English
Date: 21 August 2024
Speaker: HH Vrindavan Chandra Swami Maharaj
Topic: Krishna Kathamrita
HH Vrindavan Chandra Swami Maharaj:
You all hear Katha all the time. I have been asked to give a 7-day Katha here. So, I will speak a verse and discus today.
SB 10.1.9:
kasmān mukundo bhagavān
pitur gehād vrajaṁ gataḥ
kva vāsaṁ jñātibhiḥ sārdhaṁ
kṛtavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ
Translation:
Maharaj Parikshit asks, Why did Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, leave the house of His father, Vasudeva, and transfer Himself to the house of Nanda in Vṛndāvana? Where did the Lord, the master of the Yadu dynasty, live with His relatives in Vṛndāvana?
Purport:
These are inquiries about the itinerary of Kṛṣṇa. Just after His birth in the house of Vasudeva in Mathurā, Kṛṣṇa transferred Himself to Gokula, on the other side of the Yamunā, and after some days He moved with His father, mother and other relatives to Nanda-grāma, Vṛndāvana. Mahārāja Parīkṣit was very much eager to hear about Kṛṣṇa’s activities in Vṛndāvana. This entire canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is full of activities performed in Vṛndāvana and Dvārakā. The first forty chapters describe Kṛṣṇa’s Vṛndāvana affairs, and the next fifty describe Kṛṣṇa’s activities in Dvārakā. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, to fulfill his desire to hear about Kṛṣṇa, requested Śukadeva Gosvāmī to describe these activities in full detail.
We know Krsna was born in the prison house of Kamsa in Mathura. Devaki was very happy as she knew that the lord will appear in her womb. So, she was giving birth regularly even though they were in jail. They still had children regularly eager for the lord’s appearance. They were very happy when the lord was about to appear. But they were very scared too. They said, “you are appearing, but this world is such that one is always afraid of this Snake like death where ever we run in the universe. but if one takes shelter of your lotus feet then they become fearless and death himself runs away from such a person. but yet how unfortunate we are that we are still afraid. So, please hide yourself from this demon.”
We can imagine her plight, whose 6 sons were killed cruelly by Kamsa.
One can ask that Devaki knows the lord will appear so why is there fear?
This is motherly love. A great symptom of parental mellow. So, even when one knows he is lord she is worried for him if it was an ordinary child, I could hide but how to hide an extraordinary child?
Parikshit asked why he went to Vraja? someone can say out of fear. This is denied by Parikshit as his name is Mukunda, one who gives liberation so how come he is not liberating his parents also. He should liberate Kamsa by staying in Mathura. So why he had to leave?
Krsna left because his parents were scared and for them, he left. Krsna said if you are afraid of Kamsa send me to Gokul. He appeared as a 4 handed form before and he explained their previous lives of Devaki and Vasudeva. You were Sutapa and Prishni and after severe austerities, they asked the lord a child like him. But Lord couldn’t find anyone like him, so he appeared himself. Sutapa couldn't muster the strength to ask the lord to be their son. So, they asked for a son like you. He became her son 3 times. So, I have appeared like this form to prove to you that I am the same person who had given you benediction. It is very difficult for the parents to give up their child. But if the child will die in our care, then rather to send them away.
Once in Agra, two ladies came to the court of Akbar fighting for a child. Both claiming to be the mother. So, Birbal said let me split the child into two parts. Then you both can have it. Immediately one lady said don’t do that rather give the other lady the child. So, Birbal knew she was the real mother, who couldn't bear any pain on her child.
When Krishna was born, he was immediately transported to Gokul. The Yadavas were Vasudeva’s relatives and Krishna would refer to Nanda Maharaj to as relatives. He promised to come back to save him and his relatives.
Where did the Lord, the master of the Yadu dynasty, live with His relatives in Vrindavan?
Parikshit Maharaj is surprised, so, he is asking about Vrindavan pastimes and Mathura pastimes. So, we know now that Krsna left for Vraja to lessen the fear of Devaki and Vasudeva. So, Vasudeva put him on the bed of Yashoda in Gokula and came back. Vasudev and Devaki didn't get enough paternal mellow like Nanda and Yashoda. He did many pastimes in Gokul.
When he was only 6 days old, he killed Putana. Kamsa had seen the pregnancy of Devaki and seeing her Glow. He knew this was his death. At one time, he thought he should kill her itself? But of fear of defame, he didn't do that. He waited for the birth, but it was a girl. Kamsa wanted to kill the girl too. Devaki held her to her chest. As this was not her child but someone else's child. So, she was more hesitant to let her die. But she slipped from Kamsa’s hand and gave him the warning,” you are going to kill me, but your killer is taken born already”. Now Kamsa discussed it with his counsellors. They instructed to kill all the babies taken born in the time era. So, Kamsa ordered Putana to kill all children born within last 8 days. But she was killed by Krishna.
When lord was 3 months old, there was a nice festival being organized for his birth anniversary. So Yashoda put him to rest under a cart as there was lot of hustle bustle everywhere. So, this demon Sakatasura came and entered in the cart in order to crush the lord. So, the lord kicked the cart childishly and upturned the cart and killed the demon.
Next Trinavarta came in the form of a cyclone. So, he could easily pick up the lord and no one could see or hear the child being kidnapped and he wanted to carry the lord to Mathura and kill him in front of Kamsa. So, Yashoda had the lord in her lap. She was very blissful. She lifted his hair and kissing his face. All the animals and birds were watching the lord. All the calves were seeing. Mother Yashoda just asked do you want to go tend the calves! So, Krishna started to crawl towards the cows. Another time the lord wants to fly with birds. So, she was throwing him up and catching him soon. The mother started feeling the lord get heavier. She felt like she is holding a mountain peak. She couldn't keep him in the lap. So, she kept him on the ground, thinking you are the mother of all of earth. I am unable to hold him, so you are also his mother. Please hold him for a while. She started doing something. But her mind was thinking that what happened to my child! How he gets this corrected by some doctor. Jiva Goswami said that mother is beyond this world. Then, immediately the wind started. She was not worried about the baby being picked up, but she was scared for his soft skin getting hurt. So, before she could come, Trinavarta picked up the baby. One Acharya said that the lord increased his weight because he knew the demon is coming. So, he started getting heavy. Also, the lord thought that if the demon is coming in the form of wind. So, I should become heavy as the mountain otherwise the demon will pick up his mother also.
One can ask why did the lord fly with him?
The lord is trying to say that even if the enemy comes to one’s door, one should stand up and greet them. But if they still continue to hurt you, then you can deal with them accordingly. So, as he was moving towards Mathura, he started feeling the weight. He was confused, is this baby or a boulder? So, he finally thought this is boulder in shape of a baby. So, I should throw it down. So, like babies when they go up in height, they hold on tightly to anything out of fear. Meanwhile all the Gopis of Vraja came to Mother Yashoda after hearing her crying. Here, the lord held him harder even when he wanted to let go. Finally, the lord killed him his pieces fell all over Vraja. Krishna throws the demon in Vraja, so that mother Yashoda will get pacified that the demon is no more and Krishna is safe. All the Gopis said this evil person died because of his own evil intentions. So, like this there are many pastimes. we will hear more again tomorrow.
Hare Krishna!
