God advents for two purposes. What are the two purposes? Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām (BG 4.8). Just to give relief and deliver the devotees. The devotees are always anxious to see God, so God comes down to give relief to the devotee, being present before them. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. Another: vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, to annihilate the demons. So there..., for annihilating, for killing, you require weapon. Kṛṣṇa has His weapon, sudarśana-cakra. Lord Rāmacandra has His weapon, bow and arrow. What is the weapon of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. His associates are His weapons. This is astra. Because in the Kali-yuga they are so fallen, even they are demons, they are third-class, fourth-class demons. (laughter) So they need not be killed. They are already killed. Their mode of life, their atmosphere, they are always dead. Just like we see so many demons. So what is there to kill them? They are already killed. They have no life. So this killing process in Kali-yuga is to kill their demonic propensities. And how to kill that demonic propensities? By spreading Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. This is astra. Otherwise to kill them is not... By life, it is not difficult. One slap is sufficient. You don't require other weapon. But real Kṛṣṇa comes to kill or to give protection—because He is Absolute, it is the same thing. If He is killing some demons, He is giving him protection. He stops his demonic activities further, to implicate himself in more trouble. Therefore when Kṛṣṇa kills one demon, that means He saves him. He saves him. The Absolute, this is Absolute. Either He protects His devotee or kills the demon, the result is the same. Therefore He is called Absolute.
Sudarsana cakra (Lect., Conv. and Letters)
Expressions researched:
"Discus"
|"His cakra"
|"His disc"
|"His own weapon"
|"His personal weapon"
|"His powerful wheel weapon"
|"His weapon"
|"His wheel weapon"
|"Lord Visnu's cakra"
|"Sudarsana cakra"
|"Sudarsana disc"
|"Sudarsana discus"
|"Sudarsana weapon"
|"Sudarsana wheel"
|"Sudarsana"
|"the discus of the Personality of Godhead"
|"wheel of the Lord"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Now, Siddhaloka, the inhabitants of the Siddhaloka, they don't require any plane. They can go... Because siddha means the inhabitants in that planet, they are all perfect in aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga. By yogic perfection, one can travel in the space. Just like Durvāsā Muni. He traveled in the space. When there was chasing by the Sudarśana-cakra, he, by yogic power, he fled from one place to another, one place... He even entered the spiritual nature and saw Viṣṇu personally. Still he was condemned. The Sudarśana-cakra was after him, chasing. He tried to insult Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, Vaiṣṇava. So... He wanted to kill. Not only insult, but he wanted to kill him. A demon was immediately produced by his hair. The yogis can do that. Aṇimā... Aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti-siddhi... Whatever they like... Immediately he brought one demon. So...
But Vaiṣṇava, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he was neither yogi, nor he could display any yogic perfection. But he was protected by Kṛṣṇa, by the Sudarśana-cakra. This is Vaiṣṇava's... Vaiṣṇavas do not require to practice any yogic power to become materially powerful. He doesn't require. Simply his surrender to Kṛṣṇa makes him all-powerful. This is the position of Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇavas, they do not care for all these yogic powers. They depend on Kṛṣṇa. And who can be... Kṛṣṇa is the yogeśvara, all, master of... Yatra kṛṣṇo... yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (BG 18.78).
So we have to wait for that opportunity when Kṛṣṇa reveals. How that revelation is possible? Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By sense perception or sense speculation you cannot. Nāmādi. Even the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra you cannot understand. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Nāma, rūpa, līlā, parikara, vaiśiṣṭya..., everything. You cannot understand with these blunt senses. Then how? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When you engage your senses, purified senses. Sevonmukhe. Purified senses means when the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord—everything—then you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is not your servant: "Kṛṣṇa, I want to see You." No. That you cannot see. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When He's pleased, when He sees that "Here is a pure devotee," then He reveals.
So the Pāṇḍavas were pure devotees; therefore Kṛṣṇa took his side and they became victorious in the fight. And Kṛṣṇa is always ready to give protection to His devotees. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). His sudarśana-cakra always protects His devotees. That is the position of devotee.
