A person who is very enthusiastic in military activities and expert in releasing different kinds of weapons is called heroic.
Regarding KášášŁáša's heroism in fighting, there is the following statement: "My dear killer of the enemy, just as the elephant while taking bath in the lake destroys all the lotus stems within the water by swinging its trunk, so simply by moving Your arms, which are compared to the trunks of elephants, You have killed so many lotuslike enemies."
Regarding KášášŁáša's expertise in releasing weapons, when JarÄsandha and thirteen divisions of soldiers attacked KášášŁáša's army, they were unable to hurt even one soldier on the side of KášášŁáša. This was due to KášášŁáša's expert military training. This is unique in the history of military art.
32. CompassionateA person who is unable to bear another's distress is called compassionate.
KášášŁáša's compassion for distressed persons was exhibited when He released all of the kings imprisoned by Magadhendra. While dying, Grandfather Bhčᚣma prayed to KášášŁáša and described Him as the sun which eradicated darkness. The kings imprisoned by Magadhendra were put into dark cells, and when KášášŁáša appeared there, the darkness immediately disappeared, just as if the sun had risen. In other words, although Magadhendra was able to imprison so many kings, upon the appearance of KášášŁáša they were all released. KášášŁáša released the kings out of His sincere compassion for them.
KášášŁáša's compassion was also exhibited when Grandfather Bhčᚣma was lying on the bed of arrows which had been shot through his body. While lying in this position, Bhčᚣma was very anxious to see KášášŁáša, and thus KášášŁáša appeared there. Upon seeing the pitiable condition of Bhčᚣma, KášášŁáša began speaking with tears in His eyes. Not only was He shedding tears, but He also forgot Himself in His compassion. Therefore, instead of offering obeisances to KášášŁáša directly, devotees offer obeisances to His compassionate nature. Actually, because KášášŁáša is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is very difficult to approach Him. But the devotees, taking advantage of His compassionate nature, which is represented by RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ, always pray to RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ for KášášŁáša's compassion.
33. RespectfulA person who shows adequate respect to a spiritual master, a brÄhmaáša and an old person is to be understood as being respectful.
When superior persons assembled before KášášŁáša, KášášŁáša first of all offered respect to His spiritual master, then to His father, and then to His elder brother, BalarÄma. In this way Lord KášášŁáša, the lotus-eyed, was completely happy and pure at heart in all of His dealings.
34. GentleAny person who neither becomes impudent nor exhibits a puffed-up nature is called gentle.
The example of KášášŁáša's gentle behavior was manifested when He was coming to the arena of the RÄjasĹŤya sacrifice arranged by MahÄrÄja Yudhiᚣášhira, KášášŁáša's older cousin. MahÄrÄja Yudhiᚣášhira knew that KášášŁáša was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he was attempting to get down from his chariot to receive KášášŁáša. But before Yudhiᚣášhira could get down, Lord KášášŁáša got down from His own chariot and immediately fell at the feet of the King. Even though KášášŁáša is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He never forgets to show social etiquette in His dealings.
35. LiberalAny person who is by his natural behavior very mild is called liberal.
A statement by Uddhava after the Syamantaka jewel plundering confirms that KášášŁáša is so kind and favorable that if a servitor is accused even of great offenses, KášášŁáša does not take this into consideration. He simply considers the service that is rendered by His devotee.
36. ShyA person who sometimes exhibits humility and bashfulness is called shy.
As described in the Lalita-mÄdhava, KášášŁáša's shyness was manifested when He lifted Govardhana Hill by the little finger of His left hand. All of the gopÄŤs were observing KášášŁáša's wonderful achievement, and KášášŁáša was also smiling at seeing the gopÄŤs. When KášášŁáša's glance went over the breasts of the gopÄŤs, His hand began to shake, and upon seeing His hand shake, all of the cowherd men underneath the hill became a little disturbed. Then there was a tumultuous roaring sound, and they all began to pray to KášášŁáša for safety. At this time Lord BalarÄma was smiling, thinking that these cowherd men had been frightened by the shaking of Govardhana Hill. But, seeing BalarÄma smile, KášášŁáša thought that BalarÄma had understood His mind in observing the breasts of the gopÄŤs, and He immediately became bashful.
37. Protector of Surrendered SoulsKášášŁáša is the protector of all surrendered souls.
Some enemy of KášášŁáša's was enlivened with the thought that he needn't fear KášášŁáša, because if he simply surrendered unto Him, KášášŁáša would give him all protection. KášášŁáša is sometimes compared to the moon, which does not hesitate to distribute its soothing rays, even on the houses of the caášá¸Älas and other untouchables.
