Krishna Rescues His Teacher's Sons

In the forty fifth chapter, Krsna consoles Devaki and Vasudeva, sends Nanda and the cowherdmen back to Vraja, installs Ugrasena as king, goes to the gurukula and absorbs himself in study.

Understanding that his mother and father were endowed with the treasure of seeing him as a figure of power, Krsna began to consider, “Let that perception vanish, and let parental love cover it, because by that both of us will attain supreme bliss.” That is the meaning of upalabdhartha. He then spread out his yogamaya potency to cover knowledge of his godly powers.

Jana in the phrase jana mohinim refers to the devotees as in the verse diyamanam na grhnati vina mat sevanam jana. Thus it refers to that maya whose nature is to bewilder the devotees. Another meaning of jana mohinim is that which bewilders his father and mother (janaka and janani mohinim). Sridhara Swami says in this regard, “Though I am pleased, is giving them such knowledge of me such a rare thing? What is rarer to give love of me as a son.” In this way his intention is explained. Thus Krsna’s words in the next verses should not be considered deceptive, because, by that, he is invoking their parental love.

“Because of your anxiety for us, you never had the opportunity of happiness of raising us through the balya, pauganda and kaisora ages.”

“But the women of Mathura mentioned in chapter 44, verse 8 that Krsna and Balarama were of kaisora age, and had not reached yauvana. Thus the match between the huge wrestlers and the young boys was unequal. Therefore it cannot be said that they had finished their kaisora age. Kaumara age is up to the fifth year. Pauganda is the fifth year to the tenth year. Kaisora is from the tenth to fifteenth year. After that is yauvana. As Krsna was eleven when he killed Kamsa, he would be in the kairsora age according to the above definition. Uddhava has said, “Krsna lived with Balarama secretly in Vraja until the eleventh year.” Because of this statement, and the fact that they had not undergone the upanayana samskara, it should be concluded that they started the kaisora age while in Vraja but it had not been completed when they left.”

“That is true, if you take the normal method of counting the years. However chapter 8, verse.26 states that Krsna and Balarama in a very short time began to crawl about. It is sometimes seen that a young prince during pauganda age may show symptoms of the kaisora age with his quick bodily growth. Therefore what to speak of Krsna attaining kaisora symptoms during pauganda age? Therefore in the case of Krsna, the ages are established according to the following norm following the Vaisnava Tosani, Bhaktirasamrta sindhu and Ananda vrndavana campu. At the age of three years and four months, Krsna displayed the qualities of a five year old. During this kaumara age, Krsna stayed in Mahavana. From that time till the age of six years and eight months, during his pauganda age, he stayed in Vrndavana. From six years and eight months until his tenth year he experienced kaisora age while living in Nandisvara. In the seventh month of the tenth year during the month of Caitra on the krsna trayodasi he went to Mathura and on the caturdasi he killed Kamsa. Therefore the tenth year was the end of his kaisora age, but thereafter he remained at the same age. That is illustrated by the following statement: “When the kaisora age Pradyumna entered the apartments of Krsna, he appeared the same as Krsna and the women hid themselves out of shame.” (SB10.55.28). There are also similar statements in the agamas. Thus on the day of killing Kamsa, Krsna had both passed the kaisora age and not passed it. By this explanation there is harmony between Krsna’s statement in this verse that kaisora age passed, and the statement of the women of Mathura that he was in his kaisora age.

“We also have been unfortunate (daiva hatayoh).” However the words also mean the opposite: “We have attained good fortune in not attaining the happiness of ordinary children.”

“One cannot repay the debt to the parents who give birth to the body from which arises all aspirations such as dharma.”

“The son who, though able , does not support his parents according to the rules of the scriptures on the path of karma, has his flesh eaten by the servants of Yama after death and before getting a new body.”

7.”One who does not support (abibhrat) mother, father, etc. though living, is considered dead.”

