In this part:

• Vyasadeva’s vision
• Atmaramas are also attracted to Srimad Bhagavatam
• Aśvatthāmā punished
• Parīkṣit saved
• Prayers of Queen Kunti

Srila Vyasadeva’s vision

At the end of chapter 6, Narada Muni leaves after instructing Vyasadeva. Chapter 7 starts with Śaunaka Ṛṣi inquiring about what happened after that. What did he do after receiving these instructions from his spiritual master? Indirectly, Śaunaka Ṛṣi is asking how the Srimad Bhagavatam was compiled.

Suta Goswami answers by describing the meditation of Vyasadeva before starting his work in compiling the Srimad Bhagavatam. Meditating on the bank of the river Sarasvati, he was able to see the Lord along with His external energy.

The Sarasvati is a river described in the Vedic texts that is not available currently. It was a great, sacred river in the North of India, close to what is now New Delhi, that nourished several important kingdoms in Vedic times. From this description, it seems that Vyasadeva was situated in his hermitage in the Himalayas, close to the nascent of the river.

“Thus he fixed his mind, perfectly engaging it by linking it in devotional service [bhakti-yoga] without any tinge of materialism, and thus he saw the Absolute Personality of Godhead along with His external energy, which was under full control.” (SB 1.7.4)

Mayavadis think that Maya can capture parts of the impersonal Brahman and when these parts realize their real nature they become liberated and merge back into the Supreme Brahman. This verse however dismisses this theory. Maya is not an independent force, but simply one of the energies of the Lord, who is completely under His control. Not only Maya is not capable of touching the Lord, but it is incapable of even touching the individual souls who are engaged in the eternal service of the Lord. Only the souls who reject their eternal nature and become averse to the service of the Lord are put under the care of the external potency of the Lord and become thus covered by Maya.

Originally, the soul has nothing to do with matter. However, when the soul comes in contact with it, he falls under the influence of the three modes of nature, and under the influence of the false ego, identifies with many different temporary forms in this material world. Under the influence of the false ego, the soul is prepared to accept any identity in the material world, be it of a demigod, a human being, or even a hog, a dog, or a plant. Anything except his original position as a servant of Krsna. In all these forms the soul performs material activities and thus becomes more and more entangled in the results of these activities, Karma, suffering perpetually in the material world, life after life.

Vyasadeva however, didn’t just see the causes of the misery of the living entities, but also the solution for such miseries:

“The material miseries of the living entity, which are superfluous to him, can be directly mitigated by the linking process of devotional service. But the mass of people do not know this, and therefore the learned Vyāsadeva compiled this Vedic literature, which is in relation to the Supreme Truth.” (SB 1.7.6)

The goal of the process of devotional service is to reconnect the soul with Krsna, reestablishing our original position. That’s why devotional service is described here as the linking process.

The real goal of all Vedic literature is to bring one to the platform of devotional service, but in most of the books that compose the Vedas and even many of the Puranas, this point is not so clear. Vyasadeva thus meditated on writing a book that would directly convey this message and nothing more. In this way, he conceived the Srimad Bhagavatam, a book capable of extinguishing the lamentation, illusion, and fearfulness from the hearts of people. After compiling and revising this original version of the Srimad Bhagavatam, he taught it to his son, Srila Śukadeva Gosvāmī.

Atmaramas are also attracted to Srimad Bhagavatam

At this point, Śaunaka Ṛṣi asks another question. Sukadeva Goswami was already an ātmārāma. He was a self-realized soul even before his birth. He was satisfied with his own self and therefore he should not have been attracted to anything of this world. How is that, that he accepted staying with Vyasadeva in the house he had rejected after running away from, to study such a vast literature as the Srimad Bhagavatam?

The answer of Suta Goswami is a very iconic verse of the Srimad Bhagavatam, the famous atmaramas verse, which Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained in 64 ways to Srila Sanatana Goswami. This is another verse that you may want to memorize:

ātmārāmāś ca munayo
nirgranthā apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaitukīṁ bhaktim
ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ

“All different varieties of ātmārāmas [those who take pleasure in the ātmā, or spirit self], especially those established on the path of self-realization, though freed from all kinds of material bondage, desire to render unalloyed devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead. This means that the Lord possesses transcendental qualities and therefore can attract everyone, including liberated souls.” (1.7.10)

As Srila Prabhupada mentions: “The ātmārāmas are completely indifferent to material enjoyment in every respect. Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī had already attained that stage, and still, he was attracted to undergo the trouble of studying the great Bhāgavatam literature. This means that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is a postgraduate study even for the ātmārāmas, who have surpassed all the studies of Vedic knowledge.”