38. HappyAny person who is always joyful and untouched by any distress is called happy.
As far as KášášŁáša's enjoyment is concerned, it is stated that the ornaments which decorated the bodies of KášášŁáša and His queens were beyond the dreams of Kuvera, the treasurer of the heavenly kingdom. The constant dancing before the doors of KášášŁáša's palaces was not to be imagined even by the demigods in the heavenly kingdom. In the heavenly kingdom, Indra always sees the dancing of the society girls. But even Indra could not imagine how beautiful were the dances being performed at the gates of KášášŁáša's palaces. GaurÄŤ means "white woman," and Lord Ĺiva's wife is called GaurÄŤ. The beautiful women residing within the palaces of KášášŁáša were so much whiter than GaurÄŤ that they were compared to the moonshine, and they were constantly visible to KášášŁáša. Therefore, no one can be enjoying more than KášášŁáša. The conception of enjoyment is beautiful women, ornaments and riches. And all of these were fabulously present in the palaces of KášášŁáša, defeating even the imagination of Kuvera, Lord Indra or Lord Ĺiva.
Not even a slight distress can touch KášášŁáša. Once some of the gopÄŤs went to the place where the brÄhmaášas were performing sacrifices and said, "Dear wives of the brÄhmaášas, you must know that not even a slight smell of distress can touch KášášŁáša. He knows no loss, He knows no defamation, He has no fear, He has no anxiety, and He does not know calamity. He is simply encircled by the dancers of Vraja and is enjoying their company in the rÄsa dance."
39. Well-wisher of His DevoteesIt is said of KášášŁáša's devotees that if they offer even a little water or a tulasÄŤ leaf in devotion to Lord Viᚣášu, Lord Viᚣášu is so kind that He will sell Himself to them.
KášášŁáša's favoritism toward His devotees was exhibited in His fight with Bhčᚣma. When Grandfather Bhčᚣma was lying at the point of death on the bed of arrows, KášášŁáša was present before him, and Bhčᚣma was remembering how KášášŁáša had been kind to him on the battlefield. KášášŁáša had promised that in the Battle of Kurukᚣetra He would not even touch a weapon to help either side; He would remain neutral. Although KášášŁáša was Arjuna's charioteer, He had promised that He would not help Arjuna by using any weapons. But one day Bhčᚣma, in order to nullify KášášŁáša's promise, exhibited his fighting spirit so magnificently against Arjuna that KášášŁáša was obliged to get down from His chariot. Taking up a broken chariot wheel, He ran toward Grandfather Bhčᚣma as a lion runs toward an elephant to kill it. Grandfather Bhčᚣma remembered this scene, and He later praised KášášŁáša for His glorious favoritism toward His devotee, Arjuna, even at the risk of breaking His own promise.
40. Controlled by LoveKášášŁáša becomes obliged to the loving spirit of the devotee and not exactly to the service rendered. No one can serve KášášŁáša completely. He is so complete and self-sufficient that He has no need of any service from the devotee. It is the devotee's attitude of love and affection for KášášŁáša that makes Him obliged. A very nice example of this obligatory behavior was manifested when SudÄmÄ Vipra went to KášášŁáša's palace. SudÄmÄ Vipra had been a class friend of KášášŁáša's, and due to his poverty he was induced by his wife to see KášášŁáša to request some aid. When SudÄmÄ Vipra reached KášášŁáša's palace, KášášŁáša received him very well, and both He and His wife washed the feet of SudÄmÄ Vipra, showing respect to the brÄhmaáša. Remembering His loving affairs with SudÄmÄ in their childhood, KášášŁáša began to shed tears while receiving him.
Another instance of KášášŁáša's obligation to His devotee is described in the Tenth Canto, Ninth Chapter, verse 18, of ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam, where Ĺukadeva GosvÄmÄŤ tells King ParÄŤkᚣit, "My dear King, when mother YaĹodÄ was perspiring, tired of trying to bind KášášŁáša up with rope, KášášŁáša agreed to allow her to bind Him." KášášŁáša, as a child, was disturbing His mother by His naughty activities, and she wanted to bind Him up. Mother YaĹodÄ brought some rope from the house and tried to tie up the child, but she could not tie a knot due to the shortness of the rope. She tied together many ropes, but when she finished still the rope was too short. After a while she felt very tired and began to perspire. At that time KášášŁáša agreed to be bound up by His mother. In other words, no one can bind KášášŁáša by any means other than love. He is bound only by obligation to His devotees, because of their ecstatic love for Him.
41. All-auspiciousA person who is always engaged in auspicious welfare activities for everyone is known as all-auspicious.
After the disappearance of Lord KášášŁáša from this planet, Uddhava began to remember the activities of the Lord and said, "KášášŁáša satisfied all great sages by His wonderful pastimes. He demolished all of the demoniac activities of the cruel royal order, protected all pious men and killed all cruel fighters on the battlefield. Therefore He is all-auspicious for all men."
