19810717 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.1.27-28

The following is a class given by Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on July 17, 1981 in Ahmedabad, India. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Canto 2, Chapter 1, Text 27 and 28.

Jayapatākā swami: (leads the chanting of Hare Krishna, verses, and translation) (devotees repeat)

Jaya śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
Jaya advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

(Aside: Everyone should chant when we are saying)

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

Text 27

dve jānunī sutalaṁ viśva-mūrter
ūru-dvayaṁ vitalaṁ cātalaṁ ca
mahītalaṁ taj-jaghanaṁ mahīpate
nabhastalaṁ nābhi-saro gṛṇanti
[SB 2.1.27]

Translation: The knees of the universal form are the planetary system of the name Sutala, and the two thighs are the Vitala and Atala planetary systems. The hips are Mahītala, and outer space is the depression of His navel.

Text 28

uraḥ-sthalaṁ jyotir-anīkam asya
grīvā mahar vadanaṁ vai jano ’sya
tapo varāṭīṁ vidur ādi-puṁsaḥ
satyaṁ tu śīrṣāṇi sahasra-śīrṣṇaḥ
[SB 2.1.28]

His Divine Grace Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda Ki…

Devotees: Jai!

Text 28, Chapter 1, Canto 2 Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Maha Puranam

Translation: The chest of the Original Personality of the gigantic form is the luminary planetary system, His neck is the Mahar planets, His mouth is the Janas planets, and His forehead is the Tapas planetary system. The topmost planetary system, known as Satyaloka, is the head of He who has one thousand heads.

Purport by His Divine Grace Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda: The effulgent luminary planets like the sun and the moon are situated almost in the midplace of the universe, and as such they are to be known as the chest of the original gigantic form of the Lord. And above the luminary planets, called also the heavenly places of the universal directorate demigods, are the Mahar, Janas and Tapas planetary systems, and, above all, the Satyaloka planetary system, where the chief directors of the modes of material nature reside, namely Viṣṇu, Brahmā and Śiva. This Viṣṇu is known as the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and He acts as the Supersoul in every living being. There are innumerable universes floating on the Causal Ocean, and in each of them the representation of the virāṭ form of the Lord is there along with innumerable suns, moons, heavenly demigods, Brahmās, Viṣṇus and Śivas, all of them situated in one part of the inconceivable potency of Lord Kṛṣṇa, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (10.42).

Thus ends the purport by Śrīla A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.

Jayapatākā swami:

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
(Bs. 5.1)

Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead - Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. So many avatāras are there. They are nothing but the kalāḥ or the aṁśa, the part or the part of the part Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself is svayam Bhagavān. He is the original Personality of Godhead.

Today we are discussing in the Bhāgavatam the virāṭ-rūpa. The virāṭ-rūpa is the universal form, because this whole universe is not separate from Kṛṣṇa. This whole universe is connected with Kṛṣṇa. It is part of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, everything in this universe is part of His body and His universal form.

Simultaneously, however, although this universe is one with Kṛṣṇa, being His energy, expansion of His own potency, He maintains His independent position. Therefore, there is a simultaneously oneness and a difference. So, the difference of course is that Kṛṣṇa, He alone, one, is maintaining not only this universe but all the universes, unlimited planets, demigods, Śivas, Brahmās, all being maintained by Kṛṣṇa.

Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān – One, one is maintaining everyone. One person, one person is maintaining everyone else. This is the amazing and transcendental situation of Kṛṣṇa. Just like Lord Kṛṣṇa, He is depicted in His different pastimes, also other demigods are perfectly depicted in their different pastimes.

So, one disciple of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura was a German scholar. He was visiting all over India. When he met Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he got the faith, he should accept Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura as his spiritual master. And he also had the faith that Kṛṣṇa was the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura asked him that, “Why have you come with the conclusion, without studying very extensively the Vedas, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? And how have you come with the conclusion that Bhakti is the actual and the best path, rather than mystic yoga and other paths?”

