Sri Krishna Madbhagavatam
7.
Salvation of Tṛṇāvarta
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is always
full of six opulences--namely complete wealth, complete strength, complete
fame, complete knowledge, complete beauty and complete renunciation. The Lord
appears in different complete, eternal forms of incarnation. The conditioned
soul has immense opportunity to hear about the transcendental activities of the
Lord in these different incarnations. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, janma
karma ca me divyam. The pastimes and activities of the Lord are not material;
they are beyond the material conception. But the conditioned soul can benefit
by hearing such uncommon activities. Hearing is an opportunity to associate
with the Lord; to hear His activities is to evolve to the transcendental
nature--simply by hearing. The conditioned soul has a natural aptitude to hear
something about other conditioned souls in the form of fiction, drama and
novel. That inclination to hear something about others may be utilized in
hearing the pastimes of the Lord. Then one can immediately evolve to his
transcendental nature. Kṛṣṇa's
pastimes are not only beautiful; they are also very pleasing to the mind.
If someone takes advantage of hearing
the pastimes of the Lord, the material contamination of dust, accumulated in
the heart due to long association with material nature, can be immediately
cleansed. Lord Caitanya also instructed that simply by hearing the
transcendental name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one can cleanse the heart of all material
contamination. There are different processes for self-realization, but this
process of devotional service--of which hearing is the most important
function--when adopted by any conditioned soul, will automatically cleanse him
of the material contamination and enable him to realize his real constitutional
position. Conditional life is due to this contamination only, and as soon as it
is cleared off, then naturally the dormant function of the living
entity--rendering service to the Lord--awakens. By developing his eternal
relationship with the Supreme Lord, one becomes eligible to create friendship with
the devotees. Mahārāja Parīkṣit recommended, from practical experience, that
everyone try to hear about the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. This Kṛṣṇa treatise is
meant for that purpose, and the reader may take advantage in order to attain
the ultimate goal of human life.
The Lord, out of His causeless mercy,
descends on this material world and displays His activities just like an
ordinary man. Unfortunately the impious entities or the atheistic class of men
consider Kṛṣṇa to
be an ordinary man like themselves, and so they deride Him. This is condemned
in the Bhagavad-gītā by the Lord Himself when He says, "Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ." The mūḍhas, or the
rascals, take Kṛṣṇa to
be an ordinary man or a slightly more powerful man; out of their great misfortune,
they cannot accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes such
unfortunate persons misrepresent themselves as incarnations of Kṛṣṇa without
referring to the authorized scriptures.
On this occasion, mother Yaśodā arranged to distribute a large quantity of grains, and first-class cows decorated with golden ornaments were made ready to be given in charity to the learned, respectable brāhmaṇas. Yaśodā took her bath and dressed herself nicely, and taking child Kṛṣṇa, duly dressed and bathed, on her lap, she sat down to hear the Vedic hymns chanted by the brāhmaṇas. While listening to the chanting of the Vedic hymns, the child appeared to be falling asleep, and therefore mother Yaśodā very silently laid Him down on the bed. Being engaged in receiving all the friends, relatives and residents of Vṛndāvana on that holy occasion, she forgot to feed the child milk. He was crying, being hungry, but mother Yaśodā could not hear Him cry because of the various noises. The child, however, became angry because He was hungry and His mother was not paying attention to Him. So He lifted His legs and began to kick His lotus feet just like an ordinary child. Baby Kṛṣṇa had been placed underneath a hand-driven cart, and while He was kicking His legs, He accidentally touched the wheel of the cart, and it collapsed. Various kinds of utensils and brass and metal dishes had been piled up in the handcart, and they all fell down with a great noise. The wheel of the cart separated from the axle, and the spokes of the wheel were all broken and scattered hither and thither. Mother Yaśodā and all the gopīs, as well as Mahārāja Nanda and the cowherd men, were astonished as to how the cart could have collapsed by itself. All the men and women who were assembled for the holy function crowded around and began to suggest how the cart might have collapsed. No one could ascertain the cause, but some small children who were entrusted to play with baby Kṛṣṇa informed the crowd that it was due to Kṛṣṇa's striking His feet against the wheel. They assured the crowd that they had seen how it happened with their own eyes, and they strongly asserted the point. Some were listening to the statement of the small children, but others said, "How can you believe the statements of these children?" The cowherd men and women could not understand that the all-powerful Personality of Godhead was lying there as a baby, and He could do anything. Both the possible and impossible were in His power. While the discussion was going on, baby Kṛṣṇa cried. Without remonstration, mother Yaśodā picked the child up on her lap and called the learned brāhmaṇas to chant holy Vedic hymns to counteract the evil spirits. At the same time she allowed the baby to suck her breast. If a child sucks the mother's breast nicely, it is to be understood that he is out of all danger. After this, all the stronger cowherd men put the broken cart in order, and all the scattered things were set up nicely as before. The brāhmaṇas thereafter began to offer oblations to the sacrificial fire with yogurt, butter, kuśa grass, and water. They worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead for the good fortune of the child.
