What is Krishna consciousness?

[mjan]

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[bhaktajan]

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Below are three stories from the Srimad-Bhagavatam

“Vrtrasura’s Glorious Death”,

“Prayers by Queen Kunti and Pariksit Saved”,

And,

“Mother Yasoda Binds Lord Krsna.”

[i omitted the purports for brevity]

I hope this will bring some insights to you.

Ys,

Bhaktajan

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Prayers by Queen Kunti and Pariksit Saved

 

SB 1.8.1

Süta Gosvami said: Thereafter the Paëòavas, desiring to deliver water to the dead relatives who had desired it, went to the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">Ganges</st1:place> with Draupadi. The ladies walked in front.

SB 1.8.2

Having lamented over them and sufficiently offered Ganges water, they bathed in the <st1:place w:st="on">Ganges</st1:place>, whose water is sanctified due to being mixed with the dust of the lotus feet of the Lord.

SB 1.8.3

There sat the King of the Kurus, Maharaja Yudhisöhira, along with his younger brothers and Dhrtarasöra, Gandhari, Kunti and Draupadi, all overwhelmed with grief. Lord Krsna was also there.

SB 1.8.4

Citing the stringent laws of the Almighty and their reactions upon living beings, Lord Sri Krsna and the munis began to pacify those who were shocked and affected.

SB 1.8.5

The clever Duryodhana and his party cunningly usurped the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">kingdom</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Yudhisöhira</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>, who had no enemy. By the grace of the Lord, the recovery was executed, and the unscrupulous kings who joined with Duryodhana were killed by Him. Others also died, their duration of life having decreased for their rough handling of the hair of Queen Draupadi.

SB 1.8.6

Lord Sri Krsna caused three well-performed ASvamedha-yajïas [horse sacrifices] to be conducted by Maharaja Yudhisöhira and thus caused his virtuous fame to be glorified in all directions, like that of Indra, who had performed one hundred such sacrifices.

SB 1.8.7

Lord Sri Krsna then prepared for His departure. He invited the sons of Paëòu, after having been worshiped by the brahmaëas, headed by Srila Vyasadeva. The Lord also reciprocated greetings.

SB 1.8.8

As soon as He seated Himself on the chariot to start for Dvaraka, He saw Uttara hurrying toward Him in fear.

SB 1.8.9

Uttara said: O Lord of lords, Lord of the universe! You are the greatest of mystics. Please protect me, for there is no one else who can save me from the clutches of death in this world of duality.

SB 1.8.10

O my Lord, You are all-powerful. A fiery iron arrow is coming towards me fast. My Lord, let it burn me personally, if You so desire, but please do not let it burn and abort my embryo. Please do me this favor, my Lord.

SB 1.8.11

Süta Gosvami said: Having patiently heard her words, Lord Sri Krsna, who is always very affectionate to His devotees, could at once understand that ASvatthama, the son of Droëacarya, had thrown the brahmastra to finish the last life in the Paëòava family.

SB 1.8.12

O foremost among the great thinkers [munis] [saunaka], seeing the glaring brahmastra proceeding towards them, the Paëòavas took up their five respective weapons.

SB 1.8.13

The almighty Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, having observed that a great danger was befalling His unalloyed devotees, who were fully surrendered souls, at once took up His SudarSana disc to protect them.

SB 1.8.14

The Lord of supreme mysticism, Sri Krsna, resides within everyone’s heart as the Paramatma. As such, just to protect the progeny of the Kuru dynasty, He covered the embryo of Uttara by His personal energy.

SB 1.8.15

O Saunaka, although the supreme brahmastra weapon released by ASvatthama was irresistible and without check or counteraction, it was neutralized and foiled when confronted by the strength of Visëu [Lord Krsna].

SB 1.8.16

O brahmaëas, do not think this to be especially wonderful in the activities of the mysterious and infallible Personality of Godhead. By His own transcendental energy, He maintains and annihilates all material things, although He Himself is unborn.

SB 1.8.17

Thus saved from the radiation of the brahmastra, Kunti, the chaste devotee of the Lord, and her five sons and Draupadi addressed Lord Krsna as He started for home.

SB 1.8.18

Srimati Kunti said: O Krsna, I offer my obeisances unto You because You are the original personality and are unaffected by the qualities of the material world. You are existing both within and without everything, yet You are invisible to all.

SB 1.8.19

Being beyond the range of limited sense perception, You are the eternally irreproachable factor covered by the curtain of deluding energy. You are invisible to the foolish observer, exactly as an actor dressed as a player is not recognized.

SB 1.8.20

You Yourself descend to propagate the transcendental science of devotional service unto the hearts of the advanced transcendentalists and mental speculators, who are purified by being able to discriminate between matter and spirit. How, then, can we women know You perfectly?