So, this German scholar replied that, “Seeing the different demigods, just like Durgā with her triśūla, she is jabbing the chest of the Mahiṣāsura, the buffalo demon. You see. And Kārtikeya is fighting in the wars, and Lord Śiva is also sometimes fighting as Tripurāri. In different aspects we see that, all of them are performing so many kinds of work. Lord Śiva is meditating, Brahmā is creating, but what, what is Viṣṇu doing? You see Kṛṣṇa rather. Kṛṣṇa, He is dancing with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, playing on His flute, playing with the cows. When I saw this, I could understand, He must be the boss. Because the boss, he always has the big desk and no papers. (devotees laugh) And his subordinates, they have the small desks and so many papers. So, when He is the boss, naturally He will be playing on flute, dancing, and enjoying. That is His position and everyone else will be working. So therefore, He must be the Supreme. He has no work to do.”

Then, in regard to why he accepted Bhakti, he said that, “Well, here we are seeing that the devotees, they are also dancing and chanting in ecstasy and engaging in so many activities on the transcendental platform. We see that the jñānīs, they are always engaged in reading and speculating. They are terming themselves as seekers of the truth. For someone who is still seeking, maybe he hasn’t yet found the truth. Therefore, that obviously is not the topmost. And the mystic yogis who are cultivating mystic powers like flying in the air, making themselves very small, becoming very big, for these things are the same goal as the materialistic scientists. They have invented the rockets for flying into the inner and outer space. They have the microscope for going very small into the atom. They have the telescope for going big to see and different... Maybe that one is able to do it by psychic or mystic power, may be able to do by yantric power, by mechanical power. But the goal is the same. So, they both are material goal. So how can this be the topmost yoga? So, it is obvious that Bhakti-yoga is the topmost.”

So even this simple German scholar using common sense, he came to the same conclusion that Kṛṣṇa gave in the Gita.

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yukta-tamo mataḥ
[BG 6.47]

“The devotee, the Bhakti-yoga practitioner, Bhakti-yogi, he is the most intimately connected with Me”, Kṛṣṇa says, “By constantly engaging in My worship.” This is the most intimately connect. Therefore, he is the… the most intimately connect yoga means what? To connect. Just like (in Bengali) Joga-yog means relationship or connection. I don’t know what they say in Gujarati. But yoga…

Devotee: Yoganu-yoga

Jayapatākā Swami: Yoganu-yog. The same thing. Yoganu-yog. To connect. So, yoga means the supreme connection with the Supreme Person. Everyone is connecting with someone: with their brother, with their sister, with their friends, with their wife, with the government people going and making their connection. Sometimes they are connecting with the inspector of Income Tax, but that is under-the-table connection! (laughter). Somehow or another there are so many connections going on. Some are licit. Some are illicit.

But when we become what, how to connect with the Supreme Person, you see, that is known as the, you see, param-yoga - the topmost yoga. That is known as Bhakti-yog. Because Kṛṣṇa says, “bhaktya mam abhijanati – that except for My devotee, no can know Me. No one can come in connection.”

Just like some people, they worship Viṣṇu. But Viṣṇu is like, people that wait outside in the garden of the Prime Minister. Every morning at 8 O'clock, she comes out for fifteen minutes and walks by and goes back in. You see, that is like the, the Viṣṇu Bhakti. They just get, you see, distant darshan. But those who are able to go into the inner quarters and have the discussion for long time and do the personal services, that is like Kṛṣṇa bhaktas. They are able to do so much. But what is the demigod worship? That is like simply going to the secretary and to the ministers, other ministers and getting their work done. They don’t have any relationship with the Prime Minister.

And the impersonalists, you see, they are, of course, either like the...those who are disbelieving in karma-mīmāṁsā; they are just not even going to ministerial level. They are just going and applying to the local magistrate, V.D.O, and letting it go through the government; whenever it comes, it comes. So, like this, there is different level.

