conquering

The great sage Narada continued: Just see how Dhruva Maharaja, aggrieved at the harsh words of his stepmother, went to the forest at the age of only five years and under my direction underwent austerity. Although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is unconquerable, still he defeated Him with the specific qualifications possessed by the Lord's devotees. (More...)

The Supreme Godhead is unconquerable; no one can conquer the Lord. But He voluntarily accepts subordination to the devotional qualities of His devotees. For example, Lord Krsna accepted subordination to the control of mother Yasoda because she was a great devotee. The Lord likes to be under the control of His devotees. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said that everyone comes before the Lord and offers Him exalted prayers, but the Lord does not feel as pleased when offered such prayers as He does when a devotee, out of pure love, chastises Him as a subordinate. The Lord forgets His exalted position and willingly submits to His pure devotee. Dhruva Maharaja conquered the Supreme Lord because at a very tender age, only five years old, he underwent all the austerities of devotional service. This devotional service was of course executed under the direction of a great sage, Narada. This is the first principle of devotional service-adau gurv-asrayam. In the beginning one must accept a bona fide spiritual master, and if a devotee follows strictly the direction of the spiritual master, as Dhruva Maharaja followed the instruction of Narada Muni, then it is not difficult for him to achieve the favor of the Lord. (More...)

The word pandya comes from the word panda, meaning knowledge. Unless one is highly learned, he cannot conquer nondevotional conceptions. The word para means transcendental, and pura means city. The para-pura is Vaikuntha, the kingdom of God, and the word jaya refers to one who can conquer. This means that a pure devotee, who is strong in devotional service and who has conquered all nondevotional conceptions, can also conquer the kingdom of God. In other words, one can conquer the kingdom of God, Vaikuntha, only by rendering devotional service. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is called ajita, meaning that no one can conquer Him, but a devotee, by strong devotional service and sincere attachment to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, can easily conquer Him. Lord Krsna is fear personified for everyone, but He voluntarily agreed to fear the stick of mother Yasoda. Krsna, God, cannot be conquered by anyone but His devotee. Such a devotee kindly married the daughter of King Vidarbha. (More...)

In this way the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes dependent on His devotee. The Lord is invincible, yet He is conquered by His pure devotee. He enjoys being dependent on His devotee, just as Krsna enjoyed being dependent on the mercy of mother Yasoda. Thinking Himself dependent on the devotee gives the Supreme Lord great enjoyment. Sometimes a king may engage a joker, and in the process of joking, the king is sometimes insulted. The king, however, enjoys these activities. Everyone worships the Supreme Lord with great reverence; therefore the Lord sometimes wants to enjoy the chastisement of His devotees. In this way the relationship eternally existing between the Lord and His devotees is fixed, just like the sky overhead. (More...)

[reading:] "No one could make Lord Krsna stay at Hastinapura when He decided to start for Dvaraka, but the simple request, Yudhisthira, that the Lord remain there for a few days more was immediately effective. This signifies that the power of the king of loving affection, which the Lord could not deny. The almighty God thus conquered only by loving service." Krsna, although ready for going, still, Yudhisthira Maharaja stopped. And because Yudhisthira Maharaja is the elder cousin of Krsna and very exalted, pious king, could not..., Krsna could not refuse the order. [reading:] "The almighty God is thus conquered only by loving service, and nothing else." Prayana..., prayaso ajito 'py jita 'py asi. Krsna is Ajita. Nobody can conquer Krsna. Nobody can order Krsna. Nobody can supersede Krsna. Nobody is greater than Krsna. Nobody is equal to Krsna. Nobody is powerful than Krsna. Nobody is richer. Everything... Krsna is the Supreme Being. Therefore His another name is Ajita. Ajita means... Jita means conquered; ajita means who is never conquered. Krsna had so many fights with the demons. Even in His childhood, the demons could not conquer over Krsna. Beginning from Putana, when He was only three months old, and up to the killing of so many other demons, Krsna was never defeated. That is the history. He was never defeated. Ajita. Therefore His name is Ajita. But Ajita becomes conquered. Ajito 'py jita 'py asi. Although Krsna is never conquered, still, you can conquer Him. How? Simply by becoming His beloved devotee. (More...)

