Sri Krishna Madbhagavatam
48. Ill-motivated Dhṛtarāṣṭra
Thus
being ordered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Akrūra visited Hastināpura.
Hastināpura is said to be the site of what is now New Delhi. The part of New
Delhi, which is still known as Indraprastha, is accepted by people in general
as the old capital of the Pāṇḍavas. The very name Hastināpura
suggests that there were many hastīs, or elephants. Because the Pāṇḍavas kept many elephants in the
capital, it was called Hastināpura. Keeping elephants is a very expensive job;
to keep many elephants, therefore, the kingdom must be very rich, and
Hastināpura was full of elephants, horses, chariots and other opulences. When
Akrūra reached Hastināpura, he saw that the capital was full of all kinds of
opulences. The kings of Hastināpura were taken to be the ruling kings of the
whole world. Their fame was widely spread throughout the entire kingdom, and
their administration was conducted under the good counsel of learned brāhmaṇas.
After seeing the very opulent capital
city, Akrūra met King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. He also saw grandfather Bhīṣma sitting with him. After meeting
them, he went to see Vidura and then Vidura's sister, Kuntī. One after another,
he saw the son of Somadatta, and the King of Bāhlīka, Droṇācārya, Kṛpācārya, Karṇa
and Suyodhana. (Suyodhana is another name of Duryodhana.) He saw the five Pāṇḍava brothers and other friends and
relatives living in the city. Akrūra was known as the son of Gāndī, so whomever
he met was very pleased to receive him. He was offered a good seat at his
receptions, and he inquired all about the his relatives' welfare and other
activities.
Since he was deputed by Lord Kṛṣṇa to visit Hastināpura, it is
understood that he was very intelligent in studying a diplomatic situation. Dhṛtarāṣṭra was unlawfully occupying the throne after the death of the King
Pāṇḍu, despite the presence of Pāṇḍu's sons. Akrūra wanted to study the
whole situation by remaining there. He could understand very well that
ill-motivated Dhṛtarāṣṭra was much inclined in favor of his
own sons. In fact, Dhṛtarāṣṭra had already usurped the kingdom and
was now instigating and planning to dispose of the five Pāṇḍava brothers. Akrūra knew also that all
the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, headed by Duryodhana, were very
crooked politicians. Dhṛtarāṣṭra did not act in accordance with the
good instruction given by Bhīṣma
and Vidura, but he was being conducted by the ill instruction of such persons
as Karṇa,
Śakuni and others. Akrūra decided to stay in Hastināpura for a few months to
study the whole political situation.
Gradually Akrūra learned from Kuntī and
Vidura that Dhṛtarāṣṭra was very intolerant and envious of
the five Pāṇḍava
brothers because of their extraordinary learning in military science and their
greatly developed bodily strength. They acted as true chivalrous heroes,
exhibited all the good qualities of kṣatriyas, and were very responsible princes, always thinking of the
welfare of the citizens. Akrūra also learned that the envious Dhṛtarāṣṭra, in consultation with his ill-advised son, had tried to kill
the Pāṇḍavas
by poisoning them.
Akrūra happened to be one of the
cousins of Kuntī; therefore, after meeting him, she began to inquire about her
paternal relatives. Thinking of her birthplace, she began to cry. She asked
Akrūra whether her father, mother, brothers, sisters and other friends at home
were still remembering her. She especially inquired about Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, her glorious nephews.
She asked, "Does Kṛṣṇa,
who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is very affectionate to His
devotees, remember my sons? Does Balarāma remember us?" Inside herself,
Kuntī felt like a she-deer in the midst of tigers, and actually her position
was like that. After the death of her husband, King Pāṇḍu, she was supposed to take care of the five Pāṇḍava children, but Dhṛtarāṣṭra was always planning to kill them. She was certainly living as a
poor innocent animal in the midst of several tigers. Being a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, she was always thinking of Him and
expected that one day Kṛṣṇa
would come and save them from their dangerous position. She inquired from
Akrūra whether Kṛṣṇa
proposed to come to advise the fatherless Pāṇḍavas how to get free of the intriguing policy of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and his sons. By talking with Akrūra about all these affairs,
she felt herself helpless and began to exclaim: "My dear Kṛṣṇa, my dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the supreme mystic, the Supersoul of the universe. You
are the real well-wisher of the whole universe. My dear Govinda, at this time
You are far away from me, yet I pray to surrender unto Your lotus feet. At the
present moment I am very much griefstricken with my five fatherless sons. I can
fully understand that but for Your lotus feet there is no shelter or
protection. Your lotus feet can deliver all aggrieved souls because You are the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. One can be safe from the clutches of repeated
birth and death by Your mercy only. My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the supreme pure one, the Supersoul and the master of
all yogīs. What can I say? I can simply offer my respectful obeisances unto
You. Accept me as Your fully surrendered devotee."
Although Kṛṣṇa was not present before her, Kuntī offered her prayers to Him as
if she were in His presence face to face. This is possible for anyone following
in the footsteps of Kuntī. Kṛṣṇa
does not have to be physically present everywhere. He is actually present
everywhere by spiritual potency, and one simply has to surrender unto Him
sincerely. When Kuntī was offering her prayers very feelingly to Kṛṣṇa, she could not check herself and
began to cry loudly before Akrūra. Vidura was also present, and both Akrūra and
Vidura became very sympathetic to the mother of the Pāṇḍavas. They began to solace her by glorifying her sons, Yudhiṣṭhira, Arjuna and Bhīma. They pacified
her, saying that her sons were extraordinarily powerful; she should not be
perturbed about them, since they were born of great demigods, Yamarāja, Indra
and Vāyu.
Akrūra decided to return and report on
the extreme circumstances in which he found Kuntī and her five sons. He first
wanted to give good advice to Dhṛtarāṣṭra,
who was so favorably inclined toward his own son and unfavorably inclined
toward the Pāṇḍavas.
When Kuntī and Dhṛtarāṣṭra were sitting among friends and
relatives, Akrūra began to address him, calling him "Vārcitravīrya."
Vārcitravīrya means the son of Vicitravīrya. Vicitravīrya was the name of the
father of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, but Dhṛtarāṣṭra
was not actually the begotten son of Vicitravīrya. He was the begotten son of
Vyāsadeva. Formerly it was the system that if a man were unable to beget a
child, his brother could beget a child in the womb of his wife. That system is
now forbidden in this age of Kali. Akrūra called Dhṛtarāṣṭra
"Vārcitravīrya" sarcastically because he was not actually begotten by
his father. He was the son of Vyāsadeva. When a child was begotten in the wife
by the husband's brother, the child was claimed by the husband, but of course
the child was not begotten by the husband. This sarcastic remark pointed out
that Dhṛtarāṣṭra was falsely claiming the throne on
hereditary grounds. Actually the son of Pāṇḍu was the rightful king, and in the presence of Pāṇḍu's sons, the Pāṇḍavas, Dhṛtarāṣṭra
should not have occupied the throne.
