Kṛṣṇa is chariot driver of Arjuna. So He says, janādhipāḥ. There were many kings. Different parts of the world, they joined. Janādhipāḥ, the leaders, when there is fight the leaders must come forward. And as soon as the leaders are killed, then it is victory, not by killing the soldiers or common men by atomic bomb. No. That was not fighting. So Kṛṣṇa says, na tu eva aham. Kṛṣṇa is individual person. God is person also. Vetti. The one who does not know what is God, they think impersonally, but God is person. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He appeared upon this earth as person, as the son of Vasudeva. He acted as person. The original God is person, not imperson. Imperson is a feature. Just like the sunshine. This is an imperson, but the sunshine is coming from the sun globe. That is local place, and within the sun globe there is sun god. He's person. He's not imperson. Similarly, the impersonal feature, brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11), Absolute Truth... The imperson is a feature of God, aṅga-jyoti. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). It is the bodily rays, impersonal Brahman. But God is person. Here He said that na tu eva aham. Aham means "I am person," jātu, "at any time," nāsam, "we are not annihilated." Na tu, na tvam: "You are also not annihilated." Because Arjuna is jīva, and Kṛṣṇa is God, so both of them are existing, part and parcel. Just like this sunshine. What is the sunshine? It is very small atomic particles of shining material. This is sunshine, combined together. Similarly, we are also a small particle of the rays, bodily rays of God.
Son of Vasudeva (Lectures and Conversations)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So what is the purpose of all these śāstras? Kṛṣṇa says, "The purpose is to know Me." And in Vedānta, the Upaniṣad confirms it, kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. If you try to know Kṛṣṇa, if you try to know Kṛṣṇa, then... Or if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then you, know everything. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. This is the knowledge, to understand Kṛṣṇa.
And Kṛṣṇa also confirms this, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: (BG 4.9) "Simply if one understands tattvataḥ, in truth, what I am, why I descend, why I become a child of Yaśodā, why I become son of Vasudeva, janma, and why I act, why I take part in the battlefield..."
He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Veda says. The Supreme Lord has nothing to do. Why He has to do? He's full, complete. He has nothing to do. He has nothing to aspire. There is nothing wanting. We are working for... Because we want so many things. But He has no want. He's ātma-tṛpta, fully complete. Thus He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. This is description of God. He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate.
Kṛṣṇa has many incarnations. Sometimes He appears in the species of fish. Keśava dhṛta-mīna-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. That does not mean that he belongs to the fish community. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Vasudeva, Vasudeva belonged to the kṣatriyas. That does not mean that He belonged to the kṣatriya community. Then again He was transferred to Vṛndāvana to become the foster son of Nanda Mahārāja. And Nanda Mahārāja was a vaiśya, mercantile community man. So that does not mean that Kṛṣṇa belonged to the vaiśya community. He does not belong to any community.
So you should not take Kṛṣṇa that because He appeared in India therefore He is Indian or Indian god. That is a mistake. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Do not consider that Kṛṣṇa belongs to the Hindu community or Kṛṣṇa belong to the India or any way, kṣatriya, no. He does not belong to any material designation. He is above.
So similarly, He comes here as a human being, as son of Nanda Mahārāja, or husband of Rukmiṇī, or son of Vasudeva, but actually, He is nobody's son. He is everybody's father. He is the origin. Nobody can be cause of His creation. This idea should be understood. And if anyone understands that Kṛṣṇa, or God, is not under any rules and regulation and laws of this material world, then he understands Kṛṣṇa perfectly. Just like Kṛṣṇa performed the rāsa dance. At the midnight many young girls came by hearing His flute, and He danced with them. This is, from Vedic standard, it is not very moral. Because at dead of night, with others' wives or sisters or daughters, to dance... Kṛṣṇa was young. That is not very good example from Vedic principles. But He did it. So, so... And that is the highest understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So yaj jñātvā, "If you can understand this knowledge, then," yad jñātvā na iha bhūyaḥ anyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate, "then you will finish your all knowledge." Kasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. The Vedic injunction is that if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then all knowledge becomes revealed to you. Kasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. That is stated here. Yaj jñātvā neha bhūyaḥ anyaj jñātavyam avaśiṣyate. Then it is very nice to understand Kṛṣṇa. If by understanding Kṛṣṇa... One may say, "Oh, I have understood Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was born at Mathurā as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī, and then He went to Vṛndāvana. And He became a friend of the cowherd girls or the boys, and He was playing there. So I have understood Kṛṣṇa." Anyone can say like that. But Kṛṣṇa says that "I am not so easily understood." Kṛṣṇa says that it is not so easy. Therefore those who try to understand Kṛṣṇa very easily, they are sahajiyās. And if one understands Kṛṣṇa very easily, then he derides at Him. Just like generally, people remark against Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, He was so," I mean to say, "characterless that He, I mean to say, mixing with the cowherd girls. So many. He married 16,000 wives." In this way, there are so many remarks. As if they have understood Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa says that "I am not so easily understood." Of course, if anyone understands Kṛṣṇa, then his life becomes successful.
