could a qualified person like you kill a womanโyour own sisterโon the occasion of her marriage? In any case, one day you will die, and in your next life you will have to suffer the reactions to your present activities.โ Still, Kamsa was so shameless and cruel that he persisted, and Vasudeva, to save his wife from imminent death, told him, โYou have nothing to fear from Devaki. According to the omen, it is her son who will kill you. So I promise to deliver all her sons, who are the cause of your fear, into your hands.โ Kamsa, having faith in Vasudevaโs word, was pacified. Still, he imprisoned Vasudeva and Devaki. And year after year, as their children were born, Vasudeva dutifully delivered them to Kamsa, who mercilessly killed them.
Now we shall read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Ten, Chapter Two: โPrayers by the Demigods.โ
TEXT 7
gaccha devi vrajam bhadre
ย gopa-gobhir alankrtam
rohini vasudevasya
ย ย bharyaste nanda-gokule
anyas ca kamsa-samvigna
ย vivaresu vasanti hi
TRANSLATION
The Lord ordered Yogamaya: O My potency, who are worshipable for the entire world and whose nature is to bestow good fortune upon all living entities, go to Vraja, where there live many cowherd men and their wives. In that very beautiful land, where many cows reside, Rohini, the wife of Vasudeva, is living at the home of Nanda Maharaja. Other wives of Vasudeva are also living there incognito because of fear of Kamsa. Please go there.
PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada
Nanda-gokula, the residence of King Nanda, was itself very beautiful, but when Yogamaya was ordered to go there and encourage the devotees with fearlessness, it became even more beautiful and safe. Because Yogamaya had the ability to create such an atmosphere, the Lord ordered her to go to Nanda-gokula.
COMMENT by Giriraj Swami
King Kamsa was such a demon that he was performing all sorts of atrocities, and Vasudeva was afraid for the safety of his wives. In Vedic culture, the kshatriyas were allowed to have more than one wife. Now that idea seems a bit foreign or odd, but it had its purpose in Vedic civilization. The kshatriyas then were powerful; they could maintain many wives. But, as predicted in Srimad-Bhagavatam, as the present age of Kali progresses, or deteriorates, a husband will have to struggle just to maintain one wife, one family, and if he is somehow able to do so nicely, he is considered a great success in life.
Previously, people were more qualified. They were more opulent. The kshatriyas could have more than one wife, though Lord Ramachandra took eka-patni-vrata, a vow to accept only one wifeโSitadevi. Vasudeva had more than one wife, but he was responsible. He didnโt want any harm to befall any of them, and he arranged for their protection. Vasudeva and Devaki had relatives, who were also family friends, in GokulaโNanda and Yasoda. And so Vasudeva placed one of his wives, Rohini, under the care of Nanda and Yasoda. And after Balarama had entered the womb of Devaki, Lord Krishna ordered Yogamaya to transfer Him from the womb of Devaki into the womb of Rohini.
TEXT 8
devakya jathare garbham
ย sesakhyam dhama mamakam
tat sannikrsya rohinya
ย udare sannivesaya
TRANSLATION
Within the womb of Devaki is My partial plenary expansion known as Sankarsana or Sesa. Without difficulty, transfer Him into the womb of Rohini.
PURPORT
The first plenary expansion of Krsna is Baladeva, also known as Sesa. The Sesa incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead supports the entire universe, and the eternal mother of this incarnation is Mother Rohini. โBecause I am going into the womb of Devaki,โ the Lord told Yogamaya, โthe Sesa incarnation has already gone there and made suitable arrangements so that I may live there. Now He should enter the womb of Rohini, His eternal mother.โ
In this connection, one may ask how the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is always situated transcendentally, could enter the womb of Devaki, which had previously been entered by the six asuras, the sad-garbhas. Does this mean that the sad-garbhasuras were equal to the transcendental body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? The following answer is given by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura.
