Canto
10
Canto
10
Chapter 2: Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Krishna in the Womb
(1-2) S'rî S'uka said: 'Under the protection of the mighty king of Maghada, Jarâsandha [see 9.22: 8], was there with the assistance of Pralamba, Baka, Cânûra, Trinâvarta, Aghâsura, Mushthika, Arishtha, Dvivida, Pûtanâ, Kes'î, Dhenuka, [Narakâsura] and such characters and asura kings like Bâna, Bhaumâsura and more of those, a systematic persecution of the kings of Yadu. (3) They, harassed, sought shelter in the countries of the Kurus and Pañcâlas, the Kekayas, the S'âlvas, the Vidharbas, the Nishadhas, the Videhas and the Kos'alas. (4-5) Some of their relatives though began to follow the same policy that he, the son of Ugrasena [Kamsa], had with his killing of six of the children born from Devakî. The seventh one, a plenary expansion of Vishnu, who was celebrated with the name of Ananta, was [thus] as an embryo in the womb of Devakî the cause of as well pleasure as sorrow. (6) The Supreme Lord who is also the Supersoul of each living being [see also B.G. 10: 11], understanding the fear for Kamsa of the Yadus who sought Him as their supreme refuge, directed His spiritual potency [Yogamâyâ] as follows. (7) 'O Devî, so auspicious, go to Vraja beautiful with her cowherds and cows, where Rohinî and other wives of Vasudeva are living in the cowherd-community [Gokula] of Nanda in seclusion out of fear for Kamsa. (8) In the womb of Devakî there is the embryo known as [Ananta-] S'esha that is a plenary expansion of Me; make a smooth transfer by motivating Him to move out of her into the womb of Rohinî [*]. (9) Then will I with My full potency do My share in becoming Devakî's son, o all-auspicious one, while you as well will appear as the daughter of Yas'odâ, the wife of Nanda. (10) The people [the s'âktas as opposed to the Vaishnavas] will with incense worship you as the fulfillment of all their desires in different forms of sacrifice, because you for all that one may desire are the one capable of bestowing the blessings. (11-12) Depending on the place on earth [**] will you be given different names like Durgâ, Bhadrakâli, Vijayâ, Vaishnavî and Kumudâ, Candikâ, Krishnâ, Mâdhavî, Kanyakâ [or Kanyâ-kumârî], and Mâyâ, Nârâyanî, Îs'ânî, S'âradâ and also Ambikâ [***]. (13) Because of His changing wombs will the people of the world address Him [the son of Rohinî] with the name of Sankarshana, for His bringing pleasure to the people [making them devotees] is He called [Bala-]Râma and for His great physical strength is He called Balabhadra.'
(14) Thus instructed by the Supreme Lord she responded with 'So be it' and 'Om', thus accepting His order, and after circumambulating Him descended she to execute exactly as was told [compare B.G. 16: 24]. (15) When Devakî's embryo by the slumber of yoga [or Yogamâyâ, see B.G. 2: 69] was transferred to Rohinî lamented everyone 'Alas, the baby is lost' [thinking it was a miscarriage]. (16) The Supreme Lord, the one love of all who always puts an end to the fear of His devotees, then with all the potency of His grace entered the mind of Vasudeva [see also 3.2: 15]. (17) He, carrying the spiritual effulgence of the Original Personality, shone like the sun and became difficult to behold or approach for each and everyone. (18) Thereafter was He, the Blessing of All the Universe Infallible in All His Parts, from mind to mind by the son of S'ûrasena [Vasudeva] fully transferred so that the Supreme Soul and Cause of all Causes was carried by his devî [Devakî] who bloomed of happiness like the eastern sky ['with the transference of the light of a setting sun to a rising moon']. (19) Devakî with in her womb having the Sustainer of All the Universes, could in that situation, as the flames of a fire confined in the Bhoja-house, not distribute her light just like it is with the knowledge of a person unable to express himself [*4]. (20) Kamsa seeing her, who with the beauty of the radiance of having the Invincible One within her cleared the entire atmosphere with her brilliant smiles, said to himself: 'The one who now has entered the womb of Devakî for sure is the Lord who is going to kill me; she never before looked like this! (21) How must I, considering that the Holy Example will not give up His prowess, proceed now not to neglect my interest? The killing of a woman, of my sister, especially when she is pregnant, will for ever vanquish my fame and opulence and shorten my life span. (22) That person is dead even being alive who lives his life with much cruelty; when the body is finished will all human beings condemn him and will he with his bodily concept of life [see also 7.5: 30 and 5.5: 5 and B.G. 16: 18-21] no doubt enter the deepest darkness [Andhatama, see also 3.20: 18 and 5.26: 9].'
