Krsna Book Chapter 64 - The Story of King Nrga: Difference between revisions
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Pages in category "Krsna Book Chapter 64 - The Story of King Nrga"
The following 97 pages are in this category, out of 97 total.
A
- A brahmana's property is called brahma-sva, and according to Manu's law it cannot be acquired even by the government. Both brahmanas, however, insisted that the cow was theirs and could not be taken back under any condition
- A man who is charitably disposed is recommended to give cows to the brahmanas. From King Nrga's statement, it appears that he followed this principle earnestly; however, as a result of a slight discrepancy he was forced to take birth as a lizard
- A real brahmana never hoards money for a luxurious life, like the ksatriyas or the vaisyas, but always keeps himself poverty-stricken, knowing that money diverts the mind to materialistic ways of life
- Actually, this large lizard was King Nrga, and when questioned by the Supreme Personality of Godhead he immediately bowed down before the Lord, touching to the ground the helmet on his head, which was as dazzling as the sunshine
- After the departure of King Nrga, Lord Krsna expressed His appreciation for the King's devotion to the brahmanas as well as his charitable disposition and his performance of Vedic rituals
- All good fortune to you. I (Krsna) think that you (King Nrga) are not meant to be in this situation. It must be due to the results of your past activities that you were put into the species of lizard life
- Along with his (King Nrga's) pious activities, he thought of Krsna, so he was quickly released from the body of a lizard and given the body of a demigod
- As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, the result of work, either pious or impious, is sure to bind a man unless the work is discharged as yajna on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- As stated in the Brahma-samhita, a devotee, by the grace of the Lord, is not subjected to the reactions of fruitive activities
- As the cow was being taken away by this brahmana, its former master claimed it as his own, stating, 'This cow was formerly given to me, so how is it that you are taking it away'
B
- Before entering the heavenly planets, King Nrga circumambulated the Lord (Krsna), touched his helmet to the Lord's lotus feet & bowed. Seeing the airplane from the heavenly planets present before him, he was given permission by the Lord to board it
- Being given the choice by the superintendent of death, Yamaraja, King Nrga could have first accepted the results of his pious activities
- By worshiping the Supreme Lord, those who desire material opulences are given the bodies of powerful demigods
H
- Having attained the body of a demigod, King Nrga, continuing to remember everything, said, "My dear Lord, You are the Supreme Lord & are worshiped by all the demigods. You are not one of the ordinary living entities; You are the SP, Purusottama"
- He (King Nrga) continued: "My dear Lord, I had a great desire that someday I might be able to see You personally"
- He (King Nrga) prayed to them that he was their servant and that there had been some mistake. Thus, in order to rectify it, he prayed that they be very kind upon him and accept his offer in exchange for the cow
- He (King Nrga) said that he had been very charitably disposed and had given away so many cows that the total was equal to the number of particles of dust on the earth, stars in the sky or drops of water in a rainfall
- He (King Nrga) stated that these valuably decorated cows had not been given to any worthless persons but had been distributed to first-class brahmanas, whom he had also decorated with nice garments and gold ornaments
- He (King Nrga) was very powerful and very pious, but due to the small mistake of unknowingly usurping a brahmana's cow, he was condemned to the abominable life of a lizard
- He first offered his respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord. He then said, "My dear Lord, I am King Nrga, the son of King Iksvaku. If you have ever taken account of all charitably disposed men, I am sure You must have heard my name"
- How the demigod had been obliged to accept the body of a lizard was not a secret to Lord Krsna, but still, for others' information, the Lord inquired
I
- If someone even touches a brahmana's property, his family is ruined for three generations. However, if a brahmana's property is forcibly taken away, the taker's family for ten generations before him and ten generations after will be subject to ruination
- Immediately upon being touched by the hand of Lord Krsna, that great lizard gave up its lizard shape and appeared as a beautiful demigod, an inhabitant of the heavenly planets
