Krishna as kala

[Guest guest]

The word k€laƒ is significant. Although the child was born to kill Kaˆsa,

Kaˆsa thought that this was the proper time to kill the child so that he

himself would be saved. K€la is actually another name of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead when He appears only for the purpose of killing. When

Arjuna inquired from KŠa in His universal form, “Who are You?” the Lord

presented Himself as k€la, death personified to kill. By nature’s law, when

there is an unwanted increase in population, k€la appears, and by some

arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, people are killed

wholesale in different ways, by war, pestilence, famine and so on. At that

time, even atheistic political leaders go to a church, mosque or temple for

protection by God or gods and submissively say, “God willing.” Before that,

they pay no attention to God, not caring to know God or His will, but when

k€la appears, they say, “God willing.” Death is but another feature of the

supreme k€la, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At the time of death, the

atheist must submit to this supreme k€la, and then the Supreme Personality

of Godhead takes away all his possessions (mtyuƒ sarva-hara c€ham) and

forces him to accept another body (tath€ deh€ntara-pr€ptiƒ). This the

atheists do not know, and if they do know, they neglect it so that they may

go on with their normal life. The KŠa consciousness movement is trying to

teach them that although for a few years one may act as a great protector or

great watchman, with the appearance of k€la, death, one must take another

body by the laws of nature. Not knowing this, they unnecessarily waste their

time in their occupation as watchdogs and do not try to get the mercy of the

Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it is clearly said, apr€pya m€ˆ

nivartante mtyu-saˆs€ra-vartmani: without KŠa consciousness, one is

condemned to continue wandering in birth and death, not knowing what will

happen in one’s next birth.