(23) Thus contemplating the ghastly idea of murder, refrained he, keeping himself under control, from following that course. Persisting in enmity he awaited the moment the Lord would be born. (24) Sitting or lying down, wherever he was, ate, walked or went thought he [in hate thus] of Hrishîkes'a, the Lord of the Senses, thinking the whole world to be Him and nothing more.(25) But Lord Brahmâ, Lord S'iva arriving there with the sages, Nârada and other godly personalities and their followers all together with their transcendental prayers pleased Him, the Blessing of All: (26) 'The truth of the vow [see 9.24: 56 and B.G. 9: 22], the truth of the Supreme, the truth in the threefold [of e.g. past, present and future] You are; You are the source of all truth pervading all truths, who of the truth of the elements and of all [the relative] that is held true is the original truth; of each sacred truth being the origin is everything true pertaining to You, whom we offer our full surrender. (27) One in dependence [on matter], two in the fruitful [happy/unhappy], three in its roots [the modes] four in tastes [the purushârthas], five in knowing [the senses], six in conditions [of lamentation, illusion, old age, death, hunger and thirst], seven in layers ['the bark' or the koshas], eight in its branches [the elements, mind, intelligence and ego], with nine apertures, with the tenfold in its covering ['the leaves' or the ten airs, see 7.15: 42] and with two birds [the soul and Supersoul] in it, is indeed that body [individual as also the complete] the original tree. (28) You as the One and All art of this visible universe indeed the Original Source, Yours is the conservation upon annihilation; those whose intelligence is covered by Your mâyâ see You not in the manifold - not those do see who are void of spiritual learning. (29) Assuming all sorts of forms You nevertheless remain the intelligence above them when You for the sake of each living being everywhere, moving or nonmoving, as the transcendental happiness again and again annihilate all the inauspiciousness non-devoted that hinders the truthful. (30) Fully engaged in a constant meditation upon You as the abode of the complete of consciousness, o Lotus-eyed One, does one, by that one-pointedness as practiced by the greatest, board the boat of Your lotus feet that reduces the great ocean of nesciene to a calf's hoofprint [compare 10.1: 5-7]. (31) Personally crossing the fierce ocean of darkness that is so hard to overcome, o Light of the World, do the ones with plenty of love for the fallen souls [the advanced devotees] leave behind them the boat of Your lotus feet in this world as they head for the ultimate of You, ever so kind to the followers [see also B.G. 6: 44]. (32) All others, o Lotus-eyed One, who, in the illusion of being liberated variously speculate with an impure intelligence - even though they are successful in severe practices of penance -, fall, in neglect of Your feet, down from the highest position back into the material world again [see also B.G. 8: 15-16 and 5.6: 11]. (33) Unlike the non-devotees do they, the followers of devotion o Mâdhava, not fall away from the path because they are fully attached to You, so that protected by You they move without fear over the heads, o Master, of those who march in opposition [see also 1.5: 17 and B.G. 18: 78]. (34) For the purpose of maintaining does Your Lordship existing beyond the modes accept a form for the benefit and welfare of all the embodied who, as human people united performing to the Veda, in austerity and fully absorbed in Your worship do their offerings [see also B.G. 3: 9 & 18: 3]. (35) If the pure of existence, o Source of the World, would not be this constant of You, how could the wisdom have become that drives away the ignorance; the ignorance is completely vanquished by the awakening of that quality of You that Your Lordship exhibits and for which there is no alternative. (36) The name and form of You cannot be ascertained by the words and theses of those who look into the mind [only], o Lord, Your name and form are only realized by putting them in practice [see also 1.3: 37-38, 4.18: 5, 7.15: 58 and B.G: 6: 24 & 18: 55]. (37) Constantly hearing, reciting, remembering and contemplating Your auspicious names [see 7.5: 23-24] and forms is he who is of an undivided attention in action at Your lotus feet not able to imagine [a reality apart from You, see also 6.17: 28-31]. (38) It is the fortune of us here, o Lord, to have with this earth as the place of Your Lordship's feet the asura burden removed; due to the causeless mercy of the appearance of You as the Controller will we be as fortunate as to witness in heaven as well as on earth the marks of Your [with the conch, the lotus, the club and the disc] transcendentally decorated lotus feet. (39) For You there is no birth or death o Director of Our Lives, however, it goes without saying that the cause of appearing cannot be without the pleasure of Your pastimes; the birth, death and maintenance of the normal souls is by the external energy so arranged because of You, our Shelter Against All fear. (40) As a fish, as a horse, as a tortoise, as a lion, as a boar, as a swan [or selfrealized sage], as a king and as a man of learning among the godfearing [like Lord Vâmana] has Your Lordship appeared as avatâras; please now save us and the three worlds, o Controller, diminish the earth's burden, o Best of the Yadus, all our prayers are for You [see also 1.3]. (41) [and towards Devakî:] To our fortune, o mother is the Supreme Personality with all His energies now seen in your womb, so, for the Supreme Lord His auspiciousness for all, never fear the Bhoja-master [Kamsa] fixed on being killed by Him, the protector of the Yadu dynasty who will become Your son.'