The fact that Sukadeva Goswami became attracted to the Srimad Bhagavatam even being already a pure, liberated soul proves that not only the Srimad Bhagavatam is transcendental, but devotional service to the Lord is higher than mere liberation and is capable of attracting even liberated souls. Mayavadis believe that when the Lord appears on our planet He assumes a material body and acts under the three modes of nature. This verse however directly contradicts this. If the Lord would accept a material body and perform material activities, Sukadeva Goswami would not become attracted to such pastimes. Therefore, Suta Goswami concludes that the Lord must possess transcendental qualities. In other words, not only the Lord is a person, but He is completely transcendental and can attract everyone.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained this verse in 64 ways to Sanatana Goswami, interpreting the word “atmarama” and other words of the verse in many different ways. The purport of the explanations of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is that in a higher sense, the verse explains that Krsna can attract everyone. One may be educated or not educated, have money or not, follow the rules and regulations from the scriptures or not (in other words, be pious or be not pious), one can be conditioned by the three material modes (goodness, passion, and ignorance), or one may be free from these three modes, and so on, but Krsna can attract everyone. When He appeared in Vṛndāvana, He even attracted the birds, beasts, trees, and plants. In Vrindavana, everyone became attracted in love and affection for Kṛṣṇa.

As this verse explains, even after one becomes free from all material contamination, there is still something higher, which is love for Krsna. This love for Krsna, or prema is the eternal nature of the soul, and only when one attains this prema will he become fully satisfied. Amongst all the Vedas, the Srimad Bhagavatam is the book that directly speaks about this pure devotional service to Krsna, and therefore it can attract everyone, including all kinds of liberated souls. Surely it can attract us also.

After glorifying the qualities Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Suta Goswami starts his narration of the pastimes connected with the birth, activities, and deliverance of King Parīkṣit, who he defines as the sage amongst kings, as well as topics connected with the renunciation of the Pandavas.

Aśvatthāmā is punished

Starting from text 13, Suta Goswami starts the description of the activities of Aśvatthāmā after the battle of Kuruksetra, which are connected with the birth of Maharaja Pariksit.

In the Bhagavad-Gita, we hear a discussion between Krsna and Arjuna that happened before the battle of Kuruksetra, and now we will hear about something that happened immediately after it.

During the 18 days of the battle of Kuruksetra, almost all warriors on both sides died. That was the plan of Krsna to liberate both the pious and impious warriors on both sides. The ones who were devotees attained the spiritual planets, while the ones who were inimical attained the impersonal Brahmajoti, but all of them were liberated.

Just the five Pandavas and their five sons, as well as a few generals from both sides, had survived the battle. Amongst them was Aśvatthāmā, who was angered at the death of his father, Dronacarya, who he thought had been unfairly killed by Arjuna and Dhristadyumna.

Aśvatthāmā understood he would not be able to fight with the five Pandavas, so he decided to avenge his father by killing the five sons of the Pandavas during their sleep. These were just teenagers, who although also fighting in the battle of Kuruksetra were not as strong as their fathers. Aśvatthāmā did a terrible thing by killing all five of them during their sleep and bringing the severed heads to Duryodhana.

At this point, Duryodana was close to death after having his spine broken during the fight with Bhima. Wanting to please him, Aśvatthāmā lied, telling him that the five heads were the heads of the five Pandavas. Initially, Duryodana was pleased, but when he decided to test, by pressing one of the heads, the skull easily broke, and he understood that these were not the heads of the Pandavas, but of their five sons. Thus, instead of being pleased, he started crying, understanding that now not only he had lost the battle, but the whole lineage of the Kurus was destroyed, with the last descendants of the dynasty, the five sons of the Pandavas being killed. He died thus in a very miserable way, greatly distressed and dissatisfied with the terrible actions of Aśvatthāmā.

Even more distressed was Draupadi, who lost all her five children in such a terrible way. As it is mentioned on 1.7.15:

“Draupadī, the mother of the five children of the Pāṇḍavas, after hearing of the massacre of her sons, began to cry in distress with eyes full of tears.”

