Kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama: Kṛṣṇa is just like sun, māyā andhakāra: and the māyā is just like darkness. It is darkness. So just you cannot imagine where there is sunshine there can be darkness. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is just like sun—how can you imagine that Kṛṣṇa and māyā can exist together? No. That is not possible. If there is māyā, there is no Kṛṣṇa. And if there is Kṛṣṇa, there is no māyā. This is the test.
If we are still in māyā, that means I'm out of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And if I am actually in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no existence of māyā. And what is the symptom of māyā? Mamāham: "my country," "my society," "my father," "my mother," "my wife," "my children," "my property," "my position," "my, my, my." There is no end of "my," although nothing belongs to him. This is called māyā.
So the more we make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this "my" consciousness and "I" consciousness will vanish. Just like while eating, the hunger and weakness will vanish. When you are hungry, you have not eaten in three days, you become weak and you become hungry. So this is natural consequence. And as soon as you begin to eat, this weakness will disappear and the hunger will disappear, and satisfaction will come. There is no doubt about it. Similarly, if these two things cannot stand together, māyā and Kṛṣṇa, then if I am in Kṛṣṇa consciousness then there is no question of māyā.
It may be that I'm not fully Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That may be. Just like while eating it is not that immediately my hunger is satisfied or immediately I get my lost weakness. Takes little time. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness may be a gradual process of advancement, but this is the rule. If we are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there cannot be any existence of māyā, illusion. That is the test. If I am still in illusion, then I should understand that my business in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not progressing. This is the test.
- 'kṛṣṇa, tomāra haṅa' yadi bale eka-bāra
- māyā-bandha haite kṛṣṇa tāre kare pāra
- (CC Madhya 22.33)
This is a very nice thing. Why Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not advance? Because due to our lack of surrender. We have got doubts, that "Whether Kṛṣṇa consciousness can make me actually advance?" We have got doubts. So long we have got doubts, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not progressing. We should clear all doubts. That is, you have got, everyone has got right to clear doubts. Clear doubts. If we think Kṛṣṇa as ordinary man, then there is doubt. Ordinary. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍha mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). "Foolish persons, they think Me as ordinary man." But He's not. He's God. We should not be, I mean to say, detached from Kṛṣṇa because He's sitting on the lap of Yaśodā. Still He's Kṛṣṇa. There are instances. Therefore we have to hear about Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, when He was only three months old, oh, very beautiful child . . . as beautiful child, He's taken care of (by) other ladies and girls. Oh, it is very nice.
So Pūtanā, a demonic, she, in the dress of a very nice girl, approached Yaśodāmayī, and she had the desire . . . because she was the agent of Kaṁsa. Kaṁsa was searching out to kill Kṛṣṇa. So she came with poison in her breast so that she'll take the child, and naturally, the child, they suck breast of ladies. And as soon as Kṛṣṇa will suck the breast, and there is poison, it will die. That was his plan.
Now Yaśodāmayī, she's very innocent lady. She came, "Oh, Yaśodā, you have got very nice child. Will you kindly give in my lap?" "Yes, yes. Why not? Take." And she at once put the child on the breast, and Kṛṣṇa sucked. Kṛṣṇa sucked the poison and Kṛṣṇa sucked the life also. At once the demon fell, a gigantic body, and there was . . ."Oh, how He is powerful." So you see's. He's all-powerful there in the lap of His mother. Yaśodāmayī thought, "Oh! God has saved my child! This demonic, they came to cheat me." Yaśodāmayī does not know that here is God on her lap.
This is another māyā. This is called yogamāyā. If Yaśodāmayī understands He is God, then he (she) cannot, I mean to say, bring up the child just like her own child, ordinary child. Therefore she must be in ignorance, that she . . . because there is the connection of love only. That's all. So out of love, as somebody forgets what he is or she is, similarly Yaśodāmayī, constantly seeing so many wonderful things played by Kṛṣṇa, still she is thinking, "Oh, He is my child. These things are happening by some supernatural power. It is God's grace. It is God's grace that my child is saved." She is simply anxious to save her child. That's all.