Bhagavatam tenth canto study 57 – 10.10.23-27 Krishna honors the promise of his devotees

Hare Krishna Having spoken thus, Narada Muni curses Malakuvar and Manikari to become trees and then एबं उक्त्वा Having spoken thus, गतो नारायण आश्रमम् Narada Muni left.
He went to his ashram, which was Narayan Ashram. It was the ashram where he glorified Narayan and got the shelter of Narayan. नारायण आश्रम् नलकुवर मनिग्रीवाव आसतुर यमलार्जुनम् Narayan Ashram, Nalakuvar Manigreeva, Asatur Yamalarjunam And then his words were self-actualizing.
His words turned into reality and Nalakuvar Manigreeva became trees. The Yamalarjun trees, the same trees that were present in the courtyard of Nanda Maharaj where he could, where Krishna saw them and then Krishna delivered those trees. So this is the back story that is being told as interposed, interspersed within the current story of how the devatas, the godly beings, Nalakuvar and Manigreeva emerged when Krishna with the grinding motor pulled down the tree, Yamalarjun trees.
So through this back story it is described actually those Yamalarjun trees were, were devatas who had taken that form because of Naraduni’s curse. Text 34, रुषेर भागवतमुक्यस्य सत्यं करतुं वचोहरि जगां शनकैस्तत्र यत्रास्ताम् यमलार्जुनम् रुषेर भागवतमुक्यस्य Now, the narrative goes on, Shukadeva Swami is describing that भागवतमुक्यस्य, that this Rishi Narad Muni was a great sage, he was the most prominent among all sages, he was the leader among the Bhagavatas, रुषेर भागवतमुक्यस्य सत्यं करतुं वचोहरि So, Lord Hari wanted to make his words come true. Narad Muni had cursed Nallakuramani Guru, but it also promised him that you will be delivered by Krishna.
So, Krishna was conscious of the word of his devotees or the promise of his devotees and he wanted to make sure that the promise was fulfilled. So, this mood, this theme that Krishna fulfills the word of his devotees comes elsewhere also in the Bhagavatam, सत्यं विधातं निजबृत्य भाषितं Bhagavatam says that सत्यं विधातं, that the Bhagavatam ensures that that actually Krishna ensures that the words of his devotees come true. So, when he appeared as Narasimhadeva, he actually preserved the word of three people of Brahma, Narada and Prahlad.
Brahma’s word was to Hiranyakashipu that Hiranyakashipu would not be killed by any being created by Brahma. So, he appeared as Narasimhadeva who was different from any being created by Brahma. He had promised, Narad Muni had promised Prahlad’s mother Kayadu that Narada would always, that Prahlad would always be protected.
And now when Prahlad was being endangered by his own father, Kayadu had thought, Kayadu had been in danger because she felt that they were Devatas who were, who had an inimical relationship with, towards whom Believers were inimical, that Devatas may endanger Prahlad and threaten him. She had probably, when she was asking Narada Muni for her benediction, she had not thought that her own husband, the father of Prahlad would become the greatest threat for Prahlad. But that’s what happened.
And Prahlad was protected by the Lord to honour the word of Narada. And then further, we have Prahlad himself who had said that, actually, when Hiranyakashipu had asked, is Vishnu present everywhere? Is he present in this pillar? He said, yes, of course, he is present everywhere and he is present inside this pillar also. So when Hiranyakashipu, so we could say, Satyam Vidhatam, in that case, had three different, three different aspects of the Lord’s appearance, served to honour the words of three different devotees.
The form in which he appeared, fulfilled the promise of Brahma. The purpose for which he appeared, fulfilled the promise of Narada. And the place from which he appeared, fulfilled the purpose of Prahlad.
So the Lord fulfils the words of his devotees. So here similarly, it is said that, Satyam kartum vachoharihi, to fulfil the words, what are the words? That you will be delivered by Krishna in the future. Those words were fulfilled by Krishna here.
Jagam shanakais tatra yatra satamyam larjunau. So knowing that Krishna, that Narada had given these words, Krishna decided to go there, near the amlaju trees, to fulfil the words of his devotee. That is the words of Narada.
And what was Krishna thinking? Devarshir me priyatamo, yad imau dhanadatma jau, tat tatha sadhahishyami, yad geetam tan mahatmana. So, Devarshir me priyatamo, that the sage, Devarshi Narada, is dear to me, extremely dear to me, Priyatamo, Priya, Priyatara and Priyatamo, it is like good, better and best. It is the most superlative degree.