So Bhisma conquered over Krsna. Instead of conquering over Arjuna, he conquered over Krsna. So similarly, here also, Maharaja Yudhisthira, he conquered over Krsna's decision. If we become devotee of Krsna, then ajito 'py jita 'py asi. This is the statement of Lord Brahma, that Krsna can be conquered. Just like Yasoda-ma conquered over Krsna. That Damodara-stotra you are reading, how Krsna was afraid of His mother. So any devotee can attain that stage, controlling Krsna by love and affection. There is no question... A devotee never likes to control over... They want to serve Krsna. This is also service. When a devotee conquers over Krsna or controls over Krsna, that is also service. That is not actually controlling, because Krsna wants to be controlled. Just like a father sometimes says to his children, small children, to rise over the body, and they kick the father. And they... The father feels some relief; it is a kind of massaging. So similarly, everyone worships Krsna as the Supreme Being, and therefore Krsna wants sometimes to be, I mean to say, thought as insignificant subordinate. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta, that "Everyone worships Me, but without worshiping, if somebody, I mean, controls over Me, I am very much happy." (More...)

So to control over Krsna is not a very easy job. Unless one is a great devotee, he cannot... Just like the cowherd boys: they used to rise on the shoulder of Krsna. Krsna was defeated in play. So the bet was that one who is defeated, he would take the other party on his shoulder. So Krsna became defeated. (More...)

When Krsna was playing like that, taking His friend on the shoulder, so Sukadeva Gosvami made a statement, "Who is this person, taking His friend on His shoulder?" Now, ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya. The great, great sages, impersonalists, they merge into the brahma-sukha. So brahma-sukha... Brahman is the effulgence of body of Krsna. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs 5.40]. Brahman, impersonal Brahman, is the rays of the body of Krsna. Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami's pointing out that "Here is the source of brahma-sukha. The impersonalists, they take pleasure to merge into brahma-sukha, but here the Personality, Krsna, who is taking His friend on His shoulder, He is the source of brahma-sukha." In other words, the impersonalist enjoy brahma-sukha, and the devotee enjoys that Supreme Brahman by rising up on His shoulder. That is the position of the devotee. Ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya dasyam gatanam para-daivatena: "And He's the Supreme Person for the devotees." Dasyam gatanam, those who have accepted to become the servant, eternal servant of Krsna, so for them, here is the Supreme Person. (More...)

So to understand God, the Supreme Being, who is controlling the whole universe, it is very, very difficult to understand Him. But if we become devotee, then Krsna reveals Himself. That is the... Then not only the devotee understands what is Krsna, but he attains the position that he can order over Krsna, he can control Krsna. This is devotee's position. So why a devotee should aspire for merging into the effulgence of Krsna's rays? They have got a different position. So we should try to become a devotee simply by service. You can become a perfect devotee simply by service. There is no other method. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg 18.55]. Bhakti means service, simply. That is bhakti. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu ]. Simply the spirit, bhakti... Bhaktir uttama. Anukulyena krsnanusilanam bhaktir uttama [Cc Madhya 19.167]. (More...)

Ciram, for many, many years, if you speculate, you cannot understand Krsna. You have to receive the mercy of Krsna through the spiritual master. Then it is possible. That is recommended by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-vaṅ-manobhir ye prayaso 'jita. Krsna's another name is Ajita; you cannot conquer Him. When Krsna was present, He had to fight with so many demons, but nobody could conquer Him. That is the history. He conquered everyone, but nobody could conquer Him. He is conquered by His devotee only. That's all. Therefore His name is Ajita. Ajita. If you want to conquer over Ajita, then you simply... Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that "Don't speculate." Sthane sthitah... Jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva. Be submissive: "Krsna, I am very poor. Krsna, I have no means to understand You. So if You kindly be merciful upon me, then I can understand something about You." Surrender. That is wanted. Krsna is very merciful as soon as He sees that somebody is surrendered. (More...)