SB 1.8.21

Let me therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who has become the son of Vasudeva, the pleasure of Devaki, the boy of Nanda and the other cowherd men of Vrndavana, and the enlivener of the cows and the senses.

SB 1.8.22

My respectful obeisances are unto You, O Lord, whose abdomen is marked with a depression like a lotus flower, who are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers, whose glance is as cool as the lotus and whose feet are engraved with lotuses.

SB 1.8.23

O HrsikeSa, master of the senses and Lord of lords, You have released Your mother, Devaki, who was long imprisoned and distressed by the envious King Kaàsa, and me and my children from a series of constant dangers.

SB 1.8.24

My dear Krsna, Your Lordship has protected us from a poisoned cake, from a great fire, from cannibals, from the vicious assembly, from sufferings during our exile in the forest and from the battle where great generals fought. And now You have saved us from the weapon of ASvatthama.

SB 1.8.25

I 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.

SB 1.8.26

My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted. One who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot approach You with sincere feeling.

SB 1.8.27

My obeisances are unto You, who are the property of the materially impoverished. You have nothing to do with the actions and reactions of the material modes of nature. You are self-satisfied, and therefore You are the most gentle and are master of the monists.

SB 1.8.28

My Lord, I consider Your Lordship to be eternal time, the supreme controller, without beginning and end, the all-pervasive one. In distributing Your mercy, You are equal to everyone. The dissensions between living beings are due to social intercourse.

SB 1.8.29

O Lord, no one can understand Your transcendental pastimes, which appear to be human and are so misleading. You have no specific object of favor, nor do You have any object of envy. People only imagine that You are partial.

SB 1.8.30

Of course it is bewildering, O soul of the universe, that You work, though You are inactive, and that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst animals, men, sages and aquatics. Verily, this is bewildering.

SB 1.8.31

My dear Krsna, Yasoda took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense, and Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears, which washed the mascara from Your eyes. And You were afraid, though fear personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me.

SB 1.8.32

Some say that the Unborn is born for the glorification of pious kings, and others say that He is born to please King Yadu, one of Your dearest devotees. You appear in his family as sandalwood appears in the <st1:place w:st="on">Malaya</st1:place> hills.

SB 1.8.33

Others say that since both Vasudeva and Devaki prayed for You, You have taken Your birth as their son. Undoubtedly You are unborn, yet You take Your birth for their welfare and to kill those who are envious of the demigods.

SB 1.8.34

Others say that the world, being overburdened like a boat at sea, is much aggrieved, and that Brahma, who is Your son, prayed for You, and so You have appeared to diminish the trouble.

SB 1.8.35

And yet others say that You appeared to rejuvenate the devotional service of hearing, remembering, worshiping and so on in order that the conditioned souls suffering from material pangs might take advantage and gain liberation.

SB 1.8.36

O Krsna, those who continuously hear, chant and repeat Your transcendental activities, or take pleasure in others’ doing so, certainly see Your lotus feet, which alone can stop the repetition of birth and death.

SB 1.8.37

O my Lord, You have executed all duties Yourself. Are you leaving us today, though we are completely dependent on Your mercy and have no one else to protect us, now when all kings are at enmity with us?

SB 1.8.38

As the name and fame of a particular body is finished with the disappearance of the living spirit, similarly if You do not look upon us, all our fame and activities, along with the Paëòavas and Yadus, will end at once.

SB 1.8.39

O Gadadhara [Krsna], our kingdom is now being marked by the impressions of Your feet, and therefore it appears beautiful. But when You leave, it will no longer be so.

SB 1.8.40

All these cities and villages are flourishing in all respects because the herbs and grains are in abundance, the trees are full of fruits, the rivers are flowing, the hills are full of minerals and the oceans full of wealth. And this is all due to Your glancing over them.

SB 1.8.41

O Lord of the universe, soul of the universe, O personality of the form of the universe, please, therefore, sever my tie of affection for my kinsmen, the Paëòavas and the Vrsnis.

SB 1.8.42

O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else.

SB 1.8.43

O Krsna, O friend of Arjuna, O chief amongst the descendants of Vrsni, You are the destroyer of those political parties which are disturbing elements on this earth. Your prowess never deteriorates. You are the proprietor of the transcendental abode, and You descend to relieve the distresses of the cows, the brahmaëas and the devotees. You possess all mystic powers, and You are the preceptor of the entire universe. You are the almighty God, and I offer You my respectful obeisances.

SB 1.8.44

Süta Gosvami said: The Lord, thus hearing the prayers of Kuntidevi, composed in choice words for His glorification, mildly smiled. That smile was as enchanting as His mystic power.

SB 1.8.45

Thus accepting the prayers of Srimati Kuntidevi, the Lord subsequently informed other ladies of His departure by entering the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">palace</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Hastinapura</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>. But upon preparing to leave, He was stopped by King Yudhisöhira, who implored Him lovingly.