The brāhmaṇas who were
present at that time were all qualified because they were not envious; they
never indulged in untruthfulness, they were never proud, they were nonviolent,
and they never claimed any false prestige. They were all bona fide brāhmaṇas, and there
was no reason to think that their blessing would be useless. With firm faith in
the qualified brāhmaṇas,
Nanda Mahārāja took his child on his lap and bathed Him with water mixed with
various herbs while the brāhmaṇas chanted hymns from the Ṛk, Yajus and
Sāma Vedas.
It is said that without being a
qualified brāhmaṇa,
one should not read the mantras of the Vedas. Here is the proof that the brāhmaṇas were
qualified with all the brahminical symptoms. Mahārāja Nanda also had full faith
in them. Therefore they were allowed to perform the ritualistic ceremonies by
chanting the Vedic mantras. There are many different varieties of sacrifices
recommended for different purposes, but the mantras are all to be chanted by
qualified brāhmaṇas.
And because in this age of Kali such qualified brāhmaṇas are not
available, all Vedic ritualistic sacrifices are forbidden. Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu has therefore recommended only one kind of sacrifice in this age--namely
saṅkīrtana
yajña, or simply chanting the mahāmantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare
Hare.
As the brāhmaṇas chanted the
Vedic hymns and performed the ritualistic ceremonies for the second time, Nanda
Mahārāja again gave huge quantities of grains and many cows to them. All the
cows which were given in charity were covered with nice gold-embroidered
garments, and their horns were bedecked with golden rings; their hooves were
covered with silver plate, and they wore garlands of flowers. He gave so many
cows just for the welfare of his wonderful child, and the brāhmaṇas in return
bestowed their heartfelt blessing. And the blessings offered by the able brāhmaṇas were never to
be baffled.
One day, shortly after this ceremony,
when mother Yaśodā was patting her baby on her lap, the baby felt too heavy,
and being unable to carry Him, she unwillingly placed Him on the ground. After
a while, she became engaged in household affairs. At that time, one of the servants
of Kaṁsa,
known as Tṛṇāvarta,
as instructed by Kaṁsa,
appeared there in the shape of a whirlwind. He picked the child up on his
shoulders and raised a great dust storm all over Vṛndāvana. Because
of this, everyone's eyes became covered within a few moments, and the whole
area of Vṛndāvana
became densely dark so that no one could see himself or anyone else. During
this great catastrophe, mother Yaśodā could not see her baby, who was taken
away by the whirlwind, and she began to cry very piteously. She fell down on
the ground exactly like a cow who has just lost her calf. When mother Yaśodā
was so piteously crying, all the cowherd women immediately came and began to
look for the baby, but they were disappointed and could not find Him. The Tṛṇāvarta demon who
took baby Kṛṣṇa on
his shoulder went high in the sky, but the baby assumed such a weight that
suddenly he could not go any further, and he had to stop his whirlwind
activities. Baby Kṛṣṇa
made Himself heavy and began to weigh down the demon. The Lord caught hold of
his neck. Tṛṇāvarta
felt the baby to be as heavy as a big mountain, and he tried to get out of His
clutches, but he was unable to do so, and his eyes popped out from their
sockets. Crying very fiercely, he fell down to the ground of Vṛndāvana and
died. The demon fell exactly like Tripurāsura, who was pierced by the arrow of
Lord Śiva. He hit the stone ground, and his limbs were smashed. His body became
visible to all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana.
When the gopīs saw the demon killed and
child Kṛṣṇa
very happily playing on his body, they immediately picked Kṛṣṇa up with great
affection. The cowherd men and women became very happy to get back their
beloved child Kṛṣṇa.
