Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! he
Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! he
Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! rakña mäm
Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna! pähi mäm
räma! räghava! räma! räghava! räma! räghava! rakña mäm
Krishna! keçava! Krishna! keçava! Krishna! keçava! pähi mäm
Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 7.96)
While attempting to write this book, Krishna, let me first offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, Oà Viñëupäda 108 Çré Çrémad Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé Mahäräja Prabhupäda. Then let me offer my respectful obeisances to the ocean of mercy, Lord Çré Krishna Caitanya Mahäprabhu. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna Himself, appearing in the role of a devotee just to distribute the highest principles of devotional service. Lord Caitanya began His preaching from the country known as Gauòadeça (West Bengal). And as I belong to the Madhva-Gauòéya-sampradäya, I must therefore offer my respectful obeisances to the disciplic succession of that name. This Madhva-Gauòéya-sampradäya is also known as the Brahma-sampradäya because the disciplic succession originally began from Brahmä. Brahmä instructed the sage Närada, Närada instructed Vyäsadeva, and Vyäsadeva instructed Madhva Muni, or Madhväcärya. Çré Mädhavendra Puré, the originator of the Madhva-Gauòéya-sampradäya, was a sannyäsé (renunciant) who belonged to the Madhväcärya disciplic succession. He had many renowned disciples, such as Nityänanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu and Éçvara Puré. Éçvara Puré happened to be the spiritual master of Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu. So let us offer our respectful obeisances to Éçvara Puré, Nityänanda Prabhu, Çré Advaita Äcärya Prabhu, Çréväsa Paëòita and Çré Gadädhara Paëòita. Next, let us offer our respectful obeisances to Svarüpa Dämodara, who acted as the private secretary to Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu; and let us offer our respectful obeisances to Çré Väsudeva Datta and the constant attendant of Lord Caitanya, Çré Govinda, and the constant friend of Lord Caitanya, Mukunda, and also to Muräri Gupta. And let us offer our respectful obeisances to the six Gosvämés of Våndävana—Çré Rüpa Gosvämé, Çré Sanätana Gosvämé, Çré Raghunätha Bhaööa Gosvämé, Çré Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé, Çré Jéva Gosvämé and Çré Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé.
When the Lord descends, the incarnation emanates from Viñëu. Mahä-Viñëu is the original cause of material creation, and from Him Garbhodakaçäyé Viñëu expands, and then Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu. Generally, all the incarnations appearing within this material universe are plenary expansions from Kñérodakaçäyé Viñëu. Therefore, the business of minimizing the overload of sinful activities on this earth does not belong to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna Himself. But when Krishna appears, all the Viñëu expansions also join with Him. Krishna’s different expansions—namely Näräyaëa, the quadruple expansion of Väsudeva, Saìkarñaëa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha, as well as partial plenary expansions like Matsya, the incarnation of a fish, and the yuga-avatäras (incarnations for the millennium) and the manvantara-avatäras (incarnations who appear during the reigns of the Manus)—all combine together and appear with the body of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krishna is the complete whole, and thus all plenary expansions and incarnations always live with Him.
Therefore when Krishna appeared, Lord Viñëu was also with Him. Krishna actually appears in order to demonstrate His Våndävana pastimes and in this way attract the fortunate conditioned souls and invite them back home, back to Godhead. The killing of the demons in Våndävana was carried out only by the Viñëu portion of Krishna.
The Lord’s abode is described in the Bhagavad-gétä, Eighth Chapter, twentieth verse, where it is stated that there is another, eternal nature, the spiritual sky, which is transcendental to this manifested and nonmanifested matter. The manifested world can be seen in the form of many stars and planetary systems, such as the sun and moon, but beyond this there is a nonmanifested portion, which is not approachable by anyone in this body. And beyond that nonmanifested matter is the spiritual kingdom. That kingdom is described in the Bhagavad-gétä as supreme and eternal, never to be annihilated. This material nature is subjected to repeated creation and annihilation. But that part, the spiritual nature, remains as it is, eternally.
The supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is also described in the Brahma-saàhitä as the abode of cintämaëi. That abode of Lord Krishna, known as Goloka Våndävana, is full of palaces made of touchstone. There the trees are called desire trees, and the cows are called surabhi. The Lord is served there by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune. His name is Govinda, the Primeval Lord, and He is the cause of all causes. There the Lord plays His flute, His eyes are like lotus petals, and the color of His body is like that of a beautiful cloud. On His head is a peacock feather. He is so attractive that He excels thousands of Cupids. Lord Krishna gives only a little hint in the Gétä of His personal abode, which is the supermost planet in the spiritual kingdom. But in Çrémad-Bhägavatam Krishna actually appears with all His paraphernalia and demonstrates His activities in Våndävana, then at Mathurä, and then at Dvärakä. The subject matter of this book will gradually reveal all these activities.
The family in which Krishna appeared is called the Yadu dynasty. This Yadu dynasty belongs to the family descending from Soma, the god in the moon planet. There are two different kñatriya families of the royal order, one descending from the king of the moon planet and the other descending from the king of the sun planet. Whenever the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears, He generally appears in a kñatriya family because He has to establish religious principles or the life of righteousness. The kñatriya family is the protector of the human race, according to the Vedic system. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared as Lord Rämacandra, He appeared in the family descending from the sun-god, known as Raghu-vaàça; and when He appeared as Lord Krishna, He did so in the family of Yadu-vaàça. There is a long list of the kings of the Yadu-vaàça in the Ninth Canto, Twenty-fourth Chapter, of Çrémad-Bhägavatam. All of them were great, powerful kings. Krishna’s father’s name was Vasudeva, son of Çürasena, descending from the Yadu dynasty. Actually, the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not belong to any dynasty of this material world, but the family in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears becomes famous, by His grace. For example, sandalwood is produced in the states of Malaya. Sandalwood has its own qualifications apart from Malaya, but because accidentally this wood is mainly produced in the states of Malaya, it is known as Malayan sandalwood. Similarly, Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, belongs to everyone, but just as the sun rises from the east, although there are other directions from which it could rise, so by His own choice the Lord appears in a particular family, and that family becomes famous.
As explained above, when Krishna appears, all His plenary expansions also appear with Him. Krishna appeared along with Balaräma (Baladeva), who is known as His elder brother. Balaräma is the origin of Saìkarñaëa, of the quadruple expansion. Balaräma is also the plenary expansion of Krishna. In this book, the attempt will be made to show how Krishna appeared in the family of the Yadu dynasty and how He displayed His transcendental characteristics. This is very vividly described in Çrémad-Bhägavatam—specifically, the Tenth Canto—and thus the basis of this book will be the Tenth Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam.
The pastimes of the Lord are generally heard and relished by liberated souls. Those who are conditioned souls are interested in reading stories of the material activities of some common man. Although similar narrations describing the transcendental activities of the Lord are found in Çrémad-Bhägavatam and other Puräëas, the conditioned souls still prefer to study ordinary narrations. They are not so interested in studying the narrations of the pastimes of the Lord, Krishna. And yet the descriptions or the pastimes of Lord Krishna are so attractive that they are relishable for all classes of men. There are three classes of men in this world. One class consists of liberated souls, another consists of those who are trying to be liberated, and the third consists of materialistic men. Whether one is liberated or is trying to be liberated, or is even grossly materialistic, the pastimes of Lord Krishna are worth studying.
Liberated souls have no interest in materialistic activities. The impersonalist theory that after liberation one becomes inactive and needs to hear nothing does not prove that a liberated person is actually inactive. A living soul cannot be inactive. He is either active in the conditioned state or in the liberated state. A diseased person, for example, is also active, but his activities are all painful. The same person, when freed from the diseased condition, is still active, but in the healthy condition the activities are full of pleasure. Similarly, the impersonalists only seek to get free from the diseased, conditioned activities, but they have no information of activities in the healthy condition. Those who are actually liberated and in full knowledge take to hearing the activities of Krishna; such engagement is pure spiritual activity.
It is essential for persons who are actually liberated to hear about the pastimes of Krishna. That is the supreme relishable subject matter for one in the liberated state. Also, if persons who are trying to be liberated hear such narrations as the Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad-Bhägavatam, then their path of liberation becomes very clear. The Bhagavad-gétä is the preliminary study of Çrémad-Bhägavatam. By studying the Gétä, one becomes fully conscious of the position of Lord Krishna; and when he is situated at the lotus feet of Krishna, he understands the narrations of Krishna as described in Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Lord Caitanya has therefore advised His followers that their business is to propagate Krishna-kathä.
