Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 10 Chapter 04 Purports - The Atrocities of King Kamsa
Pages in category "Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 10 Chapter 04 Purports - The Atrocities of King Kamsa"
The following 147 pages are in this category, out of 147 total.
A
- A devotee never sees anything to be unconnected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srila Madhvacarya, quoting from the Bhavisya Purana, says: bhagavad-darsanad yasya, virodhad darsanam prthak, prthag-drstih sa vijneyo, na tu sad-bheda-darsanah
- A devotee understands that when he is in distress, this is due to his own past misdeeds, which are now accruing reactions, although by the grace of the SP of Godhead these are only very slight. Karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam - BS 5.54
- A snake and a cruel person are both cruel, but a cruel person is more dangerous because although a snake can be charmed by mantras or subdued by herbs, a cruel person cannot be subdued by any means. Such was the nature of Kamsa
- According to moral instructions, one should not neglect to extinguish fire completely, treat diseases completely, and clear debts completely. Otherwise they will increase and later be difficult to stop
- According to the Hari-bhakti-vilasa after the disappearance of an acarya, his body is never burnt to ashes, for it is a spiritual body. The spiritual body is always unaffected by material conditions
- According to the living entity's desire, Yogamaya, or Maya, the goddess Durga, gives him a particular type of body, which is mentioned (in BG 18:61) as yantra, a machine
- According to the prophecy, Kamsa would be killed by the eighth child of Devaki. Therefore, Vasudeva and Devaki saw that behind all these incidents was a great plan devised by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- According to this axiomatic truth (BG 18.17), Kamsa pleaded that he was not responsible for having killed the sons of Devaki and Vasudeva. "Please try to excuse me for such false, external activities," he said - and be pacified with this same knowledge
- According to this description of the asuras given in Bhagavad-gita (BG 9.12), whatever they do will ultimately be baffled. It was such persons who advised Kamsa because they were his chief friends and ministers
- Actually no one has his own plans because everyone is bound by the laws of nature and must act according to his tendency in material, conditional life
- Although both Yogamaya and Mahamaya act in all material activities, doglike watchmen such as politicians and diplomats think that they are protecting their neighborhoods from the dangers of the outside world. These are the actions of maya
- Although Devaki was crying like a very poor woman, actually she was not poor, and therefore the word used here (in SB 10.4.7) is dinavat. She had already given birth to Krsna. Therefore, who could have been richer than she
- Although Kamsa had spoken very nicely on the subject of real knowledge, his past deeds were abominable and atrocious, and therefore he further begged forgiveness from his sister and brother-in-law (Devaki and Vasudeva) by falling at their feet
- Although Kamsa is described as a demon, he had good knowledge of the affairs of atma-tattva, the truth of the self
- Although the disease of a devotee is due to mistakes committed sometime in the past, he agrees to suffer and tolerate such miseries, & he depends fully on the SPG. Thus he is never affected by material conditions of lamentation, jubilation, fear & so on
- Although the street dogs are not appointed by anyone to act as watchmen, they think they are responsible for protecting the neighborhood, and as soon as someone unknown enters it, they all begin to bark
- As confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 1.2.6): The word dharma means "engagement." One who is engaged in the service of God (yato bhaktir adhoksaje), without impediment and without cessation, is understood to be situated in his original, spiritual status
- As it is clearly said, aprapya mam nivartante mrtyu-samsara-vartmani: (BG 9.3) without Krsna consciousness, one is condemned to continue wandering in birth and death, not knowing what will happen in one's next birth
- As stated in Bhagavad-gita (BG 18.17): One who is not motivated by false ego, whose intelligence is not entangled, though he kills men in this world, is not the slayer. Nor is he bound by his actions
- As stated in Bhagavad-gita (BG 2.13): As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change
- As stated in the Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38): Everyone, beginning from the small insect known as indra-gopa up to Indra, the King of the heavenly planets, is obliged to undergo the results of his fruitive activities
- As stated in the Vedas, asango hy ayam purusah: the spirit soul has no connection with the changes of the material body
- As we learn from the history of the Mahabharata, or "Greater India," the wives and daughters of the ruling class, the ksatriyas, knew the political game, but we never find that a woman was given the post of chief executive
- Asuras are generally devotees of mother Durga, Sakti, or of demigods, especially Lord Siva
