Sri Krishna Janmashtami

First of all I pay my humble obeisances to Om Vishnupad Paramhamsa Swami Ashtottara Shata Shri Shrimad Bhaktivedanta Srila Vamana Goswami Maharaj and Om Vishnupad Paramhamsa Swami Ashtottara Shata Shri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Srila Narayan Goswami Maharaj, and all the Guru Varga, I offer infinite of prostrated obeisances at their lotus feet. Subsequently, I offer due obeisances and respectful greetings to the assembled Narsingh Maharaj and all the devotees.

Yesterday evening, we were discussing the reasons for Sri Krishna’s avatar. One reason is that Krishna came to the world to fulfill the desires of both Yogthiki and Ayogthiki. Yogthiki refers to those who, as a group, together performed worship and penance, and their desires were fulfilled. The other is for those who, alone and individually, performed worship and penance, to fulfill their desires. There are many examples of Yogthiki, which I will explain later. I was explaining the example of Ayogthiki yesterday. Ahiravan abducted a Naga princess named Chitrasena to marry her. But Chitrasena was imprisoned in the house, allowed to move within a certain area but not outside it. So what did Ahiravan do? Ahiravan and Mahiravan were two brothers. What did they do? They stole Rama and Lakshman to offer them as a sacrifice, like animal sacrifice.

Now, in the morning, everyone was searching, but Rama and Lakshman were nowhere to be found. Vibhishan did not live there at that time; he lived separately. Among all the monkey and bear armies, Hanuman ji would make a fort with his tail, and Hanuman ji himself would sit at the single entrance with a mace, guarding it. That’s why no one could enter out of fear, and if anyone tried to enter forcefully, Hanuman Ji would say “Jai Shree Ram,” and end them. So the people of Lanka did not dare to come. And since they were very illusory, Ahiravan disguised himself and entered. Inside, both brothers were sleeping, and from there, he took them to Patal Lok.

Now Vibhishan ji asked, “I don’t know where they are. Who came last night?”

Hanuman Ji said, “You came, who else? No one else came. No one would dare to enter, so I let you in.”

Vibhishan said, “I didn’t come.”

Hanuman ji asked, “Don’t I recognize you?”

So Vibhishan said, “Only Ahiravan can assume my form.”

“Where does he live?”

“In Patal Lok.”

Hanuman went straight to Patal Lok from there. What did he see there? Much illusion. He went a little further and saw an ocean, but fire was burning. Hanuman Ji thought, “How do I go?”

There was a follower who said, “Hanuman ji, this is an illusion; it’s not real fire. You can go; don’t worry.”

Hanuman ji caught him and said, “First, I’ll kill you and throw you in.”

He said, “You’ll kill me?”

So Hanuman said, “What else? Are you telling the truth or lying? I’ll kill you and see.”

He killed him and threw him in and saw that no fire caught or burned him. A question might arise here: if someone is helping someone, they shouldn’t be killed. For example, Vibhishan also came from the demon clan, but Hanuman did not kill Vibhishan. They had an acquaintance at night. The reason for killing here is that Vibhishan was a devotee, but this other one was not a devotee; he told out of fear of Hanuman. And the second thing is that Sugriva, Jambavan, and everyone else would come from behind to help Hanuman search. So, if they came and got stuck here, how would they go? If this dead body remained, the fire would not burn, so the army would move forward. Nowadays, if someone comes, they see an arrow indicating that this Gaudiya Math is here. Hanuman started this arrow direction system.

He made an arrow and wrote ‘Sri Rama’ on it, since the Treta Yuga; it wasn’t there before. Now Hanuman ji will enter Ahiravan’s palace. He saw a big monkey and fought with him; he wouldn’t let him pass. So he asked,
(Hanuman): “Who are you?” And Hanuman was thinking, “What’s wrong? I’m fighting him as if I’m hitting myself. What’s the matter?” So he said,
(Hanuman): “Who are you?”