SB 1.8.46

King Yudhisöhira, who was much aggrieved, could not be convinced, despite instructions by great sages headed by Vyasa and the Lord Krsna Himself, the performer of superhuman feats, and despite all historical evidence.

SB 1.8.47

King Yudhisöhira, son of Dharma, overwhelmed by the death of his friends, was aggrieved just like a common, materialistic man. O sages, thus deluded by affection, he began to speak.

SB 1.8.48

King Yudhisöhira said: O my lot! I am the most sinful man! Just see my heart, which is full of ignorance! This body, which is ultimately meant for others, has killed many, many phalanxes of men.

SB 1.8.49

I have killed many boys, brahmaëas, well-wishers, friends, parents, preceptors and brothers. Though I live millions of years, I will not be relieved from the hell that awaits me for all these sins.

SB 1.8.50

There is no sin for a king who kills for the right cause, who is engaged in maintaining his citizens. But this injunction is not applicable to me.

SB 1.8.51

I have killed many friends of women, and I have thus caused enmity to such an extent that it is not possible to undo it by material welfare work.

SB 1.8.52

As it is not possible to filter muddy water through mud, or purify a wine-stained pot with wine, it is not possible to counteract the killing of men by sacrificing animals.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Translations of the First Canto, Eighth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Prayers by Queen Kunti and Pariksit Saved.”

[bhaktajan]

Chapter Twelve

Vrtrasura’s Glorious Death

SB 6.12 Summary

This chapter describes how Indra, the King of heaven, killed Vrtrasura despite great reluctance.

After Vrtrasura finished speaking, he released his trident against King Indra with great anger, but Indra, using his thunderbolt, which was many times more powerful than the trident, broke the trident to pieces and cut off one of Vrtrasura’s arms. Nevertheless, Vrtrasura used his remaining arm to strike Indra with an iron mace, making the thunderbolt fall from Indra’s hand. Indra, being very ashamed of this, did not pick up the thunderbolt from the ground, but Vrtrasura encouraged King Indra to pick it up and fight. Vrtrasura then spoke to King Indra as follows, instructing him very well.

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead,” he said, “is the cause of victory and defeat. Not knowing that the Supreme Lord is the cause of all causes, fools and rascals try to take credit for victory or defeat themselves, but everything is actually under the control of the Lord. No one but Him has any independence. The purusa (the enjoyer) and prakrti (the enjoyed) are under the control of the Lord, for it is by His supervision that everything works systematically. Not seeing the hand of the Supreme in every action, a fool considers himself the ruler and controller of everything. When one understands, however, that the real controller is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is freed from the relativities of the world, such as distress, happiness, fear and impurity.” Thus Indra and Vrtrasura not only fought, but also engaged in philosophical discourses. Then they began to fight again.

This time Indra was more powerful, and he severed Vrtrasura’s remaining arm. Vrtrasura then assumed a gigantic form and swallowed King Indra, but Indra, being protected by the talisman known as Narayaëa-kavaca, was able to protect himself even within Vrtrasura’s body. Thus he emerged from Vrtrasura’s abdomen and severed the demon’s head from his body with his powerful thunderbolt. Severing the demon’s head took one complete year to accomplish.

SB 6.12.1

Sukadeva Gosvami said: Desiring to give up his body, Vrtrasura considered death in the battle preferable to victory. O King Pariksit, he vigorously took up his trident and with great force attacked Lord Indra, the King of heaven, just as Kaiöabha had forcefully attacked the Supreme Personality of Godhead when the universe was inundated.

SB 6.12.2

Then Vrtrasura, the great hero of the demons, whirled his trident, which had points like the flames of the blazing fire at the end of the millennium. With great force and anger he threw it at Indra, roaring and exclaiming loudly, “O sinful one, thus shall I kill you!”

SB 6.12.3

Flying in the sky, Vrtrasura’s trident resembled a brilliant meteor. Although the blazing weapon was difficult to look upon, King Indra, unafraid, cut it to pieces with his thunderbolt. Simultaneously, he cut off one of Vrtrasura’s arms, which was as thick as the body of Vasuki, the King of the serpents.

SB 6.12.4

Although one of his arms was severed from his body, Vrtrasura angrily approached King Indra and struck him on the jaw with an iron mace. He also struck the elephant that carried Indra. Thus Indra dropped the thunderbolt from his hand.

SB 6.12.5

The denizens of various planets, like the demigods, demons, Caraëas and Siddhas, praised Vrtrasura’s deed, but when they observed that Indra was in great danger, they lamented, “Alas! Alas!”

SB 6.12.6

Having dropped the thunderbolt from his hand in the presence of his enemy, Indra was practically defeated and was very much ashamed. He dared not pick up his weapon again. Vrtrasura, however, encouraged him, saying, “Take up your thunderbolt and kill your enemy. This is not the time to lament your fate.”