“Therefore because we were unable to serve you for fear of Kamsa (kamsat udvigna cetasoh) , our days have passed uselessly. We are at fault.”

But the real meaning is, “We spent all these days uselessly, our minds wanting go to Mathura, because we heard about Kamsa and wanted to fight him (udvigna cetasoh), but were unable to go.” In this case udvigna means moving or going (vij). When Krsna says he spend his days uselessly it is an expression of regret.

“Please forgive us (nauh). We could not serve you, who were dependent upon evil minded Kamsa, and yet were tormented by him.”

Bewildered by such words of Krsna, who was deceptively appearing as a human being (maya manusya), they embraced him.

Krsna’s comforting Vasudeva and Devaki occurred out of the sight of Nanda. “My son tired from the fight, has retired to the inner chambers where Vasudeva and others, in great bliss, are feeding him out of affection. Since he has gone there, I will go to my own rooms since I have no fear for my son’s safety now.” Saying that he went to his rooms, and therefore did not see the exchange between Krsna and Devaki and Vasudeva.

Krsna speaks to Ugrasena. “You should be the king and you should give us orders. If you say that the Yadus should not sit on the throne because of the curse of Yayati, I say, that though you are a Yadu, there is no fault if I order you to sit on the throne.”

If Ugrasena were to object and say that he did not have the power to be the king, Krsna says, “If I am engaged as your servant, then all the devatas will also serve you.”

Those who were old (pra vayasah) became strong and energetic.

After discussing topics which occurred for many days, with the word atha the beginning of a very important but hard to understand topic is introduced.

Krsna, hiding his identity as son of Devaki, being bhagavan, endowed with great power to reconcile the two identities, then approached Nanda (sam = samyak asadya), identifying himself as the son of Nanda. At the name giving ceremony Garga muni said, “Because this child will attract the two families (identifying both Vasudeva and Nanda as his father) his name will be Sankarsana.” By mentioning the name Sankarsana, Krsna indicates this derivation of the name, and thus indicates the relationship with two fathers. He embracing his father (parisvajya), as there was no opportunity for offering pranama. The reason for this is that just on seeing Krsna and Balarama, Nanda Maharaj became so overcome with bliss that with his two strong arms he raised both boys at once and held them tightly to his chest. Though it was Nanda who embraced them, the embrace is attributed to them in this verse. When Nanda sat down, still embracing them, they began to speak humbly to comfort him, after answering many questions and with hesitation revealing their offenses against the Yadus.

Balarama, being elder, spoke first in two verses. “O father! We were cared for and protected by you two (Nanda and Yasoda). That of course is natural. Mothers and fathers have excessive affection for offspring of their own bodies.” Balarama used the dual form to indicate that Nanda and Yasoda felt the same affection for both children. “You were as much my parents as you were Krsna’s parents.” By revealing this he also reveals that he cannot remain in the house of unfamiliar Devaki and Vasudeva in the city of Mathura without his two loving parents and his dearmost brother Krsna.

Nanda may say, “O Balabhadra, actually you are the legitimate son of my friend Vasudeva. How can he, now free from danger, give up his own son obtaining him after many years? Therefore you must stay in your father’s house. The two of us will somehow carry on living, blocking up our hearts torn up by separation from you with the stone of discrimination. But I could not tolerate to see the suffering of my friend Vasudeva. We were only your guardians.”

“Those who care for a child as their own son, are the actual mother and father of the child. The seminal father is not the real father, and she who bears the child in her womb is not the real mother. If father and mother abandon a child and the child dies, can they be called the mother and father? Those who raise the child are more worthy of respect by the discerning child. Therefore I will not be able to stay here. Even if Brahma himself comes and speaks to me, he will not be able to change my mind. O father, Krsna will go with you and happily play in Vraja, but I will stay in Mathura burning in the fire of separation. That cannot be. Therefore I make this oath. If Krsna leaves me and goes off the Vraja, then my life will be finished.” This is the intention of Balarama’s words in this verse.”