- In the course of their (Samba, Pradyumna, Caru, Bhanu and Gada) excursion, all of them became thirsty, and so they tried to find out where water was available in the forest
- Instead (of accepting the result of his (Nrga) pious activities), he thought it better first to receive the effects of his impious activities & then enjoy the pious activities without disturbance. On the whole, he had not developed Krsna consciousness
- It appears from these statements of King Nrga that persons who follow the principles of fruitive activities and derive some material benefits are not very intelligent
- It is recommended by the Lord in the Bhagavad-gita that one who is charitably disposed and desires to derive the benefit of his charity should offer his gifts to please Krsna
- It is recommended that if one cannot directly become a devotee of the Lord, one should follow the Vedic principles of life
K
- King Nrga had remained in the well as a big lizard for a very long time. He told Lord Krsna, "In spite of being put into that degraded condition of life, I simply thought of You, my dear Lord, and my memory was never vanquished"
- King Nrga proceeded to narrate the history of his degradation, caused by his karma-kanda activities
- King Nrga said that the cows he had given in charity were not ordinary cows. Each one was very young and had given birth to only one calf. They were full of milk, very peaceful, and healthy
- King Nrga said, "All the cows were purchased with money earned legally. Furthermore, their horns were gold-plated, their hooves were bedecked with silver plating, and they were covered with necklaces and with silken wrappers embroidered with pearls"
- King Nrga said, "Although I was in the midst of luxury and opulence and was subject to so much of the happiness and misery of material existence, I am so fortunate to be seeing You (Krsna) personally"
- King Nrga said, "Among the living entities who have not accepted material bodies are those who hover in the material world as evil spirits or live in the ghostly atmosphere"
- King Nrga said, "As far as I know, when one becomes liberated from material existence, he can see You (see Krsna personally) in this way"
- King Nrga said, "However, those who live in the spiritual kingdom, the Vaikunthalokas, have bodies not made of material elements"
- King Nrga said, "I am very much surprised that I am able to see You (Krsna) personally. I know that I was engaged in so many activities, especially as a king
- King Nrga said, "I pray that I may have the benediction of never forgetting Your (Krsna's) lotus feet, no matter to which form of life or planet I may be transferred"
- King Nrga said, "I think that this great desire to see You (Krsna), combined with my tendency to perform ritualistic and charitable activities, has enabled me to retain the memory of who I was in my former life, even though I became a lizard
- King Nrga said, "My dear Supreme Lord Krsna, because You have given me this body of a demigod, I will have to go to some heavenly planet; so I am taking this opportunity to beg for Your mercy"
- King Nrga said, "My Lord (Krsna), You are the supreme witness. You are aware of every bit of work done by the living entities - past, present and future"
- King Nrga said, "Nothing can be hidden from Your (Krsna's) eternal cognizance. Still, You have ordered me to explain my history, and I shall therefore narrate the full story"
- King Nrga said, "Such a person who remembers his past life is called jati-smara. In modern times also there are instances of small children recalling many details of their past lives"
- King Nrga said, "You (Krsna) are all-pervading, present everywhere as cause and effect. You are the cause of all causes, and Your power is unlimited"
- King Nrga said, "You (Krsna) are the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supreme Brahman. I therefore offer my respectful obeisances unto You again and again"
- King Nrga said, "You are the shelter of all living entities, Narayana. Being seated in the heart of all living beings, You are the supreme director of everyone's sensual activities; therefore, You are called Hrsikesa"
- King Nrga said, "You are the source of all happiness for all living entities; therefore You are known as Govinda. You are the Lord of those living entities who have accepted material bodies and those who have not yet accepted material bodies"
- King Nrga said, "You, my Lord (Krsna), are infallible. You are the Supreme, the purest of all living entities. You live in everyone's heart"
- King Nrga said, "Your (Krsna's) body is full of transcendental bliss & knowledge, & You are eternal. You are the master of all mystic powers; therefore You are known as Yogesvara. Kindly accept me as an insignificant particle of dust at Your lotus feet"