COMMENT
As promised, Vasudeva delivered Devakiโs first six sons to Kamsa, who killed them one after the other. They were actually the six asuras who, because of events from their past life, had taken birth in Devakiโs womb to be killed by Kamsa. So, the question is, Krishna is going to enter the womb of Devakiโdoes that mean He is on the same level as these asuras who took birth from her womb and were killed by Kamsa? Visvanatha Cakravarti explains:
PURPORT (continued)
The entire creation, as well as its individual parts, is an expansion of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, even though the Lord enters the material world, He does not do so. This is explained by the Lord Himself in the Bhagavad-gita (9.4โ5):
maya tatam idam sarvam
ย jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
ย na caham tesv avasthitah
ย na ca mat-sthani bhutani
ย pasya me yogam aisvaram
bhuta-bhrn na ca bhuta-stho
ย mamatma bhuta-bhavanah
COMMENT
The idea is that the Lord is everywhere within His creation but at the same time is not there. This appears to be contradictory. The contradiction is resolved, however, when we understand that the Lord in His original form as Krishna in Goloka Vrindavan is not in the material creation; He remains aloof, in His divine abode, enjoying sublime pastimes with His loving devotees. Still, by His expansion as the Supersoul, the Paramatma, He pervades His creation.
PURPORT (continued)
A pure devotee is always transcendentally situated because of executing nine different processes of bhakti-yoga. Thus situated in devotional service, a devotee, although in the material world, is not in the material world. Yet a devotee always fears, โBecause I am associated with the material world, so many contaminations affect me.โ Therefore he is always alert in fear, which gradually diminishes his material association.
COMMENT
As stated earlier, Yogamaya appeared in Gokula to create fearlessnessโfreedom from fear of the attacks of demons. But a pure devotee is always afraid of material contamination. Once, Srila Prabhupada gave a class at Bhaktivedanta Manor in which he told the audience, โThe difference between you and me is that you can fall down but I cannot fall down.โ After the class, Srila Prabhupada was praying in front of the Deities, and one disciple asked him, โWhat were you praying?โ And Prabhupada replied, โI was praying that I may never fall down.โ The disciple responded, โBut in your talk you said that you can never fall down.โ And Prabhupada replied, โYes, because I am always praying never to fall down, therefore I can never fall down.โ So, we should always be afraid of the material energy (maya), of being deluded by maya and being diverted from the true path of Krishna consciousness.
PURPORT (continued)
Symbolically, Mother Devakiโs constant fear of Kamsa was purifying her. A pure devotee should always fear material association, and in this way all the asuras of material association will be killed, as the sad-garbhasuras were killed by Kamsa.
COMMENT
Especially devotees in the grihastha ashrama may have to associate with the material energyโto earn money to maintain their families. Whether they like it or not, they may have to associate with materialistic people. And there is always a danger that by their associating with materialistic people, their consciousness will be affected. So they should be afraid of material association. Of course, circumstantially we have to interact with such people, and we may do so as people normally interact in the workplace. But internally we should be conscious that if we associate with them too much, in the wrong way, it can affect us, and we can become weakened in our determination to progress in Krishna consciousness. We may start to compromise in different ways, which will weaken us even more.
PURPORT (concluded)
It is said that from the mind, Marici appears. In other words, Marici is an incarnation of the mind. Marici has six sons: Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, and Matsarya (lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness, and envy). The Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in pure devotional service. This is confirmed in the Vedas: bhaktir evainam darsayati. Only bhakti can bring one in contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared from the womb of Devaki, and therefore Devaki symbolically represents bhakti, and Kamsa symbolically represents material fear. When a pure devotee always fears material association, his real position of bhakti is manifested, and he naturally becomes uninterested in material enjoyment. When the six sons of Marici are killed by such fear and one is freed from material contamination, within the womb of bhakti the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears. Thus the seventh pregnancy of Devaki signifies the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. After the six sons Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, and Matsarya are killed, the Sesa incarnation creates a suitable situation for the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, when one awakens his natural Krsna consciousness, Lord Krsna appears. This is the explanation given by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura.
COMMENT
There are different stages of advancement in devotional service, and when one is completely purified, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is revealed within the heart. That purified stage is called vasudeva, or suddha-sattva. It is the same name as that of Krishnaโs father, Vasudeva, because Krishna first appeared in the purified mind of Vasudeva and then from the mind of Vasudeva He was transferred into the purified mindโand wombโof Devaki.
So, it is possible that the Lord will manifest Himself to a devotee who is sincere in the practice of devotional service. And before He manifests Himself fully, as He did for Vasudeva and Devaki and for Nanda and Yasoda, He manifests Himself as the holy name (as we all experience when we try to chant offenselessly); as holy scriptureโSrimad-Bhagavatam, Srimad Bhagavad-gita, or Sri Caitanya-caritamrta; as the holy dhamaโSri Vrindavan, Mayapur, or Puri; as the Deity; and in the hearts, and words, of His pure devotees.