Arjuna, of course, could not see her in this situation, and he thus tried to console her by promising to bring her the head of Aśvatthāmā so she could take her bath standing on his head, and thus feel that the death of her sons had been avenged. This may sound strange to us, but for Ksatriyas, getting revenge was an important part of the process of grieving for relatives who had been killed.

This passage marks the first appearance of Krsna in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Before, there were many verses glorifying the Lord and describing his incarnations, but this is the first verse where the Lord directly appears. Where is He?

“Arjuna, who is guided by the infallible Lord as friend and driver, thus satisfied the dear lady by such statements. Then he dressed in armor and armed himself with furious weapons, and getting into his chariot, he set out to follow Aśvatthāmā, the son of his martial teacher. (SB 1.7.17)

We can see that Krsna makes His appearance in the Srimad Bhagavatam serving His devotee, driving the chariot of Arjuna, just as He was doing in the Bhagavad-Gita. This gives us a glimpse of the intimate dealings between the Lord and His devotees. During the first nine cantos, the Srimad Bhagavatam will nourish us with a higher and higher understanding of the pastimes of the Lord, so we may gradually come to understand the sweet dealings of the Lord and His intimate devotees narrated in the 10th canto.

Back to the scene, Arjuna started chasing Aśvatthāmā in his chariot and quickly started catching up with Him. Aśvatthāmā started to notice, in horror, how his horses started getting tired as Arjuna got closer and closer. In a panic, Aśvatthāmā decided to throw a brahmanastra at Arjuna, even without knowing how to retract the weapon.

A brahmanastra is a type of nuclear weapon that is activated by a mantra, instead of being based on the fission of uranium or plutonium like on modern weapons. The mantra would break the structure of matter, creating a nuclear explosion that would continue growing indefinitely, potentially until the whole universe was destroyed. Because the brahmastra was such a powerful weapon, only very high-level Ksatriyas were allowed to use it. To start the explosion was relatively easy. The difficult part was to be able to contain the explosion, so the brahmastra would destroy only the intended target, acting like an intelligent weapon instead of a genocidal dumb bomb.

Aśvatthāmā knew how to start the explosion, but he did not know how to contain it. Still, seeing that death was imminent, he threw the brahmastra at Arjuna, hoping to save himself.

Seeing the explosion, Arjuna very quickly addressed Krsna, asking how it could be counteracted. Krsna informed him of the situation and explained how the weapon could be counteracted. Arjuna understood perfectly what was happening and what he had to do. He used another brahmastra to counteract the first and then invoked the mantra to contain the explosion, retracting both brahmastras and saving the universe from imminent destruction.

It’s described that when Arjuna finally caught Aśvatthāmā, he was so angry that his eyes were blazing like two balls of copper. He tied Aśvatthāmā like an animal, threw him on the back of his chariot, and decided to bring him back to the camp.

One of the principles of Ksatriyas is that an enemy who is not capable of defending himself should not be killed. However, Krsna told Arjuna that Aśvatthāmā had murdered innocent children during their sleep, and therefore should be killed like a common criminal. In this case, the principle is that a person who commits terrible crimes, especially murder, should be killed, so he may not have to suffer the terrible consequences of his acts in the next life. Apart from that, Arjuna had promised to bring his head to his wife, therefore Krsna voiced His opinion that he should be killed immediately.

Arjuna, however, being a great soul was not inclined to kill Aśvatthāmā in such conditions, slaughtering him like an animal after he had been bound by ropes. He decided thus to bring him back to the camp, and thus decide what to do with him in the presence of the others. In reality, the order to kill Aśvatthāmā was just a test of Krsna to allow Arjuna to show the highest moral principles.

Draupadi was certainly extremely hurt by the death of her sons, but when she saw Aśvatthāmā in that condition, bound by ropes like an animal, she had a change of heart. She offered respects to him as a brāhmaṇa, even though Aśvatthāmā had fallen from such a platform due to his acts, and asked Arjuna to free him, arguing that he was not only a brahmana, but the son of Dronacarya, from whom Arjuna learned military science and to whom he had a great debt.

This attitude of Draupadi was possible because she was a Vaishnavi, and thus propense to forgive. At that point, Aśvatthāmā was unarmed, bound, and silent, understanding the severity of his acts. He didn’t appear to present any danger. Apart from that, being a pious soul, Draupadi judged him as being like himself, presuming that after being freed he would just return to his house without committing further harm.