Akrūra then said, "My dear son of
Vicitravīrya, you have unlawfully usurped the throne of the Pāṇḍavas. Anyway, somehow or other you are
now on the throne. Therefore I beg to advise you to please rule the kingdom on
moral and ethical principles. If you do so and try to teach your subjects in
that way, then your name and fame will be perpetual." Akrūra hinted that
although Dhṛtarāṣṭra was ill-treating his nephews, the Pāṇḍavas, they happened to be his subjects.
"Even if you treat them not as the owners of the throne, but as your
subjects, you should impartially think of their welfare as though they were
your own sons. But if you do not follow this principle and act in just the
opposite way, then you will be unpopular among your subjects, and in the next
life you will have to live in a hellish condition. I therefore hope you will
treat your sons and the sons of Pāṇḍu equally." Akrūra hinted that if Dhṛtarāṣṭra
did not treat the Pāṇḍavas
and his sons as equals, then surely there would be a fight between the two
camps of cousins. Since the Pāṇḍavas
cause was just, they would come out victorious, and the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra would be killed. This was a prophecy told by Akrūra to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
Akrūra continued: "My dear Dhṛtarāṣṭra, I beg to advise you not to be blind about the fact of this material existence. Material conditional life, either in distress or in happiness, is to be accepted as a dream. One should try to bring his mind and senses under control and live very peacefully for spiritual advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that except for persons who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone is always in a disturbed condition of mind and is full of anxiety. Even those who are trying for liberation, or merging into the Brahman effulgence, or the yogīs who are trying to achieve perfection in mystic power, cannot have peace of mind. Pure devotees of Kṛṣṇa have no demands to make of Kṛṣṇa. They are simply satisfied with service to Him. Actual peace and mental tranquillity can be attained only in perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
After hearing moral instructions from Akrūra, Dhṛtarāṣṭra replied, "My dear Akrūra, you are very charitable in giving me good instructions, but unfortunately I cannot accept it. A person who is destined to die does not utilize the effect of nectar, although it may be administered to him. I can understand that your instructions are very valuable. Unfortunately, they do not stay in my flickering mind, just as the glittering lightning in the sky does not stay fixed in a cloud. I can understand only that no one can stop the onward progress of the supreme will. I understand that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, has appeared in the family of the Yadus in order to decrease the overburdened load of this earth."
Dhṛtarāṣṭra gave hints to Akrūra that he had complete faith in Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At the same time, he was very much partial to his family members. In the very near future, Kṛṣṇa would vanquish all the members of his family, and in a helpless condition, Dhṛtarāṣṭra would take shelter of Kṛṣṇa's feet. In order to show His special favor to a devotee, Kṛṣṇa usually takes away all the objects of his material affection. He thus forces the devotee to be materially helpless, with no alternative than to accept the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. This actually happened to Dhṛtarāṣṭra after the end of the Battle of Kurukṣetra.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra could realize two opposing factors acting before him. He could understand that Kṛṣṇa was there to remove all the unnecessary burdens of the world. His sons were an unnecessary burden, and so he expected that they would be killed. At the same time, he could not rid himself of his unlawful affection for his sons. Understanding these two contradictory factors, he began to offer his respectful obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. "The contradictory ways of material existence are very difficult to understand; they can only be taken as the inconceivable execution of the plan of the Supreme, who by His inconceivable energy creates this material world and enters into it and sets into action the three modes of nature. When everything is created, He enters into each and every living entity and into the smallest atom. No one can understand the incalculable plans of the Supreme Lord."
After hearing this statement, Akrūra could clearly understand that Dhṛtarāṣṭra was not going to change his policy of discriminating against the Pāṇḍavas in favor of his sons. He at once took leave of his friends in Hastināpura and returned to his home in the kingdom of the Yadus. After returning home, he vividly informed Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma of the actual situation in Hastināpura and the intentions of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Akrūra was sent to Hastināpura by Kṛṣṇa to study. By the grace of the Lord, he was successful and informed Kṛṣṇa about the actual situation.
49. Kṛṣṇa Erects the Dvārakā Fort
He began to make extensive arrangements to attack the kingdom of Mathurā with his innumerable military phalanxes, consisting of many thousands of chariots, horses, elephants and infantry soldiers. Jarāsandha prepared thirteen such military phalanxes in order to retaliate the death of Kaṁsa. Taking with him all his military strength, he attacked the capital of the Yadu kings, Mathurā, surrounding it from all directions. Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who appeared as an ordinary human being, saw the immense strength of Jarāsandha, which appeared as an ocean about to cover a beach at any moment. He also perceived that the inhabitants of Mathurā were overwhelmed with fear. He began to think within Himself about the situation of His mission as an incarnation and how to tackle the present situation before Him. His mission was to diminish the overburdened population of the whole world; therefore He took the opportunity of facing so many men, chariots, elephants, and horses. The military strength of Jarāsandha had appeared before Him, and He decided to kill the entire force of Jarāsandha so that they would not be able to go back and again reorganize their military strength.
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While Lord Kṛṣṇa was thinking in that way, two
military chariots, fully equipped with drivers, weapons, flags and other
implements, arrived for Him from outer space. Kṛṣṇa saw the two chariots present before
Him, and immediately addressed His attendant brother, Balarāma, who is also
known as Saṅkarṣaṇa: "My dear elder brother, You
are the best among the Āryans, You are the Lord of the universe, and
specifically, You are the protector of the Yadu dynasty. The members of the
Yadu dynasty sense great danger before the soldiers of Jarāsandha, and they
are very much aggrieved. Just to give them protection, Your chariot is also
here, filled with military weapons. I request You to sit down on Your chariot
and kill all these soldiers, the entire military strength of the enemy.
Naturally, both of Us have descended on this earth just to annihilate such
unnecessary bellicose forces and to give protection to the pious devotees. So
we have the opportunity to fulfill Our mission. Please let Us execute
it." Thus Kṛṣṇa
and Balarāma, the descendants of the Gadaha King, Daśārha, decided to
annihilate the thirteen military companies of Jarāsandha.
Kṛṣṇa went upon the chariot on which
Dāruka was the driver and with a small army, and to the blowing of
conchshells, He came out of the city of Mathurā. Curiously enough, although
the other party was equipped with greater military strength, just after
hearing the vibration of Kṛṣṇa's conchshell, their hearts were shakened. When
Jarāsandha saw both Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa, he was a little bit compassionate, because
both Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma happened to be related
to him as grandsons. He specifically addressed Kṛṣṇa as Puruṣādhama, meaning the lowest among men.
Actually Kṛṣṇa is known in all Vedic literatures
as Puruṣottama, the highest among men.