SB 6.12.7

Vrtrasura continued: O Indra, no one is guaranteed of being always victorious but the original enjoyer, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. He is the cause of creation, maintenance and annihilation, and He knows everything. Being dependent and being obliged to accept material bodies, belligerent subordinates are sometimes victorious and sometimes defeated.

SB 6.12.8

All living beings in all the planets of this universe, including the presiding deities of all the planets, are fully under the control of the Lord. They work like birds caught in a net, who cannot move independently.

SB 6.12.9

Our sensory prowess, mental power, bodily strength, living force, immortality and mortality are all subject to the superintendence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not knowing this, foolish people think the dull material body to be the cause of their activities.

SB 6.12.10

O King Indra, as a wooden doll that looks like a woman or as an animal made of grass and leaves cannot move or dance independently, but depends fully on the person who handles it, all of us dance according to the desire of the supreme controller, the Personality of Godhead. No one is independent.

SB 6.12.11

The three purusas—Karaëodakasayi Visëu, Garbhodakasayi Visëu and Ksirodakasayi-Visëu—the material nature, the total material energy, the false ego, the five material elements, the material senses, the mind, the intelligence and consciousness cannot create the material manifestation without the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 6.12.12

A foolish, senseless person cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although always dependent, he falsely thinks himself the Supreme. If one thinks, “According to one’s previous fruitive actions, one’s material body is created by the father and mother, and the same body is annihilated by another agent, as another animal is devoured by a tiger,” this is not proper understanding. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself creates and devours the living beings through other living beings.

SB 6.12.13

Just as a person not inclined to die must nonetheless give up his longevity, opulence, fame and everything else at the time of death, so, at the appointed time of victory, one can gain all these when the Supreme Lord awards them by His mercy.

SB 6.12.14

Since everything is dependent on the supreme will of the Personality of Godhead, one should be equipoised in fame and defamation, victory and defeat, life and death. In their effects, represented as happiness and distress, one should maintain oneself in equilibrium, without anxiety.

SB 6.12.15

One who knows that the three qualities—goodness, passion and ignorance—are not qualities of the soul but qualities of material nature, and who knows that the pure soul is simply an observer of the actions and reactions of these qualities, should be understood to be a liberated person. He is not bound by these qualities.

SB 6.12.16

O my enemy, just look at me. I have already been defeated, for my weapon and arm have been cut to pieces. You have already overwhelmed me, but nonetheless, with a desire to kill you, I am trying my best to fight. I am not at all morose, even under such adverse conditions. Therefore you should give up your moroseness and continue fighting.

SB 6.12.17

O my enemy, consider this battle a gambling match in which our lives are the stakes, the arrows are the dice, and the animals acting as carriers are the game board. No one can understand who will be defeated and who will be victorious. It all depends on providence.

SB 6.12.18

Sukadeva Gosvami said: Hearing the straightforward, instructive words of Vrtrasura, King Indra praised him and again took the thunderbolt in his hand. Without bewilderment or duplicity, he then smiled and spoke to Vrtrasura as follows.

SB 6.12.19

Indra said: O great demon, I see by your discrimination and endurance in devotional service, despite your dangerous position, that you are a perfect devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul and friend of everyone.

SB 6.12.20

You have surmounted the illusory energy of Lord Visëu, and because of this liberation, you have given up the demoniac mentality and have attained the position of an exalted devotee.

SB 6.12.21

O Vrtrasura, demons are generally conducted by the mode of passion. Therefore, what a great wonder it is that although you are a demon, you have adopted the mentality of a devotee and have fixed your mind on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva, who is always situated in pure goodness.

SB 6.12.22

A person fixed in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord, Hari, the Lord of the highest auspiciousness, swims in the ocean of nectar. For him what is the use of the water in small ditches?

SB 6.12.23

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: Vrtrasura and King Indra spoke about devotional service even on the battlefield, and then as a matter of duty they again began fighting. My dear King, both of them were great fighters and were equally powerful.

SB 6.12.24

O Maharaja Pariksit, Vrtrasura, who was completely able to subdue his enemy, took his iron club, whirled it around, aimed it at Indra and then threw it at him with his left hand.

SB 6.12.25

With his thunderbolt named Sataparvan, Indra simultaneously cut to pieces Vrtrasura’s club and his remaining hand.

SB 6.12.26

Vrtrasura, bleeding profusely, his two arms cut off at their roots, looked very beautiful, like a flying mountain whose wings have been cut to pieces by Indra.

SB 6.12.27, SB 6.12.28, SB 6.12.29, SB 6.12.27-29

Vrtrasura was very powerful in physical strength and influence. He placed his lower jaw on the ground and his upper jaw in the sky. His mouth became very deep, like the sky itself, and his tongue resembled a large serpent. With his fearful, deathlike teeth, he seemed to be trying to devour the entire universe. Thus assuming a gigantic body, the great demon Vrtrasura shook even the mountains and began crushing the surface of the earth with his legs, as if he were the Himalayas walking about. He came before Indra and swallowed him and Airavata, his carrier, just as a big python might swallow an elephant.