TEXT 9
athaham amsa-bhagena
ย devakyah putratam subhe
prapsyami tvam yasodayam
ย nanda-patnyam bhavisyasi
TRANSLATION
O all-auspicious Yogamaya, I shall then appear with My full six opulences as the son of Devaki, and you will appear as the daughter of Mother Yasoda, the queen of Maharaja Nanda.
COMMENT
This is the history. Balarama, or Sesa, first entered the womb of Devaki as her seventh son, but by the arrangement of Krishna, through the agency of Yogamaya, He was transferred to the womb of Rohini in Gokula. And thus it appeared that Devaki had a miscarriage. But it is Sesaโs service to arrange for Krishnaโs comfort, and so He entered her womb first and created a favorable situation in which Lord Krishna could reside. We often see pictures of Lord Vishnu with Sesa, who acts as the Lordโs umbrella and throne. Sesa expands Himself in so many ways to facilitate the pleasure and comfort of the Lord.
After being transferred to the womb of Rohini, His eternal mother, Balarama took birth in Gokula. His stay within the womb of Devaki was just a temporary arrangement to create a favorable situation for Krishna. Then Krishna Himself entered the womb of Devaki through the mind of Vasudeva and took birth.
For the duration of Their infancy, childhood, and youth, Krishna and Balarama enjoyed together in Gokula, in Vraja. Then, when They were about the age of sixteen, They went to Mathura to participate in a wrestling match arranged by Kamsa. Ultimately Krishna killed Kamsa. Krishna and Balarama did not return to Vrindavan then. They had many pastimes in Mathura and Dvaraka.
Because Krishna and Balarama had not yet received a proper, formal education, Vasudeva and Devaki arranged for Them to study under a guru, Sandipani Muni, from whom They learned sixty-four different arts and sciences. And then They went on to rule Mathura and, finally, Dvaraka.
It is, one could say, a peculiar situation that Krishna was actually the son of Vasudeva and Devaki but was raised by Nanda and Yasoda and never really spent time with His original parents until many years later. And then He was separated from the parents who had raised Him, and He didnโt see them again for many, many years.
After Krishna and Balarama left Vrindavan, the Vraja-vasis were plunged into an ocean of separation. Their only business was crying for Krishna and Balarama. Of course, their crying was not like our material crying. Theirs was transcendental ecstasy. And in that separation, they were experiencing association. Still, they were separated, and many years later, when Krishna was living in royal opulence in Dvaraka, He went to Kurukshetra for a solar eclipse, to perform sacrifices and give in charity, as advised in shastra.
At Kurukshetra there was a great reunion, not only between Krishna and Balarama and Their friends from Vrindavan, but also between Vasudeva and Devaki and Nanda and Yasoda, and between Krishnaโs various wives and Draupadi. Their meetings and interactions with each other are very instructive for usโhow devotees relate to each other, how they think, and how they feel.
Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Ten, Chapter Eighty-Two: โKrsna Meets the Inhabitants of Vrindavan.โ
TEXTS 31โ32
When Nanda Maharaja learned that the Yadus had arrived, led by Krsna, he immediately went to see them. The cowherds accompanied him, their various possessions loaded on their wagons.
Seeing Nanda, the Vrsnis were delighted and stood up like dead bodies coming back to life. Having felt much distress at not seeing him for so long, they held him in a tight embrace.
COMMENT
The Vrsnis from Dvaraka returned to life when they saw Nanda, and they embraced him affectionately.
TEXTS 33โ38
Vasudeva embraced Nanda Maharaja with great joy. Beside himself with ecstatic love, Vasudeva remembered the troubles Kamsa had caused him, forcing him to leave his sons in Gokula for Their safety.
O hero of the Kurus, Krsna and Balarama embraced Their foster parents and bowed down to them, but Their throats were so choked up with tears of love that the two Lords could say nothing.
Raising their two sons onto their laps and holding Them in their arms, Nanda and saintly Mother Yasoda forgot their sorrows.
Then Rohini and Devaki both embraced the Queen of Vraja, remembering the faithful friendship she had shown them. Their throats choking with tears, they addressed her as follows.
[Rohini and Devaki said:] What woman could forget the unceasing friendship you and Nanda have shown us, dear Queen of Vraja? There is no way to repay you in this world, even with the wealth of Indra.
