Vision of Universal Form

Next heading, Eighth Chapter, subject, "Vision of Universal Form."

After this incidence, Vasudeva asked his family priest, Gargamuni, to visit the place of Nanda Maharaja in order to astrologically calculate the future life of Krsna. Gargamuni, who was a great saintly sage, underwent much austerities and penances and was appointed priest of the Yadu dynasty. When Gargamuni arrived at the place of Nanda Maharaja, he was very much pleased to see him, and immediately he stood up with folded hands and offered respectful obeisances unto the sage. He received Gargamuni with the feeling of worshiping the sage as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Nanda Maharaja offered him a nice sitting place, and when he sat down, Nanda Maharaja offered him all kinds of reception, and after this, addressing him very politely, he said, "My dear brahmana, your appearance in the house of householders like this is only to enlighten us, because we are always engaged in household duties, forgetting our real duty of self-realization. So your coming to our house means to give us some enlightenment about spiritual life. You have no other business to visit the house of the householders."

Actually, a saintly person or a brahmana has no business to go to the householders, who are always busy in the matter of pounds, shillings, pence. The only purpose of saintly person and brahmanas to go to the householder's place is to enlighten them. And if it is argued, "Why the householders do not go to the saintly person or the brahmana for enlightenment?" the answer is given that they are very poor-hearted. Generally, the householders think that their engagement in family affairs is the prime duty. Self-realization, or enlightenment in spiritual knowledge, is secondary to them. As such, out of compassion only the saintly persons and brahmanas go to the householder's place.

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Nanda Maharaja addressed Gargamuni as one of the great authorities in astrological science. The foretelling of astrological science, such as the occurrence of solar or lunar eclipses and many other foretelling, are wonderful type of calculation of astrological science, and by the help of this particular knowledge a person can understand future very clearly. So Gargamuni was accredited with this knowledge. By dint of this knowledge one can understand what was his previous activities, so that the result of such activities one may enjoy or suffer in this life.

Then again, Nanda Maharaja addressed Gargamuni as "the best of the brahmanas." The brahmanas means one who is expert in the knowledge of the Supreme. Without the knowledge of the Supreme Absolute, nobody cannot be recognized as brahmana. The exact word used in this connection, brahma-vidam, or those who know the Supreme very nicely. Such expert brahmana is able to give reformatory facilities to the subcastes, namely, the ksatriyas, vaisyas. The sūdras have no reformatory performances; therefore a brahmana is considered to be the spiritual master or priest for the ksatriyas and the vaisyas. Nanda Maharaja happened to be a vaisya, and he accepted Gargamuni as a first-class brahmana. Therefore he offered his two foster sons, namely Krsna and Balarama, for being purified by him. They agreed that not only for these boys but for all human being, just after their birth they must accept a qualified brahmana as the spiritual master.

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Upon this request, Gargamuni replied that "Vasudeva has sent me for reformatory performances of these boys, especially for Krsna, and I am Their family priest. Therefore incidentally it appears that Krsna is the son of Devaki." In other words Gargamuni, by his astrological calculation, he could understand that Krsna was the son of Devaki, but He was kept under the care of Nanda Maharaja, which Nanda Maharaja did not know. So indirectly he said that this child Krsna, as well as Balarama, They were sons of Vasudeva. Of course, Baladeva was known as son of Vasudeva because His mother was present there, Rohini. But about Krsna, Nanda Maharaja did not know. So Gargamuni indirectly disclosed the fact that Krsna appears to be son of Devaki.

Gargamuni also warned Nanda Maharaja that if he would perform the reformatory ceremonies of Krsna, then Kamsa, who is naturally very sinful, may not understand that Krsna is the son of Devaki and Vasudeva. Besides that, according to astrological calculation, Devaki could not have a female child, although everyone knows that the eighth child of Devaki was a female child. But the foretelling was that his [her] eighth child would be a male child. In this way Gargamuni gave the real hint to Nanda Maharaja that the female child was born of Yasoda mother, whereas Krsna was born of Devaki, but they appear to be exchanged. Besides that, the female child, Durga, also informed Kamsa that the child who would kill him is already born somewhere else. And, "If I give your child a name, and if He corroborates the foretelling of the female child to Kamsa, then it may be that the sinful demon may come and kill this child also. Then after the name-giving ceremony by me, it may not be that I become responsible for all these future calamities."