(42) S'rî S'uka said: 'This way having offered prayers unto the Original Personality whose form is Transcendental [or Vishnu] returned all the demigods with Brahmâ and S'iva in front of them to their abodes.'
Second edition, loaded February 27, 2008.
Source texts:
Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Krishna in the Womb
S'rî S'uka said: 'Under the protection of the mighty king of Maghada, Jarâsandha [see 9.22: 8], was there with the assistance of Pralamba, Baka, Cânûra, Trinâvarta, Aghâsura, Mushthika, Arishtha, Dvivida, Pûtanâ, Kes'î, Dhenuka, [Narakâsura] and such characters and asura kings like Bâna, Bhaumâsura and more of those, a systematic persecution of the kings of Yadu.S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: Under the protection of Magadharâja, Jarâsandha, the powerful Kamsa began persecuting the kings of the Yadu dynasty. In this he had the cooperation of demons like Pralamba, Baka, Cânûra, Trinâvarta, Aghâsura, Mushthika, Arishtha, Dvivida, Pûtanâ, Kes'î, Dhenuka, Bânâsura, Narakâsura and many other demoniac kings on the surface of the earth. (Vedabase)
They, harassed, sought shelter in the countries of the Kurus and Pañcâlas, the Kekayas, the S'âlvas, the Vidharbas, the Nishadhas, the Videhas and the Kos'alas.
Persecuted by the demoniac kings, the Yadavas left their own kingdom and entered various others, like those of the Kurus, Pañcâlas, Kekayas, S'âlvas, Vidarbhas, Nishadhas, Videhas and Kos'alas. (Vedabase)
Some of their relatives though began to follow the same policy that he, the son of Ugrasena [Kamsa], had with his killing of six of the children born from Devakî. The seventh one, a plenary expansion of Vishnu, who was celebrated with the name of Ananta, was [thus] as an embryo in the womb of Devakî the cause of as well pleasure as sorrow.
Some of their relatives, however, began to follow Kamsa's principles and act in his service. After Kamsa, the son of Ugrasena, killed the six sons of Devakî, a plenary portion of Krishna entered her womb as her seventh child, arousing her pleasure and her lamentation. That plenary portion is celebrated by great sages as Ananta, who belongs to Krishna's second quadruple expansion. (Vedabase)
The Supreme Lord who is also the Supersoul of each living being [see also B.G. 10: 11], understanding the fear for Kamsa of the Yadus who sought Him as their supreme refuge, directed His spiritual potency [Yogamâyâ] as follows.
To protect the Yadus, His personal devotees, from Kamsa's attack, the Personality of Godhead, Vis'vâtmâ, the Supreme Soul of everyone, ordered Yogamâyâ as follows. (Vedabase)
'O Devî, so auspicious, go to Vraja beautiful with her cowherds and cows, where Rohinî and other wives of Vasudeva are living in the cowherd-community [Gokula] of Nanda in seclusion out of fear for Kamsa.
