VedaVyasa
Praneetha
The Mad Bhagavatam
Chapter 24
Krishna Defies Indra in Favor of the Brahmins, the Cows and Govardhana Hill
In this chapter Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa crushes the pride of Indra by prohibiting a sacrifice intended for him and initiating a substitute sacrifice in worship of Govardhana Hill.
When Śrī Kṛṣṇa saw the cowherd men busily preparing for a sacrifice to Indra, He inquired about it from their king, Nanda. Nanda explained that the rain given by Indra enables all living entities to maintain their lives, and therefore this sacrifice would be executed to satisfy him. Kṛṣṇa responded, "It is because of karma alone that living entities take their birth in a certain body, experience varieties of happiness and suffering in that body, and then give it up as the karma pertaining to it runs out. Thus it is karma alone that is our enemy, our friend, our guru and our lord, and Indra can do nothing to alter the happiness and distress of anyone, for everyone is tightly bound by his karmic reactions. The material modes of goodness, passion and ignorance bring about the creation, maintenance and destruction of this world. The clouds give forth rain when they are impelled by the mode of passion, and cowherds prosper by protecting the cows. Furthermore, the cowherds' proper residence is in the forest and on the hills. Therefore you should offer worship to the cows, the brāhmaṇas and Govardhana Hill."
After Kṛṣṇa spoke thus, He arranged for the cowherd men to worship Govardhana with the paraphernalia collected for the sacrifice to Indra. He then assumed a huge, unprecedented transcendental form and devoured all the food and other offerings presented to Govardhana. As He did so He proclaimed to the cowherd community that although they had worshiped Indra for so long, he had never appeared in person, whereas Govardhana himself had now manifested before their eyes and eaten their offerings of foodstuffs. Therefore they should all now offer obeisances to Govardhana Hill. Then Lord Kṛṣṇa joined the cowherds in offering obeisances to His own newly assumed form.
10.24.1
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'The Supreme Lord staying in that very place [of Vraja] accompanied by Baladeva also, saw how the gopas were very busy arranging for a sacrifice to Indra.
the words tatra eva in this verse indicate that Lord Kṛṣṇa stayed in the village of the brāhmaṇas whose wives had satisfied Him by their devotion. Thus He gave His mercy to those brāhmaṇas as well as to their chaste wives, who had no one to associate with except their husbands. In that place the cowherd men, headed by Lord Kṛṣṇa's father, Nanda Mahārāja, were somehow or other preparing an elaborate sacrifice to Lord Indra, and Lord Kṛṣṇa reacted as follows.
10.24.2
praśrayāvanato 'pṛcchad
(2) Though the Supreme Lord, the Soul of All Seeing All, knew what that meant [see B.G. 9: 23], bowed He down humbly and inquired He with the elders lead by Nanda [His stepfather]:
10.24.3
kathyatāḿ me pitaḥ ko 'yaḿ
(3) 'Tell Me, dear father, what all this fuss is you're put up with, were does it lead to, for whom is it done and by what means is this sacrifice to be accomplished?
10.24.4
asty asva-para-dṛṣṭīnām
amitrodāsta-vidviṣām
(4) Please tell Me about it, I have this great desire to hear that from you o father; surely can the activities found here of the saintly equal to all - equal in what is theirs or of others or who is a friend and enemy or neutral - not be something to be secretive about, is it?
Lord Kṛṣṇa's father might have thought that his son was a mere child and thus could not properly question the validity of a Vedic sacrifice. But the Lord's clever statement here would certainly have convinced Nanda that Śrī Kṛṣṇa was making a serious, not a whimsical, inquiry and that a serious answer should thus be given.
10.24.5
udāsīno 'ri-vad varjya
(5) An indifferent person is just like an enemy to be avoided while an ally is to be treated like one's own self so they say.