So even in material life, those who are worshipping the demigods, they are more favorably materially positioned than those who are just working and expecting to get the result. Because just like the Indian government, you don’t know when you are going to get the petition back (chuckles). You don’t know, when the karma is going to come back on you. You may do your work, but you may not get the result for so many births, or you may get it immediately.

But if you have your petition signed by the Prime Minister, then you know everything is successful. If you are directly in touch with Kṛṣṇa, then your life is perfect. The trouble of course, this material life, everyone is trying to connect with this joga-yog, yoganu-yoga simply for their own selfish interest. So naturally, for simply selfish interest, Kṛṣṇa doesn't have to take care of those things. He has so many assistants. But when someone has got the highest interest of actually pleasing Kṛṣṇa, helping the fallen souls to come to Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, then Kṛṣṇa takes some personal interest. Then He takes the personal interest.

This Bhakti-yoga is not meant simply to be selfish, but it is actually meant to be really selfish. That means to know this self is part of the Supreme Self. To know that our self is part of Kṛṣṇa. And therefore, to serve the whole, serve Kṛṣṇa, and we ourselves benefitted ultimately, perfectly. Generally, people, they are all very physically selfish. They want their body to be very happy. Then sometimes, they want their family to be happy; they are considered to be more noble.

Man will sacrifice himself for his family. He is considered to be somewhat noble than the person only willing to sacrifice for his own sense gratification of his body. Then he wants to sacrifice for his community, social worker, community worker, then for the state - state social worker, then for the nation, nation - a patriot, then for the whole humanity - humanitarian. But when one comes to the vision that, everything is connected with Kṛṣṇa and wants to work for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, that is transcendental. That is off the bodily platform.

So, this is the defect in modern society. We saw yesterday, one form in Bombay in the lawyer’s office that, “What if God went on strike?” You see. That everybody is going on strike because they are not getting a fair deal. But who is giving God a fair deal? Who is worshipping God? Who is giving anything to Him? Any appreciation? What if He went on strike? Where would the…? If He hold the sun, then if there is no sun, then everything is finished. If He just takes the moon off, then all the vegetables are finished. The seas will no tides and so on. Just gave a discrepant that if Kṛṣṇa, if He starts taking away the life, the air, the water, then what is there? Nothing. He is providing everything, whether we are good citizens or whether we are bad citizens, somehow or another, He is providing. You see. But what we are doing? We are so selfish. What are we doing for Kṛṣṇa in this world? What are the people doing? That is the main defect. That everyone is taking everything for granted. We have all these things. Are we so blind, we can’t see that everything is happening with a cause? Nothing is causeless.

So, this whole universe also has a cause. mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [BG 7.7] - and there is no higher cause than Kṛṣṇa. That means He is the ultimate cause. So therefore, we should understand, we also have a debt to Kṛṣṇa, we have an obligation to Kṛṣṇa. But the thing is that everyone else that we give our debt to, they are taking.

But when we give our debt to Kṛṣṇa, He is giving back unlimitedly. And what to speak that Kṛṣṇa, even one may be giving, but due to some defect there may be a little offense, then that may be not considered fully as favorably as one would expect or like.

But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, here is Kṛṣṇa come in a form, where He does not even consider... Just like the mother, the mother doesn't even consider if the baby passes stool on the lap. Still He loves the baby. Still she loves the baby. She doesn't consider. But when the baby grows up, then naturally if a fourteen, fifteen year old child comes and sits on the lap and makes a mess, that won’t be considered to be very appropriate, you see. Naturally, once one grows up, one becomes responsible.

But somehow Lord Caitanya is so merciful that He is taking that, “Well, the fallen people of kali-yuga are so fallen that you can’t put anything past them, as far as making messes. Still I will deliver them! Everyone, even the Māyāvādīs (Aside: that we read last night.), even the students - the paḍuyās, the nindakas - the offenders, everyone. Somehow or other I will get them delivered simply if they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.”