Makardhwaja said: “I am Hanuman’s son.”
(Hanuman): “Hanuman’s son? Hanuman is a celibate! How did you become my son?”
So he explained, “When your tail was set on fire, you were drenched in sweat. A drop of your sweat fell into the ocean, a crocodile ate it, and I was born from its belly.”
(Hanuman): “Let me go, you are my son.”
(Makardhwaja): “No! Just as you are loyal to Lord Rama, I am also loyal to Ahiravan-Mahiravan. I will not let you go.”

On his head was the crocodile’s hide. Very hard. A “helmet.” This is the first helmet; it started in the Treta Yuga, a “helmet” to protect the head. Before this, there was no helmet; they had a natural helmet. Now, just like a bulletproof vest, like our Prime Minister goes to the border wearing a bulletproof vest, when did this bulletproof start? In the Dvapara Yuga, Karna had a birth-siddha bulletproof. All this started from India!

Hanuman Ji won. Now will Hanuman Ji kill his son? No! Hanuman ji tied him with his own tail and went inside. He saw Ram and Lakshman lying unconscious. Seeing the forms of Rama and Lakshman, Chitrasena was captivated, “Oh! Such beautiful forms! If I were married to him, my life would be meaningful.”

The rule of sacrifice is that the sacrificial animal, whether any creature, human, bull, buffalo, anything, is called a sacrificial animal. If it is sprinkled or poured with any impure substance, it will not be accepted in the sacrifice. So Chitrasena thought, “I will somehow make him impure, so no one can sacrifice him.”

Ram and Lakshman were lying unconscious; they were made unconscious by their maya, this is the Lord’s human-like lila! They were unconscious and knew nothing. Now Hanuman ji met Chitrasena. He told her everything, how he would die.

(Chitrasena): “I will tell you on one condition: after killing Ahiravan and Mahiravan, ‘Lord Rama,’ your Lord, must come to my bedroom alone, and no one else can come.”

Then Hanuman said, “There’s one condition: the Lord must not be disrespected.”

Chitrasena (said), “Why would I disrespect him?”

Then Chitrasena explained, “In Ahiravan’s bedroom, there is a pot of nectar. When he dies, there are many bees that bring nectar and put it in his mouth, and he comes back to life.”

(Hanuman Ji): “Okay. Where did the nectar come from?”

(Chitrasena): “Once some children were killing bees, and Ahiravan saved them. At that time, the bees pledged that whenever he dies, they will bring nectar and bring him back to life. That’s why it is kept in his house.”

Now what did Hanuman ji do? He took a small form and entered the idol of Patal Devi. Hanuman ji is speaking from the idol: “O Ahiravan, Mahiravan! Today I am very pleased. After a long time, I am going to receive a human sacrifice, but I do not accept a dead human sacrifice.”

Ahiravan and Mahiravan said that Rama and Lakshman are not dead; they are unconscious.

(Hanuman ji from the idol of Patal Devi): “Unconscious and dead are the same. He must be brought back to life; only then will I accept him. And secondly, you will have to give me a lot of food items. There is one condition: whoever brings the food items must have a black cloth tied over their eyes, and no one can come like that, otherwise I will kill everyone.”

“Okay!”

They made it like that, and everyone was bringing so many things!

Now a soldier became curious, “What is this? We have been here for so many years. Thousands and millions of years. Why is Patal Devi saying something today? There must be something fishy!” He put down the items, opened his blindfold, and Hanuman Ji was right there, taking the back of his mace. Jai Shree Ram! He blinded both his eyes. The soldier said, “There is cheating. There is cheating. There is something fishy. This is not true. This Patal Devi is something else. When was soldier making noise, the surrounding army said, “Why did you open the blindfold? Patal Devi would kill anyone who tried to speak.” They took him away and also left a medicinal herb. Now the door was closed. Rama and Lakshman regained consciousness from the fragrance of the medicinal herb.

“Hanuman! Hanuman! The war is over!”

Hanuman said, “Lord, the war is about to begin. Where is it over?”

Then he told everything. Now the war began. When Mahiravan dies, the bees come and revive him again. Now what did Hanuman ji do? He went to Mahiravan’s bedroom.

