Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.51–52

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [devotees repeat] [chants verse]

tatrāhāmarṣito bhīmas tasya śreyān vadhaḥ smṛtaḥ na bhartur nātmanaś cārthe yo 'han suptān śiśūn vṛthā [SB 1.7.51]

niśamya bhīma-gaditaṁ draupadyāś ca catur-bhujaḥ ālokya vadanaṁ sakhyur idam āha hasann iva [SB 1.7.52]

[03:40]

Translation: "Bhīma, however, disagreed with them and recommended killing this culprit who, in an angry mood, had murdered sleeping children for no purpose and for neither his nor his master's interest."

[chants verse]

[04:41]

Translation: "Caturbhuja, the four-armed one, or the Personality of Godhead, after hearing the words of Bhīma, Draupadī and others, saw the face of His dear friend Arjuna, and He began to speak as if smiling." [break]

Prabhupāda:

tatrāhāmarṣito bhīmas tasya śreyān vadhaḥ smṛtaḥ na bhartur nātmanaś cārthe yo 'han suptān śiśūn vṛthā [SB 1.7.51]

[Bhīma, however, angrily disagreed with them and recommended killing this culprit, who had murdered sleeping children for no purpose and for neither his nor his master's interest.]

niśamya bhīma-gaditaṁ draupadyāś ca catur-bhujaḥ ālokya vadanaṁ sakhyur idam āha hasann iva [SB 1.7.52]

[Caturbhuja [the four-armed one], or the Personality of Godhead, after hearing the words of Bhīma, Draupadī and others, saw the face of His dear friend Arjuna, and He began to speak as if smiling.]

So in the previous verse it is described, bhagavān devakī-suta. Bhagavān Kṛṣṅa, Devakī-suta. Still, people may doubt that Kṛṣṅa, being Devakī-suta, how He can become the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because sometimes very powerful person is also called bhagavān. So such persons have very confidence in Viṣṅu. Viṣṅu is Caturbhuja. Therefore here, in this verse, Kṛṣṅa is confirmed to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead by adding this word, caturbhuja. Don't doubt. Because Kṛṣṅa has appeared with two hands, that does not mean He is not Bhagavān. He is Caturbhuja, to confirm it.

Actually, sometimes it is said that Kṛṣṅa is the incarnation of Viṣṅu. But actually Viṣṅu is incarnation of Kṛṣṅa. Aham ādir hi devānām [Bg 10.2], that is said in the Bhagavad-gītā. Viṣṅu also one of the devas, first, principal devas: Brahmā, Viṣṅu, Maheśvara. Brahmā, Lord Viṣṅu and Lord Śiva, guṅāvatāra, Viṣṅu expanding Himself in three avatāras. Sattva-guṅa He takes charge Himself, sattva-guṅa. Rajo-guṅa, it is given to Brahmā in charge, and tamo-guṅa is given to the Lord Śiva. Sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya [Bs 5.44].

[The external potency Māyā who is of the nature of the shadow of the cit potency, is worshiped by all people as Durgā, the creating, preserving and destroying agency of this mundane world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in accordance with whose will Durgā conducts herself.]

Sṛṣṭi, creation, is done by Brahmā, rajo-guṅa; and sthiti, maintenance, is done by Viṣṅu; and destruction is done by Lord Śiva, tamo-guṅa. He is not tamo-guṅa; in charge of tamo-guṅa. Just like somebody becomes superintendent of jail. It does not mean that the superintendent is also one of the prisoners. No. He's in charge of the jail department. Similarly, Lord Śiva, he's not in tamo-guṅa. He's transcendental. He is almost Viṣṅu. He's neither ordinary human being. Lord Śiva is in between viṣṅu-tattva and jīva-tattva. So how he can be in the tamo-guṅa? Nobody is... They are all transcendental, especially Lord Viṣṅu.

Lord Viṣṅu has nothing to do with these material affairs, as a big man, a rich man, has nothing to do personally, but he gets things done by his assistant, by his servant. It is like that. In the Vedas also, Upaniṣad, it is said, na tasya kāryaṁ karaṅaṁ ca vidyate. Lord Viṣṅu has nothing to do personally. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṅaṁ ca vidyate, na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate [Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8].