Hearing the words of Balarama, Nanda may say, “Oh, what am I to do? If I take Baladeva back to Vraja, there will be great rejoicing there. But in Mathura, among the Yadavas, Vasudeva will especially grieve. It would be a great sin for me. ‘Kamsa killed all my sons, and one son who was protected from his hands, Balabhadra, has been taken by Nanda to Vraja. Nanda is not my friend. He is a second Kamsa for me.’ Thinking in this way, Vasudeva will curse me thousands of times. How can I or Krsna live happily at all?”

Seeing Nanda standing silently lost in anxious thought, Krsna then spoke and comforted him, waking him up with reasoning. “O father, you should now go to Vraja. I, Baladeva and friends like Madhumangala will go to Vraja later in order to see you, but now we will stay in Mathura for a few days.” Anticipating the question of when he would return to Vraja, he said, “After making your friend Vasudeva happy, so that no one will find fault with you, we will come home to Vraja. After bringing Baladeva near his parents and letting them show affection for him to their hearts content , we will return. We will come back to Vraja, when all necessary work is completed so that all can be happy.”

Krsna consoled Nanda. “If I remain in Mathura a few days longer, you should not worry. My mind is always in Vraja, and I stay here only because of their request.” He worshipped Nanda along with the other inhabitants of Vraja, with vessels made of bell metal (kupya), as well as other objects.

Almost unconscious because of separation from his son, Nanda returned to Vraja. Balarama and Krsna went to Vasudeva’s house and lived happily. Some relishers of rasa object to this incident of Krsna staying away from Vraja, not being able to tolerate even a slight decrease in prema. I will smash this objection by an explanation. Let those who want to accept it.

The objection is this. It is clear that the content of verses 21-25 is unfavorable to prema. In the explanations given, prema is not established, for there is separation of Nanda and Krsna. Krsna being the supreme lord, may be able to give up Nanda, but how can Nanda give up Krsna and go to Vraja? How could he give up Krsna, who was more dear than a million life airs, for the cows in Vraja? Why did he not take up residence on the edge of Mathura instead?

The reasons given in the verses for their staying in Mathura are weak, only meant to pacify Nanda. Even Krsna and Balarama were not convinced in their minds of what they spoke.

It is described in the tenth canto that Balarama did return, but Krsna did not. However, the Padma Purana, Uttara khanda describes that after killing all the demons that he alone could kill, up to Dantavakra, Krsna did go back to Vraja. In the first canto of bhagavata also it is said, “The inhabitants of Dvaraka said, ‘O lotus eyed Krsna, when you went to Vraja with a desire to see the inhabitants there….’” However these evidences from the scriptures do not clearly show the presence of their prema.

In the same way, when Krsna departed from Vraja for Mathura he pacified them by sending messengers with the words “I will return.” Messengers is in the plural to indicate that he sent many messengers, or one messenger who repeated the same message, “I will return, I will return, I will return.” What type of words were these? “sa premaih” they were full of love. “ O gopis I am leaving you today because of an invitation to the dhanur yajna made by the King, which is difficult to refuse. It is not that I want to go. After seeing the dhanur yajna I will return the next day. If some other work comes I will also finish that tomorrow and return the next day.” If these words were really what Krsna was thinking, then they can be called “sa premaih”, filled with love, but if they are not, then they are deceitful.

Krsna said to Vasudeva and Devaki (10.45.4), spreading his yoga maya potency, “I am unfortunate since I did not receive loving care and the natural happiness of residing in your house.” There Krsna used words to bewilder Vauseva and Devaki. :Perhaps Krsna’s words to the gopis is similar. But then why does Sukadeva use the words “sa premaih”, to describe Krsna’s words to the gopis? If Krsna had returned to Vraja the day after killing Kamsa without considering all his other duties such as killing Jarasandha, then one could understand that he was concerned with the gopis’ love. But if he did otherwise, one can only conclude that he was indifferent to their love. Therefore the word sa premaih would be false.

