Discussion on Krishna

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70-01-30.Letter: Professor J. F. Staal

In the Narada Pancaratra it is stated that all the Vedic rituals, Mantras

and understanding are compressed into the eight words; Hare Krishna, Hare

Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. Similarly, in the Kalisantra Upanisad

it is stated that these sixteen words Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna

Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare are

especially meant for counteracting the degrading and contaminating influence

of this materialistic age of Kali.

 

72-01-02.Letter: Yajnesvara

You will find mentioned in many Vedic scriptures that maha-mantra is

especially recommended for understanding God in this age of Kali Yuga, such

as Agni Purana, Kali-Santaram Upanisad, Brhan Naradiya Puranam, and many

others. Haridasa Thakura chanted 3 lakhs of names each day, that means 16

names in the mantra, 108x16 or 1,728 names in each round of mala, dividing

300,000 by 1,728 comes to roundabout 175 rounds on beads daily. And for us

it is even difficult to chant 16 rounds! That is why Haridasa Thakura is

"namacarya." We find in Caitanya Caritamrta information that both Lord

Caitanya and Haridasa Thakura were constantly absorbed in chanting the Hare

Krishna mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare. Hare

Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

 

Srimad Bhagavatam

Translation by HIS DIVINE GRACE A C BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

1.1.1 P Questions by the Sages

Obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, directly indicate

Lord Sri Krsna, who is the divine son of Vasudeva and Devaki. This fact will

be more explicitly explained in the text of this work. Sri Vyasadeva asserts

herein that Sri Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead, and all others

are His direct or indirect plenary portions or portions of the portion.

Srila Jiva Gosvami has even more explicitly explained the subject matter in

his Krsna-sandarbha. And Brahma, the original living being, has explained

the subject of Sri Krsna substantially in his treatise named Brahma-samhita.

In the Sama-veda Upanisad, it is also stated that Lord Sri Krsna is the

divine son of Devaki. Therefore, in this prayer, the first proposition holds

that Lord Sri Krsna is the primeval Lord, and if any transcendental

nomenclature is to be understood as belonging to the Absolute Personality of

Godhead, it must be the name indicated by the word Krsna, which means the

all-attractive. In Bhagavad-gita, in many places, the Lord asserts Himself

to be the original Personality of Godhead, and this is confirmed by Arjuna,

and also by great sages like Narada, Vyasa, and many others. In the Padma

Purana, it is also stated that out of the innumerable names of the Lord, the

name of Krsna is the principal one. Vasudeva indicates the plenary portion

of the Personality of Godhead, and all the different forms of the Lord,

being identical with Vasudeva, are indicated in this text. The name Vasudeva

particularly indicates the divine son of Vasudeva and Devaki. Sri Krsna is

always meditated upon by the paramahamsas, who are the perfected ones among

those in the renounced order of life.

 

760101BG.MAD Lectures

Indian (7): My question is whether the name Krsna existed prior to

Dvapara-yuga.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Mahamsa: Whether the name Krsna existed prior to Dvapara-yuga.

Prabhupada: Existed prior to?

Mahamsa: Dvapara-yuga.

Prabhupada: Yes, it is always existing. Those who are expert, they are

seeing Him. Krsna is... Just like Brahma, Brahma-samhita. He mentions Krsna.

Isvarah paramah krsnah. So many, many Dvapara-yugas before, many millions of

Dvapara-yugas before, he mentioned Krsna. Do you understand it? Brahma said.

Brahma is the first creature in the creation. Many millions of years ago he

uttered this word, isvarah paramah krsnah

 

Srimad Bhagavatam

Translation by HIS DIVINE GRACE A C BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

SB 2.9.37 P Answers by Citing the Lord' s Version

In the Gopala-tapani Upanisad (sruti) it is said, gopa-veso me purusah

purastad avirbabhuva: the Lord appeared before Brahma as a cowboy, that is,

as the original Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna, Govinda, who is

later described by Brahmaji in his Brahma-samhita (5.29):

 

cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-

laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam

laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

 

Brahmaji desires to worship the original Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri

Krsna, who resides in the topmost Vaikuntha planet, known as Goloka

Vrndavana, where He is in the habit of keeping surabhi cows as a cowboy and

where He is served by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune (the

gopis) with love and respect.

 

CAITANYA-CARITAMRTA

Translation by HIS DIVINE GRACE A C BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

Adi 3.40 T The External Reasons for Lord Caitanya' s Appearance

kali-yuge yuga-dharma----namera pracara

tathi lagi' pita-varna caitanyavatara

 

SYNONYMS

 

kali-yuge--in the Age of Kali; yuga-dharma--the religious practice for the

age; namera--of the holy name; pracara--propagation; tathi--this;

lagi'--for; pita-varna--having a yellow color; caitanya-avatara--the

incarnation of Lord Caitanya.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The religious practice for the Age of Kali is to broadcast the glories of

the holy name. Only for this purpose has the Lord, in a yellow color,

descended as Lord Caitanya.

