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I will give you one example how Krsna sometimes breaks His promise. It is very nice story

Expressions researched:
"Bhisma wanted to conquer over Krsna. He promised. How he conquered, that you know, the story, that when Duryodhana showed some reluctance" |"Bhisma was a devotee, great devotee of Krsna. So he promised that either Krsna would break His promise, otherwise His friend will be dead. So he broke His promise. So sometimes Krsna breaks His promise, own promise, for the sake of a devotee. Nobody is expected to break his promise, but Krsna is so kind, for protection of His devotee He can do anything. He can break His promise also. This is Krsna's position" |"But when Arjuna was jeopardized by the fighting of Bhisma, He immediately took some weapon and approached Bhisma" |"I will give you one example how Krsna sometimes breaks His promise. It is very nice story" |"In this fight, this war, I shall not take a weapon" |"Krsna broke His promise, Himself. Krsna broke His promise. He promised that" |"Why Krsna asking Arjuna to declare? He could declare. He could declare, but the meaning is that sometimes, for the sake of His devotee, He breaks His promise. For the sake of His devotee"

Notes from the compiler: Story: Krsna Breaking Promise

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

I will give you one example how Kṛṣṇa sometimes breaks His promise. It is very nice story. Kṛṣṇa, when He joined Arjuna, He promised from His own side that "Because the fight is between your brothers, so it is not My duty... Because both of you are My relatives, so it is not My duty to join one party and not to join another. But because I have divided Myself—Myself, one side, and other side, My soldiers—but Duryodhana has decided to take My soldiers, not Me, so I shall join you. But I shall not fight. I shall not fight. I may take some work which may assist you." So Arjuna offered, "Whatever work You like, You can take." So He said, "All right. I shall drive your chariot."


Lecture on BG 9.29-32 -- New York, December 20, 1966:

I will give you one example how Kṛṣṇa sometimes breaks His promise. It is very nice story. Kṛṣṇa, when He joined Arjuna, He promised from His own side that, "Because the fight is between your brothers, so it is not My duty . . . because both of you are My relatives, so it is not My duty to join one party and not to join another. But because I have divided Myself—Myself one side, and other side, My soldiers—but Duryodhana has decided to take My soldiers, not Me, so I shall join you. But I shall not fight. I shall not fight. I may take some work which may assist you." So Arjuna offered, "Whatever work You like, You can take." So He said: "All right. I shall drive your chariot."

So Kṛṣṇa's promise was that He will not fight. But at a time when Arjuna was perplexed by fighting with Bhīṣma . . . Bhīṣma was the greatest fighter, although he was very old man. Duryodhana incited him that, "Because the other side are your very pet grandsons, you are not fighting fully." That was the complaint of Duryodhana. So in order to encourage him, Duryodhana . . . Bhīṣma said to Duryodhana, "All right, tomorrow I shall finish all these five brothers. Tomorrow I shall finish. And I have got now special arrows for killing these five chivalrous brothers."

So Duryodhana was very intelligent. He told, "All right, please keep these five arrows with me for the night. I shall deliver you tomorrow in the morning." "All right, you take it." And Kṛṣṇa understood. Kṛṣṇa is, everything knows, past, present and future. Kṛṣṇa knew it that "Bhīṣma has now promised. He will kill." So He asked Arjuna—this is also politics—that, "You go to Duryodhana. Do you remember that Duryodhana"—Duryodhana is elderly than Arjuna—"that he would keep some promise which he has offered to you?" Duryodhana told him, "Arjuna, whenever you want something, I shall give you." "Now this is the time. You can go." "And what is that?" "Now, he has got five arrows for killing you. You should take and come to Me."

So after fight, they were friends. So Arjuna went to the camp of Duryodhana, and he was well received. "Well, Arjuna, come on. What do you want? Come on. Sit down. Do you want anything from me? If you want, I can stop this fight. I can return you this . . ." Arjuna said: "No. I have not come to you for begging my kingdom. Fighting will go on. But I want . . . you promised something." "Yes. I know. I offer you. What do you want?" "Now, I want those five arrows." At once he delivered.