The Lord ordered Yogamâyâ: O My potency, who are worshipable for the entire world and whose nature is to bestow good fortune upon all living entities, go to Vraja, where there live many cowherd men and their wives. In that very beautiful land, where many cows reside, Rohinî, the wife of Vasudeva, is living at the home of Nanda Mahârâja. Other wives of Vasudeva are also living there incognito because of fear of Kamsa. Please go there. (Vedabase)
In the womb of Devakî there is the embryo known as [Ananta-] S'esha that is a plenary expansion of Me; make a smooth transfer by motivating Him to move out of her into the womb of Rohinî [*].
Within the womb of Devakî is My partial plenary expansion known as Sankarshana or S'esha. Without difficulty, transfer Him into the womb of Rohinî. (Vedabase)
Then will I with My full potency do My share in becoming Devakî's son, o all-auspicious one, while you as well will appear as the daughter of Yas'odâ, the wife of Nanda.
O all-auspicious Yogamâyâ, I shall then appear with My full six opulences as the son of Devakî, and you will appear as the daughter of mother Yas'odâ, the queen of Mahârâja Nanda. (Vedabase)
The people [the s'âktas as opposed to the Vaishnavas] will with incense worship you as the fulfillment of all their desires in different forms of sacrifice, because you for all that one may desire are the one capable of bestowing the blessings.
By sacrifices of animals, ordinary human beings will worship you gorgeously, with various paraphernalia, because you are supreme in fulfilling the material desires of everyone. (Vedabase)
Depending on the place on earth [**] will you be given different names like Durgâ, Bhadrakâli, Vijayâ, Vaishnavî and Kumudâ, Candikâ, Krishnâ, Mâdhavî, Kanyakâ [or Kanyâ-kumârî], and Mâyâ, Nârâyanî, Îs'ânî, S'âradâ and also Ambikâ [***].
Lord Krishna blessed Mâyâdevî by saying: In different places on the surface of the earth, people will give you different names, such as Durgâ, Bhadrakâlî, Vijayâ, Vaishnavî, Kumudâ, Candikâ, Krishnâ, Mâdhavî, Kanyakâ, Mâyâ, Nârâyanî, Îs'ânî, S'âradâ and Ambikâ. (Vedabase)
Because of His changing wombs will the people of the world address Him [the son of Rohinî] with the name of Sankarshana, for His bringing pleasure to the people [making them devotees] is He called [Bala-]Râma and for His great physical strength is He called Balabhadra.'
The son of Rohinî will also be celebrated as Sankarshana because of being sent from the womb of Devakî to the womb of Rohinî. He will be called Râma because of His ability to please all the inhabitants of Gokula, and He will be known as Balabhadra because of His extensive physical strength. (Vedabase)
Thus instructed by the Supreme Lord she responded with 'So be it' and 'Om', thus accepting His order, and after circumambulating Him descended she to execute exactly as was told [compare B.G. 16: 24].
Thus instructed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Yogamâyâ immediately agreed. With the Vedic mantra om, she confirmed that she would do what He asked. Thus having accepted the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, she circumambulated Him and started for the place on earth known as Nanda-gokula. There she did everything just as she had been told. (Vedabase)
When Devakî's embryo by the slumber of yoga [or Yogamâyâ, see B.G. 2: 69] was transferred to Rohinî lamented everyone 'Alas, the baby is lost' [thinking it was a miscarriage].
When the child of Devakî was attracted and transferred into the womb of Rohinî by Yogamâyâ, Devakî seemed to have a miscarriage. Thus all the inhabitants of the palace loudly lamented, "Alas, Devakî has lost her child! (Vedabase)
The Supreme Lord, the one love of all who always puts an end to the fear of His devotees, then with all the potency of His grace entered the mind of Vasudeva [see also 3.2: 15].
Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoul of all living entities and who vanquishes all the fear of His devotees, entered the mind of Vasudeva in full opulence. (Vedabase)
He, carrying the spiritual effulgence of the Original Personality, shone like the sun and became difficult to behold or approach for each and everyone.
While carrying the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the core of his heart, Vasudeva bore the Lord's transcendentally illuminating effulgence, and thus he became as bright as the sun. He was therefore very difficult to see or approach through sensory perception. Indeed, he was unapproachable and unperceivable even for such formidable men as Kamsa, and not only for Kamsa but for all living entities. (Vedabase)
Thereafter was He, the Blessing of All the Universe Infallible in All His Parts, from mind to mind by the son of S'ûrasena [Vasudeva] fully transferred so that the Supreme Soul and Cause of all Causes was carried by his devî [Devakî] who bloomed of happiness like the eastern sky ['with the transference of the light of a setting sun to a rising moon'].