She also argued that although Dronacarya was dead, his wife Kṛpī was still alive. If Aśvatthāmā would be killed, Kṛpī would certainly be very aggrieved, having lost both the husband and the only son. Draupadi was experiencing the pain of being a mother who lost her sons and thus she didn’t want Kṛpī, to whom she had great respect to have to experience the same pain. As Srila Prabhupada mentions, a barren woman cannot understand the grief of a mother. Only someone who experienced a certain type of suffering can fully understand the grief of someone who experiences the same, pain. Sometimes, we have to go through difficult experiences, just like everyone else, and this can be positive if it helps us to develop compassion for others.

In his purports, however, Srila Prabhupada argues that the attitude of Draupadi was not entirely correct. Aśvatthāmā was certainly the son of a brahmana and a great personality like Dronacarya, but a person should not be accepted as a brahmana just for his parentage. Unless one shows the qualities of a brahmana, he should not be sentimentally accepted as such. As Prabhupada mentions in this purport to 1.7.42:

“The specific word used in this śloka is vāma-svabhāvā, “mild and gentle by nature.” A good man or woman accepts anything very easily, but a man of average intelligence does not do so. But, anyway, we should not give up our reason and discriminatory power just to be gentle. One must have good discriminatory power to judge a thing on its merit. We should not follow the mild nature of a woman and thereby accept that which is not genuine.”

The problem in accepting unqualified people as brahmanas and spiritual authorities is that this opens the doors to lots of problems since a person of bad disposition will tend to take advantage of the respect or trust that is invested in him. This is very common in Vrindavana and other holy places, where people of not very good character often pose as sadhus just to take advantage of the innocent pilgrims who tend to offer respect to them.

On the other hand, Prabhupada also acknowledges the sanctity of the attitude of Draupadi in being willing to forgive him despite the terrible things he had done, arguing that this is the characteristic of a pure devotee of the Lord. As he mentions in his purport to 1.7.43:

“But in spite of all this, Draupadī desired that Aśvatthāmā be at once released, and it was all the same a good sentiment for her. This means that a devotee of the Lord can tolerate all sorts of tribulation personally, but still, such devotees are never unkind to others, even to the enemy. These are the characteristics of one who is a pure devotee of the Lord.”

Yudhisthira agreed with the proposition of Draupadi and also concluded that he should be pardoned. Yudhisthira has a very profound knower of the principles of dharma, and thus his willingness to pardon the terrible crimes of Aśvatthāmā shows the highest religious principles, based on compassion for Kṛpī and on the fact that, although unqualified, Aśvatthāmā was the son of a great personality to whom they were indebted. There is also the principle of forgiveness, which will be discussed in more detail later (in chapter 17) during the conversation of Maharaja Pariksit and the bull.

Nakula and Sahadeva, as well as Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa, and others all unanimously agreed with the King, but Bhima voiced his dissatisfaction, arguing that being the culprit of a heinous crime like murdering children, Aśvatthāmā could not just be forgotten like that. Not only did Aśvatthāmā murder five innocent children while they were sleeping, but he also did so contrary to the interests of his master, Duryodhana, who was not at all pleased with the killing of the last descendants of the dynasty, and thus died in great grief for the complete destruction of the dynasty he was part of.

Even after having lost the battle and being on the verge of death, Duryodhana could still find comfort in the idea that at least the continuation of the Kuru dynasty was guaranteed because of the five sons of the Pandavas. Because of Aśvatthāmā, now even this last hope had beem taken from him. Bhima thus voiced the opposite side, with arguments that couldn’t be easily discarded.

In verse 52, Krsna is called Caturbhuja [the four-armed one], because after speaking, Bhima rushed to attack Aśvatthāmā, while Draupadi obstructed him. Krsna them exhibited four arms to keep them apart. Summarizing the situation, the Lord spoke to Arjuna:

“A friend of a brāhmaṇa is not to be killed, but if he is an aggressor he must be killed. All these rulings are in the scriptures, and you should act accordingly. You have to fulfill your promise to your wife, and you must also act to the satisfaction of Bhīmasena and Me.” (SB 1.7.53-54)

Now, Arjuna was in a dilema. Aśvatthāmā had to be killed due to his crime, but at the same time pardoned following the conclusions of King Yudhisthira and the others. Understanding the real intention of the Lord, Arjuna used his sword to cut in a single stroke both the hair and the jewel Aśvatthāmā had in his head.

