CHAPTER SEVEN
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord KášášŁáša, is always full with six opulencesânamely complete wealth, complete strength, complete fame, complete knowledge, complete beauty and complete renunciation. The Lord appears in different complete, eternal forms of incarnation. The conditioned soul has immense opportunity to hear about the transcendental activities of the Lord in these different incarnations. In the Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ it is said, janma karma ca me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. The pastimes and activities of the Lord are not materialâthey are beyond the material conceptionâand the conditioned soul can benefit by hearing such uncommon activities. Hearing is an opportunity to associate with the Lord; to hear His activities is to evolve one's transcendental natureâsimply by hearing. The conditioned soul has a natural aptitude to hear something about other conditioned souls in the form of fiction, drama and novel. That inclination to hear something about others may be utilized in hearing the pastimes of the Lord. Then one can immediately evolve his transcendental nature. KášášŁášaâs pastimes are not only beautiful; they are also very pleasing to the mind.
If someone takes advantage of hearing the pastimes of the Lord, the material contamination of dust, accumulated in the heart due to long association with material nature, can be immediately cleansed. Lord Caitanya also instructed that simply by hearing the transcendental name of Lord KášášŁáša one can cleanse the heart of all material contamination. There are different processes for self-realization, but this process of devotional serviceâof which hearing is the most important functionâwhen adopted by any conditioned soul, will automatically cleanse him of the material contamination and enable him to realize his real constitutional position. Conditional life is due to this contamination only, and as soon as it is cleared off, then naturally the dormant function of the living entityârendering service to the Lordâawakens. By developing his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord, one becomes eligible to create friendship with the devotees. MahÄrÄja ParÄŤkᚣit recommended, from practical experience, that everyone try to hear about the transcendental pastimes of the Lord. This KášášŁáša treatise is meant for that purpose, and the reader may take advantage of it to attain the ultimate goal of human life.
The Lord, out of His causeless mercy, descends to this material world and displays His activities just like an ordinary man. Unfortunately the impersonalists or the atheistic class of men consider KášášŁáša to be an ordinary man like themselves, and so they deride Him. This is condemned in the Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ by the Lord Himself when He says, avajÄnanti mÄáš mĹŤá¸hÄḼ [Bg. 9.11]. The mĹŤá¸has, or rascals, take KášášŁáša to be an ordinary man or a slightly more powerful man; out of their great misfortune, they cannot accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sometimes such unfortunate persons misrepresent themselves as incarnations of KášášŁáša without referring to the authorized scriptures.
When KášášŁáša grew up a little more, He began to turn Himself backside up; He did not merely lie down on His back. And another function was observed by YaĹodÄ and Nanda MahÄrÄja: KášášŁášaâs first birthday. They arranged for KášášŁášaâs birthday ceremony, which is still observed by all followers of the Vedic principles. (KášášŁášaâs birthday ceremony is observed in India by all Hindus, irrespective of different sectarian views.) All the cowherd men and women were invited to participate in the jubilant celebration. A nice band played, and the assembled people enjoyed it. All the learned brÄhmaášas were invited, and they chanted Vedic hymns for the good fortune of KášášŁáša. During the chanting of the Vedic hymns and playing of the bands, KášášŁáša was bathed by Mother YaĹodÄ. This bathing ceremony is technically called abhiᚣeka, and even today this is observed in all the temples of VášndÄvana on JanmÄᚣášamÄŤ Day, or the birthday anniversary of Lord KášášŁáša.