We have got difference of body between yourself and myself, and in the body also there are differences. My eyes are different from my hands, my hands are different from my legs. But Kṛṣṇa, being Absolute, He has no such distinction. That they do not understand. Therefore they can not imagine how God, Kṛṣṇa, can have a form. "If He has a form, then the form is like this, our," the Māyāvādīs they say. They believe that when Brahman comes, He accepts a material body. That is defied by Kṛṣṇa: avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11), "Because I come as a human being, these rascals take Me as one of the human being." This is the beginning. Mūḍhā, this word is used, very word. Mūḍhā means rascal. Because Kṛṣṇa comes as this child of Yaśodā-mātā, or as the son of Vāsudeva, therefore these Māyāvādīs, they mistake that Kṛṣṇa or Brahman has taken the form, accepting the body from māyā. But that's not the fact. Kṛṣṇa is not under māyā. Kṛṣṇa says, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā: not accepting this material energy. He's ordering, sambhavāmi yuge yuge, sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā (BG 4.6).
Kṛṣṇa says, "I appear in this material world. I appear just like ordinary child appears. I take birth." Actually Kṛṣṇa does not take birth. If you read Bhāgavata, you will see how He appeared. Anyway, even if you take Him that He appeared as the son of Vasudeva or Mother Yaśodā... You can say that He played just like a child in the hands of Mother Yaśodā. So that's all right. But you try to understand what kind of, this child display or līlā of Kṛṣṇa in front of Mother Yaśodā. That is required. Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). That is all divine, transcendental. So if we understand that "God has become a child" or "These people, accepting a child of certain woman whose name is Yaśodā as God," then you are mistaken. And if you understand that God has come as a child of this great devotee, Mother Yaśodā, just to fulfill her desire. Because Mother Yaśodā wanted God as her son, so God, being very much pleased on this devotee, He has appeared as a son of Mother Yaśodā. Two understanding. If you take Kṛṣṇa that "Here is a child born in a vaiśya family of Mother Yaśodā, Nanda Mahārāja, and these people are accepting Him as God," then you are mistaken.
If we engage ourself in the service of Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead... Vāsudeva is another name of Kṛṣṇa. Because Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Vasudeva, and Vāsudeva means all-pervading also... So Kṛṣṇa is both. He is the son of Vasudeva. He appears. He accepts. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. Although He is the original source of everything, still, He appears like a human being, becoming the son of His devotee like Vasudeva or Nanda Mahārāja, like that, or Mahārāja Daśaratha. That is his option. He can appear from anywhere.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Vyāsadeva is offering his obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Bhagavate, "unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known as Vāsudeva." Vāsudeva means the son of Vasudeva. Even the leader of the impersonalists, namely Śaṅkarācārya, he has accepted that the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī. People may not misunderstand. Just like we give identification by giving the name of father, mother, similarly, Kṛṣṇa's identification is that He is son of Vasudeva or son of Nanda Mahārāja, friend of Śrīdāmā, Sudāmā, lover of Rādhārāṇī. In so many ways He has got hundreds of thousands of names. So people who protest that God cannot have any name... They say that God cannot have any name. Yes, we agree with them. God cannot have any name.
Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is describing the Absolute Truth in the beginning, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva. He appeared as the son of Vasudeva, but spiritually, unless one becomes on the position of vasudeva, nobody can understand Vāsudeva. Vasudeva is the name of śuddha-sattva, pure goodness. Not contaminated goodness. Here in this material world there are three types of status: goodness, passion, and ignorance. So ignorance and passion, they're simply material. The symptom of ignorance and passion is greediness and lust. Above this greediness and lust there is another platform, which is Vedānta platform—to understand everything clearly. That is called goodness.
Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). "Following which you become a devotee of the Adhokṣaja." Adhokṣaja means the Supreme Lord, God. God has got many names. Actually God has no name, but according to different calculation or different situation, He has got a name. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the characteristic of the Supreme Lord. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. If God is not all-attractive... Not everyone is all-attractive, but God is all-attractive. Therefore, He is called Kṛṣṇa. God appeared as the son of Vasudeva or Nanda Mahārāja, therefore He is called Yaśodānanda, Nandananda, Vasudevanandana. His relationship. Kṛṣṇa enjoys the company of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, therefore He is called Rādhā-ramaṇa. Rādhā-Govinda. So God's name is there according to His pastimes, relationships. So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme name because it means all-attractive.
Vāsudeve bhagavati. Vāsudeva is another name of Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa appears as the son of Vāsudeva. Whenever Kṛṣṇa appears, He appears as the son of Vāsudeva and Devakī. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everyone. So how there can be a father and mother of Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is described as sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1), the cause of all causes. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Devānām, the demigods. The first demigod is Lord Brahmā, the first living creature within this universe.
So how Vasudeva can become His father so that His name is famous as Vāsudeva, "son of Vasudeva"? The thing is that Vasudeva formerly underwent severe austerities, and he wanted a son like Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa agreed, that "Like Me, there is nobody else." Kṛṣṇa is asamordhva. Nobody is equal to Him; nobody is above Him. Therefore Vasudeva, in his previous birth, he wanted like..., a son like Kṛṣṇa. So he could not find anyone like Him. Therefore He agreed Himself to become his son.
The idea is that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, when He comes upon this material world just like ordinary human child, He accepts His devotee as His father, His devotee as His mother. That is the way. Therefore Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Vasudeva, and He is well-known as Vāsudeva. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that a person advancing in spiritual knowledge must come to the point of understanding Vāsudeva, Vāsudeva. Then his knowledge is perfect. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Not ordinary men, but those who are actually searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, such persons, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante, after many, many births of searching like that, he understands that "Vāsudeva is everything." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Such mahātmā, or advanced soul.
If you do not follow the codes or the rules or the laws given by God, then what is your religion? That is not religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Just like the state can give you laws. There is legislative assembly of the state. They can enact laws. You cannot do at home. You cannot do. That will not be accepted as law. Similarly, our Vedic principle is: "Religion means the codes and the rules and regulations given by God." That is religion. Kṛṣṇa says, God says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is religion. Vāsudeva-paro dharmaḥ. Vāsudeva-paro dharmaḥ. Dharma, here it is said that it should be given by Vāsudeva, or it must be approved by Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeva means son of Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. So oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.
So out of these four, two classes, those who are in distress, or those who are in want of money, as soon as they get money, they forget God. Or as soon as their distress is over, they forget God. But these two classes, inquisitive and wise, they continue to search out what is God. So out of these two classes, when one understands what is God, he is perfect. Bahūnām. That becomes possible after many, many births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān (BG 7.19). What kind of knowledge? Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Kṛṣṇa is everything, Vāsudeva. "Kṛṣṇa's another name is Vāsudeva." Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That type of great soul is very rare. So in other words, those who have taken Kṛṣṇa as everything, they are the greatest soul, the topmost soul within the world. They cannot be misled by imitation Ramakrishna. They are interested with the real Rāma-Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva.