Jarāsandha had no intention of addressing Kṛṣṇa as Puruṣottama, but great scholars have
determined the true meaning of the word puruṣādhama to be "one who makes all
other personalities go downward." Actually no one can be equal to or
greater than the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Jarāsandha said,
"It will be a great dishonor for me to fight with boys like Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma." Because Kṛṣṇa had killed Kaṁsa, Jarāsandha specifically addressed
Him as the killer of His own relatives. Kaṁsa had killed so many of his own
nephews, yet Jarāsandha did not take notice of it; but because Kṛṣṇa had killed His maternal uncle, Kaṁsa, Jarāsandha tried to criticize
Him. That is the way of demoniac dealing. Demons do not try to find their own
faults but try to find the faults of their friends. Jarāsandha also
criticized Kṛṣṇa for not even being a kṣatriya. Because He was raised by
Mahārāja Nanda, Kṛṣṇa
was not a kṣatriya, but a vaiśya. Vaiśyas are
generally called guptas, and the word gupta can also be used to mean
"hidden." So Kṛṣṇa was both hidden and raised by Nanda Mahārāja.
Jarāsandha accused Kṛṣṇa of three faults: that He killed His own
maternal uncle, that He was hidden in His childhood, and that He was not even
a kṣatriya. And therefore Jarāsandha felt
ashamed to fight with Him.
Next he turned
toward Balarāma and addressed Him: "You, Balarāma! If You like You can
fight along with Him, and if You have patience, then You can wait to be
killed by my arrows. Thus You can be promoted to heaven." It is stated
in the Bhagavad-gītā that a kṣatriya can become benefited in two ways while
fighting. If a kṣatriya
gains victory in the fight, he enjoys the results of victory, but even if he
is killed in the fight, he is promoted to the heavenly kingdom.
After hearing
Jarāsandha speak in that way, Kṛṣṇa answered: "My dear King Jarāsandha, those
who are heroes do not talk much. Rather, they show their prowess. Because you
are talking much, it appears that you are assured of your death in this
battle. We do not care to hear you anymore, because it is useless to hear the
words of a person who is going to die or one who is very distressed." In
order to fight with Kṛṣṇa, Jarāsandha surrounded Him from all sides with
great military strength, and the sun appeared covered by the cloudy air and
dust. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa,
the supreme sun, was covered by the military strength of Jarāsandha. Kṛṣṇa's and Balarāma's chariots were
marked with pictures of Garuḍa and palm trees. The women of Mathurā were all
standing on the tops of the houses and palaces and gates to see the wonderful
fight, but when Kṛṣṇa's
chariot was surrounded by Jarāsandha's military force, they became so
frightened that some of them fainted. Kṛṣṇa saw Himself overwhelmed by the military
strength of Jarāsandha. His small number of soldiers were being harassed by
them, so He immediately took up His bow, named Śārṅga.
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He began to take His arrows from their
case, and one after another He set them on the bowstring and shot them toward
the enemy. They were so accurate that the elephants, horses and infantry
soldiers of Jarāsandha were quickly killed. The incessant arrows thrown by Kṛṣṇa appeared as a whirlwind of blazing
fire killing all the military strength of Jarāsandha. As Kṛṣṇa released His arrows, gradually all
the elephants began to fall down, their heads severed by the arrows. Similarly,
all the horses fell, and the chariots also, along with their flags. The chariot
fighters and the chariot drivers fell as well. Almost all the infantry soldiers
fell on the field of battle, their heads, hands and legs cut off. In this way,
many thousands of elephants and horses were killed, and their blood began to
flow just like the waves of a river. In that river, the severed arms of the men
appeared to be snakes, their heads appeared to be tortoises, and the dead
bodies of the elephants appeared to be small islands. The dead horses appeared
to be sharks. By the arrangement of the supreme will, there was a great river
of blood filled with paraphernalia. The hands and legs of the infantry soldiers
were floating like seaweed, and the floating bows of the soldiers appeared to
be waves of the river. And all the jewelry from the bodies of the soldiers and
commanders appeared to be so many pebbles flowing down the river of blood.
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Lord Balarāma, who
is also known as Saṅkarṣaṇa, began to fight with His club in such a heroic
way that the river of blood created by Kṛṣṇa overflooded. Those who were cowards
became very much afraid upon seeing the ghastly and horrible scene, and those
who were heroes began to talk delightedly among themselves about the heroism
of the two brothers. Although Jarāsandha was equipped with a vast ocean of
military strength, the fighting of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma converted the whole
situation into a ghastly scene which was far beyond ordinary fighting.
Persons of ordinary mind cannot estimate how it could be possible, but when
such activities are accepted as pastimes of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, under whose will everything is possible, then this can be
understood. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is creating, maintaining and
dissolving the cosmic manifestation by His will only. For Him to create such
a vast scene of devastation while fighting with an enemy is not so wonderful.
And yet, because Kṛṣṇa
and Balarāma were fighting with Jarāsandha just like ordinary human beings,
the affair appeared to be wonderful.
All the soldiers of
Jarāsandha were killed, and he was the only one left alive. Certainly he
became very depressed at this point. Śrī Balarāma immediately arrested him,
just as, with great strength, one lion captures another lion. But while Lord
Balarāma was binding Jarāsandha with the rope of Varuṇa and ordinary ropes also, Lord Kṛṣṇa, with a greater plan in mind for
the future, asked Him not to arrest him. Jarāsandha was then released by Kṛṣṇa. As a great fighting hero,
Jarāsandha became very much ashamed, and he decided that he would no longer
live as a king, but would resign from his position in the royal order and go
to the forest to practice meditation under severe austerities and penances.
As he was returning
home with other royal friends, however, they advised him not to retire, but
to regain strength to fight again with Kṛṣṇa in the near future. The princely friends
of Jarāsandha began to instruct him that ordinarily it would not have been
possible for him to have been defeated by the strength of the Yadu kings, but
the defeat which he had experienced was simply due to his ill luck. The
princely order encouraged King Jarāsandha. His fighting, they said, was
certainly heroic; therefore, he should not take his defeat very seriously, as
it was due only to his past mistakes. After all, there was no fault in his
fighting.
In this way,
Jarāsandha, the King of Magadha province, having lost all his strength and
having been insulted by his arrest and subsequent release, could do nothing
but return to his kingdom. Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa conquered the soldiers of
Jarāsandha. Although Kṛṣṇa's army was tiny in comparison to Jarāsandha's,
not a pinch of His strength was lost, whereas all of Jarāsandha's men were
killed.