Before these two boys had ever seen Their real parents, you acted as Their parents and gave Them all affectionate care, training, nourishment, and protection. They were never afraid, good lady, because you protected Them just as eyelids protect the eyes. Indeed, saintly persons like you never discriminate between outsiders and their own kin.
PURPORT
As Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti explains, Krsna and Balarama had not seen Their parents for two reasons: because of Their exile in Vraja, and also because They are never actually born and therefore have no parents.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti also describes what Devaki thought before speaking this verse: โAlas, because for so long these two sons of mine had you, Yasoda, as Their guardian and mother, and because They were immersed in such a vast ocean of ecstatic loving dealings with you, now that you are once more before Them They are too distracted to even notice me. Also, you are behaving as if insane and blind with love for Them, showing millions of times more maternal affection than I possess. Thus you simply keep staring at us, your friends, without recognizing us. So let me bring you back to reality on the pretext of some affectionate words.โ
COMMENT
There are many points here. First is how much Devaki appreciated Mother Yasoda for taking care of her son Krishna. Before Krishna had even seen His real parents, Yasoda and Nanda had acted as His and Balaramaโs parents and cared for Them, taught Them, nourished Them, and protected Them. And thus Devakiโs sons never had any fear. She praised Yasoda for being a saintly person who never discriminated between outsiders and her own kin. Of course, on another level Krishna is the Supersoul; He is the most intimate friend and the supreme lovable object for everyone. But in terms of the pastimes, Yasoda did not discriminate that Krishna was not her own son; she and Nanda raised Him as if He were their own.
Also, Devaki was completely free from envy. She saw that Krishna (with Balarama) was so overwhelmed with love that He forgot everything. He just rushed into the arms of Mother Yasoda. And Devaki not only admitted but actually appreciated that Yasoda had more love for Krishna than even she did.
These are some of the qualities that devotees develop in Krishna consciousness. They appreciate the service of others, and they are not envious. They are happy to acknowledge when others have more love for Krishna than they do, or render better service to Krishna than they do. And they are full of love. It is described here that when the Vrsnis saw Nanda and Yasodaโeven though they had the association of Krishna in Dvaraka and were with Him in Kurukshetraโthey felt as if their lives had come back to them. They had so much love and affection for them, and they were most grateful to them for their service to Krishna.
PURPORT (concluded)
Then, when Devaki failed to get any response from Yasoda even after addressing her, Rohini said, โMy dear Devaki, itโs impossible just now to rouse her out of this ecstatic trance. We are crying in the wilderness, and her two sons are no less bound up in the ropes of affection for her than she is for Them.โ
COMMENT
Yasoda had lost consciousness of everything other than her sons, Krishna and Balarama. And again, Yasoda did not discriminate, that โKrishna is my son, but Balarama is Rohiniโs.โ Nor did Rohini discriminate that โBalarama is my son, but Krishna is Yasodaโs.โ Both mothers were mothers to both sons, and both sons saw both as Their mothers.
This type of love develops with Krishna consciousness, but it is also something that we are meant to cultivate. In Srila Prabhupadaโs last days, in Vrindavan, His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami exclaimed, โSrila Prabhupada, your disciples love you so much.โ And Srila Prabhupada replied, โYour love for me will be shown by how much you cooperate with each other.โ Many authorities, both spiritual and mundane, have commented that love is not just a sentiment but is also a process. Srila Prabhupada said that if we really loved himโif we wanted to show our love for himโwe would cooperate with each other for his pleasure, which ultimately means for Krishnaโs pleasure (yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado).