Krishna-kathä means narrations about Lord Krishna. There are two Krishna-kathäs: narrations spoken by Krishna and narrations spoken about Krishna. The Bhagavad-gétä is the narration or the philosophy on the science of God, spoken by Krishna Himself. Çrémad-Bhägavatam is the narration about the activities and transcendental pastimes of Krishna. Both are Krishna-kathä. It is the order of Lord Caitanya that Krishna-kathä should be spread all over the world, because if the conditioned souls, suffering under the pangs of material existence, take to Krishna-kathä, then their path of liberation will be open and clear. The purpose of presenting this book is primarily to induce people to understand Krishna or Krishna-kathä, because thereby they can become freed from material bondage.
This Krishna-kathä will also be very much appealing to the most materialistic persons because Krishna’s pastimes with the gopés (cowherd girls) are exactly like the loving affairs between young girls and boys within this material world. Actually, the sex feeling found in human society is not unnatural because this same sex feeling is there in the original Personality of Godhead. The pleasure potency is called Çrématé Rädhäräëé. The attraction of loving affairs on the basis of sex feeling is the original feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we, the conditioned souls, being part and parcel of the Supreme, have such feelings also, but they are experienced within a perverted, minute condition. Therefore, when those who are after sex life in this material world hear about Krishna’s pastimes with the gopés, they will relish transcendental pleasure, although it appears to be materialistic. The advantage will be that they will gradually be elevated to the spiritual platform. In the Bhägavatam it is stated that if one hears the pastimes of Lord Krishna with the gopés, from authorities with submission, then he will be promoted to the platform of transcendental loving service to the Lord, and the material disease of lust within his heart will be completely vanquished. In other words, such hearing will counteract material sex life.
This book, Krishna, which is filled with Krishna-kathä, will thus appeal equally to the liberated souls and to persons who are trying to be liberated, as well as to the gross, conditioned materialist. According to the statement of Mahäräja Parékñit, who heard about Krishna from Çukadeva Gosvämé, Krishna-kathä is equally applicable to every human being, whatever condition of life he is in. Surely everyone will appreciate it to the highest magnitude. But Mahäräja Parékñit also warned that persons who are simply engaged in killing animals and in killing themselves may not be very much attracted to Krishna-kathä. In other words, ordinary persons who are following the regulative moral principles of scriptures, no matter in what condition they are found, will certainly be attracted, but not persons who are killing themselves. The exact word used in Çrémad-Bhägavatam is paçu-ghna, which means killing animals or killing oneself. Persons who are not self-realized and who are not interested in spiritual realization are killing themselves; they are committing suicide. Because this human form of life is especially meant for self-realization, by neglecting this important part of his activities one simply wastes his time like the animals. So he is paçu-ghna. The other meaning of the word refers to those who are actually killing animals. This means persons who are animal-eaters (even dog-eaters), for they are all engaged in killing animals in so many ways, such as hunting and opening slaughterhouses. Such persons cannot be interested in Krishna-kathä.
King Parékñit was especially interested in hearing Krishna-kathä because he knew that his forefathers, particularly his grandfather, Arjuna, were victorious in the great Battle of Kurukñetra only because of Krishna. We may also take this material world as a Battlefield of Kurukñetra. Everyone is struggling hard for existence on this battlefield, and at every step there is danger. According to Mahäräja Parékñit, the Battlefield of Kurukñetra was just like a vast ocean full of dangerous animals. His grandfather Arjuna had to fight with such great heroes as Bhéñma, Droëa, Karëa and many others who were not ordinary fighters. Such warriors have been compared to the timiìgila fish in the ocean. The timiìgila fish can very easily swallow up big whales. The great fighters on the Battlefield of Kurukñetra could swallow many, many Arjunas very easily, but simply due to Krishna’s mercy, Arjuna was able to kill all of them. Just as one can cross with no exertion over the little bit of water contained in the hoofprint of a calf, so Arjuna, by the grace of Krishna, was able to very easily jump over the ocean of the Battle of Kurukñetra.
Mahäräja Parékñit very much appreciated Krishna’s activities for many other reasons. Not only was his grandfather saved by Krishna, but he himself also was saved by Krishna. By the end of the Battle of Kurukñetra, all the members of the Kuru dynasty, both the sons and grandsons on the side of Dhåtaräñöra and those on the side of the Päëòavas, had died in the fighting. Except the five Päëòava brothers, everyone died on the Battlefield of Kurukñetra. Mahäräja Parékñit was at that time within the womb of his mother. His father, Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, also died on the Battlefield of Kurukñetra, and so Mahäräja Parékñit was a posthumous child. When he was in the womb of his mother, a brahmästra weapon was released by Açvatthämä to kill the child. When Parékñit Mahäräja’s mother, Uttarä, approached Krishna, Krishna, seeing the danger of abortion, entered her womb as the Supersoul and saved Mahäräja Parékñit. Mahäräja Parékñit’s other name is Viñëuräta because he was saved by Lord Viñëu Himself while still within the womb.