He started killing the bees, “Hey! What are you doing? Hanuman ji, what are you doing?”

Hanuman Ji said, “I will not leave you alive!”

“What crime did we commit? We are innocent!” , they said.

“Why do you revive Mahiravan? If you revive him, I will kill you, and if you don’t, I won’t.”

“We won’t revive him now.”

Then Mahiravan and Ahiravan were killed by Rama and Lakshman. Now that it was done, Hanuman said, “Lord, a request.”

“What is it?”

“I found a way to kill Ahiravan and Mahiravan through Chitrasena, but I pledged that after Ahiravan dies, you will have to go to her bedroom alone.”

The Lord said, “Okay.”

Now Chitrasena was sitting adorned. Now when Lord Rama, Lakshman, and Hanuman came and knocked on the door. When they knocked on the door, she, adorned, opened the door, then closed it, and Hanuman had already told the bees, “Look, there’s one more thing: mess up all the furniture in Chitrasena’s bedroom.”

And when Lord Rama tried to sit, he couldn’t sit and started falling, “Oh! Oh! What happened?”Then Hanuman and Lakshman ran and asked, “What happened? Why is the Lord being insulted?” Then Chitrasena rebuked herself, “Shame on me, shame on me! I had such lustful desires towards the Lord of the universe. Shame on me.”

Lord Rama said, “You are not at fault. When I come in the next birth, in the Dvapara Yuga, as Sri Krishna, I will fulfill your desire and accept you.”

That very Chitrasena performed penance alone and worshipped, which is why to fulfill her desire, Lord Krishna had to come. This is one reason.

The second reason happened in the Treta Yuga? In the Dandakaranya forest, there were 60,000 rishis. They were worshipping with the Gopal mantra. What did Lord Rama do? He came to the forest and somehow managed to escape because all the people had come with him. His father’s charioteer, Sumant, who was also his minister and charioteer, was ordered by Lord Rama, “You will have to drive the horses tonight in such a way that no one knows where we went, and everyone else should go home.”

In Satya Yuga, two devotees named Prishni and Sutapa worshipped Lord Vishnu. Pleased by their worship, Lord Vishnu appeared before them and said, “Ask for a boon! Ask for a boon!”
Then Sutapa said, “Lord! If you are truly pleased, then grant me the boon that I may have a son just like you.”

Then the Lord said, “So be it, it will happen.”

Now the Lord had given the blessing, but then He got into trouble. He thought, “There is no one equal to me! And what about someone superior to me? Now I will have to come!”

That very Prishni and Sutapa came as Vasudeva and Devaki in Dvapara Yuga, and the Lord appeared before them in Kamsa’s prison. He appeared in His four-armed form, with curly hair, ornaments, and jewels, and said, “Look! I had given you a boon before, you asked for a son like me, that’s why I had to come. There is no one like me, look, look, I am the same.”

So, to fulfill the desire of Prishni Sutapa, Lord Krishna had to come. This is another reason for the avatar. Now, a question might arise that Devaki and Vasudeva are the eternal parents of Dwarkadhish Krishna. So how did Prishni and Sutapa become His parents?

It is true that Devaki and Vasudeva are the eternal parents, but since the Lord had given this boon, Prishni and Sutapa entered into Vasudeva and Devaki to taste the essence of this devotion. And there were others, Drona and Dhara. What did they do? They did not worship the Lord; they worshipped Lord Brahma, who is a devotee of the Lord. Now, Brahma Ji was pleased by their worship. He said, “Ask for a boon!”

“Then grant us this boon, that the Lord may be subdued by our parental love.”

“So be it!”

And how will parental love manifest? Until a mother has a child, milk will not come in her breast. Parents, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters all eat the same kind of food. But when a mother has a child, only then will milk come in her breast. When the child grows up, the milk will dry up. Why is this so? No scientist has understood this mystery till today. Much research has been done. What kind of chemical reaction causes this, no one could understand. So Drona and Dhara performed penance to Brahma. Brahma, through his omniscient power, saw that the Lord was about to come in Dvapara Yuga, so he said, “So be it.”

