Bakasura Lect., Conv. & Letters)

Expressions researched:
"Bakasura"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Bombay, March 28, 1974:

So this teaching for the nondevotees. And to punish them, to chastise them, Kṛṣṇa appears. You have seen Kṛṣṇa's life. You will read in our Kṛṣṇa Book up to Ninth Chapter. There was simply killing. No, after Tenth Chapter. When He was in Dvārakā His business was only killing. So many demons, so many Ariṣṭāsura, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Pūtanāsura, and Jarāsandha, Dantavakra. So this is vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. This is one side.

And another side, another side is paritrāṇāya sādhūnām. Those sādhus... Actually Kṛṣṇa appears for the sādhus. Not for the duṣkṛtas. To kill the duṣkṛtas, there are many agent. One little earthquake can kill millions of duṣkṛtas in a second. So Kṛṣṇa does not require to come to kill the duṣkṛtas. But He comes to favor sādhu. Sādhus, they are very much persecuted.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.3.23 -- Los Angeles, September 28, 1972:

"I am Rāma-Kṛṣṇa," and he becomes Rāma-Kṛṣṇa? How? What is the test? The test is bhagavān aharad bharam. When Kṛṣṇa and Rāma appeared, Balarāma, He killed so many demons to make the world peaceful. The beginning of killing was their maternal uncle Kaṁsa. Not only that beginning. From the beginning of Kṛṣṇa's birth, Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, the Keśī, and so many asuras... Every day, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma used to go in the forest and some asura would come to disturb Them, to kill Them, and Kṛṣṇa will finish them. And the friends will come at home and narrate the story to their mothers, "Mother, Kṛṣṇa is so wonderful. Such a big demon came and He killed immediately in this way and that way." That is Kṛṣṇa. Not that because one has got some so-called meditation, He becomes Kṛṣṇa without any test. But what is the proof that he is Rāma-Kṛṣṇa? But they do not take the proof. They simply pose a bogus man as Rāma-Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.29 -- Mayapura, October 9, 1974:

So Kṛṣṇa, although He's playing the part of human being, His activities are transcendental. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā (BG 4.14). That is the distinction between Kṛṣṇa and ourself. He is killing. He has killed so many demons; from the very childhood His one side is killing-Pūtanā killing, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, this asura, that asura, then Keśī, and so many asuras He killed. But His killing and our killing is not the same. Na māṁ karmāṇi limpanti. And in the Īśopaniṣad is..., apāpa-viddham. That is Kṛṣṇa. If we imitate Kṛṣṇa... We cannot imitate. Therefore our business is to follow the words of Kṛṣṇa, not to imitate Him. That is suicidal. We shall follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa as He is giving in the Bhagavad-gītā, but if we become so rascal to imitate His rāsa-līlā, then we'll go to hell. But the Māyāvādīs, they sometimes do that. That... In the Bhāgavata it is forbidden, that "Imitation of this..." Idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.8.41 -- Los Angeles, May 3, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa, as Kṛṣṇa has got two businesses, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Two business. He is giving protection to the sādhus, to the devotees. Just like Kṛṣṇa is giving protection to the Pāṇḍavas, to the Vṛṣṇis, because they are devotees. And similarly He's killing Kaṁsa, Aghāsura, Bakāsura. I think His killing business was a major business than protection. From the life of Kṛṣṇa we see in the Kṛṣṇa book... So if you take statistics how much time He devoted for killing and how much time He devoted for protecting, we shall see He devoted more time for killing. You see. So that is also Kṛṣṇa's business. So those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious... Killing, we don't mean that you take weapon. That is not possible in this age. Neither you have got the strength. If you kill, then you will be killed also. Not that. But there are two kinds of victory.

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Los Angeles, May 6, 1973:

Then everything is all right. Then when you have to talk, vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane, simply talk of Kṛṣṇa, this Vaikuṇṭha. You can talk of Kṛṣṇa, about His pastimes with the gopīs. You can talk of Kṛṣṇa about His pastimes when He's killing the Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura. Both are the same. Some of the rascals, they decide that to talk of Kṛṣṇa about His embracing the gopīs is very good, and the talk of Kṛṣṇa killing Pūtanā or other demons, that is not good. That is rascaldom. Anything about Kṛṣṇa, you talk, vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Just like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there are so many descriptions, so many other things, but because it is in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, so each word of Bhāgavatam is valued. Each word of Bhagavad-gītā is valued. Because there is relation. Similarly, if you dovetail everything in Kṛṣṇa's service, everything is good. Everything Vaikuṇṭha. That is Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane.

