19860810 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.10.49-70

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on August 10th, 1986, at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7th canto, chapter 10, verse 49-70.

sa vā ayaṁ brahma mahad-vimṛgya-
kaivalya-nirvāṇa-sukhānubhūtiḥ
priyaḥ suhṛd vaḥ khalu mātuleya
ātmārhaṇīyo vidhi-kṛd guruś ca
[ŚB 7.15.76]

Translation: The impersonal Brahman is Kṛṣṇa Himself because Kṛṣṇa is the source of the impersonal Brahman. He is the origin of the transcendental bliss sought by great saintly persons yet He, the Supreme Person, is your most dear friend and constant well-wisher and is intimately related to you as the son of your maternal uncle. Indeed, He is always like your body and soul. He is worshipable, yet He acts as your servant and sometimes as your spiritual master.

Purport: There is always a difference of opinion about the Absolute Truth. One class of transcendentalists concludes that the Absolute Truth is impersonal, and another class concludes that the Absolute Truth is a person. In the Bhagavad-gītā, the Absolute Truth is accepted as the Supreme Person. Indeed, that Supreme Person Himself, Lord Kṛṣṇa, instructs in Bhagavad-gītā, brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham (Bg 14.27) mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat. (Bg 7.7) “The impersonal Brahman is My partial manifestation, and there is no truth superior to Me.” That same Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, acted as the Supreme friend and relative of the Pāṇḍavas, and sometimes He even acted as their servant by carrying a letter from the Pāṇḍavas to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Duryodhana. Because Kṛṣṇa was the well-wisher of the Pāṇḍavas, He also acted as guru, by becoming the spiritual master of Arjuna. Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as his spiritual master - śiṣyas te ’haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam (Bg 2.7) and Kṛṣṇa sometimes chastised him. For example, the Lord said, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase (Bg 2.11) “While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief.” The Lord also said, kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam (Bg 2.2) “My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you?” Such was the intimate relationship between the Pāṇḍavas and Kṛṣṇa. In the same way, a pure devotee of the Lord is always with Kṛṣṇa through thick and thin; his way of life is Kṛṣṇa. This is the statement of the authority Śrī Nārada Muni.

End of purport

Jayapatākā Swami: So there are many philosophies, many ideas, regarding the nature of the Absolute truth. What is the Supreme truth? Is the Supreme truth impersonal or is the Supreme truth the Supreme person? In this way there are many different ideas which are circulated. Some people, they claim that the Supreme truth is impersonal. Yet they complain.. they claim themselves to be an incarnation of that Supreme truth. And they are a person. So there are all types of groups, ideas going about. So Nārada muni, here is considered one of the twelve great authorities. And he explains that…. that impersonal Brahman is Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is the source of the impersonal Brahman.

Earlier in the first canto of the Bhāgavatam it explains that the Supreme truth or the Param Brahma is one. It’s a non-dual substance.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam
brahmeti paramātmeti
bhagavān iti śabdyate
[ŚB 1.2.11]

That Supreme truth is realized as an effulgence, as an unlimited light, as a localized Super soul in everyone’s heart and as the Supreme person who is the origin of everything and the summum bonum. So in these three aspects of the Absolute truth, different types of yogīs realize different aspects. The jñāna yogis, those who by mental speculation and by their will power and study of spiritual books like the Vedanta-sūtra, they come to the conclusion that this material world is temporary, the spiritual world is eternal. That this world has form; the spiritual world must have no form. That is their conclusion. Although their conclusion is also considered to be material. Because if this material world is illusion and our mind is a product of the material world then anything we can think with our mind must also be illusion. Isn’t it? If our mind is part of the material world, then our mind is part of this illusion. So whatever we can think with our mind is also an illusion. So we are thinking that this material world has form therefore the Supreme truth must have no form. They are thinking that. Therefore it must be an illusion. So one of the names of Kṛṣṇa is Adhokṣaja.. That means that He is inconceivable. He can neither be described by any words. He is beyond description. Simply we can give some indirect explanation which indicates Him. But the exact explanation we cannot give.

To know Kṛṣṇa you must realize Kṛṣṇa. But realization of Kṛṣṇa is through different forms of yoga. And actually realization of Kṛṣṇa is through the process of bhakti-yoga or devotional service. Jñāna-yoga we discussed, that is through the mind through speculation but by that you can only realize maximum the effulgence coming from Kṛṣṇa or the impersonal Absolute aspect.

