CHAPTER SEVENTY Lord Kṛṣṇa’s Daily Activities

This description of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s daily activities starts with the crowing of the rooster. Lord Kṛṣṇa’s wives knew that the Lord would dutifully get up and perform His prescribed morning rituals, and thus they were agitated at their coming separation from Him and cursed the roosters.

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that the reaction of Queen Vaidarbhī, Rukmiṇī-devī, shows the attitude of all the queens.

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura points out that the word bhāva in this verse indicates the created beings. Thus the compound word lakṣita-bhāva-nirvṛtim means that Lord Kṛṣṇa gives pleasure to the created beings through His various energies. Of course, the soul is never created, but our material, conditioned existence is created by the interaction of the Lord’s energies.

One who is favored by the Lord’s internal potency can understand the nature of the Absolute Truth; this understanding is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa explains that His energies are divided into inferior and superior, or material and spiritual, potencies. The Brahma-saṁhitā further explains that the material potency acts like a shadow, following the movements of the spiritual reality, which is the Lord Himself and His spiritual potency. When one is favored by Lord Kṛṣṇa, He reveals Himself to the surrendered soul, and thus the same creation that formerly covered the soul becomes an impetus for spiritual enlightenment.

Śrīdhara Svāmī points out that since Lord Kṛṣṇa was in the disciplic succession from Kaṇva Muni, He offered oblations to the fire before sunrise. Then He chanted the Gāyatrī mantra.

Śrīdhara Svāmī quotes several Vedic scriptures to show that in the context of Vedic ritual, a badva here refers to 13,084 cows. The words badvaṁ badvaṁ dine dine indicate that Lord Kṛṣṇa would give the learned brāhmaṇas many such groups of cows on a daily basis. Śrīdhara Svāmī further gives evidence that the usual practice for great saintly kings in previous ages was to give 107 such badva, or groups of 13,084 cows. Thus the total number of cows given in this sacrifice, known as Mañcāra, is 14 lakhs, or 1,400,000.

The words alaṅkṛtebhyo viprebhyaḥ indicate that in Lord Kṛṣṇa’s kingdom the brāhmaṇas were given nice clothes and ornaments and were thus well attired.

In Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes with striking and profound insight on these pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The reader is strongly urged to study this book, which contains an invaluable wealth of information and commentary on the pastimes described in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Our humble attempt here can never equal the consummate purity and skill of our great master. Still, as a service offered at his lotus feet, we are simply presenting the original Sanskrit text of the Tenth Canto, word-for-word meanings, a clear translation and essential commentary, for the most part based on the statements of the great spiritual masters in our line.

Śrīdhara Svāmī points out that the Lord’s “own garments and ornaments” include the Lord’s well-known yellow garments, the Kaustubha gem and so on.

The ācāryas point out that the Lord’s chariot driver would stand with joined palms and that the Lord, holding on to his joined hands with His right hand, would mount the chariot.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī describes this scene as follows: “The shy, loving glances of the palace women, hinting at their agitation, implied, ‘How can we tolerate this torment of being separated from You?’ The idea here is that because the Lord was captured by their affection, He smiled, indicating ‘My dear restless ladies, you are so overwhelmed by this little bit of separation. I am coming back later today to enjoy with you.’ And then, with His smile captivating their minds, He got away only with difficulty, freeing Himself from the bondage of their loving glances.”

Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: “It may be remembered that the Sudharmā assembly house was taken away from the heavenly planet and was reestablished in the city of Dvārakā. The specific significance of the assembly house was that anyone who entered it would be free from the six kinds of material pangs, namely hunger, thirst, lamentation, illusion, old age and death. These are the waves of material existence, and as long as one remained in that assembly house of Sudharmā, he would not be affected by these six material waves.”

In this regard, Śrīdhara Svāmī and Viśvanātha Cakravartī explain that when Lord Kṛṣṇa would exit separately from each of His many palaces, each individual form would be visible to the persons present on those particular palace grounds and to the neighboring residents, but not to others. Then, at the gateway path of the Sudharmā assembly hall, all the forms of the Lord would merge into a single form, and thus He would enter the hall.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that the word naṭācāryāḥ refers, among other things, to expert magicians. All of these different entertainers, one after the other, would perform for the Lord in the assembly of great kings.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that these kings refused the payment of tribute and other forms of submission to Jarāsandha. Also, there is a well-known account in the Mahābhārata and other literatures that Jarāsandha desired to worship Mahā-bhairava by offering him the lives of one hundred thousand kings in sacrifice.

Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that the kings present their entreaty in this and the following five verses. In this verse they take shelter of the Lord, in the next three verses they describe their fear, and in the last two verses they make their prayerful request.

Lord Kṛṣṇa states in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.27):

“Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform — do that, O son of Kuntī, as an offering to Me.”

This is the Supreme Lord’s commandment, but people in general are bewildered and neglect this auspicious activity, preferring instead to perform sinful activities that lead them to terrible suffering. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is working to enlighten the world about this most essential activity of loving service to the Lord.

Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that the kings were bewildered by the suffering that had come upon them. They state here that since the Lord has descended to this world to protect the pious and punish the wicked, how is it that Jarāsandha, who brazenly transgressed the order of the Lord, continued to perform his wicked activities, whereas the kings were put into a miserable condition? Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura similarly states that the kings could not understand how Jarāsandha, who harassed the saintly devotees and nourished the envious, could continue to prosper, whereas the kings were being tormented by the wicked Jarāsandha. Similarly Śrīla Prabhupāda quotes the kings as follows in Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead: “My dear Lord, You are the proprietor of all the worlds, and You have incarnated Yourself along with Your plenary expansion Lord Balarāma. It is said that Your appearance in this incarnation is for the purpose of protecting the faithful and destroying the miscreants. Under the circumstances, how is it possible that miscreants like Jarāsandha can put us into such deplorable conditions of life against Your authority? We are puzzled at the situation and cannot understand how it is possible. It may be that Jarāsandha has been deputed to give us such trouble because of our past misdeeds, but we have heard from revealed scriptures that anyone who surrenders unto Your lotus feet immediately becomes immune to the reactions of sinful life… [We] therefore… wholeheartedly offer ourselves unto Your shelter, and we hope that Your Lordship will now give us full protection.”

After expressing their doubts in the previous verse, the kings herein admit that actually they are suffering because of their own foolishness, having given up the eternal happiness of the soul in exchange for the temporary, conditional happiness of a so-called kingly position. Most people make a similar mistake, desiring wealth, power, prestige, aristocratic family and so on, in exchange for their own soul. The kings admit that they have fallen under the spell of the Lord’s illusory energy and have mistaken the tremendous anxiety of political leadership for happiness.

The kings here pray for the Lord to release them from the bondage of karma created by the Lord’s material potency. The kings make it clear that Jarāsandha is so powerful that there is no hope for them to escape by their own power.

The word nṛ-loka-niratam indicates that the Lord was absorbed in playing within the world of human beings. Thus, while acting like a human king He allowed Jarāsandha to be victorious in a single battle after the Lord had crushed him seventeen times. The kings here imply that Jarāsandha is especially harassing them because they are souls surrendered to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they beg the Lord, “O You who hold the cakra weapon high, please make the proper arrangement.”

Śrīla Prabhupāda expresses the kings’ feelings as follows: “My dear Lord, You have already fought with Jarāsandha eighteen times consecutively, out of which You have defeated him seventeen times by surpassing his extraordinary powerful position. But in Your eighteenth fight You exhibited Your human behavior, and thus it appeared that You were defeated. My dear Lord, we know very well that Jarāsandha cannot defeat You at any time, because Your power, strength, resources and authority are all unlimited. No one can equal You or surpass You. The appearance of defeat by Jarāsandha in the eighteenth engagement is nothing but an exhibition of human behavior. Unfortunately, foolish Jarāsandha could not understand Your tricks, and he has since then become puffed up over his material power and prestige. Specifically, he has arrested us and imprisoned us, knowing fully that as Your devotees, we are subordinate to Your sovereignty.”

This translation is based on Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The word mudā indicates that Lord Kṛṣṇa was delighted to see that Nārada had arrived.