Lecture on SB 1.10.2 -- Mayapura, June 17, 1973:

Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. God's intelligence, power, is natural. Although Kṛṣṇa was on the lap of Mother Yaśodā like a little baby, but the full potency of God was there. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā. How to kill Pūtanā, how to kill Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Kṛṣṇa knows perfectly. All the Kṛṣṇa's friends, they were entering within the mouth of Aghāsura. Kṛṣṇa is observing, "Now My all friends have entered the mouth of the Aghāsura, and how to kill this demon?" The last, He entered. And at the end of the throat, He began to expand Himself. Just see how He knows to do His business. Svābhāvikī.

Lecture on SB 1.10.2 -- Mayapura, June 17, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa was a boy also, little boy. Nobody taught Him how to kill this Aghāsura, Bakāsura. But He knows. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. He expanded Himself within the throat, and the demon was choked up, and he died. Similarly, the Keśī demon came as a horse and Kṛṣṇa pushed His hand within the mouth of the horse. If you want to control horse, you have to control his mouth. Horse is controlled by the mouth. Therefore you have seen the harnesses are fit, fixed in the mouth, and the driver controls the mouth, and the horse goes. So Kṛṣṇa was a boy. How He knew it that "This demon has come in the shape of a horse. So if I have to control him, I will have to control his mouth."

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- London, August 28, 1973:

No. If you imitate Kṛṣṇa of His rāsa-līlā, then you have to imitate to lifting the mountain. You have to kill demons like Kaṁsa. But you'll find the so-called artists, they will paint pictures of Kṛṣṇa only with gopīs dancing and the... Not other things, how He's killing Kaṁsa, how He's killing Aghāsura, Bakāsura. That they'll not paint. That side is completely blind. But in our Kṛṣṇa book you'll find both the pictures.

So here you have to understand that the rivers, the ocean, the mountains, and the trees, and the creepers, they will all serve you very, I mean to say, regularly, provided you are obedient to Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. Phalanty oṣadhayaḥ. Nowadays we do not know. As soon as we become sick we go to the doctor or to the drug shop. But in the forest all the medicines are there.

Lecture on SB 3.25.35 -- Bombay, December 4, 1974:

This is the very old story, that if you become a devotee, you must be prepared to be put into miserable condition by the demons. That is their business. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ (BG 7.15). Asuras... Just like even Kṛṣṇa, even God Himself, He was attempted to be killed by Kaṁsa. Not only that, He engaged so many demons, Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Mahīśāsura, so many asuras. But Kṛṣṇa is always Kṛṣṇa. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). He is able to finish these duṣkṛtas or the asuras by His omnipotency. That He can do. But the asuras are always... Their only business is to give trouble to God and His devotee.

Lecture on SB 6.3.18 -- Gorakhpur, February 11, 1971:

Because he keeps the poison just on the door of the throat, he does not... That is Lord Śiva. Just like there are many fools who try to imitate Kṛṣṇa for performing the rāsa-līlā with women. But they cannot imitate Kṛṣṇa for killing Pūtanā, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, or lifting the Govardhana. That they do not follow. That is very difficult for them. The rascals, they take easily.

(aside:) So you can go and lie down. Why you are sitting? This is not good. You don't have sufficient sleep from ten to four? Is not sufficient? Why you do like this? Whole day and night, whenever you sit down. What is this? Every one of you more or less. What is the reason?

Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971:

Kṛṣṇa realization means sac-cid-ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The Supreme Lord is by nature full of bliss. You will see, therefore, Kṛṣṇa always blissful. Kṛṣṇa has no anxiety. Kṛṣṇa is killing a very big, big demon and He is taking pleasure and smiling. You have seen all these pictures in our Kṛṣṇa book, how He is killing the Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Dhenukāsura, Keśī, and so many asuras. Just like a child is playing with toys. And similarly, He is enjoying with His cowherd boyfriends, with girlfriends, gopīs, with His mother, everywhere Kṛṣṇa you will find ānandamayo. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12).