At that time they began to talk about how wonderful it was that the demon took
away the child to devour Him but could not do so; instead he fell down dead.
Some of them supported the situation: "This is proper because those who
are too sinful die from their sinful reactions, and child Kṛṣṇa is pious;
therefore He is saved from all kinds of fearful situations. And we too must
have performed great sacrifices in our previous lives, worshiping the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, giving great wealth in charity and acting
philanthropically for the general welfare of men. Because of such pious
activities, the child is saved from all danger."
The gopīs assembled there spoke among
themselves: "What sort of austerities and penances we must have undergone
in our previous lives! We must have worshiped the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, offered different kinds of sacrifices, made charities and performed
many welfare activities for the public such as growing banyan trees and
excavating wells. As a result of these pious activities, we have got back our
child, even though He was supposed to be dead. Now He has come back to enliven
His relatives." After observing such wonderful happenings, Nanda Mahārāja
began to think of the words of Vasudeva again and again.
After this incident, when Yaśodā once
was nursing her child and patting Him with great affection, there streamed a
profuse supply of milk from her breast, and when she opened the mouth of the
child with her fingers, she suddenly saw the universal manifestation within His
mouth. She saw within the mouth of Kṛṣṇa the whole sky, including the luminaries, stars in
all directions, the sun, moon, fire, air, seas, islands, mountains, rivers,
forests, and all other movable and immovable entities. Upon seeing this, mother
Yaśodā's heart began to throb, and she murmured within herself, "How
wonderful this is!" She could not express anything, but simply closed her
eyes. She was absorbed in wonderful thoughts. Kṛṣṇa's showing the universal form of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, even when lying down on the lap of His mother, proves
that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
whether He is manifested as a child on the lap of His mother or as a charioteer
on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. The concoction of the impersonalist, that one
can become God by meditation or by some artificial material activities, is
herewith declared false. God is always God in any condition or status, and the
living entities are always the parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. They can
never be equal to the inconceivable supernatural power of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
8.
Vision of the Universal Form
Nanda Mahārāja addressed Gargamuni as one of the great authorities in astrological science. The foretellings of astrological science, such as the occurrence of solar or lunar eclipses, are wonderful calculations, and by this particular science, a person can understand the future very clearly. Gargamuni was proficient in this knowledge. By this knowledge one can understand what his previous activities were, and by the result of such activities one may enjoy or suffer in this life.
Nanda Mahārāja also addressed Gargamuni as the "best of the brāhmaṇas." A brāhmaṇa is one who is expert in the knowledge of the Supreme. Without knowledge of the Supreme Absolute, one cannot be recognized as a brāhmaṇa. The exact word used in this connection is brahmavidām, which means those who know the Supreme very well. An expert brāhmaṇa is able to give reformatory facilities to the sub-castes--namely the kṣatriyas and vaiśyas. The śūdras observe no reformatory performances. The brāhmaṇa is considered to be the spiritual master or priest for the kṣatriya and vaiśya. Nanda Mahārāja happened to be a vaiśya, and he accepted Gargamuni as a first class brāhmaṇa. He therefore offered his two foster sons--namely Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma--to Him to purify. He agreed that not only these boys, but all human beings just after birth should accept a qualified brāhmaṇa as spiritual master.
Upon this request, Gargamuni replied,
"Vasudeva has sent me to see to the reformatory performances of these
boys, especially Kṛṣṇa's.
I am their family priest, and incidentally, it appears to me that Kṛṣṇa is the son of
Devakī." By his astrological calculation, Gargamuni could understand that
Kṛṣṇa
was the son of Devakī but that He was being kept under the care of Nanda
Mahārāja, which Nanda did not know. Indirectly he said that Kṛṣṇa, as well as
Balarāma, were both sons of Vasudeva. Balarāma was known as the son of Vasudeva
because His mother Rohiṇī
was present there, but Nanda Mahārāja did not know about Kṛṣṇa. Gargamuni
indirectly disclosed the fact that Kṛṣṇa was the son of Devakī. Gargamuni also warned
Nanda Mahārāja that if he would perform the reformatory ceremony, then Kaṁsa, who was
naturally very sinful, would understand that Kṛṣṇa was the son of Devakī and Vasudeva. According to
astrological calculation, Devakī could not have a female child, although
everyone thought that the eighth child of Devakī was female. In this way
Gargamuni intimated to Nanda Mahārāja that the female child was born of Yaśodā
and that Kṛṣṇa
was born of Devakī, and they were exchanged. The female child, or Durgā, also
informed Kaṁsa
that the child who would kill him was already born somewhere else. Gargamuni
stated, "If I give your child a name and if He fulfills the prophecy of
the female child to Kaṁsa,
then it may be that the sinful demon will come and kill this child also after
the name-giving ceremony. But I do not want to become responsible for all these
future calamities."