By cooperating for the service of Lord Balarama, the family of Vasudeva and Devaki and the family of Nanda and Yasoda were brought together. And that was one of Lord Balaramaโs purposes, as foretold by Gargamuni:
ย ย ย garga uvaca
ayam hi rohini-putro
ย ramayan suhrdo gunaih
akhyasyate rama iti
ย baladhikyad balam viduh
yadunam aprthag-bhavat
ย sankarsanam usanty api
โGargamuni said: This child, the son of Rohini, will give all happiness to His relatives and friends by His transcendental qualities. Therefore He will be known as Rama. And because He will manifest extraordinary bodily strength, He will also be known as Bala. Moreover, because He unites two familiesโVasudevaโs family and the family of Nanda MaharajaโHe will be known as Sankarsana.โ (SB 10.8.12)
In the purport, Srila Prabhupada explains: โBaladeva was actually the son of Devaki, but He was transferred from Devakiโs womb to that of Rohini. This fact was not disclosed. According to a statement in the Hari-vamsa:
pratyuvaca tato ramah
ย sarvams tan abhitah sthitan
yadavesv api sarvesu
ย bhavanto mama vallabhah
Gargamuni did disclose to Nanda Maharaja that Balarama would be known as Sankarsana because of uniting two familiesโthe yadu-vamsa and the vamsa of Nanda Maharajaโone of which was known as ksatriya and the other as vaisya. Both families had the same original forefather, the only difference being that Nanda Maharaja was born of a vaisya wife whereas Vasudeva was born of a ksatriya wife. Later, Nanda Maharaja married a vaisya wife, and Vasudeva married a ksatriya wife. So although the families of Nanda Maharaja and Vasudeva both came from the same father, they were divided as ksatriya and vaisya. Now Baladeva united them, and therefore He was known as Sankarsana.โ
By Krishna consciousness, by cooperating to serve the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, different individuals, families, castes, and communities can all be united.
Even Balarama considers Himself to be a servant of Lord Krishna. Balarama is the first expansion of Krishna and is the original spiritual master, and He too has the sentiment that He is a servant of Krishna. In fact, every conscious being is imbued with the sentiment of being a servant of Krishna. Balarama, and all of Krishnaโs expansionsโVasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Karanodakasayi Vishnu, Garbhodakasayi Vishnu, Ksirodakasayi Vishnuโall have the sentiment of being servants of Krishna.
ekale isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya
yare yaiche nacaya, se taiche kare nrtya
โLord Krsna alone is the supreme controller, and all others are His servants. They dance as He makes them do so.โ (Cc Adi 5.142)
apanake bhrtya kariโ krsne prabhu jane
krsnera kalara kala apanake mane
โ[Balarama] considers Himself a servant and knows Krsna to be His master. Thus He regards Himself as a fragment of His plenary portion.โ (Cc Adi 5.137)
It was stated in the beginning that Balarama, or Sankarsana, would appear prior to Krishna in order to serve Krishna and please Him in every respect.
vasudeva-kalanantah
ย sahasra-vadanah svarat
agrato bhavita devo
ย hareh priya-cikirsaya
โThe foremost manifestation of Krsna is Sankarsana, who is known as Ananta. He is the origin of all incarnations within this material world. Previous to the appearance of Lord Krsna, this original Sankarsana will appear as Baladeva, just to please the Supreme Lord Krsna in His transcendental pastimes.โ (SB 10.1.24)
And that is the duty of the spiritual masterโto serve and please the Supreme Lord. Once, Srila Prabhupada asked some disciples, โWhat is the duty of the spiritual master?โ And then he gave the answer: โThe duty of the spiritual master is to serve Krishna. And the duty of the disciples is to assist the spiritual master.โ Balarama is the original spiritual master because, as Krishnaโs first expansion, He is the first servant of Krishna, and He is the first instructor about Krishna. The spiritual master is considered to be the representative of Lord Balarama, or Nityananda Prabhu.
Srila Prabhupada said, โYour love for me will be shown by how you cooperate.โ In other words, love is not just a sentiment but is expressed through practical activity. Further, it is evoked by practical activity: loving sentiment is increased by devotional service. The word cooperate consists of co-, which means โtogether,โ โjointlyโ; and operate, which means to โperform a function,โ to โexert power or influence.โ Cooperate means that together we perform some function. And we see the perfect example of cooperation in Vrindavan. Nanda and Yasoda and Rohini cooperated to raise Krishna and Balarama. In a broader sense, they cooperated with Vasudeva and Devaki to raise Them. And there was no envy.
Srila Prabhupada gave the example of the different parts of the body, which cooperate for the sake of the whole, to serve the stomach. If the different parts try to enjoy independent of the stomach, they wonโt be able to. They will failโand suffer. If there is a nice rasagulla and the hand thinks, โWhy should I give all the food to the stomach? I will enjoy myself,โ and then tries to enjoy directly, it wonโt be able to. The food is meant to be given to the stomach, and when it goes to the stomach, all the different parts of the body benefit.
