Krishna Pleases His Devotees

In this chapter Krsna goes to Kujba’s house to enjoy with her, and goes to Akrura’s house, and after being praised by him, sends him to Hastinapura.

Knowing all that Uddhava had told him (vijnana) and having already solved the problem, the supreme lord Bhagavan, who, with supreme powers, though situated in Mathura, in another form went to Vraja, and thus fulfilled all the desires of the people of Vraja because he was the best friend (sarvatma), and who then let Uddhava see his expansion in two forms to relieve Uddhava of anxiety (sarva darsinah), then went to the house of Kubja along with Uddhava to fulfill his promise to her.

The house was filled with many articles suitable for enjoyment and festivity (maharhopakaranaih), with pictures and herbs to excite lust (kama upaya).

She offered him a suitable (yatha) seat and other objects of worship.

Uddhava felt that it was improper for him as Krsna’s servant to sit on a seat offered by the hand of his beloved. After touching the asana with his hand, in order to honor her offer, he then sat on the floor. Krsna then lay on a bed in an inner room.

She prepared her body (atma) for enjoyment by applying aguru incense and other items.

The words “ fearful” and new association (nava sangam) indicate for the less intelligent that Kubja had never been enjoyed by anyone else. Though she was beautiful, she was protected because of her hunchback. She had a small amount of credit because she had offering unguents to Krsna. But she did not have piles of credits, like the sadhana siddhas among the Vraja women and Mathura women.

She wiped away the pain of her breasts, chest and eyes by the touch of his feet and smelt his feet.

She requested that he enjoy only with her (kaivalya natham), not with anyone else at all. She is called unfortunate because Krsna would not fulfill that request.

“Stay in the inner cahmbers of my house for some days and do not go out. All arrangements have been made in this house for drinking and eating.” There are two readings saha usyatam (stay with me) and aho usyatam (O please stay).

kama vara dattva (gave her the desired benedictions) means that he gave her full satisfaction of enjoyment, and that he kept his promise on first meeting her that he would fulfill her request, even though she was a common woman. Having fulfilled her desires, and taking her permission (manayitva) saying that he could not stay with her continuously and enjoy, because of local gossip, he left. He left with Uddhava in order to prevent gossip, since Uddhava was famous every as having the best conduct. From previous explanations, it should understood that she was an expansion of the Lord’s bhu sakti.

In relation to this incident, this verse gives instruction those persons worshiping the lord in the role of a lover. T hat person, who in worshiping Krsna, prays for material happiness, is a fool. However, with the intent to render pleasure to Krsna’s senses completely, if one also gets happiness in the process, that is not a fault. It should be understood that only if the intense desire (as a lover) is directed with pure intent of service for pleasure of Krsna alone, does it destroys ones material desire and illusion.

With a desire to please Akrura, with a desire to engage him in service (kincit cikirsayan) (since the order of the master is pleasing to the servant), Krsna went to Akrura’s house.

Akrura put all the water (a+ apah) that he used to wash their feet on his head. He massaged their feet with his two hands gently (mrjan).

“You have protected this dynasty and increased its prosperity. It is not surprising since the whole universe belongs to you.” The dual case is used because the Lord appears in two forms. “You are the pradhana and you are the purusa. You are the cause (jagaddhetu) and you are the effect (jaganmayau).” By negation Akrura expresses the same idea. “Without you, there is no cause and no effect.”

“The one Supreme Lord, through the form of the universe, becomes many.” That is expressed in this verse. “Having produced this universe, you enter it and reside there. You are perceived through the forms of devas, gandharvas, humans and animals. Because of this, the universe becomes the object of seeing and hearing.”

The varieties expanded from one Lord is explained by an example in this verse. “Just material bodies are manifest with various forms from the material elements like earth and water, so you, the one independent Lord, become many as the multitude of visible objects in this universe.”

Therefore you are the one Supreme Lord of the universe. You are not bound up like the jivas by karma and the gunas of sattva , rajas and tama.”