Thereafter, accompanied by plenary expansions, the fully opulent Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is all-auspicious for the entire universe, was transferred from the mind of Vasudeva to the mind of Devakî. Devakî, having thus been initiated by Vasudeva, became beautiful by carrying Lord Krishna, the original consciousness for everyone, the cause of all causes, within the core of her heart, just as the east becomes beautiful by carrying the rising moon. (Vedabase)
That Devakî with in her womb having the Sustainer of All the Universes could, as the flames of a fire confined. in the Bhoja-house not distribute her light just like it is with the knowledge of a person unable to express himself [*4].
Devakî then kept within herself the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the foundation of the entire cosmos, but because she was under arrest in the house of Kamsa, she was like the flames of a fire covered by the walls of a pot, or like a person who has knowledge but cannot distribute it to the world for the benefit of human society. (Vedabase)
Kamsa seeing her, who with the beauty of the radiance of having the Invincible One within her cleared the entire atmosphere with her brilliant smiles, said to himself: 'The one who now has entered the womb of Devakî for sure is the Lord who is going to kill me; she never before looked like this!
Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead was within her womb, Devakî illuminated the entire atmosphere in the place where she was confined. Seeing her jubilant, pure and smiling, Kamsa thought, "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu, who is now within her, will kill me. Devakî has never before looked so brilliant and jubilant." (Vedabase)
How must I, considering that the Holy Example will not give up His prowess, proceed now not to neglect my interest? The killing of a woman, of my sister, especially when she is pregnant, will for ever vanquish my fame and opulence and shorten my life span.
Kamsa thought: What is my duty now? The Supreme Lord, who knows His purpose [paritrânâya sâdhûnâm vinâs'âya ca dushkritâm Bg. 4.8], will not give up His prowess. Devakî is a woman, she is my sister, and moreover she is now pregnant. If I kill her, my reputation, opulence and duration of life will certainly be vanquished. (Vedabase)
That person is dead even being alive who lives his life with much cruelty; when the body is finished will all human beings condemn him and will he with his bodily concept of life [see also 7.5: 30 and 5.5: 5 and B.G. 16: 18-21] no doubt enter the deepest darkness [Andhatama, see also 3.20: 18 and 5.26: 9].'
A person who is very cruel is regarded as dead even while living, for while he is living or after his death, everyone condemns him. And after the death of a person in the bodily concept of life, he is undoubtedly transferred to the hell known as Andhatama. (Vedabase)
Thus contemplating the ghastly idea of murder, refrained he, keeping himself under control, from following that course. Persisting in enmity he awaited the moment the Lord would be born.
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: Deliberating in this way, Kamsa, although determined to continue in enmity toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead, refrained from the vicious killing of his sister. He decided to wait until the Lord was born and then do what was needed. (Vedabase)
Sitting or lying down, wherever he was, ate, walked or went thought he [in hate thus] of Hrishîkes'a, the Lord of the Senses, thinking the whole world to be Him and nothing more.
While sitting on his throne or in his sitting room, while lying on his bed, or, indeed, while situated anywhere, and while eating, sleeping or walking, Kamsa saw only his enemy, the Supreme Lord, Hrishîkes'a. In other words, by thinking of his all-pervading enemy, Kamsa became unfavorably Krishna conscious. (Vedabase)
But Lord Brahmâ, Lord S'iva arriving there with the sages, Nârada and other godly personalities and their followers all together with their transcendental prayers pleased Him, the Blessing of All:
Lord Brahmâ and Lord S'iva, accompanied by great sages like Nârada, Devala and Vyâsa and by other demigods like Indra, Candra and Varuna, invisibly approached the room of Devakî, where they all joined in offering their respectful obeisances and prayers to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can bestow blessings upon everyone. (Vedabase)
'The truth of the vow [see 9.24: 56 and B.G. 9: 22], the truth of the Supreme, the truth in the threefold [of e.g. past, present and future] You are; You are the source of all truth pervading all truths, who of the truth of the elements and of all [the relative] that is held true is the original truth; of each sacred truth being the origin is everything true pertaining to You, whom we offer our full surrender.
