Krishna Lila Varnanam Part 3
BhajanBhaktivinoda Thakura
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BhajanBhaktivinoda Thakura
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(1) karma-kāṇḍa-svarūpo'yaḿ māgadhaḥ kaḿsa-bāndhavaḥ rurodha mathurāḿ ramyāḿ brahma-jñāna-svarūpiṇī (2) māyayā bāndhavān kṛṣṇo nītavān dvārakāḿ purīm mlecchatā-yavanaḿ hitvā sa-rāmo gatavān hariḥ (3) mucukundaḿ mahārājaḿ mukti-mārgādhikāriṇam padāhanad durācāras tasya tejohatas tadā (4) aiśvarya-jñāna-mayyāḿ vai dvārakāyāḿ gato hariḥ uvāha rukmiṇīḿ devīḿ paramaiśvarya-rūpiṇīm (5) pradyumnaḥ kāma-rūpo vai jātas tasyāḥ hṛtas tadā māyā-rūpeṇa daityena śambareṇa durātmanā (6) svapatnyā rati-devyā saḥ śikṣitaḥ paravīrahā nihatya śambaraḿ kāmo dvārakāḿ gatavāḿs tadā (7) māna-mayyāś ca rādhāyāḥ satyabhāmāḿ kalāḿ śubhām upayeme hariḥ prītyā maṇy-uddhāra-cchalena ca (8) mādhurya-hlādinī-śakteḥ praticchāyā svarūpakāḥ rukmiṇyādyā mahiṣyo'ṣṭa kṛṣṇasyāntaḥ-pure kila (9) aiśvarye phalavān kṛṣṇaḥ santater vistṛtir yataḥ sātvatāḿ vaḿśa-saḿvṛddhiḥ dvārakāyāḿ satāḿ hṛdi (10) sthūlārtha-bodhake granthe na teṣām artha-nirṇayaḥ pṛthag-rūpeṇa kartavyaḥ sudhiyaḥ prathayantu tat (11) advaita-rūpiṇaḿ daityaḿ hatvā kāśīḿ ramā-patiḥ hara-dhāmādahat kṛṣṇas tad-duṣṭa-mata-pīṭhakam (12) bhaumabuddhimayaḿ bhaumaḿ hatvā sa garuḍāsanaḥ uddhṛtya ramaṇīvṛndamupayeme priyaḥ satām (13) ghāṭayitvā jarāsandhaḿ bhīmena dharma-bhrātṛṇā amocayad bhūmi-pālān karma-pāśasya bandhanāt (14) yajñe ca dharma-putrasya labdhvā pūjām aśeṣataḥ cakarta śiśupālasya śiraḥ sandveṣṭur ātmanaḥ (15) kurukṣetra-raṇe kṛṣṇo dharā-bhāraḿ nivartya saḥ samāja-rakṣaṇaḿ kāryam akarot karuṇā-mayaḥ (16) sarvāsāḿ mahiṣīṇāḿ ca pratisadma hariḿ muniḥ dṛṣṭvā ca nārado'gacchad vismayaḿ tattva-nirṇaye (17) kadarya-bhāva-rūpaḥ sa dantavakro hatas tadā subhadrāḿ dharma-bhrātre hi narāya dattavān prabhuḥ (18) śālvamāyāḿ nāśayitvā rarakṣa dvārakāḿ purīm nṛgaḿ tu kṛkalāsatvāt karma-pāśād amocayat (19) sudāmnā prīti-dattaḿ ca taṇḍulaḿ bhuktavān hariḥ pāṣaṇḍānāḿ pradattena miṣṭena na tathā sukhī (20) balo'pi śuddha-jīvo'yaḿ kṛṣṇa-prema-vaśaḿ gataḥ avadhīd dividaḿ mūḍhaḿ nirīśvara-pramodakam (21) sva-saḿvin-nirmite dhāmni hṛd-gate rohiṇī-sutaḥ gopībhir bhāva-rūpābhī reme bṛhad-vanāntare (22) bhaktānāḿ hṛdaye śaśvat kṛṣṇa-līlā pravartate naṭo'pi sva-puraḿ yāti bhaktānāḿ jīvanātyaye (23) kṛṣṇecchā kāla-rūpā sā yādavān bhāva-rūpakān nivartya rańgataḥ sādhvī dvārakāḿ plāvayat tadā (24) prabhāse bhagavaj-jñāne jarākrāntān kalevarān paraspara-vivādena mocayāmāsa nandinī (25) kṛṣṇa-bhāva-svarūpo'pi jarākrāntāt kalevarāt nirgato gokulaḿ prāpto mahimni sve mahīyate
(1) There are two types of activities—self-centered and God-centered. God-centered activities are called karma-yoga, because such activities nourish one's knowledge, and this knowledge along with those activities enhance one's attachment to the Lord. This mixture of karma, jnana, and bhakti is called karma-yoga by some people, jnana-yoga by others, and bhakti-yoga by still others. The swanlike people call it a synthesis of yoga. Those activities that are self-centered are called fruitive activities. Fruitive activities generally create doubts, in the form of Astiand Prapti, in regard to the Lord. Fruitive activities then arrange their marriage with atheism [Kamsa]. This Jarasandha, the personification of fruitive activities, obstructs Mathura, the personification of spiritual knowledge. (2)–(3) By His sweet will, Sri Krishna took all His friends, the personifications of devotees, to Dvaraka, the personified abode of regulative devotional service. One who does not follow the rules and regulations of varnashrama is called a yavana. When a yavana performs illicit activities, he is degraded further into a mleccha. With the support of fruitive activities, this yavanawas inimical to knowledge. King Mucukunda, the personification of the path of liberation, was kicked by this yavana, and the wicked yavana was killed by powerful glance of Mucukunda. (4) While residing in Dvaraka, which is filled with the knowledge of opulence, the Lord married Rukmini, the personification of supreme opulence. (5) As soon as Pradyumna, the personification of Cupid, was born from the womb of Rukmini, he was immediately kidnapped by the cripple-minded Shambara, the personification ofmaya. (6) In ancient times Cupid's body was burned to ashes by the dry renunciate Mahadeva. At that time, Ratidevi, the personification of material enjoyment, took shelter of the demoniac nature. But when regulative devotional service arose, then Cupid was reborn in the form of Krishna's son. He then delivered his wife, Ratidevi, from the clutches of demoniac nature. The purport is that in yukta-vairagya, regulated lust and attachment are acceptable. Taking help from the teachings of his wife, the most powerful Cupid killed Shambara, the personification of material enjoyment, and then returned to Dvaraka with his wife. (7) After recovering the jewel, the Lord married Satyabhama, who personifies a portion of Radharani's jealous pride. (8) Krishna's eight queens, headed by Rukmini, were reflections