Rāmeśvara: That's a question I meant to ask, because that question will start coming up in America. They will say, "Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary man. He was killed by some hunter."
Prabhupāda: So what do you answer?
Rāmeśvara: We haven't been asked yet. The answer is very difficult to explain to them.
Prabhupāda: Yesterday I was answering. You were not present?
Rāmeśvara: No. (aside:) Were you here?
Hari-śauri: No. It was during darśana.
Prabhupāda: Hm. What did I answer?
Hari-śauri: I wasn't here.
Prabhupāda: How do you answer?
Gargamuni: Well, first we have to explain that Kṛṣṇa has a transcendental body. If they don't understand that, then how can we explain Kṛṣṇa's disappearance?
Prabhupāda: Therefore I am asking how would you explain. The answer is that we living entities, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We do not die, na jāyate na mriyate vā, kadācit, at any time. We do not take birth; we do not die. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). Even by destruction of this body, we do not die. You know this? So we are part and parcel. If we are eternal, how Kṛṣṇa can be...? Hm? If my finger is eternal, how the body is not eternal? How the body can be dead? So why did He die like that, appearing as dead? That is His līlā. That He has, so many līlās. So why this līlā? Just to cheat you. You are atheist, and to keep you atheist forever, so that in your life after life you'll not understand Kṛṣṇa, therefore He is doing, just to cheat you. Because you are atheist, you cannot think of Kṛṣṇa properly. To keep you in darkness forever He manifests this līlā.
Hari-śauri: But why would God want to keep the living entities in darkness?
Prabhupāda: Because you want to be. You are such a rascal. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mūḍhā janmani janmani mām aprāpya (BG 16.20). This envious atheist class life after life will not be able to understand Kṛṣṇa. For this purpose... Find out that verse.
Rāmeśvara: This is very good, because I know this question will come up now.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Rāmeśvara: They will find out that there is an Indian...
Prabhupāda: The atheist class...
Rāmeśvara: Yes. They'll find out, "Oh, it says God died. What is this?" Then they'll challenge, that "This is not God. Kṛṣṇa is ordinary man."
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Hari-śauri:
- āsurīṁ yonim āpannā
- mūḍhā janmani janmani
- mām aprāpyaiva kaunteya
- tato yānty adhamāṁ gatim
- (BG 16.20)
"Attaining repeated birth amongst the species of demoniac life, such persons can never approach Me. Gradually they sink down to the most abominable type of existence."
Prabhupāda: Just to keep you everlastingly in darkness He shows this līlā, that "See? I am dying. You are right that I am a man." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā (BG 9.11). "You rascal, mūḍha, you remain in that condition." This is explanation. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa can die? We do not die, His part and parcel. And how He can die?
Gargamuni: Well, they will try and separate Kṛṣṇa from His soul, His body from His soul.
Prabhupāda: Whatever you do, that is for you. It is not Kṛṣṇa's actual position. It is for you: "Yes. You see? I am dying." Just like sometimes Hindu-Muslim riot, many Deities of Kṛṣṇa, all broken. So the Muhammadans, they think, "Now Hindu's Deity I have broken. Finished."
Hari-śauri: "God is dead."
Prabhupāda: "God is dead." So it is like that. By breaking the Deity, he thinks that "Now Hindu's Kṛṣṇa is dead now, finished. We have finished." (laughs) But does it mean that he has broken the Deity, therefore Kṛṣṇa is finished? But he thinks like that, "Yes, we have finished the Hindu Deity." So that he will continue his foolishness that "These people worship idol and we can break that, finish." This is the answer.
Rāmeśvara: This will be very difficult for them to understand.
Prabhupāda: So how they will understand, atheist?
Rāmeśvara: They cannot understand anything.
Prabhupāda: They cannot understand. So keep them in darkness. This is the only way. Mūḍhā janmani janmani (BG 16.20), life after life.