And this information was carried to, I mean to say, Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma knew that, "Kṛṣṇa is very cunning also. He will save His devotee. So He has done this. All right, in spite of Kṛṣṇa . . . He has broken my promise, and tomorrow I shall see. If Kṛṣṇa does not break His promise, then His friend will be killed. I will fight in such a way."

So he was fighting in such a way that Arjuna became almost dead. Then at that time, Kṛṣṇa . . . the chariot was torn into pieces, and Arjuna fell down. And then Kṛṣṇa took up one of the wheel of the chariot and came before, "Now, Bhīṣma, you stop this fighting; otherwise I will kill you." Bhīṣma at once gave up his arrow, and he offered, "All right. Kill me."

So thing is that because Bhīṣma promised that "I shall kill Arjuna tomorrow," and Kṛṣṇa also promised not to fight, just to save these two devotees, Arjuna and Bhīṣma—Bhīṣma also was a great devotee—just to show him that, "I am breaking My promise. Please stop . . ." He wanted that, "Either I shall break My promise or you shall kill Arjuna. So better see that I have broken My promise." So in this way, sometimes, for devotee, He sometimes breaks His own promise.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Bhīṣma wanted to conquer over Kṛṣṇa. He promised. How he conquered, that you know, the story, that when Duryodhana showed some reluctance, that "My dear grandfather, you are not fighting with the Pāṇḍavas wholeheartedly because you have got affection for them. So you are on my side. You should fight wholeheartedly." A little criticizing. So to, in order to please Duryodhana, Bhīṣma promised that "Tomorrow I shall kill all the five brothers. Is that all right?" 'Yes, sir. Do that." "So they cannot be saved unless Kṛṣṇa breaks His promise."


Lecture on SB 1.8.45 -- Mayapura, October 25, 1974:

Kṛṣṇa is Ajita. Nobody can conquer Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can order Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can supersede Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is equal to Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is powerful than Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is richer. Everything . . . Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Being. Therefore His another name is Ajita. Ajita means . . . jita means conquered, ajita means who is never conquered. Kṛṣṇa had so many fights with the demons. Even in His childhood, the demons could not conquer over Kṛṣṇa. Beginning from Pūtanā, when He was only three months old, and up to the killing of so many other demons, Kṛṣṇa was never defeated. That is the history. He was never defeated. Ajita. Therefore His name is Ajita. But Ajita becomes conquered. Ajito 'py jita 'py asi. Although Kṛṣṇa is never conquered, still, you can conquer Him. How? Simply by becoming His beloved devotee.

Just like Bhīṣmadeva. Bhīṣmadeva is one of the recognized stalwart devotee of Kṛṣṇa, mahājana, authority. Whatever Bhīṣma will speak on devotional service, that is authoritative. All the twelve mahājanas . . . svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ prahlādo janako bhīṣmaḥ (SB 6.3.20). So Bhīṣma wanted to conquer over Kṛṣṇa. He promised. How he conquered, that you know, the story, that when Duryodhana showed some reluctance, that "My dear grandfather, you are not fighting with the Pāṇḍavas wholeheartedly because you have got affection for them. So you are on my side. You should fight wholeheartedly." A little criticizing. So to . . . in order to please Duryodhana, Bhīṣma promised that "Tomorrow I shall kill all the five brothers. Is that all right?" "Yes, sir. Do that." "So they cannot be saved unless Kṛṣṇa breaks His promise."

Kṛṣṇa said that . . . both the parties were informed that, "It is family fight. I cannot take part in the family. But I can divide Myself into two: My soldiers one side, and I am one side. But even if I am in one side, I'll not fight." So this was His promise, that He would not fight in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. But Bhīṣma obliged Him to fight, to break His promise in order to save Arjuna. Therefore Bhīṣma conquered over Kṛṣṇa, because He had to break His promise. Arjuna was in such a precarious condition that unless Kṛṣṇa would take up the weapon to stop Bhīṣma . . . Bhīṣma was determined: "All right, let, let me kill my grandson." So in battlefield, it was a great ocean of fighting, and Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Karṇa, they were compared with big, big sharks, crocodiles, in the ocean. That was described by Parīkṣit Mahārāja that, "Only for Kṛṣṇa, my grandfather Arjuna was saved. Otherwise, it was impossible for my grandfather to conquer over the fight, to come out victorious. It is simply due to Kṛṣṇa."