On this occasion, Mother YaĹodÄ arranged to distribute a large quantity of grain, and first-class cows decorated with golden ornaments were made ready to be given in charity to the learned, respectable brÄhmaášas. YaĹodÄ took her bath and dressed herself nicely, and taking child KášášŁáša, duly dressed and bathed, on her lap, she sat down to hear the Vedic hymns chanted by the brÄhmaášas. While mother YaĹodÄ was listening to the chanting of the Vedic hymns, the child appeared to be falling asleep, and therefore she very silently laid Him down on the bed. Being engaged in receiving all the friends, relatives and residents of VášndÄvana on that holy occasion, she forgot to feed the child milk. He was crying, being hungry, but Mother YaĹodÄ could not hear Him cry because of the various noises. The child, however, became angry because He was hungry and His mother was not paying attention to Him. So He lifted His legs and began to kick His lotus feet just like an ordinary child. Baby KášášŁáša had been placed underneath a hand-driven cart, and while He was kicking His legs, He accidentally touched the wheel of the cart, and it collapsed. Various kinds of utensils and dishes made of brass and other metals had been piled up in the handcart, and they all fell down with a great noise. The wheel of the cart separated from the axle, and the spokes of the wheel were all broken and scattered hither and thither. Mother YaĹodÄ and all the gopÄŤs, as well as MahÄrÄja Nanda and the cowherd men, were astonished as to how the cart could have collapsed by itself. All the men and women who were assembled for the holy function crowded around and began to suggest how the cart might have collapsed. No one could ascertain the cause, but some small children who were entrusted to play with baby KášášŁáša informed the crowd that it was due to KášášŁášaâs striking His feet against the wheel. They assured the crowd that they had seen how it happened with their own eyes, and they strongly asserted the point. Some were listening to the statement of the small children, but others said, âHow can you believe the statements of these children?â The cowherd men and women could not understand that the all-powerful Personality of Godhead was lying there as a baby and that He could do anything. Both the possible and impossible were in His power.
While the discussion was going on, baby KášášŁáša cried. Without remonstration, Mother YaĹodÄ picked the child up on her lap and called the learned brÄhmaášas to chant holy Vedic hymns to counteract the evil spirits. At the same time she allowed the baby to suck her breast. If a child sucks the motherâs breast nicely, it is to be understood that he is out of all danger. After this, all the stronger cowherd men put the broken cart in order, and all the scattered things were set up nicely as before. The brÄhmaášas thereafter began to offer oblations to the sacrificial fire with yogurt, butter, kuĹa grass and water. They worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead for the good fortune of the child.
The brÄhmaášas who were present at that time were all qualified because they were not envious, they never indulged in untruthfulness, they were never proud, they were nonviolent, and they never claimed any false prestige. They were all bona fide brÄhmaášas, and there was no reason to think that their blessings would be useless. With firm faith in the qualified brÄhmaášas, Nanda MahÄrÄja took his child on his lap and bathed Him with water mixed with various herbs while the brÄhmaášas chanted hymns from the ášg, Yajur and SÄma Vedas.
It is said that without being a qualified brÄhmaáša one should not read the mantras of the Vedas. Here is the proof that the brÄhmaášas were qualified with all the brahminical symptoms. MahÄrÄja Nanda also had full faith in them. Therefore they were allowed to perform the ritualistic ceremonies by chanting the Vedic mantras. There are many different varieties of sacrifices recommended for different purposes, but the mantras are all to be chanted by qualified brÄhmaášas. And because in this Age of Kali such qualified brÄhmaášas are not available, all Vedic ritualistic sacrifices are forbidden. ĹrÄŤ Caitanya MahÄprabhu has therefore recommended only one kind of sacrifice in this ageânamely the saáš kÄŤrtana-yajĂąa, or chanting the mahÄ-mantra, Hare KášášŁáša, Hare KášášŁáša, KášášŁáša KášášŁáša, Hare Hare / Hare RÄma, Hare RÄma, RÄma RÄma, Hare Hare.
As the brÄhmaášas chanted the Vedic hymns and performed the ritualistic ceremonies for the second time, Nanda MahÄrÄja again gave them huge quantities of grain and many cows. All the cows which were given in charity were covered with nice gold-embroidered garments, and their horns were bedecked with golden rings; their hooves were covered with silver plate, and they wore garlands of flowers. He gave so many cows just for the welfare of his wonderful child, and the brÄhmaášas in return bestowed their heartfelt blessings. And the blessings offered by the able brÄhmaášas were never to be baffled.