42. Most PowerfulA person who can always put his enemy into calamities is called powerful.
When KášášŁáša was present on this planet, just as the powerful sun drives all darkness to take shelter in caves, He drove away all of His enemies, who fled like owls to take shelter beyond His sight.
43. All-famousA person who becomes well known due to his spotless character is called famous.
It is stated that the diffusion of KášášŁáša's fame is like the moonshine, which turns darkness into light. In other words, if KášášŁáša consciousness is preached all over the world, the darkness of ignorance and the anxiety of material existence will turn into the whiteness of purity, peacefulness and prosperity.
When the great sage NÄrada was chanting the glories of the Lord, the bluish line on the neck of Lord Ĺiva disappeared. Upon seeing this, GaurÄŤ, the wife of Lord Ĺiva, suspected Lord Ĺiva of being someone else disguised as her husband, and out of fear she immediately left his company. Upon hearing the chanting of KášášŁáša's name, Lord BalarÄma saw that His dress had become white, although He was generally accustomed to a bluish dress. And the cowherd girls saw all of the water of the YamunÄ River turn into milk, so they began to churn it into butter. In other words, by the spreading of KášášŁáša consciousness, or the glories of KášášŁáša, everything became white and pure.
44. PopularAny person who is very dear to people in general is called a popular man.
As for KášášŁáša's popularity, there is a statement in the First Canto, Eleventh Chapter, verse 9, of ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam, that deals with His returning home from the capital of HastinÄpura. While He had been absent from DvÄrakÄ at the Battle of Kurukᚣetra, all the citizens of DvÄrakÄ had become morose. Then, when He returned, the citizens joyfully received Him and said, "Dear Lord, while You were absent from the city, we passed our days in the darkness of night. As in the darkness of night every moment appears to be a long duration of time, so while You were gone every moment appeared to us like millions of years. Your separation is completely unbearable to us." This statement shows how popular KášášŁáša was all over the country.
A similar incident occurred when KášášŁáša entered the arena of sacrifice arranged by King Kaášsa for His death. As soon as He entered the place, all the sages began to cry, "Jaya! Jaya! Jaya!" (which means "Victory!"). KášášŁáša was a boy at that time, and all the sages offered their respectful blessings to Him. The demigods who were present also began to offer beautiful prayers to KášášŁáša. And the ladies and girls present expressed their joy from all corners of the arena. In other words, there was no one in that particular place with whom KášášŁáša was not very popular.
45. Partiality to DevoteesAlthough KášášŁáša is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is therefore not partial to anyone, it is stated in Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ that He has special attraction for a devotee who worships His name in love and affection. When KášášŁáša was on this planet, one devotee expressed his feeling in this way: "My dear Lord, if You had not appeared on this planet, then the asuras [demons] and atheists would have surely created havoc against the activities of the devotees. I cannot imagine the magnitude of such devastation prevented by Your presence." From the very beginning of His appearance, KášášŁáša was the greatest enemy of all demoniac persons, although KášášŁáša's enmity toward the demons is actually comparable to His friendship with the devotees. This is because any demon who is killed by KášášŁáša receives immediate salvation.
46. Very Attractive to All WomenAny person who has special qualifications becomes immediately very attractive to women.
A devotee made the following statement about the queens of DvÄrakÄ: "How shall I describe the glories of the queens of DvÄrakÄ, who were personally engaged in the service of the Lord? The Lord is so great that simply by chanting His name all the great sages like NÄrada can enjoy transcendental bliss. So what can be said about those queens, who were at every moment seeing the Lord and serving Him personally?" KášášŁáša had 16,108 wives in DvÄrakÄ, and each and every one of them was attracted to KášášŁáša just as iron is attracted by a magnet. There is a statement by a devotee: "My dear Lord, You are just like a magnet, and all the damsels of Vraja are just like iron: in whichever direction You are moving they are following You, as iron is attracted by magnetic force."
47. All-worshipableA person who is respected and worshiped by all kinds of human beings and demigods is called sarvÄrÄdhya, or all-worshipable.
KášášŁáša is worshiped not only by all living entities, including the great demigods like Lord Ĺiva and Lord BrahmÄ, but also by Viᚣášu expansions (forms of Godhead) such as Baladeva and Ĺeᚣa. Baladeva is a direct expansion of KášášŁáša, but He still accepts KášášŁáša as worshipable. When KášášŁáša appeared in the arena of the RÄjasĹŤya sacrifice organized by MahÄrÄja Yudhiᚣášhira, to all present, including great sages and demigods, KášášŁáša became the cynosure, the center of attraction, and everyone offered Him respects.
48. All-opulentKášášŁáša is full in all opulencesânamely strength, wealth, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. When KášášŁáša was present in DvÄrakÄ, His family, which is known as the Yadu dynasty, consisted of 560 million members. And all of these family members were very obedient and faithful to KášášŁáša. There were more than 900,000 big palatial buildings there to house all the people, and everyone in them respected KášášŁáša as the most worshipable. Devotees were astonished to see the opulence of KášášŁáša.