By practicing the haṭha-yoga, aṣṭānga-yoga process which is very difficult, frankly speaking, to practice. But if one were to practice it to complete success, they could realize that there is a Supersoul or Paramātmā in the heart which is the constant companion and who is the source of the Brahman. You can realize that Supersoul in the heart through this process of yoga. But one is not able to realize the Supreme Being, the Supreme person that is the original Supersoul, the original aspect of the Supersoul. To realize that Supreme person, one needs to practice the process called bhakti-yoga or devotional service.

Again, more translations.

Of course the Vedas are saying, ‘bhaktyā mām abhijānāti’. (Bg 18.55) That, without. only my devotee can understand me. The way to understand Kṛṣṇa is through the process of devotional service. Because Kṛṣṇa. is beyond the mind, therefore we have to realize Kṛṣṇa by some. method which is also not dependent upon the mind, simply upon our thought powers. We can only think those things that we have experienced in this world. You cannot think about something which is beyond this world. It describes that the Absolute truth exists before this world, exists after this world is annihilated. The absolute truth is beyond this world. So how can when the mind will be destroyed, when the whole world will be destroyed, the Absolute truth is still there? So to realize the Absolute truth the mind is not adequate. This is like trying to put the ocean inside a small bottle. How would it go? So one has to get the information from the Absolute truth. That information may or may not be fully understandable by our mind. But that is the only way to know about the Absolute truth. What we can by our own intelligence and speculation just without any other information come up to – that will be illusion. That's simply a product of the material world. But whatever information we receive directly is from the spiritual world, from the Absolute truth Himself.

We may not know who is the original – is it the impersonal Brahman or is it the Supreme person? But Kṛṣṇa says ‘brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham’, I am the origin of the Brahman, or the impersonal. We have to take His version. He's being accepted by all authorities as the Supreme person. Then whether the Supreme person is Supreme or the Supreme imperson is Supreme? So we hear from the person, he said –‘brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham’, – the impersonal Brahman is situated in Me, is emanating from Me. ‘mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat’– there is no higher truth than I am. I am the highest truth.

So the process of devotional service is not dependent upon the mind. But it engages the mind and senses in various types of active meditations. There are 9 fold, 9 folded practices of devotional service starting from hearing, chanting – śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ smaraṇam viṣṇoḥ – hearing chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa. Then there is serving, there is offering of obeisances and prayers, worshipping the lotus feet, there is doing worship, then there is being a servant, being a friend and surrendering everything to Him. These are the 9 practices.

The first two practices are hearing and chanting. By hearing and chanting especially the names of the Supreme absolute – this allows the pure soul to experience something beyond the mind and intellect. Now, great devotees like Yudhiṣṭhir, they are already considered to be nitya-siddha. They are already liberated souls. So they don’t go through all these regulative principles. They don’t have to chant their japa everyday certain number of times. You see because they are automatically day and night thinking about Kṛṣṇa. They have no other existence than Kṛṣṇa as explained here that Kṛṣṇa for them, He is their friend, He is their well-wisher, He is their guru, He is their everything to them. He is like the, He is always like your body and soul. So they can’t think anything without Kṛṣṇa.

So after devotee practices devotional service in this world, then the next birth, you can take birth in the spiritual world or in another universe where Kṛṣṇa is having His pastimes. And there you can participate with Kṛṣṇa directly in some devotional service. So at that time when someone is born directly to associate with Kṛṣṇa and he comes down from the spiritual world or in the spiritual world, then one is reunited. So then automatically one is Kṛṣṇa conscious. But to get that favour, to get that opportunity is only possible by rendering devotional service. Unless one has developed that keen desire and developed that taste for serving the Lord then how one can be brought? It is not possible just to be automatically be brought to Kṛṣṇa by normal means. Unless one has developed the desire to be with Kṛṣṇa. That desire comes automatically, from the heart when we render devotional service. It’s in within our heart. We have already within us the desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. But instead, because it is explained just as Kṛṣṇa is the impersonal Brahman, Kṛṣṇa’s energy is also expanded as the material world. So when we see something in the material world that we like, you think oh! It is very nice. That is also an expansion of Kṛṣṇa’s energy. So indirectly we are also loving Kṛṣṇa.