The demigods prayed: O Lord, You never deviate from Your vow, which is always perfect because whatever You decide is perfectly correct and cannot be stopped by anyone. Being present in the three phases of cosmic manifestation: creation, maintenance and annihilation: You are the Supreme Truth. Indeed, unless one is completely truthful, one cannot achieve Your favor, which therefore cannot be achieved by hypocrites. You are the active principle, the real truth, in all the ingredients of creation, and therefore you are known as antaryâmî, the inner force. You are equal to everyone, and Your instructions apply for everyone, for all time. You are the beginning of all truth. Therefore, offering our obeisances, we surrender unto You. Kindly give us protection. (Vedabase)
One in dependence [on matter], two in the fruitful [happy/unhappy], three in its roots [the modes] four in tastes [the purushârthas], five in knowing [the senses], six in conditions [of lamentation, illusion, old age, death, hunger and thirst], seven in layers ['the bark' or the koshas], eight in its branches [the elements, mind, intelligence and ego], with nine apertures, with the tenfold in its covering ['the leaves' or the ten airs, see 7.15: 42] and with two birds [the soul and Supersoul] in it, is indeed that body [individual as also the complete] the original tree.
The body [the total body and the individual body are of the same composition] may figuratively be called "the original tree." From this tree, which fully depends on the ground of material nature, come two kinds of fruit: the enjoyment of happiness and the suffering of distress. The cause of the tree, forming its three roots, is association with the three modes of material nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. The fruits of bodily happiness have four tastes: religiosity, economic development, sense gratification and liberation: which are experienced through five senses for acquiring knowledge in the midst of six circumstances: lamentation, illusion, old age, death, hunger and thirst. The seven layers of bark covering the tree are skin, blood, muscle, fat, bone, marrow and semen, and the eight branches of the tree are the five gross and three subtle elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. The tree of the body has nine hollows: the eyes, the ears, the nostrils, the mouth, the rectum and the genitals: and ten leaves, the ten airs passing through the body. In this tree of the body there are two birds: one is the individual soul, and the other is the Supersoul. (Vedabase)
You as the One and All art of this visible universe indeed the Original Source, Yours is the conservation upon annihilation; those whose intelligence is covered by Your mâyâ see You not in the manifold - not those do see who are void of spiritual learning.
The efficient cause of this material world, manifested with its many varieties as the original tree, is You, O Lord. You are also the maintainer of this material world, and after annihilation You are the one in whom everything is conserved. Those who are covered by Your external energy cannot see You behind this manifestation, but theirs is not the vision of learned devotees. (Vedabase)
Assuming all sorts of forms You nevertheless remain the intelligence above them when You for the sake of each living being everywhere, moving or nonmoving, as the transcendental happiness again and again annihilate all the inauspiciousness non-devoted that hinders the truthful.
O Lord, You are always in full knowledge, and to bring all good fortune to all living entities, You appear in different incarnations, all of them transcendental to the material creation. When You appear in these incarnations, You are pleasing to the pious and religious devotees, but for nondevotees You are the annihilator. (Vedabase)
Fully engaged in a constant meditation upon You as the abode of the complete of consciousness, o Lotus-eyed One, does one, by that one-pointedness as practiced by the greatest, board the boat of Your lotus feet that reduces the great ocean of nesciene to a calf's hoofprint [compare 10.1: 5-7].
O lotus-eyed Lord, by concentrating one's meditation on Your lotus feet, which are the reservoir of all existence, and by accepting those lotus feet as the boat by which to cross the ocean of nescience, one follows in the footsteps of mahâjanas [great saints, sages and devotees]. By this simple process, one can cross the ocean of nescience as easily as one steps over the hoofprint of a calf. (Vedabase)
Personally crossing the fierce ocean of darkness that is so hard to overcome, o Light of the World, do the ones with plenty of love for the fallen souls [the advanced devotees] leave behind them the boat of Your lotus feet in this world as they head for the ultimate of You, ever so kind to the followers [see also B.G. 6: 44].
O Lord, who resemble the shining sun, You are always ready to fulfill the desire of Your devotee, and therefore You are known as a desire tree [vâñchâ-kalpataru]. When âcâryas completely take shelter under Your lotus feet in order to cross the fierce ocean of nescience, they leave behind on earth the method by which they cross, and because You are very merciful to Your other devotees, You accept this method to help them. (Vedabase)
All others, o Lotus-eyed One, who, in the illusion of being liberated variously speculate with an impure intelligence - even though they are successful in severe practices of penance -, fall, in neglect of Your feet, down from the highest position back into the material world again [see also B.G. 8: 15-16 and 5.6: 11].