Aśvatthāmā had a natural jewel on his forehead, that was the source of much of his power. When this jewel was severed, his military power was reduced. At that same time, having his hair cut by an opponent is an extreme humiliation for a ksatriya, which equals a form of death. Having done so, Arjuna freed Aśvatthāmā and drove him out of the camp.

In this way, he was killed and pardoned at the same time. As Suta Goswami concludes: “Cutting the hair from his head, depriving him of his wealth and driving him from his residence are the prescribed punishments for the relative of a brāhmaṇa. There is no injunction for killing the body.” (SB 1.7.57)

Parīkṣit Saved

This incident with Aśvatthāmā was right after the end of the battle of Kuruksetra. After that, the Pandavas finally had the opportunity to mourn their dead relatives and perform their funeral rites. It’s difficult to imagine the scale of such arrangements since millions of people had died. Although the Pandavas were just five, they could organize everything by coordinating all the different servants and other people. The wonder of wars at the time was that only ksatriyas would fight, and thus the rest of society would be more or less unaffected by it.

The battle of Kuruksetra was a very special event because it was directly arranged by Krsna. Generals like Duryodhana and others who had offended Draupadi and the Pandavas were supposed to die due to their sins, Yudhisthira was supposed to regain the throne, Krsna was supposed to remove the burden of the earth by destroying all the sinful ksatriyas who were burdening the planet and so on. Simultaneously, the pious kings who were supporting the Pandavas were supposed to go back to Godhead.

All these different needs were reconciled by the Lord, who made a transcendental plan to bring all the remaining Ksatriyas together and organize a battle where they could kill each other, but at the same time attain liberation. Because Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-Gita in the presence of all the warriors present on the battlefield and was personally present there, all the warriors (both on the side of the Pandavas and on the side of Duryodhana) who died in the battle attained liberation.

After the battle was finished, the Pandavas and other surviving members of the family went in procession to the Ganges and took a ritual bath in the river. They were all overwhelmed with grief, but the Lord pacified them.

Krsna then engaged Maharaja Yudhisthira in performing three great aśvamedha sacrifices, which firmly established his position as emperor, and spread his fame all over the universe. An aśvamedha sacrifice can only be executed when one becomes the undisputed emperor of the whole planet because before executing it the king has to answer the challenges of all other rival kings who don’t agree with his claim. In the Mahabharata it’s described how the other four Pandavas went on four directions to subdue all other kings who didn’t support Maharaja Yudhisthira. By the end, he wasthe undisputed ruler.

With the battle finished and the Pandavas well-established in their rightful position as the kings of the world, the Lord was preparing to return to Dvaraka, when a new danger appeared:

Uttara, the daughter-in-law of Arjuna appeared screaming for help!

“Uttarā said: O Lord of lords, Lord of the universe! You are the greatest of mystics. Please protect me, protect me, for there is no one else who can save me from the clutches of death in this world of duality. O my Lord, You are all-powerful. A fiery iron arrow is coming towards me fast. My Lord, let it burn me personally if You so desire, but please do not let it burn and abort my embryo. Please do me this favor, my Lord.” (SB 1.8.9-10)

Aśvatthāmā was not done yet! After killing the five sons of the Pandavas, and being captured, chastized, and then freed, he returned to throw two other brahmastras, one aimed at the five Pandavas, and another aimed at the child Pariksit, who was still inside the womb of his mother, Uttara.

Pariksit was the grandson of Arjuna, son of the powerful Abhimanyu, who during the battle of Kuruksetra had saved Maharaja Yudhisthira by fighting simultaneously with all the commanders of the Kuru army inside the Chakravyuha. Abhimanyu had married Uttara when he was just 16 years old and died in the battle leaving her pregnant with their only son. After the death of the five sons of the Pandavas, he was the heir of the family. With these two brahmastras, Aśvatthāmā tried to kill simultaneously all the surviving male members of the dynasty.

Krsna acted quickly to protect His devotees. He manifested simultaneously externally, protecting the five Pandavas from the first brahmastra, and inside the womb of Uttara, protecting Pariksit from the second. Krsna is present everywhere as Paramatma, therefore it was not difficult for Him to appear inside the womb of Uttara with His Sudarshana chakra to save both her and the baby. The brahmastra is an extremely powerful weapon, but it is no match for the power of the Sudharshana chakra of the Lord.