One time Śrīla Prabhupāda explained that Kṛṣṇa, in the gītā, He says that of all liquids, the quality of quenching the thirst – I am that quality. Everyone, they want to take some liquid. If you get thirsty you wanna have a liquid. If someone gives you a cake or chapāti or some idli that won’t satisfy. You need water that has some special quality. Why do people drink? When they are drinking alcohol there is some taste they are getting. So whatever, any liquid you take whatever the taste is, that you find the pleasing or attractive or satisfying, that essence of that liquid is Kṛṣṇa. One of Kṛṣṇa’s vibhūtīs or opulences. So Śrīla Prabhupāda said that even if a man is a drunkard if he sees that actually that thing in that liquor…. that the man is going after the whiskey, that, whatever that little feature there, that they find so attractive, that feature is Kṛṣṇa and everytime he is drinking and thinking that it is Kṛṣṇa, then eventually he can also be Kṛṣṇa conscious. [Devotees laughing]

The thing is that if you know that well, whatever any little thing you probably see, the sun set is beautiful, you see a woman is beautiful, you see a man is very powerful. Anything that you see has some good quality there, then it is an aspect of a minute portion of Kṛṣṇa’s greatness. You see the big mountains or you see the vast qualities of nature these are all expansions of Kṛṣṇa’s universal form. Then if you have Kṛṣṇa Himself – then that is the embodiment of everything. All perfections. So we are person so we think that the Supreme absolute truth should not be a person. That means we are saying Absolute truth is less than we are. How is it possible? If the Absolute truth is the Supreme truth, then how can the Supreme truth have less than the relative truth? If we are by-product, how can the Supreme truth be less than the by-product, or the expansion or the part?

The whole must have everything that the part has. ‘oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate’ [Īśo. Invoc.] Since the Absolute truth is 'oṁ pūrṇam'. It is the complete Supreme Truth So therefore it contains everything that the parts have plus more. In this world our personality is a kind of reflection because it’s going through this body which is a limited thing. This material body is after all a kind of machine. If you look in your anatomy books it shows how this … I saw one school book for children. They call it the bionic man. [Devotees laughing]. And they show how this is all one big factory. How the this is a… one type of hinge. This is ball joint hinge. Because you see that this hips and shoulders they can roll. There is a ball there. But this is just a straight hinge. These ones – the knees. It shows the whole thing. It showed just with hinges and it showed the lungs as a bellows; air filter; so on you know – gave oxygen - it showed that all is like a big machine. Purification, bladder pump, this that all, you know… filtering; liver stomach or energy source. It showed the whole picture as a big machine. So what does the gītā say? ‘Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā’. (Bg 18.61) That actually the body is a type of machine; we are situated in the heart, 'we are the soul. We are the spirit, we are the living force. So we spend our whole life

We may talk so many spiritual things you find that there are those spiritual groups, so many people speculating about this and that but actually ultimately what they do with their time in life? They spend all their time simply maintaining their bodies. Then, what is the difference between them and any ordinary person? So the body is meant for a higher purpose. We should work and maintain the body but the key is moderation, no doubt. What is the real moderation? That everything should be done with a higher purpose. That is how we moderate. Sense gratification is not bad to the limit that we need it. And if we make sense gratification the goal, then it’s bad. The goal should be to serve the Supreme person, to become devotees. To become liberated from this material world and engage ourselves purely in His pure devotional service. It’s considered to be the purpose of human life.

So Yudhiṣṭhira, he achieved that in such a sublime way that Nārada muni was amazed that how is that you have got the impersonal Brahman Himself walking in your house. You got the Supreme Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme person, everything is with you. So if we follow in the footsteps of Yudhiṣṭhira and become devotees of Kṛṣṇa, we can also get the blessing to have Kṛṣṇa with us. In fact Kṛṣṇa will sit in our heart constantly and He’ll dance on our lips as we chant His names. The name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa are not different. So by chanting Kṛṣṇa you can experience the presence of Kṛṣṇa there in that vibration. And that presence of Kṛṣṇa is what is purifying. That is what gives us an experience which is beyond the mind. So this is not very easy to understand.

This is also explained by Nārada muni (ŚB 7.10.50). He said, ‘Exalted persons like Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā could not properly describe the truth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. May the Lord, who is always worshiped as the protector of all devotees by great saints who observe vows of silence, meditation, devotional service and renunciation, be pleased with us’. But actually it’s very difficult to explain this position of the Supreme person. There’s an interesting story here. that he told Yudhiṣṭhira.

He said: [ŚB 7.10.51] — My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, long, long ago in history, a demon known as Maya Dānava, who was very expert in technical knowledge, reduced the reputation of Lord Śiva. In that situation, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, saved Lord Śiva.

Purport (ŚB 7.10.51): Lord Śiva is known as Mahādeva, the most exalted demigod. Thus Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that although Lord Brahmā did not know the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śiva could have known them. This historical incident proves that Lord Śiva derives power from Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Para Brahman.