This is the word used by Kṛṣṇa personally. Nobody understands Him, tattvataḥ, what He is actually. We understand superficially, "Kṛṣṇa was born in Mathurā, and He was the son of Vasudeva, and so on, so on." But one has to understand Kṛṣṇa tattvataḥ: in truth. And Kṛṣṇa says janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti, he immediately becomes lib... If you understand simply Kṛṣṇa, tattvataḥ, then immediately you become liberated. The result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). We are changing our bodies, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). We are accepting... People do not know even this. We have talked with many big, big professors in Europe, in Moscow also. And they say, "Swamiji, after the annihilation of this body, everything is finished." But we get instruction from the Bhagavad-gītā, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre nityaḥ śāśvato 'yam (BG 2.20).
A kṣatriya, he is expert in the military science, how to kill. So the killing art is there. You cannot make it null and void by advocating nonviolence. No. That is required. Violence is also a part of the society. Just like here is some itching sensation. This is violence. That is required for the comfort. So similarly, Arjuna was kṣatriya. He knew the art of killing, and still, Kṛṣṇa is... Kṛṣṇa also, He appeared as a kṣatriya in the dynasty of kṣatriyas. Vāsudeva, son of Vasudeva. He also knew the art of killing. That is also one of the part of His business. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7), paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So vināśa-requires violence.
We should not waste our valuable life like the cats and dogs. This is our main business. To understand God. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the life. Brahman, paraṁ brahma. Brahman, paraṁ brahma, or, Brahman's, I mean to say, potencies. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. These things are there. We should understand. That is our business. So if we understand why Bhagavān appears as the son of Devakī, then you become liberated. This is the... Bhagavān says janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). You have to learn it tattvataḥ, in truth. Not superficially. Then you'll understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān, appears as the son of Devakī or son of Vasudeva. Ajo 'pi sann avyayātmā bhūtānām īśvaro 'pi san. Although He's aja... Aja means who never takes birth. Still, He takes birth. Contradictory. This is inconceivable.
Only fortunate living entity gets this opportunity of association of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's devotee. Then his life becomes sublime.
- ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
- guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
- (CC Madhya 19.151)
This bhakti-latā-bīja, the seed of devotional service, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
So Kuntīdevī is pointed that "Who is the person, alakṣya, invisible?" Here, Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa? There are so many Kṛṣṇas." Vāsudevāya, the son of Vasudeva. "There are many Vāsudevas." No, nanda-gopa-kumārāya (SB 1.8.21), nanda-gopa-kumārāya, the foster son of Mahārāja Nanda. Three times she's pointing: "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa who officially takes His birth as son of Devakī and Vasudeva, but He enjoys the company of mother Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja—the childhood company. This is Kṛṣṇa's pastime.
Kṛṣṇa means so many things. Kṛṣṇa... Śūdras, they are also kṛṣṇa, called. The brāhmaṇas are called śukla, and the... So in this way, the rascal demons, they want to describe Kṛṣṇa in their own way so that Kṛṣṇa devotees may be unhappy, and that is their pleasure. Therefore, to teach these rascals, Kuntī is pointing out, kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya: (SB 1.8.21) "You rascal, you don't take Kṛṣṇa otherwise. I am speaking of Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva, Vāsudeva." Just like to identification in the court, if you give your name, then you must give the father's name, your village, your district, like that. That is identification. So therefore Kuntīdevī is pointing out: "It is no other Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa whose father's name is Vasudeva, whose mother's name is Devakī, whose father's name is Nanda Mahārāja, whose mother's name is Yaśodāmāyi. That's all." When that Vallabha Ācārya... He wrote some essays and books, The Meaning of Kṛṣṇa. The Meaning of Kṛṣṇa. And he went to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and he wanted some eulogization that he has so many meanings of Kṛṣṇa.
So Nanda Mahārāja was rich because he possessed nine lakhs of cows, not... And Kṛṣṇa had to take care of. Although Kṛṣṇa was Nanda Mahārāja's son, king's son, still He had to go... When He was young, five, six years old, He had to take care, not only Kṛṣṇa, but all His friends. That was the system. Small boys, they would take care of the calves, and after sixth year, they would take care of the cows. So in this way, fifteen, sixteen years, they would pass. Then they would... They may go to school, but the ordinary vaiśyas... Nanda Mahārāja happened to be vaiśya, not kṣatriya. His father, Kṛṣṇa's father, was Vasudeva. He was kṣatriya. His uncle, Kaṁsa, he was kṣatriya. He belonged to the kṣatriya family because born as the son of Vasudeva, but because He was transferred in His..., just after His birth to Nanda Mahārāja, so in the boyhood, in childhood, he remained a vaiśya.