At that time the
denizens of heaven became very pleased and began to offer their respects by
chanting in glorification of the Lord and by showering Him with flowers. They
accepted the victory with great appreciation. Jarāsandha returned to his
kingdom, and Mathurā city was made safe from the danger of an imminent
attack. The citizens of Mathurā organized the combined services of a circus
of professional singers, like sūtas, māgadhas, and poets who could compose
nice songs, and they began to chant the victory glorification of Lord Kṛṣṇa. When Lord Kṛṣṇa entered the city after the victory,
many bugles, conches and kettledrums were sounded, and the vibrations of
various musical instruments, like bherya, tūrya, vīṇā, flute and mṛdaṅga--all joined together to make a
beautiful reception. While Kṛṣṇa was entering, the whole city was very much
cleansed, all the different streets and roads were sprinkled with water, and
the inhabitants, being joyous, decorated their respective houses, roads and
shops with flags and festoons. The brāhmaṇas chanted Vedic mantras at numerous
places. The people constructed road crossings, entrances, lanes and streets.
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When Lord Kṛṣṇa was entering the nicely decorated
city of Mathurā in a festive attitude, the ladies and girls of Mathurā prepared
different kinds of flower garlands to make the ceremony more auspicious. In
accordance with the Vedic custom, they took yogurt mixed with freshly grown green
grass and began to strew it here and there to make the victory jubilation even
more auspicious. As Kṛṣṇa passed through the street, all the ladies and
women began to regard Him with great affection. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma carried various kinds of
booty, ornaments and jewels carefully collected from the battlefield and
presented them to King Ugrasena. Kṛṣṇa thus offered His respect to His grandfather
because he was at that time the crowned king of the Yadu dynasty.
At that time the denizens of heaven
became very pleased and began to offer their respects by chanting in
glorification of the Lord and by showering Him with flowers. They accepted the
victory with great appreciation. Jarāsandha returned to his kingdom, and
Mathurā city was made safe from the danger of an imminent attack. The citizens
of Mathurā organized the combined services of a circus of professional singers,
like sūtas, māgadhas, and poets who could compose nice songs, and they began to
chant the victory glorification of Lord Kṛṣṇa. When Lord Kṛṣṇa
entered the city after the victory, many bugles, conches and kettledrums were
sounded, and the vibrations of various musical instruments, like bherya, tūrya,
vīṇā, flute and mṛdaṅga--all
joined together to make a beautiful reception. While Kṛṣṇa was entering, the whole city was very much cleansed, all the
different streets and roads were sprinkled with water, and the inhabitants,
being joyous, decorated their respective houses, roads and shops with flags and
festoons. The brāhmaṇas
chanted Vedic mantras at numerous places. The people constructed road
crossings, entrances, lanes and streets. When Lord Kṛṣṇa was entering the nicely decorated city of Mathurā in a festive
attitude, the ladies and girls of Mathurā prepared different kinds of flower
garlands to make the ceremony more auspicious. In accordance with the Vedic
custom, they took yogurt mixed with freshly grown green grass and began to
strew it here and there to make the victory jubilation even more auspicious. As
Kṛṣṇa passed through the street, all the
ladies and women began to regard Him with great affection. Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma carried various kinds of
booty, ornaments and jewels carefully collected from the battlefield and
presented them to King Ugrasena. Kṛṣṇa thus offered His respect to His grandfather because he was at
that time the crowned king of the Yadu dynasty.
Jarāsandha, the King of Magadha, not
only besieged the city of Mathurā once, but he attacked it seventeen times in
the same way, equipped with the same number of military phalanxes. Each and
every time, he was defeated, and all his soldiers were killed by Kṛṣṇa, and each time he had to return
disappointed in the same way. Each time, the princely order of the Yadu dynasty
arrested Jarāsandha in the same way and again released him in an insulting
manner, and each time Jarāsandha shamelessly returned home.
While Jarāsandha was attempting one
such attack, a Yavana king somewhere to the south of Mathurā became attracted
by the opulence of the Yadu dynasty and also attacked the city. It is said that
the King of the Yavanas, known as Kālayavana, was induced to attack by Nārada.
This story is narrated in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa.
Once, Gargamuni, the priest of the Yadu dynasty, was taunted by his
brother-in-law. When the kings of the Yadu dynasty heard the taunt they laughed
at him, and Gargamuni became angry at the Yadu kings. He decided that he would
produce someone who would be very fearful to the Yadu dynasty, so he pleased
Lord Śiva and received from him the benediction of a son. He begot this son,
Kālayavana, in the wife of a Yavana king. This Kālayavana inquired from Nārada,
"Who are the most powerful kings in the world?" Nārada informed him
that the Yadus were the most powerful. Being thus informed by Nārada,
Kālayavana attacked the city of Mathurā at the same time that Jarāsandha
attempted to attack it for the eighteenth time. Kālayavana was very anxious to
declare war on a king of the world who would be a suitable combatant for him,
but he had not found any. However, being informed about Mathurā by Nārada, he
thought it wise to attack this city. When he attacked Mathurā he brought with
him thirty million Yavana soldiers. When Mathurā was thus besieged, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa began to consider how much the Yadu
dynasty was in distress, being threatened by the attacks of two formidable
enemies, Jarāsandha and Kālayavana. Time was growing very short. Kālayavana was
already besieging Mathurā from all sides, and it was expected that the next day
Jarāsandha would also come, equipped with the same number of divisions of
soldiers as in his previous seventeen attempts. Kṛṣṇa was certain that Jarāsandha would take advantage of the
opportunity to capture Mathurā when it was also being besieged by Kālayavana.
He therefore thought it wise to take precautionary measures to defend the
strategic points of Mathurā. If both Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were engaged in fighting with Kālayavana at one
place, Jarāsandha might come at another place to attack the whole Yadu family
and take his revenge. Jarāsandha was very powerful, and having been defeated
seventeen times, he might vengefully kill the members of the Yadu family or
arrest them and take them to his kingdom. Kṛṣṇa therefore decided to construct a formidable fort in a place
where no two-legged animal, either man or demon, could enter. He decided to
keep His relatives there so that He would then be free to fight with the enemy.
It appears that formerly Dvārakā was also part of the kingdom of Mathurā,
because in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that Kṛṣṇa constructed a fort in the midst of the sea. Remnants of the fort
which Kṛṣṇa
constructed are still existing on the Bay of Dvārakā
It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that this new, well-constructed city, developed within the sea, had regular planned roads, streets and lanes. Not only were there well-planned roads, streets and lanes, but there were well-planned paths and gardens filled with plants known as kalpavṛkṣas, or desire trees. These desire trees are not like the ordinary trees of the material world; the desire trees are found in the spiritual world. By Kṛṣṇa's supreme will, everything is possible, so such desire trees were planted in the city of Dvārakā constructed by Kṛṣṇa. The city was also filled with many palaces and gopuras, or big gates. These gopuras are still found in some of the larger temples. They are very high and constructed with extreme artistic skill. Such palaces and gates held golden waterpots (kalaśa). These waterpots on the gates or in the palaces are considered to be auspicious signs.