Srila Prabhupada elaborated on this analogy by saying that once, the different parts of the body went on strike, thinking, โWe do all the work, and the stomach gets all the food. Why should we work for the sake of the stomach?โ So they decided to go on strike. As a result, all the parts of the body suffered. They became weak. Then they had another meeting and decided, โWe were better off when we were serving the stomach.โ So they went back to serving the stomach.
Krishna is the focus of all devotional service. That is the meaning of bhaktiโto serve and please Krishna. And the medium for that service is the spiritual master, who represents Lord Balarama, or Lord Nityananda. Srila Prabhupada said, โYour love for me will be shown by how you cooperate.โ That means we work together, co-operate. We perform the same function, but together, for the pleasure of guru and Krishna. And in that service there is no envy; there is only appreciation and gratitude. Each devotee thinks, โYouโve helped me so much by doing this.โ That consciousness develops naturally from bhakti, but at the same time we have to practice; we are in the stage of sadhana-bhakti, devotional service in practice. When we practice cooperation, serving the other devotees and appreciating their service, bhakti develops, and ultimately Krishna manifests Himself. Krishna and all of His associates are revealed to us in that state of pure devotion.
Hare Krishna.
Are there any questions or comments?
Bhakta Adam: What does it mean when you say that Krishna and Balarama took birth from the womb? What is the childbirth process of Krishna? Does He simply appear and His mother thinks that she has gone through childbirth? Because I remember that Mother Yasodaโit says in Krsna bookโMother Yasoda was so tired from the labor of childbirth that she fell asleep and could not remember whether she had given birth to a male or a female child.
Giriraj Swami: Krishna is always everywhere, so He is already in the womb. He is in the heart of every living entity, in every atom, in the space between the atoms. He is everywhere. So He is already in the womb in His Paramatma feature, which is not different from His original feature as Krishna. The Paramatma is an expansion of His original feature. And when the time came, the original Krishna entered the purified mind, or heart, of Vasudeva, and from there He was transferred to the purified heart of Devaki. He was transferred to her wombโtook up residence in her wombโwhere Sankarsana had already made all the arrangements. Then, after a facsimile of labor and childbirth, Krishna emerged.
But there is a difference between Mathura and Vraja. In Mathura, Krishna appeared with four hands, holding the symbols of Vishnu, fully decorated with ornaments. And He explained His divine identity to His parents, who praised and worshipped Him with awe and reverence. And then He transformed Himself into the form of a natural human childโinto His original form as Krishna.
In the loving service of Lord Narayana in Vaikuntha, the devotees are always aware of His supreme opulence as God. In Mathura, the mood is mixed. Vasudeva and Devaki had some awareness that Krishna was GodโHe manifested Himself in His four-armed form to show them that He was Godโbut they also had a mood of parental affection. Devakiโs motherly affection overtook her awareness of the Lordโs opulence, and she thought, โOh, if Kamsa finds Krishna, he will kill Him.โ So she requested the Lord to withdraw His four-handed form, to become invisible to Kamsa. Then Vasudeva carried the baby Krishna out of Kamsaโs prison, crossed the Yamuna, and came to Gokula, where Yasoda had given birth. She gave birth not only to a baby girl, Yogamaya, but also to a son, who was the original Krishna. But as you said, because she was so exhausted by the labor of childbirth, she was unable to understand what kind of child had been born to herโa boy or a girl or twins. Also, because of her pure affection for Krishna, she did not understand that He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then, when Vasudeva came with Krishna from Mathura, that Krishna was absorbed into the original Krishna who had been born to Yasoda. And in place of Krishna, Vasudeva took Yogamaya back to Mathura.
In Vrindavan, the pastimes are all humanlike, nara-lila. And the Bhagavatam says that Nanda Maharaja performed the birth (jata-karma) ceremony for Krishna. Srila Prabhupada explains, โThe jata-karma ceremony can take place when the umbilical cord, connecting the child and the placenta, is cut. . . . In this regard, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura desires to prove with evidence from many sastras that Krsna actually took birth as the son of Yasoda before the birth of Yogamaya, who is therefore described as the Lordโs younger sister. Even though there may be doubts about the cutting of the umbilical cord, and even though it is possible that this was not done, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears, such events are regarded as factual.โ (SB 10.5.1โ2 purport) The manifestation of nara-lila is so perfect and complete that even to that detail Krishna appeared to have taken birth like an ordinary child. But He never was an ordinary child, and He never had a material body.