This was verified by Bilvamaáš gala ᚏhÄkura when in KášášŁáša-karášÄmášta he addressed KášášŁáša thus: "My dear Lord, what can I say about the opulence of Your VášndÄvana? Simply the ornaments on the legs of the damsels of VášndÄvana are more than cintÄmaáši, and their dresses are as good as the heavenly pÄrijÄta flowers. And the cows exactly resemble the surabhi cows in the transcendental abode. Therefore Your opulence is just like an ocean that no one can measure."
49. All-honorableA person who is chief among all important persons is called all honorable.
When KášášŁáša was living at DvÄrakÄ, demigods like Lord Ĺiva, Lord BrahmÄ, Indra the King of heaven and many others used to come to visit Him. The doorkeeper, who had to manage the entrance of all these demigods, one very busy day said, "My dear Lord BrahmÄ and Lord Ĺiva, please sit down on this bench and wait. My dear Indra, please desist from reading your prayers. This is creating a disturbance. Please wait silently. My dear Varuáša, please go away. And my dear demigods, do not waste your time uselessly. KášášŁáša is very busy; He cannot see you!"
50. The Supreme ControllerThere are two kinds of controllers, or lords: one who is independent is called controller, and one whose orders cannot be neglected by anyone is called controller.
Regarding KášášŁáša's complete independence and lordship, ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam says that although KÄliya was a great offender, KášášŁáša still favored him by marking his head with His lotus feet, whereas Lord BrahmÄ, although having prayed to KášášŁáša with so many wonderful verses, still could not attract Him.
This contradictory treatment by KášášŁáša is just befitting His position, because in all the Vedic literature He is described as the complete independent. In the beginning of ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam the Lord is described as svarÄáš, which means "completely independent." That is the position of the Supreme Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth is not only sentient, but is also completely independent.
As for KášášŁáša's orders not being neglected by anyone, in ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam, Third Canto, Second Chapter, verse 21, Uddhava tells Vidura, "Lord KášášŁáša is the master of the three modes of material nature. He is the enjoyer of all opulences, and therefore there is no one equal to or greater than Him." All the great kings and emperors used to come before Him, offer their gifts and pay obeisances with their helmets at the feet of the Lord. One devotee said, "My dear KášášŁáša, when You order BrahmÄ, 'Now you may create the universe,' and when You order Lord Ĺiva, 'Now you dissolve this material manifestation,' You are in this way creating and dissolving the material creation Yourself. Simply by Your orders and by Your partial representation of Viᚣášu, You are maintaining the universes. In this way, O KášášŁáša, O enemy of Kaášsa, there are so many BrahmÄs and Ĺivas who are simply carrying out Your orders."
51. ChangelessKášášŁáša does not change His constitutional position, not even when He appears in this material world. Ordinary living entities have their constitutional spiritual positions covered. They appear in different bodies, and under the different bodily concepts of life they act. But KášášŁáša does not change His body. He appears in His own body and is therefore not affected by the modes of material nature. In the First Canto, Eleventh Chapter, verse 38, of ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam it is stated that the special prerogative of the supreme controller is that He is not at all affected by the modes of nature. The practical example of this is that devotees who are under the protection of the Lord are also not affected by material nature. To overcome the influence of material nature is very difficult, but the devotees or the saintly persons who are under the protection of the Lord are not affected. So what need is there to speak of the Lord Himself? To be more clear, although the Lord sometimes appears in this material world, He has nothing to do with the modes of material nature, and He acts with full independence in His transcendental position. This is the special quality of the Lord.
52. All-cognizantAny person who can understand the feelings of all persons and incidents in all places at all times is called all-cognizant.
A nice example of the all-cognizant quality of the Lord is described in ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam, First Canto, Fifteenth Chapter, verse 11, in connection with DurvÄsÄ Muni's visit to the house of the PÄášá¸avas in the forest. Following a calculated plan, Duryodhana sent DurvÄsÄ Muni and his ten thousand disciples to be guests of the PÄášá¸avas in the forest. Duryodhana arranged for DurvÄsÄ and his men to reach the place of the PÄášá¸avas just when the PÄášá¸avas' lunchtime ended, so that the PÄášá¸avas would be caught without sufficient means to feed such a large number of guests. Knowing Duryodhana's plan, KášášŁáša came to the PÄášá¸avas and asked their wife, DraupadÄŤ, if there were any remnants of food which she could offer to Him. DraupadÄŤ offered Him a container in which there was only a little fragment of some vegetable preparation, and KášášŁáša at once ate it. At that moment all of the sages accompanying DurvÄsÄ were taking bath in the river, and when KášášŁáša felt satisfaction from eating DraupadÄŤ's offering, they also felt satisfaction, and their hunger was gone. Because DurvÄsÄ and his men were unable to eat anything more, they went away without coming into the house of the PÄášá¸avas. In this way the PÄášá¸avas were saved from the wrath of DurvÄsÄ. Duryodhana had sent them because he knew that since the PÄášá¸avas would not be able to receive such a large number, DurvÄsÄ would become angry, and the PÄášá¸avas would be cursed. But KášášŁáša saved them from this calamity by His trick and by His all-cognizant quality.