Thank you very much. (end)
Even big, big Vaiṣṇava kings they also retired. Just like Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, he was always engaged in devotional service. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha (SB 9.4.18)—still, he retired. Still, he retired. After this incidence with Durvāsā, then he divided the property to his sons and he retired. Although he was the most exalted Vaiṣṇava, such a great Vaiṣṇava that because he was put into difficulty by Durvāsā Muni, Kṛṣṇa showed His brilliance and glories in such a way that Durvāsā Muni was attacked by sudarśana-cakra, and for fear of life... Even there is fear, Durvāsā Muni, a great yogi. There is no comparison of his yogic mystic power. Immediately, for the sake of his life, to protect his life, he went all over the universe for protection. And when he could not get the protection, he went to Lord Brahmā, "Kindly give me protection." He refused. "No, it is not possible. The Lord is angry with you, and He has sent the sudarśana-cakra. It is not in my power to give you protection." Then he went to Lord Śiva. He also refused. And at last he went to Viṣṇu. Just see how powerful yogi he was. He could go personally from this planet to the topmost planet, Brahmaloka, and there, from there, Śivaloka. Then from there, Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Just see his power, mystic power. But still, because he committed offense at the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava, he could not be given any protection. Vaiṣṇava-aparādha is so severe.
So such a big yogi, Durvāsā Muni. Still, he was in trouble. Jñānīs, yogis, nobody is free from the trouble. Only the bhaktas. Take this, see the example. When Durvāsā Muni created a demon to kill the king, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, and he was coming to attack, but Ambarīṣa, although he was a devotee, he had no such yogic power to counteract. He thought, "All right, it is Kṛṣṇa's desire if some demon is coming to kill me. All right, let him kill." He stood fixed up in that position, because he's surrendered. Mārobi rākhobi jo icchā tohārā. That is surrender. "I have surrendered to You. If You like to kill me by this demon, that's all right. Welcome. Why not? Because I am culprit, so You want to kill me through this demon, let me kill. Let him kill." So he stood up. He was not afraid of his life. But Durvāsā Muni, when Viṣṇu sent this sudarśana-cakra, immediately the demon was killed and he was after Durvāsā Muni, such a great yogi. But he was afraid. "Oh, now there is no protection." He fled, here from here, here from there, there, there, then to Brahmā, to Lord Śiva. And at last to Viṣṇu. Just see how much he is afraid of his life.
Durvāsā Muni offended Vaiṣṇava, and immediately sudarśana-cakra came to kill Durvāsā. Vaiṣṇava-aparādha is never tolerated by Kṛṣṇa. Just like the Pāṇḍavas, they were Vaiṣṇavas, and the Duryodhana and company, they were so-called Vaiṣṇava. Actually they were not Vaiṣṇava. So they insulted. They put to trouble so many ways. They banished them in the jungle. They insulted their wife and so many ways by clique. So Kṛṣṇa could not tolerate that. So therefore the Battle of Kurukṣetra.
So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). And another feature is sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. Astra-pārṣadam. Astra means weapon. So in the Kali-yuga, Kṛṣṇa does not come with weapon. In other yugas, the Lord comes with weapon. Just like Lord Rāmacandra. He came with bows and arrows to fight with Rāvaṇa. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa also appeared with His sudarśana-cakra. Because in those days, the demons were killed by weapons. Kṛṣṇa killed many demons, because Kṛṣṇa has got two kinds of activities, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām: (BG 4.8) for sādhu, simply to deliver them, and for the demons, to kill them. But the result is the same. That is called Absolute. Whether Kṛṣṇa pats somebody and kills somebody, the result is the same. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. It is not ordinary fortune to be killed by God. It is a great fortune. Just like Rāvaṇa and Hiraṇyakaśipu.
But He's Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has four colors. That is in the śāstra, śuklo raktas tathā pīta idānīṁ kṛṣṇatāṁ gataḥ. So when the colors of Kṛṣṇa is yellow, golden, that is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). That Lord Kṛṣṇa now, in the form of Lord Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, and sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam, associated with His personal expansions, Śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda... This is described. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam, with these... In the former incarnation, He was killing the demons directly with sword or the sudarśana-cakra, some way or other. Now, in this age, they're already dead. So if Kṛṣṇa comes to kill them with sudarśana-cakra and sword, they will not be profited. Therefore, these are the astras, these are the swords: the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa who are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are the Lord's weapon. And they're getting victory. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. So those who are intelligent, su-medhasaḥ, they will worship this form of God in this Kali-yuga. And what is the process of worshiping? Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyaiḥ.
