Nitai: "O Hrṣikesa, the master of the senses and the Lord of lords, You have released Your mother Devaki, who was long imprisoned and distressed by the envious King Kaṁsa, and myself and my children from a series of constant dangers."

Prabhupada:

yatha hrṣikesa khalena devaki
kaṁsena ruddhaticiraṁ sucarpita
vimocitahaṁ ca sahatmaja vibho
tvayaiva nathena muhur vipad-gaṇat
[SB 1.8.23]

So Krṣṇa... Actually, Kunti is presenting the characteristics of Krṣṇa. He is transcendental, puruṣaṁ prakrteḥ; param. Then He is person. In so many ways, he, she has already described. Now... That is identification. Now Krṣṇa's activities... Because we have to know Krṣṇa... Krṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gita, janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9]. His birth and His activities, both of them are transcendental, not material, because He is puruṣaṁ prakrteḥ; param. He is the person beyond this material nature who is not a created being of this material nature. That we should understand. Puruṣaṁ prakrteḥ; param. The original creator.

That means Krṣṇa existed before the creation. Because He existed before the creation, therefore His activities, His form, His qualities, they're not material. Prakrteḥ; param. But He comes upon this earth or in this material world. His activities are to save the devotees and to kill the demons, simultaneous. That we have already explained. His real activity is to give protection to the devotees. Just like Prahlada Maharaja, he was very much disturbed by the demon Hiraṇyakasipu. So to give him protection, He appeared as Nrsiṁhadeva. Similarly, here Krṣṇa appeared. Why? To give relief to Devaki and Vasudeva, the Paṇḍavas. They were in very great danger by kaṁsena khalena, envious demon Kaṁsa. And similarly, the Paṇḍavas were also in difficult by the envious Dhrtaraṣṭra and company, his sons.

So Krṣṇa comes—paritraṇaya sadhunam [Bg. 4.8]. That is His mission. So how He saved the honest devotees, that is being described by Kunti. This is studying of Krṣṇa, about His transcendental activities. You have to know how He takes birth and how He acts. If you study these two things of Krṣṇa's appearance, then you become liberated, these two things only, that why does He come, how does He come, how He acts, what is His position. His position is prakrteḥ; param. He is not a living being like us. We are not prakrteḥ;... Although we are prakrteḥ; param, but at the present moment we are under the clutches of prakrti. Prakrteḥ; kriyamaṇani guṇaiḥ; karmaṇi sarvasaḥ; [Bg. 3.27]. We... just like a person in the prison. He is also a citizen. He's not meant for living in the prison; he is actually meant for living outside the prison. But some way or other, he has come in contact with the criminal department and is put into the prison. Similarly, usually, the citizens and the king or president, they are not inhabitants of the prison house. Similarly, we, along with Krṣṇa, as Krṣṇa is prakrteḥ; param, similarly, we are also prakrteḥ; param, but we have got the aptitude to fall down in the prakrti.

Krṣṇa hasn't got that aptitude. He's a master. Just like "King can do no wrong." This is the British Constitution. You cannot accuse the king in any way, neither you can judge. That is British Constitution. Similarly, Krṣṇa, as it is stated in the Isopaniṣad, apapa-viddham. He cannot be criminal like us. He's above. He cannot be charged with any criminal charges. Apapa-viddham. Papa does not touch Him. Although it appears that He is doing something which is papa, but that is not papa. We have to understand Krṣṇa's position. Prakrteḥ; param. That is... That means prakrteḥ; param. He is not subjected to any sinful life. Therefore His name is Acyuta. Rathaṁ sthapaya, sthapaya me acyuta. Acyuta means "one who does not fall."

The... We fall down, we, because we are very small, spiritual sparks, and Krṣṇa is the whole fire. And the fire and the spiritual, fire, sparks from the fire, their quality—the same. They can burn. As the big fire can burn, similarly, the small spark, if it falls down on your cloth, that portion, it will immediately burn. It will become back, black. So the quality is the same. But when it falls down, it's burning quality becomes extinguished. We have got practical experience. Burning quality becomes extinguished. So when we fall down from the spiritual world, we come to the material world, our spiritual quality becomes extinguished. That we have to revive. That we have to revive.

That is stated by Krṣṇa in Bhagava...,

vita-raga-bhaya-krodha
man-maya mam upasritaḥ;
bahavo jñana-tapasa
puta mad-bhavam agataḥ;
[Bg. 4.10]

When we become purified, again we revive our spiritual quality, then mad-bhavam agataḥ;: "Then he comes back to My nature." That is back to home. This is the process. It is not very difficult because Krṣṇa says, bahavaḥ;: "many." "Many" means it is not difficult. Not that... Because we, by nature, we are spiritual, simply extinguished... Just like a lamp is extinguished. You can burn it immediately with a real matches, not false. You can burn it. The capacity is there. Similarly, our spiritual qualities are there already. It is permanent. Ahaṁ brahmasmi. That Brahman quality is already there. It is not to be attained. Simply this non-Brahman covering has to be removed.

