Srimad Bhagavatam 10.89.59-65 - Krishna Goes to Any Extent To Protect his Devotees (download mp3)
by Akinchan Krishna Prabhu at ISKCON Chowpatty
www.iskcondesiretree.com
SB 10.89.59
purna-kamav api yuvam
nara-narayanav rsi
dharmam acaratam sthityai
rsabhau loka-sangraham
Translation:
Although all your desires are completely fulfilled, O best of exalted personalities, for the benefit of the people in general you should continue to exemplify religious behavior as the sages Nara and Narayana.
SB 10.89.60-61
ity adistau bhagavata
tau krsnau parame-sthina
om ity anamya bhumanam
adaya dvija-darakan
nyavartetam svakam dhama
samprahrstau yatha-gatam
vipraya dadatuh putran
yatha-rupam yatha-vayah
Translation:
Thus instructed by the Supreme Lord of the topmost planet, Krsna and Arjuna assented by chanting om, and then they bowed down to almighty Lord Maha-Visnu. Taking the brahmana’s sons with them, they returned with great delight to Dvaraka by the same path along which they had come. There they presented the brahmana with his sons, who were in the same infant bodies in which they had been lost.
SB 10.89.62
nisamya vaisnavam dhama
parthah parama-vismitah
yat kiñcit paurusam pumsam
mene krsnanukampitam
Translation:
Having seen the domain of Lord Visnu, Arjuna was totally amazed. He concluded that whatever extraordinary power a person exhibits can only be a manifestation of Sri Krsna’s mercy.
Purport:
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti describes Arjuna’s amazement: He thought, “Just see! Even though I am a mere mortal, by Krsna’s mercy I have seen the Supreme Godhead, the root cause of everything.” Then, after a moment, he thought again, “But why did Lord Visnu say that he took away the brahmana’s children out of a desire to see Krsna? Why would the Supreme Personality of Godhead hanker to see His own expansion? This might be the effect of some peculiar temporary circumstance, but since He said didrksuna instead of didrksata — where the specific suffix suna carries the sense of a permanent characteristic, not a temporary one — it has to be concluded that He has always been wanting to see Krsna and myself. Even granted that this is so, why couldn’t He simply see Krsna at Dvaraka? After all, Lord Maha-Visnu is the all-pervading creator of the universe, which He holds like an amalaka fruit in His hand. Is it that He could not see Krsna in Dvaraka because Krsna does not allow anyone to see Him without His special sanction?
“And why, also, would Lord Maha-Visnu, the compassionate master of all brahmanas, have repeatedly tormented an elevated brahmana, year after year? He must have acted in this unusual way only because He could not give up His extreme eagerness to see Krsna. All right, He may have acted improperly for that reason, but why couldn’t He have sent a servant to kidnap the brahmana’s sons? Why did He Himself have to come to Dvaraka? Was stealing them out of Lord Krsna’s capital so difficult that no one but Visnu Himself could hope to accomplish it? I can understand that He intended to cause so much distress to a brahmana of Lord Krsna’s city that Krsna would be unable to tolerate it; then He would grant Lord Visnu His audience. Lord Visnu inspired the distressed brahmana to pour out his complaints to Krsna in person. Thus it is clear that Sri Krsna’s status of Godhood is superior to Lord Maha-Visnu’s.”
Having thought in this way, Arjuna was totally amazed. He asked Lord Krsna whether these were actually the facts of the matter, and the Lord replied, as related in the Hari-vamsa:
mad-darsanartham te bala
hrtas tena mahatmana
viprartham esyate krsno
mat-samipam na canyatha
“It was to see Me that He, the Supreme Soul, stole the children. He believed, ‘Only on a brahmana’s behalf will Krsna come to see Me, not otherwise.’”
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti states that Lord Krsna further told Arjuna, “I did not go there, however, for the brahmana’s sake; I went there, My friend, just to save your life. If it had been for the brahmana’s sake that I traveled to Vaikuntha, I would have done so after his first child was abducted.”
According to Srila Sridhara Svami, although this pastime occurred before the Battle of Kuruksetra, it is recounted here at the end of the Tenth Canto under the general heading of the supremacy of Lord Krsna’s glories.
SB 10.89.63
itidrsany anekani
viryaniha pradarsayan
bubhuje visayan gramyan
ije caty-urjitair makhaih
Translation:
Lord Krsna exhibited many other, similar heroic pastimes in this world. He apparently enjoyed the pleasures of ordinary human life, and He performed greatly potent fire sacrifices.
SB 10.89.64
pravavarsakhilan kaman
prajasu brahmanadisu
yatha-kalam yathaivendro
bhagavan sraisthyam asthitah
Translation:
The Lord having demonstrated His supremacy, at suitable times He showered down all desirable things upon the brahmanas and His other subjects, just as Indra pours down his rain.
SB 10.89.65
hatva nrpan adharmisthan
ghatayitvarjunadibhih
añjasa vartayam asa
dharmam dharma-sutadibhih
Translation:
Now that He had killed many wicked kings and engaged devotees such as Arjuna in killing others, the Lord could easily assure the execution of religious principles through the agency of such pious rulers as Yudhisthira.
Purport:
Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to the Tenth Canto, Eighty-ninth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Krsna and Arjuna Retrieve a Brahmana’s Sons.”