SB 6.12.30

When the demigods, along with Brahma, other prajapatis and other great saintly persons, saw that Indra had been swallowed by the demon, they became very morose. “Alas,” they lamented. “What a calamity ! What a calamity !”

SB 6.12.31

The protective armor of Narayaëa, which Indra possessed, was identical with Narayaëa Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Protected by that armor and by his own mystic power, King Indra, although swallowed by Vrtrasura, did not die within the demon’s belly.

SB 6.12.32

With his thunderbolt, King Indra, who was also extremely powerful, pierced through Vrtrasura’s abdomen and came out. Indra, the killer of the demon Bala, then immediately cut off Vrtrasura’s head, which was as high as the peak of a mountain.

SB 6.12.33

Although the thunderbolt revolved around Vrtrasura’s neck with great speed, separating his head from his body took one complete year—360 days, the time in which the sun, moon and other luminaries complete a northern and southern journey. Then, at the suitable time for Vrtrasura to be killed, his head fell to the ground.

SB 6.12.34

When Vrtrasura was killed, the Gandharvas and Siddhas in the heavenly planets beat kettledrums in jubilation. With Vedic hymns they celebrated the prowess of Indra, the killer of Vrtrasura, praising Indra and showering flowers upon him with great pleasure.

SB 6.12.35

O King Pariksit, subduer of enemies, the living spark then came forth from Vrtrasura’s body and returned home, back to Godhead. While all the demigods looked on, he entered the transcendental world to become an associate of Lord Saìkarsaëa.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Sixth Canto, Twelfth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Vrtrasura’s Glorious Death.”

[bhaktajan]

Chapter Nine

Mother Yasoda Binds Lord Lord Krsna

SB 10.9 Summary

While mother Yasoda was allowing Krsna to drink her breast milk, she was forced to stop because she saw the milk pan boiling over on the oven. The maidservants being engaged in other business, she stopped allowing Krsna to drink from her breast and immediately attended to the overflowing milk pan. Krsna became very angry because of His mother’s behavior and devised a means of breaking the pots of yogurt. Because He created this disturbance, mother Yasoda decided to bind Him. These incidents are described in this chapter.

One day, the maidservants being engaged in other work, mother Yasoda was churning the yogurt into butter herself, and in the meantime Krsna came and requested her to allow Him to suck her breast milk. Of course, mother Yasoda immediately allowed Him to do so, but then she saw that the hot milk on the oven was boiling over, and therefore she immediately stopped allowing Krsna to drink the milk of her breast and went to stop the milk on the oven from overflowing. Krsna, however, having been interrupted in His business of sucking the breast, was very angry. He took a piece of stone, broke the churning pot and entered a room, where He began to eat the freshly churned butter. When mother Yasoda, after attending to the overflowing milk, returned and saw the pot broken, she could understand that this was the work of Krsna, and therefore she went to search for Him. When she entered the room, she saw Krsna standing on the ulükhala, a large mortar for grinding spices. Having turned the mortar upside down, He was stealing butter hanging from a swing and was distributing the butter to the monkeys. As soon as Krsna saw that His mother had come, He immediately began to run away, and mother Yasoda began to follow Him. After going some distance, mother Yasoda was able to catch Krsna, who because of His offense was crying. Mother Yasoda, of course, threatened to punish Krsna if He acted that way again, and she decided to bind Him with rope. Unfortunately, when the time came to knot the rope, the rope with which she wanted to bind Him was short by a distance equal to the width of two fingers. When she made the rope longer by adding another rope, she again saw that it was short by two fingers. Again and again she tried, and again and again she found the rope too short by two fingers. Thus she became very tired, and Krsna, seeing His affectionate mother so tired, allowed Himself to be bound. Now, being compassionate, He did not show her His unlimited potency. After mother Yasoda bound Krsna and became engaged in other household affairs, Krsna observed two yamala-arjuna trees, which were actually Nalaküvara and Maëigriva, two sons of Kuvera who had been condemned by Narada Muni to become trees. Krsna, by His mercy, now began to proceed toward the trees to fulfill the desire of Narada Muni.

SB 10.9.1-2

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami continued: One day when mother Yasoda saw that all the maidservants were engaged in other household affairs, she personally began to churn the yogurt. While churning, she remembered the childish activities of Krsna, and in her own way she composed songs and enjoyed singing to herself about all those activities.

SB 10.9.3

Dressed in a saffron-yellow sari, with a belt tied about her full hips, mother Yasoda pulled on the churning rope, laboring considerably, her bangles and earrings moving and vibrating and her whole body shaking. Because of her intense love for her child, her breasts were wet with milk. Her face, with its very beautiful eyebrows, was wet with perspiration, and malati flowers were falling from her hair.