When Lord Kṛṣṇa questioned Nārada Muni about the intentions of the Pāṇḍavas, the sage replied that the Lord is Himself all-powerful and all-knowing, even to the extent that He can bewilder the creator of the universe, Brahmā. Nārada understood that Lord Kṛṣṇa desired to kill Jarāsandha and was thus beginning to arrange for this pastime by inquiring from Nārada about the Pāṇḍavas’ intentions. Understanding the Lord’s own intention, Nārada was not astonished when Lord Kṛṣṇa humbly requested information from him.

Śrīla Prabhupāda explains Nārada’s realization as follows: “My dear Lord, by Your inconceivable potencies You create this cosmic manifestation, maintain it and again dissolve it. It is by dint of Your inconceivable potency only that this material world, although a shadow representation of the spiritual world, appears to be factual. No one can understand what You plan to do in the future. Your transcendental position is always inconceivable to everyone. As far as I am concerned, I can simply offer my respectful obeisances unto You again and again.”

The word sva-vilakṣaṇātmane also indicates that Lord Kṛṣṇa has His own unique nature and characteristics. No one is equal to God or greater than God.

Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: “[Nārada said,] In the bodily concept of existence, everyone is driven by material desires, and thus everyone develops new material bodies one after another in the cycle of birth and death. Being absorbed in such a concept of existence, one does not know how to get out of the encagement of the material body. Out of Your causeless mercy, my Lord, You descend to exhibit Your different transcendental pastimes, which are illuminating and full of glory. Therefore I have no alternative but to offer my respectful obeisances unto You. My dear Lord, You are the Supreme, Parabrahman, and Your pastimes as an ordinary human are another tactical resource, exactly like a play on the stage in which the actor plays parts different from his own identity.”

King Yudhiṣṭhira is described here as pārameṣṭhya-kāma, or “desiring pārameṣṭhya.” The word pārameṣṭhya means “unrivaled supremacy” and also indicates “the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who stands at the very height of all existence.” Therefore, Śrīla Prabhupāda translates Nārada’s message as follows: “You have inquired about Your cousins the Pāṇḍavas in the role of their well-wisher, and therefore I shall let You know about their intentions. Now please hear me. First of all, may I inform You that King Yudhiṣṭhira has all material opulences that are possible to achieve in the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka. He has no material opulence for which to aspire, and yet he wants to perform the Rājasūya sacrifice only to get Your association and to please You.… He wants to worship You in order to achieve Your causeless mercy, and I beg to request You to fulfill his desires.”

Since the word pārameṣṭhya may also indicate the position of Lord Brahmā, the term pārameṣṭhya-kāma is taken here by Śrīla Prabhupāda to indicate not only that King Yudhiṣṭhira desired Lord Kṛṣṇa’s association and mercy but also that King Yudhiṣṭhira himself possessed pārameṣṭhya, all the opulences of Lord Brahmā.

The ācāryas explain that Nārada here means to say that since all the great personalities will come especially to see Lord Kṛṣṇa, He should also come to that sacrifice.

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī interprets the word brahma-mayasya to mean brahma-ghana-mūrteḥ, “of the concentrated form of the Absolute Truth.”

This translation is based on Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Kṛṣṇa. Śrīdhara Svāmī mentions that the word dig-vitānam indicates that Lord Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental glories spread throughout the universe like a cooling canopy over the universal directions. In other words, the whole world can find shelter under the cooling shade of the Lord’s lotus feet. Thus the Lord is bhuvana-maṅgala, the symbol of everything auspicious for this world.

Śrīla Prabhupāda explains, “Just before the great sage Nārada arrived in the Sudharmā assembly house of Dvārakā, Lord Kṛṣṇa and His ministers and secretaries had been considering how to attack the kingdom of Jarāsandha. Because they were seriously considering this subject, Nārada’s proposal that Lord Kṛṣṇa go to Hastināpura for Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira’s great Rājasūya sacrifice did not much appeal to them. Lord Kṛṣṇa could understand the intentions of His associates because He is the ruler of even Lord Brahmā. Therefore, in order to pacify them, He smilingly [spoke] to Uddhava.”

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that the Lord smiled because He was about to demonstrate Uddhava’s brilliant ability to give counsel in difficult situations.