Of course, once we also become a responsible devotee of Lord Caitanya, then we shouldn’t think, “Well, Lord Caitanya is so merciful. And therefore, now we can... even though now we know better, we can still make our mess.” No, we shouldn’t be so inconsiderate, we should have some consideration. But then sincerely, if we make some mistake, we shouldn’t think that, “Just by some mishap we make some mistake. Now, we can’t go on performing our devotional service.” No, Lord Caitanya has got unlimited mercy, unlimited forgiveness, so long as we actually try. If we become a hypocrite, that is different of course, at some point He has His limit. He will no longer accept hypocrisy. But sincerely, if we give an even the slightest bit try, but we make some mistake or we are very weak, that is not a big disqualification in Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement, because He is so kind!

Of course, if one is a little bit pure, or one is specially favored, then unlimited mercy is given. Just like...of course, with the very much favored, just like Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, who was of course a nitya-parshada, great devotee, eternal associate in the line. He used to do meditation, when he was in Vṛndāvana, of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And every day he would make a garland in his mind, and he would offer the garlands to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And then he would participate, he would pay his obeisances to Lord Caitanya who was in saṅkīrtan. And he always desiring that, “How fortunate I would be if I would able to participate or to even see the saṅkīrtan movement, Caitanya… saṅkīrtan of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” In this way, he was doing a mental, manasā- dhyānam - a mental meditation.

So, one day, he was so completely absorbed in his meditation that he had prepared the garland. He was offering the garland. So, he offered the garland to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in his meditation, suddenly the mediation became very distinct, even more so than usual. And Lord Caitanya, he motioned to one associate, gave another garland off.

And Lord Caitanya’s garland... Lord Caitanya is golden color with His hair up in the brahminical style, but long, and then tied up on the top. And His eyes going, just like lotus petals back, almost to His ears, just to His ears. Beautiful! And His forehead decorated with the tilak, and His arms going down to His knees. His chest broad like a door, and His waist thin just like a lion. So, then Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s garland, there were so many bumble bees flying around trying to get the nectar from His garland. He is surrounded by bees. Just like when you go to Jagannātha Purī, you see all the sweet shops - mahā-prasād, there are so many bees flying around. They put mosquito net over. They want to get the nectar.

So, like that, all these bees are flying around Lord Caitanya’s garland to get the nectar. So, Lord Caitanya took off one of these transcendental garlands, and gave it to associate to put on Śrīnivāsa Ācārya. He just motioned to Śrīnivāsa Ācārya. So, this associate, he came, and he garlanded Śrīnivāsa Ācārya. As soon as the garland touched Śrīnivas, he woke up from his meditation. He was completely immersed, shaking in ecstasy. And he looked, and there on his body, even out of his meditation, there was the garland. And all around him the bumblebees suddenly, they were all surrounding him, going to get the nectar from that garland.

 And then he was sitting there in Vṛndāvana, and he was thinking, “What will I do now? What if somebody comes and sees me with this garland.” Because anyone that… garland could see that this was no ordinary garland. He suddenly became very humbled and embarrassed that, “What happens, if somebody sees me with the garland, how will I ever explain?” This is an eternal garland. The garland that will never… you see, this garland is falling apart. Those garlands don’t wilt. (Aside: Of course, because I am so fallen!) If it touches Lord Caitanya, it becomes eternal, you see. So, suddenly in his anxiety, the garland disappeared. He paid his obeisances to Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

So, Lord Caitanya, He may give this mercy at any moment. You see. What we have to do is to cultivate, just like those bumblebees, that intense desire to taste that nectar. How do we taste it? By serving, by serving, keeping our mind always in the service, in the chanting, you see. Just like when we drink water, there should be the flow from the cup to the mouth should be unbroken; apratihatā ahaitukī. If we desire to serve for any other reason, to serve for fame, for prestige, for sense gratification, then to enjoy those things, we have to break our service. And that also colors the service. So, it has to be causeless. That means to please Kṛṣṇa, simply for bhakti for bhakti’s sake, devotion for devotion’s sake, devotion for Kṛṣṇa’s sake. And that has to be unbroken. And that unbroken connection, yoganu-yoga with Kṛṣṇa--- that is the nectar, hunger that we develop.

