Intro

[45:28 Minutes]
Audio

The Supreme Personality of Godhead. First line. KÅÑËA in big letters. And
next line, in small letters, The Supreme Personality of Godhead. Text.

This verse:

kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! He

kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! He
kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! rakña mäm
kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! kåñëa! pähi mäm
kåñëa! keçava! kåñëa! keçava! kåñëa! keçava! pähi mäm

Next line.

räma! räghava! räma! räghava! räma! räghava! rakña mäm

[Cc Madhya 7.96]

While attempting to write this book, Kåñëa, first of all let me offer my
respectful obeisances to my spiritual master, Oà Viñëupäda 108 Çré Çrémad
Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé Mahäräja Prabhupäda. Then let me offer
my respectful obeisances to the ocean of mercy, Lord Çré Kåñëa Caitanya
Mahäprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa Himself, in the role
of a devotee just to distribute the highest principles of devotional service,
beginning from the country known as Gauòadeça, West Bengal. As I belong to
the Mädhva-Gauòéya-sampradäya, therefore I must offer my respectful
obeisances to the disciplic succession, known by the above name. This

1
Mädhva-Gauòéya-sampradäya is also known as Brahma-sampradäya because
originally the disciplic succession begins from Brahmä. Brahmä instructed the
sage Närada, Närada instructed Vyäsadeva. Then Vyäsadeva instructed to
Madhva Muni, or Madhväcärya. Çré Mädhavendra Puré, the origin of
Mädhva-Gauòéya-sampradäya, belonged to the Madhväcärya disciplic
succession. He was in the sannyäsa order of life and had many renowned
disciples, just like Nityänanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu and Éçvara Puré. Éçvara
Puré happened to be the spiritual master of Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu. So let
us offer our respectful obeisances to Éçvara Puré, along with Nityänanda
Prabhu, Çré Advaita Äcärya Prabhu, Çréväsa Paëòita and Çré Gadädhara
Paëòita.

After that, let us offer our respectful obeisances to Svarüpa-Dämodara, who

acted throughout as the private secretary of Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu; and
let us offer our respectful obeisances to Çré Väsudeva Datta and the constant
attendant of Lord Caitanya, Çré Govinda, and constant friend of Lord
Caitanya, Mukunda, and Muräri Gupta. Then let us offer our respectful
obeisances to the six Gosvämés of Våndävana, namely Çré Rüpa Gosvämé, Çré
Sanätana Gosvämé, Çré Raghunätha Bhaööa Gosvämé, Çré Gopäla Bhaööa
Gosvämé, Çré Jéva Gosvämé and Çré Raghunätha däsa Gosvämé.

Next paragraph.

Kåñëa has explained Himself in the Bhagavad-gétä about Himself, that He is

the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and whenever there is discrepancies in
the regulative principles of man's religious life and there is a prominence of
irreligious activities, at that time Lord Çré Kåñëa appears on this earthly planet.
In other words, when Lord Çré Kåñëa appeared, there was a necessity of
minimizing the load of sinful activities accumulated on this planet, or in this
universe. The affairs of the material creation, Lord Mahä-Viñëu, plenary

2
portion of Kåñëa, is in charge. Actually, as stated in the Bhagavad-gétä that the
Lord appears when there is discrepancies of religious principles and
prominence of irreligious activities, that incarnation of the Lord emanates
from Mahä-Viñëu, or Viñëu. Mahä-Viñëu is the original cause of material
creation, and from Him expands Garbhodakaçäyi-Viñëu and then
Kñérodakaçäyé-Viñëu. And generally, all the incarnations appearing within this
material universe are plenary expansion from Kñérodakaçäyi-Viñëu. Therefore
the business of minimizing the overload sinful activities of this earth does not
belong to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kåñëa Himself. But when Kåñëa
appears, along with Him all the Viñëu expansions, They also join with Him. As
such, Kåñëa's different expansions—namely Näräyaëa and the quadruple
expansion, namely Väsudeva, Saìkarñaëa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, as well as
different incarnation, just like partial plenary expansion of Matsya-avatära,
incarnation of fish, and other yuga-avatära, or incarnation for the millennium,
and manvantara-avatära, incarnation of Manus, all of them combine together,
appear with the body of Kåñëa.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, is a complete whole. As such,

all plenary expansions and incarnations do always live with Him. Therefore the
conclusion is when Kåñëa appeared, Lord Viñëu was also with Him. Actually, in
the incarnation of Kåñëa the business of killing the demons were done by the
Viñëu portion of Kåñëa. Kåñëa actually appears to demonstrate His Våndävana
pastimes to attract the fortunate conditioned souls, inviting them back to
home, back to Godhead. The affairs of killing the demons was simultaneous
activities only done by the Viñëu portion of Kåñëa.