[ŚB 7.10.52] Rājā uvāca — The King Yudhiṣṭhira said: For what reason did the demon Maya Dānava vanquish Lord Śiva’s reputation? How did Lord Kṛṣṇa save Lord Śiva and expand his reputation again? Kindly describe these incidents.

So then Nārada Muni explained: (ŚB 7.10.53)

nirjitā asurā devair
yudhyānenopabṛṁhitaiḥ
māyināṁ paramācāryaṁ
mayaṁ śaraṇam āyayuḥ

Nārada Muni said: When the demigods, who are always powerful by the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa, fought with the asuras, the asuras were defeated, and therefore they took shelter of Maya Dānava, the greatest of the demons.

[ŚB 7.10.54-55] — Maya Dānava, the great leader of the demons, prepared three invisible residences and gave them to the demons. These dwellings resembled airplanes made of gold, silver and iron, and they contained uncommon paraphernalia. My dear King Yudhiṣṭhira, because of these three dwellings the commanders of the demons remained invisible to the demigods. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the demons, remembering their former enmity, began to vanquish the three worlds — the upper, middle and lower planetary systems.

[ŚB 7.10.56] — Thereafter, when the demons had begun to destroy the higher planetary systems, the rulers of those planets went to Lord Śiva, fully surrendered unto him and said: My Dear Lord, we demigods living in the three worlds are about to be vanquished. We are your followers. Kindly save us.

[ŚB 7.10.57] — The most powerful and able Lord Śiva reassured them and said, “Do not be afraid.” He then fixed his arrows to his bow and released them toward the three residences occupied by the demons.

[ŚB 7.10.58] — The arrows released by Lord Śiva appeared like fiery beams emanating from the sun globe and covered the three residential airplanes, which could then no longer be seen.

[ŚB 7.10.59] — Attacked by Lord Śiva’s golden arrows, all the demoniac inhabitants of those three dwellings lost their lives and fell down. Then the great mystic Maya Dānava dropped the demons into a nectarean well that he had created.

Prabhupāda explains that the reason the asuras are powerful is because of their mystic power. Prabhupāda in regards to mystic power explains…

“Of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.” (Bg 6.47) The actual purpose of mystic yoga is to concentrate one’s attention fully on the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and always think of Him (mad-gatenāntarātmanā). To attain such perfection, one must undergo a certain process — haṭha-yoga — and through this yoga system the practitioner achieves some uncommon mystic power. The asuras, however, instead of becoming devotees of Kṛṣṇa, utilize this mystic power for their personal sense gratification. Maya Dānava, for example, is mentioned here as mahā-yogī, a great mystic, but his business was to help the asuras. Nowadays we are actually seeing that there are some yogīs, who cater to the senses of materialists, and there are imposters who advertise themselves as God. Maya Dānava was such a person, a god among the demons, and he could perform some wonderful feats, one of which is described here: he made a well filled with nectar and dipped the asuras into that nectarean well. This nectar was known as mṛta-sanjīvayitari, for it could bring a dead body to life. Mṛta-sanjīvayitari is also an Āyurvedic preparation. It is a kind of liquor that invigorates even a person on the verge of death."

You could imagine if Maya Dānava set up his shop today, old people you dip them in the well and they would came out young and healthy, he’d become… the whole world would start doing pūja to him and saying he is God. Now a days we have many gods – especially in India there is a lot of avatāras going around. [Devotees laughing]. But all they do is they can produce some Seiko watch, a few ashes, or few different benediction. You know… Maya Dānava he could bring them back from death practically. He could give them…mean… he’s not God. He is a very powerful mystic yogī who is a demon. He is against God. If they had someone even that big the whole world will be falling at his feet now. In fact we can be lining up to also take a dip. [devotees laughing]. Everyone is so you know… they want only to get rid of this old age – even Mrs. Regan spent 25,000$ to have her skin pulled tight so she looks 5 – 10 years younger [devotees laughing] That means about 60 - 75 thousand Ringgit for one face job. [devotees laughing] So you can imagine that Maya Dānava set up shop, I think the whole community will be lining up (devotees laughing) to get this Mṛta-sanjīvani.

So even now… so called avatāras we have today they're not even having as much power as Maya Dānava. He was so powerful. He could produce his huge spaceships that could be invisible and could attack any country. Now how many billions of dollars they are spending in America to make these space wars. for defence. But they have… they have this type of weapon they don’t have to worry about it. You see.

