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KB 1970-1-28 / Releasing Nanda Maharaja from the Clutches of
Varuna
28 / Releasing Nanda Maharaja from the Clutches of Varuna
The Govardhana ceremony took place on the new moon day.
After this, there were torrents of rain and hailstorms imposed
by King Indra for seven days. Nine days of the waxing moon
having passed, on the tenth day King Indra worshiped Lord Krsna,
and thus the matter was satisfactorily settled. After this, on
the eleventh day of the full moon, there was Ekadasi. Maharaja
Nanda observed fasting for the whole day, and just early in the
morning of the Dvadasi, the day after Ekadasi, he went to take
bath in the River Yamuna. He entered deep into the water of
the river, but he was arrested immediately by one of the
servants of Varunadeva. These servants brought Nanda Maharaja
before the demigod Varuna and accused him of taking a bath in
the river at the wrong time. According to astronomical
calculations, the time in which he took bath was considered
demoniac. The fact was, Nanda Maharaja wanted to take a
bath in the River Yamuna early in the morning before the
sunrise, but somehow or other he was a little too early, and he
bathed at an inauspicious time. Consequently he was arrested.
When Nanda Maharaja was taken away by Varuna's servants,
his companions began to call loudly for Krsna and Balarama.
Immediately Krsna and Balarama could understand that Nanda
Maharaja was taken by Varuna, and thus They
went to the abode of Varuna, for They were pledged to give
protection. The inhabitants of Vrndavana, the
unalloyed devotees of the Lord, having no shelter
other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, naturally cried
to Him for help, exactly like children who do not know anything
but the protection of their parents. Demigod Varuna received
Lord Krsna and Balarama with great respect and said, "My dear
Lord, actually at this very moment, because of Your presence, I
am materially defeated. Although I am the proprietor of all the
treasures in the water, I know that such possessions do not
make for a successful life. But this moment, as I look at You,
my life is made completely successful because by seeing You I
no longer have to accept a material body. Therefore, O Lord,
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Supreme Brahman and Supersoul
of everything, let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You.
You are the supreme transcendental personality; there is no
possibility of imposing the influence of material nature upon
You. I am very sorry that by being foolish, by not knowing what
to do or what not to do, I have mistakenly arrested Your father,
Nanda Maharaja. So I beg Your pardon for the offense of my
servants. I think that it was Your plan to show me Your mercy
by Your personal presence here. My dear Lord Krsna, Govinda, be
merciful upon me -- here is Your father. You can take him back
immediately."
In this way Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
rescued His father and presented him before his friends
with great jubilation. Nanda Maharaja was surprised
that, although the demigod was so opulent, he offered such
respect to Krsna. That was very astonishing to Nanda, and he
began to describe the incident to his friends and relatives
with great wonder.
Actually, although Krsna was acting so wonderfully, Maharaja
Nanda and mother Yasoda could not think of Him as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Instead, they always accepted Him as
their beloved child. Thus Nanda Maharaja did not accept the
fact that Varuna worshiped Krsna because Krsna was the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; rather he took it that because Krsna
was such a wonderful child He was respected even by Varuna. The
friends of Nanda Maharaja, all the cowherd men, became eager to
know if Krsna were actually the Supreme Personality and if He
were going to give them all salvation. When they were all thus
consulting among themselves, Krsna understood their minds, and
in order to assure them of their destiny in the spiritual
kingdom, He showed them the spiritual sky. Generally, ordinary
persons are engaged simply in working hard in the material
world, and they have no information that there is another
kingdom or another sky, which is known as the spiritual sky,
where life is eternal, blissful, and full of knowledge. As it
is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, a person returning to that
spiritual sky never returns to this material world of death and
suffering.
Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always anxious to
give information to the conditioned soul that there is a
spiritual sky far, far beyond this material sky, transcendental
to the innumerable universes created within the total material
energy. Krsna is, of course, always very kind to every
conditioned soul, but, as stated in the Bhagavad-gita, He is
especially inclined to the devotees. Hearing their
inquiries, Krsna immediately thought that His devotees in
Vrndavana should be informed of the spiritual sky and the
Vaikuntha planets therein. Within the material world, every
conditioned soul is in the darkness of ignorance. This means
that all conditioned souls are under the concept of this bodily
existence.