- Kng Nrga said, "My dear Lord (Krsna), You are the Supersoul seated in everyone's heart. There are many great mystic yogis who have the eyes to see You through the Vedas and Upanisads"
- Krsna said, "Still, I want to hear from you (King Nrga) how you were put into this position. If you think that you can disclose this secret, then please tell us your identity"
- Krsna said, "You (Krsna's boys and family members) should learn from the example of King Nrga that even if someone unknowingly usurps the property of a brahmana, he is put into a miserable condition of life"
- Krsna said, "You know very well that even I Myself offer My obeisances to the brahmanas with great respect three times daily. You should therefore follow My instruction & example. I shall not forgive anyone who does not follow them & I shall punish him"
L
- Lord Krsna continued, "If some foolish king who is puffed up by his wealth, prestige & power wants to usurp a brahmana's property, he should be understood to be clearing his path to hell; he does not know how much he has to suffer for such an unwise act"
- Lord Krsna is the friend of all living entities. Therefore, after hearing the appeal from His sons (Samba, Pradyumna, Caru, Bhanu and Gada), He personally went to the well and easily got the great lizard out simply by extending His left hand
- Lord Krsna said, "A person who takes away a brahmana's property, whether it was originally given by him or by someone else, is condemned to live for at least sixty thousand years as a miserable insect in stool"
- Lord Krsna said, "Even though a ksatriya king may be as powerful as fire, it is not possible for him to usurp the property of a brahmana and utilize it for his own purpose"
- Lord Krsna said, "He (who even wishes to possess property of Brahmana) will be defeated by his enemies, and after being bereft of his royal position, when he gives up his body he will become a serpent, giving trouble to all other living entities"
- Lord Krsna said, "I instruct you, all My boys and relatives present here, do not, even by mistake, take the possession of a brahmana and thereby pollute your whole family"
- Lord Krsna said, "If someone becomes a pure Vaisnava, or devotee of the Lord, ten generations of his family before his birth and ten generations after will be liberated"
- Lord Krsna said, "If someone even wishes to possess such property (of Brahmana), let alone attempts to take it away by force, the duration of his life will be reduced"
- Lord Krsna said, "If someone takes away the property of a very liberal brahmana who is encumbered by a large dependent family, then such a usurper is put into the hell known as Kumbhipaka"
- Lord Krsna said, "If this is so, how can ordinary kings, who falsely think themselves the most powerful beings within the material world, usurp a brahmana's property? I do not think that taking poison is as dangerous as taking a brahmana's property"
- Lord Krsna said, "Not only is he (someone who takes away the property of a very liberal brahmana) put into this hell known as Kumbhipaka, but his family members also have to accept such a miserable condition of life"
- Lord Krsna was present among His relatives who were members of the ksatriya class. To teach them through the exemplary character of King Nrga, He said
M
- My (Krsna) dear boys & relatives, I therefore advise you that even if a brahmana becomes angry with you & calls you by ill names or curses you, still you should not retaliate. On the contrary, you should smile, tolerate him & offer your respects
- My dear fortunate demigod (King Nrga), now I see that your body is so beautiful and lustrous. Who are you? We can guess that you are one of the best demigods in the heavenly planets
N
- Neither of them (the two brahmanas) agreed to exchange it (the cow) for the 100,000 cows. Thus disagreeing with the King's proposal, the two brahmanas left the place in anger, thinking that their lawful possession had been usurped
- Nrga said, "Lord Krsna, who is always engaged in purifying the conditioned living entities, gave instruction not only to His family members & the inhabitants of Dvaraka but to all the members of human society. After this, the Lord entered His palace"
O
- Once the family members of Lord Krsna, such as Samba, Pradyumna, Caru, Bhanu and Gada, all princes of the Yadu dynasty, went for a long picnic in the forest near Dvaraka
- Ordinary poison affects only those who drink it, and ordinary fire can be extinguished simply by pouring water on it, but the arani fire ignited by the spiritual potency of a brahmana who is dissatisfied can burn to ashes the whole family of a person
S