But that kind of yogi also very rare to be found, and now, in your country, yogi means who can show some gymnastics, that's all. So they are also working hard. Because they have got kāma. The yogi, he wants to be very popular by showing magic. Because general people, they cannot walk on the water. But if somebody can walk on the water, oh, millions of people immediately go to the Pacific Ocean to see. So therefore they want siddhi. Actually, there are yogis in Siddhaloka, without any flying machine, they can go from one planet to another. Durvāsā Muni, he went. Within a year, he came back. He went to Vaikuṇṭha planet. Yogi, great yogi. He saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face, but he was not excused. He went to beg pardon so that he may be saved from the sudarśana-cakra. So he went to Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā, and all big, big demigods: "Please save me. The sudarśana-cakra is after me." So everyone said, "We are unable to do anything. You can go to Lord Viṣṇu." So he went to Lord Viṣṇu, he saw Him, he talked with Him. And Lord Viṣṇu also said that "I cannot do anything. You must go to Ambarīṣa Mahārāja and fall down on his feet and beg his pardon. Then you can be saved." So this is the position.
So immediately Kṛṣṇa's promise... Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Immediately sudarśana-cakra came and killed that demon immediately, and then he pursued Durvāsā Muni. Durvāsā Muni first of all approached Lord Śiva because he was devotee of Śiva: "Please give me protection." He said, "Oh, it is not possible for me. If sudarśana-cakra is after you, I cannot do anything." Then similarly, he approached Brahmā. So he also said, "No, this is not possible." Then he was so powerful that he approached Lord Viṣṇu even, personally, in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka. He refused to help him. He said, "Durvāsā Muni, unless you beg pardon from Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, there is no question of excusing you. The sudarśana-cakra will not excuse." Therefore Vaiṣṇava aparādha is very, very offensive. You should be very careful. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned vaiṣṇava aparādha, hātī mata. Vaiṣṇava aparādha, offense at the feet of Vaiṣṇava, is exactly like mad elephant. If a mad elephant enters your garden, then he spoils everything. This has been given. Vaiṣṇava aparādha means hātī mātā. Mātā means mad, and hātī means elephant. So we should be very, very careful not to commit any offense at the feet of Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava does not take any offense. He does not care who is offender, but Kṛṣṇa takes care. Kṛṣṇa will never tolerate if a person is Vaiṣṇava aparādha. Mind that. Just like a big man. You can offend him, he doesn't mind. But if he does something harmful to his child, so he becomes very angry.
Because when God incarnates, He has got two business: paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). So one business is to give protection to the devotees and to annihilate the duṣkṛta, those who are sinful. So first annihilating, it requires weapon, śaṇkha, cakra, gadā, (indistinct). Lord Rāmacandra has got bows and arrows, and Kṛṣṇa has got Sudarśana-cakra. But here it is said, saṅga-upaṅga-astra. What is that astra, weapon? Caitanya Mahāprabhu has no astra. Seemingly there's a... But this is astra, this hari-saṅkīrtana. This is astra. In the Kali-yuga there is no profit by killing them. They're already killed. So therefore this is the astra. To kill the miscreants this is astra, this hari-saṅkīrtana. If they'll simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, this is astra that will kill all their sinful reaction of life, then become devotee. This is astra. Now it is not required the bows and arrows or... Because they're already dead, because they have no conception of God. Simply fighting how to avoid God, this is their business.