Bhīṣma was a devotee, great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So he promised that either Kṛṣṇa would break His promise, otherwise His friend will be dead. So he broke His promise. So sometimes Kṛṣṇa breaks His promise, own promise, for the sake of a devotee. Nobody is expected to break his promise, but Kṛṣṇa is so kind, for protection of His devotee He can do anything. He can break His promise also. This is Kṛṣṇa's position.


Lecture on SB 1.8.46 -- Los Angeles, May 8, 1973:

And because Bhīṣmadeva was elderly son, practically he maintained even Yudhiṣṭhira, here, Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍava. And then again, Pāṇḍu, he died; his sons, these Pāṇḍavas, Yudhiṣṭhira, they were also raised by Bhīṣmadeva. So much affection.

But when there was question of fight, so Bhīṣmadeva fought so severely that Arjuna had to be protected by Kṛṣṇa. Bhīṣmadeva, you know . . . in Mahābhārata these stories are there. Bhīṣmadeva actually had some affection. So Duryodhana thought that, "My grandfather is not fighting properly because the other side, his beloved grandsons. I am also grandson, but I am not so beloved. But the other side, Pāṇḍavas, because they are fatherless, he has more affection for them. So he is officially fighting. He is not fighting with his real vigor." He complained that.

But actually, that was the fact that, "My dear grandfather, you are not fighting with Arjuna with your full vigor. I can understand that." "Oh, I am not fighting? So what do you think?" "Now, I want that you decide to kill them all tomorrow. You can do that." "All right. I shall do that. If you are doubting about my fighting, then I shall . . ." So he made special five arrows to kill the five brothers next. So Duryodhana asked his grandfather that, "Let me keep these five arrows with me. I shall deliver you tomorrow morning. Otherwise it may be missing."

So all these things—Kṛṣṇa is Paramātmā; He knows everything. So He saw that, "There is danger tomorrow. Now Bhīṣma has decided to kill all these Pāṇḍavas." So He asked Arjuna, "Arjuna, you just go, approach Duryodhana this evening." Formerly the practice was, daytime there is fight, but in the after evening they are all friends. After evening they are friends. One can go this camp, that camp, and talk together, sit together, just like friends. There is no enemy. So Duryodhana sometimes promised Arjuna that "I want to give you some benediction. You can ask." So Arjuna said—Duryodhana was elder than Arjuna—that "I will ask you in proper time." So Kṛṣṇa reminded that, "Today . . . tonight, you go to Duryodhana and ask him to deliver those five arrows kept in secret. Otherwise, tomorrow you will be finished."

So Duryodhana went to, er, Arjuna went to Duryodhana in the camp. Duryodhana received him well: "Come on, brother. What do you want?" He thought that "We are fighting. Arjuna has come to beg the kingdom without fighting." So they were so liberal. He said, "Yes, come in. If you want the kingdom without fighting, I am prepared." But a Kṣatriya will never beg, "Give me, sir, without . . ." No. If they can own by fighting, then they will claim. This is Kṣatriya spirit.

So he said that, "No, I have not come to beg the kingdom. We shall fight, go on fighting. But I want those five arrows you have kept." Oh, immediately he delivered. Although he was very cautious that these five arrows may not be missing, but promise is promise. Immediately he delivered. So Bhīṣma understood later on that the five arrows were taken by Arjuna by trick. So still, he promised that, "Even without those five weapons, today I shall kill Arjuna. Unless Kṛṣṇa gives His special protection to Arjuna, there is no escape. Either Kṛṣṇa has to break His promise, otherwise His friend will be killed."

So Kṛṣṇa, when He joined Arjuna, He said that He would not fight: "I can help you simply by becoming your charioteer, but I cannot fight." Because the purpose was that Arjuna was to gain the fight. But if Kṛṣṇa would fight, people would say that Kṛṣṇa won the fight, not Arjuna; that he avoided fighting. It was sure. Kṛṣṇa fights or not fights, because He was on the side of Arjuna, it was sure that he would gain the battle. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yatra yogeśvaro hariḥ (BG 18.78). Where there is Kṛṣṇa, the victory is assured.