Next paragraph.

In the Bhagavad-gétä, Eighth Chapter, twentieth verse, there is a statement

of the Lord's abode wherein it is stated that there is another eternal nature,

3
spiritual sky, which is transcendental to this manifested and nonmanifested
matter. The manifested world we can see so many stars and planetary
systems—the sun, moon, etc. —but beyond this there is a nonmanifested
portion, which is not approachable by anyone in this body. And beyond that
nonmanifested matter there is spiritual kingdom. That kingdom is described in
the Bhagavad-gétä as the supreme and eternal, never annihilated. This material
nature is subjected to repeated creation and annihilation, but that part, the
spiritual nature, remains as it is, eternally.

Next paragraph.

The supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, is also described

in the Brahmä-saàhitä as the abode of cintämaëi. That abode of Lord Kåñëa
known as Goloka Våndävana is full of palaces made of touchstone. There the
trees are called desire trees, and the cows are called surabhi, and the Lord is
being served by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, He whose
name is Govinda, the Primal Lord and the cause of all causes. There the Lord
plays His flute, His eyes like lotus petals and the color of His body like a
beautiful cloud, on His head a peacock feather. So attractive is He that He
excels thousands of Cupids. Lord Kåñëa gives only a little hint in the Gétä
about His personal abode, which is the supermost planet in the spiritual
kingdom. But in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, actually Kåñëa appears with His all
paraphernalia and demonstrates His activity in Våndävana, and then at
Mathurä and then at Dvärakä. The subject matter of this book will comprise all
such activities, gradually.

Next paragraph.

The family in which Kåñëa appeared is called the Yadu dynasty. This Yadu
dynasty belongs to the family descending from Soma, the god in the moon
planet. There are two different families, kñatriya families of royal order: one

4
descending from the king of the moon planet and the other descending from
the king of the sun planet. So whenever the Supreme Personality of Godhead
appears, generally, because He has to establish religious principles, or life of
righteousness, generally He appears in the kñatriya family. Kñatriya family is
supposed to be protector of the human race. That is the Vedic system. So the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, when He appeared as Lord Rämacandra, He
appeared in the family descending from the sun-god, known as Raghu-vaàça.
And when He appeared as Lord Kåñëa, He did so in the family of Yadu-vaàça.

There is a long list of these kings of this Yadu-vaàça in the Ninth Canto,
Twenty-fourth Chapter, and all of them were great, powerful kings. Kåñëa's
father's name was Vasudeva, descending from the Yadu dynasty. Actually, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead does not belong to any dynasty of this
material world, but the family in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead
appears becomes famous, by His grace. The example is given just like
sandalwood is produced in the states of Malaya. So sandalwood has its own
qualification, but because accidentally such wood is mostly produced in the
states of Malaya, sandalwood is known as "Malaya sandalwood." Similarly,
Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, belongs to everyone, but as the
sun rises from the eastern side, although there are so many sides, similarly, by
His own choice the Lord appears in some family and that family becomes
famous as sandalwood is called Malayan sandalwood.

As already explained above, that when Kåñëa appears, all His plenary
expansions also appears with Him. So Kåñëa appeared along with Balaräma,
who is known as His elder brother, but Balaräma is the origin of Saìkarñaëa, of
the quadruple expansion. Balaräma is also plenary expansion of Kåñëa. In this
book an attempt will be made how Kåñëa appeared in the family of the Yadu
dynasty and what was His transcendental characteristics. These things are very
vividly described in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, specifically Tenth Canto, and the

5
basic principle of this book will be Çrémad-Bhägavatam Tenth Canto.

Next paragraph.