Almost all the palaces were skyscrapers. In each and every house there were big pots of gold and silver and grains stocked in underground rooms. And there were many golden waterpots within the rooms. The bedrooms were all bedecked with jewels, and the floors were mosaic pavements of marakata jewels. The Viṣṇu Deity, worshiped by the descendants of Yadu, was installed in each house in the city. The residential quarters were so arranged that the different castes, brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras, had their respective quarters. It appears from this that the caste system was existing even at that time. In the center of the city there was another residential quarter made specifically for King Ugrasena. This place was the most dazzling of all the houses.
When the demigods saw that Kṛṣṇa was constructing a particular city of His own choice, they sent the celebrated pārijāta flower of the heavenly planet to be planted in the new city, and they also sent a parliamentary house, Sudharmā. The specific quality of this assembly house was that anyone participating in a meeting within it would overcome the influence of invalidity due to old age. The demigod Varuṇa also presented a horse, which was all white except for black ears and which could run at the speed of the mind. Kuvera, the treasurer of the demigods, presented the art of attaining the eight perfectional stages of material opulences. In this way, all the demigods began to present their respective gifts according to their different capacities. There are thirty-three million demigods, and each of them is entrusted with a particular department of universal management. All the demigods took the opportunity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's constructing a city of His own choice to present their respective gifts, making the city of Mathurā unique within the universe. This proves that there are undoubtedly innumerable demigods, but none of them are independent of Kṛṣṇa. As stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme master, and all others are servants. So all the servants took the opportunity of rendering service to Kṛṣṇa when He was personally present within this universe. This example should be followed by all, especially those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, for they should serve Kṛṣṇa by their respective abilities.
When the new city was fully constructed according to plan, Kṛṣṇa transferred all the inhabitants of Mathurā and entrusted Śrī Balarāma as the city father. After this He consulted with Balarāma, and being garlanded with lotus flowers, He came out of the city to meet Kālayavana, who had already seized Mathurā without taking up any weapons.
When Kṛṣṇa came out of the city, Kālayavana, who had never seen Kṛṣṇa before, saw Him to be extraordinarily beautiful, dressed in yellow garments. Passing through his assembly of soldiers, Kṛṣṇa appeared like the moon in the sky passing through the assembled clouds. Kālayavana was fortunate enough to see the lines of Śrīvatsa, a particular impression on the chest of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and the Kaustubha jewel which He was wearing. Kālayavana saw Him, however, in His Viṣṇu form, with a well-built body, with four hands, and eyes like newly blooming lotus petals. Kṛṣṇa appeared blissful, with a handsome forehead and beautiful face, with smiling restless eyes and moving earrings. Before seeing Kṛṣṇa, Kālayavana had heard about Him from Nārada, and now the descriptions of Nārada were confirmed. He noticed Kṛṣṇa's specific marks and the jewels on His chest, His beautiful garland of lotus flowers, His lotus-like eyes and similar beautiful bodily features. He concluded that this beautiful personality must be Vāsudeva, because every description of Nārada's which he had heard previously was substantiated by the presence of Kṛṣṇa. Kālayavana was very much astonished to see that He was passing through without any weapon in His hands and without any chariot. He was simply walking on foot. Kālayavana had come to fight with Kṛṣṇa, and yet he had sufficient principles not to take up any kind of weapon. He decided to fight with Him hand to hand. Thus he prepared to capture Kṛṣṇa and fight.
Kṛṣṇa, however, went ahead without looking at Kālayavana, and Kālayavana began to follow Him with a desire to capture Him. But in spite of all his swift running, he could not capture Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa cannot be captured even by the mental speed attained by great yogīs. He can be captured only by devotional service, and Kālayavana was not practiced in devotional service. He wanted to capture Kṛṣṇa, and as he could not do so he was following Him from behind
Kālayavana began running very fast, and
he was thinking, "Now I am nearer; I will capture Him," but he could
not. Kṛṣṇa
led him far away, and He entered the cave of a hill. Kālayavana thought that Kṛṣṇa was trying to avoid fighting with him
and was therefore taking shelter of the cave. He began to chastise Him with the
following words: "Oh You, Kṛṣṇa! I heard that You are a great hero born in the dynasty of Yadu,
but I see that You are verily running away from fighting, like a coward. It is
not worthy of Your good name and family tradition." Kālayavana was
following, running very fast, but still he could not catch Kṛṣṇa because he was not freed from all
contaminations of sinful life.
According to the Vedic culture, anyone
who does not live following the regulative principles of life observed by the
higher castes like the brāhmaṇas,
kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and even the laborer
class is called mleccha. The Vedic social situation is so planned that persons
who are accepted as śūdras can gradually be elevated to the position of brāhmaṇas by the cultural advancement known as
saṁskāra, or the purificatory process. The
version of the Vedic scriptures is that no one becomes a brāhmaṇa or a mleccha simply by birth; by
birth everyone is accepted as śūdra. One has to elevate himself by the
purificatory process to the stage of brahminical life. If he doesn't, if he
degrades himself further, then he is called mleccha. Kālayavana belonged to the
class of mleccha and yavanas. He was contaminated by sinful activities and
could not approach Kṛṣṇa.
The principles from which higher class men are restricted, namely illicit sex
indulgence, meat eating, gambling and intoxication, are part and parcel of the
lives of the mlecchas and yavanas. Being bound by such sinful activities one
cannot make any advancement in God realization. The Bhagavad-gītā confirms that
only one who is completely freed from all sinful reactions can be engaged in
devotional service or Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.
When Kṛṣṇa entered the cave of the hill, Kālayavana followed, chastising
Him with various harsh words. Kṛṣṇa
suddenly disappeared from the demon's sight, but Kālayavana followed and also
entered the cave. The first thing he saw was a man lying down asleep within the
cave. Kālayavana was very anxious to fight with Kṛṣṇa, and when he could not see Kṛṣṇa, but saw instead only a man lying down, he thought that Kṛṣṇa was sleeping within this cave.
Kālayavana was very puffed up and proud of his strength, and he thought Kṛṣṇa was avoiding the fight. Therefore, he
very strongly kicked the sleeping man, thinking him to be Kṛṣṇa. The sleeping man had been lying down
for a very long time. When he was awakened by the kicking of Kālayavana, he
immediately opened his eyes and began to look around in all directions. At last
he began to see Kālayavana, who was standing nearby. This man was untimely
awakened and therefore very angry, and when he looked upon Kālayavana in his
angry mood, rays of fire emanated from his eyes, and Kālayavana burned into
ashes within a moment.