53. Ever FreshKášášŁáša is always remembered, and His name is always chanted by millions of devotees, but the devotees never become saturated. Instead of becoming disinterested in thinking of KášášŁáša and in chanting His holy name, the devotees get newer and newer impetus to continue the process. Therefore KášášŁáša is ever fresh. Not only KášášŁáša Himself, but also KášášŁáša's knowledge is ever fresh. Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ, which was imparted five thousand years ago, is still being read repeatedly by many, many men, and still new light is always being found in it. Therefore, KášášŁáša and His name, fame, qualitiesâand everything in relationship with Himâis ever fresh.
All the queens at DvÄrakÄ were goddesses of fortune. It is said in ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam, First Canto, Eleventh Chapter, verse 33, that the goddesses of fortune are very fickle and restless, so no one can consistently captivate them. Thus one's luck will always change sometime. Yet the goddesses of fortune could not leave KášášŁáša for even a moment when they were residing with Him at DvÄrakÄ. This means that KášášŁáša's attraction is ever fresh. Even the goddesses of fortune cannot leave His company.
Regarding KášášŁáša's attractive features being ever fresh, there is a statement by RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ in the Lalita-mÄdhava in which KášášŁáša is compared to the greatest sculptor, because He is expert in chiseling at the chastity of women. In other words, although chaste women may follow the rules and regulations of Vedic principles to become ever faithful to their husbands, KášášŁáša is able to break their stonelike chastity with the chisel of His beauty. Most of the girl friends of KášášŁáša were married, but because KášášŁáša was their friend before their marriages, they could not forget His attractive features, which were always fascinating to them, even after their marriages.
54. Sac-cid-Änanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]KášášŁáša's transcendental body is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. Sat means ever-existing for all time and in all places; in other words, all-pervading in time and space. Cit means full of knowledge. KášášŁáša has nothing to learn from anyone. He is independently full of all knowledge. Änanda means the reservoir of all pleasure. The impersonalists are seeking to merge into the Brahman effulgence of eternity and knowledge, but the major portion of the absolute pleasure which is in KášášŁáša is avoided by them. One can enjoy the transcendental blissfulness of merging into the Brahman effulgence after being freed from the contamination of material illusion, false identification, attachment, detachment and material absorption. These are the preliminary qualifications of a person who can realize Brahman. It is stated in Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ that one has to become full of joyfulness; this is not exactly joyfulness, but a sense of freedom from all anxieties. Freedom from all anxieties may be the first principle of joyfulness, but it is not actual joyfulness. Those who realize the self, or become brahma-bhĹŤta [SB 4.30.20], are only preparing themselves for the platform of joyfulness. That joyfulness can be actually achieved only when one comes into contact with KášášŁáša. KášášŁáša consciousness is so complete that it includes the transcendental pleasure derived from impersonal or Brahman realization. Even the impersonalist will become attracted to the personal form of KášášŁáša, known as ĹyÄmasundara.
It is confirmed by the statement of Brahma-saášhitÄ that the Brahman effulgence is the bodily ray of KášášŁáša; the Brahman effulgence is simply an exhibition of the energy of KášášŁáša. KášášŁáša is the source of the Brahman effulgence, as He Himself confirms in Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ. From this we can conclude that the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth is not the ultimate end; KášášŁáša is the ultimate end of the Absolute Truth.
The members of the Vaiᚣášava schools therefore never try to merge into the Brahman effulgence in their pursuit of spiritual perfection. They accept KášášŁáša as the ultimate goal of self-realization. Therefore KášášŁáša is called Parambrahman (the Supreme Brahman) or ParameĹvara (the supreme controller). ĹrÄŤ YÄmunÄcÄrya has prayed as follows: "My dear Lord, I know that the gigantic universe and gigantic space and time within the universe are covered by the ten layers of the material elements, each layer ten times larger than the previous one. The three material modes of nature, the GarbhodakaĹÄyÄŤ Viᚣášu, the KᚣčrodakaĹÄyÄŤ Viᚣášu, the MahÄ-Viᚣášu, and beyond them the spiritual sky and its spiritual planets, known as Vaikuášášhas, and the Brahman effulgence in that spiritual skyâall of these taken together are nothing but a small exhibition of Your potency."