But these so-called scientists, they are so ignorant, they cannot estimate that there is another nature, there are spiritual planets... This... They do not know even how many planets are there, how they are situated, how they are inhabited. They think simply this planet is full of living entities; in other planets, there is no living entity. But that is not the fact. Every planet, every planet is full with living entities. Even in the sun planet, moon planet. So this is a subject matter we have discussed many times. So Kuntī has already pointed out that Kṛṣṇa is īśvara and He's beyond the jurisdiction of this material world. That Kṛṣṇa, when He comes here... Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati (BG 4.7). He comes. Tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham. He comes. Then how He comes? He comes as the son of Vasudeva. Kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya (SB 1.8.21). Vāsudeva, vāsudevāya. His name... Because He comes as the son of Vasudeva, therefore He is called Vāsudeva. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). If one knows that this Vāsudeva is everything, then he is the most exalted mahātmā.
Cupid is supposed to be very beautiful. Still, He will surpass. So Kṛṣṇa... Śyāmasundaram. Śyāma means black, and still, very, very beautiful. That is the understanding of Kṛṣṇa. So therefore to understand Kṛṣṇa perfectly, Kuntī is pointing out that Kṛṣṇa who is the son of Vasudeva, that beautiful Kṛṣṇa, that Śyāmasundara Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇāya vāsudevāya (SB 1.8.21). Then Vāsudeva may be... There may be Vāsudevas. Then mother's name also. Devakī-nandanāya: "That Kṛṣṇa is born of Devakī and Vasudeva, not others." Then there cannot be any mistake. If both the father's and mother's name... And again, he's (she's) pointing out: nanda-gopa-kumārāya: "That Kṛṣṇa who was carried to Vṛndāvana, and He remained as foster son of Mahārāja Nanda."
Just like Kuntī says that: apare vasudevasya devakyāṁ yācito 'bhyagāt (SB 1.8.33). Vasudeva and Devakī prayed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead that: "We want a son like You. That is our desires." Although they were married, they were, they did not beget any child. They engaged themselves in tapasya, severe tapasya. So Kṛṣṇa came before them: "What do you want?" "Now we want a child like You." Therefore here it is said: vasudevasya devakyāṁ yācitaḥ. Yācitaḥ. "Sir, we want a son like You." Now what, where there is possibility of another God? Kṛṣṇa is God. God cannot be two. God is one. So how there can be another God to become the son of Vasudeva and Devakī? Therefore God agreed that: "It is not possible to find out another God. Then I shall become your son."
Actually Kṛṣṇa is unborn, aja, but Aja is taking birth. That is already explained. This is the bewilderment, viḍambanam. It is already explained. So this viḍambanam, speculation or bewilderment, how many types of speculation are there, that is being described by Kuntīdevī. Somebody says that Kṛṣṇa is Yādava. Yādava. Yādavāya mādhavāya keśavāya namaḥ. Yādava means born in the Yadu dynasty. And somebody says Kṛṣṇa is Vāsudeva, son of Vasudeva, Devakī. And Kṛṣṇa... And some of them, they say, nanda-kumārāya, now, son of Nanda Mahārāja. So Kṛṣṇa has many speculations, but actually He is aja. Ajas tvam asya kṣemāya.
He's present within the universe and within the heart of all living entities, even within the atom. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara... That is Kṛṣṇa. That is only by His one part. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. So such Govinda has become the son of Vasudeva and Devakī. So how it is possible? And therefore the devotee is so great that although Kṛṣṇa, or God, is so great that by His one portion He can create the innumerable universes, He enters into the womb of Devakī and comes out as her son. This is Kṛṣṇa's grace. You see. He can make His devotee so great that the greater than the greatest is coming out of the womb of Devakī. So apare vasudevasya devakyām. And why He agreed? Yācitaḥ, yācitaḥ: "requested." Requested as Sutapā and Pṛśni. Vasudeva was Pṛśni in his former life, and Devakī was Sutapā. Sutapā. Sutapā means one who can perform austerities and penance very nicely. Su means nicely, and tapaḥ. So they underwent austerities and penance to get a son like Kṛṣṇa.