Those very Drona and Dhara came as Nanda and Yashoda. Then here too, a question might arise: Nanda and Yashoda are Krishna’s eternal parents. So how did Drona and Dhara become their parents through their penance? Drona and Dhara had performed penance, and due to Brahma’s boon, they had to taste parental affection. Those very Drona and Dhara entered into the bodies of Nanda and Yashoda. Then, after Krishna’s lila was concluded, they left the bodies of Nanda and Yashoda and became their neighbors. Now, wherever Krishna’s lila takes place, Drona and Dhara will also remain as neighbors of Nanda Baba and Yashoda.

From time to time, there are always battles between gods and demons.

*dvau bhūta-sargau loke ’smin*

*daiva āsura eva ca*

*daivo vistaraśaḥ prokta*

*āsuraṁ pārtha me śṛṇu*

**Bg. 16.6**

It is said that there are two types of beings endowed with qualities. One is endowed with divine qualities, and the other with demonic qualities. Those endowed with divine qualities are devotees of the Lord, and those endowed with demonic qualities are fierce opponents of the Lord’s devotees. These two types of battles are always ongoing. The demons sometimes snatch the kingdom of the gods. If a child falls ill or if there is a shortage of money, parents become very sad. A mother becomes more sad than a father. This is what happened, and it shows that a living being should never boast about their strength and valor.

The gods once defeated the demons. Now there is a celebration for Indra. Everyone is giving big garlands and various gifts to Indra. Indra is thinking, “What was I and what have I become now!” He did not see that this victory over the demons happened due to the guru’s grace. He said it happened because of him. And by chance, Brihaspati ji, the guru of the gods, was coming there.

Now Indra saw, “Oh! Why is Guru Ji coming at this time? It would have been better if he didn’t come, now I will have to stand up, make him sit, prostrate before him, wash his feet, and perform his aarti. Didn’t Guru Ji get any other time? He came at this very time!”

There was disobedience towards the guru in his mind, and knowing this, Brihaspati Ji disappeared from there. Now, if the Guru Ji is not pleased with someone, it is not easy, no matter how much you try to please them. Now the demons came to know that this Guru Brihaspati was angry with the gods. “Attack now!”

What happened after the attack? They took the kingdom of the gods. Now the gods are wandering around. If someone’s children wander around, how sad the mother becomes. Now Mother Aditi told her husband Kashyap, “Lord, please make some arrangements for my children.”

“Okay. You observe this fast. If you complete this fast well, Lord Vishnu will come as your son.”

This is what happened; Lord Vishnu manifested as Vamana Deva. Vamana Deva was a small child, of young age. Whom we call a dwarf in English. When he came, someone gave him a staff, someone a water pot, someone a seat, someone an umbrella, someone wooden sandals, and a begging bowl. Thus, he set off for King Bali, who was then the king of the demons and was very religious. He would give whatever was asked of him daily. Now Vamana Deva was going, no matter how small his form, he was Lord Vishnu, wasn’t he? Such a beautiful, enchanting form was going. He was so small, and the umbrella was very big, so from a distance, it seemed as if an umbrella was walking on its own. He reached the royal court of Bali Maharaj. His form was so enchanting, so attractive, so beautiful. Now Bali Maharaj could not resist. Everyone was going to Bali Maharaj and asking for alms.

Bali Maharaj himself got up and said, “Batuk! What do you want?”

Vamana Deva said, “O King, I have heard that you give whatever anyone asks for. O King, I am a Brahmin boy, a contented Brahmin child. I want to build a hut for chanting, and I need three steps of land for my chanting hut.”

Bali Maharaj laughed, “You are small, so your intelligence is also small. Oh, ask for half the kingdom. I will give you half.”

Vamana Deva said, “No! King, do not tempt me.”

Bali Maharaj said, “No problem, you ask for three steps of land, but measure it with my steps. I am so tall and wide.”

Vamana Deva said, “No, King, I will take it with my own steps. I am a strict celibate. I should not be greedy.”

Bali Maharaj then said, “Do one thing, I will find a girl like you and get you married, and I will bear all the expenses.”