- Asuras, although superficially showing expertise in passionate activities, are actually all fools. They are neither sober nor expert. Whatever they do is imperfect. Moghasa mogha-karmanah
- At that time (during war, pestilence, famine and so on) even atheistic political leaders go to a church, mosque or temple for protection by God or gods and submissively say - God willing
- At the present moment in Kali-yuga, Raksasa fathers and mothers are killing their own children in the womb, and some are even eating the fetus with great relish. Thus the so-called civilization is gradually advancing by producing Raksasas
- At the time of death, the atheist must submit to this supreme kala, and then the Supreme Personality of Godhead takes away all his possessions (mrtyuh sarva-haras caham (BG 10.34)) and forces him to accept another body (tatha dehantara-praptih) - BG 2.13
B
- Because Devaki bore Durgadevi in her womb, Kamsa praised both Devaki and her husband. Asuras are very devoted to the goddess Durga, Kali and so forth. Kamsa, therefore, truly astonished, appreciated the exalted position of his sister and brother-in-law
- Because I am situated on the platform of knowledge - Kamsa said - understanding that I am not at all the killer of your (Devaki's) sons, I have no responsibility for their death
- Before that (war, pestilence, famine and so on), they (atheistic political leaders) pay no attention to God, not caring to know God or His will, but when kala appears, they say - God willing. Death is but another feature of the supreme kala, the SPG
- Before the awakening of the watchmen and the others in the prison house (Kamsa's prison house), many other things happened
- Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.187, "A person acting in the service of Krsna with his body, mind and words is a liberated person, even within the material world." Therefore, one is forbidden to regard the guru as an ordinary human being
- Both Yogamaya and Mahamaya act in all material activities (prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah) - BG 3.27
- But the present emergency - the ministers said (to Kamsa) - is not intended for such mercy or military etiquette. Now you should prepare to fight under any circumstances
- By nature's law, when there is an unwanted increase in population, kala appears, and by some arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, people are killed wholesale in different ways, by war, pestilence, famine and so on
- By the grace of the Lord, Kamsa felt sincere regret for having unnecessarily persecuted such Vaisnavas as Devaki and Vasudeva, and thus he came to the transcendental stage of knowledge
D
- Demons can do anything for their personal benefit, not considering what is pious or vicious
- Devaki and Vasudeva, both highly elevated personalities, accepted the truth presented by Kamsa that everything is ordained by providence
- Devaki first adopted the policy of repression by directly attacking Kamsa for having cruelly, atrociously killed her babies. Then she compromised by saying that this was not his fault, and then she begged for a gift
- Devaki knew very well that because the killing of her many children had been ordained by destiny, Kamsa was not to be blamed. There was no need to give good instructions to Kamsa
- Devaki must have had some transcendental qualities; otherwise why would the goddess Durga have taken birth from her womb? Under the circumstances, Kamsa, struck with wonder, wanted to compensate for his atrocities against his sister Devaki
- Devaki wanted to save her brother (Kamsa) from this terrible, sinful act (the killing of a helpless, newborn child). Therefore she told him - Don't be so atrocious as to kill a female child. Let there be all good fortune for you
- Devaki, although safe because she had already given birth to her own son, Krsna, was anxious to save the daughter of someone else. This was natural for her
- Devotees are expert in all transactions (yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah (SB 5.18.12)). Therefore they are called kovida, which means - expert
- Durga is certainly not under the laws of nature, because she herself is the controller of the laws of nature. Ordinary living beings, however, are controlled by these laws (prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah) - BG 3.27
E
- Especially in this age, Kali-yuga, cows are being killed all over the world, and as soon as there is a movement to establish brahminical civilization, people in general rebel
- Even after the annihilation of a particular bodily form, the original source of the bodily elements does not change
- Even the demigods had come to offer prayers to Devaki, but she played the part of a poor, piteously afflicted woman because she wanted to save the daughter of Yasoda
- Even when someone kills someone else, it is to be understood that the person who was killed met the fruitive results of his own work and that the man who killed him acted as the agent of material nature
- Everything is done automatically by the laws of nature, which work under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
H
- He (Krsna was born of Devaki but according to His original plan He went to Vrndavana and after eleven years) would return to kill Kamsa. Because Kamsa did not know this, he believed Yogamaya's statement that Krsna was born elsewhere, not of Devaki