55. Possessing All Mystic PerfectionsThere are many standards of perfection. The highest material perfections, obtained by perfect yogÄŤs, are listed as eight: to become the smallest of the small, to become the greatest of the great, etc. All of these material perfections, as well as all spiritual perfections, can be found fully in KášášŁáša's personality.
56. KášášŁáša's Inconceivable PotenciesKášášŁáša is present everywhere, not only within the universe, not only within the hearts of all living entities, but also within every atom. In the prayers of Queen KuntÄŤ we find mention of this inconceivable potency of KášášŁáša. While KášášŁáša was talking with KuntÄŤ, He simultaneously entered the womb of UttarÄ, who was in danger due to the atomic weapon of AĹvatthÄmÄ. KášášŁáša can illusion even Lord BrahmÄ and Lord Ĺiva, and He can protect all surrendered devotees from the reactions of sinful activities. These are some of the examples of His inconceivable potencies.
ĹrÄŤla RĹŤpa GosvÄmÄŤ therefore offers his obeisances unto KášášŁáša by saying, "KášášŁáša, who is present as a human being, has as His mere shadow the whole material nature. He has expanded Himself into so many cows, calves and cowherd boys, and He has again manifested Himself in all of them as the four-handed NÄrÄyaáša. He has taught millions of BrahmÄs self-realization, and thus He is worshipable not only by the heads of all universes, but by everyone else also. Therefore let me always accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
When Indra was defeated by KášášŁáša in the matter of taking the pÄrijÄta plant from heaven, NÄrada met Indra and criticized him, "O Indra, great King of heaven, KášášŁáša has already defeated Lord BrahmÄ and Lord Ĺiva. So what can be said of an insignificant demigod like you?" NÄrada Muni, of course, was criticizing Indra jokingly, and Indra enjoyed it. In NÄrada's statement it is confirmed that KášášŁáša was able to illusion even Lord BrahmÄ and Lord Ĺiva, as well as Indra. So there is no question of KášášŁáša's power to do the same to lesser living entities.
A description of KášášŁáša's power in minimizing the sufferings of sinful reactions is given in Brahma-saášhitÄ as follows: "Beginning from the great King of heaven down to the ant, everyone is undergoing the reactions of past deeds. But a devotee of KášášŁáša is relieved from such reactions by the grace of KášášŁáša." This was clearly proved when KášášŁáša went to the place of YamarÄja, the Lord of death, to reclaim the dead son of His teacher. KášášŁáša's teacher had requested KášášŁáša to bring back his dead son, and to do so KášášŁáša went to the place of YamarÄja to claim that soul, who had been brought there by YamarÄja and was being kept under his control. KášášŁáša immediately ordered YamarÄja, "Be benefited by My order and return that soul unto Me!" The purport of this incident is that even a person who is under the regulative principles of the laws of nature, and is therefore punishable by YamarÄja under these laws, can be granted complete immunity by the grace of KášášŁáša.
KášášŁáša's inconceivable potencies have been described by Ĺukadeva GosvÄmÄŤ as follows: "KášášŁáša is bewildering my intelligence because, although He is unborn, He has appeared as the son of Nanda MahÄrÄja. He is all-pervading, but still He is held on the lap of YaĹodÄ. In spite of His being all-pervasive, He has become limited by the love of YaĹodÄ. Although He has innumerable forms, still He is moving as one KášášŁáša before His father and mother, Nanda and YaĹodÄ." In the Brahma-saášhitÄ also it is said that although KášášŁáša is eternally living in Goloka VášndÄvana, His transcendental abode, He is still present everywhere, even within the atoms.
57. KášášŁáša's Body Generates Innumerable UniversesIn the Tenth Canto, Fourteenth Chapter, verse 11, of ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam, Lord BrahmÄ says, "My dear Lord, false ego, intelligence, mind, sky, air, fire, water and earth are the material ingredients of this universe, which can be compared to a gigantic pot. In that gigantic pot my body is of insignificant measurement, and even though one of the many universes is created by me, innumerable universes are coming and going from the pores of Your body, just as atomic particles are seen flickering in the sunlight. I think I am very, very insignificant before You, and I am therefore begging Your pardon. Please be merciful toward me."
If one takes account of only one universe, he will find so many combinations of wonderful things within, because there are innumerable planets, innumerable residences and places of demigods. The diameter of the universe is four billion miles, and it is infested with many unfathomable regions known as PÄtÄlas, or lower planetary systems. Although KášášŁáša is the origin of all this, He can always be seen in VášndÄvana, exhibiting His inconceivable potencies. So who can adequately worship such an all-powerful Lord, possessed of such inconceivable energy?