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.7 -- Mayapur, March 9, 1974:

Even from materialistic view, who is that god who can marry sixteen thousand wives? Is there any god, so-called rascal god? Is there any possibility? Kṛṣṇa showed, yes. Kṛṣṇa was attempted to be killed from the very childhood when He was three months old by Pūtanā. But He killed the Pūtanā rakṣasī, not He was killed. Similarly, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, this asura, that asura, simply from the beginning of His life, Kaṁsa and others, from the rogues, the asuras, they were making plan to kill Kṛṣṇa as soon as He is born. Kaṁsa, he was planning that "As soon as Kṛṣṇa is born..." He was trying to kill Kṛṣṇa's Mother Devakī, but with argument of Vasudeva that "Don't do this. Your sister's son will kill you, but your sister will not kill you, so let the son be born. I shall bring it to you," Kaṁsa believed the honorable words of Vasudeva. Because he knew that "Vasudeva is very respectable, honorable man. He has promised the children, the child, will be brought to me," so he saved his sister.

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.8 -- Vrndavana, March 15, 1974:

So one who has got intelligence, they will try to enter into the pastimes, transcendental pastimes of the Lord, either as a cowherd boy or as a servant or as a flower, as a tree, or the water of Yamunā, or the land, or the father and the mother and the conjugal lover. Or it may be as enemy, as Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Pūtanā. They are also blessed because they are acting with Kṛṣṇa. This is the sum and substance of Vṛndāvana līlā. Kṛṣṇa comes, He exhibits His līlā in Vṛndāvana to attract the conditioned souls, who are engaged in false līlā, temporary līlā, or hellish līlā. Kṛṣṇa wants to save us. The propensity is there. Kṛṣṇa says, "Not here. Not in this material world. This is perverted. You come to Me." But the Māyāvādīs, because they have poor fund of knowledge, they think that "If again there is līlā, there is sporting, there is dancing, so that is here. Then it is māyā."

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.119 -- Gorakhpur, February 17, 1971:

Or He can kill the Pūtanā at the age of three months. And so many demons used to visit daily. Kṛṣṇa used to go with the calves and cows, with His friends in the forest, and every day Kaṁsa used to send one kind of demon to kill them—Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Dhenukāsura, so many.

So although Kṛṣṇa is playing just like a cowherd boy, His supremacy as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is never absent there. That is God. God is not created by meditation. God is God. God is never manufactured. We should know this. God is God, and we living entities, we are living entities. That is the Vedic version. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). Equality, when there is question of equality, the equality is that Kṛṣṇa, or God, is nitya, eternal; similarly, we are also eternal. So equality in eternity.

General Lectures

Lecture at Krsna Niketan -- Gorakhpur, February 16, 1971:

And from the shore, all the members of Vṛndāvana, they become fainted: "Now Kṛṣṇa is gone." But He was fighting with him and kicking on the head, and blood was oozing out from the mouth of the serpent. So these things are wonderful things—Bakāsura, Aghāsura, Śiśupāla, Kaṁsa. Kṛṣṇa was boy of sixteen years old when He was combating a very powerful wrestler, Cāṇūra. Everything... Everyone present, they thought it unlawful that "Kṛṣṇa is so young, and such a big stalwart and strong wrestler is engaged with Him for wrestling. This is not good. This is not good." In protest, so many people left the arena. And Nanda Mahārāja began to think, "I should have locked up Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana instead of allowing Him to come here. Oh, so much injustice."

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 11, 1969, New York:

Prabhupāda: And other, His poor friends, they were taking capātīs, dry capātīs. (laughs) So they were enjoying, dividing, "Your food, my food, his food." And sometimes there was some trouble in the forest because Kamsa was after Kṛṣṇa to kill Him. He was sending his assistants. So some asura would come, Bakāsura, Aghāsura, and Kṛṣṇa would kill. And the boys would return and narrate the story to their mother. "Oh, my dear mother! Such and such thing happened and Kṛṣṇa killed it! Very..." (laughter) The mother will, "Oh, yes, our Kṛṣṇa is very wonderful!" (laughter) So Kṛṣṇa was their enjoyment. That's all. The mother is speaking of Kṛṣṇa, the boy is speaking of Kṛṣṇa. So therefore they did not know anything but Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa. Whenever there is some trouble, "Oh Kṛṣṇa." When there is fire, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa." That is the beauty of Vṛndāvana. Their mind is absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. Not through philosophy. Not through understanding, but natural love.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: This is the feeling of separation. Such feeling everyone should... (aside:) Go on.