So he immediately ordered... He plucked one hair and a great demon came. So Durvāsā Muni made his caricature of yogic power, and Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was a devotee. He did not know anything, such magic. He was pure devotee, that's all. So he could simply stand: "All right. I am faulty. You can punish me." So this great demon was coming to kill him, and a devotee has no other way than to remember Kṛṣṇa, so immediately Kṛṣṇa's sudarśana-cakra came to protect him and the sudarśana-cakra immediately killed the demon. Then the sudarśana-cakra attacked Durvāsā Muni. So Durvāsā Muni began to flee. He went upper planetary system to Lord Śiva, Lord Brahma, and this way he wanted protection, but nobody could give protection. They said, "No, no, we cannot give you protection. Lord Viṣṇu is angry upon you. It is not possible to give you protection." So he then went to Lord Viṣṇu also in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Just see how much powerful he is, that he could go through the whole universe, then enter into the spiritual world, Vaikuṇṭhaloka, and he could see personally Lord Viṣṇu. And Lord Viṣṇu also denied protection, "No, I cannot give you protection. You are Vaiṣṇava aparādhī. You have offended to the Vaiṣṇava, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. You can be protected only if you go and fall down at his feet and if he excuses, then my sudarśana-cakra will not disturb."
Vaiṣṇava aparādha is a great offense. You know Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. He was a devotee, and he Durvāsā, he was very proud of his yogic power, and he committed offense at the feet of Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, and he was punished by Kṛṣṇa by sending the sudarśana-cakra. And he wanted help from so many, Brahmā, Viṣṇu. He could go directly to the Viṣṇuloka, but he was not pardoned. He had to come to Vaiṣṇava, Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, fall down at his lotus feet. And he, of course, Vaiṣṇava, immediately excused him. So Vaiṣṇava aparādha is great offense, hātī-mātā. So we should be very careful about Vaiṣṇava aparādha. We should not Arcye viṣṇu śilā-dhīr guruṣu nara-matir vaiṣṇava-jāti-buddhiḥ. The vaiṣṇava-jāti-buddhiḥ is also another offense, great offense. Similarly, to think of guru as ordinary human being, that is also offense. To think of Deity as made of metal, stone, that is These are offenses. Sa nārakī. So we should be very careful about the regulative principles and follow the footprints of Vaiṣṇava. Mahājano yena sa gataḥ. Don't think that Prahlāda Mahārāja is ordinary boy. We should learn from Prahlāda Mahārāja how to advance in devotional service.
Thank you very much. (end)
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Even a great sage like Durvāsā was not excused. He was so great, Durvāsā, that he could go personally to all the lokas, Brahma-loka, Śiva-loka, Viṣṇuloka. Personally he could go, by his yogic power. Just imagine how much he was powerful. He saw face to face Lord Viṣṇu and requested Him to give him protection from the sudarśana-cakra, and Viṣṇu refused: "So I cannot give you protection because you are offender to a Vaiṣṇava. Only Ambarīṣa Mahārāja can give you protection." Just see. He was so exalted yogi that he could see personally Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, Lord Viṣṇu, but still, he was not excused on account of his offense to a Vaiṣṇava.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
This is Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's incarnation magnanimity. What He will kill? These demons are petty demons. They can be killed only by slap. So it is not very difficult to kill them, to call for sudarśana-cakra or any deadly weapon. They are already killed. There is no food. How they will work? How they will fight? So it is not possible. So it is to kill the dead man. Now, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu incarnation, if they want to kill them, they are already dead. To give them life again is Kṛṣṇa's or Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's special gift. Therefore it is said, śrī caitanya, prema-bhakti-vadānyatā, His magnanimity. He delivered by His personal example Jagāi Mādhāi. And Jagāi Mādhāi, they were born in nice brāhmaṇa family, rich family, but they were drunkard and meat-eaters and woman-hunters. That is their fault. And for this purpose they can do anything and everything. They were doing that. So the whole world is now all drunkard and woman hunter meat-eater. Especially in India, although it was unknown, now the government is teaching how to drink wine, how to eat beef and how to... This is going on.