[Someone may say that aside from devotees, who always seek shelter at the Lord's lotus feet, there are those who are not devotees but who have accepted different processes for attaining salvation. What happens to them? In answer to this question, Lord Brahmâ and the other demigods said:] O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet. (Vedabase)
Unlike the non-devotees do they, the followers of devotion o Mâdhava, not fall away from the path because they are fully attached to You, so that protected by You they move without fear over the heads, o Master, of those who march in opposition [see also 1.5: 17 and B.G. 18: 78].
O Mâdhava, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord of the goddess of fortune, if devotees completely in love with You sometimes fall from the path of devotion, they do not fall like nondevotees, for You still protect them. Thus they fearlessly traverse the heads of their opponents and continue to progress in devotional service. (Vedabase)
For the purpose of maintaining does Your Lordship existing beyond the modes accept a form for the benefit and welfare of all the embodied who, as human people united performing to the Veda, in austerity and fully absorbed in Your worship do their offerings [see also B.G. 3: 9 & 18: 3].
O Lord, during the time of maintenance You manifest several incarnations, all with transcendental bodies, beyond the material modes of nature. When You appear in this way, You bestow all good fortune upon the living entities by teaching them to perform Vedic activities such as ritualistic ceremonies, mystic yoga, austerities, penances, and ultimately samâdhi, ecstatic absorption in thoughts of You. Thus You are worshiped by the Vedic principles. (Vedabase)
If the pure of existence, o Source of the World, would not be this constant of You, how could the wisdom have become that drives away the ignorance; the ignorance is completely vanquished by the awakening of that quality of You that Your Lordship exhibits and for which there is no alternative.
O Lord, cause of all causes, if Your transcendental body were not beyond the modes of material nature, one could not understand the difference between matter and transcendence. Only by Your presence can one understand the transcendental nature of Your Lordship, who are the controller of material nature. Your transcendental nature is very difficult to understand unless one is influenced by the presence of Your transcendental form. (Vedabase)
The name and form of You cannot be ascertained by the words and theses of those who look into the mind [only], o Lord, Your name and form are only realized by putting them in practice [see also 1.3: 37-38, 4.18: 5, 7.15: 58 and B.G: 6: 24 & 18: 55]
O Lord, Your transcendental name and form are not ascertained by those who merely speculate on the path of imagination. Your name, form and attributes can be ascertained only through devotional service. (Vedabase)
Constantly hearing, reciting, remembering and contemplating Your auspicious names [see 7.5: 23-24] and forms is he who is of an undivided attention in action at Your lotus feet not able to imagine [a reality apart from You, see also 6.17: 28-31].
Even while engaged in various activities, devotees whose minds are completely absorbed at Your lotus feet, and who constantly hear, chant, contemplate and cause others to remember Your transcendental names and forms, are always on the transcendental platform, and thus they can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Vedabase)
It is the fortune of us here, o Lord, to have with this earth as the place of Your Lordship's feet the asura burden removed; due to the causeless mercy of the appearance of You as the Controller will we be as fortunate as to witness in heaven as well as on earth the marks of Your [with the conch, the lotus, the club and the disc] transcendentally decorated lotus feet.
O Lord, we are fortunate because the heavy burden of the demons upon this earth is immediately removed by Your appearance. Indeed, we are certainly fortunate, for we shall be able to see upon this earth and in the heavenly planets the marks of lotus, conchshell, club and disc that adorn Your lotus feet. (Vedabase)
For You there is no birth or death o Director of Our Lives, however, it goes without saying that the cause of appearing cannot be without the pleasure of Your pastimes; the birth, death and maintenance of the normal souls is by the external energy so arranged because of You, our Shelter Against All fear.
O Supreme Lord, You are not an ordinary living entity appearing in this material world as a result of fruitive activities. Therefore Your appearance or birth in this world has no other cause than Your pleasure potency. Similarly, the living entities, who are part of You, have no cause for miseries like birth, death and old age, except when these living entities are conducted by Your external energy. (Vedabase)
As a fish, as a horse, as a tortoise, as a lion, as a boar, as a swan [or selfrealized sage], as a king and as a man of learning among the godfearing [like Lord Vâmana] has Your Lordship appeared as avatâras; please now save us and the three worlds, o Controller, diminish the earth's burden, o Best of the Yadus, all our prayers are for You [see also 1.3].