50. Deliverance of Mucukunda
When Mahārāja Parīkṣit heard this incident of Kālayavana's
being burned to ashes, he inquired about the sleeping man from Śukadeva
Gosvāmī: "Who was he? Why was he sleeping there? How had he achieved so
much power that instantly, by his glance, Kālayavana was burned to ashes? How
did he happen to be lying down in the cave of the hill?" Many questions
were put before Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and Śukadeva also answered, as follows.
"My dear King, this person was
born in the very great family of King Ikṣvāku,
in which Lord Rāmacandra was also born, and he happened to be the son of a
great king known as Māndhātā. He himself was also a great soul and was known
popularly as Mucukunda. King Mucukunda was a very strict follower of the Vedic
principles of brahminical culture, and he was truthful to his promise. He was
so powerful that even demigods like Indra and others used to ask him to please
help in fighting with the demons, and as such, he often fought against the
demons to protect the demigods."
The commander-in-chief of the demigods,
known as Kārttikeya, was satisfied with the fighting of King Mucukunda, but
once he asked that the King, having taken too much trouble in fighting with the
demons, retire from fighting and take rest. The commander-in-chief, Kārttikeya,
addressed King Mucukunda, "My dear King, you have sacrificed everything
for the sake of the demigods. You had a very nice kingdom undisturbed by any
kind of enemy. You left that kingdom, you neglected your opulence and
possessions, and you never cared for fulfillment of your personal ambition. Due
to your long absence from your kingdom while fighting with the demons on behalf
of the demigods, your family, your children, your relatives and your ministers
have all passed away in due course of time. Time and tide wait for no living
man. Now even if you retire to your home, you will find that no one is living
there. The influence of time is very strong; all your relatives have passed
away in due course of time. Time is so strong and powerful because it is a
representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; time is therefore
stronger than the strongest. By the influence of time, changes in subtle things
can be effected without any difficulty. No one can check the process of time.
As an animal tamer tames animals according to his will, so time also enters
things according to its own will. No one can supersede the arrangement made by
the supreme time."
Thus addressing Mucukunda, the demigods
requested him to ask for any kind of benediction he might be pleased with,
excepting the benediction of liberation. Liberation cannot be awarded by any
living entity except the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu. Therefore another name of Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa is Mukunda, He who can award liberation.
King Mucukunda had not slept for many,
many years. He was engaged in the duty of fighting, and therefore he was very
tired. So when the demigod offered benediction, Mucukunda simply thought of
sleeping. He replied as follows: "My dear Kārttikeya, the best of the
demigods, I want to sleep now, and I want from you the following benediction.
Grant me the power to burn, by my mere glance, anyone to ashes who tries to
disturb my sleeping and awakens me untimely. Please give me this
benediction." The demigod agreed and also gave him the benediction that he
would be able to take complete rest. Then King Mucukunda entered the cave of
the mountain.
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On the strength of
the benediction of Kārttikeya, Kālayavana was burnt into ashes simply by
Mucukunda's glancing at him. When the incident was over, Kṛṣṇa came before King Mucukunda. Kṛṣṇa had actually entered the cave to
deliver King Mucukunda from his austerity, but He did not first appear before
him. He arranged that first Kālayavana should come before him. That is the
way of the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; He does one
thing in such a way that many other purposes are served. He wanted to deliver
King Mucukunda, who was sleeping in the cave, and at the same time He wanted
to kill Kālayavana, who had attacked Mathurā City. By this action He served
all purposes.
When Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared before Mucukunda, the King
saw Him dressed in a yellow garment, His chest marked with the symbol of
Śrīvatsa, and the Kaustubha-maṇi hanging around His neck. Kṛṣṇa appeared before him with four
hands, as Viṣṇu-mūrti, with a garland called
vaijayantī hanging from His neck down to His knees. He was looking very
lustrous, His face was very beautifully smiling, and He had nice jeweled
earrings in both His ears. Kṛṣṇa appeared more beautiful than a human can
conceive. Not only did He appear in this feature, but He glanced over
Mucukunda with great splendor, attracting the King's mind. Although He was
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the oldest of all, He looked like a fresh
young boy, and His movement was just like that of a free deer. He appeared
extremely powerful; His excellence in power is so great that every human
being should be afraid of Him.
When King Mucukunda
saw Kṛṣṇa's magnificent features, he wondered
about His identity, and with great humility he began to inquire from the Lord,
"My dear Lord, may I inquire how it is that You happened to be in the
cave of this mountain? Who are You? I can see that Your feet are just like
soft lotus flowers. How could You walk in this forest full of thorns and
hedges? I am simply surprised to see this! Are You not, therefore, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the most powerful amongst the
powerful? Are You not the original source of all illumination and fire? Can I
consider You one of the great demigods, like the sun, the moon, or Indra, King
of heaven? Or are You the predominating deity of any other planet?"
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Mucukunda knew well that every higher
planetary system has a predominating deity. He was not ignorant like modern men
who consider that this earthly planet is full of living entities and all others
are vacant. The inquiry from Mucukunda about Kṛṣṇa's being the predominating deity of a
planet unknown to him is quite appropriate. Because he was a pure devotee of
the Lord, King Mucukunda could immediately understand that Lord Kṛṣṇa, who had appeared before him in such
an opulent feature, could not be one of the predominating deities in the
material planets. He must be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, who has His many Viṣṇu forms. He therefore took Him to be
Puruṣottama, Lord Viṣṇu. He could see also that the dense
darkness within the mountain cave had already been dissipated due to the Lord's
presence; therefore He could not be other than the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. He knew very well that wherever the Lord is personally present by His
transcendental name, quality, form, etc., there cannot be any darkness of
ignorance. He is like a lamp placed in the darkness; He immediately illuminates
a dark place.
King Mucukunda became very much anxious
to know about the identity of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and therefore he said, "O best of human beings, if You
think that I am fit to know about Your identity, then kindly tell me who You
are. What is Your parentage? What is Your occupational duty, and what is Your
family tradition?" King Mucukunda thought it wise, however, to identify
himself to the Lord; otherwise he had no right to ask the Lord's identity.
Etiquette is such that a person of less importance cannot ask the identity of a
person of higher importance without first disclosing his own identity. King
Mucukunda therefore informed Lord Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Lord, I must inform You of my identitification. I
belong to the most celebrated dynasty of King Ikṣvāku, but personally I am not as great as my forefather. My name
is Mucukunda. My father's name was Māndhātā, and my grandfather's name was
Yuvanāśva, the great king. I was very much fatigued due to not resting for many
thousands of years, and because of this all my bodily limbs were flattened and
almost incapable of acting. In order to revive my energy, I was taking rest in
this solitary cave, but I have been awakened by some unknown man who has forced
me to wake up although I was not willing to do so. For such an offensive act,
this person has been burnt into ashes simply by my glancing over him. Fortunately,
now I can see You in Your grand and beautiful features. I think, therefore,
that You are the cause of killing my enemy. My dear Lord, I must admit that due
to the effulgence of Your body, unbearable to my eyes, I cannot see You
properly. I can fully realize that by the influence of Your effulgence my
powerful potency has been diminished. I can understand that You are quite fit
for being worshiped by all living entities."