One should carefully consider a solution to these objections. One should consider as follows. Vasudeva and Devaki are full of prema and cannot be neglected. But as well Nanda and those in Vraja have unequalled prema , and it would certainly be improper to ignore them. The purpose of the appearance of the Lord, to kill the demons and protect the devotees, must also be carried out. The various pastimes of Dvaraka and other places, such as kidnapping Rukmini, stealing the parijata tree, association with Yuddhisthira, must also be revealed. He must also fulfill his promise to the gopis to return after the dhanur yajna. He must also reveal the superiority of the gopis love to the world, by showing to Uddhava, the most knowledgeable of prema among all the persons in Dvaraka and Mathura, the gopis’ unparalleled prema revealed during painful separation for a lengthy period of time, like the revelation of the radiance of gold through heating by fire. All of these activities had to be carried out.

Therefore, taking shelter of his inconceivably powerful yogamaya potency, Krsna along with Balarama, came before Nanda, and manifested two forms of himself, Nanda and others. His words to Nanda in verses 21-23, and the descriptions of the next two verses, presented by the first form have been explained. But Krsna and Balarama in their second form also speak, asking a question.

“O father, we have been raised by you with great affection. But are we just your foster sons and not your begotten sons? We are asking you so please speak the truth. Ugrasena and the other Yadavas say that we are just your foster sons. Vasudeva and Devaki consider us their real sons, and showering on us great affection, have made all attempts to keep us in Mathura and prevent us from going to you. Though you are their dear friend, they have not even invited you to dine with them tomorrow according to the rules of etiquette. And no Yadava has come to see you today. Being very disturbed we have fled unnoticed to the edge of the city and come to your temporary residence.” This is the meaning of verse 21 according to the second form of Krsna.

In reply to this the second form of Nanda says, “ In your previous life you were the son of Vasudeva. Gara muni said so during your name giving ceremony. “O Nanda, your son was in a previous life born from Vasudeva.” I would guess that he would also have told this to Vasudeva. Therefore Vasudeva is eager to take you to his house, thinking of you as his son even in this birth. I know that he wants to take his own son Baladeva to his house also. Now I am asking you a question. Do you think of us as your foster parents, according to what they are saying? Have you become my foster son?”

Krsna answered this question with tears in his eyes. “Parents develop more affection for sons coming from their own body than for their own soul. If I am only your foster son, how I become more dear to you than millions of your lives? Therefore I will no longer look at the face of that enemy Vasudeva.”

Then Nanda spoke to Baladeva. “O my dear son Baladeva, what do you think of this? “

Baladeva said (verse 22), “Those who raise the children are the real parents. Therefore I will not stay in Vasudeva’s house without you and Krsna, even if Brahma himself commands.” This verse has been previously explained in a similar way.

Nanda Maharaja then thought, “If I take Baladeva back to Vraja, Vasudeva and others in Mathura will become full of sorrow. The self interested residents of Mathura will develop enmity towards me. But why should I develop enmity with them?”

As Nanda was absorbed in thought, Krsna and Balarama suddenly spoke to him (verse 23). “O father, you should go back to Vraja. We will come later. It is not necessary to delay even a minute. You must know the instructions of niti sastra: if there is a relative what is the need of fire, and if there is a good friend, what is the necessity of medicine? If out of your kind nature, you cannot tolerate the Yadavas’ suffering, then listen. We will go to see your relatives (jnati) and Vasudeva(verse 23), giving happiness to your friends by letting them see us.”

When the two spoke in this way (verse 25), Nanda embraced Krsna and Balarama strongly with his two arms just as a miser holds his wealth to his chest and does not let it fall away. Therefore it is said that with eyes filled with tears of joy, Nanda, filled with love (pranaya vihvala), mounted his gold chariot and departed for Vraja.