[The Supreme Lord has nothing to do. Nothing is equal to Him or greater than Him. He acts in different phases by manifesting His parts and parcels, which are all simultaneously differently situated by His unlimited, variegated potencies. Each potency acts quite naturally in sequences, providing Him full knowledge, power and pastimes.]

Nobody is equal to Him, neither nobody is greater than Him. Everyone is below. Therefore viṣṅu-tattva is asamordhva. Nobody is equal, nobody is higher. To consider equal to viṣṅu-tattva is aparādha, offense. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned this offense very strictly.

prākṛta kariyā māne viṣṅu-kalevara aparāra nāhi ihāra upara [Cc Ādi 7.115]

[Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu smilingly replied, “One who does not accept the svāmī [husband] as an authority I consider a prostitute.]

If somebody thinks Viṣṅu as one of the product of this material world, prākṛta...

prākṛta moliye māne viṣṅu-kalevara aparāda nāhi āra ihāra rupa

Māyāvādī philosophers, they abuse that Viṣṅu's body is..., Viṣṅu comes, appears, He accepts a material body. That is condemned, condemned by Bhagavān in Bhagavad-gītā. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg 9.11].

[Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.]

He does not accept any material body. Tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham [Bg 4.7]. Ātma-māyayā. Sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā [Bg 4.6].

[Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.]

Not with material help. Ātma-māyayā, cit-śakti. So Kṛṣṅa, there is no difference between Kṛṣṅa's soul and Kṛṣṅa's body. Just like we have got. We are different from this body, and Kṛṣṅa is not different from the body. He does not change His body. Although He assumes several avatāra, but He does not change His body. Advaitam acyutam... Acyuta, not different from the original personification, identification. Advaita acyuta anādi ananta-rūpa [Bs 5.33].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal puruṣa; yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]

Although He assumes so many varieties of viṣṅu-tattva, still, advaita acyuta anādim ananta-rūpa ādyaṁ purāṅa-puruṣa nava-yauvanaṁ ca [Bs 5.33]. Therefore viṣṅu-tattva is..., never looks like old man. Nava-yauvanam: always young. Kṛṣṅa always young, nava-yauvanaṁ ca.

So in order to confirm Kṛṣṅa's position, here it is not Devakī-suta. Because one may doubt, that "Devakī-suta is ordinary human being, or living being." No. Here it is said, catur-bhuja. Here it is said, bhagavān. Here it is said, catur-bhuja. So we should always remember that Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Being. And Kṛṣṅa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat [Bg 7.7].

[O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.]

Don't think that above Kṛṣṅa there is any other higher authority, either Brahman or Paramātmā or Viṣṅu. So many... Absolute Truth is manifested in so many features. But Kṛṣṅa is the original. Kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.]

It is summarized in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that there are so many descriptions of the incarnation of Viṣṅu, but at the end, Vyāsadeva concludes that whatever incarnations are described here, they are aṁśa-kalā. Aṁśa means direct expansion, and kalā means expansion of the expansion. Just like Kṛṣṅa, the first expansion is Balarāma, Baladeva. And the next expansion is Saṅkarṣaṅa, Vāsudeva, Aniruddha, Pradyumna. The next expansion is Nārāyaṅa. The next expansion again second catur-vyūha, Saṅkarṣaṅa again. Dvitīya-catur-vyūha. Then next expansion, Viṣṅu, Mahā-Viṣṅu. Next expansion, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṅu. And next expansion is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu. In this way, there are different expansion, but kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam. Ādyaṁ puruṣaṁ śāśvatam. Kṛṣṅa is the original person. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat [Bg 7.7].

[O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.]

"I am not expansion of anyone." Sarva-kāraṅa-kāraṅam. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṅaḥ [Bs 5.1].

[Kṛṣṅa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]

They are all īśvaras, controller. Viṣṅu-tattva is controller always. Mayādhyakṣeṅa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg 9.10].

[This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.]

Everywhere Viṣṅu is the supreme controller.

