Sisupala (Lectures)

Expressions researched:
"Sisupala"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.16-19 -- London, July 16, 1973:

This kidnapping was allowed among the kṣatriyas, and fight. That is kṣatriya marriage. Unless there is fight, that marriage is not complete. The red vermillion which we apply, that is kṣatriya principle. After killing the opposite party, the blood will be smeared over the hair of the bride. That is conquer, victory. So in every marriage, Kṛṣṇa had 16,108 wives, and each wife was married by fighting, beginning from Rukmiṇī. Rukmiṇī also, the first wife of Kṛṣṇa, the first queen, when Kṛṣṇa became king of Dvārakā, she was the first queen. So Subhadra was kidnapped by Arjuna. Rukmiṇī was settled up to be married with Śiśupāla. Śiśupāla also happened to be Kṛṣṇa's cousin-brother, and Rukmiṇī did not like that she would be handed over to Śiśupāla. She wanted to marry Kṛṣṇa. So she sent one letter to Kṛṣṇa that this is the position. "My brother Rukma, he has decided to hand over to me to Śiśupāla, but I don't like. So please arrange for kidnapping." A brāhmaṇa was sent to Kṛṣṇa. That is also another responsibility of kṣatriya. If a girl proposes, "I want to marry you," a kṣatriya cannot refuse, he cannot refuse. He must marry that girl, even at the risk of life. This is kṣatriya spirit. One rākṣasī, she wanted to marry Bhīma. So Bhīma refused, she was a rākṣasī. So she complained to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira that I wanted to marry Bhīma but he has refused. And Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja compelled Bhīma, "You must marry. Even though she is rākṣasī, you are kṣatriya you cannot refuse." This was the system, very nice system, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Don't work now, you should hear. You cannot divert your attention.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

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

Bhīṣma, he is authority. Next to Kṛṣṇa, Bhīṣma is one of the authorities. There are twelve authorities. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ, prahlādo bhīṣmo janakaḥ (SB 6.3.20). They are the authorities of piety, religion. They are... Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We cannot decide what is actually piety, religion. But if we follow mahājana, great authorities, then certainly we are unmistaken. So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, now all the Pāṇḍavas along with Kṛṣṇa, they have come to Bhīṣmadeva for taking his last instruction. He was lying on the bed of arrows for death. So his father's benediction was that Bhīṣmadeva would not die unless he desires to die. He was a very avowed brahmacārī, truthful. And Bhīṣmadeva recommended in the rājasūya-yajña that "Kṛṣṇa is greater brahmacārī than me. Although I am brahmacārī, but Kṛṣṇa is greater brahmacārī." Why? "I am brahmacārī. I have avoided association of woman, but Kṛṣṇa, He was young boy and He had so many young girlfriends, still, He was not sexually agitated. He is the greatest brahmacārī." That is the recommendation given by Bhīṣmadeva. 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."

Lecture on SB 3.25.33-34 -- Bombay, December 3, 1974:

Nārāyaṇa is being worshiped by many thousands of goddess of fortune, sambhrama, with great fear. Just like Rukmiṇī-devī. She is Lakṣmī-devī, and she was always afraid of Kṛṣṇa, that "He may not leave me away," always afraid. Sometimes Kṛṣṇa was joking with Rukmiṇī-devī, "My dear Rukmiṇī-devī, rāja-kanyā, you are the daughter of a king, and you, it was better you could have married Śiśupāla. I am simply a cowherd boy." In this way, husband and wife, joking. Kṛṣṇa was joking. And Lakṣmī, Rukmiṇī-devī, became so afraid that immediately she fainted, that "Kṛṣṇa is now finding out the way to give me up." This is called lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29). The Lakṣmīs are so with great respect and that Nārāyaṇa has become daridra. Just see the logic.

Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

For instance, that, when in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, fighting was going on between Kṛṣṇa and Bhīṣma, both of them... Kṛṣṇa, of course, did not touch any weapon because He promised. But Grandfather Bhīṣma was very severely piercing Kṛṣṇa's body with arrows, and Kṛṣṇa was enjoying. That is the relationship between Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. Kṛṣṇa can be worshiped, Kṛṣṇa can be loved, by any capacity. The gopīs loved Kṛṣṇa out of seemingly lust, lusty desires, and Śiśupāla remembered Kṛṣṇa out of anger. Kāmāt krodhād bhayāt. And Kamsa remembered always Kṛṣṇa out of fear. And, of course, they were not devotees. Devotees means they should be always favorably disposed to Kṛṣṇa. Not inimical. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, even somebody is disposed to Him in an inimical attitude, he also gets salvation. For example, Kamsa, Dantavakra, Śiśupāla, Hiraṇyakaśipu, Rāvaṇa. They were not friendly. Still, because they thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, consciousness were there, but it was unfavorable. Bhakti means favorable. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Favorably. That is bhakti. And pratikūlyena, just in the opposite way, thinking of Kṛṣṇa in inimical way, that is also accepted by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so kind. Anyone who thinks of Kṛṣṇa always, he is the greatest yogi. So even the enemies who think of Kṛṣṇa always, although unfavorably, he becomes a yogi because thinking of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Mayapur, February 18, 1976:

Just like we are in need of so many things; therefore we require others' help. But Kṛṣṇa does not require anyone's help. Then why He accepts worship? That is the... That is for the benefit of the devotee, not for His personal benefit. Just like Lord Rāmacandra. He... His one wife Sītādeva was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa. Of course, Rāvaṇa cannot kidnap. It was externally, Māyā Sītā. Still, taking for exception Sītā was kidnapped, so Lord Rāmacandra could have possessed many millions of Sītā by His will, but for one Sītā He had to fight with Rāvaṇa and finish the whole dynasty, because Rāmacandra is the ideal king. It is the king's business to chastise such rogues and ruffians. That is king's business. That is for the benefit of Rāvaṇa. Rāvaṇa means the same Hiraṇyakaśipu. Kumbhakarṇa-Rāvaṇa. First they became Hiraṇyakṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu, the next, Kumbhakarṇa and Rāvaṇa, and the next, they became Śiśupāla and Dantavakra. In this way, because Kṛṣṇa wanted to give them liberation again back to home, back to Godhead, so this killing of Rāvaṇa, killing of Hiraṇyakaśipu, killing of Śiśupāla, is for the benefit of the persons, not for Kṛṣṇa's benefit. He killed them for their benefit.

Lecture on SB 7.9.24 -- Mayapur, March 2, 1976:

When Kṛṣṇa with His sixteen thousand wives went to Hastināpura, so Draupadī... It is natural between woman and woman, they talk about their husband. That is natural. So Draupadī was inquiring from each and every wife of Kṛṣṇa. Not all of them. It is impossible, sixteen thousand. At least the principal queens, beginning from... What is the end called?(?) Rukmiṇī, yes. So every one of them were describing their marriage ceremony, that "My..." Rukmiṇī explained that "My father wanted to hand over me to Kṛṣṇa, but my elder brother, he did not agree. He wanted to get me married with Śiśupala. So I did not like this idea. I wrote Kṛṣṇa a private letter, that 'I have dedicated my life to You, but this is the situation. Please come and kidnap me.' So in this way Kṛṣṇa kidnapped me and made me His maidservant." The queen's daughter, king's daughter... Everyone of them were king's daughter. They were not ordinary person daughter. But they wanted to become maidservant of Kṛṣṇa. This is the idea, to become servant and to become maidservant. This is ideal of human civilization. The every woman should try to become maidservant of her husband, and every man should try to become the hundred times servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is Indian civilization, not that "Husband and wife, we are equal rights." That, in Europe, America, the movement is going on, "Equal rights." That is not Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization is the husband should be a sincere servant of Kṛṣṇa, and the wife should be a sincere maidservant of the husband.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 7, 1973:

So if you want real happiness, then you have to take the real method. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is not a bluff. It is most scientific. You are... Your aim of life is how to become happy, but you do not know how to become happy. You are under the illusion. You are thinking that "This thing will give me happiness. That thing will give me happiness." No. And what is that happiness? Happiness, that is explained here: in twelve rasas. So you accept these twelve rasas in exchange of your affairs with Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be happy. You may take... You become even enemy of Kṛṣṇa, just like Kaṁsa. If you do not like to become friend of Kṛṣṇa, then you become enemy of Kṛṣṇa. If you like... Because you cannot go beyond these twelve rasas. Still. Kāmād bhayād dveśyād lobhāt, it is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The gopīs approached Kṛṣṇa actually by lusty desires, the kāmāt. Bhayāt: and Kaṁsa was thinking of Kṛṣṇa out of fearfulness. Dveśyāt: the Śiśupāla, he was always envious of Kṛṣṇa. He was also thinking of... Kāmād bhayād dveśyād lobhāt. Some way or other, be in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and you'll be happy. You'll be happy, this life and next life.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.353-354 -- New York, December 26, 1966:

This Bhīṣma was brahmacārī from the very beginning. And Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira performed Rājasūya-yajña. Rājasūya-yajña means one who performs that sacrifice in that assembly, all the princes of the world are invited, and they select him as the emperor of the world. That is called Rājasūya-yajña. So in that yajña, there were all princes present, and Kṛṣṇa was proposed to become the president of that assembly, although He was young man. So Kṛṣṇa had many... Not many, especially two, Śiśupāla and Dantavakra, they were very much against Kṛṣṇa. So they objected: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa cannot be... There are many others." He wanted that he become president. The protest meeting. At that time, Bhīṣma recommended that "Nobody is present here spotless character as Kṛṣṇa." He recommended like that. "Kṛṣṇa, when He was sixteen years old, He was surrounded by girls, but He had never sex desire. I am brahmacārī from my birth. I think I could not be such restrained personality as Kṛṣṇa." He recommended like that. That is mentioned in Mahābhārata. So this is character.

General Lectures

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

Just like Kāliya-damana. A boy of five years old or six years old jumping in the Yamunā, and the great snake immediately coils Him, as if it will devour Kṛṣṇa. 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." But Kṛṣṇa killed them. Not only killed them, the wrestlers who were engaged by Kaṁsa, He immediately dragged Kaṁsa from his throne and simply by fisting He killed him. There are so many wonderful. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's activities are called adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ. It is never expected to be done by any human being.

Lecture -- Tokyo, May 1, 1972:

So this disease, this is called material disease. I want to lord it over the material nature, and when I fail to lord it over, then I want to become one with God. Of course, there are five kinds of liberation: sāyujya sārūpya sāmīpya sālokya. By liberation you can become one with God. That is not very difficult. If you want to become, merge into the existence of God, that is not very difficult job. God is all-powerful. You are emanation from God. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So if you want to... Sāyujya mukti. If you want to finish your individuality and merge into the existence of God, that is not very difficult job. Even the enemies of Kṛṣṇa—Kaṁsa, Jarāsandha, Dantavakra, Śiśupāla, and many demons—they also merged into the existence of Kṛṣṇa. The enemies also given the liberation to merge into the existence of Kṛṣṇa. That is not very difficult job. But to keep your individuality and serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is your actual position, constitutional position. That mukti... The Vaiṣṇava philosophers, they want that mukti. They want to keep... Nitya-yukta upāsate. Nitya-yukta. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, nitya-yukta upāsata. The upāsana, the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead—man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65)—this is not stopped after liberation. The same business goes on. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Vaiṣṇava, even if he is offered mukti... Dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti. Even if he's offered that "You take mukti," they do not accept it.

Lecture Excerpt -- London, July 25, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So not only now, always. Long, long, millions of years ago there was Hiraṇyakaśipu. There was Vena Mahārāja and... Hiraṇyakaśipu was against his son. And Kaṁsa was against Kṛṣṇa. Śiśupāla was against Kṛṣṇa also. So against Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in this age, there will be many, undoubtedly. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us instruction, tṛṇād api sunīcena. You should always expect some obstruction by the demonic party. That is not very astonishing. But still, we have to do our business and... (break) ...be tolerant. Be humble. Be tolerant. Don't be agitated. Then your business will suffer. This is māyā's kingdom. The test is always there. Combating is always there, and māyā's party is very strong.