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On hearing the words of Gargamuni, Nanda Maharaja said that "If there is such doubt, it is better that I shall not make any gorgeous name-giving ceremony. Better you simply chant the Vedic hymns and perform the purificatory process, because we belong to the twice-born caste. So I take this opportunity of your presence. You can perform the name-giving ceremony without any external pomp." In other words, Nanda Maharaja wanted to keep the name-giving ceremony of Krsna secret, without anyone's knowledge, but he wanted to take advantage of Gargamuni's presence to perform the ceremony.

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When Gargamuni was so eagerly requested by Nanda Maharaja, he then performed the name-giving ceremony as secretly as possible in the cowshed of Nanda Maharaja. He informed Nanda Maharaja that "This child, the son of Rohini, His attitude will be very much pleasing to His family members, relatives; therefore He would be called as Rama. At the same time, this child in future will be extraordinarily very strong; therefore He would be called Balarama. But at the same time, your family and the family of the Yadus, being so intimately connected and attracted, so His another name should be Sahkarsana." This means that Gargamuni awarded three names to the son of Rohini, namely Balarama, Sahkarsana and Baladeva. But he carefully did not disclose the fact that Balarama also appeared in the womb of Devaki, but He was subsequently transferred to the womb of Rohini. In other words, Krsna and Balarama are real brothers, being originally sons of Devaki.

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Gargamuni then informed Nanda Maharaja, "So far your son is concerned, this child has taken different colors and complexion of His body in different yugas [millennium]. First of all He has assumed the color of whiteness, then He has assumed the color of redness, and then again He has assumed the color of yellow. Now He has assumed the color of blackishness. Besides that, this child some times before, He was son of Vasudeva. Therefore His name should be Vasudeva, as well as Krsna. In other words, some people will call Him Krsna and some people will call Him Vasudeva. But one thing you must know that your this son has had many, many other names and activities, and all such names are differently fixed up on account of His different pastimes."

In this connection Gargamuni gave Nanda Maharaja future hint that his son would be called also Giridhari, on account of His uncommon pastime of lifting the Govardhana Hill. He was astrologer, and he could understand everything, past and future. Therefore he said that "I know everything about His activities and name; others do not know. Throughout all this, your this nice child will be very much pleasing to all the cowherds men and cows also. Thus being very much popular in Vrndavana, He will be the cause of all auspicity for you. And on account of His presence, you will overcome all kinds of calamities of material existence without any opposing elements."

Gargamuni continued to say, "My dear King of Vraja, your this child formerly, in His previous births, many times He protected righteous persons from the hands of rogues and thieves. Whenever there was political disruption, He protected pious men from the onslaught of rogues and thieves. Your child is so powerful that anyone who will become a devotee of your boy will never be troubled by any enemies. Just like the demigods are always protected by Lord Visnu, similarly, the devotees of your child will always be protected by Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In essence, this child would grow in power, beauty, opulence-in everything-on the level of Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore I would advise that you protect your son very carefully, so that He may grow without any disturbance."

In other words, Gargamuni informed Nanda Maharaja that because he was a great devotee of Narayana, so Lord Narayana has given a son unto him who is equal to Him. At the same time he indicated that "Your son will be disturbed by so many demons." So he would be careful to protect his son from such future disturbances. In this way, Gargamuni convinced Nanda Maharaja that Narayana Himself has become his son, and in various way he described the transcendental qualities of his son. After such information, when Gargamuni went back to his home, Nanda Maharaja began to think of himself as the most fortunate, and he was so much satisfied for being benedicted in such a way.

After this incidence, within a very short time both Balarama and Krsna began to crawl by Their knees and hands and began to move hither and dither. It was very pleasing to the mothers. When Rama and Krsna were crawling like that and the bells fixed up on the waist and Their ankles sound very fascinatingly, They would move very pleasingly and sometimes, just like ordinary children, being afraid of others, would immediately reach to Their mothers for protection. Sometimes They would crawl over the clays and muds of Vrndavana. When the crawling children Krsna and Balarama would approach Their mother smeared with clay and saffron simultaneously, namely They were actually smeared with saffron and sandalwood pulp by the mothers, but due to Their crawling over muddy clay, They would simultaneously smear the body with clay and saffron pulp. As soon as They would come crawling to their mother, the mothers, namely Yasoda and Rohini, would take Them on their laps and by covering with their lower portion of the sari allow Them to suck the breast. And when the babies were sucking the breast, the mothers would see the small teeth coming within the mouth, and they would be intensified with joy seeing their child growing.

Sometimes the naughty babies would crawl up to the cowshed place and, catching the tail of a cow, stand up. The calves also being disturbed by such catching would immediately begin running here and there, and the child would be dragged on clay and cow dung. To see this fun, Yasoda and Rohini would call all their neighboring friends. The gopis, by seeing the childhood pastimes of Lord Krsna, would be merged in transcendental bliss. They enjoy laughing very loudly.