58. The Original Source of All IncarnationsJayadeva GosvÄmÄŤ, in his GÄŤta-govinda, has sung as follows: "The Lord has saved the Vedas in His form as a fish, and He has borne the whole universe on His back in the form of a tortoise. He has picked up this earthly planet from the water in the form of a boar. He has killed HiraášyakaĹipu in the form of Nášsiášha. He has cheated MahÄrÄja Bali in the form of VÄmana. He has annihilated all the dynasties of the kᚣatriyas in the form of ParaĹurÄma. He has killed all the demons in the form of Lord RÄma. He has accepted the great plow in the form of BalarÄma. He has annihilated all the atheistic persons in the form of Kalki. And He has saved all the poor animals in the form of Lord Buddha."
59. KášášŁáša Gives Salvation to the Enemies That He KillsAnother name for salvation is apavarga. Apavarga is the opposite of pavarga, or the various miserable conditions of material existence. The word pa-varga indicates the combination of five Sanskrit letters: pa, pha, ba, bha and ma. These letters are the first letters of the words for five different conditions as described below. The first letter, pa, comes from the word parÄbhava, which means "defeat." In this material struggle for existence, we are simply meeting defeat. Actually, we have to conquer birth, death, disease and old age, and because there is no possibility of overcoming all these miserable conditions, due to the illusion of mÄyÄ we are simply meeting with parÄbhava, or defeat. The next letter, pha, is taken from the word phena. Phena is the foam which is found on the mouth when one is very tired (as is commonly observed with horses). The letter ba comes from the word bandha, or bondage. Bha is taken from the word bhÄŤti, or fearfulness. Ma is taken from the word mášti, or death. So the word pavarga signifies our struggle for existence and our meeting with defeat, exhaustion, bondage, fearfulness and, at last, death. Apavarga means that which can nullify all of these material conditions. KášášŁáša is said to be the giver of apavarga, the path of liberation.
For the impersonalists and the enemies of KášášŁáša, liberation means merging into the Supreme. The demons and the impersonalists do not care for KášášŁáša, but KášášŁáša is so kind that He gives this liberation even to His enemies and to the impersonalists. There is the following statement in this connection: "O MurÄri [KášášŁáša]! How wonderful it is that although the demons, who were always envious of the demigods, have failed to penetrate Your military phalanx, they have penetrated the region of mitra, the sun globe." The word mitra is used metaphorically. Mitra means "the sun globe," and mitra also means "friend." The demons who opposed KášášŁáša as enemies wanted to penetrate His military phalanx, but instead of doing this, they died in battle, and the result was that they penetrated the planet of Mitra, or the sun planet. In other words, they entered into the Brahman effulgence. The example of the sun planet is given here because the sun is ever-illuminating, like the spiritual sky, where there are innumerable illuminating Vaikuášášha planets. The enemies of KášášŁáša were killed, and instead of penetrating KášášŁáša's phalanx, they entered into the friendly atmosphere of the spiritual effulgence. That is the mercy of KášášŁáša, and therefore He is known as the deliverer of His enemies also.
60. The Attractor of Liberated SoulsThere are many examples of how KášášŁáša attracted even great liberated souls like Ĺukadeva GosvÄmÄŤ and the KumÄras. In this connection the following statement was given by the KumÄras: "How wonderful it is that although we are completely liberated, free from desire and situated at the stage of paramahaášsa, we are still aspiring to taste the pastimes of RÄdhÄ and KášášŁáša."
61. Performer of Wonderful ActivitiesIn the Bášhad-vÄmana PurÄáša, the Lord says, "Although I have many fascinating pastimes, whenever I think of the rÄsa-lÄŤlÄ, which I perform with the gopÄŤs, I become eager to have it again."
One devotee has said, "I know about NÄrÄyaáša, the husband of the goddess of fortune, and I also know about many other incarnations of the Lord. Certainly all the pastimes of such incarnations are exciting to my mind, but still the pastimes of the rÄsa-lÄŤlÄ performed by Lord KášášŁáša Himself are wonderfully increasing my transcendental pleasure."
62. KášášŁáša Is Surrounded by Loving DevoteesWhen we speak of KášášŁáša, KášášŁáša is not alone. "KášášŁáša" means His name, His qualities, His fame, His friends, His paraphernalia, His entourageâall of these are included. When we speak of a king, it is to be understood that he is surrounded by ministers, secretaries, military commanders and many other people. Similarly, KášášŁáša is not impersonal. In His VášndÄvana lÄŤlÄ especially, He is surrounded by the gopÄŤs, the cowherd boys, His father, His mother and all the inhabitants of VášndÄvana.
In the Tenth Canto, Thirty-first Chapter, verse 15, of ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam, the gopÄŤs lament, "My dear KášášŁáša, during the daytime when You go out into the forest of VášndÄvana with Your cows, we consider one moment to be twelve years, and it is very difficult for us to pass the time. And again when You come back at the end of the day, by seeing Your beautiful face we are so much attracted that we are unable to stop looking upon You constantly. At these times, when there is occasional blinking of our eyelids, we condemn the creator, Lord BrahmÄ, as a dunce, because he does not know how to make perfect eyes!" In other words, the gopÄŤs were disturbed by the blinking of their eyes, because for the moment that their eyes were closed they could not see KášášŁa. This means that the gopÄŤs' love for KášášŁáša was so great and ecstatic that they were disturbed by even His momentary absence. And when they saw KášášŁáša, they were also disturbed. This is a paradox.