The pastimes of the Lord are generally heard and relished by liberated souls.
Those who are conditioned soul, they are interested to read stories and fiction
of the material activities of some common man, but the similar stories and
similar narrations are found in Çrémad-Bhägavatam and other Puräëas,
describing the transcendental activities of the Lord. But the conditioned soul,
they prefer to study ordinary narrations, but they are less interested in the
matter of studying the narrations of the pastimes of the Lord, Kåñëa. But still,
the description of the pastimes of Lord Kåñëa is so nice that they are relishable
by all classes of men.

There are three classes of men in this world. One class of men is called
liberated souls, and the other class of men is called persons trying to be
liberated. And the third class of men is called the materialistic men. So either
one is a liberated soul or one is trying to be liberated, or even one is a grossly
materialistic man, for everyone the pastimes of Lord Kåñëa is…, is worth
studying. So far the liberated souls are concerned, they have no more any
interested any…, in any materialistic activities. The impersonalist philosophy
that after liberation one becomes inactive, there is no more anything to be
heard, that does not mean that a liberated person is actually inactive.

A living soul cannot be inactive, either in conditioned state or in liberated

state. Just like a diseased person: A diseased person in diseased condition is also
active, but his activities are all painful. Similarly, the same person, when he is
freed from the diseased condition, he is active. But in the healthy condition his
activities are completely different. They are not painful, but they are full of
pleasure. Similarly, the impersonalists only seek to get free from the diseased
conditional activities, but they have no information of the activities in healthy

6
condition. So those who are actually liberated and in full knowledge, they take
to the activities of Kåñëa, or spiritual activities. So it is essential for the persons
who are actually liberated to hear about the pastimes of Kåñëa. They relish it.
That is the relishable subject matter in liberated condition. So far as persons
who are trying to be liberated, they also, if they hear such narrations as
Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad-Bhägavatam, their path of liberation becomes very
clear.

Bhagavad-gétä is the preliminary study of Çrémad-Bhägavatam. By studying

this book, one becomes fully conscious about the position of Lord Kåñëa, and
when he is fixed up in the lotus feet of Kåñëa, he understands the narrations of
Kåñëa described in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam. Lord Caitanya has therefore
advised us that those who are actually following the footprints of Lord
Caitanya, their business is to propagate kåñëa-kathä. Kåñëa-kathä means
narration about Kåñëa.

So kåñëa-kathä, there are two kåñëa-kathäs. The Sanskrit meaning of

kåñëa-kathä means narrations spoken by Kåñëa and narrations about Kåñëa. So
Bhagavad-gétä is the narration of the philosophy, or the science, of God, spoken
by Kåñëa Himself. So that is also kåñëa-kathä. And Çrémad-Bhägavatam is
narration about the activities and transcendental pastimes of Kåñëa. So that is
also kåñëa-kathä. So this kåñëa-kathäs should be spread all over the world. That
is the order of Lord Caitanya. Because the conditioned souls who are suffering
under the pangs of material existence, if they take to kåñëa-kathä, then their
path of liberation will be open and clear.

The purpose of presenting this book, Kåñëa, is primarily to induce people to

understand Kåñëa or kåñëa-kathä, and thereby they become freed from the
material bondage. And so far the most materialistic persons are concerned, for
them also this kåñëa-kathä, or narration about Kåñëa, will be very much

7
appealing, because Kåñëa's pastimes with the gopés are exactly like loving affairs
of the young boys and girls within this material world. Actually, the sex feeling
of the human society is original. It is not unnatural, because the same sex
feeling is there in the original Personality of Godhead. The pleasure potency is
Çrématé Rädhäräëé. Actually, the attraction of sex or loving affairs on the basis
of sex feeling is the original feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
And we, the conditioned souls, being the part and parcel of the Supreme, we
have got such feelings, but they are in a perverted minute condition. Therefore
this material world who are after this sex life, they also, when they hear about
Kåñëa's pastimes with the gopés, they will relish another, transcendental
pleasure, although it appears to be materialistic. The advantage will be that
such materialistic person will gradually be elevated to the spiritual platform.

In the Bhägavatam it is stated that the pastimes of Lord Kåñëa with the
gopés, if somebody hears from authorities and submissively, then the result will
be that he will be promoted to the platform of transcendental loving service to
the Lord, and his material disease and lust within the heart will be completely
vanquished. Therefore, on the whole, this kåñëa-kathä, or this book Kåñëa, will
be equally appealing for the liberated souls, for persons who are trying to be
liberated, as well as to the grossed, conditioned materialistic persons.