That is sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. That covering is designation. We are thinking, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brahmaṇa," "I am sudra," "I am this," "I am that." These are coverings. Actually I am ahaṁ brahmasmi. Krṣṇa is also Parabrahman. Brahman... By quality, He is Brahman; we are also Brahman. But He is Parabrahman. Nityo nityanaṁ cetanas cetananam (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He's singular number; we are plural number. That is the Vedic instruction. He is the singular number eternal, and we are plural number eternal. Nityo nityanaṁ cetanas cetananam. He is singular number living entity, and we are plural number living entity. Therefore in the dictionary you'll find, this Oxford Dictionary, "the Supreme Being." God means "the Supreme Being." He's a being. He's not a stone. He's a living being. Even the dictionary accepts. He's not a stone, dead stone. That is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavata, janmady asya yataḥ;: [SB 1.1.1] "The Supreme Absolute Truth is the original source of all creation." Janmady asya yataḥ; [SB 1.1.1]. Everything that we see, matter and life, everything comes from Him. But whether He is matter or life? That is explained: yes, He is life. Janmady asya yataḥ; anvayad itaratas ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ; [SB 1.1.1]. He is life because He knows. So who knows? A dead stone cannot know. Unless one is a living being, he cannot know.

Therefore it is said that anvayad itaratas ca abhijñaḥ;. How does He know? Now, svaraṭ. Because to know means we require some master, some teacher... But because He is the Supreme Being, He does not require any teacher. Svaraṭ. Svaraṭ means independent. Vedahaṁ samatitani [Bg. 7.26]. He knows everything automatically. That is the difference between God and ourself. Just like Krṣṇa said that "I spoke this philosophy to the sun-god," and Arjuna became doubtful: "What Krṣṇa is saying? He is my contemporary. I do not know how He knows." So he questioned that "Krṣṇa, how can I believe You, that you spoke this, this philosophy to the sun-god millions and millions of...?" So Krṣṇa explained, "Yes, at that time, you were also there because you are My constant friend. But the difference is you have forgotten; I have not forgotten. That is the difference." Svaraṭ. Abhijñaḥ;. We are not fully abhijñaḥ;. We do not know.

I claim, "These hairs, my hairs, my head." But I do not know how many hairs are there. So many things. The nail is coming from my body. I do not know how it is coming. I am eating foodstuff. I do not know how it is being turned into blood and other secretions, and it is being transferred through the veins, through the pipes, here and there, and so many mechanical machine. It is machine. It is going on. But this machine is not my creation. This machine is created by this material nature. This machine is manufactured in the womb of mother. According to my karma, I enter into a particular type of mother's womb, and this machine is made by the prakrti, by the nature. Just like this flower. There is machine. The seed will fructify, and a particular type of flower from the seed will come because the machine is like that. Just like typewriter machine you can type, but typewriter machine, you cannot go. That you have to accept the motorcar machine. This is also machine. That... Similarly, there are different types of machine, and from that machine, this body is coming out. Bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantraruḍhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61].

Isvaraḥ; sarva-bhutanaṁ hrd-dese arjuna tiṣṭhati. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita, "Krṣṇa is situated everyone's heart." And He's studying the inclination of the living entity, that he wants to enjoy this material world like this. So parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport]. He hasn't got to do anything personally. He orders the material nature, "This living entity wants to enjoy like this. Give him the, this machine." So you get this machine. We have got this machine. A living entity, he does not discriminate of eating; whatever he gets, he eats. So Krṣṇa says that "He wants to eat everything. So give him this machine, hog's body, so that there will be no discrimination." "He wants to remain naked. All right. Give him this body for five thousand years, standing naked as tree." The life was meant for understanding Krṣṇa, but he is cultivating the culture of naked civilization, how to become naked. "So all right, next time you'll remain naked for many thousands of years, standing in one place as tree." This is going on. Sarvasya cahaṁ hrdi sanniviṣṭaḥ; [Bg. 15.15].

So we have to understand the activities of Krṣṇa. He's not dull-headed, nirakara. Why nirakara? He is acting in so many ways, and who acts in different ways unless he's a person? This is the conclusion. Unless He's a person, how He can act in so many different ways, according to circumstances? Just like we are receiving so many letters from different centers. So unless I am a person, how can I give direction? It is not a dull stone. So Krṣṇa is not dull stone. Therefore we have to study Krṣṇa's activities. And if we can study Krṣṇa's activities, if we can understand Krṣṇa's birth and activities, janma karma me divyam [Bg. 4.9], immediately we become liberated.