So here, vāsudeve bhagavati ātma-bhāvaṁ dṛḍhaṁ gataḥ. Vāsudeve bhagavati. Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa, bhagavati, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here... Just like if I give one's father's name, then you know the man particularly. So here, bhagavati. There are many expansions of God. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). But He is particularly mentioned here: vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's name is Vāsudeva. Vāsudeve bhagavati ātma-bhāvaṁ dṛḍhaṁ gataḥ. We are trying to enjoy life by making friends, ātma-bhāvam. Ātma-bhāvam means very intimate. Intimate, near relative, or beloved. So we have to change our consciousness. Instead of trying to make this material world as beloved, you have to make Kṛṣṇa as beloved. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The everything is there.
So therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu offers His prayer, ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ mām. Kiṅkaram. Kiṅkara means servant. He is offering prayer, "My dear Lord, the son of Nanda Mahārāja, Kṛṣṇa..." Kṛṣṇa accepted the sonhood of mother Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja, so He is very much pleased if anyone addresses Kṛṣṇa as the son of Vasudeva, or Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva means "the son of Vasudeva." And if someone addresses Him, Yaśodā-nandana, yaśodā-nandana braja-jana-rañjana, He is very happy. Because when you address Kṛṣṇa in relationship with pure devotee, He is very ni..., He is very happy. Therefore we address, "Yaśodā-nandana," "Nanda-nandana," "Vasudeva-nandana," "Rādhikā-ramaṇa," like that. So therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu addresses Kṛṣṇa, ayi nanda-tanuja: "O the son of Nanda Mahārāja." Ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau: "Now I am Your eternal servant. Some way or other, I have fallen down in this ocean of birth and death." Bhavāmbudhau. Bhava.
Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. This is our position. This is self-realization. When you understand this, that "Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, or God, whatever you say, He's the whole spirit soul, and we are fragmental portion of that spirit soul, and He's the maintainer; we are maintained. He is the predominator; we are predominated," So this is first realization. This is called brahma-bhūta. And if you make more advance in brahma-bhūta stage, then maybe after many births you can understand what is Kṛṣṇa. That is the, ver... Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. When one is perfectly jñānavān, wise, then his business is vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Then he can understand that Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is everything. That realization required. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
The jñānis, they are after Brahman realization. So Kṛṣṇa says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). "After many, many births of this Brahman realization or Paramātmā realization, one may come to the platform of realizing the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Who is that Supreme Per...? Vāsudeva, the son of Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Vāsudeva. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That is mahātmā. One who knows vāsudeva sarvam iti, that mahātmā is required. And if we can serve such mahātmā, then our path of liberation, mukti, will be open. That is stated here. mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). And the other way. One path to mukti, another path is bondage.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to teach people how to become ātmārāma. When one becomes ātmārāma, then yoga-samīrita-jñānam. Bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga, if one takes to bhakti-yoga, then automatically the atmā-jñāna, atmā-tattva jñāna, becomes developed. Vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ (SB 1.2.7). Simply if you engage yourself in the devotional service of Vāsudeva... Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva. Another meaning of Vāsudeva: "who is all-pervading." Sarvatra vasate iti vāsudevaḥ. God is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham.
So anyone can get out of the slaughtering process by devotional service. That is stated here, kecit kevalayā bhaktyā (SB 6.1.15). Kecit. That is not very common. Very rarely one comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kecit kevalayā bhaktyā. Simply by devotional service, one can get out of this dangerous condition of being slaughtered. Kecit kevalayā bhaktyā (SB 6.1.15). And who are they? Vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, devotees of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's name is Vāsudeva. He is the son of Vāsudeva; therefore His name is Vāsudeva. So vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. Parāyaṇāḥ means "Our ultimate goal is Vāsudeva, nothing more." They are called vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. Vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ, aghaṁ dhunvanti. Agham means the material contamination. We are always associating with material contamination. So if we become vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ... Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19), the same thing. Here it says kecit—means very rarely. And Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Sudurlabhaḥ, very rare.