On hearing the words of Gargamuni, Nanda Mahārāja
said, "If there is such danger, then it is better not to plan any gorgeous
name-giving ceremony. It would be better for you to simply chant the Vedic
hymns and perform the purificatory process. We belong to the twice-born caste,
and I am taking this opportunity of your presence. So please perform the
name-giving ceremony without external pomp." Nanda Mahārāja wanted to keep
the name-giving ceremony a secret and yet take advantage of Gargamuni's
performing the ceremony.
When Gargamuni was so eagerly requested by Nanda
Mahārāja, he performed the name-giving ceremony as secretly as possible in the
cowshed of Nanda Mahārāja. He informed Nanda Mahārāja that Balarāma, the son of
Rohiṇī,
would be very pleasing to His family members and relatives and therefore would
be called Rāma. In the future He would be extraordinarily strong and therefore
would be called Balarāma. Gargamuni said further, "Because your family and
the family of the Yadus are so intimately connected and attracted, therefore
His name will also be Saṅkarṣaṇa." This
means that Gargamuni awarded three names to the son of Rohiṇī--namely
Balarāma, Saṅkarṣaṇa, and Baladeva.
But he carefully did not disclose the fact that Balarāma also appeared in the
womb of Devakī and was subsequently transferred to the womb of Rohiṇī. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma
are real brothers, being originally sons of Devakī.
Gargamuni then informed Nanda Mahārāja, "As
far as the other boy is concerned, this child has taken different bodily
complexions in different yugas [millennia]. First of all He assumed the color
white, then He assumed the color red, then the color yellow and now He has
assumed the color black. Besides that, He was formerly the son of Vasudeva;
therefore His name should be Vāsudeva as well as Kṛṣṇa. Some people
will call Him Kṛṣṇa,
and some will call Him Vāsudeva. But one thing you must know: This son has had
many, many other names and activities due to His different pastimes."
Gargamuni gave Nanda Mahārāja a further hint that
his son will also be called Giridharī because of His uncommon pastimes of
lifting Govardhana Hill. Since he could understand everything past and future,
he said, "I know everything about His activities and name, but others do
not know. This child will be very pleasing to all the cowherd men and cows.
Being very popular in Vṛndāvana,
He will be the cause of all good fortune for you. Because of His presence, you
will overcome all kinds of material calamities, despite opposing
elements."
Gargamuni continued to say, "My
dear King of Vraja, in His previous births, this child many times protected
righteous persons from the hands of rogues and thieves whenever there was
political disruption. Your child is so powerful that anyone who will become a
devotee of your boy will never be troubled by enemies. Just as demigods are
always protected by Lord Viṣṇu, so the devotees of your child will always be
protected by Nārāyaṇa,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This child will grow in power, beauty,
opulence--in everything--on the level of Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore I
would advise that you protect Him very carefully so that He may grow without
disturbance."
Gargamuni further informed Nanda
Mahārāja that because he was a great devotee of Nārāyaṇa, Lord Nārāyaṇa gave a son who
is equal to Him. At the same time he indicated, “Your son will be disturbed by
so many demons, so be careful and protect Him.” In this way Gargamuni convinced
Nanda Mahārāja that Nārāyaṇa Himself had become his son. After giving this
information, Gargamuni returned to his home. Nanda Mahārāja began to think of
himself as the most fortunate person, and he was very satisfied to be
benedicted in this way.