So every viṣṅu-tattva is controller. There is no doubt. And they have got equal power. Not that Lord Rāmacandra is less powerful than Kṛṣṅa. No. They have equal power. The example is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā: dīpārcir eva hi daśāntaram abhyupetya [Bs 5.46]. Just like one candle. You ignite another candle, you ignite another, another, another. But all these candles, they are equally powerful, although you can say, "This is first candle, this is second candle, this is third candle." Similarly, viṣṅu-tattva, everyone is equally powerful. Although Kṛṣṅa is first, Balarāma is second, Saṅkarṣaṅa is third, like that, but do not think They are less powerful. No. Viṣṅu-tattva means They are equally powerful. Svāṁśa. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan [Bs 5.39].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who manifested Himself personally as Kṛṣṅa and the different avatāras in the world in the forms of Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Vāmana, etc., as His subjective portions.]

Kalā. Rāma is expansion of Viṣṅu, but it is not that Rāma is less powerful than Kṛṣṅa. Nobody is less powerful. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu [Bs 5.39]. There are so many avatāras. Kṛṣṅaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yaḥ. But Kṛṣṅa is the paramaḥ pumān, the Supreme Being, the Supreme Person. Kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

Everywhere. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṅaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs 5.1].

[Kṛṣṅa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]

Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat [Bg 7.7].

[O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.]

This is the conclusion of the śāstra.

So don't consider that Kṛṣṅa, because He has come, appeared in Vṛndāvana like a cowherd boy, never think... Of course, the Vṛndāvana-vāsī, they do not know what is Kṛṣṅa. They are villagers. They do not know. But they do not love anyone more than Kṛṣṅa. That is their qualification. They do not know even Viṣṅu. When the gopīs saw viṣṅu-mūrti... Kṛṣṅa assumed the viṣṅu-mūrti. They were passing. They said, "Oh, here is Viṣṅu. All right. Namaskāra." They were not interested even with Viṣṅu. They were interested with Kṛṣṅa, although they do not know that Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, if, without knowing what is Kṛṣṅa, if you simply become attached to Kṛṣṅa, then your life is successful. Simply, somehow or other, you become attached to Kṛṣṅa. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ... [break] ...yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṅu [Bg 7.1].

[Now hear, O son of Pṛthā [Arjuna], how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt.]

Simply you have to... This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Somehow or other, you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṅa. Some way or other. Yena tena prakāreṅa manaḥ kṛṣṅe niveśayet. This is Rūpa Gosvāmī's instruction. Somehow or other, you become attached to Kṛṣṅa. Then your life is successful.

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is trying to induce people how to become attached to Kṛṣṅa. That is bhakti-yoga. Yena tena prakāreṅa manaḥ kṛṣṅe niveśayet. Then? Vidhi-niṣedhāḥ. There are so many rules and regulations for bhakti-yoga. Yes, there are. And Rūpa Gosvāmī says, sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ [Padma Purāṅa, Bṛhat-sahasra-nāma-stotra]: some way or other, if you become attached to Kṛṣṅa, then all the vidhis and regulative principles and rules and regulations, they will act as your servant. They'll..., automatically there will be. Because as soon as you become attached to Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa said, kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā.

kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṅaśyati [Bg 9.31]

[He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.]

Kṣipram, very soon. Api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [Bg 9.30].

[Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated.]

Don't think that these Europeans or Americans, they are mlecchas and yavanas. That is aparādha, offense. Because they are sādhu. They do not know... They have accepted Kṛṣṅa without any hodgepodge understanding, that "This is also good, this is also good, this is also good." They are strictly following the instruction of their spiritual master. Kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28].

Even a small child in our association, Śyāmasundara's daughter, she would go to somebody—she was only five years old—she would ask, "Do you know Kṛṣṅa?" So somebody said, "No, I do not know." "Oh, Supreme Personality of Godhead." She would preach like that. So they are convinced, kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam. This conviction is the foremost quality. Then other things will follow. Sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ. So if one is simply convinced on this point, that kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam, and he does like that, follows the principle, kṛṣṅaika-śaraṅam, [indistinct], varṅāśrama-dharma. Kṛṣṅaika-śaraṅam. That is wanted. Mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja. So do that. Stick to this principle, that Kṛṣṅa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṅa is para-tattva, the Absolute Truth, and Kṛṣṅa is all-pervading. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam [Bg 9.4].

[By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.]