But our present day mystic yogīs are at least they are not interested in… they are not showing this type of demonstration on this planet. Maybe other planets they are doing. But on this planet we are not seeing even upto this level, what we are seeing here. These things are not possible for ordinary people. There are residents on higher planets and they have supernatural powers. And they get those powers by following this yoga system. But the problem is they are not devotees. So, when they get the power they use it for their own selves, sense gratification. And this Maya Dānava, he being the Supreme he is giving more power to his followers. But the followers… that power is all being misused. Instead of creating peace in the world or for creating a wellbeing, it’s being used for people to come ahead in their own way in sense gratification and to put other people down. So that cannot bring any ultimate good in the world. So that’s why Lord Śiva, when he was approached, he immediately went against these people. No, they are creating a disturbance. But this Maya Dānava was so powerful that even Lord Śiva practically killed them, he brought them back to life. That was the amazing thing. That’s explained here. Such is the power of yoga that he could do something which even baffled Lord Śiva who is a… having unlimited yogic powers.

So [ŚB 7.10.61] – when the dead bodies of the demons came in touch with the nectar their bodies became invincible to the thunderbolts. Lord Viṣṇu considered how to stop this nuisance created by Maya Dānava.

Then it is explained:

vatsaś cāsīt tadā brahmā
svayaṁ viṣṇur ayaṁ hi gauḥ
praviśya tripuraṁ kāle
rasa-kūpāmṛtaṁ papau
[ŚB 7.10.62]

Then Lord Brahmā became a calf and Lord Viṣṇu a cow, and at noon they entered the residences and drank all the nectar in the well.

[ŚB 7.10.63] — The demons could see the calf and cow, but because of the illusion created by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the demons could not forbid them. The great mystic Maya Dānava became aware that the calf and cow were drinking the nectar, and he could understand this to be the unseen power of providence. Thus he spoke to the demons, who were grievously lamenting.

[ŚB 7.10.64] — Maya Dānava said: What has been destined by the Supreme Lord for oneself, for others, or for both oneself and others cannot be undone anywhere or by anyone, whether one be a demigod, a demon, a human being or anyone else.

In this regard Prabhupāda explains: The Supreme Lord is one — Kṛṣṇa, the viṣṇu-tattva. So, Kṛṣṇa expands Himself into viṣṇu-tattva personal expansions (svāṁśa), who control everything. Maya Dānava said, “However I plan, you plan or both of us plan, the Lord has planned what is to happen. No one’s plan will be successful without His sanction.” We may make our own various plans, but unless they are sanctioned by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, they will never be successful. Hundreds and millions of plans are made by all kinds of living entities, but without the sanction of the Supreme Lord they are futile.

Jayapatākā Swami: So it seems that this Maya Dānava is very intelligent. He with his mystic power even faced Lord Śiva. But when he saw that Viṣṇu is coming and drinking his wells, then he knew that once the Supreme Lord has entered into the fray it’s a hopeless cause. Whatever the will of providence is, the will of the Supreme that no one can go against. You see? So actually this Maya Dānava, he was the more intelligent of all the demons. Cause he could understand this point. Up to that point he was going on competing with the demigods. Even to the point of Lord Śiva who is the Mahādeva – who is directly expanded from Vishnu. But when he saw that the Supreme Lord Himself is decided in one particular way, then he said that “Well, you and I may make our plan but whatever the Supreme Lord plans, that’s what’s going to happen.” You see that is what makes Maya Dānava stand apart from others in this history. We can already see.

Just like some people, they are working very hard. They think simply by their work they are going to be successful. But if the Supreme Lord doesn’t bless them, doesn’t desire, no matter how hard they work, they may not get the result. Sometimes there are 2 people growing in the same family or next door neighbours born at the same time. But one family, they become very wealthy, they may become dakoos and dakinis; the other ones, they may become criminals even or they just beggars in the street, they can’t get ahead, so many problems. Someone maybe very wealthy, he gets married but he doesn’t have any family happiness. Sometimes it happens. You find that even though everything there, they don’t have peace in their life. A poor man, he may not be having so much income, he may not have a big Mercedes Benz car, he may not have the big 3 way colour TV. But he may be very happy. He may have a very good family life with a nice wife and children. He feels that he is having a happy family life. So all these things are ultimately decided by the Supreme. That if a person even wants to be materially happy, if he thinks he can do it, simply on his own effort, he is mistaken. We may make our plans but if the plan is not approved by the Supreme, then everything is finished. So we need the blessing of the Supreme, whether we want material happiness, whether we want liberation or whether we want to achieve pure devotion. This is a secret which Maya Dānava has. although he is a great demon, he has even understood to some extend this aspect.