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When both Krsna and Balarama were so restless, the mothers Yasoda and Rohini would try to protect Them from cows, bulls, monkeys, and, of course water birds. At the same time they had to execute their household duties, so always being anxious to protect the child and to execute the duties, they are not situated in tranquility of mind. In this way, within a very short time, both Krsna and Balarama began to stand up and slightly move on Their legs. When Krsna and Balarama began to move on Their legs, other friends of similar age joined Them, and they all together began to give highest transcendental pleasure to the gopis, specifically to mother Yasoda and Rohini.

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When all the gopis friends of Yasoda and Rohini were enjoying the naughty childish activities of Krsna and Balarama in Vrndavana, in order to enjoy further transcendental bliss all of them assembled together one day and went to Yasoda mother to lodge complaint against the restless boys. When Krsna was sitting before mother Yasoda, all the elderly gopis began to lodge complaints against Him, so that Krsna could hear also.

They said, "My dear Yasoda, why don't you restrict your naughty Krsna? Every day your Krsna, along with Balarama, would come to our house both morning and evening, and before milking the cows They would let loose the calves so that the calves would drink all the milk of the cows, and when we go to milk the cows, we see there is no milk, and we come back with empty pots because the calves have already drunk all the milk. If we try to warn Krsna and Balarama why They did so, They simply smile so charmingly that we cannot do anything.

"Another complaint against your Krsna and Balarama is that They find a great pleasure to steal our stock of yogurt and butter by stealing them from anywhere we keep. When Krsna and Balarama are caught stealing the yogurt and butter, They would say, though, 'How do you charge Us for stealing? Do you think that butter and yogurt are in scarcity at Our house?' Sometimes They will steal the butter and yogurt and milk and distribute to the monkeys. When the monkeys are fed well-they do not take any more-They would charge that 'This milk and butter and yogurt are useless; even the monkeys do not take it.' In this way They would break the pots and throw hither and dither.

"If we keep our stock of yogurt, butter and milk in a solitary dark place, your Krsna and Balarama would find it out in the darkness by the glaring effulgence of the ornaments, jewels, on Their bodies. If by chance They cannot find out the hidden butter and yogurt, They would go to our little babies and pinch their bodies so that they may cry, and in this way They will go away.

"Sometimes, being afraid of these naughty boys, if we keep our stock of yogurt and butter high in the ceiling, hanging on swing, although the stock was hanging beyond Their reach, They would arrange to reach by piling all kinds of sitting wooden pots over the grinding machine and reach the pot of butter and yoghurt. Even by piling up, if They could not reach the hanging butter and yogurt, They would make a hole in the pot. We think therefore you better get all the jeweled ornaments out from the body of your child."

On hearing this, Yasodamayi would say, "All right, I am getting out all the jewels from the body of Krsna so that He may not see the butter and yogurt hidden in darkness." Then the gopis would say, "No, no, you don't do this, because what you will do by taking out the jewels? We do not know what kind of these naughty boys are. Even without ornaments They spread some kind of effulgence so that even in darkness They can see everything." Then mother Yasoda would inform them, "All right then, better keep your butter and yogurt carefully so that They may not reach the place."

In reply to this, the gopis, they said, "Yes, actually we do so, but because we are sometimes engaged in our household duties, these naughty boys would enter our house somehow or other and spoil the whole thing. Sometimes They, being unable to steal our butter and yogurt, out of anger They will pass urine on cleansed floor and sometimes spite [spit] on it. And now just see your boy, how He is hearing these complaints, that the whole day They will simply make arrangement how They could steal our butter and yogurt, and now They are sitting just like a very silent, good boys. Just see His face!" Mother Yasoda, after hearing all the complaints lodged by the gopis, when she desired to chastise her boy Krsna, she saw the pitiable face of Krsna and began to smile and stopped chastising Him.

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Another day, when Krsna and Balarama were playing along with Their friends, all the friends combined together with Balarama lodged complaint to mother Yasoda that Krsna had eaten clay from the earth. On hearing this complaint lodged by the boys, mother Yasoda would catch hold of the hand of Krsna, and Krsna would be very much afraid of His mother and would see the face of His mother in a very attractive outlook. She said thereafter to Krsna, "My dear Krsna, why You have eaten earth in solitary place? Just see, all Your friends including Balarama, they are complaining against You."