So according to the statement of Mahäräja Parékñit, who heard about Kåñëa

from Çukadeva Gosvämé, it is concluded that every human being, never mind
in whatever condition of life he is staying, this book Kåñëa or the subject
matter of kåñëa-kathä will be equally applicable. Surely, every one of them will
appreciate to the highest magnitude.

Next…

Çré Mahäräja Parékñit has also warned that persons who are simply engaged
in killing animals and killing themselves, they may not be very much attracted

8
with this book Kåñëa or kåñëa-kathä. In other words, ordinary persons who are
following the regulative principles of scriptures, moral principles, generally
they may be in any condition, as stated above, will be certainly attracted. But
persons who are killing themselves… The exact word used in the
Çrémad-Bhägavatam is called paçughna; paçughna means killing the animals or
killing oneself. Persons who are not self-realized, not interested in the matter
of spiritual realization or self-realization, they are killing themselves; they are
committing suicide. Because this human form of body is especially meant for
this purpose—self-realization. But neglecting this important part of his
activities, if one is simply wasting time like animal, he is also paçughna. And
the other one who are actually killing animals, that means persons who are
animal eaters. There are different kinds of animal eaters, even dog eaters. They
are engaged in killing animals in so many ways: hunting, slaughterhouse. Such
persons cannot be interested in kåñëa-kathä.

Next paragraph.

King Parékñit was especially interested in hearing kåñëa-kathä, because he

knew that his forefathers, his grandfather Arjuna, was victorious in the great
Battle of Kurukñetra on account of Kåñëa only. Clearly, even if we take this
material world as a Battlefield of Kurukñetra, that is, everyone is struggling
hard for existence in this battlefield, and in every step there is danger, so
according to Mahäräja Parékñit the Battlefield of Kurukñetra was just like a vast
ocean full of dangerous animals. His grandfather Arjuna had to fight with such
great heroes as Bhéñma, Droëa, Karëa and many others. They are not ordinary
fighters; just like timiìgala. Such personalities have been compared as timiìgala
fish. Timiìgala fish is in the ocean which can swallow up the big whales very
easily. Similarly, these great fighters in the Battle of Kurukñetra could swallow
many, many Arjunas very easily. But it was simply due to Kåñëa's mercy that
Arjuna was able to kill all of them. And the comparison is just like one can

9
cross over the pit full water impressed by the hoof of a calf. There is no
exertion in jumping over such a small pit. Similarly, Arjuna, by the grace of
Kåñëa, was able to jump over the ocean of Battle of Kurukñetra very easily.

So Mahäräja Parékñit was very much appreciative of Kåñëa's activities for so

many reasons. Not only his grandfather was saved by Kåñëa, but he was also
saved by Kåñëa. Because after finishing the Battle of Kurukñetra, actually all
the members of the Kuru dynasty, namely the sons and grandsons and
grandchildren on the other side of Dhåtaräñöra, and this side also, Päëòavas
and their sons and grandsons, they were fighting, but only excepting the five
brothers, everyone died in the Battlefield of Kurukñetra. And Mahäräja
Parékñit was at that time within the embryo of his mother. His father,
Abhimanyu, son of Arjuna, also died in the Battlefield of Kurukñetra, and he
was posthumous child. But when he was within the womb of his mother, there
was brahmästra released by Açvatthämä to kill this child in the embryo. And
when Parékñit Mahäräja's mother, Uttarä, approached Kåñëa, seeing the danger
of abortion, Kåñëa entered the womb of Uttaräand saved Mahäräja Parékñit.
Mahäräja Parékñit's another name is Viñëuräta, because within the womb he
was saved by Viñëu, Lord Viñëu Himself.

Next paragraph.

Thus everyone, in any condition of life, should be interested to hear about

Kåñëa and His activities, because He is the Supreme Absolute Truth,
Personality of Godhead. He is all-pervading. He is living within everyone's
heart, inside, and He is living outside as…, in His universal form. Still, as it is
described in the Bhagavad-gétä, He appears as He is in the human society just
to invite them to His transcendental abode—back to home, back to Godhead.
So everyone should be interested to know about Kåñëa, and this book is
presented with this purpose, that people may know about Kåñëa and be

10
perfectly benefited in his human form of life.