As mentioned in the Srimad Bhagavatam: “The Lord of supreme mysticism, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, resides within everyone’s heart as the Paramātmā. As such, just to protect the progeny of the Kuru dynasty, He covered the embryo of Uttarā by His personal energy. O Śaunaka, glory of Bhṛgu’s family, although the supreme brahmāstra weapon released by Aśvatthāmā was irresistible and without check or counteraction, it was neutralized and foiled when confronted by the strength of Viṣṇu [Lord Kṛṣṇa].” (SB 1.8.14-15)

Pariksit had already been burned by the Brahmastra, but the Lord restored his body, and by his mercy, he was born as a healthy baby. This is mentioned in SB 3.3.17, where Prabhupada comments: “The embryonic body of Parīkṣit which was in formation after Uttarā’s pregnancy by Abhimanyu, the great hero, was burned by the brahmāstra of Aśvatthāmā, but a second body was given by the Lord within the womb, and thus the descendant of Pūru was saved.”

From inside the womb, the baby could see the Lord, this beautiful personality who had come to save Him at the most dangerous moment. The name “Pariksit” means “examiner”, because as he was growing, Pariksit was attentively examining all classes of men, trying to find this beautiful Supreme Person whom he had seen from inside the womb.

Because of all his mistakes, Krsna cursed Aśvatthāmā to wander as an indigent for the first 3000 years of Kali-yuga, bereft of his powers, always alone and suffering from unbearable pains. Just like other similar curses, like when Narada Muni cursed the sons of Kuvera to become trees, this curse was actually a blessing in disguise, designed to purify Aśvatthāmā of all his sins and bring him back to the right consciousness. Aśvatthāmā was originally a qualified Brahmana, and Krsna wanted to save him from his degradation and bring him back to his original pure self.

After suffering for these 3000 years and regretting his mistakes, he returned to his original glory and was able to join Vyasadeva and other great sages in Badarikadsrama, where he is still alive. Purified, Aśvatthāmā became a great sage and achieved a celestial body in which he can live for millions of years. He is now meditating, waiting to become one of the seven great sages of the universe at the beginning of the next Manvantara.

The prayers of Queen Kunti

Kuntidevi, the mother of the Pandavas was a great devotee of the Lord. At the same time, she understood Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and was in a familial relationship with Him, being His aunt, so she was in a unique position. After observing the wonderful way Krsna protected the Pandavas from the brahmastras, and pained by the idea that Krsna was leaving for Dwarka she offered a set of beautiful prayers to the Lord, which was immortalized in the pages of the Srimad Bhagavatam. There is also the book Teachings of Queen Kuntī, which is based on a series of lectures Prabhupada gave on the same verses. The book and the purports of the Srimad Bhagavatam describe the same verses, but the explanation of the verses emphasizes different aspects, so both complement each other.

Having observed the way Krsna simultaneously protected the Pandavas and Pariksit, Kuntidevi starts his prayers by mentioning that Krsna is both within and without. He is simultaneously present before her in His transcendental form as her nephew, and at the same time, He is present inside of everything. We can say that the sky is present everywhere, but this is because the sky doesn’t have a form. A human being has a form, but no human being is present everywhere, because a material form implies limitation. Krsna’s form, however, is entirely transcendental, therefore Krsna can reconcile both: He is at the same time all-pervading, and localized!

Not only that, but he is invisible to all who don’t have transcendental eyes, just like an actor playing a role in some theatrical performance is not recognized. An actor is covered by a costume and make-up, and Krsna is covered by His illusory energy, and in this way, both remain incognito to the untrained observer. Only devotees, who are free from the influence of Maya are capable of seeing Krsna’s transcendental form. (18-19)

If Krsna is so big, why does he take the trouble of coming to this material world? He comes to give Bhakti to advanced transcendentalists and jnanis, who are pure and can discriminate between spirit and matter. These great souls have the opportunity to take birth on this planet when Krsna descends and learn the science of devotional service by associating with Krsna’s personal associates.

Kuntidevi herself is one of these great personalities, but she puts herself in a humble position by asking: “How then can we women know You perfectly?”