After this, Krsna being afraid of His mother would reply, "My dear mother, all these boys, including My elder brother Balarama, are all speaking lies against Me. I have never eaten or taken any clay, and I do not know. My elder brother Balarama also, while playing with Me today, He became angry. Therefore He has also joined with the other boys to complain against Me. They have all combined together to complain against Me so that you may be angry and chastise Me. If you think that they are all truthful, then you can see within My mouth whether I have taken clay or not." Mother would reply, "All right, if You have actually not taken any clay, then just open Your mouth. I shall see whether there is any clay."

When the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, was such ordered by His mother, He immediately opened His mouth just like an ordinary boy. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead opened the mouth, mother Yasoda saw within that mouth the complete opulence of creation. She saw within the mouth the entire outer space, all directions, mountains, islands, oceans, seas, planets, air, fire, moon and the stars. Along with the moon and the stars she also saw the entire elements like water, sky, the extensive ethereal existence, along with total ego and the products of the senses and the controller of the senses, all demigods, and the objects of the senses like sound, smell, etc., and the three qualities of material nature.

She also could experience within the mouth that there were all the living entities, the eternal time, the material nature, the spiritual nature, the activity, the consciousness and different forms of the whole creation. In one word, Yasoda could find within the face of his [her] child everything that is meant for cosmic manifestation. She also saw within the mouth herself taking Krsna on the lap and sucking her breast.

By seeing all this she became struck with wonder and began to think whether she was dreaming or actually seeing something extraordinary. She began to think within herself, "Whether actually this is dream or I am seeing the play of the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead," or whether she herself had become mad, deranged in her brain so that she was seeing all those wonderful things.

Sometimes she was thinking, "It may be some mystic power has attained to my child, and therefore sometimes I am perplexed with such vision within the mouth of my child. So let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond the expression of consciousness, mind, work or philosophical speculation, because everything what is manifested and nonmanifested, they are all products of His different energies."

Mother Yasoda began to offer her respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, under whose energy the conception of bodily self and bodily possession are conceived. She said, "Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Him, under whose illusory energy I am thinking that Nanda Maharaja is my husband and Krsna is my son, and all the properties of Nanda Maharaja belongs to me and all these cowherds men and women, they are my subjects. All this misconception are due to the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord. So let me pray to Him that He may protect me always."

When mother Yasoda was thinking in that high philosophical way, Lord Krsna again expanded His internal energy just to bewilder her with maternal affection. Immediately, mother Yasoda forgot all philosophical speculation, but she accepted Krsna as her born child. He [she] took Krsna on her lap, became overwhelmed with material affection. She thus began to think, "Krsna, who is understandable through the process of knowledge derived from Upanisad and Vedanta, the strict yoga system and Sahkhya philosophy," she began to think the Supreme Personality of Godhead as her own begotten child.

Certainly mother Yasoda had executed many, many pious activities, as a result of which she got the Absolute Truth, Supreme Personality of Godhead, as her son who sucked milk from her breast. Similarly, Nanda Maharaja also must have had performed many great sacrifices and pious activities so that Lord Krsna became his son and addressed him as father. But it is wonderful that Vasudeva and Devaki could not enjoy the transcendental bliss out of Krsna's childhood pastimes, although Krsna is the real son of Vasudeva and Devaki. The childhood pastimes of Krsna are glorified even up to date by many, many sages and saintly persons, but Vasudeva and Devaki could not enjoy such childhood pastimes personally.

This incidence why Vasudeva and Devaki could not enjoy the childhood pastimes of Krsna is explained by Sukadeva Gosvami to Maharaja Pariksit as follows. When the best of the Vasus of the name Drona, along with his wife Dhara, were ordered to increase progeny by Lord Brahma, they said unto Brahma, "My dear father, we are seeking your benediction. Whenever we take..."

[break] …would absorb the whole attention of them, and their dealings with Krsna, simply hearing Krsna's childhood dealings with them, they would cross over the nescience of birth and death.

Upon this, Lord Brahma accepted to give them the benediction, and as result of such benediction the same Drona appeared as Nanda Maharaja in Vrndavana, and the same Dhara appeared as mother Yasoda, the wife of Nanda Maharaja.

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In this way, Nanda Maharaja and his wife, mother Yasoda, developed their unalloyed devotion upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, having gotten Him as their son. And all the gopis and cowherds men who were associates of Krsna naturally developed their different feelings of love upon Krsna.

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Therefore Lord Krsna, just to fulfill the benediction of Lord Brahma, appeared, along with His plenary expansion Balarama, and executed all kinds of childhood pastimes in order to increase the transcendental pleasure of all residents of Vrndavana.

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Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the summary study of "Krsna's Universal Form," in the Eighth Chapter of Krsna.