- Her (goddess Durga's) devotees are known as saktas, or worshipers of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas worshipers of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself are called Vaisnavas
- Here (in SB 10.4.39) is a description of sanatana-dharma, eternal religious principles, which must include brahminical culture, brahmanas, sacrifices and religion. These principles establish the kingdom of Visnu
- Here (in SB 10.4.5) we see that Devaki first focused Kamsa's attention on his atrocious activities, his killing of her many sons. Then she wanted to compromise with him by saying that whatever he had done was not his fault, but was ordained by destiny
I
- In politics there are different methods of achieving success: first repression (dama), then compromise (sama), and then asking for a gift - dana
- In the material world, the living entity must accept different types of bodies. Bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya - BG 18.61
- Irresponsible persons, surcharged with passion and ignorance, foolishly do things that are not to be done (nunam pramattah kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4)). But one should know the results of irresponsible actions, as explained in the next verse - SB 10.4.46
K
- Kala is actually another name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead when He appears only for the purpose of killing
- Kamsa addressed his sister and brother-in-law (Devaki and Vasudeva) as maha-bhagau because although he killed their ordinary children, the goddess Durga took birth from them
- Kamsa admitted his own fault, but whatever he had done was under the control of providence. Kamsa might have been the immediate cause for the death of Devaki's sons, but the remote cause was their past deeds. This was an actual fact
- Kamsa begged Devaki's pardon by analyzing the matter deeply. He was not the cause of the death of Devaki's sons. Rather, this was their own destiny. Under the circumstances, Devaki should excuse Kamsa and forget his past deeds without lamentation
- Kamsa had previously excused Devaki because he thought that a woman should not be killed, especially when pregnant. But now, by the influence of maya, he was prepared to kill a woman - not only a woman, but a small, helpless newborn child
- Kamsa said - As long as I thought that I would be killed by your (Devaki's) son, I was in ignorance, but now I am free from this ignorance, which was due to a bodily conception of life
- Kamsa tried to dash the child downward against a piece of stone, but since she was Yogamaya, the younger sister of Lord Visnu, she slipped upward and assumed the form of the goddess Durga
- Kamsa was admitting that he was a most sinful person
- Kamsa was astonished because the goddess Durga had become the daughter of Devaki
- Kamsa was astonished. Since Devaki was a human being, how could the goddess Durga become her daughter? This was one cause of his astonishment. Also, how is it that the eighth child of Devaki was a female? This also astonished him
- Kamsa was not uneducated. It appears from his talks with Vasudeva and Devaki that he knew all about the laws of nature. But because of his association with bad ministers, he could not make a clear decision about his welfare
- Kamsa was very anxiously waiting because of the prophecy that the eighth child of Devaki would kill him. This time, naturally, he was awake and waiting, and when the watchmen approached him, he immediately took action to kill the child
- Kamsa's ministers reminded Kamsa that despite his power, he was cognizant of the principles of fighting, and therefore he had excused the demigods because of their incapability
- Kamsa's ministers told Kamsa that all the exalted demigods had fled in fear of him. One had gone to the forest - Lord Siva, one to the core of the heart - Lord Visnu, and one to engage in tapasya - Lord Brahma
- Krsna is the cause of all causes (sarva-karana-karanam (BS 5.1)), but one who has no connection with Krsna is disturbed by immediate causes and cannot restrain his vision of separation or differences
- Krsna was born and transferred to the home of Yasoda in Gokula, the strong doors opened and again closed, and Vasudeva resumed his former condition of being shackled. The watchmen, however, could not understand all this
- Krsna was born the son of Devaki, but according to the Lord's original plan, as prophesied to Brahma, He went to Vrndavana to give pleasure to mother Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja and other intimate friends and devotees for eleven years
N
- Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum: (SB 7.5.31) in this demoniac civilization, people unfortunately do not understand that the self-interest of human society lies in Visnu. Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah: thus they are involved in a hopeless hope
- Neither the Supersoul, Paramatma, nor the individual soul changes its original, spiritual identity
- None of us are allowed to live together for any long period. By speaking in this way, Kamsa tried to pacify his sister and brother-in-law - Devaki and Vasudeva
- Not knowing this (with the appearance of kala, death, one must take another body by the laws of nature), they (atheists) unnecessarily waste their time in their occupation as watchdogs and do not try to get the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