 

PURPORT

 

In this Age of Kali the practical system of religion for everyone is the

chanting of the name of Godhead. This was introduced in this age by Lord

Caitanya. Bhakti-yoga actually begins with the chanting of the holy name, as

confirmed by Madhvacarya in his commentary on the Mundaka Upanisad. He

quotes this verse from the Narayana-samhita:

 

dvapariyair janair visnuh

pancaratrais tu kevalaih

kalau tu nama-matrena

pujyate bhagavan harih

 

"In the Dvapara-yuga people should worship Lord Visnu only by the regulative

principles of the Narada-pancaratra and other such authorized books. In the

Age of Kali, however, people should simply chant the holy names of the

Supreme Personality of Godhead." The Hare Krsna mantra is specifically

mentioned in many Upanisads, such as the Kali-santarana Upanisad, where it

is said:

 

hare krsna hare krsna

krsna krsna hare hare

hare rama hare rama

rama rama hare hare

 

iti sodasakam namnam

kali-kalmasa-nasanam

natah parataropayah

sarva-vedesu drsyate

 

"After searching through all the Vedic literature one cannot find a method

of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Krsna."

 

Translation by HIS DIVINE GRACE A C BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

Isopanisad purport 13

Here is a correct description of the Supreme Lord, given by the Lord

Himself. The words sarvasya pra-bhavah indicate that Krsna is the creator of

everyone, including Brahma, Visnu and Siva. And because these three

principal deities of the material world are created by the Lord, the Lord is

the creator of all that exists in the material and spiritual worlds. In the

Atharva Veda (Gopala-tapani Upanisad 1.24) it is similarly said, "He who

existed before the creation of Brahma and who enlightened Brahma with Vedic

knowledge is Lord Sri Krsna." Similarly, the Narayana Upanisad (1) states,

"Then the Supreme Person, Narayana, desired to create all living beings.

Thus from Narayana, Brahma was born. Narayana created all the Prajapatis.

Narayana created Indra. Narayana created the eight Vasus. Narayana created

the eleven Rudras. Narayana created the twelve Adityas." Since Narayana is a

plenary manifestation of Lord Krsna, Narayana and Krsna are one and the

same. The Narayana Upanisad (4) also states, "Devaki's son [Krsna] is the

Supreme Lord." The identity of Narayana with the supreme cause has also been

accepted and confirmed by Sripada Sankaracarya, even though Sankara does not

belong to the Vaisnava, or personalist, cult. The Atharva Veda (Maha

Upanisad 1) also states, "Only Narayana existed in the beginning, when

neither Brahma, nor Siva, nor fire, nor water, nor stars, nor sun, nor moon

existed. The Lord does not remain alone but creates as He desires." Krsna

Himself states in the Moksa-dharma, "I created the Prajapatis and the

Rudras. They do not have complete knowledge of Me because they are covered

by My illusory energy." It is also stated in the Varaha Purana: "Narayana is

the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and from Him the four-headed Brahma was

manifested, as well as Rudra, who later became omniscient."

Thus all Vedic literature confirms that Narayana, or Krsna, is the cause of

all causes. In the Brahma-samhita (5.1) also it is said that the Supreme

Lord is Sri Krsna, Govinda, the delighter of every living being and the

primeval cause of all causes. The really learned persons know this from

evidence given by the great sages and the Vedas, and thus they decide to

worship Lord Krsna as all in all. Such persons are called budha, or really

learned, because they worship only Krsna.

 

Translation by HIS DIVINE GRACE A C BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

Isopanisad purport 14

On the material planets, everyone from Brahma down to the ant is trying

to lord it over material nature, and this is the material disease. As long

as this material disease continues, the living entity has to undergo the

process of bodily change. Whether he takes the form of a man, demigod or

animal, he ultimately has to endure an unmanifested condition during the two

devastations--the devastation during the night of Brahma and the devastation

at the end of Brahma's life. If we want to put an end to this process of

repeated birth and death, as well as the concomitant factors of old age and

disease, we must try to enter the spiritual planets, where we can live

eternally in the association of Lord Krsna or His plenary expansions, His

Narayana forms. Lord Krsna or His plenary expansions dominate every one of

these innumerable planets, a fact confirmed in the sruti mantras: eko vasi

sarva-gah krsna idyah. eko 'pi san bahudha yo 'vabhati. (Gopala-tapani

Upanisad 1.3.21)

 

LON 1 God and The Law of Karma

So if you want real knowledge, you should take knowledge from the

literature known as the Vedas. (The word veda means "knowledge.") Part of

the Vedas are the 108 Upanisads, out of which eleven are very important. Of

those eleven, the Isopanisad stands first. In the word upanisad, upa means

"near." So the knowledge in the Isopanisad will take you nearer to Krsna.