SB 10.9.4

While mother Yasoda was churning butter, Lord Krsna, desiring to drink the milk of her breast, appeared before her, and in order to increase her transcendental pleasure, He caught hold of the churning rod and began to prevent her from churning.

SB 10.9.5

Mother Yasoda then embraced Krsna, allowed Him to sit down on her lap, and began to look upon the face of the Lord with great love and affection. Because of her intense affection, milk was flowing from her breast. But when she saw that the milk pan on the oven was boiling over, she immediately left her son to take care of the overflowing milk, although the child was not yet fully satisfied with drinking the milk of His mother’s breast.

SB 10.9.6

Being very angry and biting His reddish lips with His teeth, Krsna, with false tears in His eyes, broke the container of yogurt with a piece of stone. Then He entered a room and began to eat the freshly churned butter in a solitary place.

SB 10.9.7

Mother Yasoda, after taking down the hot milk from the oven, returned to the churning spot, and when she saw that the container of yogurt was broken and that Krsna was not present, she concluded that the breaking of the pot was the work of Krsna.

SB 10.9.8

Krsna, at that time, was sitting on an upside-down wooden mortar for grinding spices and was distributing milk preparations such as yogurt and butter to the monkeys as He liked. Because of having stolen, He was looking all around with great anxiety, suspecting that He might be chastised by His mother. Mother Yasoda, upon seeing Him, very cautiously approached Him from behind.

SB 10.9.9

When Lord Sri Krsna saw His mother, stick in hand, He very quickly got down from the top of the mortar and began to flee as if very much afraid. Although yogis try to capture Him as Paramatma by meditation, desiring to enter into the effulgence of the Lord with great austerities and penances, they fail to reach Him. But mother Yasoda, thinking that same Personality of Godhead, Krsna, to be her son, began following Krsna to catch Him.

SB 10.9.10

While following Krsna, mother Yasoda, her thin waist overburdened by her heavy breasts, naturally had to reduce her speed. Because of following Krsna very swiftly, her hair became loose, and the flowers in her hair were falling after her. Yet she did not fail to capture her son Krsna.

SB 10.9.11

When caught by mother Yasoda, Krsna became more and more afraid and admitted to being an offender. As she looked upon Him, she saw that He was crying, His tears mixing with the black ointment around His eyes, and as He rubbed His eyes with His hands, He smeared the ointment all over His face. Mother Yasoda, catching her beautiful son by the hand, mildly began to chastise Him.

SB 10.9.12

Mother Yasoda was always overwhelmed by intense love for Krsna, not knowing who Krsna was or how powerful He was. Because of maternal affection for Krsna, she never even cared to know who He was. Therefore, when she saw that her son had become excessively afraid, she threw the stick away and desired to bind Him so that He would not commit any further naughty activities.

SB 10.9.13-14

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has no beginning and no end, no exterior and no interior, no front and no rear. In other words, He is all-pervading. Because He is not under the influence of the element of time, for Him there is no difference between past, present and future; He exists in His own transcendental form at all times. Being absolute, beyond relativity, He is free from distinctions between cause and effect, although He is the cause and effect of everything. That unmanifested person, who is beyond the perception of the senses, had now appeared as a human child, and mother Yasoda, considering Him her own ordinary child, bound Him to the wooden mortar with a rope.

SB 10.9.15

When mother Yasoda was trying to bind the offending child, she saw that the binding rope was short by a distance the width of two fingers. Thus she brought another rope to join to it.

SB 10.9.16

This new rope also was short by a measurement of two fingers, and when another rope was joined to it, it was still two fingers too short. As many ropes as she joined, all of them failed; their shortness could not be overcome.

SB 10.9.17

Thus mother Yasoda joined whatever ropes were available in the household, but still she failed in her attempt to bind Krsna. Mother Yasoda’s friends, the elderly gopis in the neighborhood, were smiling and enjoying the fun. Similarly, mother Yasoda, although laboring in that way, was also smiling. All of them were struck with wonder.

SB 10.9.18

Because of mother Yasoda’s hard labor, her whole body became covered with perspiration, and the flowers and comb were falling from her hair. When child Krsna saw His mother thus fatigued, He became merciful to her and agreed to be bound.

SB 10.9.19

O Maharaja Pariksit, this entire universe, with its great, exalted demigods like Lord Siva, Lord Brahma and Lord Indra, is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yet the Supreme Lord has one transcendental attribute: He comes under the control of His devotees. This was now exhibited by Krsna in this pastime.

SB 10.9.20

Neither Lord Brahma, nor Lord Siva, nor even the goddess of fortune, who is always the better half of the Supreme Lord, can obtain from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the deliverer from this material world, such mercy as received by mother Yasoda.