Devotee (1): "...from the poisonous water of the Yamunā, from the serpent Kāliya, from Bakāsura, from the anger of Indra and his torrents of rain, from forest fire and so many other things. You are the greatest and most powerful of all. It is wonderful that You have protected us from so many dangers. We are surprised You are neglecting us at this moment. Dear Kṛṣṇa, dear friend, we know very well that You are not actually the son of Mother Yaśodā or the cowherd man Nanda Mahārāja. You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supersoul of all living entities. You have, out of Your own causeless mercy, appeared in this world, requested by Lord Brahma for the protection of the world.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Devotees -- August 1, 1975, New Orleans:

Prabhupāda: Yes. He was therefore called king. But he was a vaiśya. He engaged his land for agriculture and cow keeping. And Kṛṣṇa took charge of the cows, the calves, although still calf, He, (indistinct) This is the system. He was going with the calves whole day, playing with the boys and taking care of the cows, in the evening come back. Mother then washes and bathes and gives nice food. And immediately goes to sleep. And Kṛṣṇa is clever. At night He goes to the gopīs. (laughter) Then Mother Yaśodā did not know, when she thought, "My good son is sleeping." And the gopīs also would come at a place and they'll dance. This is called life, childhood life. And when He was grown up, then He was brought to, I mean to say, Mathurā and He fought with His maternal uncle, killed him, and then His father Vasudeva, took care, sent Him to, what is that? Sāndīpani Muni. He was educated. He was learning every subject every day. Then He was taken to Dvārakā, married so many queens, and became king. In the Kṛṣṇa's life, He's always busy. Kṛṣṇa... You'll never find from the very beginning of His life He's busy killing Putana, Aghasura, Bakasura, and His friends, they are confident. They'll enter into the mouth of Aghasura.

Morning Walk -- December 19, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. These rascals, they have taken...

Indian man: But this, sir...

Prabhupāda: They will never paint any picture of Kṛṣṇa is killing Pūtāna, Aghasura, Bakasura, Kaṁsa—so many killing process from the very childhood. That picture you won't find. Because he knows he is Aghasura. He'll be killed. (laughing)

Dr. Patel: We see pictures of Giridhārī, like that. Now we see even Giridhārī picture. Sir, it is the education. The disturb the education of this country after Neccola (?). That is the cause of it.

Prabhupāda: Naḥ, Necolla(?) has gone long, long ago. What you are doing now?

Dr. Patel: Necolla(?) have made it sir.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Delay? But that's a fact. Unless government gives us land... (break) ...but we... We are not Kṛṣṇa. But if we remain Kṛṣṇa conscious Vaiṣṇavas, then our position is strong, If there is slackness, then they will come to kill us. That we have to see. Āpani ācari' prabhu jīve śikhāilā. Our behavior should be very clear. "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion." Then it will be... This Aghāsura, Bakāsura, will come and... In the beginning there was Aghāsura, Pūtanā. That Devānanda, "Hare Kṛṣṇa Film," he wanted to do some harm. And he is gone, finished. Nobody talks of Devānanda. They talk of our movement. So if you remain strong in your spiritual activities, these Aghāsura, Bakāsura will come, go. But we should take precaution and counteract to reduce them. Real strength will remain from Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma's strength. Balarāma.