Everyone is under
the impression that he is of this material world, and with this
concept of life, everyone is working in ignorance in different
forms of life. The activities of the particular type of body
are called karma, or fruitive action. All conditioned souls
under the impression of the bodily concept are working
according to their particular types of body. These activities
are creating their future conditional life. Because they have
very little information of the spiritual world, they do not
generally take to spiritual activities, which are called bhakti-
yoga. Those who successfully practice bhakti-yoga,
after giving up this present body, go
directly to the spiritual world and become situated in one of
the Vaikuntha planets. The inhabitants of Vrndavana are all
pure devotees. Their destination after quitting the body is
Krsnaloka. They even surpass the Vaikunthalokas. The fact is,
those who are always engaged in Krsna consciousness and
mature, pure devotional service are given the chance, after
death, to gain Krsna's association in the universes
within the material world. Krsna's pastimes are continually
going on, either in this universe or in another universe. Just
as the sun globe is passing through many places across this
earthly planet, so Krsna-lila, or the transcendental advent and
pastimes of Krsna, are also going on continually, either in
this or another universe. The mature devotees, who have
completely executed Krsna consciousness, are immediately
transferred to the universe where Krsna is appearing. In that
universe the devotees get their first opportunity to associate
with Krsna personally and directly. The training goes on, as we
see in the Vrndavana lila of Krsna within this planet. Krsna
therefore revealed the actual feature of the Vaikuntha planets
so that the inhabitants of Vrndavana could know their
destination.
Thus Krsna showed them the eternal ever-existing spiritual
sky which is unlimited and full of knowledge. Within this
material world there are different gradations of forms, and
according to the gradations, knowledge is proportionately
manifested. For example, the knowledge in the body of a child
is not as perfect as the knowledge in the body of an adult man.
Everywhere there are different gradations of living entities,
in aquatic animals, in the plants and trees, in the reptiles
and insects, in birds and beasts and in the civilized and
uncivilized human forms of life. Above the human form of life
there are demigods, Caranas and Siddhas on up to Brahmaloka
where Lord Brahma lives, and among these demigods there are
always different gradations of knowledge. But past this
material world, in the Vaikuntha sky, everyone is in full
knowledge. All the living entities there are
engaged in devotional service to the Lord, either in the
Vaikuntha planets or in Krsnaloka.
As it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, full knowledge means
knowing Krsna to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the
Vedas and Bhagavad-gita it is also stated that in the
brahmajyoti or spiritual sky there is no need of
sunlight, moonlight, or electricity. All those planets
are self-illuminating, and all of them are eternally situated.
There is no question of creation and annihilation in the
brahmajyoti, spiritual sky. Bhagavad-gita also
confirms that beyond the material sky there is another
eternal spiritual sky where everything is eternally existing.
Information of the spiritual sky can be had only from
great sages and saintly persons who have already surpassed the
influence of the three material modes of nature
. Unless one is
constantly situated on that transcendental platform, it is not
possible to understand the spiritual nature.
Therefore it is recommended that one should take to bhakti-yoga
and keep himself engaged twenty-four hours in Krsna
consciousness, which places one beyond the reach of the modes
of material nature. One in Krsna consciousness can easily
understand the nature of the spiritual sky and Vaikunthaloka.
The inhabitants of Vrndavana, being always engaged in Krsna
consciousness, could therefore very easily understand the
transcendental nature of the Vaikunthalokas.
Thus Krsna led all the cowherd men, headed by Nanda Maharaja,
to the lake where Akrura was later shown the Vaikuntha
planetary system. They took their bath immediately and saw the
real nature of the Vaikunthalokas. After seeing the spiritual
sky and the Vaikunthalokas, all the men, headed by Nanda
Maharaja, felt wonderfully blissful, and coming out of the
river, they saw Krsna, who was being worshiped with excellent
prayers.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Twenty-eighth
Chapter of Krsna, "Releasing Nanda Maharaja from the Clutches
of Varuna."