Even if Nanda Mahārāja did not see friends, enemies and neutral parties as entirely equal, Lord Kṛṣṇa, being Nanda Mahārāja's son, was certainly a most trustworthy friend and should therefore not be left out of intimate discussions. In other words, Nanda Mahārāja might have thought that as a householder he could not act on the highest saintly platform, and thus Lord Kṛṣṇa furnished additional reasons why His father should trust Him and reveal the entire purpose of the sacrifice. Nanda Mahārāja stood silent, doubting his position of parental aloofness, since Garga Muni had predicted that his son would be "equal to Nārāyaṇa in His qualities," and the young boy had already conquered and killed many powerful demons.
10.24.6
jano 'yam anutiṣṭhati
(6) People perform these activities very well knowing what they do, but also when they have no clue; for those who in wisdom know what they do can the perfection be found with the labor one performs, but for the foolish without any notion is that perfection not in view.
The Lord here informs His father that people should perform a particular ceremony or activity only after thoroughly understanding it through discussion with friends. We should not be blind followers of tradition. If a person doesn't even know what he's doing, how can he be successful in his work? This, essentially, is the Lord's argument in this verse. Since Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as the young child of Nanda, would naturally be expected to show enthusiasm for His father's religious activities, it was the father's duty to give the son a thorough explanation of the ceremony.
10.24.7
(7) That being so, I ask you, whether this conjoint action of yours is something that is prescribed [in the scriptures] or just a custom; that you should explain clearly to Me.'
10.24.8
parjanyo bhagavān indro
meghās tasyātma-mūrtayaḥ
(8) S'rî Nanda said: 'The rain its great lord is Indra, the clouds are his personal representatives, they provide the rain for all living beings which, just like milk, is the gratifying life-force.
10.24.9
(9) For his liquid discharged do we and other people too with various items and fire sacrifices worship him, that master controller of the clouds, my dear son.
10.24.10
tac-cheṣeṇopajīvanti
(10) With the remnants of that sacrificing people sustain their lives the threefold way [religiously, economically and sensually]; he is the superhuman being bringing the fruits to those who in their human actions are after results.
One might object that people sustain themselves by farming, industry and so on. But as previously mentioned, all human and nonhuman endeavor depends on food and drink, which cannot be produced without ample rain. By the word tri-varga Nanda further points out that the prosperity achieved through sacrifice for Indra is meant not merely for sense gratification but also for religiosity and economic development. Unless people are well fed, it is difficult for them to execute their duties, and without performance of duty, it is very difficult to be religious.
10.24.11
paramparyāgataḿ naraḥ
kāmād dveṣād bhayāl lobhāt
(11) Anyone who rejects this religious duty that was handed down by tradition is a person who because of lust, enmity, fear and greed for certain cannot achieve the splendor [of God, see B.G. 10: 36].'
10.24.12
tathānyeṣāḿ vrajaukasām
(12) S'rî S'uka said: 'Hearing Nanda's words and also what the other residents of Vraja said, spoke Lord Kes'ava to His father in a way that made lord Indra angry.
that Lord Kṛṣṇa's intention was not simply to insult a demigod, but rather to knock down the great mountain of false pride that had arisen within the Lord's tiny servant, who was supposed to represent the Lord as Indra. By lifting Govardhana Hill Lord Kṛṣṇa would thus initiate a blissful annual festival called Govardhana-pūjā, and He would further enjoy the pleasant pastime of dwelling for several days beneath the hill with all His loving devotees.
10.24.13
karmaṇaiva pralīyate
karmaṇaivābhipadyate
(13) The Supreme Lord said: 'It is of karma that a living entity takes birth, it is by karma alone that he meets with destruction; happiness or unhappiness, security and fear are all the result of karma.