And then just like the bumblebees are always anxious for that nectar. Then as we start to taste the nectar, then naturally our appetite, just like the bumble bees are always hungry for nectar. But when they can smell the nectar, they become wild, flying around. And when they can taste it, they become intoxicated. So, this is the movement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Immediately, if anyone chants, at-least they can get the smell of the nectar. And if they are very fortunate, they can even get a drop. And the more they taste the nectar, the more they become mad for devotional service. So, this is...this is the secret: that we should become bumblebees, simply tasting the nectar at the lotus feet of Nitai-Gaur, you see.

And the nectar is there through His devotional service. That’s why we first worship Śrīla Prabhupāda because he is at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, of Lord Caitanya. Therefore, he is got that nectar. Guru is called Viṣṇupāda, because he is at the lotus feet of his spiritual master, the representative of Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu’s lotus feet; there, he has got the nectar. So, in this way, we try to get the nectar. This hunger, this appetite, goes on increasing.

But if we allow ourselves to be distracted, naturally then, that pure appetite doesn’t come. And if we try to enjoy both the nectar and the garbage of this material world, we get indigestion. So naturally, then we get indigestion, we get sick, we fall in māyā. So, we should simply protect ourselves from this illusion, from this māyā. Fix ourselves in this hunger for tasting that nectar. And as we get the drops of nectar, then it is like an ocean of happiness. An ocean of happiness! nama bina kichu nahiko aro/caudda-bhuvana-majhe. There is nothing but these fourteen names in the whole universe... sixteen names in the whole fourteen worlds, in the whole universe.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa,Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

(devotees chant along)

Thank you very much.

(aside) Now I think there is time for question. The phone works?

(aside) Devotee: Yeah.

Devotee: (inaudible) what if different kinds of work one person works with desire

Jayapatākā Swami: Which type of work?

Devotee: Some good work. If I do devotional service there must be some purpose. To satisfy the Lord there must be some desire. What is the difference, is it material service since you are desiring?

Jayapatākā Swami: For every action there is a reaction, right? Just like if you send off a letter, it depends on what your destination is. If you write the letter to Delhi, it does not going to go to America. You have to put the postage on it. If you want to send it to America, you have to put one rupee and 60 paisa for every ten grams. You want to send it to Delhi, you only have to put 25 paisa, right? So, like that, material work you are sending and it is going inland. Doesn’t go outside even. If you want to send it to Kṛṣṇa, you see, that goes outside this material boundary. So, one has to address the work accordingly. If there is no address, that means what? That means it is in tamo gunah. That means if you send the letter with no address, where is it going? That means you are wasting your time. So of course, there is some reaction for that. But that reaction is also just simply creating more difficulty. Useless reaction. So, when there is no fixed reaction, when it is simply ignorance and foolishness, that's like, you see, a letter with no address. Then one has got a fixed idea, you see. That is attachment. When one has actually a good purpose to help others, that is good reaction. But when one is actually directing it outside of the universe, to the Supreme destination, that is transcendental.

So accordingly, to where we want to address or send our energy, that is where we will get our result or mercy. Within this universe, within this material sphere, we are getting material result, which means birth, death, old age, disease. When we direct it to Kṛṣṇa, then we get our spiritual result. Then we get eternal result.

Yes?

Devotee: When chanting japa, one should chant “Rām” or “Rāma”? when chanting on japa mala…

Jayapatākā Swami: Rāma. Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Any other question?

Devotee: As my first duty, I always worship Kṛṣṇa. There is no need to join your society or giving some donation. I believe in Kṛṣṇa and praying to Kṛṣṇa. I am doing that.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, if you believe in Kṛṣṇa, then you should follow what Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gita. He says, “Whatever you offer, whatever austerity you do, whatever you eat, everything should be done as an offering to Me.” That...So... How you are helping Kṛṣṇa? So, if you believe in Kṛṣṇa, you are giving your love, your giving your affection, you are giving your money somewhere.