O
- One is forbidden to regard the guru as an ordinary human being (gurusu nara-matir. .. naraki sah). The spiritual master, or acarya, is always situated in the spiritual status of life. Birth, death, old age and disease do not affect him
- One may argue that we may see a person who is spiritually engaged 24 hours a day but is still suffering from disease. In fact, however, he is neither suffering nor diseased; otherwise he could not be engaged 24 hours a day in spiritual activities
- One must change one's own decision and follow the decision of Krsna and Krsna's devotees. Then one is rescued from punishment by Yamaraja
- One who goes to the Ganges does not mind the foam and dirty things floating in the water. With his hand, he pushes away such nasty things, bathes in the Ganges and gains the beneficial results
- One who is situated in the spiritual status of life is unaffected by foam and garbage - or any superficial dirty things. This is confirmed by Srila Rupa Gosvami - in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.187
- One who surrenders to Krsna is relieved of the protection afforded by the dogs and doglike guardians of this material world
- Only due to ignorance does a person think, "I am a demigod," "I am a human being," "I am a dog," "I am a cat," or, when the ignorance is still further advanced - I am God
- Our Krsna consciousness movement is directed with this understanding (to preach only devotional service, not encouraging karmis, jnanis and yogis), and therefore the asuras always try to suppress it
- Our main business should be to get out of this conditioned life and again become situated in spiritual existence
S
- She appealed to him (Kamsa) to give her the daughter as a gift. Devaki was the daughter of a ksatriya and knew how to play the political game
- Sometimes dirty foam or garbage is seen floating on the water of the Ganges. This is called nira-dharma, a function of the water
- Srila Locana dasa Thakura has sung, apana karama, bhunjaye samana, kahaye locana dasa. Instead of taking good instructions from the sages and the sastras, godless nondevotees act whimsically, according to their own plans
- Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has remarked that the watchmen were just like dogs. At night the dogs in the street act like watchmen. If one dog barks, many other dogs immediately follow it by barking
T
- The activities of Yogamaya are distinctly visible in this chapter (SB 10.4), in which Devaki and Vasudeva excuse Kamsa for his many devious, atrocious activities and Kamsa becomes repentant and falls at their feet
- The appearance of Durga in her original eight-armed feature, holding various weapons, immediately changed Kamsa's mind about Devaki's being an ordinary human
- The asuras perpetually struggle to persecute the Vaisnavas because they do not want Vaisnavism to spread
- The asuric adherents of Kamsa wanted to disrupt the traditional condition of human happiness and thus defeat the devatas, the devotees and demigods
- The atma does not undergo birth, death or changes like the body. Therefore a Vedic aphorism says, asango hy ayam purusah: although the soul is conditioned within this material world, he has no connections with the changes of the material body
- The body is made according to the desires of the soul. The soul desires, and thus the body is formed
- The body undergoes six changes - birth, growth, sustenance, by-products, dwindling and then annihilation - but the soul undergoes no such changes
- The Caitanya-caritamrta (CC Madhya 22.54) says: If one desires his real welfare, he must associate with devotees and saintly persons and in this way rectify the material condition of his life
- The demigods and the Vaisnavas especially are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, Visnu, because they are always obedient to His orders - om tad visnoh paramam padam sada pasyanti surayah
- The demoniac followers of Kamsa thought that if the Vaisnavas, saintly persons and sages were persecuted, the original body of Visnu would naturally be destroyed. Thus they decided to suppress Vaisnavism
- The energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead acts under the Supreme Lord's direction (mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram) - BG 9.10
- The energy of Yogamaya and Mahamaya keeps the living entities sleeping in this material world in the great darkness of ignorance
- The example given here (in SB 10.4.19) is that pots and dolls are produced from the earth, and when broken or destroyed they mingle with their original ingredients. In any case, the source of supply remains the same
- The goddess Durga is celebrated in Calcutta as Kali, in Bombay as Mumbadevi, in Varanasi as Annapurna, in Cuttack as Bhadrakali and in Ahmedabad as Bhadra. Thus in different places she is known by different names
- The Krsna consciousness movement has started a brahminical civilization, but especially when it is introduced in the Western countries, the asuras try to impede it in many ways
- The Krsna consciousness movement is trying to teach them (atheists) that although for a few years one may act as a great protector or great watchman, with the appearance of kala, death, one must take another body by the laws of nature