of the opulences of the hladini aspect and were very dear to Krishna. (9) The sentiments of the Lord in His sweet feature are unbroken, but the sentiments of the Lord in Dvaraka, the shelter of opulent regulative devotional service, are not like that, because many sons and grandsons expand His family of those sentiments. (10) In this book, which explains the gross meanings, it is very difficult to explain the meanings of those sons and grandsons. Some intelligent persons should elaborately describe their meaning in a separate book. (11) The demoniac philosophy, in the form of monism, took birth in Kasi, the abode of Shiva, wherein a wretched person claimed to be Vasudeva (Paundraka) and preached that demoniac philosophy. The Lord, who is the husband of Rama, killed him and burned Kasi, the home of that demoniac philosophy. (12) Narakasura is also called Bhauma, because he considered the Absolute Truth to be mundane. The Lord, who sits on Garuda, killed Narakasura, and after delivering the queens, He married them. The conception of the Deity as an idol is abominable, because it is foolish to consider the Absolute Truth to be mundane. There is a great difference between serving the Deity of the Lord and worshiping idols. Deity worship is an indicator of the Absolute Truth, because by this process one attains the Absolute Truth. Idol worship, however, means to accept a material form or formlessness as the Absolute Truth, in other words, to accept a material form as the Supreme Lord. The Lord ultimately delivered and accepted those people who were of this opinion. (13) The Lord had Jarasandha killed by Bhima, the brother of Dharma. He then rescued many kings from the bondage of karma. (14) The Lord accepted unlimited worship in Yudhisthira's sacrifice and severed the head of Sisupala, the personification of envy. (15) The Lord protected society by reestablishing the principles of religion, and He removed the burden of the world by arranging the Battle of Kurukshetra. (16) Narada Muni visited Dvaraka and was struck with the depth of the Absolute Truth when he saw that Krishna was simultaneously present in each of the queens' houses. It is very wonderful that the Supreme Lord is simultaneously and fully present everywhere—within the heart of all living entities and engaged in various pastimes. The quality of omnipresence is insignificant for the Almighty Lord. (17) Dantavakra, the personification of uncivilized man, was killed by the Lord. The Lord then arranged the marriage of His sister, Subhadra, with Arjuna, the brother of Yudhisthira. In order to establish a relationship between the Lord and an enjoyed living entity who has not developed the nature of being the Lord's consort, the hladini aspect of the mood of friendship selects an inconceivable devotee to take the role of Subhadra, who becomes very near to the Lord as His sister. Subhadra is to be enjoyed by a devotee like Arjuna. This relationship, however, is not as exalted as found in Vraja. (18) The Lord protected Dvaraka by killing Salva, who possessed mystical powers. The scientific arts are most insignificant before the Lord. King Nrga was suffering the results of his bad karma in the form of a lizard, but he was delivered by the mercy of the Lord. (19) If the most relishable item is offered by a nondevotee, the Lord does not accept it. But if an ordinary item is offered with love, the Lord accepts it. This was demonstrated when the Lord ate the rice that Sudama offered. (20) The monkey Dvivida, the personification of godlessness, was killed by Baladeva, who possesses ecstatic love for Krishna and who is the reservoir of all living entities. (21) In the forests of Vraja, which are created by the samvit aspect of the marginal potency, Sri Baladeva performed conjugal pastimes with the gopis, the personifications of ecstatic love. (22) All these pastimes are situated in the hearts of the devotees, but when the devotees give up their material bodies, the pastimes disappear just as an actor leaves the stage. (23) The desire of Krishna, in the form of time, separated the Yadavas, the personifications of affectionate love, from the pastimes of the Lord and flooded the abode of Dvaraka in the waves of the ocean of forgetfulness. The desire of Krishna is always pure and devoid of all inauspiciousness. In order to transfer His devotees to Vaikuntha, the Lord separates them from their material bodies. (24) This desire of Krishna, which bestows the topmost happiness, obliged the devotees to give up their old decrepit bodies in Prabhasa-ksetra, the personification of knowledge of the Absolute Truth. When the body becomes useless, then all the parts and limbs do not cooperate with each other—they quarrel. Especially at the time of death, all the parts and limbs become senseless; but in the hearts of devotees, remembrance is never lost. (25) At the time of giving up the body, the mood that is present in the heart of a devotee accompanies the pure soul to his glorious position, and the devotee then eternally resides in the portion of Vaikuntha called Gokula.