Devarshir me priyatamo, yad imau dhanadatma jau, that because he is very dear to me, these two people, who are, he identifies them not just by their own identity, but by their connection with someone respectable. They are the sons of Kubera and tat tatha sadhahishyami. Therefore, I will do, sadhahishyami, I will attain, I will actualise, yad geetam tan mahatmani.
And what was spoken, what was pronounced, what was promised, by mahatmani, that is, by that mahatmana, by that mahatma, that great soul, that is Narada. So, what Narada has promised, Krishna is going to actualise that promise. So, here an important point is that, Krishna’s mercy to Nalakur and Marigreev, was not because of their qualification, but because of their connection.
They happened to be connected with Narada Muni, and incidentally, and that connection was also incidental, Narada Muni happened to be passing by that area, where they were behaving improperly. So, their connection with the respectable king, the respectable treasurer of the gods, and with the great sage, therefore, because of that, Krishna decided to deliver them. In our devotion, we become recipients of mercy, not because of our qualification, but because of our connection, our connection with exalted devotees, who pray for us, who bless us, and who, if we please them by our service attitude towards them, and our service towards them, they benedict us.
Their prayer, our connection with them is our qualification, not our devotion itself. ity antaren arjunayo krishnastu yamayoryayo atma nirvesha matrena tiryagatam alokhalam ity antaren arjunayo In this way, Krishna went in between the two arjuna trees, antare arjunayo, when he went inside between the trees, krishnastu yamayoryayo, he went between the two trees, atma nirvesha matrena, he entered between the two trees, tiryagatam alokhalam, and the big mortar for grinding stone, for grinding spices that was there, alokhalam, it fell down, it fell cross ways between the two trees. So now, here, this Krishna was tied to the mortar, it’s interesting, the mortar was vertical, and the mortar was much bigger than Krishna, that’s how it had been tied to him, he had been tied to it rather, and mother Yashoda’s purpose was that, that would immobilize Krishna, and children are filled with energy, and they like to engage in activity, so to stop them is, to restrain him, to tie him is a punishment, but she didn’t realize that Krishna was so powerful that nothing could make him immobile, so he is the person by whose potency everything has mobility, our own mobility comes by Krishna’s mercy.
So, he couldn’t be immobilized rather, that which was made, he started moving that which was meant to make him immovable, such is the power of Krishna, he mobilized that which was meant to make him immobile, and thus he started going, he went towards the mortar, now still the mortar was large, Krishna’s strength might be large, but his frame was small, he was just a baby, just a small child, and he slipped through the gap between the two trees, but the mortar could not slip through, and then it was vertical, it fell into a sideways, and it became horizontal. बालेन निष्कर्षयान्तवग उलुखलंतद दामोधरेन तरसोत्कलांग्रिवन्धव निषेपतु परमविक्रमितातीवेप स्कंधः प्रवाल्वितपकृतचन्लशब्दव बालेन निष्कर्षयतन्वग उलुखलंतद So, as he was forcefully dragging that उलुखल, what happened, दामोधरेन तरसोत्कलांग्रिवन्धव So, दामोधरेन, that lord who was tied by the bali, he pulled, so when he pulled like this, निषेपतु परमविक्रमितातीवेप So, he pulled and it fell down, such was his great prowess, extraordinary prowess, supreme prowess, सकंधप्रवाल्वितपकृतचन्लशब्दव चन्लशब्दव, it created a huge sound, the branches, the trunk, it all fell down, वितपवु Normally, any object that falls down creates a sound, say when we see a strong object, when we, even a, say our phone falls down, that creates a sound, but a small object and a small sound, if you are carrying a heavy suitcase and the suitcase falls down, that will create a huge sound, suppose if a very heavy box or a trunk is kept somewhere and from there it falls down, that will create a much bigger sound, but trees falling down will create an even greater sound. श्मद्भागुतम् 10.10.28 तत्रश्रियापरमयाककुभस् पुरंतव् सिध्धावपेत्यकुजयोरिवजातवेदः कृष्णम्प्रणम्या शिरसाखिलोकनातम् बध्धान्जलि विरजसाविदम् ऊचतुस्मः तत्रश्रियापरमयाककुभस् पुरंतव् तत्र So that spot where the two Arjuna trees fell, परमया तत्रश्रिया Actually speaking, it was a sight of devastation and disaster, but suddenly, instead of that kind of destruction, something very beautiful manifested over there, श्रिया, beautiful, परमया, extremely beautiful, सुप्रक्लन्स् तक्ष्णिविदम् ककुभः