Traditionally, women don’t have the opportunity to perform heavy austerities or be engaged in advanced study of the scriptures like great sages. That’s the same situation for practically all of us in the current age. However, this is not the main point. As Srila Prabhupada explains:

“The Lord is so kind that He does not show special favor only to one who is a great philosopher. He knows the sincerity of purpose. For this reason only, women generally assemble in great number in any sort of religious function. In every country and in every sect of religion it appears that the women are more interested than the men. This simplicity of acceptance of the Lord’s authority is more effective than showy insincere religious fervor.” (SB 1.8.20)

We should approach the Lord with a humble spirit. A sincere and humble person can approach the Lord without difficulty, while even the richest and most powerful person can’t get close to Him if he is proud. By her practical example, Kuntidevi shows us the right mentality to approach the Lord. Instead of trusting our so-called material qualifications, we should pray for the mercy of the Lord.

When Krsna was still a child, he killed Kamsa and saved His parents, Vasudeva and Devaki. He also protected the Pandavas on many occasions when the Kauravas tried to kill them, as well as uncountable dangers during their exile. Above all, Krsna had just protected them from the brahmastras of Aśvatthāmā. Kuntidevi remembered all these pastimes, as well as Krsna’s pastimes in Vrindavana, as Govinda, the enlivener of the cows and the senses. That’s another example for us: Krsna becomes pleased when He is glorified in connection with His devotees. Krsna’s most intimate names as names connected with His intimate devotees, such as Yashodanandana and Nandanandana. Krsna is never alone.

Kuntidevi comes then to the most iconic verses of her prayers:

“I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.
My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted. One who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot approach You with sincere feeling.
My obeisances are unto You, who are the property of the materially impoverished. You have nothing to do with the actions and reactions of the material modes of nature. You are self-satisfied, and therefore You are the most gentle and are master of the monists.”

During the time of their exile in the forest, when there were so many problems, Krsna was always present with them, but now that Yudisthira had become the king, Krsna was leaving. Therefore, Kuntidevi prays that problems may appear again and again, so they can continue seeing Krsna again and again. We may not want to pray like that, but this prayer shows that problems are not necessarily a bad thing if they help us to remember Krsna, since remembering Krsna is the real solution for all problems, starting from birth, death, disease, and old age.

Krsna is so powerful. How can we approach Him? Kuntidevi says it’s actually very easy, but only for the ones who are materially exhausted, or in other words, the ones who abandoned their hopes of improving their material situation. As long as a person is on the path of material process, it is very difficult to approach Krsna with a sincere feeling. Krsna is the property of the materially impoverished because when a person feels he doesn’t have anything or anyone else and starts to depend thus solely on Krsna, he or she can easily come close to Him, but as long we are counting on our material beauty, intelligence, and possessions, Krsna will remain covered by His illusory potency.

Kuntidevi then makes an interesting point:

“My Lord, I consider Your Lordship to be eternal time, the supreme controller, without beginning and end, the all-pervasive one. In distributing Your mercy, You are equal to everyone. The dissensions between living beings are due to social intercourse.” (SB 1.7.28)

If Krsna is equal to everyone, why do we need to fight? She answers that there is actually no reason. All fights and disputes among people and different types of living entities come in the course of their social intercourses because of their materialistic tendencies. Being eternal time and the Supreme Controller, Krsna observes these actions and gives us the appropriate results, entangling us in the law of karma. Some try to avoid this cycle by abandoning society and going to meditate in the mountains and forests, but there is another option which is to purify our dealings, by the process of Krsna Consciousness. When we build our relationships around Krsna, they stop being something that entangles us in this material world and becomes something that helps us to become closer to Krsna.

Our lives in this material world are always a sequence of calamities and dangers, and our material efforts in trying to avoid such calamities bring upon us the greatest calamity of all, which is the continuation of the sequence of births and deaths in this world. A devotee doesn’t intentionally search for material difficulties, but at the same time he understands difficulties are an inevitable consequence of living in this material world, therefore when difficulties appear, he just uses the opportunity to remember Krsna and take shelter of Him, understanding that in any case, Krsna is the only one who can give us protection.

Next, Kuntidevi makes the point that Krsna reconciles many apparently contradictory characteristics. He performs activities, although He is transcendental (and thus doesn’t perform any material activities), He takes birth from Devaki, although He is eternal and unborn. He accepts being bound by a rope by mother Yashoda, although He is unlimited, and so on.

The simple fact Krsna appears on this planet to show His pastimes is bewildering, because He is the proprietor of everything, and the Supreme Controller, and there is thus nothing that He can desire here.

Some say that Krsna comes to glorify pious kings, such as Maharaja Yudhu by appearing in their dynasties. Some say He came as an answer to the prayers of Vasudeva and Devakī, others say that He comes to protect the devotees and kill the demons, while others say that He comes to broadcast devotional service and thus save the souls who are lost in the material world, bringing them back with Him to the spiritual world.