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KB 28: Releasing Nanda Maharaja from the Clutches of
Varuna
CHAPTER TWENTY–EIGHT
Releasing Nanda Maharaja from the Clutches of Varuna
The Govardhana-puja ceremony took place on the new-moon day.
After this, there were torrents of rain and hailstorms imposed
by King Indra for seven days. Nine days of the waxing moon
having passed, on the tenth day King Indra worshiped Lord Krsna,
and thus the matter was satisfactorily settled. After this, on
the eleventh day of the full moon, Ekadasi, Maharaja
Nanda observed fasting for the whole day, and just early in the
morning of the next day, Dvadasi, he went to take
a bath in the river Yamuna. He entered deep into the water of
the river, but he was arrested immediately by one of the
servants of Varunadeva. This servant brought Nanda Maharaja
before the demigod Varuna and accused him of taking a bath in
the river at the wrong time. According to astronomical
calculations, the time in which he took a bath was considered
demoniac. The fact was that Nanda Maharaja wanted to take a
bath in the river Yamuna early in the morning before the
sunrise, but somehow or other he was a little too early, and he
bathed at an inauspicious time. Consequently he was arrested.
When Nanda Maharaja was taken away by one of Varuna's servants,
Nanda's companions began to call loudly for Krsna and Balarama.
Immediately Krsna and Balarama could understand that Nanda
Maharaja had been taken by a servant of Varuna. Thus They
went to the abode of Varuna, for They were pledged to give
protection to the inhabitants of Vrndavana, who were all
unalloyed devotees of the Lord. Devotees, having no shelter
other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, naturally cry
to Him for help, exactly like children who do not know anything
but the protection of their parents.
The demigod Varuna received Lord Krsna and Balarama with great
respect and said, "My dear Lord, actually at this very moment,
because of Your presence, my life as the demigod Varuna has
become successful. Although I am the proprietor of all the
treasures in the water, I know that such possessions do not
make for a successful life. But at this moment, as I look at
You, my life is made completely successful because by seeing
You I no longer have to accept a material body. Therefore, O
Lord, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Supreme Brahman and
Supersoul of everything, let me offer my respectful obeisances
unto You. You are the supreme transcendental personality; there
is no possibility of imposing the influence of material nature
upon You. I am very sorry that my foolish man, by not knowing
what to do or what not to do, has mistakenly arrested Your
father, Nanda Maharaja. So I beg Your pardon for the offense of
my servant. I think that it was Your plan to show me Your mercy
by Your personal presence here. My dear Lord Krsna, Govinda, be
merciful upon me -- here is Your father. You can take him back
immediately."
In this way Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
rescued His father and presented him before his friends,
bringing them great jubilation. Nanda Maharaja was surprised
that although the demigod was so opulent, he offered such
respect to Krsna. That was very astonishing to Nanda, and he
began to describe the incident to his friends and relatives
with great wonder.
Actually, although Krsna was acting so wonderfully, Maharaja
Nanda and Mother Yasoda could not think of Him as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Instead, they always accepted Him as
their beloved child. Thus Nanda Maharaja did not accept the
fact that Varuna worshiped Krsna because He is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead; rather he took it that because Krsna
was such a wonderful child He was respected even by Varuna. The
friends of Nanda Maharaja, all the cowherd men, became eager to
know if Krsna was actually the Supreme Personality and if He
was going to give them all salvation. When they were all thus
consulting among themselves, Krsna understood their minds, and
in order to assure them of their destiny in the spiritual
kingdom, He showed them the spiritual sky. Generally, ordinary
persons are engaged simply in working hard in the material
world, and they have no information that there is another
kingdom or another sky, which is known as the spiritual sky,
where life is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. As it
is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, a person returning to that
spiritual sky never returns to this material world of death and
suffering.
Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always eager to
give information to the conditioned soul that there is a
spiritual sky far, far beyond this material sky, transcendental
to the innumerable universes created within the total material
energy. Krsna is, of course, always very kind to every
conditioned soul, but, as stated in the Bhagavad-gita, He is
especially inclined to the pure devotees. Hearing their
inquiries, Krsna immediately thought that His devotees in
Vrndavana should be informed of the spiritual sky and the
Vaikuntha planets therein.