Room Conversation on New York court case -- November 2, 1976, Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Ha. So (Hindi). He will go with you, immediately. Meeting arrange (Hindi). Thank you very much. (pause) Combine together in Vṛndāvana. Fight! Without fight where is life? If there is no fighting then what is that life? That is dead stone. Fight must be there. Kṛṣṇa's whole life is fighting from the very birth. His father carried Him to Gokula where He (indistinct) and He fell down from the Yamunā and... Just born, fighting began. Just born. And at Yaśodāmayī's house, Nanda Mahārāja's house, so many demons daily coming, Śakaṭāsura, Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Pūtanā, so on, so on, so on. Ultimately Kaṁsa, when He was young boy. Vṛndāvana, so many asuras came. You have seen the pictures? Kṛṣṇa is fighting with the horse demon, with the bull, Dyutiman (?), fighting. If Kṛṣṇa is fighting, why not Kṛṣṇa consciousness the same thing. You cannot expect peaceful life. No, there must be fighting, then think "That is Kṛṣṇa's presence, His fight."

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, objectionable... The rākṣasas... Just like Kṛṣṇa was there within the womb of Devakī. Kaṁsa imprisoned. So the brilliance of the body of Devakī could not be seen by others, because imprisoned. So if Kṛṣṇa comes from the womb of Devakī, and He will come, similarly if by your endeavor Kṛṣṇa comes in this movement, then these Kaṁsas will be destroyed. He will kill. That day will come when we shall take all the political posts. That is Kṛṣṇa's mission. That is battle of Kurukṣetra. "Take it from Duryodhana. Give it to Yudhiṣṭhira, Arjuna." If you go on steadily, that will be... And all these demons, Kaṁsa, Bakāsura, Aghāsura, sakala incarnations, swamis, yogis... They are Aghāsura and Bakāsura. Just like Kṛṣṇa had to kill so many asuras, disturbing element. You become under some Aghāsura.

Room Conversation -- August 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Violence from the beginning.

Prabhupāda: Then Tṛṇāvarta, big, big yuddha. Then Aghāsura, Bakāsura, Śakaṭāsura, this asura, this asura, that asura, in childhood, in Vṛndāvana, so many. Then, when He went to Mathurā, big, big elephant, big, big wrestler. Then Kaṁsa. Then, after Kaṁsa, then Jarāsandha, Pauṇḍraka, then kidnapping His wives. Fighting, only fighting. And these rascals say, "I do not like this Kṛṣṇa." You have heard that? He is creating his own Kṛṣṇa, this Gandhi.

Yaśomatīnandana: They also say, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that the Kṛṣṇa of Mahābhārata is different from Kṛṣṇa of Bhāgavata.

Prabhupāda: Just see. How they are distorting history and everything. And in Mahābhārata... He's advertising himself as staunch student of Bhagavad-gītā, and he is distorting the meaning in so many ways. That is his business. And he's mahātmā. Mahātmā means mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, bhajanty ananya... (BG 9.13). Mahātmā is a great devotee who has no other business than to obey the orders of Kṛṣṇa. Bhajanti. Bhajana-sevā. And he's is discarding, distorting, and he's mahātmā. Just see. If you study, scrutinizing, these men have done greatest disservice to the country, to the people in general. And they have received no result. And I have worked ten years only with Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Rāmeśvara: This painting shows Kṛṣṇa about to bifurcate the Bakāsura demon. This is Kṛṣṇa's first birthday, Janmāṣṭamī, and Mother Yaśodā and Rohiṇī are bathing Kṛṣṇa, abhiṣeka. This painting is Kṛṣṇa eating butter. (laughter) These are fourteen new paintings for one book. These are the first pictures from the Fiji temple opening. Yaśodā-nandana is performing the abhiṣeka for the small Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. They have so many metal bowls with different...

Hari-śauri: This abhiṣeka took us seven hours.

Prabhupāda: Fiji Island. (Bengali)

1976 Correspondence

Letter to unknown 2 -- 28 September, 1976:

All these have pained me to a great extent. Shri Krishna and His name Krishna are the same. Just after the advent of Shri Krishna, even while He was a mere child, even then Kamsa, Putana, Aghasura, Bakasura, Gardhabasu, Pralambasura and other such demons tried their best to kill Shri Krishna. But their attempts failed. They could not harm Shri Krishna in any way. They were themselves destroyed. So the movement for Krishna Consciousness can in no way be stopped and be faded away. Rather those who are trying to do any harm by uncalled for agitation after spreading false facts, they are sure to be disheartened. It seems if these people without adopting the aforesaid wrong way of doing harm to our International Society for Krishna Consciousness, do themselves join our movement, there is every chance of a formation of the body of a Great United Nation.