Who is right? The answer is that all of them are right. Krsna’s appearance and activities simultaneously fulfill many purposes. Krsna is supremely intelligent, and thus all His actions happen for many reasons and simultaneously fulfill many purposes.

All Krsna’s activities are wonderful, and by remembering these activities we become connected with Him and can thus surpass the ocean of birth and death and return home, back to Godhead. This is yet another reason Krsna comes to perform His pastimes: to show us His wonderful activities and thus attract us back to the spiritual world, where we can join Him in these pastimes. As Queen Kunti prays:

“O Kṛṣṇa, those who continuously hear, chant and repeat Your transcendental activities, or take pleasure in others’ doing so, certainly see Your lotus feet, which alone can stop the repetition of birth and death.” (SB 1.7.36)

The greatest fear of Kuntidevi however is that the Lord may leave. With Him preparing to leave for Dvaraka, this seems imminent. How would she and the Pandavas be able to survive without the company of Krsna, especially after having so much of His association? For us, living without Krsna may not appear to be such a big problem, we are so long in this material world that life here appears to be normal. However, for pure devotees, the idea of living without Krsna, even if for just a moment is unbearable.

Kuntidevi however feels divided. The Pandavas are her sons, and the Vrsnis in Dvaraka are members of her paternal family. If Krsna stays with the Pandavas, she and her sons will be happy, but the members of her paternal family, who are awaiting Krsna in Dvaraka will suffer. She them asks Krsna to cut the ties of affection for both families, so her love could flow to Krsna without impediments.

“O Lord of the universe, soul of the universe, O personality of the form of the universe, please, therefore, sever my tie of affection for my kinsmen, the Pāṇḍavas and the Vṛṣṇis. O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else.” (1.8.40-41).

She then concludes:

“O Kṛṣṇa, O friend of Arjuna, O chief amongst the descendants of Vṛṣṇi, You are the destroyer of those political parties which are disturbing elements on this earth. Your prowess never deteriorates. You are the proprietor of the transcendental abode, and You descend to relieve the distresses of the cows, the brāhmaṇas and the devotees. You possess all mystic powers, and You are the preceptor of the entire universe. You are the almighty God, and I offer You my respectful obeisances.” (SB 1.8.43)

Krsna accepted Kuntidevi’s glorification by smiling. No amount of glorification is sufficient to properly describe Krsna’s glories, but He becomes satisfied with any sincere attempt. As Srila Prabhupada mentions:

“No amount of chosen words is sufficient to enumerate the Lord’s glory, and yet He is satisfied by such prayers as the father is satisfied even by the broken linguistic attempts of the growing child. The word māyā is used both in the sense of delusion and mercy. Herein the word māyā is used in the sense of the Lord’s mercy upon Kuntīdevī.”

When Krsna was again ready to depart, he was stopped again, this time by Maharaja Yudhiṣṭhira who implored Him to stay a little more.

“King Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Dharma, overwhelmed by the death of his friends, was aggrieved just like a common, materialistic man. O sages, thus deluded by affection, he began to speak.
O my lot! I am the most sinful man! Just see my heart, which is full of ignorance! This body, which is ultimately meant for others, has killed many, many phalanxes of men.
I have killed many boys, brāhmaṇas, well-wishers, friends, parents, preceptors and brothers. Though I live millions of years, I will not be relieved from the hell that awaits me for all these sins.
There is no sin for a king who kills for the right cause, who is engaged in maintaining his citizens. But this injunction is not applicable to me.
I have killed many friends of women, and I have thus caused enmity to such an extent that it is not possible to undo it by material welfare work.
As it is not possible to filter muddy water through mud, or purify a wine-stained pot with wine, it is not possible to counteract the killing of men by sacrificing animals.” (SB 1.8.47-52)

Although everything happened to the desire of Krsna, Yudhiṣṭhira Maharaja was still feeling that fault. He was feeling contaminated by all the killing, and fearing the karmic reactions, and even Krsna Himself was not able to pacify him.

This will lead us to the meeting of Maharaja Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhismadeva, which is narrated in the 8th chapter. Krsna organized this meeting so Yudhiṣṭhira could hear directly from the grandfather before he passed away, and thus be able to surpass his lamentation and become settled in his duties as a monarch.