- Seeing that the King had executed so many pious activities and charities, Yamaraja also hinted that he did not know the limit of the King's future enjoyment. In other words, there would be practically no end to the King's material happiness
- Somehow or other, as a result of his pious activities, King Nrga had aspired to see the Lord (Krsna)
- Sometimes these demigods can see the SP of Godhead face to face, but still not yet eligible to enter into the SK, the Vaikuntha planets. However, if the demigods continue to be devotees of the Lord, the next chance they get they will enter into Vaikuntha
T
- The brahmanas were well qualified, and since none of them were rich, their family members were always in want for the necessities of life
- The example of King Nrga definitely proves that fruitive activities, even if very pious, cannot give us eternal blissful life
- The King (Nrga) continued, "In spite of all this, unfortunately one of the brahmanas' cows that I had given in charity chanced to enter amongst my other cows. Not knowing this, I again gave it in charity, to another brahmana"
- The King (Nrga) fervently appealed to the brahmanas not to cause his downfall into hell because of this mistake (that he had taken back a cow that he had previously given in charity)
- The King stated that not only had he bestowed gifts upon the brahmanas, but he had performed other pious activities, such as digging wells, planting trees on the roadside and installing ponds along the highways
- The Krsna conscious person develops love of God, Krsna, not love for pious or impious activities; therefore he is not subjected to the results of such action
- There was arguing and fighting between the two brahmanas, and they came before me (King Nrga) and charged that I had taken back a cow I had previously given in charity
- Thereafter, with great humility, the King (Nrga) offered each of them (the two brahmanas) 100,000 cows in exchange for the one cow that was causing the fight between them
- Therefore (King Nrga, bewildered, decided first to suffer the results of his impious activities and then to accept the results of his pious activities) Yamaraja immediately turned him into a lizard
- They (Samba, Pradyumna, Caru, Bhanu and Gada) could understand that the animal was trapped and could not escape by its own effort, so out of compassion they tried to take the large lizard out of the well
- They executed the required austerities and penances in their lives and were liberal, meeting the standard of qualified brahmanas
- They were equally friendly to everyone; above all, they were young and quite fit to act as qualified brahmanas. Besides the cows, they were also given land, gold, houses, horses and elephants
- This will enable him, one day, to see the Lord (Krsna) by being promoted either directly to the spiritual kingdom or, indirectly, to the heavenly kingdom, where he has hope of being transferred to the spiritual planets
- Those (brahmanas) who were not married were given wives, maidservants, grain, silver, utensils, garments, jewels, household furniture, chariots, etc. This charity was nicely performed as a sacrifice according to the Vedic rituals
- To achieve the elevated position of realizing that they are equal in quality with You, they always meditate on You within their hearts. But although such exalted saintly persons may see You constantly within their hearts, they still cannot see Your face
- To give charity means to perform pious activities by which one may be elevated to the higher planetary systems; but promotion to the heavenly planets is no guarantee that one will never fall down
- To give something to someone and then to take it back is considered a great sin, especially in dealing with a brahmana. When both brahmanas charged the King (Nrga) with the same complaint, he was simply puzzled as to how it had happened
- To live in this way (never hoarding money for a luxurious life) is the vow of a qualified brahmana, and all of these brahmanas were well situated in that exalted vow. They were well learned in Vedic knowledge
W
- When King Nrga elected to receive the results of his impious activities, he was given the body of a lizard because of the mistake in his pious activities; thus he could not be directly converted to a higher status of life like a great demigod
- When the time came for the King (Nrga) to give up his body, he was taken before Yamaraja, the superintendent of death, who asked him whether he first wanted to enjoy the results of his pious activities or suffer the results of his impious activities
- When they (Samba, Pradyumna, Caru, Bhanu and Gada) approached a well, they found no water in it, but, on the contrary, within the well was a wonderful living entity. It was a large lizard, and all of them were astonished to see such a wonderful animal