“King, I am a strict celibate! I do not need a wife.”

And he said, “Make a sankalpa (vow).” One has to make a sankalpa to do something. Our Tirth Maharaj used to remember all the sankalpa mantras quickly. Now it will be the responsibility of Vana Maharaj ji to remember all the sankalpa mantras. Then what happened? Now his guru Shukracharya came and said, “Bali! This is Vishnu! Do not give him a boon; he will take everything from you.”

Bali Maharaj said, “Guru Ji! If he is truly Vishnu, then whether I want it or not, by hook or by crook, he will take it somehow. If I give a boon, as long as the sun, moon, planets, and constellations exist in the world, everyone will say, ‘Look, even God came to ask for alms from Bali Maharaj.’ How much my ancestors’ names will shine!”

“You will not agree?”

Bali Maharaj said, “No!”

Why was Guru Shukracharya saying this? The Guru Varga, Guru Ji, said: Shukracharya saw that Vishnu would take everything, so how would my world continue then? Shukracharya cursed Bali Maharaj. This is a shloka in the Bhagavatam.

Now what did Shukracharya do to still protect his disciple? To make a sankalpa, one has to take water in hand and say “Om Keshavaya Namah, Om Narayanaya Namah, Om Madhavaya Namah.” When he started doing this achamana with water from a panchapatra. Shukracharya saw him going to do achamana. He entered the golden vessel of Ganga water as a fly and blocked the opening, so no water came. Vamana Deva was laughing to himself, “Oh ho, Shukracharya, you think you are the most intelligent?”

Although the Lord in Bhagavad Gita said that he is the Shukracharya amongst the great thinkers. Still, the Lord is saying here, “Do you think you are intelligent?'”

Then Vamana Deva said, “Maharaj Bali! You have many servants and maids in your house. Did they clean properly? They did not clean; dirt has accumulated. Now clean it with Kush grass!”

As soon as it was cleaned, blood started flowing. Why is that? He had become a fly and blocked the tap of the Ganga Sagar. As soon as it was cleaned with Kush grass, his eye burst. When there was pain and burning in the eye, blood came out, and the blood from the eye mixed with the water, making it red. What is the lesson in this? If someone wants to do bhajan: a disciple wants to serve God, do bhajan, but the guru obstructs them. A wife wants to do bhajan, but the husband obstructs her. Children obstruct them. A husband wants to do bhajan, but his wife obstructs him. They will have to be blind in this birth or the next. Sometimes you will see great eye specialists whose son or daughter is born blind or whose eye damaged in childhood. Why? Because they obstructed someone from doing bhajan. Now, since there was a vow, he came to the world as Vamana in the form of Narayana in Vaikuntha. He took the form of Trivikrama. People were looking, “Oh my God, such a big face, such a big stature!” He measured the earth, the sky and the Satyaloka in one step. In the second step, he measured Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rasatala, and Patala. Now when he had taken it, he said, “Where do I put the third step?”

He who worships Krishna is very clever. God deceives everyone, and devotees deceive God. So Maharaj Parikshit said, “Lord, only my head is left; please place your foot on it.”

What else could Vamana Deva do? Subdued by the devotee’s devotion, Bali offered everything, and Vamana Deva was compelled to place his foot. Then he tied Bali with the Naga Pasa. He had a daughter named Ratnamala; some say Ratnavali, whatever, both names are possible. When the Lord was in the form of Vamana, she said, “Such a beautiful form! If he were my son, I would hold him in my lap and breastfeed him.” She was a small girl. Then when she saw him take such a gigantic form and take everything, and then tie her father with the Naga Pasa, she said, “If he were my son, I would not breastfeed him; I would poison him and kill him.”

Lord Vamana Deva said, “So be it.”

That very Vamana Deva came as Krishna, and that very Ratnamala or Ratnavali came as Putana. So, to fulfill the desire of that Ratnamala or Ratnavali, Lord Krishna had to come. This is also one reason for his coming. Now, we have to go for begging. That’s all for today. Hare Krishna.