The brahmacārī may come from the royal house... Just like our Kṛṣṇa is actually son of Vasudeva, and He was brahmacārī. And when Sudāmā Vipra... Kṛṣṇa was supposed to be kṣatriya and Sudāmā Vipra was brāhmaṇa, so brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas are especially meant for going to the gurukula and live very strictly according to the principle of gurukula. So Kṛṣṇa and Sudāmā Vipra went to collect dry fuel from the woods. When Sudāmā Vipra came to Kṛṣṇa's house, He reminded, "My dear Sudāmā, do you remember that day that both of us, we went to the forest and there was cyclone and rain, we could not come out?" So that means so much painstaking for the matter of guru. One cannot refuse, that "I am coming from very rich family.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
The example is given: just like when Kṛṣṇa was born, He was not exactly born from the womb of His mother. So He appeared first of all with four hands. Then, when the mother prayed... She could know that Kṛṣṇa has come. She prayed for become an ordinary child, and at once He became two-handed. This is called vaibhava-prakāśa manifestation. Ye-kāle dvibhuja, nāma-vaibhava-prakāśa. When He is two-handed, it is called vaibhava-prakāśa, and when He is four-handed, it is called prābhava-vaibhava.
- svarūpera gopa-veśa, gopa-abhimāna
- vāsudevera kṣatriya-veśa, 'āmi-kṣatriya'-jñāna
In His original personality, sometimes He represents Himself as the son of Nanda Mahārāja, the cowherds man, and sometimes He represents Himself as the son of Vasudeva, the kṣatriya king.
Festival Lectures
So try to understand Kṛṣṇa philosophy very nicely, what is God. There are so many fictitious rogues, rascals, they are presenting themselves God. Try to understand what is God. Don't be misled. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). There is no other God except Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mām ekam, "Only unto Me surrender." And He has proved Himself that He is God. There are many so-called Gods, but they have not proved that they are God. No. God is one, and that is Kṛṣṇa. So this Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa, when He was called by His father... People generally did not know that Kṛṣṇa is Vasudeva's son, but later on it was disclosed by talkings one after another. Then, when the fact was disclosed, then Kamsa arranged for a wrestling match, and Kṛṣṇa was called to fight. That you will read in our Kṛṣṇa book. It's a long story. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa went to His father's house, and He came to Kurukṣetra in the chariot. This is Ratha-yātrā.
Kṛṣṇa says, "One who surrenders unto Me. One who comes to Me and surrenders, 'My dear Kṛṣṇa, I now understand that You are my eternal protector, You are my eternal friend, You are my eternal maintainer. I forgot You; now I understand. So I come to You and surrender. Please give me protection.' " This is called śaraṇāgati. So he is wisest man, and he continues to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). What is that mām? If Kṛṣṇa says, "unto Me." So "unto Me," Kṛṣṇa is everything. Because He is the Supreme Lord, therefore He is everything. But what sort of? Vāsudeva. That form of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva means the son of Vasudeva. That means the Kṛṣṇa of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam who appeared Himself as the son of Vasudeva, Vāsudeva. Son of Vasudeva is known as Vāsudeva. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). And Vāsudeva is all-pervasive. Whatever we see, whatever we experience, that is expansion of Vāsudeva's energy. So one who understands... In the Ninth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam: (BG 9.4) "Everything, whatever you see, I am there. It is My expansion." mayā tatam idam. Tatam means expanded. "I have been expanded everywhere." Just like this watch, this is also Kṛṣṇa.
General Lectures
Even Śaṅkarācārya. Śaṅkarācārya is more than one thousand years ago. Śaṅkarācārya's time is just after Buddha's age. Buddha, 2,500. Śaṅkarācārya, about 1,500 years ago. He also accepted. Although he was impersonalist, he accepted, sa bhagavān svayam kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has come, has descended as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī." He has clearly mentioned. Because one may not misunderstand, "This Kṛṣṇa may be different." But he has specif... Just like identification. If you go to the court, you give your identification by your father's name. So Śaṅkarācārya has given identification of Kṛṣṇa by His father's name, by His mother's name. Devakī vasudevāsya. We also say Devakī-nandana, Vasudeva. So ātmavit-sammataḥ. It must be approved by great ācāryas. We are pushing on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness not by whims. It is approved by great ācāryas. We are following their footsteps. That's all.
