Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.49–50 – October 7, 1976, Vṛndāvana

Love God, Love His Dog

Pradyumna: ...vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. [devotees repeat] [chants verse]

[03:31]

"Sūta Gosvami said: O brahmanas, King Yudhisthira fully supported the statements of the Queen, which were in accordance with the principles of religion and were justified, glorious, full of mercy and equity, and without duplicity."

[break] [chants verse]

[04:36]

Translation: "The younger brothers of the king, Nakula and Sahadeva; and also Satyaki and Arjuna; the Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krsna, son of Devaki; and the ladies and others all unanimously agreed with the king." [break]

So, bhagavan devaki-suta. Bhagavan. People may inquire, "What kind of Bhagavan He is? He has taken birth as the Devaki-suta. Any ordinary man, he takes birth as the son of such and such gentleman or such and such mother. So what kind of Bhagavan He is?" Therefore we have to understand how Krsna... Krsna is Bhagavan. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28].

He appears as the son of Devaki or Vasudeva. We have to know this. And if you can know, then you become immediately liberated. Our business is liberation. This is our main business. What is the purpose of getting this opportunity of human life? That we must understand. We should not waste our valuable life like the cats and dogs. This is our main business, to understand God. Athato brahma-jijnasa. [Vedanta-sūtra 1.1.1] This is the life. Brahman, para brahma. Brahman, para brahma, or, Brahman's, I mean to say, potencies. Parasya brahmanaḥ saktiḥ [Visnu Purana 1.22.56].

These things are there. We should understand. That is our business. So if we understand why Bhagavan appears as the son of Devaki, then you become liberated. This is the... Bhagavan says, janma karma ca me divyam yo janati tattvataḥ [Bg 4.9]. You have to learn it tattvataḥ, in truth, not superficially. Then you'll understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan, appears as the son of Devaki or son of Vasudeva. Ajo 'pi sann avyayatma bhūtanam isvaro 'pi san [Bg 4.6]. Although He's aja-aja means who never takes birth-still, He takes birth. Contradictory. This is inconceivable.

Unless God has got inconceivable energy, He's not God. This has been discussed by Jiva Gosvami. If you do not accept inconceivable energy of God, then there is no God. This is inconceivable. Ajo 'pi sann avyayatma bhūtanam isvaro 'pi san, sambhavamy yuge yuge [Bg 4.6]. Paritranaya sadhūnam. This is God. How it happens, how it is possible, if you understand properly, then you become liberated simply by understanding this, that Bhagavan, why He shall not appear as the son? Why you shall restrict? God is not under your restriction. That is God. If He becomes under your rules and regulation, then He's not God. That is inconceivable. How ajo 'pi, although unborn, how He takes birth. Ajo 'pi sann avyayatma bhūtanam isvaro 'pi. Bhūtanam isvaraḥ. He's the supreme controller, but He likes to be controlled by Mother Yasoda. Bhūtanam isvaro 'pi san. He controls everyone, but why He accepts one lady, innocent lady, not very educated, not Vedantist; a village lady, interested in churning curd and butter, not Vedantist? And He has become just like a very affectionate son of this village lady: "Mother, let Me suck your breast."

So this is God's pastimes. Ajo 'pi sann avyayatma. He is eko hi..., bahūnam vidadhati kaman. He is supplying the necessities of life to all the living entities. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam eko yo bahūnam vidadhati kaman [Katha Upanisad 2.2.13]. But He is begging from Mother Yasoda, "Kindly allow Me to suck your breast." And when mother refuses, He becomes angry. He breaks the pot of butter and so on, so on. You know this. This is called transcendental pastimes. But at the same time, when it is required, He immediately lifts the Govardhana Hill. Immediately. Although He is dependent on Mother Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja... Nanda Maharaja is seeing, "Oh, this little boy has lifted Govardhana Hill? Oh! How it is possible? Let me help." He's trying to help Him by sticking the stick on the Govardhana Hill that it may not fall down. You see? He has already lifted. Still, because father, affectionate, he's thinking, "The childish boy, He has lifted the Govardhana Hill. It may now fall down. Let me help Him." This is going on. This is called transcendental pastimes.

And those who are not devotees, they cannot understand, that "How it is possible?" They say it is, what is called, mythology. It is mythology. It is not mythology; it is fact. Vyasadeva, such a learned person, vidvan-lokasyajanato vidvams cakre satvata-samhitam [SB 1.7.6]; he is vidvan-he has written this satvata-samhita with some mythology, some fiction, some imagination? It is rascaldom to consider it like that. It is not mythology; it is fact. That is Bhagavan. He has wasted his time to describe some mythology? But they have no common sense. And not only that-Vyasadeva has written. Later on all big, big commentators like Sridhara Svami, Vijayadhvaja, Viraraghavacarya, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Sanatana Gosvami, many, they have never said that this is mythology. Never said. Never said. You'll not find in any of the comments of these big, big stalwart acarya. Viraraghavacarya, he is very learned scholar belonging to the Ramanujacarya-sampradaya. They have never said it is mythology. Where do you get this idea of mythology? That is possible. God is all-powerful. He can do anything. He can appear. Why should you restrict Him not to become the son of Devaki? Why should you restrict? Is He under your control or you are under His control? He can become the Devaki-suta. He can become a small child to be chastised by Mother Yasoda. He likes it. Everyone offers Him with reverence all respect. Nobody dares to restrict Him and chastise Him. Nobody goes to God, that "You cannot do this. You are fool. You are rascal." Nobody says. But still, He wants to hear all this. That is a pastime.