Therefore, by the influence of yogamaya, one Nanda separated from Krsna and went to Vraja alone and another Nanda, unseen by the other, was together with Krsna in Vraja. Thus in Vraja there were two separate manifestations of cowherd men, women and cows. One set were immersed in an ocean of suffering with Nanda in separation from Krsna, and another set were immersed in an ocean of bliss along with Nanda in association with Krsna. They existed simultaneously in Vraja without contacting each other.

In Dvaraka Narada saw that in one place Devaki was caring for Krsna and feeding him, and simultaneously at another place Devaki in separation from Krsna was saying “O my son has gone out hunting, and has not returned. He must be pained by hunger and thirst.” She then fell into deep lamentation. Bhagavatamrta says, “How astonishing that though two forms were present in the same place at once, each form was unaware of the other form and did not contact it.” According to the statement “Though the expanded forms are not considered different from each other, they appear so to us.”, there is no difference between all the expanded forms. Though that is so, by the influence of the lila sakti there is difference in self identity, activities etc. This will be revealed in the chapter on the power of yogamaya and in the story of Bahulasva and Srutadeva.

The two different forms have two different functions. As gold,only on being subjected to intense fire, reveals its true nature and value, Krsna would send Uddhava, the best among all his devotees, to Vraja to show him the form in separation manifested in a most explicit manner, in order to show the supreme position of astonishing Vraja prema with its characteristics of divyonmada and citra jalpa. Uddhava, on seeing the forms of separation in their highest state, was most astonished. Understanding its superiority to all else, he would then announce to the world “These gopis, having attained the rare treasure of the highest possible prema for Krsna, the soul of all the living entities, are the wealthiest of all, and have reached the highest success in the universe.” 10.47.58. “Krsna did not show as much mercy to Laksmi as he showed to the gopis by embracing their throats with his arms and fulfilling other their desires.” 10.47.60. “I desire to take birth in the form of a creeper in Vraja to take the dust from the feet of the gopis, who giving up relatives, husbands and sons and social rules, went to meet Krsna, who is sought by the Vedas.” 10.47.61.

When these manifested forms in separation would later go to Kuruksetra, and show themselves to Vasudeva, Rukmini and others, they would create astonishment in them also. When Balarama went to Vraja, he also became astonished on seeing those forms in separation, reaching the extremes of madness.

The second manifestation, that of Krsna and the inhabitants of Vraja being together, is to show that the prema of the gopis and others of Vraja who had taken shelter of him is unchanging and fixed. “The gopis, pained by separation, singing the pastimes of Krsna, passed two days.” 10.39.37. It should be understood from this that the gopis, after Krsna left for Mathura, by singing the pastimes of Krsna for two days specifically, attained his association. On going to Vraja Uddhava tells Nanda and Yasoda, “Krsna is certainly keeping the promise he made after killing Kamsa, ‘We will come back after you.’” 10.46.35. The present tense, “he is keeping his promise” not the future, is used in this statement.

When Uddhava entered Vraja, he first saw the forms manifesting association with Krsna. 10.46. 9. When Uddhava approached Nanda, the cows were mooing loudly with full milk bags and chasing their calves, and the bulls were mooing loudly as they engaged in fighting with each other for enjoying the cows. There was the sound of milking cows and the flute. (10.46.10). The cowherd men and women appeared splendid with all their ornaments. (10.46.11). As they pulled on the churning ropes with their bangled arms, the women of Vraja shone with the splendor of their jewels, which reflected the lamps’ light. Their hips, breasts and necklaces moved about, and their faces, anointed with reddish kumkuma, glowed radiantly with the luster of their earrings reflecting from their cheeks. (10.46.45). As the ladies of Vraja loudly sang the glories of lotus-eyed Krsna, their songs blended with the sound of their churning, ascended to the sky and dissipated all inauspiciousness in every direction.(10.46.46). These are all symptoms of the bliss generated by meeting with Krsna. Here the purpose and proof of the second expansion has been described.