Thus everyone, in any condition of life, should be interested in hearing about Krishna and His activities because He is the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead. He is all-pervading: inside He is living within everyone’s heart, and outside He is living as His universal form. And yet, as described in the Bhagavad-gétä, He appears as He is in the human society just to invite everyone to His transcendental abode, back home, back to Godhead. Everyone should be interested in knowing about Krishna, and this book is presented with this purpose: that people may know about Krishna and be perfectly benefited in this human form of life.
In the Ninth Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Çré Baladeva is described as the son of Rohiëé, a wife of Vasudeva. Vasudeva, the father of Krishna, had sixteen wives, and one of them was Rohiëé, the mother of Baladeva. But Baladeva is also described as the son of Devaké, so how could He be the son of both Devaké and Rohiëé? This was one of the questions put by Mahäräja Parékñit to Çukadeva Gosvämé, and it will be answered in due course. Mahäräja Parékñit also asked Çukadeva Gosvämé why Çré Krishna, just after His appearance as the son of Vasudeva, was immediately carried to the house of Nanda Mahäräja in Våndävana, Gokula. He also wanted to know what the activities of Lord Krishna were while He was in Våndävana and while He was in Mathurä. Besides that, he was especially inquisitive to know why Krishna killed His maternal uncle, Kaàsa. Kaàsa, being the brother of His mother, was a very intimate superior to Krishna, so how was it that He killed Kaàsa? Also, Mahäräja Parékñit asked how many years Lord Krishna remained in human society, how many years He reigned over the kingdom of Dvärakä, and how many wives He accepted there. A kñatriya king is generally accustomed to accept more than one wife; therefore Mahäräja Parékñit also inquired about His number of wives. The subject matter of this book is Çukadeva Gosvämé’s answering of these and other questions asked by Mahäräja Parékñit.
The position of Mahäräja Parékñit and Çukadeva Gosvämé is unique. Mahäräja Parékñit is the right person to hear about the transcendental pastimes of Krishna, and Çukadeva Gosvämé is the right person to describe them. If such a fortunate combination is made possible, then Krishna-kathä immediately becomes revealed, and people may benefit to the highest possible degree from such a conversation.
This narration was presented by Çukadeva Gosvämé when Mahäräja Parékñit was prepared to give up his body, fasting on the bank of the Ganges. In order to assure Çukadeva Gosvämé that by hearing Krishna-kathä he would not feel tired, Mahäräja Parékñit expressed himself very frankly: “Hunger and thirst may give trouble to ordinary persons or to me, but the topics of Krishna are so nice that one can continue to hear them without feeling tired because such hearing situates one in the transcendental position.” It is understood that one must be very fortunate to hear Krishna-kathä seriously, like Mahäräja Parékñit. He was especially intent on the subject matter because he was expecting death at any moment. Every one of us should be conscious of death at every moment. This life is not at all assured; at any time one can die. It does not matter whether one is a young man or an old man. So before death takes place, we must be fully Krishna conscious.
At the point of his death, King Parékñit was hearing Çrémad-Bhägavatam from Çukadeva Gosvämé. When King Parékñit expressed his untiring desire to hear about Krishna, Çukadeva Gosvämé was very much pleased. Çukadeva was the greatest of all Bhägavata reciters, and thus he began to speak about Krishna’s pastimes, which destroy all inauspiciousness in this Age of Kali. Çukadeva Gosvämé thanked the King for his eagerness to hear about Krishna, and he encouraged him by saying, “My dear King, your intelligence is very keen because you are so eager to hear about the pastimes of Krishna.” He informed Mahäräja Parékñit that hearing and chanting the pastimes of Krishna are so auspicious that the processes purify the three varieties of men involved: he who recites the transcendental topics of Krishna, he who hears such topics, and he who inquires about Him. These pastimes are just like the Ganges water, which flows from the toe of Lord Viñëu: they purify the three worlds, the upper, middle and lower planetary systems.