Lord Kṛṣṇa minimized the importance of the demigods by speaking the philosophy known as Karma-vāda or Karma-mīmāḿsā, which, basically, is atheism with a belief in reincarnation. According to this philosophy, there are subtle laws of nature that reward or punish us according to how we act: "As you sow, so shall you reap." In a future life one reaps the fruit of his present work, and this is the sum and substance of reality. Lord Kṛṣṇa, being God Himself, could hardly be a serious proponent of this mediocre philosophy. In the role of a young boy He was simply teasing His pure devotees by preaching it.
that Lord Kṛṣṇa was thinking, "Why are these eternal associates of Mine, appearing as My father and other relatives and friends, so caught up in this worship of Indra?" Thus although the Lord's main purpose was to take away the false pride of Indra, He also wanted to remind His eternal devotees that they need not divert their attention to other so-called gods, since in fact His devotees were already living with the Supreme Absolute Truth, the almighty Lord Himself.
10.24.14
(14) If there is some controller who awards with the results of the labor performed by others, does that ruler still depend on someone who [out of his karma] performs that sacrifice; after all is there no question of being the master if there is no one who performs productive labor!
Here Lord Kṛṣṇa argues that if there is a supreme controller, He must depend on a performer of activity to reciprocate with and must therefore also be subject to the laws of karma, being obliged to award happiness and distress to conditioned souls according to the laws of good and evil.
This superficial argument neglects the obvious point that the laws of nature that prescribe the good and bad results of pious and impious acts are themselves creations of the all-good Supreme Lord. Being the creator and sustainer of these laws, the Lord is not subject to them. Furthermore, the Lord is not dependent on the work of the conditioned souls, since He is satisfied and complete within Himself. Out of His all-merciful nature He awards the results appropriate to our activities. That which we call destiny, fate or karma is an elaborate and subtle system of rewards and punishments meant for gradually encouraging conditioned souls to evolve to the stage of perfect consciousness, which is their original, constitutional nature.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead has so dexterously formulated and applied the laws of material nature governing punishment and reward for human behavior that the living being is discouraged from sin and encouraged toward goodness without suffering any significant interference with his free will as an eternal soul.
In contrast to the material nature, the Lord exhibits His essential nature in the spiritual world, where He reciprocates the eternal love of His pure devotees. Such loving affairs are based completely on the mutual freedom of the Lord and His devotees, not on a mechanical reciprocation of coinciding selfish interests. The Supreme Lord, assisted by His pure devotees, repeatedly offers the conditioned souls of this world the opportunity to give up their bizarre attempt at exploiting the material universe and go back home, back to Godhead, for an eternal life of bliss and knowledge. Considering all these points, the atheistic arguments given here by Lord Kṛṣṇa in a playful mood are not to be taken seriously.
10.24.15
anīśenānyathā kartuḿ
(15) So what do living beings, who each follow the path of their own karma, have to do with Indra who himself cannot make any difference in what for people according their natures is ordained?
Lord Kṛṣṇa's argument here is not a negation of free will. If one accepts the existence of karma as a system of laws awarding reactions for our present activities, then we ourselves, according to our nature, will decide our future. Our happiness and distress in this life have already been adjudicated and fixed according to our previous activities, and not even the demigods can change that. They must award us the prosperity or poverty, sickness or health, happiness or distress due us by our previous work. However, we still retain the freedom to select a pious or impious mode of activity in this life, and the choice we make will determine our future suffering and enjoyment.
For example, if I was pious in my last life, in this life the demigods may award me great material wealth. But I am free to spend my riches for good or for bad purposes, and my choice will determine my future life. Thus, although no one can change the karmic results due him in this life, everyone still retains his free will, by which he determines what his future situation will be. Lord Kṛṣṇa's argument here is quite interesting; however, it neglects the overriding consideration that we are all eternal servants of God and must satisfy Him by all that we do.
10.24.16
(16) A person indeed is under the control of his own nature - his nature he follows; this entire world with its gods, demons and common men exists on the basis of each his own nature.