Seeing King Mucukunda so anxious to
know about His identity, Lord Kṛṣṇa
began to answer smilingly, as follows: "My dear King, it is practically
impossible to tell about My birth, appearance, disappearance and activities.
Perhaps you know that My incarnation Anantadeva has unlimited mouths, and for
an unlimited time He has been trying to narrate fully about My name, fame,
qualities, activities, appearance, disappearance and incarnation, but still He
has not been able to finish. Therefore, it is not possible to know exactly how
many names and forms I possess. It may be possible for a material scientist to
estimate the number of atomic particles which make up this earthly planet, but
the scientist cannot enumerate My unlimited names, forms and activities. There
are many great sages and saintly persons who are trying to make a list of My
different forms and activities, yet they have failed to make a complete list.
But since you are so anxious to know about Me, I may inform you that presently
I have appeared on this planet just to annihilate the demoniac principles of
the people in general and to reestablish the religious principles enjoined in
the Vedas. I have been invited for this purpose by Brahmā, the superintending
deity of this universe, and thus I have now appeared in the dynasty of the
Yadus as one of their family members. I have specifically taken My birth as the
son of Vasudeva in the Yadu dynasty, and people therefore know Me as Vāsudeva,
the son of Vasudeva. You may also know that I have killed Kaṁsa, who was in a previous life was
known as Kālanemi, as well as Pralambāsura and many other demons. They have
acted as My enemies and have been killed by Me. The demon who was present
before you also acted as My enemy, and you have very kindly burned him into
ashes by glancing over him. My dear King Mucukunda, you are My great devotee,
and just to show you My causeless mercy, I have appeared in this form. I am
very affectionately inclined toward My devotees, and in your previous life,
before your present condition, you acted as My great devotee and prayed for My
causeless mercy. I have, therefore, come to see you to fulfill your desire. Now
you can see Me to your heart's content. My dear King, now you can ask from Me
any benediction that you wish, and I am prepared to fulfill your desire. It is
My eternal principle that anyone who comes under My shelter must have all his
desires fulfilled by My grace."
When Lord Kṛṣṇa ordered King Mucukunda to ask a benediction from Him, the King
became very joyful, and he immediately remembered the prediction of Gargamuni,
who had foretold long before that in the twenty-eighth millennium of Vaivasvata
Manu, Lord Kṛṣṇa
would appear on this planet. As soon as he remembered this prediction, he began
to understand that the Supreme Person, Nārāyaṇa, was present before Him as Lord Kṛṣṇa. He immediately fell down at His lotus feet and began to pray as
follows. "My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, I can understand that all living entities on this planet are illusioned by Your external energy and are enamored of the illusory satisfaction of sense gratification. Being fully engaged in illusory activities, they are reluctant to worship Your lotus feet, and because they are unaware of the benefits of surrendering unto Your lotus feet they are subjected to various miserable conditions of material existence. They are foolishly attached to so-called society, friendship and love, which simply produce different kinds of miserable conditions. Illusioned by Your external energy, everyone, both man and woman, is attached to this material existence, and all are engaged in cheating one another in a great society of the cheaters and the cheated. These foolish persons do not know how fortunate they are to have obtained this human form of life, and they are reluctant to worship Your lotus feet. By the influence of Your external energy, they are simply attached to the glare of material activities. They are attached to so-called society, friendship and love like dumb animals that have fallen into a dark well." The example of a dark well is given because in the fields there are many wells, unused for years and covered over by grass, and the poor animals, without knowing of them, fall into them, and unless they are rescued, they die. Being captivated by a few blades of grass, the animals fall into a dark well and meet death. Similarly, foolish persons, without knowing the importance of the human form of life, spoil it simply for sense gratification and die unnecessarily, without any useful purpose.
"My dear Lord, I am not an exception to this universal law of material nature. I am also one of those foolish persons who has wasted his time for nothing. And my position is especially difficult. On account of my being situated in the royal order, I was more puffed up than ordinary persons. An ordinary man thinks of becoming the proprietor of his body or of his family, but I began to think in that way on a larger scale. I wanted to be the master of the whole world, and as I became puffed up with ideas of sense gratification, my bodily concept of life became stronger and stronger. My attachment for home, wife and children, for money and for supremacy over the world, became more and more acute; in fact, it was limitless. So I remained always attached to thoughts of my material living conditions.
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"Therefore, my
dear Lord, I wasted so much of my valuable lifetime without any benefit. My
misconception of life having been intensified, I began to think of this
material body, which is just a bag of flesh and bones, as the all in all, and
in my vanity I was like a dog who believes that he has become the king of
human society. In this misconception of bodily life, I began to travel all
over the world, accompanied by my military strength--soldiers, charioteers,
elephants and horses. Assisted by many commanders and puffed up by power, I
could not trace out Your Lordship, who is always sitting within my heart as
the most intimate friend. I did not care for You, and this was the fault of
my so-called exalted material condition. I think that, like me, all living
creatures are careless about spiritual realization and are always full of
anxieties, thinking, 'What is to be done?' 'What is next?' But because we are
strongly bound by material desires, we continue to remain in craziness.
"Yet in spite
of our being so absorbed in material thought, inevitable time, which is only
a form of Yourself, is always careful about its duty, and as soon as the
allotted time is over, Your Lordship immediately ends all the activities of
our material dreams. As the time factor, You end all our activities, as the
hungry black snake swiftly swallows up a small rat without any leniency. Due
to the action of cruel time, the royal body which was always decorated with
gold ornaments during life and which moved on a chariot drawn by beautiful
horses or on the back of an elephant nicely decorated with golden ornaments,
and which was advertised as the king of human society--that same royal body
decomposes under the influence of inevitable time and becomes fit for being
eaten by worms and insects or being turned into ashes or the stool of an
animal. This beautiful body may be nice while in the living condition, but
after death even the body of a king is eaten by an animal and therefore turns
into stool or is cremated in the crematorium and turned into ashes or is put
into an earthly grave where different kinds of worms and insects are produced
out of it.
"My dear Lord,
not only do we become under the full control of this inevitable time after
death, but also while living, in a different way. For example, I may be a
powerful king, and yet when I come home after conquering over the world I
become subjected to many material conditions. It may be that when I come back
after being victorious all subordinate kings come and offer their respects,
but as soon as I enter into the inner section of my palace, I myself become
an instrument in the hands of the queens, and for sense gratification I have
to fall down at the feet of women. The material way of life is so complicated
that before taking the enjoyment of material life one has to work so hard that
there is scarcely an opportunity for enjoying. And to attain the youthful
condition with all material facilities one has to undergo severe austerities
and penances and become elevated to the heavenly planets. If one gets the
opportunity of taking birth in a very rich or royal family, even then in that
condition he is always anxious to maintain the status quo and prepare for the
next life by performing various kinds of sacrifices and by distributing
charity. Even in the royal condition of life one is not only full of
anxieties because of political administration, but he is also in anxiety over
being elevated to heavenly planets.