Initiation Lectures
Personal offense to Kṛṣṇa can be excused by Kṛṣṇa. He is so merciful. The Durvāsā Muni, he offended Mahārāja Ambarīṣa and he went up... He was so powerful that he went to Viṣṇuloka to see Viṣṇu for being protected because the sudarśana cakra was after him. So Viṣṇu said, "Oh, this is beyond My power. I cannot excuse you. You have to go to Ambarīṣa Mahārāja and ask his pardon. Otherwise there is no excuse." So that Durvāsā Muni, he was a great yogi and brāhmaṇa, and he was very proud, so he came back and fell down on the feet of Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. Then he was excused. You see? Ambarīṣa Mahārāja was a kṣatriya, a king. He was neither yogi, but he was a great devotee.
General Lectures
And actually Arjuna became perplexed. Bhīṣma wanted to see that Kṛṣṇa shall have to break His promise for His devotee. "I know I shall not be able to kill Arjuna, but at least I shall see that Kṛṣṇa has broken His promise." So Kṛṣṇa actually did not break His promise. He did not accept any weapon, but He simply showed Bhīṣma that "I have come to kill you with this wheel of the chariot." His sudarśana-cakra is different. These are the reciprocation. Kṛṣṇa can do anything for His devotee. Personally He may be very severe, but for devotee He can do anything. That means devotee can purchase by his devotion. (end)
Kṣatriya king has got two functions. One function is to give protection and happiness to the good citizens, and another function is to kill the demons or the disturbing elements in the society. Lord Kṛṣṇa, the original form of Viṣṇu... Viṣṇu has got four hands. In two hands He has got the symbol of conchshell and lotus flower, and the other two hands He carries club and the cakra, sudarśana-cakra. So He wanted that a kṣatriya king like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira should rule over the world. That is the practically basic idea of the whole Mahābhārata and Bhagavad-gītā. So we are very much concerned to preach the message of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā. We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā As It Is without any malinterpretation. We cannot interpret on the words of God because religion means the words of God. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19).
Conversations and Morning Walks
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Doctor: But I was told that the Sudarśana-cakra words, mahamala parakramāyā maha patanivaya bhakta jane kalpanaya,(?) that is a very powerful mantra.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything in relationship with God is powerful. But the name in this age is the most powerful. Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51).
Doctor: And the word om has been praised in the Upaniṣads, but...
Prabhupāda: Om, veda, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. Kṛṣṇa says that raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu (BG 7.8). Praṇava is oṁkāra. Sarva-vedeṣu, "That praṇava I am." That is sound representation of Kṛṣṇa.
Correspondence
1970 Correspondence
Lord Nityananda, when passing on the street, saw a crowd of people howling at some incident, and on inquiry it was found that there were two rascals of the then name Jagai and Madhai. They were always disturbing people in drunken condition. Nityananda Prabhu thought it wise that these two brothers may be delivered so that Lord Caitanya's mercy could be well known all over the world. When Lord Nityananda approached them He was immediately hurt by violent attack. On this incident Lord Caitanya became very angry and He called for His Sudarsana cakra to kill these debauchees. Lord Nityananda then implored Lord Caitanya not to kill Jagai and Madhai but to save them. By this time Jagai and Madhai came to their senses and immediately they surrendered unto both the Lords and were delivered by the mercy of Lord Nityananda. So Lord Nityananda or Baladeva. is the original Spiritual Master, and such pure devotee sometimes takes the risk of life in order to reclaim a person who might have otherwise been rejected by the Lord. The devotee knows that the Lord wants all the fallen souls to come back to Home, and therefore the devotees always try to induce the conditioned souls to take to Krishna Consciousness by various ways and means. Therefore the conclusion is that a devotee is more kind than the Lord Himself.
1971 Correspondence
Lord Caitanya was not holding Sudarsana cakra; simply he was calling; Narada came out of Brahma's heart very little and then grew like a child; Narada entered the body of Narayana. That you have to show yourself. Now can I instruct you? He can enter through any part of the body. Just like so many universes are coming out from all parts of the body of Maha Visnu, so where is the difficulty to understand that the entire creation can re-enter from any part of the body?; Narayana appeared and disappeared to Narada's vision like lightning. So you can show Him almost invisible and speaking.
| Page Title: | Sudarsana cakra (Lect., Conv. and Letters) |
| Compiler: | Mangalavati |
| Created: | 07 of Feb, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=18, Con=1, Let=2 |
| No. of Quotes: | 21 |