Lord Kṛṣṇa here elaborates upon the argument given in the previous verse. Since everything depends on svabhāva, or one's conditioned nature, why bother worshiping God or the demigods? This argument would be sublime if svabhāva, or conditioned nature, were all-powerful. But unfortunately it is not. There is a supreme controller and we must worship Him, as Lord Kṛṣṇa will emphatically reveal in this chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. For now, however, He is content to tease His relatives.
10.24.17
prāpyotsṛjati karmaṇā
karmaiva gurur īśvaraḥ
(17) The higher and lower evolved bodies that the living beings obtain and give up as a consequence of their actions, prove their karma to be their enemy, friend or impartial judge; that karma alone is their controller, their guru [see also B.G. 8: 15 & 16, 4.29: 26-27 and 7.7: 46-47].
Even the demigods are bound and limited by the laws of karma. That Indra himself is subordinate to the laws of karma is explicitly stated in the Brahma-saḿhitā (5.54): yas tv indra-gopam atha vendram aho sva-karma-bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam ātanoti. The Supreme Lord, Govinda, awards all creatures the appropriate results of their work. This is as true for mighty Indra, the lord of the material heavens, as it is for the germ called indra-gopa. The Bhagavad-gītā (7.20) also states, kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante 'nya-devatāḥ. Only those who have lost their intelligence because of various material desires surrender unto demigods rather than worship the Supreme Lord. In fact, the demigods cannot award benefits to anyone independently, as stated by Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Gītā: mayaiva vihitān hi tān. All benefits are ultimately issued by the Lord Himself.
Thus it is not altogether incorrect to say that demigod worship is useless, since even the demigods are under the laws of karma. In fact, this is the case. But Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Absolute Truth, is not subordinate to the law of karma; rather, He can independently offer or withhold His favor. This is confirmed in the verse from the Brahma-saḿhitā quoted above, the third line of which is karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām: [Bs. 5.54] "The Supreme Lord burns up all the accumulated karma of those engaged in His loving service." Not only is Lord Kṛṣṇa above the laws of material action and reaction, but He can immediately dissolve these laws for anyone who satisfies Him through loving service. Thus the almighty God is supreme in absolute freedom, and by surrendering to Him we can escape the bonds of karma and stop accepting their dismal rule as supreme.
10.24.18
(18) Therefore should one, in keeping to one's duties performing effortlessly, exercise respect for the karma of one's own nature [see varnâs'rama]; by that karma one lives, it is that karma no doubt that is someone's worshipable deity.
Lord Kṛṣṇa here proposes the modern if absurd philosophy that our work or occupation is really God and that we should therefore simply worship our work. Upon close scrutiny, we observe that our work is nothing more than the interaction of the material body with material nature, as Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself states~ in a more serious mood, in the Bhagavad-gītā (3.28): guṇā guṇeṣu vartanta. Karma-mīmāḿsā philosophy accepts that good activity in this life will give us a better next life. If this is true, there must be some type of conscious soul different from the body. And if that is the case, why should a transcendental soul worship the interaction of the temporary body with material nature? If the words sampūjayet karma here mean that one should worship the laws of karma governing our activities, then one may astutely ask what it means to worship laws and, indeed, what might be the origin of such laws and who is maintaining them. To say that laws have created or are maintaining the world is a meaningless proposition, since there is nothing about the nature of a law that indicates it could generate the existential situation it is supposed to govern. In fact, worship is meant for Kṛṣṇa Himself, and this real conclusion will be clearly revealed in this chapter.
10.24.19
ājīvyaikataraḿ bhāvaḿ
(19) Like an unfaithful woman with her lover, does one not gain any real benefit resorting to another entity but the entity [the worshipable deity] one derives one's life from.
10.24.20
(20) The learned live by the Vedas, the ruling class by protecting the earth, the vaishyas live on trade and the s'ûdras on serving the twice-born [the former three, see also 7.11: 21-24].
10.24.21
(21) Farming, trading, cow-protection and the fourth of banking is said to be the fourfold occupational duty [of the vaishya]; among these is the one we are engaged in the constant care for the cows.