 

Translation by HIS DIVINE GRACE A C BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

BHAGAVAD GITA AS IT IS 4.1 P Transcendental Knowledge

At the present moment we have just passed through five thousand years of

the Kali-yuga, which lasts 432,000 years. Before this there was the

Dvapara-yuga (800,000 years), and before that there was Treta-yuga

(1,200,000 years). Thus, some 2,005,000 years ago, Manu spoke the

Bhagavad-gita to his disciple and son Maharaja Iksvaku, the king of this

planet earth. The age of the current Manu is calculated to last some

305,300,000 years, of which 120,400,000 have passed. Accepting that before

the birth of Manu, the Gita was spoken by the Lord to His disciple, the

sun-god Vivasvan, a rough estimate is that the Gita was spoken at least

120,400,000 years ago; and in human society it has been extant for two

million years. It was respoken by the Lord again to Arjuna about five

thousand years ago. That is the rough estimate of the history of the Gita,

according to the Gita itself and according to the version of the speaker,

Lord Sri Krsna. It was spoken to the sun-god Vivasvan because he is also a

ksatriya and is the father of all ksatriyas who are descendants of the

sun-god, or the surya-vamsa ksatriyas. Because Bhagavad-gita is as good as

the Vedas, being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this

knowledge is apauruseya, superhuman. Since the Vedic instructions are

accepted as they are, without human interpretation, the Gita must therefore

be accepted without mundane interpretation. The mundane wranglers may

speculate on the Gita in their own ways, but that is not Bhagavad-gita as it

is. Therefore, Bhagavad-gita has to be accepted as it is, from the disciplic

succession, and it is described herein that the Lord spoke to the sun-god,

the sun-god spoke to his son Manu, and Manu spoke to his son Iksvaku.

 

Srimad Bhagavatam

Translation by HIS DIVINE GRACE A C BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

SB 1.7.8 The Son of Drona Punished

The great sage Vyasadeva, after compiling the Srimad-Bhagavatam and

revising it, taught it to his own son, Sri Sukadeva Gosvami, who was already

engaged in self-realization.

 

PURPORT

 

Srimad-Bhagavatam is the natural commentation on the Brahma-sutras

compiled by the same author. This Brahma-sutra, or Vedanta-sutra, is meant

for those who are already engaged in self-realization. Srimad-Bhagavatam is

so made that one becomes at once engaged in the path of self-realization

simply by hearing the topics. Although it is especially meant for the

paramahamsas, or those who are totally engaged in self-realization, it works

into the depths of the hearts of those who may be worldly men. Worldly men

are all engaged in sense gratification. But even such men will find in this

Vedic literature a remedial measure for their material diseases. Sukadeva

Gosvami was a liberated soul from the very beginning of his birth, and his

father taught him Srimad-Bhagavatam. Amongst mundane scholars, there is some

diversity of opinion as to the date of compilation of Srimad-Bhagavatam. It

is, however, certain from the text of the Bhagavatam that it was compiled

before the disappearance of King Pariksit and after the departure of Lord

Krsna. When Maharaja Pariksit was ruling the world as the King of

Bharata-varsa, he chastised the personality of Kali. According to revealed

scriptures and astrological calculation, the age of Kali is in its five

thousandth year. Therefore, Srimad-Bhagavatam was compiled not less than

five thousand years ago. Mahabharata was compiled before Srimad-Bhagavatam,

and the Puranas were compiled before Mahabharata. That is an estimation of

the date of compilation of the different Vedic literatures. The synopsis of

Srimad-Bhagavatam was given before the detailed description under

instruction of Narada. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the science for following the

path of nivrtti-marga. The path of pravrtti-marga was condemned by Narada.

That path is the natural inclination for all conditioned souls. The theme of

Srimad-Bhagavatam is the cure of the materialistic disease of the human

being, or stopping completely the pangs of material existence.