One day, shortly after the ceremony, when Mother YaĹodÄ was patting her baby on her lap, the baby felt too heavy, and being unable to carry Him, she unwillingly placed Him on the ground. After a while, she became engaged in household affairs. At that time, a servant of Kaášsaâs known as TášášÄvarta, as instructed by Kaášsa, appeared there in the shape of a whirlwind. He picked the child up on his shoulders and raised a great dust storm all over VášndÄvana, covering everyoneâs eyes. Within a few moments the whole area of VášndÄvana became so densely dark that no one could see himself or anyone else. During this great catastrophe, Mother YaĹodÄ could not see her baby, who had been taken away by the whirlwind, and she began to cry very piteously. She fell down on the ground exactly like a cow who has just lost her calf. When Mother YaĹodÄ was so piteously crying, all the cowherd women immediately came and began to look for the baby, but they were disappointed and could not find Him.
The TášášÄvarta demon went high into the sky with baby KášášŁáša on his shoulder, but the baby assumed such a weight that suddenly he could not go any further, and he had to stop his whirlwind activities. Baby KášášŁáša made Himself heavy and began to weigh down the demon, catching hold of his neck. TášášÄvarta felt the baby to be as heavy as a big mountain, and he tried to get out of His clutches, but he was unable to do so, and his eyes popped out from their sockets. Crying very fiercely, he fell down to the ground of VášndÄvana and died. The demon fell exactly like TripurÄsura, who was pierced by the arrow of Lord Ĺiva. TášášÄvarta hit a stone slab, and his limbs were smashed. His body became visible to all the inhabitants of VášndÄvana.
When the gopÄŤs saw the demon killed and child KášášŁáša very happily playing on his body, they immediately picked KášášŁáša up with great affection. The cowherd men and women became very happy to get back their beloved child KášášŁáša. At that time they began to talk about how wonderful it was that the demon had taken away the child to devour Him but could not do so; instead he fell down dead. Some of them supported the situation: âThis is proper because those who are too sinful die from their sinful reactions, and child KášášŁáša is pious; therefore He is safe from all kinds of fearful situations. And we too must have performed great sacrifices in our previous lives, worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, giving great wealth in charity and acting philanthropically for the general welfare of men. Because of such pious activities, the child is safe from all danger.â
The gopÄŤs assembled there spoke among themselves: âWhat sort of austerities and penances we must have undergone in our previous lives! We must have worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead, offered different kinds of sacrifices, made charities and performed many welfare activities for the public, such as growing banyan trees and excavating wells. As a result of these pious activities, we have gotten back our child, even though He was supposed to be dead. Now He has come back to enliven His relatives.â After observing such wonderful happenings, Nanda MahÄrÄja began to think of the words of Vasudeva again and again.
After this incident, when YaĹodÄ once was nursing her child and patting Him with great affection, there streamed a profuse supply of milk from her breast, and when she opened the mouth of the child with her fingers, she suddenly saw the universal manifestation within His mouth. She saw within the mouth of KášášŁáša the whole sky, including the luminaries, stars in all directions, the sun, moon, fire, air, seas, islands, mountains, rivers, forests and all other movable and immovable entities. When Mother YaĹodÄ saw this, her heart began to throb, and she murmured within herself, âHow wonderful this is!â She could not express anything, but simply closed her eyes. She was absorbed in wonderful thoughts. KášášŁášaâs showing the universal form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even when lying down on the lap of His mother, proves that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whether He is manifested as a child on the lap of His mother or as a charioteer on the Battlefield of Kurukᚣetra. The concoction of the impersonalists, that one can become God by meditation or by some artificial material activities, is herewith declared false. God is always God in any condition or status, and the living entities are always the parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. They can never be equal to the inconceivable, supernatural power of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Seventh Chapter of KášášŁáša, âThe Salvation of TášášÄvarta.â