So in this way there was fierce fighting between Arjuna and Bhīṣma. And Arjuna's chariot became broken into pieces, and he fell down, and when Kṛṣṇa saw that, "Now Arjuna is going to be killed," He broke His own promise. He broke His own promise and took one wheel of the chariot and reached before Bhīṣma that, "Now I shall kill you." Bhīṣma immediately gave up his weapon. So, "That was my promise, that I wanted that either You have to break Your promise or Your friend will be killed. So now You have broken Your promise. So I am giving up. Because it is not expected that I shall fight with You." (laughter) So Kṛṣṇa said that "Yes, I have kept your promise, but I have broken My promise. You decided, you promised . . ."

So this is Kṛṣṇa's business, to . . . Bhīṣma was a devotee, great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So he promised that either Kṛṣṇa would break His promise, otherwise His friend will be dead. So He broke His promise. So sometimes Kṛṣṇa breaks His promise, own promise, for the sake of His devotee. Nobody is expected to break his promise, but Kṛṣṇa is so kind, for protection of His devotee He can do anything. He can break His promise also. This is Kṛṣṇa's position. So such Bhīṣma was so affectionate to the Pāṇḍavas. So Kṛṣṇa wanted . . . Bhīṣma was lying on the bed of arrows, preparing for his death. So Kṛṣṇa wanted that these Pāṇḍavas should go to Bhīṣma and hear his instruction.

Therefore, despite His advice to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira that, "There was no wrong on your part. You are thinking that you have killed, or for your sake so many men have been killed. That is not . . . you are not responsible for that. You are not sinful." For a Kṣatriya, killing is not sinful. For a Brāhmin, sacrificing an animal in the arena, that is not sinful. So it is all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, sa doṣam api na tyajet (BG 18.48). Killing is bad, but a Kṣatriya's business is to kill. Without killing, one cannot become perfect Kṣatriya. Because he has to give protection, and there are so many demons, rascals. So if the king becomes nonviolent, how other citizens will be given protection? No.

Bhīṣma promised, "Kṛṣṇa, tomorrow either Your friend Arjuna will die, I am determined now, or You have to break Your promise." Because Kṛṣṇa said, "I will not fight." But when Arjuna was practically devastated by the arrows of Bhīṣma, he fell down, his chariot broke, everything shattered. Now Kṛṣṇa saw, "Now Arjuna is going to die." So immediately Kṛṣṇa took the wheel of the chariot and went to the front of Bhīṣma: "Now you stop; otherwise I will kill you." So this is fighting.


Lecture on SB 1.10.3 -- Mayapura, June 18, 1973:

When Śiśupāla was criticizing Kṛṣṇa, Bhīṣmadeva supported Kṛṣṇa, that "What kind of brahmacārī I am? He is greater brahmacārī than me. I think I could not save myself, keeping myself amongst the young girls. No. But Kṛṣṇa can do so. He is real brahmacārī." So therefore His another name is Acyuta, "never falls down," "infallible."

Every living entity is fallible. Only Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead . . . Brahmā is fallible, what to speak of others, demigod. Brahmā was attracted by seeing the beauty of his daughter. Lord Śiva was fallible when he saw the beauty of Mohinī-mūrti. So what to speak of others? And Indra, Candra, they are all fallible. Only Kṛṣṇa is infallible. All others fallible. Therefore pravṛtta-vijñāna . . . bhīṣmoktam atha acyutoktam. Acyuta. Kṛṣṇa was addressed by Arjuna in the battlefield, "Acyuta." Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya me acyuta (BG 1.21). Acyuta. Acyuta means . . . he was addressing Kṛṣṇa as Acyuta because he was feeling, rather, little hesitation, that "Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has voluntarily accepted the position of my driver, and I have to ask Him, 'Mr. Driver, please take me there.' I have to order Him, and He has to carry." Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has taken the subordinate position of carrying order of Arjuna. Therefore he purposely addressed Him, "Acyuta, my dear friend Kṛṣṇa, don't mind I am ordering You, but You have promised to carry out my order. You are infallible; so kindly do not take into mind I am ordering You."