"It is
therefore very difficult to get out of the material entanglement, but somehow
or other if one is favored by You, by Your mercy only he is given the
opportunity to associate with a pure devotee. That is the beginning point of
liberation from the entanglement of material conditional life. My dear Lord,
only by the association of pure devotees is one entrapped by Your Lordship, who
is the controller of both the material and spiritual existences. You are the
supreme goal of all pure devotees, and by association with pure devotees one
can develop his dormant love for You. Therefore, development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the association of
pure devotees is the cause of liberation from this material entanglement.
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"My dear Lord, You are so merciful
that in spite of my being reluctant to associate with Your great devotees You
have shown Your extreme mercy upon me as a result of my slight contact with a
pure devotee like Gargamuni. By Your causeless mercy only have I lost all my
material opulences, my kingdom and my family. I do not think that I could have
gotten rid of all these entanglements without Your causeless mercy. Kings and
emperors accept the life of austerity to forget the royal condition of life,
but by Your special causeless mercy I have already been bereft of the royal
condition. Other kings exert themselves to get out of the attachment of kingdom
and family by acceptance of the hardships of renunciation, but by Your mercy I
do not need to become a mendicant or to practice renunciation.
"My dear Lord, I therefore pray
that I may simply be engaged in rendering transcendental loving service unto
Your lotus feet, which is the ambition of the pure devotees who are freed from
all kinds of material contamination. You are the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and You can offer me anything I want, including liberation. But who is
such a foolish person that after pleasing You he would ask from You something
which might be the cause of entanglement in this material world? I do not think
any sane man would ask such a benediction from You. I therefore surrender unto
You because You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are the Supersoul
living in everyone's heart, and You are the impersonal Brahman effulgence.
Moreover, You are also this material world, because this material world is only
the manifestation of Your external energy. Therefore, from any angle of vision,
You are the supreme shelter for everyone. Everyone, either in the material
plane or in the spiritual plane, must take shelter under Your lotus feet. I
therefore submit unto You, my Lord. For many, many births I have been suffering
from the threefold miseries of this material existence, and I am now tired of
it. I have simply been impelled by my senses, and I was never satisfied. I therefore
take shelter of Your lotus feet, which are the source of all peaceful
conditions of life and which can eradicate all kinds of lamentation caused by
material contamination. My dear Lord, You are the Supersoul of everyone, and
You can understand everything. Now I am free from all contamination of material
desire. I do not wish to enjoy this material world, nor do I wish to take
advantage of merging into Your spiritual effulgence, nor do I wish to meditate
upon Your localized aspect of Paramātmā, for I know that simply by taking
shelter of You, I shall become completely peaceful and undisturbed."
On hearing this statement of King
Mucukunda, Lord Kṛṣṇa
replied, "My dear King, I am very much pleased with your statement. You
have been the king of all the lands on this planet, but I am surprised to find
that your mind is now freed from all material contamination. You are now fit to
execute devotional service. I am most pleased to see that although I offered
you the opportunity of asking from Me any kind of benediction, you did not take
advantage of asking for material benefit. I can understand that your mind is
now fixed in Me, and it is not disturbed by any material fault."
"The material qualities are three,
namely goodness, passion and ignorance. When one is placed in the mixed
material qualities of passion and ignorance, he is impelled by various kinds of
dirtiness and lusty desires to try to find comfort in this material world. When
he is situated in the material quality of goodness, he tries to purify himself
by performing various kinds of penances and austerities. When one reaches the
platform of a real brāhmaṇa,
he aspires to merge into the existence of the Lord, but when one desires simply
to render service unto the lotus feet of the Lord, that is transcendental to
all these three qualities. The pure Kṛṣṇa conscious person is therefore always free from all material
qualities.
"My dear King, I offered to give
you any kind of benediction, just to test how much you have advanced in
devotional service. Now I can see that you are on the platform of the pure
devotees because your mind is not disturbed by any kind of greedy or lusty
desires of this material world. The yogīs who are trying to elevate themselves
by controlling the senses and who meditate upon Me by practicing the breathing
exercises of prāṇāyāma are not so thoroughly freed from
material desires. It has been seen in several cases that as soon as there is
allurement, such yogīs again come down to the material platform."
The vivid example verifying this statement
is Viśvāmitra Muni. Viśvāmitra Muni was a great yogī who practiced prāṇāyāma, a breathing exercise, but still
when he was visited by Menakā, a society woman of the heavenly planet, he lost
all control and begot in her a daughter named Śakuntalā. But the pure devotee
Haridāsa Ṭhākur
was never disturbed, even when all such allurements were offered by the
prostitutes.
"My dear King," Lord Kṛṣṇa continued, "I therefore give you the special benediction
that you will always think of Me. Thus you will be able to traverse this
material world freely, without being contaminated by the qualities." This
statement of the Lord confirms that a person in true Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaged in the transcendental loving service of
the Lord under the direction of the spiritual master, is never subjected to the
contamination of material qualities."My dear King," the Lord said, "because you are a kṣatriya, you have committed the offense of slaughtering animals, both in hunting and in political engagements. To become purified, just engage yourself in bhakti-yoga practice and always keep your mind absorbed in Me. Very soon you will be freed from all reactions to such sordid activities." In this statement it appears that although the kṣatriyas are allowed to kill animals in the hunting process, they are not freed from the contamination of other sinful reactions. Therefore it does not matter whether one is a kṣatriya, vaiśya, or brāhmaṇa; everyone is recommended to take sannyāsa at the end of life, to engage himself completely in the service of the Lord and thus become freed from all sinful reactions of his past life.
The Lord then assured King Mucukunda,
"In your next life you will take your birth as a first-class Vaiṣṇava, the best of brāhmaṇas, and in that life your only business
will be to engage yourself in My transcendental service." The Vaiṣṇava is the first-class brāhmaṇa, because one who has not acquired the
qualification of a bona fide brāhmaṇa cannot come to the platform of a Vaiṣṇava. When one comes to the platform of a Vaiṣṇava, he is completely engaged in
welfare activities for all living entities. The highest welfare activity for
living entities is the preaching of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is stated herein that those who are
specifically favored by the Lord can become absolutely Kṛṣṇa conscious and be engaged in the
preaching work of the Vaiṣṇava
philosophy.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My humble salutations H H Swami Sri Prabhupada ji, Sri Krishnalilas
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