Purports to Songs
In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61). This body is a car made of this material nature. The living entity, what is said, "I," I am now seated on this car prepared by the nature, material nature. And the driver is the mind. And the driver is not in my control. The driver is taking me anywhere he likes. You see? I am... Personally, I am not able to drive. I have engaged one driver, which is called the mind, and this body is the car, and the mind is carrying me like driver anywhere it likes. So therefore the proprietor, I, I am, I am requesting the driver... When I am helpless, so I am requesting, "My dear mind," bhajahū re mana, "my dear mind..." Mana means mind. "You kindly worship Lord Kṛṣṇa." Śrī-nanda-nandana. Śrī-nanda-nandana means Lord Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Vasudeva, and He was accepted by Nanda Mahārāja as his, what is called? Son who is accepted from others? So he, he was His foster father. So he's reques... "I am requesting that you worship Lord Kṛṣṇa who is abhaya-caraṇa." Abhaya-caraṇa means He's the fearless shelter. If we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, then we become free from all anxieties. Just like a helpless child, when he's taken care of by his parents, he becomes careless, carefree, not careless, carefree. "Similarly, I am requesting, my dear mind, you do not drive in this way, dangerously. Please worship Lord Kṛṣṇa who is fearless shelter."
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: But that is in the śāstra it is said, "There are so many names of God. Out of all of them, Kṛṣṇa is the principal." God's name is given... Just like Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Vasudeva; therefore He is called Vāsudeva. Kṛṣṇa played in Vṛndāvana as the son of Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā; therefore He is called Yaśodā-nandana. Kṛṣṇa acted as the driver, chariot driver Arjuna. Therefore He is known as Pārtha-sārathī. So His name... All these names are according to His different activities. So He has got unlimited activities, and therefore He has got unlimited names. So out of all these names, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme or the prime because Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. So God, if God is not all-attractive, He cannot be God. So one God is attractive for me, another God is attractive for... He is not supreme God.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: The highest perfection, saṁsiddhi is to go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa. That is saṁsiddhi. Mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). That will save him from coming down again to this place which is full of miserable conditions of life. That is saṁsiddhi. That one can attain very easily. That is also described, that janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: (BG 4.9) "Anyone who understands Me in truth..." Generally, people understand Kṛṣṇa that "He appeared as a great personality, son of Vasudeva. At Mathurā, He was born. And He acted very gorgeously in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and so on, so on." This is also knowing. But this is not knowing factually that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When one understands Kṛṣṇa, the original source of everything, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), which Kṛṣṇa explains, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no superior authority beyond Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin of all." When one understands Kṛṣṇa like that... The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that "I am also Kṛṣṇa, I am also Kṛṣṇa." But people who follow, they do not ask him that "If you are Kṛṣṇa, you show something as Kṛṣṇa showed. Kṛṣṇa lifted the Govardhana Hill when He was seven years old.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That is the speciality. The guru... One should go to guru to serve him as menial servant. That is acceptance of guru. That is required. Nīcavat. Nīca, nīca means menial. Just like menial servant, he does everything. Similarly, to live with guru means to serve him as a menial servant. That is Vedic injunction. Nīcavat. You should not be puffed up, that "I am coming from such royal family, I am coming from such rich family." And that tendency is trained up from the childhood. A child does not know. Just like Pradyumna's son. You can engage him in any menial service. He does not discriminate. He's trained up. So this is gurukula. Very word is used, nīcavat. He gives service to the guru just like a menial servant. And this training being given from the childhood, he does not know what is low or what is high. His spiritual master asks to do something... Even Kṛṣṇa went to the forest to collect some dry wood. Vasudeva's son, in royal family, but he had to go.
| Page Title: | Son of Vasudeva (Lectures and Conversations) |
| Compiler: | Alakananda, Serene |
| Created: | 01 of Sep, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=39, Con=3, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 42 |