- The living entities who are promoted to the spiritual world do not return to the prison house of a material body (tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so'rjuna) - BG 4.9
- The living entity enjoys the material body, which appears and disappears, but the five elements earth, water, fire, air and ether remain the same
- The Lord had already taken birth, just like a human child, and was in the safe custody of Yasoda, everything was happening according to plan
- The ministers advised Kamsa to uproot his enemies completely
- The soul desires, and thus the body is formed. Krsna says in BG (18.61) - The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead punishes them (envious persons) by keeping them in darkness, birth after birth, and pushing them lower and lower into wretched conditions of hellish life
- The Vedic scripture Candi describes maya, the energy of the Supreme Lord, as nidra: durga devi sarva-bhutesu nidra-rupena samasthitah
- The word anuja, meaning "the younger sister," is significant. When Visnu, or Krsna, took birth from Devaki, He must have simultaneously taken birth from Yasoda also. Otherwise how could Yogamaya have been anuja, the Lord's younger sister
- The word kalah is significant. Although the child was born to kill Kamsa, Kamsa thought that this was the proper time to kill the child so that he himself would be saved
- The words janma na eti (BG 4.9) indicate that these living entities remain in their original, spiritual bodies to enjoy the company of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the transcendental abodes Vaikuntha and Vrndavana
- There are principles that govern even fighting. If an enemy has no chariot, is unmindful of the fighting art because of fear, or is unwilling to fight, he is not to be killed
- There are two different types of men - the asuras and the suras. Those who are devotees of Lord Visnu, Krsna, are suras, or devas, whereas those who are opposed to the devotees are called asuras
- There is no question of doing anything independently, for one who has put himself in this material atmosphere is fully under the control of nature's laws
- There was no need to continue their (Devaki's and Vasudeva's) ill feeling toward Kamsa. Thus they accepted Kamsa's words
- They (the ministers) advised Kamsa to give up the traditional etiquette in fighting and chastise the enemy at any cost
- They (the people in general) regard the Krsna consciousness movement as a form of "brainwashing." How can such envious persons be happy in their godless civilization
- They (the watchmen and the others in the prison house) awakened when they heard the crying of the newborn child, Yogamaya
- This the atheists do not know (at the time of death one must submit to the supreme kala and then He takes away all his possessions & forces him to accept another body), and if they do know, they neglect it so that they may go on with their normal life
U
- Unfortunately Manu-samhita is now being insulted, and the Aryans, the members of Vedic society, cannot do anything. Such is the nature of Kali-yuga. Nothing happens unless ordained by destiny
- Unless one is fully self-realized, one's life of ignorance will continue
- Unless the devotees and demigods predominate, the asuras will increase, and human society will be in a chaotic condition
- Upadeso hi murkhanam prakopaya na santaye (Canakya Pandita). If a foolish person is given good instructions, he becomes more and more angry. Moreover, a cruel person is more dangerous than a snake
V
- Vaisnavas are destined to return home, back to Godhead, in the spiritual world, whereas the saktas are destined to live within this material world to enjoy different types of material happiness
- Vaisnavas preach only devotional service, not encouraging karmis, jnanis and yogis, because if one must liberate oneself from material, conditional life, one must ultimately become a Vaisnava
W
- We may superficially see that one is suffering or enjoying because of some external causes, but the real cause is one's own fruitive activities
- We must push forward this (Krsna consciousness) movement tolerantly for the benefit of human society
- When a devotee under the protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is to suffer because of faults in his past deeds, he passes through only a little misery by the grace of the Lord
- When an expert physician treats a patient, he tries to find the original cause of the disease and is not diverted by the symptoms of that original cause. Similarly, a devotee is never disturbed by reverses in life
- When Arjuna inquired from Krsna in His universal form, "Who are You?" the Lord presented Himself as kala, death personified to kill
- When Krsna comes to establish real perfection in the social order, He personally gives protection to the cows and the brahmanas - go-brahmana-hitaya ca
- When one is promoted to this (original and spiritual) status, one is always happy in transcendental bliss. Otherwise, as long as one is in the bodily concept of life, one must suffer material conditions
- Without protection of the brahmanas and the cows, there can be no human civilization and no question of happy, peaceful life. Asuras, therefore, are always interested in killing the brahmanas and cows
- Without the kingdom of Visnu, the kingdom of God, no one can be happy