10.24.22
rajasotpadyate viśvam
(22) Of the goodness, passion and ignorance as caused by maintenance, creation and destruction [see guna] was by the mode of passion [the moving around] this universe generated and is there from the dyadic the world its variety.
Anticipating the possible objection that a livelihood based on cows certainly depends on Lord Indra, who supplies rain, Lord Kṛṣṇa here introduces a mechanistic theory of existence known as atheistic Sāńkhya. The tendency to attribute exclusive causality to the apparently mechanistic functions of nature is an old tendency indeed. Five thousand years ago Lord Kṛṣṇa referred to a doctrine already well known in human society.
10.24.23
(23) The clouds impelled by that passion pour down their water everywhere and by that water they simply maintain the population, so what would Indra then do?
Lord Kṛṣṇa continues His mechanistic explanation of existence, concluding mahendraḥ kiḿ kariṣyati: "Who needs the great Indra, since the rain, sent by the clouds, which in turn are impelled by the mode of passion, is actually producing everyone's food?" The word sarvataḥ indicates that the clouds magnanimously send their rain even on the ocean, rocks and barren land, where there is no apparent necessity for such sweet water.
10.24.24
(24) The cities, the cultured lands and the villages are not the places where we are at home, we are the forest people dear father, we always live in the forests and on the hills.
10.24.25
tasmād gavāḿ brāhmaṇānām
adreś cārabhyatāḿ makhaḥ
tair ayaḿ sādhyatāḿ makhaḥ
(25) Let's therefore make a start with a sacrifice for the cows, the brahmins and the hill [Govardhana], and may this be carried out with the ingredients for Indra's sacrifice! [see also footnote 10.8*3]
10.24.26
sūpāntāḥ pāyasādayaḥ
saḿyāvāpūpa-śaṣkulyaḥ
(26) Let's cook all sorts of preparations and soups, beginning with sweet rice, porridge, rolls and cakes and let's have all sorts of dairy products.
10.24.27
(27) Feed the fires properly with food well prepared by the brahmins versed in the Vedas; them you should reward with cows.
10.24.28
anyebhyaś cāśva-cāṇḍāla-
patitebhyo yathārhataḥ
(28) As it is proper in respect of each should also be thought of dogs and outcasts and other fallen souls, grass must be given to the cows and the mountain should be presented offerings.
10.24.29
go-viprānala-parvatān
(29) Nicely adorned having eaten our fill should with us in our best clothes and smeared with sandalwood pulp the cows, the brahmins, the fires and the hill [always kept to the right] be circumambulated.
Lord Kṛṣṇa wanted all the human beings and even the animals to eat nice bhagavat-prasādam, sanctified foods offered to the Lord. To enthuse His relatives with a festive mood, He requested them to dress beautifully with fine clothes and ornaments and to refresh their bodies with luxurious sandalwood paste. The essential activity, however, was the circumambulation of the holy brāhmaṇas, cows, sacrificial fires and especially Govardhana Hill.
10.24.30
ayaḿ go-brāhmaṇādrīṇāḿ
(30) This is what I think o father, may that be done if you please, because doing this for the cows, the brahmins and the hill is a festival also to My liking.'
10.24.31
kālātmanā bhagavatā
sādhv agṛhṇanta tad-vacaḥ
(31) S'rî S'uka said: 'Hearing these words by the Supreme Lord, by the Time in person, spoken with the intent to break the pride of Indra, accepted Nanda and the elder men them as excellent.
10.24.32-33
yathāha madhusūdanaḥ
(32-33) And so they executed all that Madusûdhana spoke of: they settled for the successful course of reciting with the items available; the hill, the brahmins they all together respectfully paid tribute; the cows, bulls and calves were presented with grass and then was the circumambulation of the hill performed.