Vasudeva arranged to have the upanayana samskara performed by Garga (purosadha) and other brahmanas.

The cows wore garlands of linen cloth as well as gold garlands.

When Krsna and Balarama were born, Vasudeva mentally gave the cows in his possession to the brahmanas. However, Kamsa had stolen all those cows. Now Vasudeva went to Kamsa’s goshala and took those cows back, and gave them to the brahmanas.

Krsnsa and Balarama began to practice brahmacarya (gayatra).

Krsna had knowledge not given by or dependent on others (na anya siddha). This however he covered up while he was acting as a normal human being. Therefore he went to the gurukula to acquire knowledge.

Iin order to teach others (grahayantau) perfect dealings with the guru, they began to serve the guru with great devotion according to the scriptural rules. They were also respected by the guru.

Sandipani taught the dhanur veda along with knowledge of the devatas of different mantras (sa rahasyam), the dharma sastras such as Manu smrti (dharman), mimamsa (nyaya pantha), the science of argument (anviksikim), and politics with six divisions (alliance, isolation, attacking, holding ground, dividing the enemy, taking shelter of the more powerful). (Each sanskrt text has different wording ca vigraha, navigraha etc. so difficult to tell what the divisions are……..)

For details of the sixty four arts one should consult the tantras. The two brothers made their guru take something (chandayam asatuh) saying “Please take as daksina something that you desire.” According to the amara kosa, chanda means to have desire.

At the great pilgrimage place of Siva, Prabhasa, his son, while playing in the water was swallowed by Sankhasura.

40-41.The ocean said, “I have not taken the boy. The daitya named Pancajana has taken the boy. He is a powerful demon whom I cannot defeat.” The last part of verse forty and the first part of verse forty one are one sentence. There is also an additional line added according to Vaisnava tosani (aste tenahrto nunam tac chrutva satvaram prabhuh).Prabhu becomes the subject of the next line.

Taking the conch shell, he mounted his chariot which he had left on the shore of the ocean. Though Krsna is omniscient, and knew that the boy was not in the ocean, he left Balarama on the shore along with the chariot, and went into the ocean with the pretext of searching for the boy to obtain his own conch shell. The conch shell was a product of the body of the asura panca jana (tad anga prabhavam). But because the conch was spiritual, it was also eternal. Like Jaya and Vijaya the conch had temporarily attained the qualities of a powerful asura according to some explanations. The Avantai Khanda of the Skanda Purana says “Having killed Pancajana, the great asura in the form of an aquatic, Krsna took the conch which had been swallowed by him previously (tan madhya stham).” From this evidence some people explain that the conch was residing within the demon’s body (and merely came out of the demon’s body (tad anga jatam) when Krsna killed him .

Krsna blew the conch and all the inhabitants of hell were delivered on hearing the sound. The Avanti Khanda says, “All the knife like leaves of the sword plant in hell dried up. Raurava lost is savage quality and Bhairava lost its frightful aspect. Kumbhipaka lost its power of cooking. All the inhabitants of hell were purified of their sins and attained prema bhakti.” He also sent the inhabitants of hell to Vaikuntha.

There are two readings: lila manusyoh visnvoh and lila manusya he visno. “What service can I do for you two forms of Visnu playing the roles of humans?” Or “O Visnu who plays the pastimes of a human, what service can I do for you two?”

“Though in most cases a person must endure the effects of his past deeds (nija karma nibandhana), you should bring the son of my guru to me.” From the eleventh canto 31.12 it is understood that Yamaraj brought back the boy with the same body that he had when he previously took him. The commentary of Sridhara Swami also mentions this. “In respecting my order (mac casana puras krta) and bringing him, what fault is there for you?”

“What desires remain for the guru of persons like you? Therefore, being the guru of you in person, what desires could remain for me?”