SB 10.9.21

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, the son of mother Yasoda, is accessible to devotees engaged in spontaneous loving service, but He is not as easily accessible to mental speculators, to those striving for self-realization by severe austerities and penances, or to those who consider the body the same as the self.

SB 10.9.22

While mother Yasoda was very busy with household affairs, the Supreme Lord, Krsna, observed twin trees known as yamala-arjuna, which in a former millennium had been the demigod sons of Kuvera.

SB 10.9.23

In their former birth, these two sons, known as Nalaküvara and Maëigriva, were extremely opulent and fortunate. But because of pride and false prestige, they did not care about anyone, and thus Narada Muni cursed them to become trees.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Tenth Canto, Ninth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Mother Yasoda Binds Lord Krsna.”

[yogesh]

 

What is the understanding of the Gopis regarding "vedic philosophy", "vedanta according to the gaudiya vaishnava understanding", etc.?

 

Are the Gopis Krishna-Conscious?

In a lecture givin by one of Sirla Prabhupadas disciples regarding gopis of Vrandavan, I will try and relate the story as best as I can recall..

 

Narada Muni asked Lord Krsna who does he favour more the Gopis of Vraj-dham or the learned Brahmans who were highly learned and knew all scrptual injunction regarding the intracacies of worship and advancement of spiritual life.

 

Lord Krsna told Narada if he wanted to know then he must first go to the highly learned Brahmanas and tell them that he (Lord Krsna) has a headache and the only cure for is that they must give the dust from their feet so that he (Narada Muni) can smear some on Lord Krsna's head.

 

Narada Muni approached these Brahamanas and told the he needed the dust from their feet to put on Lord Krsna's head.

 

Immediately the Brahamanas refused Narad Muni's request and said according to the scriputres it is a grave sin to touch someone (let alone) the Lord, with their feet. They were afraid of having to suffer the consequence of such actions and they could loose all the progress of their scriptual studies.

 

So Narada Muni went back to Lord Krsna and told him what happened. Then Lord Krsna told him to go and ask the Gopis of Vraj for some dust from their feet.

 

Narad Muni then went to the Gopis and told them that he needed some of the dust from their feet to put on Lord Krsna's head to cure his headache.

 

Immediately without hessitating the Gopies started to collect as much dust as possible from their feet. On seeing this Narada Muni thought the Gopis must be ignorant about the reprucussion of such an act. He immediatly informed them that according to the scriptures they could end up in hellish planet for this act.

 

They informed him that they do not care for the scriptual injunctions for them Lord Krsna was their life breath and if he requested dust from their feet they will not hesitate to give him even if it means spending hundreds of life time in hellish planets.

 

Immediately Narad Muni could see the difference between the Learned Brahmanas and the Gopis of Vraj Dham.

 

All Glories to the Gopis and Gopas of Vraj Dham:pray:

 

I hope this helps in some way to understand the Gopis mood towards their Beloved Lord. This story may be simple but what to do.... I am a simple minded person with little intelligence so I take this story to tell me the positon of the Gopis.

 

I Know the subject is very confidential and only accessable to highly advanced personalities like the Goswamis, Prabhupada etc.

 

I hope one day I am alowed to get a minute spec or glimps of mercy to be able to comprehend such advanced form of unconditional Love

 

Hare Krsna

 

All glories to Sirla Prabhupada

 

Hare Krsna

[Beggar]

http://www.archive.org/details/sacred

Sermons of the Gaurdian of Devotion Vol. One, Chapt. Nine

Srila Sridhar Maharaj,

 

This is one of the finest points in saranagati. What is surrender, and what should be the quality of surrender? Marabi rakhabi yo iccha tohara (Saranagati, 11): "According to Your sweet will, You can make or mar me." With such understanding we can go to surrender. Calculation is not allowed

in that department of causeless mercy. Mercy may be extended to everyone except me, but I have nothing to complain about. What more can one give than this? This is the thunderbolt from the blue! To become saranagata, to surrender, means to leave all prospects - to be so emptied - "I have no prospect"; to be fully emptied, and then to surrender. There cannot be the least application in the petition: surrender means a clean slate. Complete dependence upon Him means He can make or mar. I must admit my Master's right to make or mar. I am a slave. Mahaprabhu says,

jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya-dasa. That is Your constitutional position. Have you enough boldness to admit it? Can you admit that your Master has full rights over you? "Yes! My Master has fullest rights over me. I am ready to go to eternal hell to supply His slightest pleasure." Such narrations - as for example, we have

heard the story about when the Gopis were ready to supply their foot-dust as 'medicine' to alleviate Krsna's 'headache' - such narrations we may hear as very sweet to our ears, but to accept is horrible. Jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya-dasa; no risk: no gain. Whole risk: whole gain. Such

confidence is necessary. A free, clear, and bold choice. Are you ready for that? Krsna is not like a sweetmeat, that His price may be so cheap or so expensive. He is everywhere He is nowhere. He may say, "You all belong to Me," or, "I don't care for any of you." We are inhabitants of that land

now, and really, by constitution we have every right to serve Him. It is the truth, and we must be bold enough to 'call a spade a spade.'