So, if you actually love Kṛṣṇa, then why you are not giving to Kṛṣṇa? If you tell your wife, “I love you. I have everything for you.” But then you go out with another woman and spend your money on her, then your wife will be very happy? You are saying “I love Kṛṣṇa, everything Kṛṣṇa”, but then you are spending all your money, all your time, all your affection simply on Māyā. And you are saying, “No, no; it is only Kṛṣṇa.” You do that with your wife and see how your family life goes! (Laughs)

So, you are doing this with Kṛṣṇa, and you are thinking, this is so. This is simply word jugglery. This may satisfy your mind, but it won’t satisfy your heart. Neither it is going to fool Kṛṣṇa. He knows that, “Alright, you are giving lip service.” But factually, what you are doing to show that you love Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is not seeing what you are giving. He is seeing what you are keeping for yourself. That is the proof whether actually you mean what you say. It is one thing, you can go out and flatter someone, “I love You, You are very nice. You are the Supreme Godhead. You are the master of everything. I am simply Your servant.” That is alright, you get credit for all that.

But then when you go and you just give everything somewhere else, then how you get credit for that? So, we don’t want you to get only partial credit! We want you to get the full credit. Not only accept Kṛṣṇa verbally, but practically act in that knowledge.

There is sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. Act, know the relationship, very nice. You know the...Then act in that relationship. To act in that relationship means abhidheya. I am the… Kṛṣṇa is Supreme. I am His servant. Then you do service for Kṛṣṇa. It is not enough just to say, “In my heart I know.” That is only the first stage. The second stage is to act. And the third stage, prayojana means to achieve full perfection of life.

Any other... Any other question?

Devotee: why are we called Vaiṣṇavas?

Jayapatākā Swami: Viṣṇu has sixty. Sixty four and sixty. Vaiṣṇava... You see, there is no difference between Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa. It is simply the different mood. In other words, Kṛṣṇa is Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu is Kṛṣṇa. It’s not that the…but… there is no…you see. Kṛṣṇa, it’s like you when put on your suit and tie and go out. So, when Kṛṣṇa puts on His Viṣṇu form, He goes out and takes the Viṣṇu mood. He is only manage showing sixty of His sixty-four qualities. But He is still Kṛṣṇa. Do you understand?

Devotee: I am confident that, Lord Ramacandra is the Supreme Personality of Godhead?

Jayapatākā Swami: Yes

Devotee: When He killed Vāli, why did He kill from the back side? Why He killing?

Jayapatākā Swami: Of course, in the Ramāyāna and the Puranas, they give so many reasons. In the previous times, there were so many curses and things that happened. Why this particular thing happened?

But of course, the Supreme Personality of Godhead means that He is independent, svarāṭ, svatantra. He can do anything, you see. He is not subjected to following any rules or regulations. Whatever He does, that is always perfect. He doesn't have to answer to ordinary people. But He may follow sometimes rules and regulations, just to give a good example.

So somehow or another He promised His devotee that, “I will help you.” So, He took that promise of His devotee as greater than His own honor. Naturally, to shoot someone in the back, or from the side is not the proper, is not the best honor of a kṣatriya. Of course, that normally applies from kṣatriya fighting with kṣatriya. But when it goes for shooting a monkey, of course then even kṣatriyas are going to forests and shooting monkeys or deers and other things.

So of course, whether or not, it would apply even in the strict kṣatriya sense, is another question. But in any case, because that Sugriva had requested His help and he was about to be finished, so He took the protection of His devotee above other considerations. But in any case, whatever Rāmacandra does is not subject to be challenged, because actually He is perfect. We can’t analyze His activity by moral standards, like an ordinary human being. That He is able to act morally is not the proof that He is God. If someone acts very morally that does not mean that he is God. Or He acts in a way which seems to be against the material standard of morality, that doesn’t mean He is not God. Rather God means that He is able to act in any way it pleases, and still He remains transcendental. An ordinary person, he has to act according to the laws and standards. Otherwise, he will fall under the reaction of paap. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jai!