Kṛṣṅa is everywhere. Jagad avyakta-mūrtinā. This avyakta. The Kṛṣṅa's potency is everywhere.

Therefore those who are advanced devotee, they do not see anything else than Kṛṣṅa. Everywhere he sees Kṛṣṅa. And that is a fact. Kṛṣṅa also teaches that "I am here." If you cannot conceive that Kṛṣṅa is everywhere present, Kṛṣṅa personally gives you instruction, "Here I am." Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya [Bg 7.8].

[O son of Kuntī [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.]

Everyone is drinking water at least four times, five times. So at the time of drinking water, or drinking anything, if you remember Kṛṣṅa then you become purified. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha [Bg 7.1]. That is yoga, bhakti-yoga. If you practice only this. Whatever you drink, you drink something for some taste, so either you drink soda water or water or milk, or even wine—because the Europeans, Americans, they are accustomed to drink wine—but if they follow this instruction of Kṛṣṅa, that "This taste is Kṛṣṅa," then he remembers Kṛṣṅa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. As soon as he brings Kṛṣṅa in his mind, he becomes a bhakta. So easy. Anyone can become kṛṣṅa-bhakta if he follows the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā. There is no difficulty. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. This is the simple process. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ [Bg 7.8], this is for ordinary class of men. But if you think that you are very advanced in learning, in Vedic literature and Vedic mantras, yes, then Kṛṣṅa says, praṅavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. That praṅava-oṁkāra, oṁ tad viṣṅoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ [Ṛg Veda 1.22.20],

[The lotus feet of Lord Viṣṅu are the supreme objective of all the demigods. These lotus feet of the Lord are as enlightening as the sun in the sky.]

that praṅava is Kṛṣṅa. Praṅavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu.

So either you become a highly learned scholar in Vedic literature or you are simply an ordinary person, you can think of Kṛṣṅa and you become successful in your life. There is no difficulty. Raso 'ham. If you are ordinary person... Any, every, every person drinks water or drinks something. Let him immediately think of, as soon as he tastes, "Here is Kṛṣṅa." Puṅyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca [Bg 7.9].

[I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.]

A flower, very..., a rose flower, very fragrant. So as soon as you smell you can remember Kṛṣṅa: "Oh, this smell is Kṛṣṅa." Actually that is Kṛṣṅa. You cannot create that smell. It is Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa's art. That, puṅyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca, that gandha, that smell, flavor, is within the earth. Wherefrom the rose is coming? From this earth. But still the rose is so fragrant. You cannot take out the fragrance from the earth. Everything is there. Sarva-kāma-dughā-mahī [SB 1.10.4]. Everything is within the earth, but you cannot take out. It is Kṛṣṅa. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca [Cc Madhya 13.65, purport]. He has got this power to exact, to extract puṅya-gandha through the rose flower. You haven't. You may be very big chemist, but you cannot do that. So in this way, if we study Kṛṣṅa, if you become Kṛṣṅa conscious, then your life is successful. That we are teaching. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. And these śāstras will help you.

But even if you do not read śāstra, if you always remember Kṛṣṅa, impression of Kṛṣṅa... The temple is made for layman. Even woman, child, if he sees daily Kṛṣṅa here, then he gets the impression. He can think of Kṛṣṅa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto [Bg 18.65].

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

Therefore the temple is there. Everyone should come every day, every morning, or as many times as possible, and take the impression of Kṛṣṅa and keep it within your core of heart and think of Kṛṣṅa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām... And offer little... You don't require to study Vedānta philosophy or this or that. Because what is the purpose of Vedānta? The purpose of Vedānta is vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg 15.15].

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

You have to understand Kṛṣṅa. So if you simply think of Kṛṣṅa, then you are greatest Vedāntist. Greatest Vedāntist. Vedaiś ca sarvair. Vedānta-vid vedānta-kṛt ca aham. He is the compiler of Vedas. So whatever instruction Kṛṣṅa has given in the Bhagavad-gītā, that is all Vedānta. This simple instruction, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, this is Vedānta. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya [Bg 7.8].

[O son of Kuntī [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.]

This is Vedanta. So to become Vedāntist means to understand Kṛṣṅa, follow Kṛṣṅa's instruction and be successful in your life.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]