from all the directions, so some beings appeared, ककुभस् पुरंतव् they started illuminating all the directions, and सिद्धाव उपेत्य कुझयोरिव जातवेद सिद्धाव उपेत्य So, two perfected beings, सिद्धावs, here सिद्धावs refer to beings with higher consciousness, beings existing at a higher level of reality, and that will be explained in subsequent verses, उपेत्य कुझयोरिव जातवेद They came out, कुझयो, so from the two trees, इवजातवेद and they were as effulgent as fire personified, कृष्णम् प्रणम्या they offered their obeisances to Krishna, think of the contrast, hear that, Krishna is a small child, and He is bound, from the material point of view, He doesn’t look particularly impressive, of course, He has done something materially impressive, brought down two huge trees, but still, as compared to the effulgent appearance of these two celestial beings, who have come from the tree, Krishna’s appearance might not seem that impressive to some, but still, these great beings are offering their respects to Krishna, कृष्णम् प्रणम्या शिरसा अखिल लोकनातम् They bowed down their heads to that lord who is अखिल लोकनातम् who is the master of all living beings, अखिल लोकनातम् बद्धान्जली विरजसाविदं ऊच्छतूस्मः and they folded their hands, बद्धान्जली विरजसाव and so they were cleansed of ignorance, विरजसाव so this is an imagery going on over here that they were effulgent and they were cleansed of ignorance इदं ऊच्छतूस्मः and they spoke these words they uttered these words so this verse talks about the extraordinary way in which the विरजवासी’s see Krishna’s pastimes happening and some विरजवासी’s get to see these pastimes, some get to simply hear these pastimes happening and overall the mood is a the mood of astonishment, of wonder and here and Krishna combines the endearingly ordinary with the endearingly extraordinary that he when he does something ordinary like say children are mischievous and when Krishna is mischievous he does that in a way that uplifts and inspires, that is devotionally, divinely entertaining and parallel to that when Krishna does something which is Krishna suddenly does something extraordinary and that also is endearing for those who have the eyes of love oh our sweet little boy can do such a wonderful thing our sweet little boy receives worship from such great gods how amazing that is, how extraordinary that is so the विरजवासी’s delight in Krishna’s greatness and Krishna’s greatness is being demonstrated over here by the prayers that the by the prayers that these two divine personalities will now be offering so they start, text 29, Krishna Krishna Maha Yogims तमाद्यः पुरुष्यः परह विक्ता व्यक्तमिदं विश्वं रूपं ते ब्रह्मणाविदुहूं so they are praying Krishna Krishna Maha Yogims oh Krishna you are a great yogi you are the master of mysticism Maha Yogims तमाद्यः पुरुष्यः परह you are the supreme transcendental person विक्ता व्यक्तमिदं विश्वं विक्ता व्यक्तम् there is a manifested world and there is an unmanifested world and this universe which has subtle causes and gross effects so here व्यक्ता refers to the subtler elements from which the physical world manifests so व्यक्ता व्यक्तमिदं विश्वं this world which is there रूपं ते ब्रह्मणाविदु they understand that the brahmanas, those are wise people, they understand that this is your form so the first thing that Malakot and Maneghriv declare as soon as they see Krishna is that you are not just what you appear to be you may appear to be like a small helpless child bound by his mother but you are you are that transcendental person, you are that supreme mystic who is so expansive, who is so powerful, who is so omnipotent that the whole universe is your form so they are saying that this form that we see of yours is at one level real but at another level your form is something far bigger your form is something which cannot even be known by ordinary beings but the brahmanas, those who are wise beings know that your form is actually the form of the whole universe is your form so here they are referring to the fact that everything exists within Krishna and everything manifests as the body of Krishna it is said that Mahavishnu is the super soul of all of material existence Garbhodakshavishnu is the super soul of each universe and Shivadakshavishnu who is present as the Paramatma in the heart is the super soul within each body thus the divine pervades all of existence and that divine pervasion of existence is being conveyed here when the divine brothers between Nalakur and Manigreev are reciting this verse Krishna Krishna Maha Yogins it is by your supreme mysticism that although the whole universe is your form you manifest herein in such a tiny singing form