So in conclusion what has happened? It’s very interesting…

[ŚB 7.10.65-66] — Nārada Muni continued: Thereafter, Lord Kṛṣṇa, by His own personal potency, consisting of religion, knowledge, renunciation, opulence, austerity, education and activities, equipped Lord Śiva with all the necessary paraphernalia, such as a chariot, a charioteer, a flag, horses, elephants, a bow, a shield and arrows. When Lord Śiva was fully equipped in this way, he sat down on the chariot with his arrows and bow to fight with the demons.

[ŚB 7.10.67] — My dear Lord, King Yudhiṣṭhira..

In this regard Prabhupāda explains that..

"In the twelth canto of Bhāgavatam (12.13.16), it explains vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ Lord Śiva is the best of the Vaiṣṇavas, the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Infact, he is considered one of the mahājanas, (svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ, etc.). Lord Kṛṣṇa is always prepared to help all the mahājanas and devotees in every respect — kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (Bg 9.31) When he is my devotee, he will never be perished. Although Lord Śiva is very powerful, he lost a battle to the asuras, and therefore he was morose and disappointed. However, because he is one of the chief devotees of the Lord, the Lord personally equipped him with all the paraphernalia for war. The devotee, therefore, must serve the Lord sincerely, and Kṛṣṇa is always in the background to protect him and, if need be, to equip him fully to fight with his enemy. For devotees there is no scarcity of knowledge or material requisites for spreading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement."

It is important to know that sometimes we think, “Well I have to do some business and make money then I can spread Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. I have to do, get some degree before I can spread Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Otherwise people won’t listen to me.” But actually for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness Kṛṣṇa will provide all the material requisites, if we become sincere devotees and try to carry out His service. This is important. Whatever we are doing, if we are sincere devotee, Kṛṣṇa will give us what we need to implement His devotional service. Whatever is essential to do His service, to be successful in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, He will provide. ‘yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham’. (Bg 9.22) He preserves what we have; He gives what we need in order to become fully Kṛṣṇa Conscious. We have to be sincere about our determination to become pure devotees of the Lord. And then he’ll give us all the requisites.

So, then….

the most powerful Lord Śiva joined the arrows to his bow, and at noon he set fire to all three residences of the demons and thus destroyed them.

[ŚB 7.10.68] — Seated in their airplanes in the sky, the inhabitants of the higher planetary systems beat many kettledrums. The demigods, saints, Pitās, Siddhas and various great personalities showered flowers on the head of Lord Śiva, wishing him all victory, and the Apsarās began to chant and dance with great pleasure.

[ŚB 7.10.69] — O King Yudhiṣṭhira, thus Lord Śiva is known as Tripurāri, the annihilator of the three dwellings of the demons, because he burnt these dwellings to ashes. Being worshiped by the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva returned to his own abode.

[ŚB 7.10.70] — The Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, appeared as a human being, yet He performed many uncommon and wonderful pastimes by His own potency. How can I say more about His activities than what has already been said by great saintly persons? Everyone can be purified by His activities, simply by hearing about them from the right source.

So today we heard about the glories of devotional service, the glories of. Kṛṣṇa in giving His devotees, unlimited mercy. We heard about the glories of Lord Śiva the greatest devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa and how he’d gotten the name ‘Tripurāri’ which is very famous name of Lord Śiva. How he destroyed the three. residences of the demons and burnt them to ashes, being empowered personally by Kṛṣṇa to do that. So. So for the devotees of Kṛṣṇa, they have a very intimate relationship with Lord Śiva. They respect Lord Śiva as the greatest of all the devotees. Sometimes the devotees of Lord Śiva do not understand the position of Kṛṣṇa and there is a misunderstanding. But from the devotees of Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa’s side, at least in our disciplic succession there is absolutely no misunderstanding what so ever. And we recommend that everyone worship Lord Śiva as the greatest devotee of Kṛṣṇa. And worship Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and take from Him the unlimited blessings of His causeless mercy and to serve Him through devotional service.