O supreme controller, Your Lordship previously accepted incarnations as a fish, a horse, a tortoise, Narasimhadeva, a boar, a swan, Lord Râmacandra, Paras'urâma and, among the demigods, Vâmanadeva, to protect the entire world by Your mercy. Now please protect us again by Your mercy by diminishing the disturbances in this world. O Krishna, best of the Yadus, we respectfully offer our obeisances unto You. (Vedabase)
[and towards Devakî:] To our fortune, o mother is the Supreme Personality with all His energies now seen in your womb, so, for the Supreme Lord His auspiciousness for all, never fear the Bhoja-master [Kamsa] fixed on being killed by Him, the protector of the Yadu dynasty who will become Your son.'
O mother Devakî, by your good fortune and ours, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, with all His plenary portions, such as Baladeva, is now within your womb. Therefore you need not fear Kamsa, who has decided to be killed by the Lord. Your eternal son, Krishna , will be the protector of the entire Yadu dynasty. (Vedabase)
S'rî S'uka said: 'This way having offered prayers unto the Original Personality whose form is Transcendental [or Vishnu] returned all the demigods with Brahmâ and S'iva in front of them to their abodes.'
After thus offering prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu, the Transcendence, all the demigods, with Lord Brahmâ and Lord S'iva before them, returned to their homes in the heavenly planets. (Vedabase)
Footnotes :
*: Svâmî Prabhupâda comments: 'Symbolically, mother Devakî's constant fear of Kamsa was purifying her. A pure devotee should always fear material association, and in this way all the Asuras of material association will be killed, as the Shad-garbhâsuras were killed by Kamsa. It is said that from the mind, Marîci appears. In other words, Marîci is an incarnation of the mind. Marîci has six sons: Kâma, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Mâtsarya (lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and envy). The Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in pure devotional service. This is confirmed in the Vedas: bhaktir evainam dars'ayati. Only bhakti can bring one in contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared from the womb of Devakî, and therefore Devakî symbolically represents bhakti, and Kamsa symbolically represents material fear. When a pure devotee always fears material association, his real position of bhakti is manifested, and he naturally becomes uninterested in material enjoyment. When the six sons of Marîci are killed by such fear and one is freed from material contamination, within the womb of bhakti the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears. Thus the seventh pregnancy of Devakî signifies the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. After the six sons Kâma, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Mâtsarya are killed, the S'esha incarnation creates a suitable situation for the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, when one awakens his natural Krishna consciousness, Lord Krishna appears. This is the explanation given by S'rîla Vis'vanâtha Cakravartî Thhâkura.'
**: The names by which Mâyâdevî is known in different places have been listed by Vallabhâcârya as follows. In Vârânasî she is known as Durgâ, in Avantî she is known as Bhadrakâlî, in Orissa she is known as Vijayâ, and in Kulahâpura she is known as Vaishnavî or Mahâlakshmî (the representatives of Mahâlakshmî and Ambikâ are present in Bombay). In the country known as Kâmarûpa she is known as Candikâ, in Northern India as S'âradâ, and in Cape Comorin as Kanyakâ. Thus she is distributed according to various names in various places.
*** S'rîla Vijayadhvaja Tîrthapâda, in his Pada-ratnâvalî-tîkâ, has explained the meanings of the different representations. Mâyâ is known as Durgâ because she is approached with great difficulty, as Bhadrâ because she is auspicious, and as Kâlî because she is deep blue. Because she is the most powerful energy, she is known as Vijayâ; because she is one of the different energies of Vishnu, she is known as Vaishnavî; and because she enjoys in this material world and gives facilities for material enjoyment, she is known as Kumudâ. Because she is very severe to her enemies, the Asuras, she is known as Candikâ, and because she gives all sorts of material facilities, she is called Krishnâ. In this way the material energy is differently named and situated in different places on the surface of the globe.
*4: S'rî Caitanya Mahâprabhu said:
yâre dekha, târe kaha 'krishna'-upades'a
âmâra âjñâya guru hañâ târa' ei des'a"Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord S'rî Krishna as they are given in Bhagavad Gîtâ and S'rîmad-Bhâgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land." (Cc. Madhya 7.128)
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