Just like a big, rich man. He eats so many nice things. But sometimes he says, "Give me some puffed rice." Puffed rice is not his food, but he likes sometimes. Similarly, everyone prays to God with reverence and vow and obedience, but He wants to be chastised sometimes. That chastisement, from where this chastisement will come? It will come from His devotee, not ordinary. If ordinary man chastises, imitating Yasodamayi, he will be offender. He will be punished. But where He agrees to be chastised, "Mother, you chastise Me," that is bhakti. That is devotional service. So there is nothing extraordinary when it is said here, bhagavan devaki-suta. He can become Devaki-suta. It is His mercy.

So we have to understand that, how Bhagavan, saḍ-aisvarya-pūrna. Bhagavan means saḍ-aisvarya-pūrna. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasaḥ sriyaḥ [Visnu Purana 6.5.74]. All powerful. He can appear anywhere, without any restriction. But still, He appears as Devaki-suta. Janma karma ca divyam me yo janati. [Bg 4.9] We have to understand through the sastra. And that tattvataḥ understanding is possible only through bhakti, not by any other means. Not by jnana or yoga. That is not possible. It is simply through... Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvataḥ [Bg 18.55]. The jnanis, yogis... Karmis, they are third class; they cannot. The yogis, the karmis..., er, jnanis, yogis, they have got spiritual advancement, but still, until they come to the platform of bhakti, it is not possible to understand. Janma karma ca me divyam tattvataḥ [Bg 4.9].

So if we want to understand Krsna, Bhagavan, in truth, then we have to take the path of bhakti. No other means will help us. Bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvataḥ [Bg 18.55]: how He becomes Devaki-suta, how He... Then the statement of Draupadi was accepted by all the gentlemen or the kings. Everyone accepted. And they considered, dharmyam nyayyam sakarunam. Just like even in judgment... The other day I told you the judgment given to a murderer. There must be some consideration, sakarunam. Sakarunam means mercy. Not that... Because one has committed murder in a fanatic condition, he is excused sometimes. That is sakarunam. The judgment should be given not simply on the superficial causes. Everything should be con... Dharmyam nyayyam sakarunam nirvyalikam. Suppose a child commits something wrong. He is not punished. A brahmana... A brahmana never commits any sinful activity. If he, sometimes in an unnatural condition, if he does something, so he should be excused. This is Vedic law. The woman, the brahmana, the child, the cow and...?

Devotee: Old men.

Prabhupada: Old men. Yes. They should be excused. That is,

He accepted, "Yes, what Draupadi is saying is all right." Not only he, but also others. Nakulaḥ sahadevas ca yuyudhano dhananjayaḥ bhagavan. Ultimately, bhagavan devaki-sutra canye yas ca yositaḥ. So, mahajano yena gataḥ sa panthaḥ [Cc Madhya 17.186]. Maharaja Yudhisthira is dharma-suta. He is not ordinary person. He is the son of Dharmaraja, Yamaraja. Maharaja Yudhisthira's mother, Kunti, had the power to call any demigod. She got this benediction from Durvasa Muni. So he [she] had his [her] three sons-means Maharaja Yudhisthira, Bhima and Arjuna. She got Maharaja Yudhisthira from Dharmaraja, Arjuna from Indra, and Bhima from Varuna..., Vayu, yes. Similarly, still she is one of the chaste women. These things are there. But still, they are not polluted. But in the Kali-yuga these things are prohibited. Devarena sutotpattim kalau panca vivarjayet .

In the Kali-yuga people are very much polluted. They cannot transgress. This is not transgression; this is powerful. Just like you are prohibited to go to the filthy place. Prohibited. But the sunshine goes. Sunshine goes. Sunshine is not prohibited, that "Here is a filthy place, lavatory. Sunshine, you do not come here." No, sunshine doesn't require your permission. It can go anywhere. But it is not polluted. Tejiyasam na dosaya [SB 10.33.29]. One who is teji... Don't try to imitate teji. You must become teji. Then... Just like for Bhagavan everything is perfect. Apapa-viddham. Bhagavan is never affected by any so-called sin. For Him there is no sinful activities. Apapa-viddham. You'll find in the Īsopanisad, there is the mantra, Vedic mantra. And if you think, consider, that "Krsna is doing so many things, this is sinful." No. Therefore God is always good. "God is good." There is a common word. Even if you see that He is doing something wrong, that is not wrong; that is right. Tejiyasam na dosaya [SB 10.33.29]. He's so powerful, for Him there is no wrong. He's never wrongdoer.

Therefore devotees, they do not expect that "Krsna will always be very kind upon me." He may be harsh, but that is also good. Krsna or Krsna's devotee, even he is harsh, he is unkind, so-called unkind, it is also good. Just like Narada Muni cursed the Yamalarjuna. What is that? Their name? The Vidura's sons? They were cursed to become tree, but what was the result? The result was that although they became trees, they were fortunate enough to see Krsna personally. So God or His devotee, Krsna and Krsna devotee, you should always take that they're always good. God is good, and the devotee is good. Either we see that He's merciful... He's always merciful. Therefore devotees never take anything as not merciful. Tat te anukampam. They take everything from Krsna as sympathy, anukampa. Tat te 'nukampam su-samiksamanaḥ [SB 10.14.8].

One who can see this anukampa in reverse condition of life, the compassion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, mukti-pade sa daya-bhak, his right to become liberation becomes guaranteed. If anyone accepts the mercy of God in any circumstances, and he does not do anything wrong to anyone, such person is guaranteed to be liberated. That is the injunction of the sastra.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupada. [end]