In relation to Krishnaโs birth in Mathura, the Bhagavatam describes that when Vasudeva transferred the Supreme Lord to the heart of Devaki, she became beautiful, โjust as the east becomes beautiful by carrying the rising moon.โ Later, the Bhagavatam states that โthe Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, who is situated in the core of everyoneโs heart, appeared from the heart of Devaki in the dense darkness of night, like the full moon rising on the eastern horizon.โ
The moon, or the sun, always exists. The sun comes above the horizon at a certain point, which we call sunrise, but the sun always exists. It just comes into our vision at a certain time. Similarly, Krishna always exists, but He appeared from the heart, or the womb, of Devaki like the moon appears on the eastern horizon. But Krishna is always there. He always exists.
Urvasi dasi: Maharaja, a devotee should always be aware and careful of maya and contact with the material world, but then again it is said that a devotee is fearless. How do you get to that point where you can count on Krishnaโs mercy and be fearless? It is so dangerous in this material world, and maya is so strong. So, how can we actually feel that we have Krishnaโs mercy, so we can be fearless?
Giriraj Swami: The only thing a devotee really fears is forgetfulness of Krishnaโmaya. If we are always conscious of Krishna and our relationship with Him, we will not be afraid of anything else, because we know that we are not this body, that we are part and parcel of Krishna, that our real relationship is with Him, and that we are under His personal care and protection. If Krishna wants us to stay longer in this body, we will, and if Krishna wants us to leave this body, we will. We are not afraid, because we know we are under Krishnaโs shelter.
Once, during the war between India and Pakistan in 1971, a reporter asked Srila Prabhupada, โSuppose a hundred pure, saintly, Krishna conscious people are meditating or discussing together, and someone comes and drops a bomb . . .โ And Srila Prabhupada replied, โThose who are Krishna conscious are not afraid of a bomb. When they see a bomb coming, they think that Krishna desired the bomb to come. A Krishna conscious person is never afraid of anything. Bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syat. [SB 11.2.37] One who has the conception that something can exist outside of Krishna is afraid. But one who knows that everything is coming from Krishna has no reason to be afraid. The bomb is coming, and the devotee says, โAh, Krishna is coming.โ That is the vision of the devotee. He thinks, โKrishna wants to kill me with a bomb. Thatโs all right. I will be killed.โ That is Krishna consciousness.โ
Still, another time, in a different situation, someone asked Srila Prabhupada, โWhat if some evil person came to attack you, to kill you. Would you protect yourself?โ And Prabhupada replied, โYes. Why should I let some rascal harm Krishnaโs devotee?โ But that is different. That is not out of fear. That is in the mood of service, to protect Krishnaโs devotee. Srila Prabhupada was not identifying with the body but was seeing himself as Krishnaโs devotee who had service to do for Krishna, so he wanted to protect Krishnaโs devotee from harmโfor Krishnaโs service. But personally, he was not afraid. The only thing a devotee fears is forgetting Krishna.
And a devotee is always satisfied; he does not want anything but devotional service. He is satisfied with devotional service but never complacentโโNow I have done enough service.โ He always wants to do more and better service. But he is satisfied in the sense that he wants nothing but devotional service, and he always has service. No one can take devotional service from him, because it is ahaituky apratihata. It has no cause, and it has no impediment. It cannot be interrupted.
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
ย yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
ย yayatma suprasidati
โThe supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.โ (SB 1.2.6)
A devotee is not afraid of anything material, because he has Krishnaโbut he is afraid of losing Krishna due to his own weakness. He always feels himself to be weak and dependent on the strength that comes from superior authorities such as Balarama. The Upanishads state, nayam atma bala-hinena labhyah. One cannot attain the platform of self-realization without spiritual strength, which comes from Balarama. Bala means โstrengthโโspiritual strength, which comes from Lord Balarama, Lord Nityananda, who is represented by the spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada and the parampara. So, we feel dependent on superior authorities, but we are not afraid of anything material, because we know that the only thing that really matters to us is devotional service and that nothing material can take devotional service away from us. We have nothing to lose, because we canโt lose devotional service, and we have nothing to gain, because we donโt want anything but devotional service. So why should we be afraid? We have nothing to lose or to gain from anyone.