Can you accept that you are the eternal servant - you are a slave of Krsna? And Krsna is so dignified that even His slave holds the highest position: Krsna's nature is such that He does not hesitate

to serve even His slaves. He is so great and magnanimous. Aham bhakta-paradhino, hy asvatantra iva dvija (Bha: 9.4.63): "I feel My tendency to serve My devotee in such a way that Iam not independent; I feel Myself to be under their direction." This is the nature of devotion - bhakti. Bhakti is infinitely more wonderful than jnana, knowledge.

To 'know everything' is a very charming temptation. That makes one think that he has become the master of almost everything. But seva, service, is far above this kind of consciousness.

Real knowledge practically becomes your servant, if you follow the path of surrender, saranagati. The Infinite comes within the fist of the finite. Can you imagine it? Is it imaginable?

[raghu]

 

Can someone explain, please

 

Krishna Consciousness is Consciousness of Krishna!

 

I am ready to accept your initiation now.

[mjan]

..it does look like cycles, ... there are mistakes, falls but through mistakes we learn, and if we fall we can only go up then, i guess.

Faith, strenght, love, ... please, be it.

 

gHari, krsna, Beggar, cbrahma, seamusjcarroll, theist, indulekhadasi, suchandra, Murali_Mohan_das, tackleberry, bhaktajan, davidbrucehughes, skp, stonehearted, shiva, yogesh, Shakti-Fan, raghu, thanks from all my heart.

 

Regards,

mjan

[mjan]

I thank you because you helped me to see again the importance of good relations of people around, and i want to improve that relations. I mean, i would like to be in positive atmosphere, sure, and i would also like that people around me are ok too.

-------------------------------

 

 

I had a problem (well, i guess i still do..) because of the "energy" that i would bring around when talking with people "serious" things, things that metter to me, but we all ask that, some less some more. To some people this is important, to some people other things are more important,..so let's say that we are multilevel beings, with many interests. So when talking about more serious stuff- i cannot really say anything, it is a mysteri to me, but is it to everyone?

We can talk about every day stuff, i need to learn how to do that in more positive ways;) , with humor, but what about after that? If you realy want to know what this thing we call "life, reality.." is. There were questions in me, still are, what to do with that?

I mean- mind is asking, and thus it can only destroy. When all is destroyed, the situation is not ok, or, from my side it is accepted as a mysteri.

Destroy all concepts, and destroy others people too, when talking to intelectuals. But this is what matters to me- intelectual, philiosophical attitude. Do you think this is not the best approach?

 

But what to do with mind (questions) then? Ignore, i guess not.

Use them in "some particular way"?

 

Or is it that no one really knows what life, death, reality is, and everyone is correct in a way. There is no -one- correct way.

But you do reap what you sow, action-reaction.

But then again- certain things happen in life (like birth, death, old age, desease, questions about universe, what is this? etc) and i would like to know why it is so, what is it all about. That's why i am attracted to Krisna consciousness- because i hope that i can find all answers here. I see books full of detailed explnations, and i hope this is it. But to find an explanation for everything, is it possible? It looks like mysteri, but is it mysteri for everyone? It would take years to read all books about Krishna consciousness, and there are other "wisdoms" too. What to do. I try to learn as much as i can.

[mjan]

Another thing that i would like to ask is:

 

 

Faith, strenght, love, ... please, be it.

 

It could be said in many other ways:

- May God bless us with faith, strenght, love.

- All we need is faith, strenght, love.

- May faith, strenght, love be with you!

- God please give us faith, strenght, love.

- I praise faith, strenght, love!

- chanting: faith, strenght, love...

 

What do you think about that?

What is more advanced approach?

 

 

 

Regards

[mjan]

Looks like i'm going in cycles and i know now that too much of speculations via internet is not ok.

 

I don't know what you think of all this, i assume only bad things... and i can only guess what you think.

So i go in only more and more speculations.

I will take the best from it, you can too.

 

MODERATOR PLEASE DELETE THIS TOPIC.

[yogesh]

I don't think the moderator will delete the thread but maybe if you are desperately pleading to have the thread closed I am sure the moderator can do this.

 

If it will help prevent you from going in circles I am sure he can do this to rescue you from yourself (maybe rescue your sanity??)

 

Maybe we all must be a liitle to be KC (Krsna Conciouss)

 

Just kidding.

 

Wishing you all the best in trying to understand what KC means to you.

 

Hare Krsna

 

Jay Sirla Prabhupada