“Why am I not bound up?”

“As you are the very form of knowledge, para brahman, what is the question of being bound up by ignorance? You do not have ignorance like the jiva.”

“But if I have no ignorance in me, then where does this body of mine, a product of ignorance, come from?”

“Your body is not designated as coming from ignorance by those who have knowledge of the scriptures. Therefore you do not have birth like the jivas (na bhavah). If your body appears to be material, it is only an appearance of birth like the jivas, since you are actually independent. As you do not have a material body born of ignorance, you do not have birth from the father’s semen. Rather your birth is just your appearance (avirbhava). There is no difference between body and soul for you, unlike the jiva. Your body is you, as is proved by the statement “In the Lord there is no difference between the body and the soul.” Since you are Brahman, transcendental to knowledge and ignorance, there is no bondage or liberation for you.”

“But I was bound up to the mortar by Mother Yasoda and escaped from the lake of Kaliya.”

“Let that be (syatam), as such bondage and liberation are not forbidden for you. Why do you accept bondage and liberation? It is because of our desire, the desire of your devotees (nikamah). We desire these incidents because they are worthy of meditation, In full knowledge (vivekah) you enact this bondage and liberation, as your are beyond the influence of maya. For one who is knowledge itself, there is no bondage to or liberation from this world, which is produced by lack of knowledge.”

“Though you are involved in pastimes beyond the material modes, as described in the previous verses, whenever this ancient (puranah) path of dharma (veda patah) enunciated by you (tvaya udita) is disturbed by the demons, you appear in the universe to increase sattva guna, in order to maintain the righteous by protecting the path of dharma.”

“You have appeared along with your expansion Balarama (svamsena) in the house of Vasudeva, to relieve the burden of the earth by killing the hundreds of aksauhini of the impious kings.”

“Our house which you, the Supreme Lord, and as well the embodiment of pitras, bhutas, human and devas, have entered has become blessed.”

“What learned person would surrender to anyone other than you, who are true to your word (rta girah), having kept your promise to come to my house after killing Kamsa; who are the best friend (su hdrah), knowing what is best for your servant, and doing that; who are most grateful (krta jnat), remembering anything that your devotee has done for you as an act of service, even if done once or is insignificant, forgotten even by the devotee himself; who have a splendorous heart (su hrdah), without personal desire; and who gives the desired results to those who worship you. Even if they do not desire something, you also give that. Though you give so much, you are not finished. You give even yourself. If you give even yourself, will you not be left with nothing? No, for you there is not increase or decrease . Though presented with all things by millions of brahmas of millions of universes, you do not increase. And though you give everything, even yourself, to your devotees, you have no decrease, because of your inconceivable, unlimited energy.”

“By our good fortune, we can directly perceive you.”

Krsna somewhat bewildered Akrura (sammohayan iva), by increasing his awareness of his powers.

“We are like your sons (prajah).”

“O Akrura you are our guru, father. From the point of view of normal behaviour, you are worthy of respect by us.” This is stated in verse 29. “From the spiritual point of view, you must be worshipped, since you are the highest devotee.” This is stated in this verse.

“Among those worthy of worship you are most worshipable (arha sattama).”

“But worship of the devas is more famous.”

“The devatas are self interested, but the devotees are not. They are intent on giving mercy to others.”

“Are not the holy waters worthy of worship?”

Shaking my head I say “No, though certainly the holy waters and the devas purify, that is very different from the purification through the devotees. The holy waters give purification by prolonged service, but the devotees give purification just by seeing them.”

32.”Because you are our well wisher (suhrdah), being an uncle, and because you act for others’ welfare (sreyan), being a devotee, you should do this. Go (gacchasva) to Hastinapura (for your benefit).” It may also be taken as gaccha sva (O relative (sva), please, go for their benefit).

“I have heard that they are living with the king Dhrtarastra (rajna).”