Next paragraph.

In the Ninth Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Çré Baladeva is described as the

son of Rohiëé, another wife of Vasudeva. Vasudeva, the father of Kåñëa, had
sixteen wives. Out of them, Rohiëé the mother of Baladeva, is one. But
Baladeva is also described as the son of Devaké, so how He could be son of both
Devaké and Rohiëé? This was one of the questions of Mahäräja Parékñit to
Çukadeva Gosvämé, and that will be answered in due course.

Another question of Mahäräja Parékñit to Çukadeva Gosvämé was why Çré

Kåñëa, just after His appearance as the son of Vasudeva, was immediately
carried to the house of Nanda Mahäräja in Våndävana, Gokula. He also wanted
to know the activities of Lord Kåñëa while He was in Våndävana, as well as
while He was in Mathurä. Besides that, he was especially inquisitive to know
why Kåñëa killed His maternal uncle, Kaàsa. Kaàsa, being the brother of His
mother, he was a very intimate superior to Kåñëa, so how is it that He killed
Kaàsa? His question was also how many years Lord Kåñëa remained in the
human society, along with His activities like a human being. How many years
He reigned over the kingdom of Dvärakä, and how many wives He accepted
there? Kñatriya kings are generally accustomed to accept more than one wife;
therefore Parékñit Mahäräja inquired about Kåñëa also, how many wives He
accepted.

Actually, the subject matter of this book, Kåñëa, is answering of the

questions made by Mahäräja Parékñit to Çukadeva Gosvämé. The example of
Mahäräja Parékñit and Çukadeva Gosvämé is unique. Mahäräja Parékñit is the
right person to hear about the transcendental pastimes of Kåñëa, and Çukadeva
Gosvämé is the right person to describe it. If fortunately such combination is
made possible, then kåñëa-kathä, or narration of Kåñëa, becomes immediately

11
spiritualized, and people benefit out of such conversation to the highest
possible degree.

Next paragraph.

So Parékñit Mahäräja was listening to Çukadeva Gosväméat the point of his

death. This narration of Kåñëa was presented by Çukadeva Gosvämé when
Parékñit Mahäräja was prepared to give up his body and he was fasting on the
bank of the Ganges. So in order to assure Çukadeva Gosvämé that in the matter
of hearing kåñëa-kathä he won't feel tired, he expressed very frankly that
"Hunger, thirst may give trouble to the ordinary persons or unto me, but the
topics of Kåñëa is so nice that one can continue to hear about Him without any
feeling of tiredness, on account of being situated in transcendental position."
In other words, it is understood that if one is fortunate enough to hear about
kåñëa-kathä very seriously, as Mahäräja Parékñit was hearing —namely, he was
expecting death at any moment—so similarly, every one of us should be
conscious of our death at any moment. This life is not assured at all. Any time
we can die, it does not matter whether I am young man or old man. So before
death takes place, we must be fully Kåñëa conscious. That is...

Kåñëa, tape number two. Kåñëa, tape number two.

King Parékñit was hearing Çrémad-Bhägavatam from Çukadeva Gosvämé at

the point of his death, and when he expressed his untiring desire to hear about
Kåñëa, Çukadeva Gosvämé was very much pleased. Çukadeva Gosvämé was the
greatest of all Bhägavata reciters, and thus he began to speak about Kåñëa and
His pastimes, which are all destroyer of inauspiciosity in this age of Kali.
Çukadeva Gosvämé thanked the King Parékñit for his eagerness to hear about
Kåñëa, and he encouraged him by saying, "My dear King, your intelligence is
very decisive, because you have so much eagerness to hear about the pastimes
of Kåñëa." He informed Mahäräja Parékñit that the hearing and chanting of the

12
pastimes of Kåñëa is so auspicious that such a process purifies three classes of
men, namely one who recites about the transcendental topics of Kåñëa, one
who hears such topics and one who inquires about Him, just like the Ganges
water which is emanated from the toe of Lord Viñëu purifies the three worlds,
namely the upper, the middle and the lower planetary system.

13