Kṛṣṇa's birth is transcendental. Our birth is by force, by the laws of nature. He's not under the laws of nature. The laws of nature works under Him. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Prakṛti, nature, is working under the order of Kṛṣṇa, and we are working under the order of nature. That is the difference. See . . . Kṛṣṇa is the master of nature, and we are servant of nature. That is the difference. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate. Therefore Kuntīdevī says, kecid āhur. Somebody says like that. Somebody says like that, that the unborn has taken birth. How the unborn can take birth? It appears like that, but it is not taking birth. It appears just like He has taken birth like us. No.
Therefore the . . . it is said, distinctly, kecid āhur: "Some foolish persons say like that." And Kṛṣṇa has also said in the Bhagavad-gītā, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ: "Those who are rascals, they think that I am also just like ordinary human being." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ devam āśritam (BG 9.11): "Because I have appeared just like a human being, so some of the rascals, they think that I am also one of the human being." No. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. He does not know what is the mystery behind the God's taking birth like human being. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. So similarly, Kṛṣṇa is aja. He takes birth likely; not exactly He takes birth. He is everywhere.
Just like Kṛṣṇa, it is stated, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Īśvara is . . . the Lord is situated in everyone's heart. If that is a fact, so if Kṛṣṇa is within your heart, within yourself, so if He immediately comes in your front, so what is the difficulty for Kṛṣṇa? He's already within, and He's all-powerful. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. Dhruva Mahārāja, when he was engaged in meditation, the form meditation, four-handed Viṣṇu, he was meditating upon. All of a sudden his meditation broke and he saw the same figure before him, immediately. Is it very difficult for Kṛṣṇa? He's already within you, and if He comes out . . .
Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa is within the heart of everyone, Devakī also, so if He comes out before Devakī in the same four-handed form, is it very difficult for Kṛṣṇa? So people do not know. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You have to understand," janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9), "transcendental birth. My activities, My birth." Therefore Kuntīdevī knows that Kṛṣṇa is unborn. Kṛṣṇa does not take birth, but it appears like that to some fools. Therefore they say that Kṛṣṇa has taken birth. But why Kṛṣṇa takes birth, the next question will be. That is replied, puṇya-ślokasya kīrtaye (SB 1.8.32). Puṇya-ślokasya: those who are very pious, very advanced in spiritual understanding, to glorify them. Kṛṣṇa comes to become the son of Devakī to glorify Devakī. Kṛṣṇa becomes the son of Yaśodā to glorify His devotee, Yaśodā.
Similarly, Kṛṣṇa appeared in the dynasty of Mahārāja Yadu just to glorify. He was a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and He is born in the family of Mahārāja Yadu. The whole family is celebrated still: Yādava. Kṛṣṇa's name is Yādava, because He took His birth in the Yadu family. So how is it that, that Kṛṣṇa took . . .? Now, to glorify the family. Exactly, the example is given—just like malayasyeva, malayasyeva candanam (SB 1.8.32). Candana. This is a tree. A tree can grow anywhere, but the sandalwood tree, because it is very prominent in the Malaysia country . . . formerly they were growing this candana tree, as I told you, because there was good demand, in India especially, of sandalwood. So they, nowadays they are growing rubber tree because there is good demand for rubber.
So . . . so even after business . . . the Kuntī is giving this very nice example. This candana tree, it is a particular type of tree. It can grow anywhere. Not necessarily that it has to grow in Malaysia, or Malaya Hill. There is no such rules and regulation. It can grow anywhere. But because this sandalwood is grown in large quantity in such part of the world, the sandalwood is known as malaya-candana. Malaya-candana.
Just like in, in your Western countries, the scented water: eau de cologne. Eau de cologne. Cologne is a country in . . . France? And there it is manufactured, therefore it is called eau de cologne. Similarly eau de cologne can be manufactured anywhere, but originally because it was manufactured in that Cologne city, it is known as eau de cologne. Similarly, sandalwood also can grow anywhere, but because originally it was very prominent in the Malayas . . .
Now 5,000 years ago, Kuntī is offering this prayer. That means before 5,000 years, the sandalwood was growing in the Malaysia. So this Malaysia is not a new name. It was known thousands and thousands of years ago. And . . . all these places, they were Vedic culture. So similarly she's giving the example that Kṛṣṇa has no obligation that He has to take His birth in a particular family or particular country. He has no such obligation. But to glorify a certain family or certain person because he is devotee, therefore He has taken birth.
The reason is He is appearing . . . therefore it is called divyam, transcendental. He is not obliged. But we are obliged. That is the distinction between our taking birth and Kṛṣṇa. We are obliged. If by our karma, by our activities, we are fit for taking birth in a good family, then I will get my birth in good family or in the human society or demigod society. But if my activities are lower grade like animals, then I will have to take birth in the animal family. That is force. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye (SB 3.31.1). We develop a certain type of body according to our karma.
In this life . . . this human form of life is meant for athāto brahma jijñāsā, for understanding the Supreme, the Absolute Truth. But if we do not do so, if we simply remain like animal, then again we are going to the animal form of life. Misuse of the opportunity. Then we are . . . therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to save people from going down to animal life.