So these books, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, are there, and many other books, Puraṇas and others... They are simply describing the activities of Krṣṇa so that you can understand Krṣṇa. That... There is a verse in Caitanya-caritamrta: anadi bahirmukha jiva nahi jñana, krṣṇa... [Cc. Madhya 20.117]. Means "From, since a very, very long time, he has forgotten Krṣṇa." Just like anyone you can ask, in this country even, and what to speak of others, that "Do you know Krṣṇa?" So you'll find so many, I mean to say, major portion, people, will say, "No, we do not know what is Krṣṇa." Just like our Syamasundara's daughter, Sarasvati. She preaches, "Do you know what is Krṣṇa?" Even one knows, because he (she) is child: "No, no. I do not know." "Oh, Supreme Personality of Godhead," she will say. She is so intelligent. She will say. So similarly, we can do. We can do Krṣṇa's service like this. Even a child can do. You go. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, yare dekha tare kaha krṣṇa-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. That becomes... You becomes spiritual master. If you take this vow, that "I'll preach only Krṣṇa," then you are spiritual master. You become spiritual...

yare dekha, tare kaha 'krṣṇa'-upadesa
amara ajñaya guru haña tara' ei desa
[Cc. Madhya 7.128]

Just like that child, Sarasvati's, preaching, "Do you know Krṣṇa?" He says, "No." "He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Simply say like that, "He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead," and "Chant His holy name, Hare Krṣṇa." If you do this, then you are preacher; you are spiritual master. It is so nice. You don't require to become very... Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that yare dekha tare kaha krṣṇa-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. He does not say that you become a learned Vedic scholar. That is the goal of Vedic scholarship. If you simply know that Krṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then your Vedic study finished. You are M.A., doctor of Krṣṇa philosophy, simply if you know this. You may not know in details, but if you simply believe, firmly convinced, that "Krṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is my master. He is my savior," in this way, if you accept, then you become perfect, and you become liberated.

So here one thing is specifically mentioned, that muhur vipad-gaṇat. Muhuḥ; means twenty-four hours, or always, almost twenty-four hours. Muhuḥ;. Muhuḥ; means "again and again, again and again." So vipat. Vipat means "danger." And gaṇa, gaṇa means "multi," not one kind of danger but different kinds of danger. So the muhur vipad-gaṇat, who is suffering? Now, Kunti. And who else is suffering? Now, Devaki. Devaki is the mother of Krṣṇa, and Kunti is the aunt of Krṣṇa. Both of them, not ordinary women. To become mother of Krṣṇa or to become aunt of Krṣṇa, it is not ordinary thing. It requires many, many lives' tapasya. Then one can become mother of Krṣṇa. So they were also suffering muhur vipad-gaṇat, always vipat. Although Krṣṇa was their very, very easily obtain, obtainable personality, mother, but still... Devaki gave birth to Krṣṇa, but the danger was so horrible that she could not keep her son. It has to be immediately transferred. Just see how much vipat, how much vipat. The mother of Krṣṇa could not keep her son on the lap. Every mother wants, but because there were Kaṁsa khalena, she could not keep. And to the Paṇḍavas, Krṣṇa was constant companion. Wherever there are Paṇḍavas, Krṣṇa is there. Krṣṇa... Draupadi is in danger. She was to be naked by the Kurus, Duryodhana, Duḥ;sasana. The Krṣṇa supplied cloth. So for a woman in the assembly of so many men, if she is to be naked, it is the greatest danger. It is the greatest danger, and Krṣṇa saved. Similarly, Kunti was saved... The dangers will be described in the later verses. She says, vimocitahaṁ ca sahatmaja vibho: "I was released from so many dangerous positions, not only myself, but along with my sons."

So fact is that even Kunti or Devaki, so intimately connected with Krṣṇa, but they had to face so many dangers, so what to speak of others? What to speak of others, ourself? So when we are danger, we are in danger, we should not be discouraged. We should take courage that even Kunti and Vasudeva and Devaki, they were also in danger, although they were very, very intimately connected with Krṣṇa. So we should not be disturbed by the dangers of this material world. If we are actually Krṣṇa conscious, we should face the danger and depend on Krṣṇa. Avasya rakhibe krṣṇa visvasa palana. This is called surrender, that "I may be in danger, but Krṣṇa... I have surrendered to Krṣṇa. He must save me." Keep this faith. Don't be disturbed when you are in danger, because this world is such... Padaṁ padaṁ vipadam. Every step there is danger. Just like we are walking on the street. Immediately there is some pinprick, thorn. And by pinprick of that thorn, it may become a boil; it may become dangerous. So even by walking on the street, by talking on the street, by eating our food, there... And in English it is said, "There is many dangers between the cup and the lip."

So you should always remember that this material world is simply full of dangers. If you think that "We are very safe; we are very expert; we have made this world very happy," then you are fool number one. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadam [SB 10.14.58]. But if you take shelter of Krṣṇa, these dangers are nothing. That Kunti will say, that vimocita. Vimocita means released from the danger. Aham. Sahatmaja: "With my..."

So this is the study of Krṣṇa, that if you become Krṣṇa conscious, a sincere servant of Krṣṇa, don't be agitated by the dangerous condition of this material world. You simply depend on Krṣṇa, and He'll save you.

Thank you very much. (end)

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