The residents of Vṛndāvana were simply devoted to Lord Kṛṣṇa; that was the sum and substance of their existence. Being the Lord's eternal associates, they were ultimately not concerned with Lord Indra or ritualistic sacrifice, and they were certainly not interested in the mechanistic philosophy that Kṛṣṇa had just spoken to them. They simply loved Kṛṣṇa, and out of intense affection they did exactly what He had requested.
Their simple loving mentality was not small-mindedness or ignorance, since they were devoted to the Supreme Absolute Truth, who contains within Himself all existence. Thus the residents of Vṛndāvana constantly experienced the highest, essential truth underlying all other truths — and that is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, the cause of all causes and that which sustains the existence of all that exists. The residents of Vṛndāvana were overwhelmed in loving service to that Supreme Absolute Truth; therefore they were the most fortunate, most intelligent and most pragmatic of all living beings.
10.24.34
anāḿsy anaḍud-yuktāni
te cāruhya sv-alańkṛtāḥ
gāyantyaḥ sa-dvijāśiṣaḥ
(34) The cowherd women nicely ornamented riding wagons yoked with oxen sang, together with the twice-born chanting their benedictions, the glories of S'rî Krishna.
10.24.35
kṛṣṇas tv anyatamaḿ rūpaḿ
(35) Then, to instill faith in the gopas, assumed Krishna another form saying 'I am the hill' and devoured He the abundance of offerings with the immensity of His body [see vapu and footnote*].
In Chapter Twenty-four of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, "When everything was complete, Kṛṣṇa assumed a great transcendental form and declared to the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana that He was Himself Govardhana Hill in order to convince the devotees that Govardhana Hill and Kṛṣṇa are identical. Then Kṛṣṇa began to eat all the food offered there. The identity of Kṛṣṇa and Govardhana Hill is still honored, and great devotees take rocks from Govardhana Hill and worship them exactly as they worship the Deity of Kṛṣṇa in the temples. Devotees therefore collect small rocks or pebbles from Govardhana Hill and worship them at home, because this worship is as good as Deity worship."
Lord Kṛṣṇa had induced the residents of Vṛndāvana to assume a significant risk on His behalf. He convinced them to neglect a sacrifice to what is, after all, the powerful government of the universe and to worship a hill called Govardhana instead. The cowherd community did all this simply out of love for Kṛṣṇa, and now to convince them that their decision was correct, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared in an unprecedented, huge transcendental form and demonstrated that He Himself was Govardhana Hill.
10.24.36
(36) Unto Him together with the people of Vraja brought He by Himself to Himself His obeisances: 'Oh, just see, how this hill manifest in person has bestowed upon us the mercy!'
10.24.37
eṣo 'vajānato martyān
"This Govardhana Hill, assuming any form he wishes, will kill any residents of the forest who neglect him. Therefore let us pay our obeisances to him for the safety of ourselves and our cows."the Lord presented six theoretical points in this chapter: 1) that karma alone is sufficient to determine one's destiny; 2) that one's conditioned nature is the supreme controller; 3) that the modes of nature are the supreme controller; 4) that the Supreme Lord is simply a dependent aspect of karma; 5) that He is under the control of karma; and 6) that one's occupation is the actual worshipable deity.
The Lord presented these arguments not because He believed them but rather because He wanted to stop the impending sacrifice to Indra and divert it to Himself in the form of Govardhana Hill. In this way the Lord desired to agitate that falsely proud demigod.
10.24.38
The members of the cowherd community, having thus been inspired by Lord Vāsudeva to properly execute the sacrifice to Govardhana Hill, the cows and the brāhmaṇas, returned with Lord Kṛṣṇa to their village, Vraja."The identity of Krishna and Govardhana Hill is still honored, and great devotees take rocks from Govardhana Hill and worship them exactly as they worship the Deity of Krishna in the temples. Devotees therefore collect small rocks or pebbles from Govardhana Hill and worship them at home, because this worship is as good as Deity worship."
Thus end of the Tenth Canto, Twenty-fourth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "Worshiping Govardhana Hill."
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