A short time after this incident, both
Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa
began to crawl on Their hands and knees. When They were crawling like that,
They pleased Their mothers. The bells tied to Their waist and ankles sounded
fascinating, and They would move around very pleasingly. Sometimes, just like
ordinary children, They would be frightened by others and would immediately
hurry to Their mothers for protection. Sometimes They would fall into the clay
and mud of Vṛndāvana
and would approach Their mothers smeared with clay and saffron. They were
actually smeared with saffron and sandalwood pulp by Their mothers, but due to
crawling over muddy clay, They would simultaneously smear Their bodies with
clay. As soon as They would come crawling to Their mothers, Yaśodā and Rohiṇī would take
Them on their laps and, covering the lower portion of their saris, allow Them
to suck their breasts. When the babies were sucking their breasts, the mothers
would see small teeth coming in. Thus their joy would be intensified to see
their children grow. Sometimes the naughty babies would crawl up to the
cowshed, catch the tail of a calf and stand up. The calves, being disturbed,
would immediately begin running here and there, and the children would be
dragged over clay and cow dung. To see this fun, Yaśodā and Rohiṇī would call all
their neighboring friends, the gopīs. Upon seeing these childhood pastimes of
Lord Kṛṣṇa,
the gopīs would be merged in transcendental bliss. In their enjoyment they
would laugh very loudly.
Both Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were so restless that Their mothers
Yaśodā and Rohiṇī
would try to protect Them from cows, bulls, monkeys, water, fire and birds
while they were executing their household duties. Always being anxious to
protect the children and to execute their duties, they were not very tranquil.
In a very short time, both Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma began to stand up and slightly move
on Their legs. When Kṛṣṇa
and Balarāma began to walk, other friends of the same age joined Them, and
together they began to give the highest transcendental pleasure to the gopīs,
specifically to mother Yaśodā and Rohiṇī.
All the gopī friends of Yaśodā and Rohiṇī enjoyed the
naughty childish activities of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma in Vṛndāvana. In order to enjoy further transcendental
bliss, they all assembled and went to mother Yaśodā to lodge complaints against
the restless boys. When Kṛṣṇa
was sitting before mother Yaśodā, all the elderly gopīs began to lodge
complaints against Him so that Kṛṣṇa could hear. They said, "Dear Yaśodā, why
don't you restrict your naughty Kṛṣṇa? He comes to our houses along with Balarāma every
morning and evening, and before the milking of the cows They let loose the
calves, and the calves drink all the milk of the cows. So when we go to milk
the cows, we find no milk, and we have to return with empty pots. If we warn Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma
about doing this, They simply smile charmingly. We cannot do anything. Also,
your Kṛṣṇa
and Balarāma find great pleasure in stealing our stock of yogurt and butter
from wherever we keep it. When Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are caught stealing the yogurt and
butter, They say, 'Why do you charge us with stealing? Do you think that butter
and yogurt are in scarcity in our house?' Sometimes They steal butter, yogurt
and milk and distribute them to the monkeys. When the monkeys are well fed and
do not take any more, then your boys chide, 'This milk and butter and yogurt
are useless--even the monkeys won't take it.' And They break the pots and throw
them hither and thither. If we keep our stock of yogurt, butter and milk in a
solitary dark place, your Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma find it in the darkness by the
glaring effulgence of the ornaments and jewels on Their bodies. If by chance
They cannot find the hidden butter and yogurt, They go to our little babies and
pinch their bodies so that they cry, and then They go away. If we keep our
stock of butter and yogurt high on the ceiling, hanging on a swing, although it
is beyond Their reach, They arrange to reach it by piling all kinds of wooden
crates over the grinding machine. And if They cannot reach, They make a hole in
the pot. We think therefore that you better take all the jeweled ornaments from
the bodies of your children."
On hearing this, Yaśodā would say, "All right,
I will take all the jewels from Kṛṣṇa so that He can not see the butter hidden in the
darkness." Then the gopīs would say, "No, no, don't do this. What
good will you do by taking away the jewels? We do not know what kind of boys
these are, but even without ornaments They spread some kind of effulgence so
that even in darkness They can see everything." Then mother Yaśodā would
inform them, "All right, keep your butter and yogurt carefully so that
They may not reach it." In reply to this, the gopīs said, "Yes,
actually we do so, but because we are sometimes engaged in our household
duties, these naughty boys enter our house somehow or other and spoil everything.
Sometimes being unable to steal our butter and yogurt, out of anger They pass
urine on the clean floor and sometimes spit on it. Just see your boy now--He is
hearing this complaint. All day They simply makes arrangements to steal our
butter and yogurt, and now They are sitting just like very silent good boys.