The Bhagavad-gita (6.20โ23) says that upon achieving Krishna consciousness one thinks that there is no greater gain and even in the midst of the greatest calamity one is not shaken.
yatroparamate cittam
ย niruddham yoga-sevaya
yatra caivatmanatmanam
ย pasyann atmani tusyati
ย sukham atyantikam yat tad
ย buddhi-grahyam atindriyam
vetti yatra na caivayam
ย sthitas calati tattvatah
ย yam labdhva caparam labham
ย manyate nadhikam tatah
yasmin sthito na duhkhena
ย gurunapi vicalyate
ย tam vidyad duhkha-samyoga-
ย viyogam yoga-samjnitam
โIn the stage of perfection called trance, or samadhi, oneโs mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This perfection is characterized by oneโs ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness, realized through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contact.โ
The pure devotee is fixed in consciousness because he has what he wantsโKrishnaโand no matter what happens externally, no one can take Krishna from him. Queen Kunti prayed to Lord Krishna for calamities, because in the midst of all her difficulties Krishna was with her and her sons. In terms of lila, Krishna was with them in Hastinapura, but when the calamities were over and Maharaja Yudhisthira was installed on the throne, Krishna was ready to leave. So Kunti prayed, โWhen we were in difficulty, You were with us, but now that we are happily situated in our kingdom, You are leaving us.โ She prayed, โLet the calamities come again and again. I would rather have all the calamities and have You with us than be situated in material opulence and comfort and lose You.โ She concluded:
vipadah santu tah sasvat
ย tatra tatra jagad-guro
bhavato darsanam yat syad
ย apunar bhava-darsanam
โI wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.โ (SB 1.8.25)
Sometimes being in material difficulty can serve as an impetus to Krishna consciousness. And a devotee may fear being in too comfortable a position lest he or she forget Krishna, lose his or her Krishna consciousness. That is the only fear.
Urvasi dasi: It is interesting, because in my own life, when I examine it, I feel like I am in constant fear of being distracted from Krishna. It is always check and balance, check and balance. I am afraid of my mind going away and being distracted. And yet then when I think about it, I am really not afraid of anything in the material world, because I know that everything that comes into my life is Krishna. For some reason it is being brought into my life. So it is an interesting thing, being full of fear and having no fear.
Giriraj Swami: Indeed. There is a nice verse by King Rahugana of the Sindh province. He was puffed up because he was the king, and he had forced a great devotee, Jada Bharata, a paramahamsa who had hidden his exalted position, to carry his palanquin. And when he felt that Jada Bharata was not carrying it properly, he abused, reviled, him like anything. But Jada Bharata was unaffected. Jada Bharata didnโt want to step on any insects on the way, and because he was always trying to sidestep the ants, the king was jostled inside the palanquin. So he sarcastically criticized Jada Bharata, who was actually young and strong, by saying, โYou seem to be very old and weak. You canโt carry the palanquin properly.โ Yet however the king tried to insult him, Jada Bharata, being completely free from bodily identification, remained undisturbed.
Eventually Jada Bharata enlightened the king with transcendental knowledge. He told him, โI am not the body; I am the soul. I am not fat or thin or weak or strong or any of the things that you said about the body, because I am the soul and have nothing to do with the body. And so I remain peaceful.โ After receiving sublime spiritual instructions from his carrier, the king realized that Jada Bharata was a great paramahamsa. He descended from his palanquin and fell at Jada Bharataโs feet, desiring to be freed from his offenses against the great saint. And King Rahugana said,
naham visanke sura-raja-vajran
ย na tryaksa-sulan na yamasya dandat
nagny-arka-somanila-vittapastrac
ย chanke bhrsam brahma-kulavamanat
โMy dear sir, I am not at all afraid of the thunderbolt of King Indra, nor am I afraid of the serpentine, piercing trident of Lord Siva. I do not care about the punishment of Yamaraja, the superintendent of death, nor am I afraid of fire, scorching sun, moon, wind, or the weapons of Kuvera. Yet I am afraid of offending a brahmana. I am very much afraid of this.โ (SB 5.10.17)
So, we are not afraid of any external, material force, but we are afraid of losing our Krishna consciousness. And the quickest way to lose it is to offend a devotee. It is that same idea. We are not afraid of any material danger, but we are afraid of mayaโafraid of committing offenses, especially vaisnava-aparadha, that will take us away from Krishna, from loving service to Krishna and His devotees.
Sri Sri Krishna-Balarama ki jaya!
Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Lord Balaramaโs appearance day, August 22, 2008, Ventura, California]
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