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

Sometimes the deities are coming, moving in a line when they are doing a pastime. Then they are going back and take a deity form. These are also avatāras. So Kṛṣṇa avatāra is predicted that, every day of Brahmā, at a particular Manu at a particular time and He comes in that Dvapara Yuga. And He does His līlā. Then Kṛṣṇa’s līlā is ended in this universe He’s started in another universe. And as… It’s described here as Kṛṣṇa has been born here, when the birth līlā is over, in another universe birth līlā is going on. Just like here at 7 in the morning, 6 in the morning the sun is rising, by 7 o’clock it’s already risen. But now over in the next in the… Indonesia or Andaman Islands of … in the Bay of Bengal, now the sun is rising there. Then in the next place it rises. Like this it’s rising – the rising līlā is going on. Kṛṣṇa’s avatāra is going on always. Don’t think that at this time Kṛṣṇa is not taking avatāra. But not in this universe, some other universe. After some… again the next day of Brahma Kṛṣṇa will again come here in this universe on schedule. He is very timely. That’s His līlā, that He comes once in a day of Brahmā, on schedule, to pick up all the living entities who are His devotees in a universe.

But no one is knowing how is Kṛṣṇa coming, how He is appearing, how He is performing His līlās – this is not a small thing. Kṛṣṇa says Janma karma ca me divyam (Bg 4.9) – that My appearance and My activities are transcendental, divyam. Janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ and someone who knows in truth the nature of my birth and activities tyaktvā dehaṁ punarjanma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna. That when they give up this body again they don’t have to take birth again in the material world. So simply if you know… actually the nature of Kṛṣṇa, His appearance, His līlā, His activity, you don’t have to take birth again in this world. That’s enough to transfer you back to the spiritual sky. But don’t just take this on face value. Why Kṛṣṇa is coming this that. You have to know by studying the Bhagavad-gītā, by studying the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the Vedas, what is the nature of Kṛṣṇa’s appearance. If you just hear it in the tea stall or you’re hearing some… just conversations from different panḍits who haven’t gone deeply into the through the proper You see the main thing is to hear the glory of Kṛṣṇa from the proper source. What is your source? Where are you getting your information? If you hear from the proper source, then these confusions do not stay there. This is the whole point here in the conclusion of this… of this chapter.

[ŚB 7.10.70] Purport: The Bhagavad-gītā and all the Vedic literatures fully explain that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, appears in human society as an ordinary human being but acts very uncommonly for the well-being of the entire world. One should not be influenced by the illusory energy and think Lord Kṛṣṇa to be an ordinary human being. Those who really seek the Absolute Truth come to the understanding that Kṛṣṇa is everything – vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (Bg 7.19) – Such great souls are very rare. Nonetheless, if one studies the entire Bhagavad-gītā as it is, Kṛṣṇa is very easy to understand. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is just trying to make Kṛṣṇa known all over the world as the Supreme Personality of Godhead kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (ŚB 1.3.28) If people take this movement seriously, their lives as human beings will be successful.

Just like.. Just like so many ambassadors are going to different countries. Today there was an ambassador come here and he is going to some country. They are going to see the Prime minister tomorrow. Does that mean that if the ambassador goes before the Prime minister goes, that he is greater? Some avatāras may come before or after. Who… if the prison house, the governor may visit, the chief police officer may visit, then later on the Agong (malaysian head) may visit. Does that mean that if the Agong visits after the Governor, the Agong is less than the governor? When the Supreme Godhead comes from His spiritual abode to this material world, whether someone else, he came in other form before or after, that doesn’t reflect on who is the Supreme. That relative, that sequence what does that make any difference? What that… This is a prison house they can come whenever they want. Who comes first or who comes later… that is irrelevant. We have to know who is the Supreme, not by the chronology – that who came before who came after. But from the Supreme Lord Himself. He’ll say which is the original form. Mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid - (Bg 7.7) that is no higher truth than I am. Or as it’s explained in the Bhāgavatam. All the avatars are mentioned. Varāha, Kūrma, Matsya as well as Paraśurāma, and Narasiṁha, Kṛṣṇa Balarām, Buddha, Kalki - all avatāras are mentioned. Amongst all these kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ – all these are either the part or the part of the part of the Supreme person. kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme person. He is the origin. Whatever qualities Rāma has, Kṛṣṇa has. Whatever qualities Varāha has, Kṛṣṇa has. Whatever qualities Narasingha has, Kṛṣṇa has. But the qualities Kṛṣṇa has, no one else has. He has some qualities that no one else has. Even Varāha, even Narasimha, even Rāmachandra. They may have 93% of these qualities, they may have 94% but 100% only Kṛṣṇa has. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is by analysing all the avatāras, they came to the conclusion, He is the only one who has got exceptional qualities more than any others. Therefore He is the original. And He Himself says, “I’m the original.”