Just see His face." When mother Yaśodā thought to chastise her boy after
hearing all the complaints, she saw His pitiable face, and smiling, she did not
chastise Him
Another day, when Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma
were playing with Their friends, all the boys joined Balarāma and told mother
Yaśodā that Kṛṣṇa
had eaten clay. On hearing this, mother Yaśodā caught hold of Kṛṣṇa's hand and
said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa,
why have You eaten earth in a solitary place? Just see, all Your friends
including Balarāma are complaining about You." Being afraid of His mother,
Kṛṣṇa
replied, "My dear mother, all these boys, including My elder brother
Balarāma, are speaking lies against Me. I have never eaten clay. My elder
brother Balarāma, while playing with Me today, became angry, and therefore He
has joined with the other boys to complain against Me. They have all combined
together to complain so you will be angry and chastise Me. If you think they
are truthful, then you can look within My mouth to see whether I have taken
clay or not." His mother replied, "All right, if You have actually
not taken any clay, then just open Your mouth. I shall see."
When the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Kṛṣṇa
was so ordered by His mother, He immediately opened His mouth just like an
ordinary boy. Then mother Yaśodā saw within that mouth the complete opulence of
creation. She saw the entire outer space in all directions, mountains, islands,
oceans, seas, planets, air, fire, moon and stars. Along with the moon and the
stars she also saw the entire elements, water, sky, the extensive ethereal
existence along with the total ego and the products of the senses and the
controller of the senses, all the demigods, the objects of the senses like
sound, smell, etc., and the three qualities of material nature. She also could
perceive that within His mouth were all living entities, eternal time, material
nature, spiritual nature, activity, consciousness and different forms of the
whole creation. Yaśodā could find within the mouth of her child everything
necessary for cosmic manifestation. She also saw, within His mouth, herself
taking Kṛṣṇa on
her lap and having Him sucking her breast. Upon seeing all this, she became
struck with awe and began to wonder whether she were dreaming or actually
seeing something extraordinary. She concluded that she was either dreaming or
seeing the play of the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
She thought that she had become mad, mentally deranged, to see all those
wonderful things. Then she thought, "It may be cosmic mystic power
attained by my child, and therefore I am perplexed by such visions within His
mouth. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of
Godhead under whose energy bodily self and bodily possessions are
conceived." She then said, "Let me offer my respectful obeisances
unto Him, under whose illusory energy I am thinking that Nanda Mahārāja is my
husband and Kṛṣṇa is
my son, that all the properties of Nanda Mahārāja belong to me and that all the
cowherd men and women are my subjects. All this misconception is due to the
illusory energy of the Supreme Lord. So let me pray to Him that He may protect
me always."
Certainly mother Yaśodā 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 Mahārāja also must have performed many great sacrifices and pious activities for Lord Kṛṣṇa to become his son and address him as father. But it is surprising that Vasudeva and Devakī did not enjoy the transcendental bliss of Kṛṣṇa's childhood pastimes, although Kṛṣṇa was their real son. The childhood pastimes of Kṛṣṇa are glorified even today by many sages and saintly persons, but Vasudeva and Devakī could not enjoy such childhood pastimes personally. The reason for this was explained by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit as follows.
When the best of the Vasus of the name Droṇa along with his wife Dharā were ordered to increase progeny by Lord Brahmā, they said unto him, "Dear father, we are seeking your benediction." Droṇa and Dharā then took benediction from Brahmā that in the future--when they would take birth again within the universe--the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa in His most attractive feature of childhood would absorb their whole attention. Their dealings with Kṛṣṇa would be so powerful that simply by hearing of Kṛṣṇa's childhood activities with them, anyone could very easily cross over the nescience of birth and death." Lord Brahmā agreed to give them the benediction, and as a result the same Droṇa appeared as Nanda Mahārāja in Vṛndāvana, and the same Dharā appeared as mother Yaśodā, the wife of Nanda Mahārāja.
In this way, Nanda Mahārāja and his wife, mother Yaśodā, developed their unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, having gotten Him as their son. And all the gopīs and cowherd men who were associates of Kṛṣṇa naturally developed their own different feelings of love for Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore, just to fulfill the benediction of Lord Brahmā, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared along with His plenary expansion, Balarāma, and performed all kinds of childhood pastimes in order to increase the transcendental pleasure of all residents of Vṛndāvana.
Om
Tat Sat
(Continued...)
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