Within the material world, every conditioned soul is in the
darkness of ignorance. This means that all conditioned souls
are under the concept of bodily existence. Everyone is under
the impression that he is of this material world, and with this
concept of life everyone is working in ignorance in different
forms of life. The activities of the particular type of body
are called karma, or fruitive action. All conditioned souls,
being under the impression of the bodily concept, are working
according to their particular type of body. These activities
are creating their future conditioned life. Because they have
very little information of the spiritual world, they do not
generally take to spiritual activities, which are called bhakti-
yoga. Those who successfully practice bhakti-yoga go directly
to the spiritual world after giving up this present body, and
there they become situated in one of
the Vaikuntha planets. The inhabitants of Vrndavana are all
pure devotees. Their destination after quitting the body is
Krsnaloka. They even surpass the Vaikunthalokas. The fact is
that those who are always engaged in Krsna consciousness and
mature, pure devotional service are given the chance, after
death, to gain Krsna's association in one of the universes
within the material world. Krsna's pastimes are continuously
going on, either in this universe or in another universe. Just
as the sun globe is passing over many places across this
earthly planet, so krsna-lila, or the transcendental advent and
pastimes of Krsna, are also going on continuously, either in
this or another universe. The mature devotees, who have
completely executed Krsna consciousness, are immediately
transferred to the universe where Krsna is appearing. In that
universe the devotees get their first opportunity to associate
with Krsna personally and directly. The training goes on, as we
see in the vrndavana-lila of Krsna within this planet. Krsna
therefore revealed the actual features of the Vaikuntha planets
so that the inhabitants of Vrndavana could know their
destination.
Thus Krsna showed them the eternal, ever-existing spiritual sky,
which is unlimited and full of knowledge. Within this material
world there are different grades of forms, and according to
the grade, knowledge is proportionately manifested. For
example, the knowledge in the body of a child is not as perfect
as the knowledge in the body of an adult man. Everywhere there
are different grades of living entities -- in aquatic
animals, in the plants and trees, in the reptiles and insects,
in birds and beasts and in the civilized and uncivilized human
forms of life. Above the human form of life there are demigods,
Caranas and Siddhas on up to Brahmaloka, where Lord Brahma
lives, and among these demigods there are always different
grades of knowledge. But past this material world, in the
spiritual sky, everyone is in full knowledge, and therefore all
the living entities there are engaged in devotional service to
the Lord, either in the Vaikuntha planets or in Krsnaloka.
As it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, full knowledge means
knowing Krsna to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the
Vedas and the Bhagavad-gita it is also stated that in the
brahma-jyoti, or spiritual sky, there is no need of
sunlight, moonlight or electricity. All the planets there
are self-illuminating, and all of them are eternally situated.
There is no question of creation and annihilation in the
brahma-jyoti, or spiritual sky. The Bhagavad-gita also
confirms that beyond the material sky there is another, eternal,
spiritual sky, where everything is eternally existing.
Direct knowledge of the spiritual sky can be had only by
great sages and saintly persons who have already surpassed the
influence of the three material modes of nature by engaging in
devotional service, or Krsna consciousness. Unless one is
constantly situated on that transcendental platform, it is not
possible to understand the spiritual nature.
Therefore it is recommended that one should take to bhakti-yoga
and keep himself engaged twenty-four hours a day in Krsna
consciousness, which places one beyond the reach of the modes
of material nature. One in Krsna consciousness can easily
understand the nature of the spiritual sky and Vaikunthaloka.
The inhabitants of Vrndavana, being always engaged in Krsna
consciousness, could therefore very easily understand the
transcendental nature of the Vaikunthalokas.
Thus Krsna led all the cowherd men, headed by Nanda Maharaja,
to the lake where Akrura would later be shown the Vaikuntha
planetary system. They took their bath immediately and saw the
real nature of the Vaikunthalokas. After seeing the spiritual
sky and the Vaikunthalokas, all the men, headed by Nanda
Maharaja, felt wonderfully blissful, and upon coming out of the
lake, they saw Krsna, who was being worshiped with excellent
prayers.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Twenty-eighth
Chapter of Krsna, "Releasing Nanda Maharaja from the Clutches
of Varuna."
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