 

68-08-24. Letter: Dayananda, Nandarani

The next question, "will you please explain about the 28th mahayuga of

this Manu, in which the treta and Dvapara yugas are reversed?" The 28th

mahayuga means that in Brahma's one day, there are 14 Manus. And each Manu's

life is the duration of 71 mahayugas. And one mahayuga means 4 yugas

combined. The duration of Sattva yuga is about 18 hundred thousands of

years. And the duration of Treta yuga is about 12 hundred thousands of

years. And the duration of Dvapara yuga is about 800 thousands of years, and

the duration of Kali yuga is about 400 thousands of years. So all together,

becomes a mahayuga, and such 71 mahayugas take place in the life of one

Manu, and there are 14 Manus in the one day duration of Brahma. So in the

28th mahayuga, of the life of Vivasvata Manu, at the end of Dvapara yuga,

Lord Krishna appears, and in the next Kali yuga, Lord Caitanya appeared.

Previous to this Kali yuga, there was Dvapara yuga, when men used to live

for 1000 years. In the Treta yuga, they used to live 10,000 of years and in

the Satya yuga, they used to live for 100,000 years. Modern calculation of

Satya yuga, Treta yuga, Dvapara yuga, Kali yuga, as golden age, bronze age,

silver age, copper age, and other age, that is historical references. But

the Vedic calculation is different from such calculation. But it can be

accepted to a certain extent to understand that history is changing and

repeating at the same time.

 

Srimad Bhagavatam

Translation by HIS DIVINE GRACE A C BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

SB 4.23.7 P Maharaja Prthu' s Going Back Home

There are many fools who claim that worship of Krsna began only about

five thousand years ago, after the appearance of Lord Krsna in India, but

this is not a fact. Prthu Maharaja worshiped Krsna millions of years ago,

for Prthu happened to be a descendant of the family of Maharaja Dhruva, who

reigned for thirty-six thousand years during the Satya-yuga age. Unless his

total life-span was one hundred thousand years, how could Dhruva Maharaja

reign over the world for thirty-six thousand years? The point is that Krsna

worship existed at the beginning of creation and has continued to exist

throughout Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga and Dvapara-yuga, and now it is continuing

in Kali-yuga. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, Krsna appears not only in this

millennium of Brahma's life, but in every millennium. Therefore worship of

Krsna is conducted in all millenniums. It is not that Krsna worship began

only when Krsna appeared on this planet five thousand years ago. This is a

foolish conclusion that is not substantiated by Vedic literatures.

 

CAITANYA-CARITAMRTA

Translation by HIS DIVINE GRACE A C BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

Adi 3.10 The External Reasons for Lord Caitanya' s Appearance

At the end of the Dvapara-yuga of the twenty-eighth divya-yuga, Lord

Krsna appears on earth with the full paraphernalia of His eternal

Vraja-dhama.

 

PURPORT

 

Now is the term of Vaivasvata Manu, during which Lord Caitanya appears.

First Lord Krsna appears at the close of the Dvapara-yuga of the

twenty-eighth divya-yuga, and then Lord Caitanya appears in the Kali-yuga of

the same divya-yuga. Lord Krsna and Lord Caitanya appear once in each day of

Brahma, or once in fourteen manv-antaras, each of seventy-one divya-yugas in

duration.

From the beginning of Brahma's day of 4,320,000,000 years, six Manus

appear and disappear before Lord Krsna appears. Thus 1,975,320,000 years of

the day of Brahma elapse before the appearance of Lord Krsna. This is an

astronomical calculation according to solar years.

 

CAITANYA-CARITAMRTA

Translation by HIS DIVINE GRACE A C BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

Madhya 20.337 T Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Instructs Sanatana Gosvami in

the Science

dvapare bhagavan syamah

pita-vasa nijayudhah

sri-vatsadibhir ankais ca

laksanair upalaksitah

 

SYNONYMS

dvapare--in the Dvapara-yuga; bhagavan--the Supreme Personality of Godhead;

syamah--blackish; pita-vasah--having yellow clothes; nija--own;

ayudhah--having weapons; sri-vatsa-adibhih--such as Srivatsa; ankaih--by

bodily markings; ca--and; laksanaih--by external characteristics such as the

Kaustubha jewel; upalaksitah--characterized.

 

TRANSLATION

 

" 'In the Dvapara-yuga the Personality of Godhead appears in a blackish

hue. He is dressed in yellow, He holds His own weapons, and He is decorated

with the Kaustubha jewel and marks of Srivatsa. That is how His symptoms are

described.'

 

PURPORT

 

This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.27). The syama color is

not exactly blackish. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura compares it to

the color of the atasi flower. It is not that Lord Krsna Himself appears in

a blackish color in all the Dvapara-yugas. In other Dvapara-yugas, previous

to Lord Krsna's appearance, the Supreme Lord appeared in a greenish body by

His own personal expansion. This is mentioned in the Visnu Purana,

Hari-vamsa and Mahabharata.