Krishna Narayana

Maharishi Śuka continued, “Those who illumine due to ripened wisdom and who are freed from ego do not consider themselves to be the doers of the action”.

Self-realized saints, ascetics and others who are akin to fire do not have in them the ego that they are the performers of action.

“As such the desire to abide by the rules of dharma stipulated for this world so as to obtain personal gain ceases to exist in them. Hence no sin can contaminate them when they stray away from the path of righteousness and engage in unrighteous deeds.

When Self-realized saints themselves remain unaffected, is there any specific need to mention that the Supreme Lord who is the inner dweller within all animals, birds, humans as well as the inhabitants of the various celestial planes, remains unaffected by merit and sin? This entire creation is His alone. The rules are drafted by Him. The merits and demerits from abidance or rejection of the rules of righteousness apply to the living entities created by Him and not to Him.

Spiritual aspirants serve the dust from the lotus feet of this Lord and obtain satisfaction. Through adherence to the Yoga of action (Karma yoga) they destroy all their worldly bondages. They then wander freely in this world without getting entangled in any bondage. This being the case, how can worldly bondages accrue to Lord Srihari, who due to self-will accepted a human body and wanders freely?”

Living entities born due to the Lord’s will get entangled in worldly bondages. How can worldly bondages tie down the Supreme Lord who is the creator for this universe? He is not the doer of any action even though He has accepted a human body due to self-will.

“Krishna, the supreme witness, is the inner dweller (Self) not only within the Gopikas and their husbands but within every living entity”.

When those, who have not reached the state of Self-realization i.e. who have not merged into the Self, engage in actions, the merits or demerits of the action attach to them.

“In order to proclaim His transcendental sports in this world, this Supreme Lord accepted a body out of free will”.

He was not compelled to accept a body. It was entirely due to His free will.

“Anugrahāya bhūtānāḿ mānuṣaḿ deham āsthitaḥ

Bhajate tādṛśīḥ krīḍaḥ yāḥ śrutvā tat-paro bhavet

As the Supreme Lord took on a human body purely for the upliftment of the living entities, He engages in transcendental sports in accordance to that body. The mind of the devotee who listens to these transcendental sports fixes itself upon the Lord”.

The Lord who has taken on a body, purely for the well-being of this creation, performs activities in tune with that body.

“The residents of Gokula, who were deluded by His Yogamāya (illusionary energy) did not find faults in the activities of Krishna and they believed their wives to be beside them”.

Being born a human, Emperor Parikshit wanted to know if the Gopikas considered the actions of the Lord as unrighteous. However, in reality, the cowherds did not even realize that their women were away from home. To them, it appeared as if they were beside them all the time. This is the illusion which the Supreme Lord can cast. Can we carry away a person while leaving behind an exact replica of that person who moves, talks and behaves like the original person? Only the Supreme Lord has such supernatural capacities. He who is the creator of this universe put them under His illusion. Although the men were aware of the rāsa dance, they could not fathom anything as their wives were beside them all the time.

“By then, it was early hours of dawn known as Brahmi muhurtam. Krishna, the son of Vasudeva, permitted the Gopikas, who were very dear to Him, to return home. Reluctantly they returned to their homes.

vikrīḍitaḿ vraja-vadhūbhir idaḿ ca viṣṇoḥ

śraddhānvito ‘nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ

bhaktiḿ parāḿ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaḿ

hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ

The person who with absolute devotion and in proper order of sequence listens to these transcendental sports of Srikrishna with the women-folk of Brindavan or narrates them to others will very speedily conquer his senses. He will develop absolute, unflinching, selfless devotion towards the Supreme Lord Srihari and will wash away the disease called desires which inflicts the heart”- said Maharishi Śuka”.

Listening to this rāsa dance drives away heart diseases it is said. The person who entertains doubts pertaining to the Lord is freed from all doubts. Hence listen to this hymn with devotion again and again.

With this, the thirty-third chapter of the tenth canto comes to an end.

Srikrishna Narayana