One gopÄŤ, expressing herself to KášášŁáša, says, "When we meet You at night, we consider the duration of night to be very small. And why speak of only this night? Even if we had a night of BrahmÄ we would consider it a very short time!" We get an idea of BrahmÄ's day from the following statement of Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ (8.17): "By human calculation, a thousand yuga cycles taken together is BrahmÄ's one day. And such also is the duration of his night." The gopÄŤs said that even if they could have that duration of night, it would still not be sufficient for their meeting with KášášŁáša.
63. KášášŁáša's Attractive FluteIn the Tenth Canto, Thirty-fifth Chapter, verse 15, of ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam, the gopÄŤs tell mother YaĹodÄ, "When your son plays on His flute, Lord Ĺiva, Lord BrahmÄ and Indraâalthough they are supposed to be the greatest learned scholars and personalitiesâall become bewildered. Although they are all very great personalities, by hearing the sound of KášášŁáša's flute they humbly bow down and become grave from studying the sound vibrated."
In his book Vidagdha-mÄdhava, ĹrÄŤ RĹŤpa GosvÄmÄŤ thus describes the vibration of KášášŁáša's flute: "The sound vibration created by the flute of KášášŁáša wonderfully stopped Lord Ĺiva from playing his á¸iášá¸ima drum, and the same flute has caused great sages like the four KumÄras to become disturbed in their meditation. It has caused Lord BrahmÄ, who was sitting on the lotus flower for the creative function, to become astonished. And Anantadeva, who was calmly holding all the planets on His hood, was moving in this way and that due to the transcendental vibration from KášášŁáša's flute, which penetrated through the covering of this universe and reached to the spiritual sky."
64. KášášŁáša's Exquisite BeautyIn the Third Canto, Second Chapter, verse 12, of ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam, Uddhava tells Vidura, "My dear sir, KášášŁáša's form was most wonderful when He appeared on this planet and exhibited the potency of His internal energy. His wonderfully attractive form was present during His pastimes on this planet, and by His internal potency He exhibited His opulences, which are striking to everyone. His personal beauty was so great that there was no necessity for His wearing ornaments on His body. In fact, instead of the ornaments' beautifying KášášŁáša, KášášŁáša's beauty enhanced the ornaments."
Regarding the attractiveness of KášášŁáša's bodily beauty and the sound vibration of His flute, in the Tenth Canto, Twenty-ninth Chapter, verse 40, of ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam, the gopÄŤs address KášášŁáša as follows: "Although our attitude toward You resembles loving affairs with a paramour, we cannot but wonder at how no woman can maintain her chastity upon hearing the vibration from Your flute. And not only women, but even stronghearted men are subject to falling down from their position at the sound of Your flute. In fact, we have seen that in VášndÄvana even the cows, the deer, the birds, the treesâeveryoneâhas been enchanted by the sweet vibration of Your flute and the fascinating beauty of Your person."
In RĹŤpa GosvÄmÄŤ's Lalita-mÄdhava, it is said, "One day KášášŁáša happened to see the shadow of His beautiful form reflected on the jeweled foreground. Upon seeing this bodily reflection, He expressed His feelings: 'How wonderful it is that I have never seen such a beautiful form! Although it is My own form, still, like RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ, I am trying to embrace this form and enjoy celestial bliss.'" This statement shows how KášášŁáša and His shadow reflection are one and the same. There is no difference between KášášŁáša and His shadow reflection, nor between KášášŁáša and His picture. That is the transcendental position of KášášŁáša.
The above statements describe some of the wonderful reservoirs of pleasure within KášášŁáša, as well as the transcendental qualities of His personality. The transcendental qualities of KášášŁáša are compared to the ocean: no one can estimate the length and breadth of the ocean. But as one can understand the ocean's contents simply by testing one drop of it, so these statements will give us some understanding of KášášŁáša's transcendental position and qualities.
In the Tenth Canto, Fourteenth Chapter, verse 7, of ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam, Lord BrahmÄ says, "My dear Lord, the inconceivable qualities, beauties and activities which You have revealed by Your presence on this planet cannot be calculated by any material measurement. If one even tries to imagine, 'KášášŁáša may be like this,' that is also impossible. The day may come when the material scientist, after many, many births or after many, many years, will be able to estimate the atomic constitution of the whole world, or he may be able to count the atomic fragments that permeate the sky, or he may even give an estimate of all the atoms within the universe, but still he will never be able to count the transcendental qualities in Your reservoir of transcendental bliss."