This is a discussion which sometimes in South India, Lord Caitanya arguments with the Śrī Sampradaya. They say that Nārāyaṇa is the original. That Kṛṣṇa is coming from Nārāyaṇa. So we respect all the Vaiṣṇavas because Kṛṣṇa or Nārāyaṇa, at least they understand that Viṣṇu is the Supreme. But Lord Caitanya, He had a discussion with them. He said that you say that… They said why you’re worshiping Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme. Kṛṣṇa is only Avatar of Nārāyaṇa. So then Lord Caitanya said, “If Kṛṣṇa is only an avatar of Nārāyaṇa, then why is it that Lakṣmī the consort of Nārāyaṇa was doing tapasya to enter into Kṛṣṇa’s rasa-līlā?” Can you answer that? Since Lakṣmī is the consort of Nārāyaṇa, she has Nārāyaṇa all the time, why is that she is doing tapasya in order to enter into Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes in the rasa-līlā. If she was the original, if Nārāyaṇa is ori… they can go anytime. Why they have to do tapasya? Why she is not satisfied already? Why she wants more? I hope she is satisfied, but still she wants more. Then Lord Caitanya asked, “Why she was refused at the entrance?”. She was thrown out. Even Lord Śiva was allowed in rasa-līlā as a gatekeeper. But not Lakṣmī. She wasn’t given a gate pass. Because Nārāyaṇa is a majestic form; Lakṣmī is the majestic form of Shakti – opulent form, all powerful form in that aspect. Kṛṣṇa is the informal… He is the most informal, confidential, the original form.

Just like some minister sometimes comes here. He sits on the floor with us, we give him prasādam. He talks with us. But if you go to see him in his office, there he has got the guards outside, we have to wait in line and do all the… then he is big minister. Sometimes the members of the High court, they come with us and they sit and take little prasāda because they like to associate with the saintly people. But if we go to see them in High court, then they’re sitting in the big chair with their wig or their robes. Then you can say to them… there you have to say My Lord, your Lordship and so on. Everything is formal. They walk in the room, you have to stand up in respect for the position, for the court. So Prabhupāda explains that Kṛṣṇa is the original form. This formal aspect because people want to see the power and glory of God, so He expands Himself as Nārāyaṇa to manifest that aspect of God. That’s the formal aspect. And the informal, original personal form is Kṛṣṇa. So in that formal aspect how can they enter into Kṛṣṇa’s pastime? It’s the wrong mood. So which is the higher, which is the closer? If you go to a man’s house and you meet him there or meet him in the office where he is formal. Both are true. Neither are false. But at home you can know the person better, what is the actual person like? The other side is so formal that you can only approach at a distance. You don’t get that intimate dealing. So that’s why the form of Kṛṣṇa is also considered as His original Supreme form. And Kṛṣṇa is more approachable. The cowherd boys are hugging Kṛṣṇa. They are playing with Kṛṣṇa. They are running with their cows. Can you imagine Nārāyaṇa doing that? You see? A thin congruence. Because He is a different aspect. Different mood. That mood is all holy, pure, absolute. But Kṛṣṇa is the most confidential. We first need to know the power of God.

We need to know the glory of God. We need to know the opulence of God. Then we can appreciate that He is also the great person. The greatest person. He is the most personal person. He is the most gentle and kind person and the most beautiful. But in this world we want to first … if we don’t appreciate the power and the ultimate purview, then we take it lightly. Therefore all these other aspects are to be understood first. Then you can come and appreciate that, that Supreme person, if it is just like, just like if you see the big minister, you see the Prime Minister, then you go in some… if you are invited in… They may take you as a friend, takes to his house and there he is playing with his children. And it is… oh he can’t be the Prime Minister. How he can be Prime Minister? He is playing with his children. What? You think the Prime Minister can’t play with his children? No, No! Prime Minister is only standing up and giving speeches and so on. You say the Supreme Godhead is only coming in this way. How can He just be the so personal and so natural? How can He be so intimate with His devotee? How He can be so kind and so merciful and… no He can’t be like that. They were doing like this making these conclusions. That is His greatness that He can not only be the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha He can even… although He is the Lord He comes and equips Lord Śiva to fight and destroy the demons’ houses, He can also come down and just be the friend of His devotee on equal terms. So, even He can assume an inferior position as a servant, driving his chariot for His devotee. That is why the Supreme person is the greatest. Because He can simultaneously be the greatest, He can be the most humble and the personal friend of His devotee.

Hare Kṛṣṇa.