This . . . every word used in śāstra has got so deep meaning. Senayor ubhayor madhye rathaṁ sthāpaya . . . he could address Him "Kṛṣṇa." No. "Acyuta. You are correct to Your promise always." And again, another place, Kṛṣṇa says, kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Kṛṣṇa asked Arjuna that, "You declare to the world that My devotees will never be vanquished." Why Kṛṣṇa asking Arjuna to declare? He could declare. He could declare, but the meaning is that sometimes, for the sake of His devotee, He breaks His promise. For the sake of His devotee.

Just like Bhīṣma. Bhīṣma promised, "Kṛṣṇa, tomorrow either Your friend Arjuna will die, I am determined now, or You have to break Your promise." Because Kṛṣṇa said: "I will not fight." But when Arjuna was practically devastated by the arrows of Bhīṣma, he fell down, his chariot broke, everything shattered. Now Kṛṣṇa saw, "Now Arjuna is going to die." So immediately Kṛṣṇa took the wheel of the chariot and went to the front of Bhīṣma: "Now you stop; otherwise I will kill you." So this is fighting.

So Bhīṣma saw, "Now Kṛṣṇa has broken His promise. I stop." So to keep the promise of Bhīṣma, that Bhīṣma promised, "Either Arjuna will die, or Kṛṣṇa, You will have to break Your promise," two things. So Kṛṣṇa said: "Yes, I am breaking My promise. Don't kill Arjuna." Therefore, for the sake of devotee, He sometimes breaks His promise. But if His devotee promises, "I shall do it," Kṛṣṇa will give him all protection: "Yes, it must be done. In all circumstances it must be done." This is Kṛṣṇa. If His devotee promises something, that "This must be done," Kṛṣṇa gives all protection.

Therefore here it is stated, ajitāśrayaḥ. You cannot be successful without being ajitāśrayaḥ. Ajita. Ajita means Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can conquer Him. Ajita. Jita means conquered. Nobody is there who can conquer Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa also can be conquered by His devotees. Just like the gopīs, they conquered Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, I mean to say, accepted that "My dear gopīs, the service which you have rendered, I cannot repay. You have conquered Me. There is no possibility of My repaying you your service. You better be satisfied with your service. That's all." So Kṛṣṇa's name is Ajita, Acyuta. These are Kṛṣṇa's different names.

Philosophy Discussions

Breaking a promise is sometime moral. Just like Kṛṣṇa broke His promise, Himself. Kṛṣṇa broke His promise. He promised that "In this fight, this war, I shall not take a weapon." But when Arjuna was jeopardized by the fighting of Bhīṣma, He immediately took some weapon and approached Bhīṣma, because Bhīṣma promised that either Kṛṣṇa has to break His promise or Arjuna will die, two things...
Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Śyāmasundara: He calls the end the moral law, the moral imperative.

Prabhupāda: That moral law is... What is moral in one circumstance is immoral in another circumstance. That means again imperfectness of idea.

Śyāmasundara: He calls the end the golden rule, that one should act...

Prabhupāda: That is simply abstract ideas. He does not give any concrete example.

Śyāmasundara: He gives the example of breaking a promise.

Prabhupāda: Breaking a promise is sometime moral. Just like Kṛṣṇa broke His promise, Himself. Kṛṣṇa broke His promise. He promised that "In this fight, this war, I shall not take a weapon." But when Arjuna was jeopardized by the fighting of Bhīṣma, He immediately took some weapon and approached Bhīṣma, because Bhīṣma promised that either Kṛṣṇa has to break His promise or Arjuna will die, two things... "Tomorrow I shall fight in this way, then Arjuna will die, unless Kṛṣṇa takes special step." That means He has to break His promise. So he wanted to see that Kṛṣṇa breaks His promise to protect His devotee. That was his idea. So when He broke His promise, he gave up fighting. "That was my purpose, that You have to break your promise to protect your devotee."

Page Title:I will give you one example how Krsna sometimes breaks His promise. It is very nice story
Compiler:MadhuGopaldas
Created:27 of Feb, 2013
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=5, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:5